An awesome first novel, Trutor and the Balloonist has it all: mystery, Victorian riddles, contemporary issues, art mirroring a most unusual life, eccentric and lovable characters, suspected and surprise villains, domestic strife, and conflicted romance. Michelle Trutor accepts the task of compiling the biography of deceased Caroline Wharton, sifting through shocking materials forbidden to the Balloonist and his family in the will, and guarded by an overly zealous attorney. Readers are invited into the sleuthing as Caroline's riddles are revealed--as if she planned the visits with Michelle's all along.
From Library Journal
Michelle Trutor thankfully leaves her violent boyfriend in Boston for a job in a small New Hampshire town writing the biography of Caroline Wharton, a literature professor who committed suicide. Wharton's heirs, forced by an eccentric bequest to live together in the Wharton home, include her two adopted brothers, lawyer Arthur (a.k.a. "The Balloonist"), and inventor Proctor, as well as their niece Roberta, a terrible cook who is suspicious of Trutor's motives in writing about her aunt. Subplots abound, including Arthur's cancer, domestic abuse, an old college cheating scandal, and art forgeries. Before Trutor can fully uncover the mysteries of Caroline's life, she must solve a series of word puzzles and decipher a mysterious map. Wesselmann has all the elements for an entertaining novel here?an interesting plot, a sprightly writing style, and quirkily endearing characters?but, despite her evident talent for telling a story, she hasn't brought them together into a satisfying whole. Look for her next work.?Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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