Helen Hath No Fury

July 3, 2000
In a touching preface, Anthony Award-winner Roberts explains that her 10th mystery to feature spinster teacher Amanda Pepper is largely a tribute to a book group friend who died in a bicycle accident. In the novel proper, Amanda has belonged to a book discussion group for about a year when the unthinkable happens: one of the group's most vocal members, Helen Coulter, falls to her death from the rooftop garden of her grand, four-story house on Philadelphia's historic Delancey Street. When Helen's death is ruled a suicide, Amanda is suspicious, since Helen had just castigated the heroine of Kate Chopin's The Awakening for committing suicide. With the aid of her friend and fellow book group member Susan Hileman, Amanda discovers some disturbing facts about Helen's life. At the same time, Amanda is worrying about a 15-year-old student, Petra Yates, who has confided that she's pregnant and that her family will disown her if she tells them. Then Petra disappears. Torn by self-doubt over the wisdom of her actions, Amanda goes looking for Petra while seeking justice for Helen. Established fans will be happy to note that after Amanda's beau, homicide cop C.K. Mackenzie, finally reveals his first name to her, their relationship enters a new phase. Roberts skillfully negotiates some rather tricky emotional waters in this new addition to a series notable for its smooth mix of traditional mystery conventions with the darker underpinnings of modern crime fiction. Agent, Jean Naggar.