Deadly Caress, by Brenda Joyce (review)
Posted: 2011/12/18 Filed under: Literature | Tags: brenda joyce, crime, deadly caress, deadly series, francesca cahill, gilded age, historical, mystery, review, romantic suspense, whodunit 3 Comments »If you’ve wondered where I was: first I was sick, then I spent over 24 hours traveling from Montreal to the south of France… where I’m going to spend the holidays!
In this fifth book of the Deadly series, Francesca Cahill, an idle rich young woman and amateur sleuth, has a lot on her plate. Firstly, there is the return to New York of the beautiful, estranged wife of Commissioner Rick Bragg, whom Francesca is in love with. Secondly, she must deal with an unwanted and surprising proposal from Calder Hart, Bragg’s rival half-brother and a womanizing businessman. And thirdly, she wants to investigate a murder which leads directly… to her own brother Evan.
The four first titles of the Deadly series
I can only imagine what the first four novels were about: obviously each of them featured a crime and investigation; as for the romantic side of things, it seems to have been taken up mostly by Francesca and Bragg’s platonic, doomed attraction to each other. The sentimental plot moves slowly enough, interspersed as it is with crime-solving and a bunch of a supporting characters (beyond the Francesca-Bragg-Hart triangle, we follow the love lives of Francesca’s siblings Evan and Connie in true soap opera fashion). In any case, it is really easy to pick up the story even at the advanced stage of Deadly Caress, so obvious the whole plot is.
What first struck me about this novel was, indeed, its mediocre writing. All the sentences are excessively short, as if the author didn’t trust herself with longer, more complex ones. There is plethora of cliched metaphors, from locking gazes to flexing jaws, not to mention a whole string of breathless utterances and states. But most irritating of all, it is full of repetitions. No wonder I wasn’t disoriented upon picking up the fifth installment! You could almost open and start this book in the middle, and still receive all the information you missed in the first half.
In fact, she was beginning to perspire―which was the epitome of unladylike behavior. He led the way past an erotic sculpture of a beautiful young woman holding a pigeon. “He has been up since five, working in the library. Will you be staying for breakfast?”
Francesca was realizing that she was perspiring, a very unladylike action, as Alfred spoke.
- Deadly Caress, Brenda Joyce (St. Martin’s Press, 2003)
Can you believe this? Not only the same words, the same phrase, but the exact same remark only two lines apart! Interestingly, this short quote could be the object of a study unto itself: note the reference to the “erotic sculpture”. Of course my personal question is: what is an “erotic” sculpture? Since everybody will agree that the simple fact of being nude doesn’t make something erotic, then what makes it so? The woman is holding a pigeon. What else? Did Ms. Joyce have something specific in mind, and if so, why didn’t she write it? “Erotic” here sounds like a conveniently vague qualifier used for the sole purpose of giving us an inkling of what kind of man Hart is―scandalous, conspicuous, shocking.
And we cannot overlook the butler’s comment: “up since five, working“. Calder Hart is one of these heroes that are not lacking in romance: the self-made millionaire, from rags to riches, who is only entitled to wallow in comfort and pay a perfect courtship to the heroine in so far as he’s spent all the previous years of his life before he met her working eighty hours a week. Romance likes workaholics. I guess it makes it that much more meaningful when they finally take the time (or not) to enjoy life with another person. Here, the “(or not)” applies to Rick Bragg, whose wife goes from bitch to legit woman status as we gradually learn why she left him all those years ago: because he did not take the time.
This, awkward as the transition may be, takes to the reason why, in spite of all its shortcomings, Deadly Caress isn’t a total disaster. Through all its cliches, through all its predictable and obvious developments, it ends up reading like the original historical romance. There is simply everything: the dark and dangerous hero (Hart), the fair and upstanding one (Bragg), the nonconformist heroine (Francesca), the flighty gambling brother (Evan), the proper lady (Connie), the wounded woman (Leigh Anne), the calculating widow (Bartolla), the street urchin (Joel), the inconspicuous friend (Sarah)… Surprisingly, it can be easier to get swept into such a museum of romance than in some of the more controversial, more thought-out ones.
“Alone at last,” Hart said, his tone teasing.
