Death and the Language of Happiness [Import] [Paperback]

John Straley (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Orion mass market paperback (August 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575603054
• ISBN-13: 978-0575603059
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wacky, Wild ,Inept,and sensitive P.I., June 20, 2000

By 

loraine magee - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death and the Language of Happiness (Mass Market Paperback)

Cecil Younger is a alcoholic P.I. in Sitka,Alaska.He tries not to drink. He is under the care of a psychiatrist and lives with a roommate who is mentally challenged. His girlfriend has moved in and together they care for Todd, the roommate and Bob the young nephew with a missing hand. A 97 yr. old man is accused of murder and ask Cecil for help. Cecil frequently seeks guidance from the ravens and gets inspiration from the eagles;he loves the wilderness of Alaska. His investigation takes him from Sitka to Dutch Harbor and then to Washington state. He has to take Todd with him to Seattle which presents a set of unique circumstances. Eventually the mystery gets solved and a historical event from 1919 in Centralia,Wa plays a major role in the present day events. The wilderness of Alaska, the wildlife, the rain, the sea and the mountains all are vividly described. This is an outstanding novel of emotions and confusion, of desires and despair.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite In The Series, October 20, 2001

By 

Susan R. Cakars "sanpablos" (San Pablo, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death and the Language of Happiness (Mass Market Paperback)

In this book Cecil Younger is hired by a 97-year old man to kill someone. He takes the case, intending to discover who was responsible for the killing of a single mother, Angela Ramirez. Along the way he travels from southeast Alaska to Centralia, Washington and learns about a massacre there in 1919 involving the American Legion and the Wobblies.

I've enjoyed the Cecil Younger series, but cringe at some of the violence. In this book I liked the problem of him taking his mentally challenged roommate with him to Centralia while investigating Angela Ramirez's murder. I especially liked learning the story of the Veteran's Day violence back in 1919. It was very interesting. Because of this story from history this book is my favorite in the series.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He Describes Southeast Alaska well!, October 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Death and the Language of Happiness (Hardcover)

John describes the lifestyle of SE Alaska very well. I live near John and his books are easy for me to relate to. His writing is full of humor and humility. The main character "Cecil," is a modern day, somewhat incompetent, gumshoe detective. He as real as life and he takes the lumps and dissapointments with stride. The people who know Cecil personally respect him for his character and forgive his flaws, sometimes. If you want to get an idea of what its like to live in this part of Alaska, read all of John Straleys' books - a fine mix of fiction and reality.