Naked Came the Phoenix by Talley, Marcia - 2002

St. Martin's Minotaur, 2002. Paperback. Very Good. An all-star lineup of 13 women mystery authors has produced one madcap, mur derous tale in the same serial fashion as Naked Came the Manatee (1996). To some extent, position determines each contributor's role, but each author has ample opportunity to display her unique talents. Nevada Barr, who leads off, deserves credit for introducing heroine Caroline Blessing; her surpri sing mother, Hilda Finch; and several more of the zany inhabitants of Phoen ix Spa, snuggled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. J.D. Robb, in the number two spot, wastes no time shifting the plot into gear with the murde r of the spa's flamboyant owner, Claudia de Vries. Those who follow (Nancy Pickard, Lisa Scottoline, Perri O'Shaughnessy, J.A. Jance, Faye Kellerman, Mary Jane Clark, Marcia Talley, Anne Perry, Diana Gabaldon and Val McDermid ) each get a crack at muddying the waters or putting a new spin on an alrea dy dizzy character or in some cases, adding a new victim to the growing pil e. Lucky 13 Laurie King dazzles by weaving a prettily finished quilt from t he motley patches created by her comrades. Readers will relish the resultin g comic soap-opera murder mystery, taking especial pleasure in watching the se pros deftly recast a scene, a clue or a character to keep the story roll icking along.