|
ReadOut Shorts
• Whisker of Evil: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery
Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
Bantam Books
Calling all mystery lovers, it’s time
to curl up on the veranda, sip a mint julep,
and settle into the 12th serving of the popular
Mrs. Murphy mystery series written, of course,
by none other than our own Rita Mae Brown and
her faithful feline co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown.
This lighthearted romp takes us deep into the
world of Crozet, a small farm town in Virginia.
Mrs. Murphy’s owner, Postmistress Mary “Harry” Haristeen
stumbles across the dead body of local horse
breeder Barry Monteith, and the close-knit team
of human and four-legged sleuths’ spring
into action. Unraveling the details of the murder
opens the door to a number of other unsolved
mysteries that keep Mrs. Murphy et.al. wondering
until the exciting climax when the killer is
discovered with a bang. Truth be told, Rita and
Sneaky have a knack for writing a decent mystery.
Faithful readers certainly won’t be disappointed
and will most assuredly enjoy the winding story,
peppered with social commentary, religious and
political observations, as well as a few pithy
descriptions of the genteel Southern life. Kudos
to Rita and Sneaky Pie for yet another delightful
caper. —Colleen R. Logan
• Luna
Julie Ann Peters
Little, Brown and Company
Luna takes the transgender issue and all of
its dynamics and delivers it to us in a warm
and understandable way. Regan (Liam, a.k.a Luna’s
sister) is the narrator of the story, and it
is through her eyes that we are able to look
into Liam/Luna’s world. The complex understanding
and acceptance that Regan has worked into over
the years is heartwarming and a true triumph
for the human soul. That does not mean that she
or Luna is invincible to society’s biases
and fears around transgender issues. Luna faces
all of the same issues that a gay or lesbian
person faces plus the added realization that
she was born with the wrong body. Like Chris
Bohjalian’s Trans-sister Radio, Julie Anne
Peters enables the reader to become a part of
the journey, thus creating a level of understanding
and compassion. Luna is an inspiring read, and
the reader becomes educated about many issues
they would not have thought of while engaged
in the pleasure and pain of Luna’s story.
It is a must read and will create greater understanding
and tolerance of transgender issues both within
and outside the GLBT community. —Alexsys
Coleman
If you have any comments about this article,
please email them to letters@outsmartmagazine.com.
|
