Lightning Reviews: MULTI-GENRE CONTEMPORARY

Time for some more lightning reviews, contemporary division!

The Girls, by Lori Lansens
Literary Fiction, 2005 (reprinted 2009)
Cover: Attractive lilac shade, mysterious female face, it is only after reading the blurb and realizing that the story is about conjoined twins, forever bound to each other at the skull, that one realizes how apt the cover is, showing as it does two women attached but looking in opposite directions as do the protagonists (if you look at the front and back covers simultaneously). Simple but brilliant.
Content: Apprentice Writer absolutely loved this novel of conjoined sisters alternately telling the story of their life after learning one has a medical condition which will ultimately kill them both. The sisters' never-ending challenge and paradox is to do everything as one, but still be considered two separate individuals. Their voices are so distinct from one another that AW never mistook whose 'turn' to speak it was, despite annoyingly similar names bestowed upon them. The story explores such obvious themes as identity and definition of normalcy, but also feminitiy, boundaries of romantic and non-romantic love, exploitation, and what happens when biology (as opposed to social circumstance) forces one's sibling to also be take on a parent/child role.
Recommended for: Everyone. No matter how many books AW reads this year, 'The Girls' will be in her top five. She won it from Goodreads First Reads program, and immediately foisted it on her bookclub. It generated a tremendous amount of discussion and lingered long in the club's collective consciousness.


Made to be Broken, by Kelly Armstrong
Thriller, 2009
Cover: Moody red & black colors, graphic look, gun central = gives an accurate picture of what to expect, but not particularly unique or eyecatching. More signficant, perhaps, is the fact that the author's name is not only equal in size to the title but tops it: this author's has had runaway success in the paranormal and YA genres, and now appears to be crossing over into another with this suspenseful tale.
Content: AW wanted to get a taste of this very popular author's style, but could not warm up to her most well-known wolfian shapeshifter story, 'Bitten', praised though it is by many. So she picked up the second book in the Nadia Stafford series, about a female assassin for hire who runs an inn in rural Ontario when she isn't assassinating. And despite some sad-to-the-point-of-disturbing subject matter (murdered mother and stolen baby), the author's style lets the reader fly right along in the story. The protagonist's moral dilemmas and personal choices were convincing, her quandary of choice between two colleagues (and likewise, men) kept AW interested.
Recommended for: Fans of suspense, readers who like the author's work in other genres.

Curse of the Spellmans, by Lisa Lutz
(Spellman Files Book#2) Mystery, 2008
Cover: Indubitably eye-catching (ha!) due to rainbow color scheme, and the optics everywhere do make sense for the story, but the overall effect is muppet-like and could be done better.
Content: AW enjoyed Book#1 in this private investigator family series tremendously, and Book #2 even more so. To call it 'quirky' is like saying FIFA World Cup stadium audience members enjoy soccer - much too pale a word to capture the true essence of what's going on here. Isabelle Spellman's innate personality and unusual upbringing/training in private investigator tactics combine to produce a heroine who is without question odd and even dysfunctional in some ways, yet irrepressible and enormously appealing in her dogged attempts to do the right thing, regardless of whether the person she's doing it for or to wants that. She, her younger sister, and both parents are absolute masters of making the most jaw-dropping actions and statements seem perfectly reasonable.

As to AW's standard question, 'But does it make you laugh?'
Better believe it. Take a look:

A new neighbor has just witnessed Isabel exiting her parents' home from an upper window rather than a door. This does not st0p him from inviting her to breakfast. Bear in mind: the following is supposed to be their first DATE:
"As Subject beat eggs...I explained that I don't quite understand the big deal about doors. I casually mentioned my (window habit) as a throwback to my rebellious youth, but also as a rejection of the absoluteness of doors being the only socially acceptable mode of entry and exit. I'm not sure I convinced Subject to give windows a try himself. He stared at me a second too long and said, 'Well that's another way to look at it.'

Over breakfast Subject and I attempted to get each other's vital statistics.
'So what do you do?' I asked.
'I run a landscaping business.'
'Oh, that explains the gardening.'
'Does gardening need explaining?'
'I think so.'
'And you?'
'I haven't gardened in years. Thirty, to be exact.'
'You should try it sometime. Some people find it relaxing.'
'What kind of people?'
'I'm changing the subject,' Subject said."

'When you witness your mother vandalizing a motorbike for no apparent reason, there aren't a whole lot of people you can discuss it with.'

Someone is copycatting a series of creative vandalistic acts Isabel perpretrated (but never admitted to) as a teenager on a neighbor's outdoor holiday displays. Isabel is hired to solve the current case and begins by interviewing those who knew about it, starting with her dad, a former police officer.
"The transcript reads as follows:
Isabel: 'Do you recall the string of adjustments to Mrs. Chandler's life-size tableaux during the 1992-93 school year?'
Albert: 'Adjustments. Nice word choice.'
I: 'Please answer the question.'
A: 'Yes, I do recall the adjustments.'
I:....'Do you recall telling anyone about them.'
A: 'I do.
I: 'Approximately how many people?'
A: 'Has to be at least forty or fifty.'
I.'Are you out of your mind? Didn't you have anything else to talk about?'
A: 'Excuse me, Isabel, but I was getting tired of listening to my colleagues rave about their daughters' straight A's or swim team victories, science fair ribbons and Ivy League educations. These were the only bragging rights I had on you and I enjoyed it. I didn't relish you being a vandal, but the 'adjustments', as you call them, were downright brilliant. If only you had channelled that energy into something useful.'
I.: 'I have no idea what you're talking about.'
A.: 'Give me a break.'

Isabel's hardworking parents try taking a vacation, and send separate emails home to their daughters:
"Subject: Cruise Ship Dispatch #1
This is like a floating prison. Sometimes I just want to throw myself overboard so I can have some more space. I can't see the appeal. Plus, your mom's sick as a dog, so I have to roam the decks alone. Everyone on board has been drugged with some awful substance that makes them smile constantly. Crew members are always asking me if they can help me with anything. I'm walking down a hallway, and they ask if I need assistance. With what? I hope you both are behaving yourselves. I'll know if you're not. Dad.

Subject: Greetings from Hell
After two days of eating saltines, I finally made it out of the cabin, which is about the size of our Audi. In defense of my cabin, however, no-one inside it wears a thong.'