But he had stepped closer to her, and from her perspective, he was always a tower of male strength and virility, and she jumped away, gripping her reticule so tightly that her fingers ached.
His eyes widened. “My dear, you are as nervous as a doe about to be gunned down. I am hardly a hunter with you in my sights. And you did call on me,” he added, amused.
“But you are a hunter, even where I am concerned,” she said tersely.
His smile faded. “Francesca, if I were preying upon you as I have other women, you’d be on that sofa right now.”
- Deadly Caress, Brenda Joyce (St. Martin’s Press, 2003)
I’ve given up on doing an analysis of Francesca and Hart’s relationship. Inconsistency or cleverness? They play, go back and forth, threaten, regret, fear and take offense so much I didn’t know if I could believe in it. Especially when, for almost all of the book (which spans only five days), Francesca keeps claiming that she loves Bragg―and only lusts for his brother. Yet, I thought then, isn’t that how it happens in real life? Seeking to have sex with one guy while dating another? Guilty as charged! My only excuse is that it all happened when I was young and clueless, and not so much in love. It was certainly fun and emotional, but is it a good base for a HEA? The answer is yours!
The crime plot isn’t bad, with genuine thriller moments. Only the conclusion dissatisfied me somewhat, for while the intention to surprise the reader is commendable, this one surprise was never fully explained in light of some arguments that were made earlier in the book. I like being surprised, not tricked; and that is a comment for all detective novels out there. If you make it logically impossible for the reader to figure out the culprit, then we will not care for the revelation. You must at least give some clues to make us appreciate your higher plotting intelligence.
At last, despite its cliched dichotomy between womanizing-cheating men and virgin-monogamous women, Deadly Caress is an absolute apologia for sexual desire and the sexual act. Not only can I add it to my personal collection of romances featuring blow jobs, but one of its sex scenes is one of… voyeurism! Apparently some people are meant to be shared, and some others are not… The weird thing about some romance novels is that they don’t practice what they preach. So the question must be asked: do they actually, truly preach that?
On these enigmatic last words… have you read any Francesca Cahill novel? Are they all equal to one another, or do you feel that they get better, or worse? Do you find Francesca too flighty in her affections, or do you relate to her? Do you prefer Bragg’s or Hart’s type of hero?
Final Friends Book 3: The Graduation, by Christopher Pike (review)
Posted: 2011/08/22 Filed under: Literature, Music | Tags: christopher pike, crime, final friends, mystery, review, the beatles, whodunit, young adult Leave a comment »I have previously reviewed the Book 1 and Book 2.
So here’s the conclusion at last. In that respect, The Graduation felt more pulled-together than the last part. Pike explains the leap from the homecoming dance straight to the graduation ceremony by giving most of his characters reasons to have gone away; and isn’t it the least he could do after two tragedies hit this group of Tabb High seniors? Following through as if nothing had happened is what would have been suspicious. At any case, the end of the year has finally come. With it the final friends will meet again for one last time, one last occasion to sort out the puzzle of the two “accidents” that happened.
One of the problems with people thinking you’re smart is you eventually begin to believe it. I remember all the times in class―how restless I would be for the teacher to get on with the lesson. I’ve grasped the concept, I used to think, why haven’t the rest of the kids? What I didn’t realize then is that learning something doesn’t just mean figuring it out. It’s also the pleasure you get from the knowledge. I didn’t appreciate that the teacher would sometimes dwell on a particular subject because he or she loved it. I got mostly A’s but now I wish I’d had more fun doing it.
- Final Friends Book 3: The Graduation, Christopher Pike (Pocket Books, 1989)
Pike’s foray into YA proves wrong so many things I keep hearing about writing from people who have never even been published. How you can’t make a compelling heroine out of a typical wealthy, pretty girl. How you can’t make multidimensional characters based on stereotypes. How you can’t save every character’s life without going overboard with the HEA, etc. Characterization in Final Friends is amazing; the author knows how to play with teenagers’ perceptions of each other, reputations, expectations and secret weaknesses. He manages to make us fall for characters we have all reasons to dislike. Jessica, who would be perfect if she was a little less vain and superficial. Sara, who would be nice if she was less hysterical and bossy. Bubba, who would be fun if he was more transparent. Bill, who would be attractive if he was less boring.
