W

started listening to the Wine of Angels with high hopes. It had everything, a mystery, a cozy story, an intriguing enigmatic heroine...But frankly after the first three hours of narrator mumbling, I found myself disinterested. The author seems pre-occupied with death and suicide. The character Lowell just goes on and on about his ex, his sad life, his whiney music career, how he wants to kill himself but can't... Who cares? Likewise, Merrily who should be a tough cookie after her stint in Liverpool is so put off by overhearing someone make a rude remark about her; she throws away her cassock, and had nightmares about it? Is this author for real?

There are also long segments of story where the Merrily's daughter Janie is heavily featured. I could care less. I wanted more about the mystery, more about the main character and what is really going on in this strange small town. I also felt the author's female characters weren't feminine enough. Merrily's reactions were hysterical at some times, masculine at others. She just didn't seem real.

Overall, this novel could benefit from an editor. I gave it my best shot, but I lost interest. 2 Stars.