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Garden of Evil : A Britt Montero Novel by Edna Buchanan
Reader Reviews 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: Mayhem, but not mystery, January 27, 2001 Reviewer: dulcie22 from Traverse City, MI USA Edna Buchanan's prose style catches me up and sweeps me along, every time. It's descriptive, accurate, tense. And usually, Buchanan's plots and characters catch me up as well. But not this time. Keppie, the serial murderess, is so wierd and wired that she is only an oddity, evoking no empathy from the reader. Her victims gradually lose individuality and become one senseless victim after another. And Britt Montero, erstwhile girl journalist, ends up being stupid and self-indulgent: she does anything for the story, including ignoring those around her who desperately need her help. So much for the characters. It's also true that there is no mystery. Keppie is a mass murderer. Britt is a girl reporter in a dangerous situation. Joey is a small boy who exists merely to arouse our sympathy, and then disappears. The cops are after everybody. They catch Keppie, free Britt, and send Joey home. But for the masterful prose style of Edna Buchanan, this novel deserves a miss.
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