Her mouth was a wonder, so soft and warm, tasting like―well, she tasted like toothpaste, which was fine with him. From now on, he knew, whenever he brushed his teeth, he would remember this moment.
- Final Friends Book 3: The Graduation, Christopher Pike (Pocket Books, 1989)
The end was both surprising enough and fully satisfying. Final Friends is very much in line with a book such as Weekend, just pure YA. They’re great if you like romance; they all get married in the end, or so we’re led to believe. Is that realistic? Who cares? I certainly didn’t when I closed the book. I just felt fine. Mighty fine. And I wanted to listen to the Beatles. I don’t know if it’s supposed to mean that Christopher Pike is a fan, but there was already talk of a Beatles song (Blackbird) in Weekend. In The Graduation, Jessica sings Let it Be at the graduation ceremony:
Do you remember Beatles references in other books of Pike’s? Do you agree with the fact that archetypal characters are harder to write than all-out grey ones? Or that high school love is harder to portray than adult love? Do you think Pike masters it?
Final Friends Book 2: The Dance, by Christopher Pike (review)
Posted: 2011/07/11 Filed under: Literature | Tags: christopher pike, crime, final friends, mystery, review, whodunit, writing tip, young adult 1 Comment »
It would probably make more sense if I’d written a single review for the three Final Friends books, seeing as they’re real sequels, not just related novels. Unfortunately for me (since it’s a suspenseful crime story), I’ve only managed to come by them one by one, and I tend to review as I read, so there you go…
God, I need the third book. If you’ve got it and are willing to send it my way, I’ll gladly give you one of my books in return! The thing is, as you can probably guess, The Dance only takes us deeper into the mystery, scattering possible hints and raising the stakes, without offering any actual answer or certainty. In other words, it builds momentum for the third book’s final big revelation.
This is efficiently done, but not excruciatingly so, either. There is a healthy dose of high school drama to relax the atmosphere, so that somewhere between a death/murder and a near-deadly accident/murder attempt, we almost forget that there might be a killer lurking out there. Instead we get caught up into the competition for homecoming queen, SAT exams, basketball practice and first kisses. More cheese, you might think… In a way, yes, and for our greatest enjoyment; in another, not so much. I was surprised to find several instances of the author’s sharply critical distance from his characters’ all-American occupations and concerns.
[...] Jessica again searched the stands for Michael. She thought he probably wouldn’t attend the dance―he had never struck her as the type that went in for big phony gettogethers―but Nick was his friend, he should have come to the game.
- Final Friends Book 2: The Dance, Christopher Pike (Pocket Books, 1988)
Other interesting elements in The Dance, in my opinion, include astronomy and basketball scenes. Which goes to show that even light, entertainment fiction targeted at teenagers can benefit from those little bits of extra knowledge (aka trivia) that make a story realistic and rich. No, you don’t want to lose your readers into the full details of something too specific, but you should, when you’re writing a novel, take the time to explain things that go beyond mere character interaction. Few things annoy me more in amateur fiction than a character described as a basketball player who never plays basketball, or a supposedly straight-A student who hardly ever seems to give any thought to homework and school.
To the inexperienced eye, the wisp of light in the center of the field of view of Michael’s telescope would not have looked significant. Because it was so far from the sun, the comet’s frozen nucleus had no tail to set it apart from the star field. It was its position―its changing position relative to the unchanging stars―that had initially caught Michael’s attention.
- Final Friends Book 2: The Dance, Christopher Pike (Pocket Books, 1988)
Do you like “well-rounded” or in-between-genres novels, or would you rather read a mystery that’s truly mysterious, horror that’s truly horrific, comedy that’s truly comical, etc.? Do you agree with my writing tip? Should authors develop elements that don’t add anything to the plot, but much to their story’s credibility and substance?
Final Friends Book 1: The Party, by Christopher Pike (review)
Posted: 2011/05/19 Filed under: Bio, Literature | Tags: christopher pike, crime, final friends, mystery, review, whodunit, young adult 5 Comments »
Since I’m not really in the mood for an Opinion Blog, I’ll post the review I’ve promised in my last entry: The Party, first book of Christopher Pike’s Final Friends trilogy. Christopher Pike is a children’s books and young adult author I used to read when I was a pre-teen and young teenager. I read him now out of nostalgia, but also out of genuine interest; because he’s still a reference in the YA/crime/paranormal genres for me. And if not romance, then that’s the kind of novels I’d like to write.
