Garden Stake
by Jon Sedges
I’d never read a comic whodunnit before, but the thought of mixing humor with murder seemed intriguing. I’m so glad I gave Jon Sedges’s Garden Stake a chance; I couldn’t stop laughing! Sedges is a very observant, thoughtful writer, painting characters do vivid you’re convinced you’ve actually met them. His tone has a distinctive style, and while I really enjoyed it, I recognize that some might not take to the sarcastic tone. Pollyanna, feel free to stick with your cozy mysteries.
The title itself satirizes New Jersey, the Garden State. Set in a quiet Jersey suburb, a very unpopular principal is murdered and found impaled by a garden stake. As the community buzzes with different theories, human nature is exposed. One woman wants to appear attractive to her husband just so she can have the satisfaction of rejecting him. Another lies about a home repair emergency to seduce her neighbor. Embarrassing quirks like suffering from jock itch or repeating, “I swear to God,” every few sentences make everyone very realistic.
Read the first few pages and see if you like Jon Sedge’s style. If you like the beginning, you’ll love the rest of the book. I was hooked at the second paragraph, when he described the typical “Americana” suburb’s residents: “mothers who would kill to get their kids into Gifted and Talented programs even though it would take an electron microscope to find any evidence of a single gift or talent; candidates who run for mayor with funny slogans like ‘I won’t do anything to get indicted,’ and then get elected and indicted; girls who buy three-hundred-dollar presents for their best friends and then steal their boyfriends.
The title itself satirizes New Jersey, the Garden State. Set in a quiet Jersey suburb, a very unpopular principal is murdered and found impaled by a garden stake. As the community buzzes with different theories, human nature is exposed. One woman wants to appear attractive to her husband just so she can have the satisfaction of rejecting him. Another lies about a home repair emergency to seduce her neighbor. Embarrassing quirks like suffering from jock itch or repeating, “I swear to God,” every few sentences make everyone very realistic.
Read the first few pages and see if you like Jon Sedge’s style. If you like the beginning, you’ll love the rest of the book. I was hooked at the second paragraph, when he described the typical “Americana” suburb’s residents: “mothers who would kill to get their kids into Gifted and Talented programs even though it would take an electron microscope to find any evidence of a single gift or talent; candidates who run for mayor with funny slogans like ‘I won’t do anything to get indicted,’ and then get elected and indicted; girls who buy three-hundred-dollar presents for their best friends and then steal their boyfriends.