Twister

Robin Light #2

by Barbara Block

When her friend Lynn confesses to a murder that she did not commit, pet shop owner and amateur sleuth Robin Light investigates and discovers a second murder that soon involves her in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Animals

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1995

About the author

Aka Isis Crawford

Barbara Block is the author of the Robin Light Mystery Series, Twister, In Plain Sight, Scent of Murder, and Vanishing Act. Her upcoming release, Endangered Species, will be available in September of 1999. She was recently named one of Booklist's Top Five Lesser Known Female Sleuths so, hopefully, a wider audience will discover her through the thrills of Endangered Species. A longtime freelance writer, Barbara has produced numerous feature articles and reviews in addition to her novels. When she's not writing, Barbara somehow finds the time to run a catering business specializing in desserts.

Barbara holds a BA in Spanish from New York University and an MA in Spanish from Columbia University. She has also studied at Hunter College and the School of Visual Arts. An avid traveler, Barbara has toured extensively through both Europe and Latin America.

As a youth, animals were among Barbara's many interests. Her childhood was crowded with pets of every kind that included a type of alligator known as a caiman. The caiman took up residence in the family bathtub, much to the guests' dismay. Her love for creatures has not dissipated over the years. Indeed, her deep interest in animals has led her to be a "mother" to dogs, cats, ferrets, Burmese pythons, and monitor lizards. Included in the zoo were three male Homo sapiens of her own.

Originally from New York City, Barbara Block has made Syracuse her home for twenty-five years.

Reviews

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twister is a good name for this book! The twists and turns kept coming. It was a page turner for me. I like the Robin Light series. Now if I was to choose books by their covers, I wouldn't choose this one! But the story and characters were great. Looking forward to the next one!

[Khanson919 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twister is definitely a good name for this book because the twist on who the killer was and why they did the murders really came out of nowhere. It was still believable but I did not see it coming.

[Journey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twister (Robin Light, #2) is an entertaining and whimsical novel.

[LJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

TWISTER - Okay
Block, Barbara - 2nd in Robin Light series

Robin's on the case when her friend confesses to a murder Robin is certain she didn't commit--a crime that soon implicates Robin also. The trail twists and turns until it reveals ties to an eight-year-old unsolved murder. And from the seediest outskirts of Syracuse to a state prison to the affluent suburbs, Robin finds herself caught in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

It was okay, but only okay. I don't know that I'll read others by her.

[Toesnorth's mom]

so-so

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amateur sleuth, pet store. Robin Light mystery

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. I plan on reading the rest of the series.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series, but the first I've read. Coming a little late to the party, however, did not hinder my enjoyment of the book. Though there are some references to earlier events, they are self-explained. The book has a female first-person narrator, something I usually shy away from, but the series character, Robin Light, is observant enough to carry a mystery and interesting enough as a person to advance the plot without the usual petty ideologies and mawkish distractions. There are a couple of murders (one old, one new), stolen pets, a fairly loathsome villain whose main claim to infamy is that he sucked out an eyeball (so they say), nefarious doings at the local pharmaceutical company, a hidden lover, and an escaped tarantula a little smaller than a poodle. Block manages to neatly juggle all these disparate elements and in the end tie them all into a satisfactory conclusion, no loose threads left dangling. All in all, a most diverting and rewarding read.