A review by nglofile
Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran
5.0
There are several aspects of Claire that should turn me off: alcohol, drugs, pseudo-mysticism, rudeness, vulgarity, propensity to hide her conclusions from the reader. Yet, I find myself drawn to and fascinated by her all the same. Her first-person narration, hard-boiled female PI persona, and even an endorsement by Sue Grafton all invite comparisons to Kinsey Millhone, and they aren't unwarranted. Kinsey is still superior (as is Grafton), but the two characters are believable counterparts. The New Orleans setting was well-utilized, and I appreciated another post-Katrina perspective that complements the superb story-telling of Treme.
audiobook note: Reader Carol Monda doesn't effectively distinguish voices, but it's forgivable in a first-person narration. Her voice is sharp, husky, and dry -- all ideal for Claire. Her performance earned the fifth star in my rating.
audiobook note: Reader Carol Monda doesn't effectively distinguish voices, but it's forgivable in a first-person narration. Her voice is sharp, husky, and dry -- all ideal for Claire. Her performance earned the fifth star in my rating.