Claire
and Present Danger
An
Amanda Pepper Mystery
Gillian
Roberts
Ballantine
(Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-345-45490-1 (0345454901)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-45490-4 (9780345454904)
Publication Date: June 2003
List Price: $22.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): In Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, nobody
knows a thing about Emmie Cade, a young widow who "appeared from
nowhere," and in the blink of an eye was engaged to Leo Fairchild, a
middle-aged bachelor with a fortune. However, as her marriage date
approaches, Emmie's mother-in-law to be, the ailing, autocratic Claire
Fairchild, receives anonymous letters. They suggest, none too subtly,
that there's a great deal to learn about the mysterious young woman,
none of it good, and much of it involving the violent deaths of the men
in her life.
Enter Amanda Pepper who, after completing her day of teaching English
at Philly Prep, now moonlights as a P. I. along with C. K. Mackenzie,
former homicide detective, current graduate student at Penn. The two of
them are hired by Mrs. Fairchild to find out who the charming but
evasive Emmie Cade really is. At thirty-two, the young woman has
changed her address and name more often than some women change nail
polish - and deliberately or not, she's provided no clues or access to
her past.
For Amanda, becoming C. K. Mackenzie's investigative partner is an
exhilarating change from the politics and problems of the new school
term, and a welcome distraction from the ordeal of meeting her own
prospective in-laws. She's determined to prove herself an able
investigator by ferreting out Emmie Cade's secrets, but almost
immediately, instead of looking at events of the past, she's forced to
deal with the here and now - including murder.
Review:
Claire
and Present Danger marks the
eleventh appearance of Amanda Pepper in this mystery series by Gillian
Roberts.
Roberts' mysteries are a joy to read. Literate prose, spare dialog,
complex characters, terrific plot development. Claire and Present Danger
is no exception. Each of the mysteries in this series has a number of
new elements that keep them fresh and interesting. How the subplots in
this one are neatly linked together is just short of masterful.
The one discordant note to this wonderful book is the title. The most
recent Amanda Pepper mysteries have had titles that purport to be
clever twists on everyday expressions: Adam and Evil,
Helen
Hath No Fury, Claire and
Present Danger.
These well-written and accomplished mysteries deserve better than an
inordinately cute title.
Review Copyright © 2003 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Claire and Present Danger? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Caught
Dead in Philadelphia
Scribner (Hardcover), October 1987
ISBN-10: 0-684-18809-0 (0684188090)
ISBN-13: 978-0-684-18809-6 (9780684188096)
Philly
Stakes
Scribner (Hardcover), June 1989
ISBN-10: 0-684-19071-0 (0684190710)
ISBN-13: 978-0-684-19071-6 (9780684190716)
I'd
Rather Be in Philadelphia
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), June 1992
ISBN-10: 0-345-37781-8 (0345377818)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-37781-4 (9780345377814)
With
Friends Like These…
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), June 1993
ISBN-10: 0-345-37783-4 (0345377834)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-37783-8 (9780345377838)
How
I
Spent My Summer Vacation
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), August 1994
ISBN-10: 0-345-38595-0 (0345385950)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-38595-6 (9780345385956)
In
The
Dead of Summer
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), August 1995
ISBN-10: 0-345-39136-5 (0345391365)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-39136-0 (9780345391360)
The
Mummers' Curse
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), August 1996
ISBN-10: 0-345-40323-1 (0345403231)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-40323-0 (9780345403230)
The
Bluest Blood
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), February 1998
ISBN-10: 0-345-40326-6 (0345403266)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-40326-1 (9780345403261)
Adam
and
Evil
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), July 1999
ISBN-10: 0-345-42934-6 (0345429346)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-42934-6 (9780345429346)
Helen
Hath No Fury
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), July 2000
ISBN-10: 0-345-42933-8 (0345429338)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-42933-9 (9780345429339)
Claire and Present Danger
Ballantine (Hardcover), June 2003
ISBN-10: 0-345-45490-1 (0345454901)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-45490-4 (9780345454904)
Till
the End of Tom
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), November 2004
ISBN-10: 0-345-45492-8 (0345454928)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-45492-8 (9780345454928)
A
Hole in Juan
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), February 2006
ISBN-10: 0-345-48019-8 (0345480198)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-48019-4 (9780345480194)
All's
Well That Ends
Ballantine Books (Hardcover), January 2007
ISBN-10: 0-345-48021-X (034548021X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-48021-7 (9780345480217)
Omnimystery
keywords for Claire and Present
Danger
...
Location(s) referenced: Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
