Queen's Court
Author: Edward O. Phillips
Published: 2007
Genre: Fiction
About Queen's Court: Louise Bingham is recently widowed and moving back to Montreal.
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Review of Queen's Court
Louise Bingham is recently widowed and moving back to Montreal.
A word or two of explanation might be in order, as I appear to be playing the tape backwards. Most Canadians in their sixties daydream of moving to Victoria, with its balmy climate and near absence of the harsher realities of winter. My late husband, Walter Bingham, had done just that; and I went along readily as both our children, his daughter and my son by earlier marriages, lived in Vancouver. The ineluctable fact remained that you can take the girl out of Montreal but you can't erase the memory of that vibrant city from the girl. I may no longer be the girl, but I never ceased to miss the place where I was born and raised.
...from page 2
But things in Montreal aren't quite as wonderful as she hoped. Her new neighbour seems less than trustworthy, her cousin is demanding a lot of her time, and there's a minor mystery to be solved involving some missing antiques.
I liked Louise and enjoyed spending time with her but some aspects of her character didn't ring true. I found it hard to believe that a woman would refer to a man as "a dish" and say things like, "Even though I drank scotch and got a little drunk, I managed not to blot my copybook", and then turn around and say, "I would have enjoyed another morning fuck". It was jarring and did not fit.
I liked the descriptions of the people, places, food, and other things although the supporting characters were one-dimensional. There was an endless supply of clever sayings which I found funny at first, ("Most of the female agents I have met in the past struck me as women who were too old to turn tricks, so they drifted into real estate, faute de mieux*.") but there were so many, they became a bit tiresome.
I seem to have a lot of complaints but the writing was good for the most part and I did enjoy reading the book. I didn't love it though.
* for lack of anything better
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Reviewed by Lynn Bornath on 20 June 2010.
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Added 30 June 2010.
Updated 23 August 2013.