Who

When Goldie Hildebrant, Mr. Wolfe, and Norman, all individuals who have previously been imprisoned, are invited by a law firm to a free weekend getaway on a private island, they are reluctant to attend. The hostess, Ms. Rosebud, is eager for them to appear and promises that their past hardships and grievances will be addressed. In the end, they all decide to go. In fact, they quite like the idea of compensation and the hope of finding justice. But justice may prove elusive at this retreat.

Ms. Avery has created a fun and highly entertaining novel which brings together famous characters from fairy tales and classic novels. I loved how she incorporated all the classic scenes that readers have come to expect from authors like Agatha Christie. For instance, there is the invitation to a large house on a secluded island, the obligatory storm that knocks out communication and travel possibilities, a seance with an Ouija board, which results in a death, the poisoned drinks and, the gun that appears in one scene and quickly used in another.

What made this such an enjoyable parody of a murder mystery for me was not just the superb dialogue she created but the excellent mannerisms of each character. She has a terrific talent for creating characters by merging fictional characters that readers will recognize but making them thoroughly her own by giving them all some unique twists. As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think what a fun play this would make if someone wanted to stage it. Perhaps this is because it all seemed so visual. On the one hand, it felt very familiar, except the author was able to keep the reader engaged by adding elements to characters and scenes that weren’t quite expected.
I think my favorite moment was in Chapter One when Goldie was on the train. I kept getting images of Miss Marple in my mind due to her mannerisms and her tea drinking habits. But when she snatched the money off the emissary’s table and walked out of the dining cart, I had to laugh out loud. I also loved the ending. It was spot on, even though it hadn’t occurred to me even as I neared the end that it would be so.
In short, I found Who to be utterly enjoyable and highly original. This is a book I will remember for a while and one I might just have to read again. I’m sure mystery lovers will appreciate this author’s style, wit, and humor. I know I would love to read more like this.