Liza CodyMonkey WrenchThis review is based upon the German translation by Regina Rawlinson. Christina says:
Eva Wylie knows exactly what she wants, that is to do her job as a night security guard at a scrap yard in peace and make a career as a wrestler. Therefore, the request of Crystal, a companion from the days when she lived on the streets is very inconvenient for her. Eva is supposed to teach self-defence to a group of prostitutes and help Crystal to hunt down the murderer of her sister Dawn. The London Lassassin Eva Wylie is one of the most unusual mystery protagonists. It is debatable if Monkey Wrench really qualifies as a mystery. Though the story starts with a murder, the search for the murderer soon becomes a minor matter. The remarkable book is rather an excursion into Eva Wylie's world. In her second adventure, Eva can only watch everyone turning against her to destroy the life she has built for herself. At least that is how she perceives it, and the reader sees everything with Eva's odd tunnel vision. Nevertheless, Cody succeeds in bringing her characters to life, people living on the edge of society, with no or not much respect for its rules. Given the way Cody tells her story, it is impossible not to get involved. The reader immerses himself in the story and stands right beside Eva who constantly addresses him and asks for his approval. Eva is no typical amateur detective. She doesn't throw herself headfirst into a case that is actually none of her business to miraculously succeed where the real pros fail, but gets caught up in the case by accident; she doesn't have a real interest in solving the crime and therefore follows the wrong trail, making things even worse. Crystal is as touching a character as Eva, having struggled out of her homeless existence just like her, and the same goes for the prostitutes who don't want to be victims and stubbornly refuse to apologise for their lives. The threatening catchers are frightening enough, too. Monkey Wrench isn't a book for mystery readers who like to solve puzzles, but if you are willing to let yourself be carried along by the flow of the narrative and slip into Eva's warped mind, you are likely to have a very special reading experience. |
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Last changes: 12-04-04 Copyright 2004 Books & Movies |
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