Nights in White Satin

Rating:
Summary: A mystery that takes the reader into toll of rape on women
Review: I just finished reading Michelle Spring's newest Laura Principal mystery, Nights in White Satin. This mystery packs a wallop. Very terse and sensitive at the same time. Spring 's novels highlight a feminist perspective in detective fiction. Each of her novels calls attention to a social issue that particularly affects women--even Standing in the Shadows can be viewed from that vantage point. Its strong stuff. And, Laura Principal is terrific!

Rating:
Summary: response to reader from New England
Review: I was quite horrified to read the comments on "Nights in White Satin" from "reader in New England". Michelle Spring is a gifted writer of FICTION. Whatever issues you have with how males and females are portrayed in society or in literature, it does not change the fact that this is a first rate novel. I'm sorry you didn't find Ms. Spring's characters to your liking, but many of us do. This, to me, was by far the best of the series so far.

Rating:
Summary: Not Great
Review: I'm not much of a mystery, but was taking a class on the mystery novel at school and this was one of the books assigned. Maybe it's me, but it's always seemed to me that the detective should be responsible for the resolution of the case. Not here. Everything turns out nicely without the detective actually having solved the case. Furthermore, Spring's prose didn't do much for me. Her paratactic sentences felt forced, rather than displaying natural speech rhythms.

Not a satisfying read at all.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and unbelievable
Review: Many mysteries depend to a certain extent on coincidence, but this one seems to do so because it's too lazy to do anything else. There is little tension, little excitement, little reason to care about any of the people in the book. The main character muses on this and that as she makes her way around Cambridge, but her observations seem shallow and obvious. The one piece of real history that is discussed touches tangentially on the plot but without adding any depth. Motivations for various actions are plopped onto the page, stirred for a bit, and then left half baked.

Save your money.

Rating:
Summary: A suspenseful, intelligent, provocative mystery.
Review: NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN involves unpleasant goings-on in Cambridge (England), beautiful sunny summer days on the river, a breathtaking description of Piccadilly Circus, and a chance to know more about private investigator Laura Principal. Michelle Spring's language is vivid, sensuous, and suspenseful, and it really brought the city of Cambridge to life. Laura Principal is a wonderfully complex character, and I look forward to reading more about her. By the way, this is fourth in the series; I've not read the first two, but I do recommend the third, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best new writers
Review: This is another fine novel--well-written, compassionate, and intelligent--from one of the best of the new writers. Spring's characters and situations are complex, and the action typically has a reality (not to be confused with toughness) missing from many mystery novels.

I am dismayed and bewildered by the negative comments from the New England reader who apparently wanted Spring to have written another book, one with predictable feminist role models. One of Spring's strengths is the very lack of predictablity--her characters are as rich in detail and complex motivation as people we know.

I too heard Spring speak at PCA and I was impressed by the candor,intelligence, and passion of her remarks. She is a superb writer who lets us live a scene with her characters, and she thinks deeply about what she does with her books.

Starting with "Every Breath You Take" I have been hooked by Michelle Spring, and I can hardly wait for the next one.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and unbelievable
Review: This is the first book I have read by Michelle Spring. She is an extremely good writer, but she still needs to learn some more skills. This book is about a girl who is missing, and I was expecting a certain kind of writing and cocnclusion, and it did not happen the way I thought it would. The girl who was missing was...and I don't appreciate that kind of ending for a mystery book. I was blown away by the murderer and other non-suspect who did it-incredible! I have to congratulate her on that!!! Any way, not the way I expected it to turn out, but it was a very good book.