Irene Allen

Altho I have attended Quaker meetings in the midwest, this book was written in a vein of stiff uprightness that made me so uncomfortable during the year I lived in Pennsylvania. Perhaps I am just not used to mysteries that are slow and thoughtful. I understand the self-examination that allowed Elizabeth to consider where the Meeting went wrong in not offering support to its members which would have prevented the murder. Still, I won't be keeping this volume.

I really liked the Cambridge location and the descriptions of August. Elizabeth was an interesting character. Her faith, and the way others lived out their faith, was a big, distinctive part of the book.

Elizabeth Elliot is a widow and Clerk of the local Quaker meeting, handling congregational daily activities and acting as leader for the community. On one day she heads for the house of a couple who are about to be evicted because their house was siezed by the IRS due to non-payment of taxes, taxes they refused to pay because they believed that it was against their principles to pay for war. What she finds when she gets there is Hope Laughton in a pool of her own blood. In order to clear show more herself Elizabeth has to get involved in the investigation.

It's a very interesting read, exploring a lot of details about the lives and beliefs of Quakers and it made me think a lot about where my taxes go. Thankfully the Irish Army are largely engaged in peacekeeping around the world and no war.

It's a quiet book that has a gentle look at the way a community copes with disaster. I do want to look for more by this author! show less

Elizabeth Elliot, sixty-something clerk of the Friends meeting in Cambridge, Mass, happens to be in the meetinghouse when Janet, a Harvard student who attends meeting occasionally, needs someone to talk to. Janet has been sexually harassed by her advisor and doesn't think she can return to her lab or school. Elizabeth forms a strong bond with Janet and helps her begin dealing with her problem. Then Janet's advisor is murdered in the lab, and Janet, who has filed a formal complaint, is a show more leading suspect. Convinced of Janet's innocence, Elizabeth helps her by pursuing other angles.

We get an interesting view of Elizabeth's life. She is a widow who has been called to the clerk's position and is clearly a bit of a go-getter. Allen's portrait of upper-middle-class New England Quakers seems pretty accurate from the little I know (I have more exposure to southern Friends, including my wife's family).

The style of the story is irritating in several places and did detract from my enjoyment of the book. The story seems to leave out some critical bits of flow and just get to the next place it needs to be. Recommended only for those interested in an example of portraying Quaker life. show less