The whole country was in love with phonies, she felt. The bimboes on sitcoms, the rock dopers on MTV, the rich liars in D.C. It made her sick just going into the supermarket and having to look at all those fakes on the covers of People magazine. One day she’d like to start a magazine of her own where she could interview people like herself, people who knew it was all a big joke.
- Final Friends Book 1: The Party, Christopher Pike (Pocket Books, 1988)
Moreover, it’s interesting to note that my obsession with writing about love and relationships greatly developed through reading Pike. I think I have already mentioned my late discovery of modern romance (I was already in my twenties). Before that, of course there had been Jane Austen, and the Brontë sisters, and Charles Dickens, but as far as contemporary stories went, there had mostly been Pike. I already wrote a review for his novel Weekend: for those who can read French, it was published in the e-zine Les Romantiques on page 43.
So, in each of Pike’s YA novels, there is a love story. And not just a love story, but general talk of couples, attraction, sex, breakups, jealousy and betrayals. This is something I appreciate, not only in my romance reader’s quality, but from a purely realistic perspective. You remember how it really was in high school. Everybody was busy having a crush on someone, trying to go out with them, or gossiping about who had sex with who, and the popular guy or girl’s latest conquest. I’m not judging whether this is superficial or immature, just stating that this is the way it was. One major reason why J. K. Rowling totally lost me when Harry Potter grew up and remained desperately virginal and ignorant. (Teenagers watch porn. They talk about sex and tell sex jokes all the time. All the time.)
“I’ve been in there a couple of times. I never saw you. Is it a part-time job?”
“Fifty hours a week.”
“Wow.” He lived in a different world, she realized. He made money, carried his own weight. She charged everything, ran up the phone bill. And from what he said, he watched out for his mom, when all she did was fight with her parents about nothing. She lived such a superficial life.
But what can I do? I’m already spoiled.
- Final Friends Book 1: The Party, Christopher Pike (Pocket Books, 1988)
Mr. Pike shows all that, but with a subtlety, good sense and humour which prevents him from lapsing in either a condemnation or an apologia. While reading Final Friends, I was impressed once more at his ability to grasp and paint seventeen-year-olds’ feelings and concerns. While each of his many characters seem to fit in a different stereotypical category (the shy geek, the nice pretty girl, the cheerleader, the good-looking jock, the artist, the chubby sister, the sarcastic best friend, etc.), as the plot thickens all of them lose their apparent unidimensionality. Behind and besides their universal hope of getting laid, more serious and touchy subjects arise.
“You and your parents are illegal aliens, aren’t you?”
She trembled, ever so slightly. “Yes,” she whispered.
“There were a lot in my old neighborhood. [...] What’s the big crime? They’ve loosened the laws. Stay here a few years and they’ll make you a citizen.”
“That’s not how it works. We got here after the amnesty deadline. In Washington there’s talk about changing the requirements, but until then we could be sent home anytime.”
- Final Friends Book 1: The Party, Christopher Pike (Pocket Books, 1988)
Now, because I’ve read many other Christopher Pike YA novels, from the start I could see similarities with his other works. Or maybe I expected them. In the end, I found myself surprised at the ways the story unfolded, lost in the layers the author kept adding, which were as many possible clues and red herrings. I still managed to guess right at the victim’s identity, but as for the culprit, Pike’s left us in proper darkness. I suspect him of pulling a paranormal trick on us, although The Party was completely free of supernatural. In fact, this first book ends in an absolutely classical, delightful mystery novel atmosphere, with the main male character drawing a map of the house where the crime was committed, and reviewing the people present with the police lieutenant. Maybe my favourite part of the book, which made me long for more good crime novels… and even more for the two next Final Friends books, The Dance and The Graduation. I hadn’t experienced such suspense in a while.
Do you still read the books you used to like as a child or a teenager? Do you have any mystery novel recommendation for my readers and myself? Do you more easily relate to puritan teenagers or sex-obsessed ones?*
* Pike’s main characters are always romantic and decent kids, though. Just… red-blooded too. 
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