Recommended for: Fans of unusual, unpredictable heroines, readers who enjoy unique secondary characters and don't need a fulfilled love affair every book, anyone who likes their humor dry and quirky. AW can't wait to see what happens in Book #3, 'The Spellmans Strike Back', and can't decide at this moment if she likes Isabel's tween sister Rae or the superlative Flavia de Luce of 'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie'. Tough choice, which calls for immediate reading of next books to decide.

Author Q & A: EVE SILVER

Multi-genre author Eve Silver graciously took the time to indulge Apprentice Writer's curiosity about all things authorial. Take a look:

The cover of SbaS is lovely. Did you choose the title and/or provide input on art?

Thank you, but I can't take any credit. My editor came up with the title and the cover arrived already complete. All I had left to do was frame a cover flat and hang it on the wall. *g*

That must be quite a nice collection of cover art by now!

My favorite scene in SbaS is when Gabriel takes Catherine up to his secret room in the tower. Such clear and touching proof of his transformation. Which was your favorite scene?

I have a tough time picking a favorite scene from Seduced by a Stranger, but I'll choose a memorable scene that evinces the hero's first tentative steps toward personal growth. In this scene, Gabriel - the tortured, emotionally stunted hero - experiences the urge to comfort Catherine. Her pain and heartbreak reach the cold core of his heart, warming him and breathing life into emotions he had never imagined he possessed. Against his nature, he is drawn to comfort her and he pauses, uncertain exactly what to offer her.

In the dark hallway, Gabriel stood outside Catherine's door. She was crying. The sounds were muffled, as though she struggled to suffocate them into silence. Something inside him shifted and turned, an unpleasant and wholly uncharacteristic instinct of chivalry that insisted he step inside and offer comfort of some sort.

He had no idea how.

What did one offer in the face of another's pain? Here was a lesson he had failed to learn...no...a lesson he had never been taught. In the place where he had grown from boy to young man, there had been only lessons in survival. Hide behind an emotionless mask. Evade. Lie. Show only what they expected. The level of his suffering had been determined by his abilityto guess exactly what they wished to see and hear. If he was right, they left him alone. If he was wrong, there were all manner of tortures and deprivation. He had striven to be right more often than wrong. The sound of Catherine's sobs confused him. He wanted to comfort her as much as he wanted to avoid the necessity of doing so.

Copyright 2009. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

Agreed, that's a good one too. Very powerful, when someone simply walks away.

Nightstand Inspection! What was the last ____ you read?

I have a towering pile on my nightstand, but here are a few of the recent reads that were real stand-outs for me. (Of course, I could probably type and endless list, but I'll try and be brief.)

Contemporary: Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl

Historical: What Happens in London by Julia Quinn and an advance read of For Your Arms Only by Caroline Linden.

Paranormal/UF/Fantasy: Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning and Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Burn by Linda Howard and The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner.

YA: Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen.

Apprentice Writer has a soft spot for Michelle Rowen's reliably funny voice, also.

Who is your writing idol and why?

I have quite a list of writers I admire, but I'll share a few here.
- Linda Howard because no matter what direction she takes, I end up loving her books; she's pure genius. I'm embarrassed to admit I turned into a squeeing fangirl when I met her.

- Mary Shelley because she dug the foundations of a genre. (And shout-outs to Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Maggie Shayne, Linda Lael Miller, and others who were the early explorers of paranormal romance.)

- Karen Marie Moning because she is the queen of foreshadowing and her imagination is wonderful.

- Shana Abe because she is a wordsmith.

- Kelley Armstrong because she is a brilliant writer in every genre she tackles, and because she is a gracious and lovely person.

- Nora Roberts because she is oh so savvy.

- Marjorie M. Liu because she writes where her heart takes her.

- Gena Showalter because she has fabulous unique ideas and because she's dedicated.

- Lori Foster because all these years later I still remember reading my first Lori Foster love scene...the one with the guy, the girl, and the fridge.

- Christina Dodd because she's talented and wise and shares her wisdom (check out the Squawkradio blog).

- Teresa Medeiros because she's funny as can be on Twitter (go forth and follow her!) and because she's always been one of my fave historical authors.

- Daphne du Maurier because her writing just pulls me right in.

- Sarah Waters because every sentence she writes flows like a smooth river.

- Lisa Kleypas because I adore her books and because she had the guts to take her career in the direction she wanted it to go.

- Kathleen E. Woodiwiss because she was the first romance author I ever read.

- Christopher Moore because there's no voice out there even remotely like his.

- Lisa Gardner because she scares me. And because she is generous with her knowledge of writing (check out her website for tricks of the trade).

I could go on and on because there are many wonderful authors who bring so much to the table, but I suspect you don't want this blog post to run for 15 pages! ;-)

Great diversity of reasons. Love it that Christopher Moore made this list - reminds me of the children's song "One of These Things is Not Like the Others.." And now I won't be able to rest till I find out about the guy, the girl, and that fridge....

Best piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Finish the book. You can't sell the book if you don't write the book. Get those fingers flying on the keyboard every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. If you only write a sentence or two, you're still a sentence or two closer to typing 'The End'. Polishing can come once the entire story is complete. Rewriting the first chapter over and over again won't get the story told - it will only get you a beautifully polished first chapter. So finish your story...the whole story. Then move on and tell the next story, and the next. Don't get hung up on a single chapter or a single manuscript. If writing is your dream, if stories whisper to you in the darkest hours of the night or while you're cooking dinner or walking the dog in the bright light of day, then tell your story, all the way to the end.

To sum up that advice: butt in chair, hands on keyboard.

*whistling oh-so-casually* *nudging uber-polished first chapters out of sight*

Anything else you'd like to share with Apprentice Writer's readers?
Thanks for having me, Maya, and thanks to the readers for reading! For excerpts, info, contests and more, please visit my website at http://www.evesilver.net.

And there you have it. Wise words from a prolific, multi-faceted author. Upcoming on the horizon is OTHERKIN, a 'dark, gritty paranormal trilogy' to be released in 2010. Thank you, Ms. Silver, sharing your insights and the perfect gothic candidate for the RIP challenge.

Non-Laughter Reviews: GOTHIC

Seduced by a Stranger
Eve Silver
Romantic Suspense


Premise:
Woman with haunted past travels to forlorn abbey in support of ailing childhood friend and is unsettled by enigmatic host.

Cover:
Pretty colors with interesting lighting, in a welcome change from all too-frequent nekkid manchests it is the lady's back which is exposed. Title indistinctive, though with some mental gymnastics ("Do we ever really know the person we're with?") can be seen as applicable to content.

