"Intelligent amateur sleuth tale"
After twenty-eight years of marriage, Claire Reyner
divorces her philandering husband, leaves her Arizona home
and job to become a librarian at the Center for Southwest
Research at the University of New Mexico. Claire is a very
bright, self-contained woman who looks at all the
ramifications before coming to a conclusion. One finds it
ironic that this very cautious woman keeps finding herself
in the middle of a homicide investigation. This time around, a former sorority sister who
stayed in her home a year ago, illegally got a credit card
in Claire's name. Claire finds out about this when a
police officer comes to her home and tells her that
somebody killed the woman. Later, a witness comes forward,
describing Claire and three of her ex sorority sisters who
the woman stole from. Without an alibi and with planted
evidence in her office implicating Claire as the murder
suspect, she decides to find the real evidence that will
clear her name. Judith Van Gieson has created a heroine that most
women will want to emulate because she is so bright, honest
and likable. The mystery itself seems straightforward but
is really multi-layered and complex. The support cast
moves the story line along in a brisk and breezy manner but
character development is not shortchanged because of an
action created plot. CONFIDENCE WOMAN is entertaining and
informative, a real treat for fans of the intelligent
amateur sleuth tale. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted December 31, 2001
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