Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Something about the description of Peter Heller’s Celine grabbed me, strongly enough that I entered for and ended up winning a free copy.  I don’t read many  mysteries, but the idea of a P.I. from an old-money New England family who specializes in reuniting birth families?  It drew me in.  I have three elementary schoolers and a starting-next-week-preschooler, however, so my early copy has been sitting on my shelf for months.  I was delighted when I finally realized that my library had it in e-audio, which meant I could listen to it on the elliptical (and while sorting laundry, or doing dishes) and skim my hard copy for anything I missed.  (The narrator took some getting used to, but I did get used to her eventually.)  I’ve been doing just that all week, finishing up last night while I was getting ready for bed, which means that at long last I get to review it for your reading pleasure.  (You’re welcome.)

First of all, if my dad were 15 years younger, I’d give him this book in a heartbeat.  Heller writes with deep appreciation of both New England and the Mountain West; my dad has lived in and loved both places.  (I’ve lived in both places, but I’m not outdoorsy enough by nature to have developed his appreciation of Utah and the Uintahs.)  Setting, particularly of the nature and small town variety, is part of Heller’s story.

As far as his writing in general, Heller seems to eschew conventional transitions, which felt occasionally odd but more or less successful, in its own way.  His characters’ “Hah!”s of laughter translate better in an audio format–I didn’t love them on the page.  Overall, his style is different from my usual preferences, but it ultimately felt like part of the novel, so–hey.  It worked.  Certain side characters were fond of the F-word, which did bother me, but thankfully not the main characters.  (There are enough instances of language that you should go into it expecting same, but not so many that it felt like the entire book was peppered with profanity.)  There was a page and a half somewhere in the middle of the book that grated on me–Heller was describing a beautiful woman from Celine’s point of view in a way that struck me as wholly male, not at all female–but thankfully it was an isolated incident.

Lastly, the story itself–which just kept drawing me in more deeply.  Celine and Pete’s journeys, Hank’s journey, and the case itself weave in and out in a way I appreciated more as the story went along.  I found myself continually hoping it was the start of a series, which speaks volumes all by itself.  If the premise of the book intrigues you and you can deal with a certain amount of language, you won’t be disappointed–even if you’re more of a crime drama watcher than a mystery reader, like me.