The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed [Hardcover]

Janice Law (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2002

Professor Jason Larson ("Lars"), a scholar of Romantic and Victorian poetry at a prestigious Connecticut university, has an unusual way of looking at the world. He sees romance and beauty in everyday life, and lives life to the fullest. He treasures every moment with his family, every sunset -- and every beautiful coed who comes his way. Young Iris Weed, a modern-day Thoreau (or so she would like to think), approaches Lars with a novel idea for an independent study: she wants to live in her truck for an entire semester, stripped of possessions and modern-day conveniences, and document her experience in a journal for possible publication. Smitten by Iris's ambition as well as her ivory skin, and literary flair move, Lars agrees to become her advisor, and everything goes swimmingly.

Until Iris is killed in a vicious attack in a parking lot.

And Lars, last seen arguing with Iris near the murder scene, is left holding the journal.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What starts out as a humdrum tale of a smug, worldly college professor and an off-the-wall student takes a sudden twist into murder and mental torture in this fine novel from the author of The Night Bus (2000). Jason "Lars" Larson, Victorian literature prof at a prestigious Connecticut university, considers his brilliant mind and easy charm an irresistible combination that makes his dalliances with female students without need of excuse. Beautiful wife Emma, well aware of his wanderings, has grown accustomed to his mood swings as his relationships come and go. Until Lars's involvement with Iris Weed, however, she'd never once doubted his love for her. Too late Lars realizes he's out of control and the uncertainty of with whom and where Iris's other interests lie becomes of burning importance. When Iris's bloody body is found in a nearby park, Lars compounds lie upon lie and is soon beyond the point of no return. The information he's withheld so long will have to remain his secret Iris's diary may help find her killer, but it can also shed light on the uglier side of one Jason Larson. While the police eye him as their prime suspect, Lars delves into his own investigation, unwittingly making himself, Emma and their daughter the target of a psychopath whose very existence is unknown to all but him. Law sucker-punches her readers with this superbly written thriller. The initially quiet narrative inexorably picks up speed and steamrolls into a riveting conclusion that will have hungry fans in line for her next serving of murder magnificent.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Two worlds collide here: innocence and experience--the first represented by a young college woman, Iris, who sleeps in the back of a truck to save on housing, and the second by a suave, skilled-in-seduction male professor of nineteenth-century English literature. This psychological thriller veers between the woman's diary, which the professor lusts after as a way of knowing and controlling her, and a more straightforward narrative following the married professor, as his arrogance turns to doubt, then turns to horror. "How did I come to this?" is the question the professor asks himself once he knows he's become too deeply entangled with the student. That question reverberates when Iris is murdered after a public argument with the professor, leaving him in possession of the last volume of her diary but making him the chief suspect in the murder investigation. Sly send-ups of contemporary academic politics in a cunningly paced morality play. Searing. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076530273X
• ISBN-13: 978-0765302731
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,000,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Psychological mystery at its best, January 2, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed (Hardcover)

At a highly regarded Connecticut university, Professor Jason "Lars" Larson teaches literature. Because of his antics in the classroom, students enjoy Lars' classes and anyone fortunate to attend his seminars is considered lucky. Some of the prettier females go so far as to share a bit more than just his professional time. Because she believes he loves her, Lars' spouse Emma quietly accepts his trysts and the emotional ups and downs of his extracurricular activities.

However, Emma begins having doubts about Lars feelings when Iris Weed becomes his latest student involvement though she rejects his advances. Iris has obtained Lars' permission to write a journal about living in a truck with no other modern convenience. However, Lars feels like a moth to Iris' flame as her élan pull him into her sphere. When someone murders Iris, Lars hides her diary from the police. Though it can help capture her murderer, it provides insight into the darker elements of the charming Lit Professor that Lars prefers buried for now even if the police feel he committed homicide.

If you have not read a Janice Law novel, you are missing out on one of the better writers of psychological mystery on the market today. The story line allows the audience to get inside the heads of the key cast members so that each individual is quite understandable on how they behave following the homicide. This deep character development enables the powerful plot to gain incredible speed and suspense until the tale is finished. THE LOST DIARIES OF IRIS WEED is another triumph from a strong author.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great new thriller with a masterful twist for an ending, December 27, 2001

By 

J. H. Trecker (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed (Hardcover)

Janice Law's latest thriller is perhaps her most accomplished to date. As a longtime fan of her Anna Peters series I was prepared for a fast-paced thrill-ride; what I wasn't prepared for is Ms. Law's newfound depth of characterization. Her "hero," Lars, is charmingly odious; and the namesake of the novel isn't entirely what she appears to be. I don't want to give away the central plot twist, but readers who devote 20 pages to this book are in for a nasty shock -- and just wait until the ending. This one would make a great movie.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Spooky, Psychological Suspense Novel, March 18, 2005

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed (Hardcover)

If you're looking to read a spooky, psychological suspense novel, look no further than "The Lost Diaries Of Iris Weed." Janice Law has written a thriller with this unusual book. Although not action-packed, (slow at times), it is riveting in its own way, and gathers lots of speed before it reaches a stunning conclusion. Her complex characters, their development and quirkiness, are a treat to read about.

Professor Jason (Lars) Larson is a charismatic scholar of Romantic and Victorian literature at an upscale Connecticut university. To say he is frivolous is to put it mildly. I, personally, would evaluate him as terminally narcissistic. He adores teaching and is as romantic as the subject he specializes in. Occasionally, he also finds himself adoring one of the inevitable female students who swoon over him. He believes he does no harm with his infidelities. He is sophisticated, he thinks, like the Europeans. "Flirtation, romance, discreet affairs; these were his metier, his gift." There is no doubt that Lars cherishes his family - his wife, the beautiful and understanding Emma, and precocious Cookie, his daughter, now on the cusp of adolescence. Unfortunately, Emma aids and abets him in his extra-curricular activities by indulging him more than he deserves, and remaining silent. Although he is discreet, he does have quite a reputation around campus. Students line up in droves to take his creative, dynamic classes. Particularly sought after are the few spots he has allotted each semester for independent study.

The whimsical, eccentric Iris Weed enters Larson's life and the impact she is to have on him and his family will last forever. Iris is an attractive young woman, though quite complex, with an extraordinary gift for writing and a particular penchant for Blake, Byron and Shelly. Her talent is truly unusual. Lars recognizes this almost immediately and offers to supervise her in independent study. Iris is living in a truck for the semester - sleeping in the back, without running water or other modern conveniences. Fortunately she has a swimming class in the morning, which she has specifically taken to use the showers. Iris thinks of herself as a modern day Thoreau and is keeping diaries to document her experience for her senior project. Lars finds himself falling for Iris, even obsessing about her, a new experience for him.

When Iris is brutally murdered in a parking lot, near her truck, Professor Jason Larson is thrust into the middle of a criminal investigation. He becomes prime suspect numero uno when the police discover his intense interest in the victim. To make matters worse, Lars had been seen arguing with Iris near the murder scene just before the crime was committed. His heretofore successful life spirals out of control as he himself loses control. He makes frantic efforts to cover up any potentially damaging evidence that would link him to his former student. This time, however, he is not able to use his charm to make things better.

Although Larson is not the most likeable of fictional characters, the author ultimately treats him with sympathy and manages to win over her readers - at least she won me over. Her use of satire is very effective when depicting the smug world of academia. Ms. Lawson dramatically weaves her narrative along with Iris' diary entries to provide a thrilling read.
JANA