Customer Reviews

Death at Solstice: A Gloria Damasco Mystery

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I've read all of Luchi Corpi's published books and I like them all. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area and gone to UC Berkeley in the late '60s, I certainly enjoy the sense of place and the element of nostalgia. Gloria Damasco is a fully-fleshed character; many of her themes involve some Chicano activism, past and present. Chicanos are still under-represented in movies and on tv, but in literature they have come into their own-- a fact I celebrate.

Other reviewers have given synopses of the book, so I'll just add that Corpi is a fine writer, Damasco a realistic protagonist. Corpi's books are good stories and also provide a good history of the Chicano movement for those who are ignorant of it and some of its sad and unjust history. I applaud Lucha Corpi and hope she continues the Gloria Damasco series.

Another Chicano writer I'd recommend is Manuel Ramos of Denver, Colorado.

Death at Solstice by Lucha Corpi blends an exciting combination of inexplicable accidents, thefts, ghosts, a ghost horse that belonged to an infamous bandit named Joaquin Murrieta, and a woman thought to be a saint. The story builds quickly and moves faster and faster. All the while, Gloria Damasco must attempt to figure out where her latest vision fits into the puzzle. Whose dark eyes are watching her? Who is the phantom horse and rider? Why does she feel as if she's trapped underwater?

Gloria Damasco is a private investigator with enough clairvoyant ability to help her solve cases and just enough doubt not to trust her intuition entirely. In Premonitory Predispositions, she explains that most people don't understand clairvoyance, which she refers to as her dark gift.

...My visions weren't a tidied bunch of related scenes laid out, like a classic story, in a linear narrative. They varied from images to smells and sounds that bombarded my dreams. My subconscious somehow sorted them out and stored them until, if ever, I worked on a related case.

Nevertheless, life is relatively normal most days, for someone who is shot at from time to time. Her new husband, Justin, is also a PI, and their relationship is mature, healthy, loving, and realistic. In fact, all of the characters behave credibly and even have credible faults--including the heroes, witches, and smugglers.

The first thing that impressed me about Corpi's writing is that I didn't feel lost, even though this is the third Gloria Damasco mystery. There was no need to go back and catch up. You won't miss all the fun of the wedding in a previous book either. Just wait until you read about the Baker from Hell that ran away with the wedding cake. You'll feel like you are among the guests watching the bride chasing the cake and the mariachis chasing the bride, while the Rockin' Jalapeno Band continues to play. No one would want to miss that!

The second thing I noticed is intriguing California Gold Country cultural history and picturesque descriptions of California's Shenandoah Valley, woven around a protagonist who is a strong, successful woman. She is also self-employed in a challenging non-traditional career. What's more, Gloria Damasco is recently married, physically active, and heading into menopause. Some reviews refer to Gloria as Hispanic. Others say Chicana. Either way, Gloria is a woman to admire. This book has all the features of the latest boomer lit without excess drama, which means men will also enjoy it.

Death at Solstice is an excellent story, and I look forward to reading more by Corpi. The one area that will give some readers a problem is the frequent use of Spanish. Many long passages have no translation, and that's a major interruption in the story for those who don't speak Spanish. Of course, the same is true for Spanish speakers, who may find constant translation to be intrusive. For the audience with Spanish language skills or a Hispanic heritage, the story offers familiar language and cultural behavior, along with an intriguing mystery. For those without Spanish language skills, you can still enjoy the story. It's also an entertaining way to learn more cultural history.

Texas readers may be interested to know that Arte Publico Press at the University of Houston published all five of Corpi's books. Death at Solstice is possible because of grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and the Exemplar Program, a program of Americans for the Arts in collaboration with the LarsonAllen Public Services Group, funded by the Ford Foundation. You can read more about the mission of Arte Publico Press on Facebook.

by Penny Leisch
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Lucha Corpi taught for the Oakland Public Schools Neighborhood Centers program for over thirty years. She is a poet and children's books author, as well as publishing her Gloria Damasco mysteries. She also published a mystery introducing Dora Saldana and Brown Angel Investigations called CRIMSON MOON. She has always been an activist and a trail blazer. She is celebrating forty years of writing.

Gloria Damasco runs a private investigations firm with her new husband, Justin. In DEATH AT SOLSTICE she is flying solo, trying to solve a murder in Gold Country, involving the owners of the Oro Blanco winery in Shenandoah Valley. Gloria has always suffered with a "sixth sense" involving her dreams, and this time her radar is on full tilt.

A woman in the household has been murdered, and a young woman with "saintly" ways has been kidnapped. There is also a valuable pair of earrings that have been stolen. Gloria has to connect the dots, and the urgency of her mission becomes clear as the clock ticks down and more dead bodies pile up. Her investigations uncover a dirty cop; an illegal smuggling operation; and a string of violence:

"'Marshall was already there, probably getting rid of self-incriminating evidence.'

'I suspected he was dirty. Now we can do something about it,' Finn said.

'And we have an eyewitness,' Cantero added. 'I'm going to have a talk with Thorpe as soon as I get back. We need to get protection for this young woman.'

'Will the sheriff agree to it, considering the political fallout?'"

Ms. Corpi's political activism covers a wide range of issues in this well-crafted story. Exploitation of women desperate for a better life is in the forefront. The beauty of the culture that we work so hard in this country to stamp out is another. Ms. Corpi writes with a respect for all cultures, even as she teaches us about the religion, art, and beauty of others. DEATH AT SOLSTICE is a riveting, graceful, and immensely spiritual story told through the eyes of the courageous Gloria Damasco; who is a role model for all of us. A wonderful read for summer nights!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer