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A Karen Pelletier Mystery #1
Quieter than Sleep
Karen Pelletier abandoned her life in New York for a professorship at Massachusetts's elite Enfield College. But she quickly learns that New England is not the peaceful enclave she had imagined--and that not even the privileged world of academia is immune to murder....
Professor Karen Pelletier's prime literary passion is poet Emily Dickinson--a passion she shares with her hotshot colleague Randy Astin-Berger. Heir apparent to the head of Enfield's English department, the pompous Randy is the campus Casanova. That is, he was--until he was found strangled with his own flashy necktie.
The last person to see Randy alive--and the first to find him dead--Karen knows she must solve the case before she becomes the prime suspect. But to do that, she must first discover the truth behind Randy's final Dickinsonian discovery--a literary bombshell that may well have been to die for....
Professor Karen Pelletier's prime literary passion is poet Emily Dickinson--a passion she shares with her hotshot colleague Randy Astin-Berger. Heir apparent to the head of Enfield's English department, the pompous Randy is the campus Casanova. That is, he was--until he was found strangled with his own flashy necktie.
The last person to see Randy alive--and the first to find him dead--Karen knows she must solve the case before she becomes the prime suspect. But to do that, she must first discover the truth behind Randy's final Dickinsonian discovery--a literary bombshell that may well have been to die for....
306 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
5 people are currently reading
545 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Dobson
20 books73 followersAt midlife, after two decades as an English professor and literary scholar, Joanne Dobson surprised herself (and her colleagues) by writing a mystery novel set at a small, elite, New England college where the curriculum seemed to offer a major in murder. Joanne was even more surprised when QUIETER THAN SLEEP (1997) was published by Doubleday. QUIETER was the first of the six Professor Karen Pelletier academic mystery novels, and the sheer pleasure of writing mysteries lured Joanne's feet from the straight path of tenured professorship to the slippery slope of 21st-century fiction writing.
And now comes an unexpected new surprise, THE KASHMIRI SHAWL (2014). An historical novel set in an India in violent rebellion (1857) and an America on the verge of Civil War (1860). An epic journey from the sultry climes of nineteenth-century India to the cosmopolitan chaos of New York City on the eve of Civil War, and then back again to India in quest of a kidnapped daughter and a lost, forbidden, love.
Joanne taught for many years at Fordham University, Amherst College, and Tufts University. Currently she teaches at the Hudson Valley Writers Center.
And now comes an unexpected new surprise, THE KASHMIRI SHAWL (2014). An historical novel set in an India in violent rebellion (1857) and an America on the verge of Civil War (1860). An epic journey from the sultry climes of nineteenth-century India to the cosmopolitan chaos of New York City on the eve of Civil War, and then back again to India in quest of a kidnapped daughter and a lost, forbidden, love.
Joanne taught for many years at Fordham University, Amherst College, and Tufts University. Currently she teaches at the Hudson Valley Writers Center.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 17, 2020
Couldn't get into this book
June 20, 2015
Absolutely the best mystery in an academic setting that I have ever read. I realized quite early on “whodunit” and why, but that interfered not a whit in my pleasure in the reading.
The what: Karen Pelletier is an untenured professor in the English Department at a fictional private college in New England. The action opens at a dire faculty holiday party (aren’t they all? talk about artificial communities). Things move briskly, and by the end of the party she’s (literally) in the arms of a corpse. Enter the police detectives, the appealing-but-suspicious characters, the merely suspicious characters, the red herrings, and so on. Tension builds, the protagonist heroically endures shock after shock, her confidence erodes and she begins to doubt herself, she’s called upon to summon unusual courage—all the elements that drive an enjoyable mystery plot are there.
What’s so special? The social and physical world of a small college is observed in a convincing way, and the interactions with colleagues, students, and townies all ring true. The story is told in the first person, which is challenging to do well, but from the start Dr. Pelletier was a believable and consistent voice in my head. She might find a few too many of the male characters disturbingly attractive for my taste, but her mixed feelings about them do lend more uncertainty to the story. What I loved most of all was the language. The tone is matter-of-fact and draws on the muscularity of noir without any of that genre’s callow excesses and melodrama—how long have I waited to see noir grow up already! When (a few of) the characters indulge in (the occasional) flight of poeticism, it’s rare enough and well-situated enough that you really believe it. The characters felt real and fully motivated to me.
