4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A masterful tale that transcend genre, August 17, 1997
By A Customer
Ex police officer turned private investigator and owner of a cleaning
service, Callahan Garrity, is watching her Atlanta neighborhood
dramatically change. Historically, Candler Park has been a working class
neighborhood, but recently Yuppies have discovered it, driving prices up
and ousting long term residents. One individual feeling the change is local
toy store owner Wuvvy, whose shop is being closed to make room for a Yuppie
establishment. Wuvvy feels betrayed by a relative. So when that individual
is found dead, Wuvvy becomes the prime suspect.
Wuvvy asks Callahan to help prove her innocence. However, before the
private investigator can begin, Wuvvy's past is announced on the news. She
once served ten years for murdering her wealthy spouse. Not long after
that, Wuvvy's body is found, an apparent suicide victim. Callahan thinks
otherwise and decides to vindicate her client, posthumously even at the
cost of her own life.
This sixth installment in the Callahan Garrity series is Kathy Hogan
Trochek's best work to date because the novel transcends genre stereotyping
with its literary appeal, reminiscent of the early works of Sharyn McCrumb.
The gentrification of a working class neighborhood and the impact on its
long time residents is carefully examined as an overlooked social problem.
This adds to the charm of the book. There are no simple solutions in
STRANGE BREW. Instead it is a thought provoking piece of entertainment.
Harriet Klausner
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, But Not Great, December 9, 2002
By A Customer
I have to give this book only 4 stars for several reasons. The first is that the beginning is rather tedious until Callahan finds the body of one Jordan Poole, the guy who was going to put a senior citizen hippy, Wuvvy, out of business by turning her adult toy store, YoYos, into a microbrewery called Blind Possum. The book starts out with threatening weather that quickly and viciously turns into a tornado. And Callahan, with her annoying habit of finding dead bodies, goes after her boyfriend's, Mac McAuliffe's, dog, Rufus. So there goes Callahan, running with a flashlight, through the driving rain and hellacious thunderstorm on her way to find Rufus. She finds herself at YoYos, which is right beside her pal's, Hap's, bar, The Yacht Club. The door to YoYos is open, so she goes in and finds Jordan Poole's body.
And that's all you're gettin'!
But I will tell you this: This adventure featuring cleaning whiz Callahan Garrity, ex-cop, sometimes P.I., is a romp that will leave you laughing, possibly crying. But, be forewarned, this does start out a little slow. What the hell am I talking about, it takes about 100 pages to get interesting, but like she always does, Kathy Hogan Trocheck with explain, in the end, why she put us through the boring stuff in the beginning. 'Cause it just might help Callahan save her life.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read, November 12, 2000
This author can be relied upon to present wonderful characterisations and excellent plotting. She has succeeded again with this installment in the Callaghan Garrity series. The storyline revolves around the inhabitants of the down and out area of Atlanta near where Callaghan and her mother live. The author depicts the struggle and horror of the lives of these people in a poignant sub-plot. The major plot involves a twenty year old murder and its modern-day consequences. This is something that of course has been done before but this author carries it off with her usual high skill and humour.
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