Quote of the Week

"The key is to commit crimes so confusing that police feel too stupid to even write a crime report about them."
Randy K. Milholland, Something Positive Comic
10-30-03. Web Comic Pioneer

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The Cranefly Orchid Murder by Cynthia Riggs



Meeting Victoria Trumbull, 92-year-old part time sleuth and full time resident of Martha's Vineyard, was a treat that had me longing for more stories about this delightful heroine who did not let aching bones or stereotypes about age keep her from an exciting life. Even though this book was not the first in Cynthia Riggs' prolific series, it was easy to pick up who the various characters were. I loved the inclusion of small town politics and using endangered plants and animals to protect parcels of land. It seems only yesterday that a small town neighboring mine used these very tools over a 10 year period to stop a huge landfill from being built on a hill overlooking a lake. Excitement rose and fell over the course of the book. Heroes turned into villains and vice-versa leaving clues strewn around like petals from an orchid. Best line in the book: how does Victoria get around now that she has no license-she hitch hikes and gets a ride from the first car going by. The author is a 13th-generation Islander and brings her knowledge of the geography and local idiosyncracies to the book creating a real flavor of island life. On her website, cynthia@cynthiariggs.com, she welcomes notes from readers. Why not send her one? I did.

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