Eden: A Sandra Mahoney Mystery

Dorothy Johnston

Wakefield Press South Australia, 2007

Reviewer: Claire Ryan

If your reading interest takes in crime novels, "Eden" offers a solid narrative of vice layered in political intrigue, pornography and prostitution. Sandra Mahoney, a security consultant, finds herself unexpectedly alone for the summer holidays, while her husband and children holiday with extended family. This is supposedly quiet down time in the joint computer security business she owns with her husband Ivan.

The sudden, undignified death of politician Eden Carmichael in one of Canberra's best known brothels changes her holiday plans. Sandra Mahoney mulls over his sordid death in The Canberra Times - and the photo...his eyes staring, mouth agape, dressed in a blue and white flowered silk dress and blonde wig, lying across a double bed in Margo Lancaster's Club. A short while later, a lobby group asks her to investigate a company producing filters for the Internet to reduce pornography.

Sandra meticulously sorts through a series of investigative interviews with people who all appear to have some association with Eden Carmichael. Yet, Margo Lancaster, the brothel Madam and other sex workers continually block her attempts to get to the real nature of their relationship with the Canberra politician, She even finds Eden's best friend, politician Ken Dollimore, suprisingly abivalent, so tensions arise on all fronts.

Fortunately, Sandra's good friend Detective Sergeant Brook proves to be her main "confidente". There is a bitter sweet romantic side to their relationship which builds intrigue, as Sandra examines old leads, new suspects and uncovers two other sudden deaths linked to Margo Lancaster. An attempt is made to ram Sandra's car through a concrete barrier...she is running out of time to find the missing links she's convinced lie between Clean Net the filter company, Eden Carmichael and his business associates.

Eden starts off slowly, with sparse character potrayals. HOwever, intreque gains momentum, as Sandra unravels dark secrets of business associates and prostitutes connected with Eden Carmichael's past life. Sandra Mahoney's conversational narrative drives both ambivalent tone and darkening plot to its predictable but disappointing conclusion. Altogether a light "who dun it" for that quiet, rainy Sunday afternoon rest in bed.