Favorite moment: Early on, Dr. Pelletier is sitting at a meal enumerating the problems, dilemmas, and generally evil events that have come her way in the preceding day or so. At the end of the daunting list, she says matter-of-factly to herself, “It was a plateful, and none of it tasted good.” Pithy and deft.
And now I have to go off and buy the whole series!
The what: Karen Pelletier is an untenured professor in the English Department at a fictional private college in New England. The action opens at a dire faculty holiday party (aren’t they all? talk about artificial communities). Things move briskly, and by the end of the party she’s (literally) in the arms of a corpse. Enter the police detectives, the appealing-but-suspicious characters, the merely suspicious characters, the red herrings, and so on. Tension builds, the protagonist heroically endures shock after shock, her confidence erodes and she begins to doubt herself, she’s called upon to summon unusual courage—all the elements that drive an enjoyable mystery plot are there.
What’s so special? The social and physical world of a small college is observed in a convincing way, and the interactions with colleagues, students, and townies all ring true. The story is told in the first person, which is challenging to do well, but from the start Dr. Pelletier was a believable and consistent voice in my head. She might find a few too many of the male characters disturbingly attractive for my taste, but her mixed feelings about them do lend more uncertainty to the story. What I loved most of all was the language. The tone is matter-of-fact and draws on the muscularity of noir without any of that genre’s callow excesses and melodrama—how long have I waited to see noir grow up already! When (a few of) the characters indulge in (the occasional) flight of poeticism, it’s rare enough and well-situated enough that you really believe it. The characters felt real and fully motivated to me.
Favorite moment: Early on, Dr. Pelletier is sitting at a meal enumerating the problems, dilemmas, and generally evil events that have come her way in the preceding day or so. At the end of the daunting list, she says matter-of-factly to herself, “It was a plateful, and none of it tasted good.” Pithy and deft.
And now I have to go off and buy the whole series!
November 16, 2015
Dobson's well-imagined academic mystery absolutely "gets" the atmosphere of a small prestigious New England college ... and since she'd an expert herself on Emily Dickinson, it's no surprise that she includes fascinating details about Dickinson's life and work. Loved it!
December 13, 2010
English professor Karen Pelletier becomes involved in a murder investigation when a colleague (whose unwelcome attentions she had very recently been desperate to avoid) is murdered at a college party. She has the unpleasant experience of finding the body, not to mention being considered a suspect. When the first murder is followed by another only a few days later, it is impossible to avoid the realization that someone in Karen's circle of acquaintances is a murderer. If the murder is related to academic matters, as appears to be likely, Karen may be in a unique position to "help the police with their inquiries".
Dobson creates several interesting and believable characters, starting with her narrator. Karen is in some ways both an insider AND an outsider at Enfield. She loves her job, but doesn't take it or the place for granted (and isn't sure she totally fits in). "A fairy tale come true. Who would have believed it? Karen Pelletier (that's PELL-uh-teer, the New England pronunciation, not the more elegant French) from Lowell, Massachusetts. Pregnant and married at eighteen. A mother at nineteen. Divorced and destitute at twenty-one. And now—a professor at Enfield College."
During the course of the investigation, she gets to know the somewhat enigmatic Lieutenant Piotrowski, fights an attraction to an unsuitable man, and befriends a young woman, one of her students, who is in a very bad situation. -And- investigates a murder. The mystery kept my interest and I enjoyed the academic setting and the literary research that occupied Karen. My only complaint, if I have to have one, is that some of the characters and relationships are drawn with such a subtle hand that I feel the need for a few more books to expand on and clarify them. I want to know more about Piotrowski and about Karen's early life and relationship with the lover she left behind for the position at Enfield. Still, I recommend QUIETER THAN SLEEP to readers who enjoy a thoughtful mystery with very human characters.
Dobson creates several interesting and believable characters, starting with her narrator. Karen is in some ways both an insider AND an outsider at Enfield. She loves her job, but doesn't take it or the place for granted (and isn't sure she totally fits in). "A fairy tale come true. Who would have believed it? Karen Pelletier (that's PELL-uh-teer, the New England pronunciation, not the more elegant French) from Lowell, Massachusetts. Pregnant and married at eighteen. A mother at nineteen. Divorced and destitute at twenty-one. And now—a professor at Enfield College."
