The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender

Claudia Valentine, tough PI in Sydney, Australia, faces a formidable foe in this first book in a series of four by Marele Day. A childhood friend's younger brother has died, apparently of a heart attack. The pacemaker he wore because of a congenital heart defect seems incidental, and yet, his sister questions natural causes as the reason for his death. Claudia agrees to investigate and soon finds herself immersed in a shadier side of Sydney--that of crime boss, Harry Lavender. Plotting for the book is fairly complex, with a couple of twists and turns; most come to mind, however, before they are carried to their end, with few real surprises. The story requires from the reader several leaps of faith in following Valentine from clues to their interpretations. More engaging than plot are the characters in the book. Claudia has several sources of information, from the computer expert to a reporter friend, and Detective Carol Rawlings, a school pal now with the police department. On the other side of the coin are associates of Harry Lavender: lowlife small-time crook, Ronny O'Toole; the big Maori with the bigger knife; and Johnny the Jumper, so-named for his method of exacting punishment. Most enjoyable of all in this book are the descriptions of the Australian city. What Fusilli does for New York City, Day does equally as well for Sydney. I look forward to reading the other three books in this series.

This book is a quick and enjoyable introduction to Sydney private investigator Claudia Valentine. Claudia's usual area of expertise is insurance investigation, but when an ex-school friend calls on her about her dead brother she feels compelled to help determine whether his death was the accidental heart failure it was ruled, or something more sinister. Not long into her investigation she gets the distinct impression that she is being followed, an impression that is confirmed telling her she must be onto something. Helped by friends and nosy neighbours alike, Claudia learns enough to get herself into more than one dangerous tight spot, mixing it up with the feared Harry Lavender. THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF HARRY LAVENDER is the first book in the Claudia Valentine series and Valentine proves to be a no-nonsense, tough woman who views the world through a jaundiced eye, ready with a quip to lighten the moment. It's a fast-paced book that is tightly plotted moving logically from clue to clue. On the down side, coincidence seems to play a big part in the story with unlikely interconnections between characters popping up throughout the book. This is an enjoyable though uncomplicated series introduction.

I studyed this novel in class and it was quite a rereshing change from the bland books usually read. From the very first page Marele Day challenges the stereotypes and ideas set in the responders head in relation to gender issues. Her character, Claudia Valentine, uses karate as a weapon rather then typical violence such as knifes or guns. She is the intellectual equal of any male, completing her job sucessfully and out witting any in her path. She is also the intellectual equal of Harry Lavender, the "evil" character in the story. Not only fighting to seek truth over a murder mystery but also to gain revenge. Definatly a worhtwhile read, with great twists, it will have you attemtping to solve the mystery right from the first clue.

This book is just great. The best thing is it's so easy to read and you can't put it down!