Disclaimer: The publisher sent me an email asking me to review the book. This isn't a book I would have picked up on my own. Did I get paid? Well in one free book and an excellent discussion with the author.

The mystery hinges on who killed Diana Duprey, abortion provider, mother to a typical college freshman, wife to an attorney in the D.A's office, and overall outspoken feminist. Of course her husband finds her and is immediately put at the top of the suspect list. Considering that "from 1993 to 1999 intimates killed 45% of all female murder victims age 20-24" (BJS)it is not that far off to suspect the husband. Of course, to add to the drama, Dr. Duprey had a fight not just with her husband, Frank, before her death, but also her daughter, Megan. And of course, let's not count out the anti's!

Nothing I say here is a spoiler - a lot of this is either in the first chapter or the summary on the book cover.

The most typical, but also shocking item about the mother-daughter fight was that Megan keeps running over and over in her head the last thing she said to her mom, "Have fun killing babies today!"

And that bit sets up why I liked this book. I felt that this mystery, this novel, not only gave a spin at a "Who Done It?" but it did a pretty damn good job at speaking to the larger question, "What is it like to love an abortion provider?" I'm not just talking the love that I feel for all of you abortion providers out there, but to be the partner or child of one. Perhaps even more specifically, the husband of an outspoken feminist who happens to provide abortions and the daughter of a often too honest feminist when it comes to sex.

Frank seems caught up in feeling that he lived his life being ruled by Diana's feminist ways. That Diana was too liberal with Megan, that Diana made one HUGE decision for possibly political reasons, and honestly, a bit of that thing men get when their wives are "famous".

Obviously these subplots dug themselves right under my skin. I have a good friend who we've already discussed taking her daughter (6 mos older than Ella) and Ella to Planned Parenthood when puberty hits so that they know 1) where it is and 2) that they can see that PP is where the information is at. Somehow even thou I picture a wonderful girls day out in my head, my head also tells me that we'll end up dragging a pair of 10 year olds into Planned Parenthood. Or chasing them down after they make a run for it.

Then there is the hubby. As much as I know he loves me, I know that it's a pain in the ass to live and love someone like me. Someone who considers every aspect of the decision, including the feminist ramifications. From what nail polish to buy to naming rights of offspring, everything I do is viewed thru the feminist lens. Not to say that everything I do is feminist, oh, no...not even close. Well, maybe if I lived the "choice feminist" lifestyle, which I don't. Back to the topic at hand...

It wasn't the murder mystery that kept me turning the pages, it was the mystery between the main characters. Why does Frank have so much anger towards Diana? Why did Megan say that to her mom? Do Frank & Megan even have a relationship?

I could short change this novel by saying that it is a good beach book. It is, but I think it is much more than that. A beach book doesn't make you stop and think. This one does.

I'll get more into that in my next post...a conversation with the author, Elisabeth Hyde.

Labels: abortion, Books