Privilege

When I discovered that Claire Matturo, author of Skinny-Dipping, Wildcat Wine, Bone Valley, and other books, wrote another mystery, I had to order it. Along with her expertise as an attorney as to the inner workings of law firm politics and bookkeeping, the author shows the ins and outs of how law firms function and how they can go off the rails. Then there are wild plot twists to keep us in suspense. Yet she ingeniously draws every loose end together in a satisfying ending. What I appreciated most in this novel is the author’s artistry with words. For example, she details what it’s like to make love while actually treading water. Her talent as a wordsmith shows in descriptions of her character’s idiosyncrasies, like the police detective who stabs popcorn on a bar and cigarette buts in an ashtray with a paperclip. Another example is how she describes the caresses of a lover in reverential language of gentleness and pleasure. Although I usually have my eyes in a romance novel, I enjoyed reading Privilege and recommend it to all of you who crave suspenseful mysteries. This one will hook you in right away and keep you wanting to leave everything else alone to finish this book.

Privilege is a well written, fast paced crime novel. With each turn of the page, the reader feels compelled to solve the underlying mystery. The characters are, for the most part, dysfunctional and flawed, but your hope is for some redemption in the end. You must read the book to find out if this hope is realized.

I purchased the author's newest book as I enjoyed reading her others. This book is totally unlike those, but equally enjoyable. The characters are real, flawed in character and involved in high-stakes illegal operations. I am still pondering the clues and the story. I want more, please keep this story going Ms. Matturro.

This is a quickly-paced, taut thriller full of intriguing plot twists. The main characters, especially the heroine Ruby and her sometime lover, Hank, are complex, morally ambiguous, realistic, and compelling. The secondary characters, especially Billy and Luther, are also interesting. The author’s use of description is both vivid and precise. All in all, a great read!