After-Image : A Vicky Bauer Mystery

by Leona Gom

Book by Gom, Leona

257 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

... est née en 1946 en Alberta. Spécialiste de littérature anglaise, elle a enseigné en Alberta en plus d'être éditrice et directrice littéraire de poésie pendant plus de dix ans au magazine littéraire Event. Poète, elle a publié de nombreux textes dans diverses anthologies à travers le monde. Récipiendaire de plusieurs prix de poésie, elle a également écrit deux pièces de théâtre pour la radio, toutes deux produites à la CBC, la radio anglaise de Radio-Canada. Leona Gom, dont le Chromosome Y est le premier roman d'anticipation, habite actuellement en Colombie-Britannique.

Reviews

[John McNair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting much and, indeed, I got very little out of this book. But it was better than I thought it would be. I expected a bit of Nancy Drew but got something definitely much grittier than that. The story itself wasn't that bad, but the characters were, on the whole fairly unbelievable and not a little weak and pathetic (except for Bauer herself). I surely did not like the portrayal of the Canadian military and the pathetic attempt to describe members of the military, and the institution itself, as was done so in this book. Descriptions of Lahr and area were vague enough as to be maybe authentic and maybe not (rather the latter) - and I know Lahr very well. Finally the whole premise, the plot, as it came out was really quite unappealing and very base. There was really no mystery at all, just human weakness. I won't look for any additional "Bauer mysteries".

[Three O'Clock Press]

A murder with no body. . . Of mixed Native and white heritage, fiercely independent and a graduate student in film studies, Vicky Bauer is far from the perfect wife for a school teacher working on a Canadian Armed Forces Base in Europe. Vicky has had the occasional minor scrape with military authorities, as well as an on-again, off-again drinking problem. So when Vicky claims she has seen a woman murdered, and the corpse cannot be found, no one believes her. Rather, they think she has imagined the whole episode - especially that the killer wore an armed forces uniform. But Vicky begins to uncover a complex web of secrets, illegal activities and plausible motives for murder. Suspects include her own husband, seemingly a bit too protective of the racist son of their landlord. There is also the base doctor who likes to keep military "dependants" tranquilized; the soldier harbouring a career-destroying secret; and the investigating lieutenant, suspiciously eager to dismiss Vicky's claims. When drug dealing, political extremism and homophobia become parts of the puzzle, Vicky realizes she is not simply a witness, but may be the next target.

[K.L. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not enjoyable