During the course of the investigation, she gets to know the somewhat enigmatic Lieutenant Piotrowski, fights an attraction to an unsuitable man, and befriends a young woman, one of her students, who is in a very bad situation. -And- investigates a murder. The mystery kept my interest and I enjoyed the academic setting and the literary research that occupied Karen. My only complaint, if I have to have one, is that some of the characters and relationships are drawn with such a subtle hand that I feel the need for a few more books to expand on and clarify them. I want to know more about Piotrowski and about Karen's early life and relationship with the lover she left behind for the position at Enfield. Still, I recommend QUIETER THAN SLEEP to readers who enjoy a thoughtful mystery with very human characters.
July 24, 2024
"Karen Pelletier abandoned her life in New York for a professorship at Massachusetts's elite Enfield College. But she quickly learns that New England is not the peaceful enclave she had imagined -- and that not even the privileged world of academia is immune to murder.
"Professor Karen Pelletier's prime literary passion is poet Emily Dickinson -- a passion she shares with her hotshot colleague Randy Astin-Berger. Heir apparent to the head of Enfield's English Department, the pompous Randy is the campus Casanova. That is, he was -- until he was found strangled with his own flashy necktie. The last person to see Randy alive -- and the first to find him dead -- Karen knows she must solve the case before she becomes the prime suspect. But to do that, she must first discover the truth behind Randy's final Dickinsonian discovery -- a literary bombshell that may well have been to die for ..."
~~back cover
I was amazed to find I was really enjoying this book. Ordinarily I'd rather read English cozies, set in England and bloodless. But this mystery was so skillfully done that I couldn't help adding it to my favorites.
For one thing, it's not formulaic, and Professor Pelletier doesn't decide she can out think the police and attempt to solve the mystery herself. Instead, she finds herself pulled into "assisting the police" by the detective on the case, who also seems to be very attracted to her ... or is he?
Karen is also a very likeable, realistic human being -- beset by worries and doubts. She's a single mother of a remarkable young woman, who's pulled herself up by her bootstraps by grit, determination and a lot of hard work. She doesn't take herself too seriously either. Very realistic and chilling subplots just add spice to the mix.
I can't wait to read the second book in the series, to see what happens to Karen's love life, and to see if the writing continues at a very professional level.
"Professor Karen Pelletier's prime literary passion is poet Emily Dickinson -- a passion she shares with her hotshot colleague Randy Astin-Berger. Heir apparent to the head of Enfield's English Department, the pompous Randy is the campus Casanova. That is, he was -- until he was found strangled with his own flashy necktie. The last person to see Randy alive -- and the first to find him dead -- Karen knows she must solve the case before she becomes the prime suspect. But to do that, she must first discover the truth behind Randy's final Dickinsonian discovery -- a literary bombshell that may well have been to die for ..."
~~back cover
I was amazed to find I was really enjoying this book. Ordinarily I'd rather read English cozies, set in England and bloodless. But this mystery was so skillfully done that I couldn't help adding it to my favorites.
For one thing, it's not formulaic, and Professor Pelletier doesn't decide she can out think the police and attempt to solve the mystery herself. Instead, she finds herself pulled into "assisting the police" by the detective on the case, who also seems to be very attracted to her ... or is he?
Karen is also a very likeable, realistic human being -- beset by worries and doubts. She's a single mother of a remarkable young woman, who's pulled herself up by her bootstraps by grit, determination and a lot of hard work. She doesn't take herself too seriously either. Very realistic and chilling subplots just add spice to the mix.
I can't wait to read the second book in the series, to see what happens to Karen's love life, and to see if the writing continues at a very professional level.
December 25, 2010
This is a cute cozy mystery, and I'm a sucker for literary mysteries, so of course I had to pick it up. One thing that I do have to point out is the fact that reading this made me think of a 90's TV show. The description of the clothing really brought that to mind. I like the perspective that the main character adds to the story, because she's like an outsider looking in. She works on an Ivy League school campus, but she comes from a scholarship background and she brings that toughness with her into the story. I liked the mystery and the character development, but I do have to say that I found the main character a little annoying at times (maybe a little too whiny). Other than that, a good mystery to read on a cold and rainy day.