What Works
Apprentice Writer read this book for three reasons: As a classic gothic-type tale, it fit beautifully with criteria for the RIP reading challenge (see sidebar button); curiosity about the author's historical voice after enjoying her speculative fiction voice in 'Driven' (written as Eve Kenin); and the good fortune to have won a copy through a Goodreads early readers lottery.

She was not disappointed.

The restless mood of dread the author creates with the first scene permeates the whole story, with the reader ready to see malevolence lurking in every detail and villains foreshadowed with every new character. The historical voice was kept pitch perfect throughout, with not a single occasion of words, behaviours or setting details feeling out of place or time (not that Apprentice Writer is a great expert in judging these matters, but the thrown-out-of-the-story effect happens all too often even for historical laypeople). The story has every ingredient a Gothic-lover could want: secrets on all sides, mystery illness, whispers of poison, murder, secret passages, cemetary with mystery resident, alternate identities, gloomy manor with even more gloomy lake set on a languishing estate, and many a flickering candle.

The heart of the story explores the question of how two people who have survived past emotional damage by erecting walls around themselves can create a bridge to one another. Whether they will or not isn't a true question, given the genre; it's how they do so that is of interest. The backstory of the hero, when it finally is fed in, was of such a level of suspense and empathy for the character that it had to be read all of a piece, pages flying to find out what happened, breathless all the while. To avoid spoilerisms, suffice it to say that for the modern reader some details may seem utterly incredulous but are in all likelihood too terribly historically accurate.

The big climactic crisis scene had an especially pleasing ending, in terms of the two last statements the heroine makes to the hero right before the epilogue. They were delicious, one of AW's favorite parts of the whole story, and the Gentle Reader can take a guess in which direction they went through knowledge that among Disney princesses, AW loves Mulan best while Cinderella goes on her last nerve.


What Doesn't
In terms of the suspense part of the tale, AW was neatly led astray by a red herring, and didn't guess the full answer to the puzzle until quite close to the end. The final explanation of how things occured generally left this reader satisfied, with one exception which can't be detailed so as not to spoil it. Let's say it had to do with logistics, time frame, and staying true-to-character of the person involved. Perhaps there is a simple explanation for apparent conflict; AW hopes to put the question to the author directly.

The second area where AW would have liked a bit more detail had to do with a main character's reaction to learning of the extent of the villain's deeds and subsequent demise. The build-up to that moment was years and oodles of the strongest emotion possible in the making. The reaction to all that resolution felt gratingly brief, artificial, and understated. Perhaps a victim of tight word-count?

And those two minor instances were the sum total. So, altogether, very little to step on the reader's suspension-of-disbelief toes.


Overall
A satisfying tale of chills, emotion, physical and emotional survival, and the power of love.

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE!
The author graciously agreed to answer a few questions despite a looming deadline. Come back tomorrow to get a glimpse into the mind of a (sometimes) gothic author.

Page 1

"At the age of eleven, Catherine Weston was buried alive in a shallow, wet grave. Two months before that, she had stood in the cemetery beside the ancient stone church, clutching her mother's hand as the tiny coffin containing her brother's remains was lowered into the ground. All four of her infant brothers had been buried this way. Sent to the warmth and light of Heaven, her mother said. But now, on this miserable, gray October day, as the damp earth weighed impossibly heavy on her chest and forced her to struggle for every breath, Catherine realized her mother had lied. There was no light or warmth There was only the cold, pungent mud and the choking terror that made her heart beat so hard she was certain it would burst."

Eve Silver, Seduced by a Stranger

Come back tomorrow for Apprentice Writer's review of'Seduced by a Stranger'.

R.I.P. Challenge

"....It was a desire to celebrate and share that love of the elements of gothic fiction that inspired me to create the first R.I.P. Challenge, four years ago.

Readers Imbibing Peril, that is what it is all about. I hope you’ll consider joining us on this more eerie road less traveled.

Walk this way.

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

The desire for the thrill that comes with this kind of reading drifts in on the autumn winds. You breathe it in and it takes hold of you, tempting you to late nights, book-in-hand, turning pages and starting at every unknown noise. Something wicked this way comes…"

So reads 'Stainless Steel Droppings' invitation to join in on this challenge. For the full description, go here.

As per suggestion, Apprentice Writer will share her 'reading pool':

GOTHIC: 'Seduced by a Stranger', by Eve Silver

Why This One? Fills criterion of '...can cut the atmosphere with a knife' in spades. Consider the first sentence:

"At the age of eleven, Catherine Weston was buried alive in a shallow, wet grave."

Status: Just started. Review to follow.

SUPERNATURAL: 'Trouble in Mudbug' by Jana DeLeon

Why This One? A ghost appears on the first page and stays till the last. Not a very scary one, true, but we'll still count this for the sake of ticking the genre box.

Status: Reviewed.

DARK FANTASY: Book 4, 'Corambis', Doctrine of Labyrinths series by Sarah Monette

Why This One? Because the subterranean water creature, the psychiatric hospital, and all the labyrinth scenes from Book 1 on gave Apprentice Writer the serious willies (in the non-British sense) and Book 4 will not be any different.

Status: Three books down (Melusine, The Virtu, The Mirador) , one to go.

HORROR: Apprentice Writer doesn't usually venture into this genre, due to being highly impressionable while also wimpy. She will therefore stretch definitions to include

'Demon Bound' by Meljean Brook (Book 7 in the 'Guardian' series if you count all the novellas), because some of the characters from Book 2, 'Demon Angel' (which AW liked very much) reside in hell, and repeatedly go through the tortures of the damned (in a minimally graphic way, thank the gods of fiction for small mercies), and if that's not horrifying AW doesn't know what is.

Status: Four previous installments in the series read, selected title to go.

MYSTERY: 'No Wind of Blame' by Georgette Heyer

Why This One? Because AW received it in the mail today and it looks really good. Since it is not remotely eerie, she will bend the definition again, and say the horror of this story lies in the views of many characters on the appalling manners of other characters rather than actual gruesomeness. How eerie can things get over an ever-present pot of tea? But this is the mystery AW has at hand, and since it's her blog, she's going to do what she wants.

Status: Twenty delicious pages in. Review forthcoming.

SUSPENSE/THRILLER: No idea what to insert here. Suggestions?

ETA: Gentle Reader and Debut Author Thomma Lynn Grindstaff has suggested

'Haunting Beauty' by Erin Quinn to fill this slot.

There we go. All boxes checked. Now AW just has to collect the actual volumes and commence.

