With Allie Lindell, a journalist working in Ohio, Allred
seems to return to a similar character as in her first
book 'White Trash'. That book was set in Texas however,
and Allie, while a mother, has a life partner who's another
lady, Rae Ann. In ROADKILL Allie has spent five years
writing the obituaries for the paper, and by now knows the
patterns of death in her community. Now she's the stay-home
part of the relationship, with two small kids.
Michelle, Allie's sister, is an officer in the Columbus K9
unit, working with a Doberman and naturally protective of
the good name of the force. She doesn't want to talk about
a former cop's death at home. The man had been accused of
molesting a minor, but charges were dropped, it was
nothing, she insists. Allie isn't so sure. She rings a
journalist friend, and gets some part-time work helping to
track the deaths of young women dumped on roadsides
instead. The women came from several states and were
probably prostitutes. A truck driver is suspected. Allie
somehow finds herself looking into both cases, and
according to a neighbour of the dead cop, the man was no
saint. She wonders if there could be a connection between
his wild parties and the road deaths....
The trials of raising a two-year-old and a baby are drolly
recounted, from cartoon videos to playing with dogs. I
don't know how anyone has the energy to do all this and
still be a freelancer, but Allie manages to fit work in at
nap time. Kipper, the Doberman, has such a demanding job
that he becomes stressed and needs extra care, making him
another larger than life but very real character. I don't
suppose all reporters tell as many lies as Allie does to
get information, or that everyone is so eager to badmouth
others over the phone to people they don't know. It makes
for a fast-moving story though, like a Sue Grafton PI with
a crèche in tow.
I would have liked to meet even one clean-living decent
male character, but they don't seem to be in the majority
in this town. In fact I found too many female names,
occasionally causing confusion. Our intrepid reporter
annoys her partner for leaving the babies with sitters,
putting herself at risk and so on, yet right to the last it
doesn't sink in with her that what she sees as staking her
claim on freedom and earning power could get her killed.
Alexandra Allred is once more pointing out society's
attitude to women, and women's expectations of women, as
she did in 'Damaged Goods', her story of a town which was
an environmental disaster. This carefully worked crime
story ROADKILL conveys several messages and besides
appealing to crime fans, could provide excellent discussion
material for book clubs.
When dead prostitutes begin to appear along the rural roads
of Ohio, Allie Lindell cannot stay away despite the odds—the
odds being her badge-toting sister; her partner, who only
wants Allie to stay home and out of harm’s way; and two
little girls in full potty-training and tantrum-throwing
modes. But when an old friend from The Columbus Dispatch
calls with an intriguing job opportunity, Allie can’t turn
her away, Allie breaks all kinds of promises to track the
killer, heat up a cold case, and discover what happened to a
fallen police officer. As she navigates the backstreets of
Columbus, following pimps, prostitutes, sullen teenagers,
and seedy gamblers, the only thing more complicated is
remembering all her aliases.
Enlisting the help of her neighbor, and with the annoying
voice of Snow White drumming through her head, Allie and her
newfound sidekick will have you falling in love with this
wonderful cast of modern heroines with day-to-day problems.
Gay, straight, sleek and sexy, or rumpled and ragged—no
matter how much they bicker, they’re a mighty force when
they all come together. Heigh Ho!
Roadkill is the first in a series in which a former
journalist and at-home mom discovers she has a knack for
investigating murders. While she longs for the crazy
deadlines and adult conversations, she also wants to stay
home and care for her babies.
With Disney tunes, tantrums, and potty-training woes on her
mind, Allie Lindell must learn to juggle the highs and lows
of her family and a career she never knew she always wanted.
This is the funny, sometimes aggravating, ultimately
heartwarming story of a woman trying to give everything to
her kids, keep the love of her partner, and not lose herself
in the process
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