March 22, 2009
This book was fun--I enjoyed Dr. Karen Pelletier and the mystery. Only thing is, if I'd known that one could meet so many hot guys by going into academe, I'd have made a different career choice. Funny, I never noticed them all as a student....
August 2, 2009
A well thought out academic mystery by a true scholar herself. Dobson uses her wealth of knowledge of Dickinson and her obvious close study of mystery novels to create an enjoyable addition to the odd little genre of academic mysteries.
Read
July 25, 2011Karen Pelletier is a great character, newly arrived English faculty at Enfield College with a penchant for solving mysteries. She uses her academic skills in fine fashion to understand who killed both the hated colleague and annoying undergraduate.
November 13, 2010
This was an easy read and I enjoyed it. However, it was somewhat easy to figure out halfway through reading it. A definite read for those who need something easy and quick.
August 28, 2012
A few 50-cent words thrown into tiresome dialogue, flagrantly obvious red-herrings, along with a very transparent conclusion made this a disappointing read.
June 27, 2021
3.25. Great choice for binging through the mild reaction to my 2nd Pfizer vaccination received yesterday!
December 6, 2019
Delightful story centered in academia of a small prestigious Northeast college, Enfield, MA, in which the politics of the college figure prominently, as does the issue of tenure and getting published. Karen Pelletier, a professor of 19th century American Literature specializing in Emily Dickinson, has been at the college for a year, her dream of getting a solid position, leaving her six-year relationship with a Boston cop. A colleague, Randy Astin-Berger is slimy, having had multiple relationships abandoning the women callously, and also with students. One such student, Sophia Warzek is devastated, attempts suicide, and her father comes after Karen misunderstanding her concern. When Randy is killed and then another student also is murdered, Karen is enlisted by the state police, specifically Lt. C. Piotrowski, to look into the possible motives creative by academic jeolousy or a hidden letter or document of importance.
There are many suspects that complicate the investigation, and Karen is nearly killed. As the first of the series it was well-plotted with sympathetic and fascinating characters and relationships. I enjoyed the references and quotes of Dickinson's poems. I look forward to reading the next installment.
There are many suspects that complicate the investigation, and Karen is nearly killed. As the first of the series it was well-plotted with sympathetic and fascinating characters and relationships. I enjoyed the references and quotes of Dickinson's poems. I look forward to reading the next installment.
December 15, 2021
I actually found this book at a small bookshop. I have never read any of her books before and this one sounded interesting. It is basically about a Professor at a College who is at a party with the other professors of her group and she is trying to stay clear of one person who really likes her but she does not return the feeling. Later that evening when she goes to open a door he basically falls on top of her. They found out that he has been murdered and she is the no 1 suspect. So basically she needs to clear her name and before long a student has also been murdered. I had a suspect in mind when I was reading and I was correct but do not want to give it away.
July 23, 2018
I loved this book - Karen Pellitier, PHD is a great character and the setting in a small elite college draws in a variety of very bright colleagues who don't always use their smarts. From the time Karen opens the closet door and finds a dead professor she is involved in a variety of incidents evolving from the professor's death. She is drawn in as a consultant to the police and finds herself unexpectedly in dangerous situations.
The relationships in the story seem real as do their circumstances and the descriptions of how they react to various situations.
The relationships in the story seem real as do their circumstances and the descriptions of how they react to various situations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2020
Not bad for the first book in a series. Good characters, decent story line, hard-to-guess killer. I'm not sure I would characterize it as a "Modern Mystery of Emily Dickinson" as the cover does (which is what drew me to it in the first place), since she doesn't play much of a part until the end, but since the protagonist is a Dickinson scholar, I'll allow it. A light, enjoyable read, which is just what I was looking for.
January 31, 2019
I really really really like this book. I feel like I learned a lot about aquarium books and authors. I even ordered the next book which is called the Northbury papers.Turns out this author was a professor of English at Fordham University.
October 8, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed & will read more.
March 9, 2020
Amherst-like college, Emily Dickenson central to plot. Decent first effort.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2020
Terrific book. Smart, articulate, and absorbing.
March 15, 2021
Fast paced. Enjoyed the Eastern college atmosphere. I hope storylines stay independent, strong women
December 8, 2022
Worst scene in the book: the final confrontation with the murder
January 9, 2023
Very engaging. I read this book in one sitting. Great characters.
