Take a generous helping of Elizabeth Pincus; combine with an equal portion of Kate Allen; add a dash of Joan Opyr and maybe, a just pinch of Randye Lordon. Put ‘em together and whattaya got? Not positive, but the enticing aroma is a lot like Lindy Cameron’s Bleeding Hearts, a Kit O’Malley mystery #2. I don’t mean to imply that Cameron’s work is in any way derivative, just that, sometimes, the best way to give others an idea of what abook is like is with examples with which they may be more familiar. Like Pincus’ Nell Fury, PI Kit O’Malley is feisty, funny, smart, sexy without trying, persistent, and flippant. Cameron’s writing is like Kate Allen’s in that almost every sentence holds the potential for a laugh, or at least a chuckle, The Joan Opyr resemblance is in the rather outre cast of characters, most particularly Kit‘s mother and her (Kit‘s) friend Bridgit. To be honest, I’m not really sure of the Randye Lordon connection; something just feels like it; maybe it's the comfortable feeling, like it's your next-door neighbor telling you about her day.
There are two separate mysteries, each involving people sending threatening messages; it's all a bit far-fetched, but still engaging once you buy into the improbable scenarios. But, it’s the quirky cast of characters, their idiosyncrasies and interaction which provide most of the reading pleasure: What outlandish thing will Kit’s mum say next? Will Kit and her inamorata Alex every manage to get together? There are lots of nice individual elements which combine to make the book even more enjoyable: the tension as Kit’s opportunities to be with Alex are continually frustrated. The tagline “Did you call me darling” which would be cheesy in some author’s hands, is charming here.
Cameron’s prose is fluid, witty and technically accomplished. Why 4 stars instead of 5, then? The main villain comes off as far more campy than menacing. This undermines the potential suspense of the ending. All in all, a very enjoyable and quick read. Highly recombined.