Official Review: The Celibate Mouse by Diana Hockley

[debo9967]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Celibate Mouse" by Diana Hockley.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

I couldn't imagine a more eccentric title, especially for a crime thriller novel. As it usually happens, the ‘celibate’ mouse does play a pivotal role in the plot. The Celibate Mouse by Diana Hockley is the second book in the Susan Prescott series.

Facing the brunt of tragedies, on both professional and personal fronts, Detective Sergeant Susan Prescott has retreated to a small town with her young daughter, Marli, to recuperate. What should have been a peaceful stress leave at a farm, house-sitting for her relatives, turns into something which Susan wanted to steer clear off: a murder investigation. Things start going downhill, on her very first day in the rural haven, when she and Marli, along with several others, become witnesses to a murder during the sheep dog trials. The trip goes further downhill when Susan rescues an elderly lady who burdens her with an unwanted hint of a crime committed decades ago. While her professional instincts are urging her to plunge into the mystery, her personal life is further complicated with the entry of Detective Inspector David Maguire, a person who she did not want to meet ever again. Will Susan come out of her emotional turmoil to solve the case and sort out her life, or will she fall victim to a plot whose foundation was set years back?

The story is set in Australia and the author provides a handy glossary at the end of the book, to help readers unfamiliar with colloquial Australian. The author employs a combination of first person and third person perspectives to narrate the story. The story is covered from various angles, following some central characters, as well as several periphery characters. A lot of the protagonist, Susan’s, point of view is revealed through flashbacks. The author manages to pull off these different writing techniques quite smoothly throughout the novel. The primary plot is uncomplicated but has some racy twists to keep the reader interested.

What impressed me the most, was the delicate balance between the personal lives of the characters on one hand, and the edgy suspense on the other hand. Susan faces dilemmas common to females engaged in demanding professions. A reader would sympathize with the inherent patriarchy, especially in area of promotions, which Susan has to struggle with. It is a double disaster for Susan, when her hard-won professional success is in jeopardy and her family life is shattered as well, for which she blames herself.

Apart from Susan, the story circulates among the personal crises of several characters like the turbulent relationship between Susan’s twin daughters, Marli and Brittany, for instance. Fractured relationships, teenage tension, sexual harassment, retribution; the story covers all of these issues and then some more. There are cute bits of humor thrown in as well, like Susan’s extreme generosity (in my opinion) in creating makeshift homes for rodents or accepting every cat into her home that has an absentee owner.

The riveting plot, multidimensional characters, and almost flawless execution; all contribute to making this a book which is worth a second read, which is quite an accomplishment since I find it hard to re-read crime novels once the suspense is lifted. I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars, and recommend it for avid readers of crime fiction, especially the animal lovers among them who will identify with Susan’s character.

******
The Celibate Mouse
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like debo9967's review? Post a comment saying so!

[DianaHockley]

debo9967, thank you so much for your lovely review. I am so glad that you did enjoy C/Mouse! As you say the title is eccentric. I love to put an animal or two into my novels, so Fat Albert and Genevieve rate a mention in the next book in the series, After Ariel, which I am going to submit for review now

[debo9967]

Thank you I enjoyed reading your book and I'm sure After Ariel will be as engrossing as the The Celibate Mouse.

[HalcyonFlower]

Thank you for a concise and intriguing review! I'll have to keep this title in mind since it's hard to find novels that don't fit the usual archetypes.

[debo9967]

Thanks

[Amihan]

I just started reading this book and it does seem to be a real page turner. Thank you for the review. It is an assurance that this book will be interesting and complex until the end.

[bookowlie]

Nice review! The title of the book really grabbed my attention and the story looks really interesting. Adding to my long reading list.

[debo9967]

Thanks, both of you

[anonanemone]

This book sounds fascinating. Definitely going on my read list. Thanks for this descriptive review, debo! Congratulations on such an interesting book, Diana!

[debo9967]

Thank you

[Amihan]

Wow! I just finished the book. I definitely agree with the reviewer and would recommend it to anyone interested in crime with a mix of personal strands. The story is action packed but there are also a lot of tender and romantic moments. The title is indeed very witty but you'll have to read the book to find out why.

[ananya92]

Quite a quirky title. The plot certainly seems interesting, and it has a good number of positive reviews on Amazon as well. I think I'll add it to my TBR list. Thanks for the well detailed review!

[debo9967]

Thank you

[rssllue]

Very nice review! I enjoy crime fiction and animals so this one seems right up my alley!

[Tanaya]

That title is certainly attention-grabbing and I'm glad to see that the story doesn't disappoint. Sounds like my kind of book. Thanks for a great recommendation!