Reader under the Microscope

A reader under the microscope meme.

1. Which book has been on your shelf the longest?

A collection of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, in German.

2.What is your current read, your last and next?

Current: 'Book of Negroes' by Lawrence Hill (excellent literary fiction; voted the book Canadians should read in 2009 if they could only choose 1)
& 'What a Scoundrel Wants' by Carrie Lofty (excellent historical romance)

Last: 'Magic to the Bone' by Devon Monk (excellent urban fantasy)

Next: 'For Pete's Sake' by Julia Harper (hopefully excellent contemporary comedy)

3. What book did everyone like and you hated?

Not hated (liked, actually) but not as powerfully as buzz led me to expect: 'The Raven Prince' by Elizabeth Hoyt. There was a disconnect for me between tone of the first chapter (& very funny teaser hero interview) and the rest of the book. I did enjoy another in the series, 'The Serpent Prince' much more, though. Haven't had a chance to read the second.

4. Which book do you keep telling youself you'll read?

Anything by Nora Roberts. Still haven't dived in even though I've come to respect the author's online persona. Maybe I'm afraid I'll drown in the backlist?

5. Which book coming out in 2009 is a top priority?

- 'Corambis', the conclusion to the 'Doctrine of Labyrinths' series by Sarah Monette
- Meredith Duran, Sherry Thomas and Loretta Chase's next

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

Leave it till last if I like the book, read it if it looks like the book will be a DNF.

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink or interesting?

Must read. They say so much about the author.

8. Which book character would you swith places with?

Helena Justina. She gets to go back and forth between the worlds of her love, Falco, and her senatorial family, plus she travels to all corners of the Roman Empire. Her story starts in 'The Silver Pigs' by Lindsey Davis.

9. Which authors do you want to read that you haven't yet?

The Brontes, George Eliot, Bill Bryson, Neil Gaiman.

10. Which books are still on your shelf from when you were in school?

Dictionaries: English straight up, English/German, English/French, German/French

11. Which book has been with you to the most places?

Atlas.

12. Any required reading in high school you hated but that's not so bad ten years later?

Classics of German literature like Schiller and Goethe's 'The Sorrows of Young Werther'.

13. Stephen King or Anne Rice?

Have never read either.

14. Used or brand new?

It's all good! But how telling that it wasn't phrased as 'used or new or e-ink'!

15. Movie that you liked better than the book?

'Lord of the Rings' trilogy (ducks rotten tomatos). I know, I know, but the style just didn't speak to me. I read it for the story rather than Tolkien's prose.

16. Who is the person whose book advice you always take?

Always: no one. Pay attention to: reviewers at 'Dear Author' and 'Booksmugglers', my neighborhood Book Club, and my writer friends Abby Godwin and Wylie Kinson.

17. Which one book or series you recommend?

Cannot possibly do just one:
Funny first-person sleuthing in Imperial Rome: 'Falco' series by Lindsey Davis
Funny first-person sleuthing in Victorian Egypt: 'Amelia Peabody' series by Elizabeth Peters
Funny third-person alternate reality in literature and nursery rhymes: 'Thursday Next' and 'Nursery Crimes' series by Jasper Fforde
Funny historical romance: almost any title by Loretta Chase, especially 'Mr. Impossible'
Funny Young Adult: 'Alice' trilogy by Susan Juby
Funny Social Satire: early Wendy Holden

THERE YOU GO. AGREE? DISAGREE? PLAY ALONG?

Non Laughter Reviews

SILENT IN THE GRAVE
Deanna Raybourn
HISTORICAL SUSPENSE

Premise
Victorian widow learns her husband was murdered and decides to assist private investigator.

What Works
Many elements, from first sentence on: "To say I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching on the floor."
The story is told in first person, with the plot mirroring the heroine's development. She starts out somewhat bland, somewhat rigid, not entirely content with her role and stifling societal conventions but not really ready to break out of them either. She isn't especially likable at first, taking the good fortune of her privileged position more or less for granted, and writing entire groups of people off on the basis of arrogant prejudice, such as when her more rebellious sister recommends an affair and she rejects the idea of a liaison with a footman because they are employed for their looks rather than their brains.
But as time goes by, the plot increasingly picks up speed as she is forced to examine her preconceptions - about faith, class, ethnicity, family, sexuality- one by one. The resulting person is a stronger, more sympathetic, and more likable one.

What Doesn't
Very little. Apprentice Writer guessed the identity of the murderer early on, but still enjoyed the process of how that person was exposed. Readers who like all loose ends tied up may be disappointed, since the Nicholas Brisbane mentioned in the first sentence is all one would hope a good-looking, enigmatic, intelligent, highly capable hero to be, but the attraction between the protagonists is not expressed in this volume. No doubt the relationship will be further explored in this continuing series.

Overall
Great introduction to what promises to be a wonderful suspense series, this book won this year's Rita award. The second volume, Silent in the Sanctuary, takes Lady Julia Grey to Italy - one of AW's most favorite settings. The third, Silent in the Moors, will launch in March.

The author also maintains an entertaining blog whose name alone makes it worth a visit: Blog -a-Gogo.

Laughter Reviews #18 - Keeper

Time for another review with the focus: funny or not?

MR. IMPOSSIBLE
Loretta Chase
HISTORICAL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Premise
Brilliant linguist teams up with disgraced aristocrat to rescue abducted brother among pyramids.

What Works
Just about everything. Daphne starts out with a triple handicap including her status as highly sheltered young woman, scholar who must use her brother as a front and feign constant ignorance due to lack of acceptance of female academic expertise, and with low self-esteem due to being systematically undermined by her late, much older husband. Her re-education starts with a bang almost from page 1, when her brother is kidnapped and she must not only figure out how to negotiate the foreign world of Egypt and the stifling world of British societal structures on her own but set out in her brother's pursuit while staying a step ahead of antiquities thieves, unwelcome admirers, poisonous snakes...

Such a unique and appealling heroine needs an equally unique hero. Sent to Egypt as a last resort by a father who effortlessly directs decisionmaking of the British nation but is at wit's end about what to do with his hellion son, we first meet Rupert as he observes Egyptian soldiers tormenting a defenceless local citizen. Rupert's assessment of the unsportsmanlike odds is enough to merrily fling himself into the melee, leading to a spell in chains in a dungeon. It is here that the two encounter one another, in what is arguably one of the funniest and unique first meetings between characters destined to be a couple.

