Malarkey (Worldwide Library Mystery) [Paperback]

Sheila Simonson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Worldwide Library Mystery | Publication Date: May 1, 1998

Lark Dodge leaves the U.S. and heads to Ireland to keep an eye on her convalescing father and to reevaluate her crumbling marriage to Jay, an ex-cop. After her husband arrives, intent on working things out, and Lark finds the dead body of a nationalist radical, they must put aside their differences long enough to track a killer bent on causing some "Malarkey". Martin's Press.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Armchair detectives will share a seat with armchair tourists in Simonson's fifth in the series (after Meadowlark) as PacificNorthwest resident Lark Dodge and her father, a university professor, travel to Ireland. The change of scenery turns dangerous when Lark stumbles across the body of an American who was addicted to war games and recruited local high-school boys to participate. Lark learns that Slade Wheeler had been the business manager of her landlord's software company and had a local girlfriend who was pregnant. The police suspect his killer is a teenager who argued with Wheeler and is now missing, along with his father. Complicating Lark's life is the arrival of her husband, Jay, a college instructor and former cop. Since she went to Ireland to think about their relationship, she is annoyed when he turns up to protect her. But then Wheeler's nearest relative, a sister, is murdered, proving the teen innocent, and Jay is kidnapped after a newspaper article says he is helping with the investigation. Lark realizes she must act or lose her husband altogether. While Simonson's approach to Irish history and current politics is heavy-handed, her descriptions of the countryside and monuments, particularly as they relate to the old religions, lend a pleasantly spooky atmosphere to her tale.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Bookseller Lark Dodge, now living in the Pacific Northwest (Meadowlark, 1996, etc.), has arrived in Dublin to meet her history professor father, George Dailey, who's recovering from a recent stroke. She's to be his driver while he explores the byways of his Irish-Quaker roots and the two of them live in Bedrock Cottage on the Stanyon Hall estate. George has rented the cottage from his onetime student Alex Stein, who, along with wife Barbara, has developed Stonewall Enterprises, a producer of innovative CDs. Alex and Barbara have moved to Ireland for tax purposes and are renovating the estate for business and residence. They've also taken on a manager-partner--Slade Wheeler, a moneyed American ex- Army man who likes to direct war games with the local lads on the estate's extensive woodlands. But Lark and George have scarcely arrived at the cottage when Lark finds Wheeler's body in a shed, a red circle of paint on his forehead. Sergeant Joe Kennedy suspects Tommy, ne'er-do-well son of contractor Toss Tierney (both have vanished), but Wheeler wasn't too popular with the Stonewall staff, either, or with the family of his pregnant girlfriend Grace Flynn. Meanwhile, Lark's calls home have brought her ex-police detective husband Jay to the cottage, hoping to help solve a mystery soon complicated by another killing and not resolved until Jay's life hangs in the balance. Most of the interest here lies in the Irish ambiance. Murders and motives barely impinge on a touchy Lark's emotional turmoil or on accounts of local roads, pubs, foods, etc. The bit of suspense in the end is, alas, too little too late. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 299 pages
• Publisher: Worldwide Library (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373262752
• ISBN-13: 978-0373262755
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #614,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intrigue and danger stalks an American woman in Ireland, February 1, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Malarkey (Hardcover)

Lark Dodge needs a vacation to reassess her life. Her recent miscarriage has left her depressed and she has some doubts about her marriage to Jay. When her mother suggests that she accompany her father (recovering from a stroke) on a research trip to Ireland, she jumps at the opportunity to help him while having some time away for herself. When Lark arrives in Ireland, she decides to tour the estate that she and her father are staying at as guests. Lark soon stumbles upon a corpse of an American, who was the business manager of a software company. The police have two suspects, Lark's father and a missing teen, who had been seen arguing with the deceased. Upon learning about the murder, Jay, a retired police officer, flies to Ireland to protect Lark, who is absolutely irate over his arrival. When another person is killed and her spouse kidnapped, Lark realizes that she must solve the case or potentially lose someone dear to her even if it means placing her own life on the line. MALARKEY is an interesting who-done-it filled with charming characters, the exquisite Irish locale which adds an eerie sense of beauty, and its "grass is not always greener" philosophy. Though the references to modern day Irish politics seem a trifle overdone, Sheila Simonson's novel will be enjoyed by fans of the sub-genre. Harriet Klausner