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Monday, June 1, 2015

Tattle and Wrye column June 2015 edition

FROM THE DESK OF
DONA PENZA TATTLE, ESQ.
AND
ASSOCIATE WRYE BALDERDASH

Greetings,

“They say April showers bring May flowers so what does June bring?”  Tattle asks as she arranges a huge vase of wild flowers. 

Wrye grabs Tattle’s hand before she can add a strange looking weed.  “Poison ivy?  Do you really want to add that?”

She holds up her gloved hands.  “I thought it sort of went with the theme of our new review.”

Wrye does the bushy brow lift and wiggle, a well-practiced expression that he thinks makes him look spiffy and dapper.  “The poison ivy?”

“No, silly, the gloves.  We are entering into the world of a Cavendish Brown Paranormal Mystery.  It has suspense… mystery… psychometry… witches and gloves!” 

“Psy… what?  Gloves?  Huh?”

“No more chat, m’partner in sleuth, off to our Love of Literature Leap and our review of THE WITCH’S DAUGHTER by Ron D. Voigts.


“Wow, it’s a good thing for Cavendish Brown that Marbella Wellingway, from his old hometown of Maiden Falls, sent the Armani suit-clad lawyer to keep him out of jail after a bar fight.”  Sighing, Tattle slips through the story pages and feels the full impact of Cavendish’s grief.  “Although, he was somewhat vicious, the other guy deserved it for being abusive to a lady.  So, if I were judge and jury, I’d fully forgive him.  Especially since Cavendish was drowning in a whole lot of mourning.  He lost his beloved wife, Emma, the year before and, unfortunately, was using alcohol to dull that pain.   Plus, he could no longer handle being a reporter at the Charleston Gazette.   Marabella’s offer for him to get the defunct Maiden Falls Herald back in operation really keeps him out of hot water.”

“Or is it more out of hot water and into the flaming fire, or maybe even more aptly put into the witch’s brew.”

“Just ‘cause Marabella looks witchy doesn’t mean the wealthy town monarch is a witch.”  Tattle’s lips slide into a somewhat wicked grin.  “Then again, who knows….”

“Then there is poor, intensely unattractive Jane Jones.”  It is Wrye’s turn to sigh.  “The twenty-year old girl lives with the dead body of her mother for days, even though the death stench permeates the apartment.  Of course, this, along with the fact she refuses to take off her soiled gloves, gives the authorities the opinion that she is dimwitted, and they send her to an institution.”

“But,” Tattle wags a finger as if scolding Wrye for not being more observant.  “Jane’s condition has nothing to do with lack of wit and more to do with a combination of being raised outside the norm of society and about the paranormal, psychometry to be precise.  When she touches an object, she holds the memory of whoever last touched it.  Hence, this is why she wears gloves.”

“You louse!”  Wrye suddenly cries out as he banishes an imaginary sword at Doctor Denton. Of course, the doc can’t see him.  “What an unsavory quack.”  After plunging invisible steel through the man’s heart, Wrye has a look of vindication.  “He allowed Benson Briggs to take Jane away.  Briggs works for Sammie Hunt, an organized crime associate, whose girlfriend decided not to return from a pick-up with a suitcase full of Sammie’s money.  Ironically, that girlfriend, Nikki Parker, now being hunted by Sammie’s dangerous henchman, used to date Cavendish throughout high school.”

Taking Wrye’s pretend sword and sheathing it in an equally imaginary casing, Tattle once again waves a tsk-tsk finger at him, adding, “Equally ironic, while on the run, her stolen car breaks down in Maiden Falls.  At the same time, Briggs brings Jane to Maiden Falls to use her to help discover who killed Sammie’s wife a year previously, and to find out what happened to Sammie’s missing daughter, Holly.  If that isn’t enough, Briggs involves Cavendish in figuring out the case.”

“Annnnd,” Wrye declares with a ta-da attitude, “don’t forget about the second murder, the smoking hot goth girl, Alexandra, who happens to be Marbella Wellingway’s daughter, who she coerces to work at the Herald with Cavendish.  Know why?”

“She wants a lock of his hair for her witch’s brew?”

Wrye displays the hands on hips, gotta-be-kidding-me stance.  “Noooo, and I’m not gonna tell you because the readers might be listening and they have to find out for themselves.” 

“You fiendish devil, you,” Tattle says, winking as she dashes through the pages to find the answer.  “Anyway, Cavendish soon becomes eyebrow deep in danger as Jane’s visions bring them closer to uncovering the killer, Nikki brings a thug to his front door all while a witchy woman tries to capture him in her web.  And, we’re not talking about Marbella.”

Still literally in the scenes of the story, Wrye settles himself on a rock, viewing a waterfall while trying to avoid looking at a washed-up body on the bank.  “All I can say is this is one fabulous read.  It pulls you into Cavendish’s shattered world and keeps you wanting more.  He’s a decent and gallant man who keeps trying to do the right thing, and keeps courting trouble.  You just can’t help feeling for the guy.  He has some flaws and that makes him all the more real.”

Tattle joins Wrye.  “All the characters are dimensional, unique and true-to-life.  Paradoxically, despite being dead, even Emma has texture as you feel her through Cavendish’s heart.  A flashback scene with Cavendish and Emma actually prompted tears, and totally ruined my mascara!  Additionally, the story flows easily from one page to the next, and the paranormal elements add just the right spice to enhance an already flawlessly plotted murder mystery.  In the end, you might have many answers, but not everything is tied up in a neat little parochial school girl saddle shoes bow.  After all, this is a series, and Ron D. Voigts makes certain you will want to come back again and again.  Will Cavendish cut back on the booze?  Will Alexandra, the antithesis to his Emma, garner his attention and just what is it that has brutes fleeing from her stare?  And what will happen to Jane with her mysterious quirks and unusual ability?  Those are just a few of the queries that need answers.  So, be prepared, like potato chips, one Cavendish Brown Paranormal Mystery will not ever be enough!”

Thank you for joining us in our venture through THE WITCH’S DAUGHTER and its review.  Until next time, keep reading CBG books!


Dona Penza Rutabaga Tattle, Esq. and Associate Wrye Balderdash
of Blather City, Wannachat

 
Created and written by
Angelica Hart and Zi

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