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Gloria Damasco Mysteries #3
Black Widow's Wardrobe
When Gloria Damasco decided to take part in San Francisco's traditional "Day of the Dead" procession, she didn't realize that she'd soon be encountering both a convicted killer - the notorious "Black Widow" - and a bizarre abduction staged by two costumed riders on horseback.
As Gloria attempts afterwards to solve the puzzle of Licia Lecuona's murder of her husband Peter, the trail leads her from the fog-shrouded but familiar Bay Area south to the remote, sunlit peaks of the Sierra de Tepoztlan . . . and perhaps, she fears, back in time to a mysterious and violent encounter as ancient as Mexico itself.
As Gloria attempts afterwards to solve the puzzle of Licia Lecuona's murder of her husband Peter, the trail leads her from the fog-shrouded but familiar Bay Area south to the remote, sunlit peaks of the Sierra de Tepoztlan . . . and perhaps, she fears, back in time to a mysterious and violent encounter as ancient as Mexico itself.
193 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Lucha Corpi
24 books12 followersPoet, novelist, and children's book writer Lucha Corpi was born in a small town in Mexico called Jaltipan in the state of Veracruz, in 1945. She came to Berkeley, California as a young wife and student at the age of 19. Along with having a child named Arthur, she continued her education and received degrees from UC-Berkeley and San Francisco State University. She currently lives in Oakland, California and has been a tenured teacher in the Oakland Public Schools Neighborhood Centers Program since 1977.
Corpi is the recipient of numerous awards and citations, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Prize in fiction, and the Multicultural Publishers Exchange Book Award of Excellence in Adult Fiction. She was president of the Centro Chicano de Escritores (Chicano Writers Center), and she is also a member of the international feminist mystery novel circle, Sisters in Crime. Corpi's works include two books of poetry, Palabras de Mediodia/Noon Words and Variaciones Sobre una Tempsted/Variations on a Storm, a children's book, Where Fireflies Dance/Ahi, Donde Bailen los Luciernagas, the novel Delia's Song, and four mystery novels, Crimson Moon, Eulogy for a Brown Angel, Cactus Blood, and Black Widow's Wardrobe, from the Gloria Damasco series. She is also the editor of Mascaras, which contains works from 15 Latina writers.
Corpi says she uses her books "to study all forms of racism, from the very blatant -- police harassing someone just because they're Mexican American -- to the more insidious racism inside our own families" (Beitiks). She follows the stories of women and poor people, immigrant struggles, and of historical/mythical figures. Corpi describes her reason for writing as, "I can remember my grandmother saying, 'There is no justice in this world. ' I think that's why I write--to bring justice into the world" (Beitiks). Corpi uses both Spanish and English in her works. When writing poetry, she uses Spanish, but when writing fiction, she primarily uses English.
Originally published in 1980, Palabras de Medioda/Noon Words, helped to firmly establish Corpi as a Chicana poet. The poetry was written in Spanish, and Catherine Rodriguez-Nieto translated it into English. Reissued in 2001, this book explores personal feelings about the role of women, themes of death and love, and the myth of La Malinche, to name a few. In the preface of the novel, Tey Diana Rebolledo writes, "This book of poems is a clear lyrical narrative of a woman's struggle against silence and of the desire to express herself" (xviii). Within the poetry of the book, Corpi incorporates into her verse ideas of daily-life experiences, consciousness and feeling, and actors on the stage of history.
Her second book of poetry, published in 1990, is entitled Variaciones Sobre una Tempsted/Variations on a Storm. This book proves that Corpi's greatest talent lies in verse. Unfiltered by the standards of a novel, Corpi's poetry is a composition of words that are arranged carefully enough to hide a ghost. At times, it seems that that is what Corpi does. Behind her poetry lies a history of passion and pain. Although it may be history, it is alive, and very much so in her writing. Corpi has the ability to project her own personal feelings as one woman onto a larger scale that encompasses her Mexican heritage. The poetry, written in Spanish and translated into English by Catherine Rodriguez-Nieto, is constructed in such a way that it will keep you walking through it in order to find its true depths.
Lucha Corpi unites imagination with the memories of childhood in her charming children's book Where the Fireflies Dance/ Ahi, Donde Bailen los Luciernagas. In this book, she stresses the importance of music, storytelling, and family in her life, and how these things have helped her to find a path to her own destiny. Her story begins when, one night as a child, her main character and main character's brother venture
Corpi is the recipient of numerous awards and citations, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Prize in fiction, and the Multicultural Publishers Exchange Book Award of Excellence in Adult Fiction. She was president of the Centro Chicano de Escritores (Chicano Writers Center), and she is also a member of the international feminist mystery novel circle, Sisters in Crime. Corpi's works include two books of poetry, Palabras de Mediodia/Noon Words and Variaciones Sobre una Tempsted/Variations on a Storm, a children's book, Where Fireflies Dance/Ahi, Donde Bailen los Luciernagas, the novel Delia's Song, and four mystery novels, Crimson Moon, Eulogy for a Brown Angel, Cactus Blood, and Black Widow's Wardrobe, from the Gloria Damasco series. She is also the editor of Mascaras, which contains works from 15 Latina writers.
