Reviewed By: Mary R - RAM
Dead White Female
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Lauren Henderson
Class/Genre: Mystery
Series: Sam Jones # 1
…
When Lee Jackson is found dead after a party, everyone thinks it’s an accident, except her former student Sam Jones. Determined to prove that Lee’s death was murder, she begins to delve into the London gallery world in an effort to learn more about Lee’s life and why someone might want her dead.
Sam is a metal sculptress who has been struggling lately with one of her projects. Lee had been Sam’s instructor in art school, but they hadn’t seen each other since Sam left school. When they meet again at the fateful party, Sam is thrilled when Lee offers to come by and take a look at the problematic sculpture. However, when Sam awakes the next morning, still at the party, she finds Lee’s dead body in the garden. The police are called in, but Sam can’t convince them, or anyone else, that it wasn’t an accident. So she takes matters into her own hands, getting a job at the gallery where Lee worked, and slowly unravels the secrets of Lee’s life.
This is the first book in the Sam Jones mystery series. Sam is a sexy, smart, strong, and thoroughly modern woman. However, she is not without her flaws. As it says on the back of the book, “Sam Jones lives hard, plays harder, and knows London like the back of her hand.” She’s a character that could very easily turn into a caricature, but in Ms. Henderson’s able hands she is remains a very human, likeable character.
Lauren Henderson is one of the founders of the Tart Noir website, and this book definitely falls into the Tart Noir category. Sex, alcohol, and drugs are all part of Sam’s life. So if that bothers you, this book may not be for you.
I loved this book. Unfortunately it’s rather difficult to get your hands on this book (and the next book in the series, Too Many Blondes) if you are in the US. But it’s definitely worth the effort. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.
Mary R - RAM
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Mary R - RAM
If you enjoy this website, a link would be appreciated. |