Honest Doubt (Kate Fansler)

Amanda Cross has given us another enjoyable mystery, this time with P.I. Estelle " Woody" Woodhaven, who investigates the murder of an English professor. Filled with literary allusions from as varied figures as Tennyson and Christie, the pace of this novel is slow enough to be comfortable, yet gripping enough to carry the reader along. For those readers unfamiliar with academia, it will be informative as well, revealing not only the petty, small-minded rivalries among faculty colleagues, but also the disturbing trend of colleges churning out too many PhDs for the existing job market. (In scientific disciplines this has been the case for decades.)We hear the inner narrative of Woody Woodhaven throughout, as she relies on her common sense, her intuitive skills and the techniques of interviewing she has developed. With the help of Amanda Cross's previously featured English professor, Kate Fansler, Woody is able to unravel the mystery.Although Cross's attitudes toward family life, marriage and children will be unfathomable to many (as in her previous novels), both Kate and Woody escape the label "selfish"---if only just barely. Amanda Cross is the mystery-writer penname of Carolyn Heilbrun, a member of the early generation of modern feminists, who (perhaps understandably) overreacted against traditional female roles. In the quest for gender equality they tended to ignore their own physiology and hormonal make-up, which are geared for connectedness and for maternity. Even in the l970s few women advocated this radical stance. Modern day young women try to incorporate family life with the need for autonomy and self-espression. Despite her off-pitch attitude, Cross's novels are elegant, literate, and amusing.

I'm new to the Kate Fansler series having only read one previously, and I really enjoyed Honest Doubt. Although Woody seems to dwell just a little too much on her size and everyone else's, the description of small college politics is good, although a little extreme. I did find the incessant harping about the lack of tenured females a little trying. It is a valid issue, but presented badly. Overall, the mystery is good, the characters interesting, and I look forward to reading more novels with Woody as a central character.

Professor Charles Haycock, the Chair of New Jersey's Clifton College English Department keels over and dies at a party he is hosting at his home for faculty members. Most folks felt Charles' death was related to his heart condition, but his son suspects foul play, leaning towards his stepmother....After reading HONEST DOUBT, fans will not need the services of a soothsayer or futurologist to conclude that Amanda Cross is setting up a new series. The main protagonist in this "Kate Fansler" tale is Woody, who looks ready to star in her own series. Readers will like Woody, who is comfortable with knowing she is a full sized woman. The large cast of secondary characters, especially the faculty, rings genuine including several unlikable professors. There are so many suspects, there is no doubt the audience will finish this book in one sitting to find out who did the crime.Harriet Klausner