February 2, 2024
I enjoyed this book and want to continue the series.
September 25, 2024
At times, closer to 4 stars. Not always well edited so scenes don't flow. But the plot is interesting and it's fun to watch it unfold.
August 23, 2024
What did I like about this reading?
Well, we have the narrator Karen Pelletier, stating that she is from Lowell, Massachusetts, and that she was pregnant at eighteen, a mother at nineteen, divorced at twenty-one; and now a professor at Enfield College. It has not been easy; night school, waitressing, scholarship, loans, teaching fellowship, raising a daughter who is now eighteen years old and is a pain in the ass.
Having taught for two years as an assistant professor at a New York City education factory, Karen was recruited by Enfield based on her forthcoming book on class and classical American writers.
We have a dead body hidden in the coat closet; Karen was trying to retrieve her coat in the closet that would not open at first but when she grabbed it with both hands and gave a good tug, the door opened only to have the body of Randy Astin-Berger fall into her arms; he had been strangled with his necktie. Since it was Karen who found the body, the police insisted that she not leave as she is now the prime suspect. Did she kill Randy…well read on to find out…it truly is a “Silent Night” for Randy at this Christmas party.
I like that academia has its incestuous community from the President right down to the staff. This reading reads like a day in the life of academia.—so far so good, I am thinking as I read on. Having said that about the academic world; I have stumbled onto this conversation which ties it up nicely:
Karen and Avery (the college president) were having this little tête-à-tête to try and figure out what is going on; as now, there’s been the death of a student; not just the murder of a college professor so the president insists on getting some thoughts from Dr. Pelletier on what to do…since the college is on Christmas break they must try to do some damage control of the sort.
Karen is thinking out loud; she wonders how many ‘smells’ murder must have. Rudimentary motives, the likes of anger, envy, and greed…to name a few and within the college environment there’s self-advancement, self-aggrandizement, pride, shame, and the like. Avery is quick to point out with mock professional sagacity as he laughs softly saying: With all those possibilities, it’s a wonder anyone at Enfield College is still alive. Anger, envy, vanity, greed, lust, sloth, gluttony,” as he ticked them off on his fingers. “This place is a hotbed.” It would seem possible that those they associated with daily, nodded to in the hall, or sat next to in committee meetings were so alienated from the implicit contracts of the human community that he or she could choke the life of a fellow being.
Academia is not detached at all in this reading; these professors are all hot one for the other; they have no qualms or shame to hit one another---they are a flirtatious grouping.
----
With Karen having both modern eyes and nineteenth-century eyes she can paint a better picture which solves what had been happening with the poet Dickinson and what that dead professor had uncovered at the research library which got him killed and another student he’d blabbed to…so perhaps, Quieter Than Sleep is what is lurking beneath it all for academia; the realm these professors exist in; their research which leads to tenure or not as that would destroy them if they can’t get tenured like in the case of Ned who cried and cried in front of others.
Well, we have the narrator Karen Pelletier, stating that she is from Lowell, Massachusetts, and that she was pregnant at eighteen, a mother at nineteen, divorced at twenty-one; and now a professor at Enfield College. It has not been easy; night school, waitressing, scholarship, loans, teaching fellowship, raising a daughter who is now eighteen years old and is a pain in the ass.
Having taught for two years as an assistant professor at a New York City education factory, Karen was recruited by Enfield based on her forthcoming book on class and classical American writers.
We have a dead body hidden in the coat closet; Karen was trying to retrieve her coat in the closet that would not open at first but when she grabbed it with both hands and gave a good tug, the door opened only to have the body of Randy Astin-Berger fall into her arms; he had been strangled with his necktie. Since it was Karen who found the body, the police insisted that she not leave as she is now the prime suspect. Did she kill Randy…well read on to find out…it truly is a “Silent Night” for Randy at this Christmas party.
I like that academia has its incestuous community from the President right down to the staff. This reading reads like a day in the life of academia.—so far so good, I am thinking as I read on. Having said that about the academic world; I have stumbled onto this conversation which ties it up nicely:
Karen and Avery (the college president) were having this little tête-à-tête to try and figure out what is going on; as now, there’s been the death of a student; not just the murder of a college professor so the president insists on getting some thoughts from Dr. Pelletier on what to do…since the college is on Christmas break they must try to do some damage control of the sort.
