Not the Real Jupiter (Volume 5) (Cassandra Reilly

Cassandra Reilly #5

by Barbara Wilson

Join traveling translator Cassandra Reilly as she solves a new mystery in Lambda Literary Award winner Barbara Wilson’s series about the London-based, Irish-American sleuth with “a mind like a steel trap, a literate, uplifting voice, and a wicked sense of humor” (Library Journal). In Not the Real Jupiter Cassandra is translating two manuscripts from Spanish. One of them is a collection of stories of speculative fiction by her old friend, the Uruguayan writer Luisa Montiflores. When editorial complications threaten its publication by an independent press in Portland, Cassandra travels from Luisa’s apartment in Montevideo to the coast of Oregon to meet the publisher and sort things out. Only to find that those complications now include a body that fell—or was pushed—over the side of a bluff. Under suspicion herself and ordered not to leave the country, Cassandra heads to Portland to do her own investigation. Here she encounters Latina writers, a well-known children’s author, and an attractive librarian in her quest to solve the mystery and get back home to London. Not yet retired—and still game for almost anything—Cassandra finds the trail is more tangled and fraught with family secrets than she ever imagined.

Genres: Mystery, LGBT

350 pages, Hardcover

Published July 10, 2020

About the author

Barbara Wilson is the pen name of author and translator Barbara Sjoholm. Her mysteries, written under the name Barbara Wilson, include two series, one with printer Pam Nilsen (Murder in the Collective) and one with translator-sleuth Cassandra Reilly. Her mysteries include the Lambda-award-winning Gaudi Afternoon, made into a film of the same name. She was a co-founder of Seal Press and in 2020 received the annual Trailblazer Award from the Golden Crown Literary Society for her contributions to lesbian literature. Her books have been published in England and translated into Spanish, Finnish, German, and Japanese.

Reviews

[Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to Luisa Montiflores, Cassandra Reilly’s translator job broadens into that of an agent. While in the U.S. for a conference, she agrees to meet with the publisher of her friend’s collection of short stories only to find herself a potential suspect in a murder investigation. Impatient to get back to the U.K. to sort out her own problems with another author, Cassandra starts investigating on her own.

I’m sure I read some of Barbara Wilson’s Pam Nilsen mysteries when I first found sapphic fiction. This book however was my first Cassandra Reilly. This novel can be read as a standalone as far as the mystery is concerned but I have a feeling that I might have enjoyed it more had I known Cassandra before. I never got completely invested in the story, in part because I didn’t care about Cassandra enough. I sympathized with her plight but didn’t empathize.

I did however love reading about an older character, an older amateur sleuth, an older lesbian. Cassandra is close to seventy, single, a free spirit with no home, using her friend’s place in London as a pied-à-terre.

The author is a translator as well, and all the parts about Cassandra’s work, what goes into translating, what it means to translate, bring a unique layer to the story.

The mystery is intriguing and intricate, a cosy with depth as I read in another review. The pace was slower than what I’m used to and I liked it more than I would have thought. What surprised me though is that what kept me engaged isn’t the mystery, it was Cassandra’s interactions with people: the author whose book she translated, the publisher, the people she meets while stuck in the U.S., and even the cops. Despite not feeling completely invested in her fate, I enjoyed being in her head.

I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Read all my reviews on my blog: Jude in the Stars

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cozy with depth

This starts a bit slowly but once the heroine is involved in the murder the book takes off. It is both a well crafted mystery (with red herrings and nuanced revelations) and an homage to translators/translations. Much of the language about translating is beautiful and so interesting. Place, characters and dialogue are really well done. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Lee Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure it is to read a new Cassandra Reilly mystery. Barbara Wilson is a global feminist writer who has set her new tale back in the Pacific Northwest. With her fecund imagination and mature craft, "Not the Real Jupiter" is full of stories within stories, each fictional gem holding the promise, one hopes, of more books to come. Wilson is also quietly (but definitely) funny. Hers is an intelligent humor that sneaks up on the reader smack in the middle of risky sleuthing. This is no formulaic whodunit, but much more, with its coastal and Portlandia settings, its international and lesbian main characters, an inside view of a book translator's life, and sophisticated Cassandra’s dealings with American small town police.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intense mystery!

Cassandra Reilly is in the middle of translating two manuscripts when she finds herself in several complicated situations. A publishing dilemma leads her to a meeting with a publisher only to discover that she is now caught up in the mystery of a death when a body is found. Stuck in a foreign country, unable to leave whilst the suspicious death is investigated, Cassandra decides to do a little digging of her own in an attempt to solve the mystery and get home.

A great story that eluded to mystery and delivered something exciting and different. When I started the book I didn’t expect the intense story that unfolded. Cassandra although a translator by trade had a unique set of skills that meant she had a talent for uncovering pieces of a mystery that without her help I am not sure would have been solved.

This is part of a series of which I haven’t read any of the other series but I didn’t find that detracted from the story at all. Barbara Wilson gave enough information to get to know Cassandra’s character and provide a perfectly good standalone mystery. Cassandra was one of those complex, strong characters who I think if you have read other books in the series you might know a little better but I am intrigued by her and now interested to read more of her mysteries.