Corpi says she uses her books "to study all forms of racism, from the very blatant -- police harassing someone just because they're Mexican American -- to the more insidious racism inside our own families" (Beitiks). She follows the stories of women and poor people, immigrant struggles, and of historical/mythical figures. Corpi describes her reason for writing as, "I can remember my grandmother saying, 'There is no justice in this world. ' I think that's why I write--to bring justice into the world" (Beitiks). Corpi uses both Spanish and English in her works. When writing poetry, she uses Spanish, but when writing fiction, she primarily uses English.
Originally published in 1980, Palabras de Medioda/Noon Words, helped to firmly establish Corpi as a Chicana poet. The poetry was written in Spanish, and Catherine Rodriguez-Nieto translated it into English. Reissued in 2001, this book explores personal feelings about the role of women, themes of death and love, and the myth of La Malinche, to name a few. In the preface of the novel, Tey Diana Rebolledo writes, "This book of poems is a clear lyrical narrative of a woman's struggle against silence and of the desire to express herself" (xviii). Within the poetry of the book, Corpi incorporates into her verse ideas of daily-life experiences, consciousness and feeling, and actors on the stage of history.
Her second book of poetry, published in 1990, is entitled Variaciones Sobre una Tempsted/Variations on a Storm. This book proves that Corpi's greatest talent lies in verse. Unfiltered by the standards of a novel, Corpi's poetry is a composition of words that are arranged carefully enough to hide a ghost. At times, it seems that that is what Corpi does. Behind her poetry lies a history of passion and pain. Although it may be history, it is alive, and very much so in her writing. Corpi has the ability to project her own personal feelings as one woman onto a larger scale that encompasses her Mexican heritage. The poetry, written in Spanish and translated into English by Catherine Rodriguez-Nieto, is constructed in such a way that it will keep you walking through it in order to find its true depths.
Lucha Corpi unites imagination with the memories of childhood in her charming children's book Where the Fireflies Dance/ Ahi, Donde Bailen los Luciernagas. In this book, she stresses the importance of music, storytelling, and family in her life, and how these things have helped her to find a path to her own destiny. Her story begins when, one night as a child, her main character and main character's brother venture
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 24, 2018
PI Gloria Damsco participates in a Day of the Dead celebration, sees a notorious murderer, and witnesses an abduction. This takes her into Old Mexico.
An attempt to meld hard boiled PI fiction with magical realism. Didn't really hit me.
An attempt to meld hard boiled PI fiction with magical realism. Didn't really hit me.
February 29, 2024
3 stars even. i wanted to like this so bad, but it just reminded me of what i imagine dashiell hammett writes like but if the main character was a latina woman....maybe i just don't like mystery novels
June 15, 2022
Just finished "Black Widow's Wardrobe" for my American Literature class. The book represents the third in a series of mystery stories featuring P.I. Gloria Damasco. Recommend that you read the Wiki entries for La Llorona and La Malinche before you dive in. In the depiction of the Black Widow’s background, manners, and actions, Corpi draws several parallels between La Llorona, and La Malinche, and Licia Lecuona. Enjoy.
October 24, 2023
1.5 rounded up?
when i have required reading for class i usually really try to enjoy my time since i will HAVE to read it regardless if I like it or not. and I really tried with this one. But there was too many characters and the writing seemed clunky, confusing, and boring.
I did think it was coincidental that I just read little fires everywhere since the theme of adoption and who is the 'mom' in that situation was a big theme in this as well.
very eh.
when i have required reading for class i usually really try to enjoy my time since i will HAVE to read it regardless if I like it or not. and I really tried with this one. But there was too many characters and the writing seemed clunky, confusing, and boring.
I did think it was coincidental that I just read little fires everywhere since the theme of adoption and who is the 'mom' in that situation was a big theme in this as well.
very eh.
February 17, 2017
Fantastic foray into Chicana Feminism with Corpi's use of the detective genre (usually utilized by Anglo males). She writes about Malinche, develops characters worthy of carrying her mystery. Have to say that I love this book. It is the 3rd in this series. Great read.
October 19, 2008
I'm now a fan of detective Gloria Damasco. I've never been much of a mystery reader, but I had also not realized until now how much a mystery is steeped in culture. I had never read of a detective having heartburn because of too many peppers in her morning taco or getting help from her mother in a case. The parts about Tepoztlan and Mexico City were also a treat. Lucha Corpi has made that total transition as a translingual writer who started out writing in Spanish and now writes her novels in English, and has really made Oakland, California, come to life. I love her poetry in Spanish, though, and I hope we'll see more of that.
February 8, 2010
This is the first time I've read a book by this author. Her choice of the Day of the Dead is very informative about the traditions of this holiday. Her detective is a middle aged woman with only a partially explained history and I found that interesting.
July 16, 2012
Good mystery, set in the Hispanic community in San Francisco. A woman is released after being imprisoned for murdering her abusive husband. She now thinks she is Cortes's Indian guide/mistress reincarnated. A bit weird, but good.
July 9, 2014
Murder mystery for a Chicana/o Studies major...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews