Customer Reviews

Ordinary Furies

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Loved this book. Loved the beautiful little details, loved the main character and how she deals with her grief. It was just a great read in general. I'm not normally a reader of mysteries but this one held my interest from beginning to end.

First of all, I really liked the cover of the book. It invites one in with a serene yet somewhat 'eery', other-worldly scenery. You just sense mystery!
Really like the character development. And, the writer's style of giving you just enough information, then you can complete the thought.
I hope Alexis comes around again in a follow-up mystery!

Review of Ordinary Furies by Linda Morganstein
Judith Fein, reviewer


A few years ago, Linda Morganstein asked me to be a consultant with her about self-defense in relationship to a novel she was writing--Ordinary Furies. She had heard of my self-defense classes at Sonoma State University as well as my self-defense classes at the Santa Rosa Community Centers, and my books on self-defense. She explained that she was writing a mystery--the first in a series that would feature a self-defense instructor who lives in Sonoma County.

I am happy to report that the mystery, Ordinary Furies, has been released (April 2007) and is both a fun read and a well-written and plotted novel that does justice to the principles of self-defense. The publisher--Spinsters Ink--is a small press that has a long and venerable history in feminist publishing, having featured such authors as Judy Grahn, Audre Lorde, Sally Miller Gearhart, Minnie Bruce Pratt, and many more. Today, Spinsters is still committed to works that empower women, but is also growing, with expansions into more popular genres that will appeal to a larger audience. Ordinary Furies is a fine example of this new direction.

The novel features Alexis Pope, a complicated and quirky character, who is suffering an emotional meltdown after the death of her husband. She comes up to Sonoma County from the East Bay to work with her gay cousin, Jeffrey, in a new resort in Guerneville that is trying to appeal to the Bay Area trend-setters.

From the beginning, things are not right. In an increasingly vicious series of events, Alex is eventually called upon to use her self-defense knowledge.

Alex herself is an endearing character, far from perfect--strong, funny and vulnerable. In fact, one of the most appealing aspects of the book is the cast of characters, who display a range of sexualities and relational complexities that can make for an appealing series. I'm reminded of Armisted Maupin's Tales of the City and I can't wait to see which of these characters will carry over into the next books. Ordinary Furies is a well written, exciting novel.

Morganstein currently resides in Minnesota with her partner. She has been a long-time Sonoma County resident. This shows in the fine details about the area. Local residents will especially appreciate the evocation of setting and ambience. Sonoma County has always been a place ripe for a mystery series. Here it is.