Customer Reviews

Sub Rosa (An Egidio Manfredi Mystery)

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I read this book and, in hindsight, I still am not sure why I bothered to finish it. From the first chapter it is silly, full of way too many coincidences to be realistic, and contains characters that I am not encouraged to care about. I should have quit earlier, but I kept reading, assuming that something more interesting or mysterious would eventually happen. Nothing ever did.

This "mystery" begins with more than the usual tangle of coincidences. A female serial killer who is also a bestselling author witnesses the abandonment of an Alzheimer victim. She is being interviewed by a reporter who is the boyfriend of the victim's granddaughter. Oh, did I mention the winning lottery ticket? Nor is there any mystery, as the reader always knows who is guilty. There's a limited amount of suspense as to whether, how, and by whom the perp(s) will be brought to justice. And it's far from a typical "cozy". There are a few of the philosophical tidbits one expects from this author, but really, where's Father Dowling when you need him?

Rosa Subiaco is a world-famous romance/glitz author with the nasty habit of kidnapping lovers and then disposing of them--sometimes permanently. When Rosa sees a woman dropping off a man, she acts impulsively to pick him up, only to learn that 'Grandpa' has Alzheimer's disease and is too old and incapable for romance. Rosa decides to get her revenge on Edna, the woman who abandoned 'Grandpa' and to see what happens from there.

By the time homicide detective Egidio Manfredi is called in, the case has spiraled from a missing person to kidnapping and murder. Lucy, the old man's loving granddaughter, is buffeted by one loss after another. Yet Manfredi knows that the killer won't hesitate to kill again if she feels threatened.

Author Ralph McInerny has created a clever tale of disfunction, misplaced revenge, and an author to whom reality is a somewhat distant concept. SUB ROSA is a quick and enjoyable read--sort of a guilty pleasure. The novel does have its flaws--putting a winning lottery ticket in the old man's pocket makes the whole story less believable without adding much to the story. Also, I was surprised by the loose ends left at the end of the short novel. Does Alex get the girl? Where is Nick? McInerny's quirky characters make up for these lacks.