"...’That man is an idiot.’
'Yes, madam, but he’s all we’ve got’ said Beechey.
‘I may be stupid,’ Rupert said, ‘but I’m irresistibly attractive.’
‘Good grief, conceited too’ she muttered.
‘And being a great, dumb ox’ he went on, ‘I’m wonderfully easy to manage.’
‘He’s cheerful, madam’ Beechey said, ‘Is it not remarkable how he’s kept up his spirits in this vile place?’
Obligingly, Rupert began to whistle.
‘Obviously he doesn’t know any better,’ she said."

The gradual flowering of Daphne and Rupert's relationship in the quiet moments between desert jaunts, target practice, donkey communication, Daphne teaching Rupert Arabic, assasination attempts, pyramid secret tunnels etc. etc. is a joy to behold. Rupert treats Daphne as a person of intelligence as well as a desirable woman, ultmately leading to her acceptance that she is not unnatural. Daphne expects Rupert to be sensitive to and respectful of the people and culture around him, leading Rupert (who due to size and propensity to 'break heads', has always been labelled the dumb ox he describes himself) to exercise his insight, consideration, and leadership qualities. From the moment they meet, there is never any question they'll end up together; how they get to their happily-ever-after through a maze of whizzing bullets, hieroglyphs and rope ladders is a huge amount of fun.

What Doesn't
The lurid cover.

Overall
Apprentice Writer would never have thought that Egypt could be as appealling as in Elizabeth Peters' wonderful "Peabody" series. But Daphne and Rupert are neck and neck with Amelia and Emerson in charm, smarts, chemistry, and derring-do.

She will admit to being a little worried about how the British/Egyptian interaction would be handled, partly (as regular Gentle Readers know) because Apprentice Writer is somewhat sensitive about this issue in general, partly because of wording in a previous work by this author. Lord of Scoundrels is rightfully considered by many a masterpiece of this genre. Apprentice Writer enjoyed the humorous interactions between hero and heroine very much (the way the shooting incident plays out is peerless), but due to emotional neglect/abuse during his childhood, the hero experiences frequent doubts about his worthiness, including a feeling he shouldn't lay his "...blackamoor hands" on his wife's fair skin (he is of English/Italian descent). The components making up the hero's distorted self-image and how these are brought into healing reallignment are complex and should in fairness not be reduced to this one phrase; but even so, having the hero link his feeling of unworthiness with darker skintone tore this reader unhappily out of the story.

To Apprentice Writer's relief, there were no such jarring word choices in 'Mr. Impossible'. There was a moment when it seemed matters might be skating close to the edge of paternalistic views, in a scene where Rupert declares to a bemused Daphne that he needs to take certain actions in regard to two servants because he is '...the father'. But the Egyptians in question are in fact minors, and for Rupert to take action on their behalf in the absence of parents of their own is a positive thing. Other characters the hero and heroine encounter all seem to be judged by their own merits and flaws rather than sweeping generalizations.


BUT DOES IT MAKE YOU LAUGH? YES!
"Mr. Impossible" actually contains more dramatic than comedic moments, but the quality of the funny bits is so good that they stuck in this reader's mind long after the book was closed. This story has a place of honor on Apprentic Writer's Keeper Shelf.

It also raises high hopes for the author's most recent release,
Your Scandolous Ways,
on shelves now. Apprentice Writer is one chapter in, and so far, the buzz of '1800's James Bond in Venice' is justified and delicious.

Laughter Reviews #17 - KEEPER

Time for another review with the focus: funny or not?

THE SILVER PIGS
by Lindsey Davis
HISTORICAL SUSPENSE


Premise
Sleuth in ancient Rome is commissioned by the newest Caesar to investigate fraud and murder.

What Works
What a delight, stepping into the pages of this superbly entertaining novel. The story is meticulously researched and replete with descriptive (but never overdone) historical detail that makes the challenge of everyday survival in A.D. 70 seem to spring to three-dimensional life. The effect is only enhanced by having the highly irreverent hero tell the story in first person.

Marcus Didius Falco is a young man living in a seedy part of Rome during the rise of Emperor Vespasian. He completed his military service, but had the bad luck of being posted to Britain which was not only horribly cold and far away but underwent a native revolt, put down not by his legion but its successor. Consequently he must endure derision rather than basking in military glory as he tries to eke a living as a private eye. His art-dealer father abandoned the family years ago to live with a younger woman and his brother died a reckless hero's death in Palestine, making Falco the nominal head of the family. Falco grapples with resentment of these two male figures, while attempting to deal with the daily demands of his mother, sisters, brothers-in-law, landlady, pickpockets, gladiators, bureaucrats, clients, senators, slaves.....

Falco is a mass of contradictions. He gripes about family but lives in near desitution due to giving all his money to his mother and his late brother's girlfriend to support his brother's child. He praises the bachelor life but is always on hand to shepherd numerous nieces and nephews at family gatherings, public celebrations, and on trips. He contends with beggars and prostitutes but is multilingual and an amateur poet. He often plays the clown but is fast and tough in a fight, and smart enough to see beyond what individuals with much greater power, wealth, and position may want him to see. He makes fun of everyone, including himself, but somehow always ends up taking the part of the underdog, even to his own detriment. Someone this smart and unusual deserves a worthy love interest; when she comes along, that woman is Falco's equal and then some.

So: the settings are compelling, the main and secondary characters fascinating, the mystery intriguing, the scholarship superb. Can the writing keep pace? It can indeed, moving along at a fast and entertaining clip.

'....my mother did something rapid to a vegetable.'

'...I like my women in a few wisps of drapery: then I can hope for a chance to remove the wisps. It they start out with nothing I tend to get depressed because either they have just stripped off for someone else or else, in my line of work, they are usually dead.'

"...she hurtled up the steps of the Temple of Saturn straight towards me. 'Excuse me -' she gasped. 'Excuse ME!' She dodged, I dodged. She was a slight thing; I prefered them tall, but I was prepared to compromise. While we sashayed on the steps, she glanced back, panic-struck. I admired her shapely shoulder, then squinted over it myself. Two ugly lumps of jail-fodder, jellybrained and broad as they were high, were pushing through the crowds towards her. 'Get out of my way!' she pleaded. I wondered what to do. 'Manners!' I chided thoughtfully. 'Get out of my way SIR!' she roared. She was perfect!'

What Doesn't
Apprentice Writer can't think of anything.

