The Rage of Plum Blossoms by Christine M Whitehead: book review

The Rage of Plum Blossoms (2016) is set in West Village, Manhattan, in 2010-2011.

The narrator is 42-year-old divorce lawyer Attorney Aquinnah (Quinnie) Jones. The title comes from the description of herself and her 52-year-old husband Jordan’s favourite flower: ‘I was a plum blossom – not showy.’

She was married for six years before her husband, Jordan Chang, was murdered. The police said Jordan, captain in the US Marine Corps and New York investment banker, committed suicide by jumping off their balcony. Quinnie did not believe that for a minute – and set out to solve the mystery of her husband’s death.

The medical examination showed inconclusive evidence of foul play. But there were changes in their home: ‘Two throw rugs in the kitchen had been reversed. A lamp base had a crack, its shade had a slice in it, and the metal shade holder was significantly bent. A medium-sized blue-and-white Chinese vase on the coffee table was gone altogether.’ Their dog Tink had two deep cuts on her chest and belly, and one of Jordan’s suits was missing.

Moreover, she found out from Harry Chin, her husband’s lawyer and best friend since they were two years old, that Jordan had been rich – really rich. Quinnie inherits $27 million dollars.

To solve the murder, Quinnie did her ‘best thinking’ riding around Central Park on her Friesian horse Francesca – athough there is no evidence of it! She does, however, have a cast of characters to help her solve the clues.

But Quinnie is not who she seems. She has secrets. So does her husband.

This who-dunnit is a quick read. It started well, but as the processes for unravelling the murder progresses, the step-by-step approach becomes rather like an old televison detective program – escapist plot, coincidental events, and of course lots of clues. Nevertheless, for many readers it will be a page-turner.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

2016 update on Rike Park, Tbilisi: from construction to busy park

From a flat patch of uninteresting dirt, Rike Park in Tbilisi, Georgia, has transformed in four years (from 2014-2016) into a busy park full of trees, flower beds, sculptures, fountains, and events. Rike (Rikhe) Park is on the left bank of the Mt’k’vari River (the Kura River) near the Old City of Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge links the right bank to Rike Park. Rike Park is below the hillside Presidential Palace and, via cable car, it is the starting point for the ride to Sololaki Ridge (with the Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue). The glass box-shaped cable car terminus was opened on 23 June 2012, and since then the park has continually developed into a ‘people’s park’ where people can walk around, eat at the nearby restaurants, sit next to the statue of American president Ronald Reagan, climb the steps to Avlabari district, and access the sights of Meidan Square, the Peace Bridge, the Metekhi Church, the Old City, the waterfall, the sulphur baths, and t...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog