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BURNING GARBO
by Robert Eversz
Simon and Schuster, October 2003
288 pages
$23.00
ISBN: 0743250133


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Angela Doubleday is an older movie star who has been leading a life of seclusion for a decade. Paparazzi Nina Zero has stationed herself on a hill near Doubleday's home, hoping to catch a shot of the star leaving her house. Such a photo could easily be worth $50,000 or more to the tabloids. She is assaulted by a man who destroys her camera and knocks her unconscious. When she revives, Doubleday's estate is burning. She is seen leaving the scene, and the police assume that she is an arsonist.

It's not easy to protest your innocence when you've served time for manslaughter and are on parole. As a matter of fact, the cops often have it in for you, looking to catch you in the most minor misdemeanor and nail your hide. At least, that's how it feels to Nina, and especially as she deals with a pigheaded, alcoholic arson detective by the name of Ted Claymore. He's definitely got it in for Nina, going so far as to try to plant evidence that will get her put away for a long time.

Nina desperately needs to prove her innocence. There's no way she wants to return to life in a cell. Accompanied by a stray toothless Rottweiler that has adopted her, she goes into full investigative mode. When human remains are found in the ashes, there's a possibility of a murder indictment in addition to the arson.

Dental records point to Doubleday as the victim. She had named two people as beneficiaries of her estate: her chauffeur and presumed lover, Troy Davies, was to receive a small portion of her bequest and her niece, Arlanda Cortes, would receive the rest. Would either of them have tried to hasten Doubleday's demise? Or was it one of the other suspicious characters Nina has run up against?

Eversz has created a unique and enduring character in Nina. She is achingly lonely and wary of connecting with others. Her relationship with the Rott, Baby, is the most healthy interaction she's had in years. Also particularly well-drawn is Terry Graves, Nina's parole officer. She is completely burned out after dealing with her overwhelming caseload and has no faith that any one of them will ever be able to make it in the outside world. There's an unspoken feeling that she believes in Nina in spite of herself, but she's always ready to give up on her when the situation sours. And with Nina, that is a common event. During the course of the book, she's the subject of four separate investigations, enough to try the patience of even the most empathetic parole officer.

The Nina Zero series has become one of my favorites, and I eagerly anticipate each new release. BURNING GARBO is the third book in the series, and the most serious of the bunch. Eversz shows us what life is like for an ex-con, but leavens the narrative with enough humor so that the portrayal is not grim. Nina is by no means perfect, but she really tries to live life in a good way. The reader leaves each of the books with a tentative feeling of hope, hope that somehow this woman who has been through so much will make it.

Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, August 2004

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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