Overall
Since its inception, the Falco series has grown into numerous volumes, giving the intrepid sleuth and his faithful life- and detection-companion many cases to solve all over the farflung Roman empire. They investigate with the occasional aid and more frequent obstruction of their families and friends. The many, many fans of this series look forward to catching up with developments in the lives of popular recurring secondary characters as much as puzzling out each new case. Some go so far as to recreate the dishes mentioned in the stories with painstaking attention to historical detail, and try to outdo one another in asking obscure questions of the author at her extensive website. To date, this immensly fun series shows no signs of growing stale.

But does it make you laugh? ABSOLUTELY
The humor is drawn in equal parts from Falco's skewed way of looking at life and his habit of verbal thrust and parry with almost everyone he meets, as well as from the way the author portrays ancient Roman customs (the goat that Falco drags across half the empire because he can't bear to ritually slaughter it, the headache he has caring for the Eternal City's sacred geese, the ticklish business of figuring out how to interact with Vestal Virgins, the indignities he suffers travelling as a seasick non-swimmer, the impetuous use to which he puts a Minotauran frieze....etc. etc.) The Roman Empire of these books is no dusty, dull place of boring senatorial discourse or theoretical military strategy. It is vibrantly, gloriously alive. This first volume kicking the whole thing off has no trouble clinching a spot on Apprentice Writer's Keeper shelf.

Bookbuilding - ANALYSIS

Today, our final field trip into the world of novelbuilding pitfalls.


After visits to the twin pitfalls of setting staticus and momentum mortus, and the twin pitfalls of cultura non-equus and non-persona, a look at

PRIMUS IMPRESSIO FALSUS

wherein a book's first chapter gives a wrong impression of what to expect. Example:

The Raven Prince, a historical romance by Elizabeth Hoyt, is the first in the 'Prince' trilogy which shot the author to the top of repeated 'Favorite Book of the Year' lists. This genre frequently features ideal heros and heroines in terms of physical attributes and personal accomplishments, presumably to intensify the fairy-tale quality of such stories. This pretty much always includes such feats of masculine manliness as the hero being the tallest, most handsome, best swordsman, best marksman, wealthiest stock market investor... The list goes on, and includes, perforce, best horseman.

So when the protagonists of this story meet by having him fall off his galloping horse at her feet it is unexpected - and funny. The hero's wounded pride is well written, and memorable. Even more so when touched upon again in a very amusing pseudo-interview the author conducts with the hero at the end of the book (AW assumes this was used elsewhere for publicity purposes):

"...Edward's responses to the Romance Hero Rule Book:
1. HEROES ARE ALWAYS HANDSOME.
(snort) Well, that one is plain ludicrous. Who wants to read about pretty boys and macaronis, I ask you? A scar here and there lends a certain gravitas to a gentleman's countenance.
2. HEROES SHOULD NEVER FALL OFF THEIR HORSE.
Libel, sirrah! I have never, EVER, fallen off my horse and I will meet in the field of honor anyone who dares say so. It is true that, upon occasion, I have been UNSEATED, but that could happen to any gentleman and is an entirely different matter.
3. AND IF THEY DO FALL OFF, THEY DO NOT SWEAR.
I was not swearing. I merely called the beast a revolting lump of maggot-eaten hide, and - follow my reasoning closely here - the horse did not know what I was saying.
4. HEROES DO NOT START BRAWLS IN BROTHELS.
I did not actually start the brawl. Besides, what would you have me do when attacked by four men? Note: I did END the brawl.
5. HEROES DO NOT HAVE TROUBLE KEEPING THEIR SECRETARIES.
I am not sure what you are getting at...
6. HEROES ALWAYS KEEP THEIR TEMPER.
I do not have a temper and anyone who says so- (censored)
7. HEROES SHOULD NOT FANTASIZE ABOUT THE BREASTS OF THEIR FEMALE SECRETARIES.
What kind of namby-pamby novels are we talking about here? I should think-
8. HEROES SHOULD BE ROMANTIC.
Ha! HA! I have you there! I will have you know that Anna found absolutely no fault with my lovemaking. In fact-
9. HEROES DO NOT CONFUSE ROMANCE WITH LOVEMAKING.
(censored)
10. HEROES SHOULD BE TRANSPORTED BY TRUE LOVE.
With that I have no argument."

The opening scene, especially when taken together with the publicity teaser, raises powerful hope that the ongoing story will be marked by similar-type humor. As it turns out, the story settles into and remains within more dramatic parameters. The writing is excellent and the story well worth reading, but doesn't return to that lighthearted initial tone. So while Apprentice Writer enjoyed the novel and can recommend it, she was perplexed about the author's decision to point a certain way with the groundwork and then go in another direction.

Another example of primus impressio falsus is the contemporary romantic suspense novel The Damsel in This Dress, by Marianne Stillings.

It opens flawlessly:

"Hold on while I get out my thesaurus: this review is going to require more words than my paltry vocabulary contains. Ah, here we go: junk, dross, rubbish, detritus (oh, that's a good one), baloney, claptrap, drivel... To continue would require more space than this column allows, so let me simply conclude by saying that 'Strike Three for Death', J. Soldier McKennit's latest so-called crime drama is a waste of time and money. The plot is ludicrous, the characters stereotypical, the writing amateurish. What less could one ask for?"

The heroine is a book reviewer, the hero a police officer-turned-author who heartily resents her reviews. The first chapter builds up their mutual dislike excellently and humorously, creating great anticipation for their first meeting at a writer's convention. The meeting scene worked, but from that point on, for Apprentice Writer, the story steadily deflated in humor and interest as the body count steadily climbed for no particularly good reason and it seemed as though the heroine was of the sort that expects the hero to be more in charge of getting things done than she herself. By the time the finale rolled around, this reader was more interested in what was going on in the subplot between the hero's brother and the heroine's friend than the primary pair.

It's possible that this was a reflection of the fact that this was the author's first book. There have been several since, and though Apprentice Writer has not had a chance to take a second look, based on the strength of this very funny first chapter, she still plans to do so.

Laughter Reviews, #13

Another book review with the focus: is it funny?

THE BIG OVER EASY:: AN INVESTIGATION WITH THE NURSERY CRIME DIVISION
JASPER FFORDE
ALTERNATE REALITY SUSPENSE

Premise
Underestimated police detective investigates suspicious death of celebrity egg.

