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Death of an Orchid Lover by Nathan Walpow |
| (Dell, $5.99, NV) ISBN 0-440-23492-1 |
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Joe Portugal, an actor in commercials from Los Angeles, is a cactus-kind-of guy. He raises cacti and has many different varieties of succulents. Through a friend, he gets dragged to an Orchid Society event where he runs into a fellow actress, Laura Astaire, whom he hasn’t seen in ages. They make small talk and the usual insincere plans to get together. When Laura calls Joe the next morning telling him she has been arrested for the murder of an orchid enthusiast and needs his help, Joe is more than a little surprised.
Laura has asked for Joe’s help because she remembers the murder he solved less than a year ago (The Cactus Club Killings), a case Joe refers to as the Brenda business. Joe promises to help, but Laura turns up dead the next day, an apparent suicide, which pleases the police immensely. Their case can now be wrapped up: Laura killed Albert Oberg and then shoots herself a day later out of guilt. Joe’s not buying the theory, however, and starts asking questions of members of the Orchid Society, all of whom have something to hide. While investigating Albert’s and Laura’s deaths, Joe is also busy comforting his best friend Gina over the recent departure of her lover Jill, trying to start a new relationship with Sharon Turner (another orchid enthusiast) and sorting out his deepening relationship with Gina (who is actually bi-sexual), but sometimes feels he is loosing his grip. Fortunately, his good humor sees him through. Death of an Orchid Lover is a quick read. The mystery is simplistic and even though the murderer is apparent practically before the murder is committed, the motive is not immediately clear. The various stories and connections between the orchid growers, as well as the uncovering of their secrets, keep the plot moving. What really makes this mystery are Nathan Walpow’s characters. Joe Portugal is very funny without being sarcastic and he is a very caring guy who puts his long-time friendship with Gina before everything, including his fledgling relationship with Sharon. Gina is very protective of Joe and her ambivalence to their changing relationship makes her a very likable character. Death of an Orchid Lover is a first-rate gardening mystery for gardeners and non-gardeners a like. A lot of orchid nomenclature is thrown in, but there is an informative essay at the end of the book with a glossary and an Internet address directing readers to photographs of the orchids mentioned. New readers to this fledgling series will seek out the first book and all will eagerly await the next Joe Portugal mystery.
--Jennifer Monahan Winberry |
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