It's Alison Gordon time again! Seems like it comes earlier every year.
Title: Striking Out
Published: McClelland & Stewart 1995
# Pages: 271
Availability: Out of print, but available used. For some reason the Chapters/Indigo entry for this book credits it to "Gail Bowen"; no idea what's up with that
Written By: Alison Gordon
Who Is: Same person she was the last three times I did one of her books for this site
What It's About: It's another Kate Henry mystery novel. This one's about a homeless woman who disappears and seems to be mixed up in a murder. Not as much baseball content in this one: the players are on strike and Kate therefore has lots of free time.
How's the Writing: Decent; I've read worse. Sometimes the dialogue is clunky. Sometimes she conveys opinions that aren't developed enough to be the kind of insight traditionally worth publishing; they're just her opinions. Also, she just can't resist pushing the obvious buttons. Of course the one character was sexually abused by her father; of course there's child porn hidden in the cabinet.
What do I like about it... Well, I'm used to Gordon's authorial voice, and I like the Toronto setting and the baseball-related subject matter. But that's not really what I mean. What do I like about the writing? I don't know, but she's doing something right that I can't put my finger on.
The solution to the mystery itself isn't a particularly clever one; it's just something you find out if you read the story for long enough. Uninspired, is the word that comes to mind.
Still, I kinda like these books. I'm sure I'll read it again.
Title: Striking Out
Published: McClelland & Stewart 1995
# Pages: 271
Availability: Out of print, but available used. For some reason the Chapters/Indigo entry for this book credits it to "Gail Bowen"; no idea what's up with that
Written By: Alison Gordon
Who Is: Same person she was the last three times I did one of her books for this site
What It's About: It's another Kate Henry mystery novel. This one's about a homeless woman who disappears and seems to be mixed up in a murder. Not as much baseball content in this one: the players are on strike and Kate therefore has lots of free time.
How's the Writing: Decent; I've read worse. Sometimes the dialogue is clunky. Sometimes she conveys opinions that aren't developed enough to be the kind of insight traditionally worth publishing; they're just her opinions. Also, she just can't resist pushing the obvious buttons. Of course the one character was sexually abused by her father; of course there's child porn hidden in the cabinet.
What do I like about it... Well, I'm used to Gordon's authorial voice, and I like the Toronto setting and the baseball-related subject matter. But that's not really what I mean. What do I like about the writing? I don't know, but she's doing something right that I can't put my finger on.
The solution to the mystery itself isn't a particularly clever one; it's just something you find out if you read the story for long enough. Uninspired, is the word that comes to mind.
Still, I kinda like these books. I'm sure I'll read it again.
