DOG DAY GIVEAWAY AND REVIEW #2: FOR GLORY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
FOR GLORY
BY ELISABETH LEE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Carlyle Hudson is a 50-something woman everybody calls Lyle. Making a living as a gambler, Lyle doesn't know quite what to make of her life. Lyle returns to Kansas from San Francisco after the death of her mother and encounters two mysteries, one from her mother's past, and one right in front of her. Who is the source of the ominous demands that she 'Pay Up'?
Carlyle speaks for herself in the opening paragraph of this women's detective mystery, FOR GLORY, “I deal with other people by keeping secrets. Bottom line: I do not like people knowing what I do for a living, how much money I make, my age, or marital status. The answers—gamble, six to seven figures (depending on how well the cards fall), fifty, and not interested in marriage—always raise more questions. Even well-intentioned people seem to feel entitled to that information, which irritates the hell out of me. So I lie. It entertains me, keeps my energy positive and my creativity high.... I think of it as acting. All good poker players act. I am a very good poker player.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elisabeth Lee earned a Ph.D. in Victorian Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder. A private school administrator and teacher, she lives in Lawrence, Kansas. It figures prominently in her work, along with San Francisco, Denver and New York where she has also lived. Elisabeth Lee earned a Ph.D. in Victorian Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

A private school teacher and sometime administrator, she is an accomplished poet and author of various professional articles. Formerly a resident of Lawrence, Kansas, a blue dot in a great ocean of red, she now calls Denver home. Those cities figure prominently in her work, along with San Francisco and New York where she has also lived.

For Glory, published late in 2006, was her first work of fiction. Flashes of Glory, a sequel was published in 2009.

MY REVIEW:

Carlyle, who goes by Lyle, is a gambler who if you don't know her well, you would think she is a very tough cookie. However, those who know her well, like her aunt, Loretta, Luce, and Lenore, as well as her wonderful dog GLORY (who happened into her life when her mom died and Lyle inherited Glory) know that she is really a mush bucket! The mystery begins when we find Lyly on a losing streak in Kansas. Lyle is really from San Francisco but is there to deal with the aftermath of her mother's death and she comes upon some of her mom's things. These particular things give Lyle reason to wonder as not only is there a gun, but also some rather odd letters and correspondence including a diary. She begins to find that her mother had a life that Lyle never knew about. As Lyle contemplates what all this means, she starts to think that perhaps her mother was murdered. Some of the things that point this up are when her mother's bridal shop is robbed, crank phone calls pour in, and Lyle find a card the ace of spade, that has the words "pay up" written on it.

All this makes for a good mystery, written as seen through Lyle's eyes, but there is also so much comedy in this book that I can't call it a true mystery. I believe that is part of its charm. Lyle's relationship with Glory, the dog, especially was humorous to me. Also, two of the "L" named aunts are twins and run a candy store that carries erotically shaped candy! So much of this type of amusing interaction, and the style of writing that Elisabeth Lee has, keeps the readers attention along with entertaining you. It was nice to read of a character who is strong and feisty but about 50ish years old instead of the traditional sex kitten in her 20s. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it as an easy, fun read.

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER DOG DAY #1,
NEW TRICKS, FROM THIS MORNING HERE!

GIVEAWAY

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