Karen is thinking out loud; she wonders how many ‘smells’ murder must have. Rudimentary motives, the likes of anger, envy, and greed…to name a few and within the college environment there’s self-advancement, self-aggrandizement, pride, shame, and the like. Avery is quick to point out with mock professional sagacity as he laughs softly saying: With all those possibilities, it’s a wonder anyone at Enfield College is still alive. Anger, envy, vanity, greed, lust, sloth, gluttony,” as he ticked them off on his fingers. “This place is a hotbed.” It would seem possible that those they associated with daily, nodded to in the hall, or sat next to in committee meetings were so alienated from the implicit contracts of the human community that he or she could choke the life of a fellow being.
Academia is not detached at all in this reading; these professors are all hot one for the other; they have no qualms or shame to hit one another---they are a flirtatious grouping.
----
With Karen having both modern eyes and nineteenth-century eyes she can paint a better picture which solves what had been happening with the poet Dickinson and what that dead professor had uncovered at the research library which got him killed and another student he’d blabbed to…so perhaps, Quieter Than Sleep is what is lurking beneath it all for academia; the realm these professors exist in; their research which leads to tenure or not as that would destroy them if they can’t get tenured like in the case of Ned who cried and cried in front of others.
January 22, 2014
I enjoyed this mystery, though the ending featured one of my bugbears, the unnecessary shoot-out. This is the first in a series of books featuring Doctor Karen Pelletier, an English Literature professor specializing in 18th century writers, in particular Emily Dickinson, at a fictional New England university called Enfield. She has an interesting back story, having been brought up in the working class, married straight out of high school, and only come to academia later in life. She now seems to be on the track to tenure, apparently the goal of all in these settings.
The book starts quickly, with an unloved professor, one Randy Astin-Berger, falling dead out of a closet into the arms of Karen, who was also one of the last people to speak with the dead man. Karen’s involvement grows when two of her most assiduous students fail turn in a paper; one turns up dead and the second has attempted suicide. This makes Karen a person of interest, at least for a while. But the police decide rather that Karen, having been close to victims, may herself now be in danger, especially as she has now been recruited by the police to help understand a possible academic motive for the murders. Many potential suspects appear, from the President of the college through colleagues thwarted in their pursuit of tenure to raging parents.
The book has a number of sub-plots as well as the murders, with Karen’s daughter and ex-lover making appearances. And we can also follow Karen’s love life, which may or may not feature the chief investigator of this story or maybe the college president in the future.
As I said above, the book effectively concludes with a shoot-out, thus depriving Karen and the police (and the reader) of deducing the killer, who appears with murderous intent towards the end of the book, brandishing an academic document which is the motive for the killings (only in academia!). Were I editing, I would have allowed Karen to find the document and thus identify the killer, but that’s just me.
The book is sub-titled “A modern mystery of Emily Dickinson”, but honestly I felt that the poet made only a small appearance.
The book starts quickly, with an unloved professor, one Randy Astin-Berger, falling dead out of a closet into the arms of Karen, who was also one of the last people to speak with the dead man. Karen’s involvement grows when two of her most assiduous students fail turn in a paper; one turns up dead and the second has attempted suicide. This makes Karen a person of interest, at least for a while. But the police decide rather that Karen, having been close to victims, may herself now be in danger, especially as she has now been recruited by the police to help understand a possible academic motive for the murders. Many potential suspects appear, from the President of the college through colleagues thwarted in their pursuit of tenure to raging parents.
The book has a number of sub-plots as well as the murders, with Karen’s daughter and ex-lover making appearances. And we can also follow Karen’s love life, which may or may not feature the chief investigator of this story or maybe the college president in the future.
As I said above, the book effectively concludes with a shoot-out, thus depriving Karen and the police (and the reader) of deducing the killer, who appears with murderous intent towards the end of the book, brandishing an academic document which is the motive for the killings (only in academia!). Were I editing, I would have allowed Karen to find the document and thus identify the killer, but that’s just me.
The book is sub-titled “A modern mystery of Emily Dickinson”, but honestly I felt that the poet made only a small appearance.
