Minotaur Books A Bed of Scorpions: A Mystery

This is the second book in what is turning into an enjoyable series. The heroine is funny and very likable, with an interesting view of life and her work in a publishing office. She's surrounded by an an excellent supporting cast of quirky characters. Clever plotting, sympathetic characters, and a surprising twist add to the fun. Well worth reading for fun and enjoyment. Janice

I loved Flanders' first Samantha Clair mystery, A Murder of Magpies. Found Sam a bit too introspective in this second novel - she spends a lot of time internally wrestling with herself, or procrastinating over things a woman who is so obviously bright and worldly, should not be dithering about. Plus, Jake seems to spend a lot of the book fuming. Still - an enjoyable read. Like the first book, has some really interesting insights about the world of publishing.

This is the second book about Samantha “Sam” Clair, who works for a modest-sized publisher in London. In the first book, A Murder of Magpies, she met Jake Field, a detective inspector at Scotland Yard, and the two of them commence an affair. This one begins with her having a lunch date with a former boy-friend; they’re still good friends but only see each other once or twice a year, sometimes not even that. He’s a partner in a rather successful art gallery, but when she arrives at the restaurant she sees he’s looking really down and learns that on his return from a buying trip to the Continent he’d gone to the gallery and found his partner, Frank, dead at his desk, an apparent suicide. But the police put it down as an “unexplained death,” and Jake turns out to be the detective assigned to lead the case. And there are other deaths, not to mention Sam getting knocked off her bike by a hit-and-run and injured significantly enough to have to spend a couple of days in hospital. I don’t think I liked this one quite as much as the first one—Sam seems ditzier and less capable in this one. The writing is still quite good; Flanders (via Sam) is still good at turning a telling phrase about every other page on the average. I just hope Sam starts showing a little more gumption if the series continues.

What a great book! I love the snarky first person narrative of Sam Clair and the many unspoken conversations she has with those she loves, particularly Helena, her mother, and Jake, her partner. The plot was convoluted, entertaining, and intensely realistic. As you read this book, keep an eye on the colophons. It is an important clue that helps unravel the many threads that run through the book. That being said, the main villain was a complete surprise.

Hugely enjoyable follow up to A Murder of Magpies, it is so refreshing to read a book that is lightweight and amusing but at the same time well written.