"Had she been a man, she probably would have been dead. But women learn to walk cautiously, to be constantly aware."
 |
Dry Death in Arizona by Elizabeth Bruening Lewis Trafford Publishing
book review by Wendy Strain
Lewis delivers another discreet mystery surrounding her sympathetic heroine Abby Taylor. Still struggling to accept her dialysis routine and the disease that has changed her lfe, Abby works to reconstruct her identity as an independent and active woman. It is a process greatly hampered by an apparent attack on her life in the beginning chapter that remains an unexplained point of concern until near the end. Woven within the mystery of the attacks among the social circle in which Abby is quickly becoming involved is a great deal of information regarding Arizona's history and specific environmental concerns. Lewis doesn't just inform her audience of the unique nature and individual threats faced by the state's forested areas, but more carefully addresses rare ecosystems now threatened by mining operations. While the need for mining is given a sympathetic ear, the cost/benefit analysis is called into sharp question. Again, Lewis manages to deliver her more serious messages without detracting from the story being told.
All elements of the story are skillfully intertwined in a way that beings environmental concerns, Arizona history and Abby's personal battle with a common but little recognized kidney disease into a unified, seamless whole. For those more interested in Abby's love life than the mysteries she finds herself embroiled in, there is no disappointment. David Neale makes a repeat appearance as the two characters attempt to sort out their conflicting feelings regarding relationship possibilities. While a bit heavy on similes from time to time, Lewis advances her series in a delightful manner deeply touched by artistic awareness.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review