Very difficult to review or actually to Rate! Tomorrow! Well it's now "Tomorrow" and I'm still kind of stumped on this one. I stumbled on Gail Bowen in my search for Canadian Mystery writers and I tried a couple of her "Rapid Reads" "Charlie D." series and really liked them so I decided to try a full length novel. As I usually do with a series I like to read them in order but perhaps with the "Joanne Kilbourn" series that wasn't such a good idea. I found about the first half of this book very slow , boring and not very interesting reading and even in the rest of the book when the pace did pick up somewhat Joanne does not do any real investigative detecting but just kind a drags along worrying about her latest new boyfriend. I will admit that I didn't quite expect the surprise twist in the ending but, on second thought, it was rather predictable, although the author kind of kept the one clue needed to solve the murders pretty well hidden from the readers. I'm afraid I don't like Joanne Kilbourn very much but her kids are all pretty interesting characters. This is not a bad book by any means and I've given it 3 stars for the good writing, excellent setting and the Canadian political references but it is not quite the kind of a story that I, personally, enjoy. I know many other readers will really like it but I don't think I'll be reading any more in this series (excepting the one "Charlie D.) I haven't read, or by this author unless I stumble across them as freebies.BTW I noticed on IMBD that the TV movies based on the Joanne Kilbourn series mostly received very low ratings and many reviewers complained about them not following the books very closely and even having the locations changed and, while not having seen the movies, I can understand why that would have to be so, in at least the case of this book, in order to make any kind of a movie out of it.
This mystery held together very well especially for the first of a series. It's set in Canada, specifically Regina, and is the first book by a Canadian author where the location has some meaning to the story. It was also nice that it's a place I've been so I could imagine a bit of the city. The main character, Joanne, is the widow of a politician who was enveloped by his political life and stayed involved after his death primarily due to inertia. The only quibble I had was that she didn't seem to have a reliable source of income; maybe her husband was heavily insured(?). I don't know but I couldn't understand how money didn't worry her since she spends a significant portion of the book without a job because the politician she was working for was killed. The author was clever about explaining Jo's involvement in digging into the dead man's life by having her decide to write a biography. Jo didn't dig directly into his death, but spent her time talking with people who knew him so it all seemed natural.I enjoyed this book and would definitely read more in the series.
What do You think about Deadly Appearances (2012)?
Well, I sure wish I hadn't waited so long to start this series! It's not my usual "serial killer thriller" mystery and I thought it might be lame because of the politics theme but this Canadian author is up to book 15 in this series so I had to see what was up. Deadly Appearances is at heart a political mystery with the book starting off with the murder of the prime candidate for Premier of Saskatchewan. The main characters then are all those surrounding his political campaign, spouses, and friends. I found this an engrossing quick read but not because of the actual mystery. What impressed me the most was character development and the focus on the amateur sleuth's family and its dynamics. Mysteries often forgo characters for action. The mystery wasn't very hard to figure out but the nuances of the motive and secrets that were revealed dealt with real issues. The story was authentic, as were the characters and I found the main characters fully developed. I most certainly would continue on with the series
—Nicola Mansfield
I picked up Gail Bowen's "Deadly Appearances" first and foremost because of its setting in my current home region - the province of Saskatchewan, on the Canadian Prairies. It's rare to find a fiction book set in this area, and I'm pleased to be able to recommend this series as a fine offering in the mainstream mystery genre. The story has an unpredictable yet conceivable ending, and it also introduces an appealing, believable "detective" character. Joanne Kilbourn is a 46-year-old widow with 3 teenagers, and her life is one most people can appreciate and understand, if not necessarily fully identify with. Her academic bent and history in politics were also intriguing, but you don't have to know anything about either "world" to enjoy or understand the story. Another reason I would recommend this book is that it does a great job of showing Canadian, and particularly Saskatchewanian, culture. Anyone who is curious about either can immerse themselves in this book, the first in a series of several.
—Julie Golding Page
