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In EVIL INTENTIONS, Feng Shui practitioner Salome Waterhouse finds herself in the middle of a mystery when her beautiful Georgetown home is damaged by arson. Her old nemesis, Duncan Mah, is back as the shadowy underworld figure threatens her feeling of security and safety -- was it Mah who arranged the arson? If so, how far will he go to seek his revenge on Salome? Salomeıs Feng Shui skills are used to help almost everyone she comes in contact with and to resolve the central mystery of the novel, the death of Honey Lee, The Organizer. A wonderfully written prologue opens the mystery, describing Honeyıs murder by hanging: ³In death as in life, the Organizer looked neat and carefully groomed and still smelled of that morningıs shower.² The technical aspects of Feng Shui are well covered in the mystery and serve as a great introduction to the practical possibilities of the field. The mystery opens with a diagram of the Bagua, an octagonal shape that describes the relationship between outcomes, colors and natural symbols. The Bagua illustration is a convenient reference because Salome refers to it frequently -- she uses it to assess almost every situation and physical setting in the mystery. Various subplots are used to highlight the value of Feng Shui to realign life goals and reorganize the home. Salome helps the journalist/investigator Germaine Brilliante see that her cluttered apartment reflects her confused life. Feng Shui principles also help to justify Salomeıs ex-husbandıs decision to clear out of his new marriage and return to mystery writing. The mysteryıs subplots (domestic violence, baby boomers, and diversity) receive somewhat scattered attention and several threads seem incomplete and could add more to the arc of the mystery if more fully developed. These threads include June McGannıs abuse of housekeeper Louise Larsen and friend Germaine Brilliante and Germaineıs role in the novel after Salome hooks up again with her college friends Gabriel and Jude. Not having previous experience with Feng Shui and enjoying mysteries as a form of instruction, I found Denise Osborneıs EVIL INTENTIONS a delight to read. The protagonist Salome Waterhouse is well developed, and there is great detail about the Washington, DC setting that add interest and credibility to the narrative. Osborne writes dialogue well and her use of both dialogue and exposition are well done. Denise Osborneıs earlier Feng Shui mysteries are DESIGNED TO KILL (2003), POSITIONED TO DIE (2002) and THE DEADLY ARRANGEMENT (2001) all published by Berkley. Osborne is also the author of the Queenie Davilov series, featuring a struggling screenwriter who moonlights by doing security checks on the Hollywood film community. Enough with this review stuff . . . Iıve got to go reorganize my closets and throw things out. Thanks Denise Osborne!
Reviewed by Maureen Battistella, June 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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