What Works
The sheer creativity of presenting traditional nursery rhyme characters in a “What if they lived in modern times?” crime drama deserves standing applause. Detective Inspector Jack Spratt heads the Nursery Crime Division, a tiny, underfunded, widely derided branch of the police department in an English town where officers are evaluated according to how much tabloid media coverage their cases get rather than accuracy of actual police work. Jack’s cases have a low rate of conviction (the most recent being failure to find the three little pigs guilty of attempted murder following the scalding of the big bad wolf – possibly because the jury was stacked with other pigs), so he is regularly outshone during press conferences by his rival and celebrity crime solver Friedland Chymes, who tweaks his cases according to media-catching features.

When Humperdinck Jehoshaphat Aloysius Stuyvesant Van Dumpty III (a.k.a. Humpty Dumpty) is found dead, apparently from injuries sustained falling from a wall, Jack and newly assigned assistant Mary Mary soon learn that the case is much more complex. Humpty was a ladies man, political opportunist, and financial genius working on a massive takeover project involving the two greatest footcare businesses in the world (which happen to be headquartered side by side). There is no lack of suspects who may have wanted the egg out of the way.

The plot winds its utterly unpredicatable way around twists, turns, obstacles, and mucho nursery rhyme characters, which become great fun to recognize and 'collect'. But fascinating plot is just the beginning. The author gleefully challenges reader perspective on multiple levels - from the statement that ‘all the Jack Sprat books have been designated as Character Exchange Programme Safe Havens and all characters are protected by the Council of Genres Directive’ which is placed right after the regular ‘any similarity to authentic persons is entirely coincidental’ message,
to an ad from the Talking Animals Relocation Authority encouraging bears ‘of an anthropomorphized disposition to settle on officially sanctioned plots of land to live idyllic quasi-human lives - application forms in local library',
to the nursery rhyme storyform giving a nod to the classic storyform of myth by incorporating a titan with political asylum problems,
to the epigraphs fronting each chapter that spoof classic crime novels (e.g. a report on the farewell banquet held for the Locked Room Mystery, which is then found murdered - in a locked room, or the report on the banning of the Identical Twin Plot device as well as anything to do with anagrams as part of the 'tough new measures to stave off stagnation in professional detecting').

What Doesn’t
The only quibble Apprentice Writer had was a lack of understanding of the tremendously built-up character of the Jellyman, whose visit to the town becomes entwined with the big climax. Perhaps this character appears in the author’s backlist; Apprentice Writer will now seek this out, pronto.

Overall
Mad scientist, murder, industrial espionage, jealousy, eccentric architecture, St. Cerebellum’s insane asylum, retired acting bombshell, a couple of dozen strains of salmonella – this novel has it all. Should the Gentle Reader feel that his or her reading material has become same old/same old, this utterly original story will be a breath of fresh air. Or, perhaps, a tasty omelette. Either way, refreshment and food for thought.

But is it funny? YES, YES, YES!
An extremely entertaining and whimsical read, this novel earns its place on Apprentice Writer's Keeper shelf for unbounded creativity.

Laughter Reviews, #12

Time for another book review with the focus: funny or not?

AGNES AND THE HITMAN
JENNIFER CRUSIE & BOB MAYER
Romantic Suspense

Premise
Hitman attempts to protect food writer newly embroiled in an old feud and a current mystery.

What Works
Agnes is a fantastic heroine. Fully living up to the 'Cranky Agnes' name under which she writes her food column, yet effortlessly able to gain the reader's sympathy and admiration. She is smart but vulnerable, passionate but cleareyed, ruthless when necessary but tenderhearted towards underdogs of all species. She responds to life's challenges and disappointments by perfecting her culinary skills and developing an oddly logical etiquette to go along with them (e.g. shoving a bride's face into the wedding cake displays equal disrespect for person and pastry; it is bad manners to yell or shoot at a person while they are eating your food; combatants will find it more difficult to be belligerent with one another once they have shared a meal at the same table, etc.). She attracts men to her side but keeps discovering she has committed to the wrong one and is trying very hard to believe that there isn't something wrong with her. Whether or not she will be able to overcome her pattern keeps pages turning to the end.

To put it mildly, the pace is fast. The first guy with a gun shows up by paragraph seven or so - and matters only accelerate from there. There is no space whatsover for boredom to develop, neither plotwise nor due to too much time spent on any one character, seeing as how the action charges up, down, sideways, and through a cast of thousands. (OK, dozens, but in a novel that amounts to the same thing). This is all the more remarkable given that most scenes take place in the heroine's home, and only rarely shift elsewhere - but those are especially explosive (mostly literally). This book is the polar opposite of the type newbie writers are warned against in which characters go to sleep at the end of a chapter, making the reader do so as well. 'Agnes' readers (at least, this one) will find it very difficult to put the book down, what with the likelihood that the very next paragraph will contain a smoking gun, or melancholy flamingo, or fatally revealed trapdoor, or beleaguered bride simultaneously outwitting a domineering mother and controlling mother-in-law, or a bayou booby-trap, or...


What Doesn't
Not only were there numerous current characters to keep track of, but many backstory ones as well, on top of which the authors chose to include a character with a double name plus nickname (why? why?). For the second half of the book Apprentice Writer couldn't be bothered to leaf back and remind herself who secondary and tertiary people were anymore; if the context surrounding them made sense, great, if not, no big loss since other characters/plot developments could be trusted to come along in no time.

Not all descriptions or timing sequences/coincidences made sense. There were two highly aggravating red herrings. Some character actions either had no normal consequences (e.g. the deliberate 'disappearance' of a highly placed government official, without any apparent followup), were incongruous with established character behaviour (e.g. the person cited as Agnes' culinary inspiration and teacher), or weren't logical (e.g. Agnes is under huge time pressure to pull off a wedding for the girl she thinks of like a daughter, yet despite seeming to have nothing else occupying her time the bride herself never lifts a finger to help nor does it occur to anyone to ask her). Despite the heftiness of the story, some questions remained unexplained.

Does any of this matter? Not really. Apprentice Writer dashed through the whole novel in such a breathless whirlwind that (except for the red herrings) these rough spots only became clear after the fact, during reflection on how to approach this review.

Overall
The authors each enjoyed highly successful published careers before teaming up. Apprentice Writer is unaware of their motivation for doing so; are they a couple? Did some type of creative writing exercise take on extended life of its own? Did they get tired of trying to make topposite-gender characters sound authentic and decided to leave them up to an unimpeachable source?

Whatever the answer, it seems to be working. Apprentice Writer became so engrossed in the story that she was late picking up junior apprentice writers #1 & #2, evilly scapegoating the innocent junior apprentice writer #3 to excuse her own tardiness.

