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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Amanda Cross in poor form, April 22, 2003
I hadn't read an Amanda Cross mystery in years, but I remember being fond of her feminist academic Kate Fansler, so I gave this one a try. I'm sad to say that this one is way off form. The plot is contrived in order to conform to a group of Shakespearean quotations - a conceit that has been far better by other writers - and although it is somewhat convoluted even I, who am generally not one to figure things out before the author explains, was able to see what was coming a mile away. Further, I have to say that the character development was wooden, the mechanism of the plot was creaky, the dialog stilted. I did enjoy some of the academic overtones, but that probably isn't enough to give this one a recommendation. Scott Morrison
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Previous books better, still enjoyable, July 15, 2003
When I came across the Kate Fansler mystery series a decade or so ago, I fell in love with them. The heroine was-still is-as dry as a martini, sophisticated, intelligent,aristocratic and independent. In many ways, she is a version of Katherine Hepburn. However, in the past few years, the series has faltered. In part, I believe this is because Cross has kept her heroine contemporary (based on the original books she should be in her 70's or 80's but she is still in her 50s). The Edge of Doom is an enjoyable, if not the most enjoyable, addition to the series. Fansler finds out that she has a long lost father who has a shady past and present. Part of the book's mystery lies in unlocking that past and present-and dodging all sorts of evildoers out to get her-and part of the mystery lies in her unlocking her own family's past. As always, Cross's depiction of sophisticated Manhattan life adds plenty of favor to the book. I would recommend this book to die hard Amanda Cross junkies and to individuals who like books with dry and wry heroines. (Though if you've never read Cross, start with the earlier ones.) I wouldn't recommend this book to individuals who have been lukewarm on Cross in the past (this book won't change your mind) or who need action packed, adventure filled mysteries.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
well written but emotionally flat, November 20, 2002
Literature Professor Kate Fansler thinks that, at 50, she knows everything she needs to know about her family. When her brother calls and tells her that a man claims to be her father and can prove it by a DNA test, Kate's world is turned on its head. Jay Smith may be Kate's father, but he clearly holds several more secrets close to his heart. His background seems to have holes in it--and his stories are a little too convenient and self-serving for Kate's peace of mind. Author Amanda Cross (Carolyn G. Heilbrun) writes with an approachable style that keeps the pages turning. I found myself, however, more and more unsympathetic toward Kate. Her attitude toward her family--disinterest and contempt, might be appropriate and justified, but this wasn't clear from the book. Kate's reaction toward her late life discovery that she might not be the person she always thought she was seems mediated by literature rather than honestly felt (okay, Kate is a Literature Professor so this is not totally out of line, but still, I never really felt the emotional impact of such an important event).
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