A thrilling mystery with many twists and turns to keep you on your toes, humour, and a touch of surreal calmness that made for a most exciting read.

[Women Using Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the Real Jupiter is an unexpected delight! Wilson does a nice job with this book. The storytelling is richly layered and wonderfully crafted; readers quickly lose themselves inside the mystery. The story flows quite nicely and the plot remains rich with clever twists throughout. Wilson offers readers a quick-paced whodunit that keeps them engaged till the very end.

What I enjoyed most about this smartly written murder mystery is its style and format. It’s reminiscent of a suspenseful Agatha Christie, only a bit fresher and edgier. Wilson has a way of pulling readers into the story and making them feel as if they are bystanders, witnesses if you will, to the mystery itself. They become so engaged that they sleuth alongside Cassandra as she solves this curious crime. It’s not only fun, but it’s refreshing as well.

This is my first book by Wilson and it’s left me wondering why I haven’t stumbled across her before. Not the Real Jupiter is solid work. Though she does start this one out at a slow and steady trot, she progresses nicely to full gallop in no time. Her perfectly curated words keep one reading and reveal her to be an intelligent author with a firm grasp of her craft. Her mature, collected approach is easy to savor and digest. Bottom line, Wilson knows how to keep her readers invested in the mystery. She utilizes characters and themes that are not over-used or over-hyped—something I consider a real bonus. Originality is essential in good storytelling and she scores big here. She employs seasoned characters that have marinated in life and benefited from the experience. Their unique and rich perspective helps push the plot and the storytelling is all the better for it.

Final remarks…

If you love good, old fashioned mysteries, but long for something fresh and unique, then this is definitely the book for you. Not the Real Jupiter is a real gem you’ll want to pick up and enjoy.

Strengths…

Original
Well-written
Solidly plotted
Unique, Complex characters
Engaging
Compelling

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing, interesting, and highly recommended read. Twenty years is a long time between books in a series but it was easy enough to check back in with the globe-trotting translator and amateur sleuth.

It may have helped that I have fond memories of Barbara Wilson’s path-breaking first mystery series, set in Seattle, where I live - and where Wilson co-founded the feminist Seal Press (now part of a mega publisher, sadly). Or that Not the Real Jupiter was mostly set in the Northwest, in Portland (Cassandra goes to Powell’s Books!) and Newport, OR (Cassandra stays at the Sylvia Beach Hotel, my - and any book lover’s - happy place!)

All that aside, Not the Jupiter, would be a great read for anyone who likes well written, character-driven, thoughtful, and interesting mysteries. Wilson’s knowledge of book publishing and translation add depth to the story. I hope she writes another one, sooner rather than later. I’d like to see where Cassandra ends up next. Perhaps I can read it next time I’m at the Sylvia Beach Hotel, while occasionally looking out the reading room window at what Wilson calls “a sandy gray-and-green world at the edge of the continent.”

A solid 4-stars. For me, though, a fond 5.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Barbara Wilson. I've read all of her Cassandra Reilly books but this one was not as good as most of them. Cassandra is a translator who travels around the world, frequently encountering mysteries that her astute mind seeks to solve. In this one she is about to meet a publisher who has committed to publishing Cassandra's long time friend Luisa. Luisa is considered an excellent, if a little outdated, writer who is difficult to deal with. Luisa has seen the new title and cover the publisher wants to use and has had a fit. She hates it, so Cassandra is anxious to meet with the publisher to iron out the difficulties to make Luisa happy. Unfortunately the publisher is dead, having fallen from a cliff. The police have not determined whether the death was murder or accidental, so Cassandra is forced to stay in Portland, OR until the investigation is completed. She has commitments in London that she can ill afford to miss, so she begins her own inquiries into the death so she can speed up the investigation. The book seemed redundant; Cassandra mulls over the possibilities of who may have murdered the publisher repeatedly, basically asking the same questions over and over. The novel lacks movement and has a relatively static plot.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read a lot of mysteries. Many different kinds of mysteries. And I have fond memories of Murder in the Collective, the first book by this author. This is the most recent--maybe forty years after the first. And this is not a very good book. A number of things annoyed me. (I think a book being annoying is one of the worst things it can be.) First, all these different plots and subplots are started and too many of them go nowhere. (At some point there's a lot about Isaac Asimov and I really have no idea if that ever connected up.) Or they resolve so patly it's hard to believe. And annoying. (Cassandra's housing situation.) Second, it seems like Cassandra is quite selfish and self-centered. She thinks first and foremost about what is good for her. She's also really quite irresponsible. She takes on housesitting and then leaves the house and seems to feel that this was fine. Finally, the mystery itself is very unsatisfying. Cassandra jumps from suspect to suspect, convinced each one MUST have done it. But of course, she's wrong about each until she is finally right. And really, it's just that she suspected everyone she met. (Sigh.)

[Laurel Kristick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this mystery with Cassandra Reilly, a translator, who gets involved with a suspicious death in Newport, Oregon. There are a lot of references to my favorite hotel in Newport, the Sylvia Beach Hotel. I really liked the characters.

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and am grateful to the author for the opportunity to get to know such a great character.