UNJUST DESSERTS
Goldie Alexander.
Zeus Publications.2003. www.zeus-publications.com
ISBN 1 920699 62 7
RRP $23.95
“Unjust Desserts” is a crime
story with a difference, set in the Australian town of Grevillia. Style and
atmosphere are immediately and affectionately familiar to anyone who has ever
lived in a small town. The characters are believable, from doughty heroine
Olivia to sad Queenie and her repulsive husband Harry.
The storyline revolves
around Olivia Beaumont’s efforts to keep her café/deli, “Not Just Desserts”,
afloat. Even before one of her clients dies after eating one of Olivia’s
curries, there is trouble in the air. Harry Oldrich is determined to become
Olivia’s sleeping partner, and she’s just as determined that he won’t! A
possible development has the townsfolk at loggerheads, and the arrival of an
attractive young Australian Chinese teacher named Eddie Wong ruffles quite a
few of the more hidebound feathers in the town. Add Detective Richard Brumby as
the investigating officer, Olivia’s dysfunctional family, a spot of middle aged
sex and some cooking, and you have all the ingredients for a home grown puzzle
to suit the most jaded palate.
Along the way, Goldie
Alexander makes a few sly thrusts at attitudes and suppositions that are sure
to have some readers nodding in rueful recognition of their own, or their
neighbours’, quirks.
The production values of this novel are excellent. The type is clear and easy to read, the editing and proofing well done, and the book is sturdy without any tendency to close while I was still reading!
Reviewed by Sally Odgers.