WARNING! MINI SPOILER!
There comes a moment in most Crusie novels when the protagonist says something unexpected that reveals their basic outlook and sets them apart from the remaining characters. In this book, that particular scene encapsulates the whole relationship between hero and heroine: the hitman (who by now has developed feelings for Agnes beyond the usual Person-who-must-be-protected-from-random-assasins type) is informed that she has been detained by police due to suspicion that she may have attempted to murder her backstabbing fiance. A regular love interest might respond with shock, worry, or even concern about his own future health. Our hero says "That's my girl!" and proceeds to make plans to break her out of jail.


But does it make you laugh? YES!
Agnes and her methods of solving dilemmas - culinary, romantic, organizational, and murderous - are unique and unforgettably entertaining. Apprentice Writer hopes this is not the last readers will learn about her way with a frying pan.

Laughter Reviews, #4

Time for another book review with the focus: funny or not?

PLUM LOVIN' BY JANET EVANOVICH
CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE

Premise
Bounty hunter resolves love life problems of four clients on the eve of Valentines Day while pondering three male candidates of her own.


What Works
The author's trademark breezy, amusing style is on full display in this slice of life of enduring heroine Stephanie Plum. The main point of this so-called 'between-the-numbers-novel' seems to be to create the basis for a love quadrangle (credit alert: this excellent new word courtesy of Bonnie Staring, word smith). The new addition on Ms. Plum's arguably already overpopulated romance radar is mystery man Diesel - dangerously appealing and in some way Unmentionable.

The unmentionableness of various characters becomes a bit of a running gag. The reader is never informed what this really entails (it is, after all, unmentionable) but appears to involve odd talents. The character who comes closest to being a villain, for example, can inflict hives - but it's not entirely under his control so he mistakenly gives them to himself. During an early scene, Diesel describes a female character as '....only mildly Unmentionable.' In a book market currently teeming with fantasy and paranormal characters who are not only all-powerful but more often than not physically perfect, having (somewhat) paranormal characters with highly ordinary physical appearance and wielding decidedly low-level skills is a refreshing change.

What Doesn't
If one is looking for a quick, frothy beach read meant to provide a pleasant hour without any literary aspirations, then this book is a success. If one is looking for believable plot development and character growth, then it is a disappointment. All the client love dilemmas are resolved with remarkable ease. The supposed villain, Beaner, is set up at the start as much more of a sinister character than he actually turns out to be. Stephanie and Diesel are both precisely the same at the end as they were in the beginning.

In terms of humor, what works least for one reader may be exactly what works best for another. Apprentice Writer has not read any other Plum books, but she has read a few of the author's single-title romantic comedies. They seem to share certain characteristics: a) quirky sidekicks designed to lend an air of sweet (but not nauseating) 'wanting-to-do-the-right-thing'ness to the heroine by comparison, b) an animal designed to lend an air of hijinks, c) an eccentric elderly lady, designed to lend an air of slapstick by acting against stereotype. Each could be quickly slotted into place as they appeared here - Lula, a former prostitute with a penchant for donuts, hears that the first single candidate for whom they must find a match is 42 and divorced. When Lula asks if she wouldn't just be satisfied with '...some nasty, sweaty sex' for which Lula would be able to supply the candidates, Stephanie replies '...I think it has to be true love.' Bob the dog has a ridiculous appetite. And Grandma Mazur has had her lips plumped, plans to get butt implants because they are on sale, and immediately ditches her afternoon plans when she finds out she can watch porn for educational purposes with her granddaughter instead. Check, check, check.
It's not that these characters don't fit the plot or aren't funny; they do, and are. It's more a sense that the story is following a familiar pattern. For some, this is a defect. For legion Grandma Mazur fans, it's a comfort.

Overall
Capable, workman-like effort by this reliable author.

But does it make you laugh? YES
In Apprentice Writer's case, this meant smiles rather than outright chuckles. But smile she did, every few pages or so throughout the book - not a self-understood reading experience for her at all.

Laughter Reviews, #2

With the abundance of regular review sites on the web, the Apprentice Writer takes a different approach: sorting books into cyberpiles of 'funny', 'not', and 'comedy keepers'. Be forewarned: Apprentice Writer is hard to please.


CROCODILE ON THE SANDBANK Elizabeth Peters
HISTORICAL SUSPENSE

Premise
Determined British spinster travels to Egypt and becomes embroiled in archaeological mystery.


What Works
Everything. This book is a total delight; from the exotic setting, to the heroine (busybody and know-it-all Amelia Peabody), to the hero (hot-tempered Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, Amelia's equal in brains and stubbornness), to the secondary characters (damsel-with-a-past Evelyn and Emerson's younger brother Walter), to the mystery development and resolution. The clash between fusty Victorian era social etiquette and the non-stop action, not to mention how various parties pursue one another romantically, is delicious.

What Doesn't
The only quibble AW can come up with is that this book is so excellent that the follow-up adventures of Amelia and Co. (of which there are quite a few) may not always manage to reach as high on the performance bar as the original. But it isn't fair to hold that against this gem of a story.

Overall
Of the many bullseyes this book hits, the one that may be the most remarkable is in how deftly the author avoids the trap that many another author with settings in different countries falls into: making implied (and sometimes, overt) statements of the relative superiority/inferiority of the different cultures or religions involved in the plot. How many novels divide heros and villains strictly along ethnic lines? How many stories involve abusive treatment that is acceptable when confined to one group, yet outrageous when extended to another? The first time AW actually flung a book against the wall was when the supposed hero in a bodice-ripper whose title is long forgotten worked himself into a rage because the villain raped his mother. Obviously, it wasn't hard to understand that he would find the act itself upsetting. The problem was that he focussed on how she traced her lineage back to Spanish royalty, and wasn't merely a Mexican peasant - the implication being that raping peasants and/or Mexicans is less of a crime than raping artistocrats and/or Spaniards.
By having heros and villains distributed among Brits and Egyptians, Christians and Muslims, women and men, Peters' novels make the useful general point that it is wise to judge individuals according to their own characters and capacities rather than tired old generalizations, and the comedy writing point that you can get quite a bit of mileage out of characters acting counter to pre-conceived notions.

But does it make you laugh? YES, YES, YES!!!

For the comedy-starved, this Crocodile is a banquet. Dive right in and enjoy, knowing that the feast continues with many more Amelia/Emerson stories to come in this wonderful series.