About
Reviews
Search
Submit
Home

Mystery Books for Sale

[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]


  

LIBERTY OR DEATH
by Kate Flora
Forge, January 2003
336 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 0312877919


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

In this novel of suspense and terror we follow Thea Kozak as she intentionally puts herself in danger by immersing herself in a community of radical militia. It was the day of her wedding to Maine state trooper Andre Lemieux when word came that on his way to the wedding Lemieux had been kidnapped by a militia organization. They were demanding the release from jail of one of their members in exchange for Andrešs life. While the state police worked to find out where Andre was being held, Thea, against the advice of the police, went incognito to Merchantville, the reputed militia capital of Maine.

There in the guise of Dora, a woman on the run from an abusive husband she took a job as a waitress in the only restaurant in town. It was sometimes difficult for outspoken and feminist Thea to take on the coloration of a meek, frightened woman, but as she got to know the men of this community who all seemed to be members of the militia, acting frightened got easier and easier. The hope was that she would overhear people talking in the restaurant and she could get that information to the state police. Thea, being Thea, was not content to leave it there. Her actions took her further and further into danger.

This is an excellent depiction of someone living under constant fear and apprehension. Every word has to be examined, every action studied. Fear does singular things to people. To Thea if made her indecisive sometimes and reckless at others. As she learned more and more about what these men were capable of, the fear began to overtake her and almost paralyze her.

The character of Thea is well delineated. There are a great many inner monologues (perhaps occasionally too many) that we are privy to so that we can follow her thought processes and emotions as she tries to find safe ground and yet learn enough about the militia to ascertain where they are hiding Andre. We literally agonize with her, fear with her, and occasionally panic with her. She vacillates from being brave and assertive to being unassuming and docile. Perhaps the rapid shifts seem inconsistent, but I think a person in this kind of situation would hesitate and waver frequently.

The other characters are fairly well developed also so that we get to know the people of this town, the workers in the little cafe, the members of the militia who really believe women should stay home, cook, and have babies. It is hard for this reader to accept these attitudes although I imagine they are very accurate for many men who think they have lost control of their world.

This is an excellent representation of radical right wing groups who are economically depressed and blame the government, women, perhaps minority groups for the changes that have reduced their power and influence. The government represents all these changes and so the militia is organized to defy that government. There is a frightening scene describing two state troopers who stop in for lunch and how they are threatened and menaced by the diners. While these men in Merchantville are very frightening men, Flora makes their anger and ferocity understandable if not acceptable.

There is violence. How could there not be? But much of it happens before the book begins and there is no gleeful depiction of violence for the sake of scintillation. This book is fast reading and intriguing and I enjoyed it very much.

Reviewed by Sally A. Fellows, February 2003

[ Top ]


QUICK SEARCH:

 

Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]