February 3, 2013
Can you call something a subgenre if you can only think of two exemplars, so far?* I feel like there may be more I am not calling to mind. Anyway, this is the first entry in a series about a Professor of English, Karen Pelletier, who has just been hired at a small fictional private liberal arts college near Boston. Dobson began the series in the 1990s, and I first read the books when I myself was in grad school, so the setting resonated anyway, in an immediate sense. The murder victim in this book, for instance, was an English professor of the latest, trendiest post-structuralist kind, and our English department had just such a professor, an expert in Foucault who monotonously wore black turtlenecks, and who lost his job and all prospects of tenure because he was caught tom peeping outside a sorority, I kid you not.
The literary details (American 19th century literature, Henry Ward Beecher and Emily Dickinson, among others) are great, and the setting... well, I find academia enormously cozy. Reading Dobson's mysteries are like visiting an alternate career path, for me. Good characters, good setting, good mystery even if the villain is a bit guessable fairly early on. Karen Pelletier herself has an interesting back story: a working class girl from the Northeast who escaped her abusive father and, after a disastrous early marriage, went back and worked her way through college and grad school, as a single mother. Her fictional literary field is class in 19th century American literature, which is excellent. I like Dobson's subsequent mysteries as well, and look forward to reacquainting myself with them. And there are two recent ones I haven't read yet, because I didn't know she'd continued writing them. Hurrah!
*The other subgenre, also newly available as ebooks, is Joan Smith's series set at an English university, where the sleuth is also an English professor, but a very self-consciously feminist one -- Loretta Lawson. An equally good series.
The literary details (American 19th century literature, Henry Ward Beecher and Emily Dickinson, among others) are great, and the setting... well, I find academia enormously cozy. Reading Dobson's mysteries are like visiting an alternate career path, for me. Good characters, good setting, good mystery even if the villain is a bit guessable fairly early on. Karen Pelletier herself has an interesting back story: a working class girl from the Northeast who escaped her abusive father and, after a disastrous early marriage, went back and worked her way through college and grad school, as a single mother. Her fictional literary field is class in 19th century American literature, which is excellent. I like Dobson's subsequent mysteries as well, and look forward to reacquainting myself with them. And there are two recent ones I haven't read yet, because I didn't know she'd continued writing them. Hurrah!
*The other subgenre, also newly available as ebooks, is Joan Smith's series set at an English university, where the sleuth is also an English professor, but a very self-consciously feminist one -- Loretta Lawson. An equally good series.
July 3, 2013
The beginning really grabbed me—quick, witty (the Palaver Chair), well paced—and I thought, “Another good one.” Then I started to feel annoyed at some of the author’s style and felt that Professor Dobson was lecturing me, the reader. I was also jarred out of the story by the mix of real and imagined locations when the plot took Karen to Cambridge for Research. Agreed, Enfield College and the town were fictional, and we can draw our own mind maps and images; however, Dr. Pelletier traveled specifically to Cambridge, and more specifically to Harvard’s Houghton Library for research—a real city, a real university, a real library. Why the need to fictionalize the Cambridge locale in general? I was mentally walking in circles trying to follow Karen up Mass Ave to Huron Ave thinking she was well out of Harvard Square.
I’m pulling for the Pelletier/Piotowski relationship. Avery Mitchell is a leetle too slick for me. Have mental image of sweater tied around his shoulders and no sox with loafers.
I’m pulling for the Pelletier/Piotowski relationship. Avery Mitchell is a leetle too slick for me. Have mental image of sweater tied around his shoulders and no sox with loafers.
August 9, 2012
This was a really good combined literary/academic murder mystery (not as literarily serious as Possession but similar to Jennifer Carrell's Shakespeare ones. The ones I've read before usually start with a manuscript mystery that leads to murders, but this flipped that order. Since the author is an English professor and nineteenth-century scholar, the details about the literary puzzle are more plausible than the ones related to how the murder(s) were actually accomplished; so it's good if you prefer textual clues to forensic ones. This is book one in a series of six (they're out already, this one was 1997--I'm slow catching on)that begins with her first year at an exclusive New England college. I wonder if it will be a set-up similar to Harry Potter with a book covering each academic year and increasing tension that culminates with a showdown with the tenure committee instead of a showdown with the Dark Lord.
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