When the dean of a major journalism school is found dead
after a bitter faculty dispute, there are two things
which have to be done: investigate the death and find
someone to run the school. She can't do anything about
the first point but Meredith "Red" Solaris is immediately
selected as interim dean. Mountain West University's
school of journalism is in good hands, but the war still
rages on. With the faculty constantly at each other's
throats, Red is in more danger than she knows. Lead
detective Joe Morgan takes a personal interest in Red,
but that only adds another layer to the complication of
this case. Two threatening notes and a metric ton of
suspicious behavior later, will Red survive long enough
to see if she will be elected full-time Dean?
THE RED QUEEN'S RUN is a whole lot of fun. It
starts off soberly enough for a murder mystery, but
though it does not lighten it takes you for a great
thrill ride. It's a classic whodunit, from the
perspective of an unconventional "detective". While it's
true she doesn't know the forensics or the exact details,
it is fascinating to follow Red's mental process as she
has to navigate both the difficulties of running a school
where everyone has it in for her and the loss of a very
important colleague she might not have really known. The
problems are both very challenging and very interesting.
I did not want this book to end but I was so happy that
the conclusion was as thrilling. I had no clue on earth
where it was going; it was a really great surprise
ending.
The prose can sometimes miss the mark, it's true.
Most of the language is very dry and suffers from over
definition. There are also a few simple mistakes which I
believe plague most mystery writers, but given my writing
education background that's probably nitpicking. Coming
from a genuine former professor, the insight on the
running of a college is fascinating but can be a drag for
someone who already knows about the educational system.
Those are really my only major complaints, and they
certainly don't detract from the novel at all.
I absolutely love Red. She is the heroine the
novel deserves. She is the titular Red Queen, and she
completely owns her role. Bourne Morris really captures
the spirit of a complex woman who screws up but has to
maintain the air of professionalism even in the face of
fear. I never had a problem believing I was seeing what
Red saw, feeling what she felt. I have a very solid image
of her in my head, and she's great. She knows exactly
what she wants out of life, but she's not exactly sure
how she's going to get it. That is so real and so
relatable that I found myself rooting for her even when
she made her biggest mistake of all.
The other characters are really clever though
some of their subplots don't really add up in the end. I
especially liked Sadie Hawkins, the older professor who
is Red's best friend. I would like to see more of her,
which is why I'm very glad this is the first of a
trilogy. Joe was a nice guy too, but he seemed rather
flat at some points, especially when he is at his most
vulnerable. I have a problem when male characters take
too much possession of female characters right away, so
Joe raised some red flags, but so did all the other men,
so maybe that's a trait of the writer's experience.
I really loved THE RED QUEEN'S RUN and I am
really looking forward to the next installment of the
trilogy. I wasn't expecting to like this one at all, so
it may surprise some of you. Whatever the case,
definitely go for it; this book is worth the read.
A famous journalism dean is found dead at the bottom of a
stairwell. Accident or murder? The police suspect members
of
the faculty who had engaged in fierce quarrels with the
dean—distinguished scholars who were known to attack the
dean like brutal schoolyard bullies. When Meredith “Red”
Solaris is appointed interim dean, the faculty suspects
are
furious.
Will the beautiful red-haired professor be next? The case
detective tries to protect her as he heads the
investigation, but incoming threats lead him to believe
Red’s the next target for death.
The Red Queen’s Run is the first mystery in a trilogy
about
campus violence by former university professor, Bourne
Morris.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy