After a slow, simple start, this book really draws the reader in! Try not to be confused by all the characters in the beginning, there are really just 4 and they become very well developed. The story almost reminded me of Forest Gump, with the main character's (Gummie) nostalgic memories of her life. It was a great book that made me laugh, cry and really wish it could keep going. We read it for bookclub, and we all enjoyed it. It leaves the reader with a warm feeling, one of those books you want to share with a friend, and then talk about. There's alot for bookclub discussion, don't limit yourself to the reader's guide at the end of the book. Enjoy!

The stories of four unique and vibrant Minnesota mothers and daughters are told from the viewpoint of the great-grandaughter - and what a mix of gutsy women these are! Facing issues from suffrage to socialism to what constitutes a family, they involve the reader in twentieth century history as activists and role models. Most moving was the account of the family's participation in the 1995 march from Selma to Montgomery. The author mixes politics, morality, the value of work, complex relationships, the disappointments of life, and lots and lots of love into an engrossing novel. The characters carry some mystery about them, but what you'll remember is each woman's courageous individuality.

I love this book! The characters are rich and the story is full and very well written. Looking forward to a sequel so we can see what happens to Maddie ....

A PC primer disguised as fiction. I'm all for left-wing politics and social responsibility, but not when it's couched in bland prose and communicated by dull and mildly annoying characters.

What a shame when "feminist" literature becomes all feminist and no literature. Joan Drury gives us a dazzling array of all that's politically correct (and provides one handy punching-bag character to epitomize all that's not) while only occasionally venturing into the area of compelling mystery or quality prose. Lucky thing that not all liberated women are as one-dimensional and self-congratulatory as hers--if they were, I might prefer to strand myself on an island with a crowd of John Birchers instead.

When Tyler Jones receives an invitation to spend the weekend getting reacquainted with her five college buddies, she accepts immediately. Their rendezvous will be on an isolated island in Puget Sound owned by the family of one of her friends. As they arrive to be shuttled out to the island, a fierce storm breaks over their heads. By the time they reach the island, it is raging. It doesn't take long for the storm to cut off telephone communication with the mainland. When Tyler is walking her dog, she discovers a body that at least two of her friends know and dislike. Suspicion threatens to turn friends into enemies as the weekend progresses. Almost as disconcerting is that Tyler learns that she really doesn't even know the women she's spending the weekend with. As each new revelation reveals someone new her, Tyler works on solving the murder and keeping them all alive. The author is an award-winning author, and she proves why here. This is a book you'll want to savor on a rainy night in front of fire. Each character is finely drawn, with each having likable - and unlikable - characteristics. You're sure to find yourself hoping it wasn't Teddie, or it just couldn't be Grace, or please don't let it be Rachel. By the time you finish this book, you'll find your self searching for Joan Drury's other books.

It's true there are interesting aspects to this book, but it's simply badly written. I'm not the only person of my acquaintance who's abandoned this book because of the substandard writing. (One friend actually took the book back to the store in disgust.) Maybe mystery readers--and reviewers--generally have lower expectations for prose quality. Still, I can think of several examples of mystery novels that sucessfully combine good stories with good writing. This is not one of them. (I also found the story overblown, its contrivances too obvious, its dialogue often clumsy. But what's most irritating is the writing.)

My mother first stumbled across this book in the library. Her review? "She's no Sue Grafton, that's for sure." I picked it up when vacationing on the north shore of Lake Superior, which is where the novel is set. My own review? Writing that makes you wince isn't acceptable even for desultory "summer reading." Stick with Sue Grafton, Ellen Hart, and the like.

The dying mother of San Francisco newspaper reporter and amateur detective Tyler Jones makes her daughter swear a death bed promise that she will return to their Minnesota roots to "shake the skeletons in the closet" and learn the truth. With the death of her mother, at 39 Tyler feels a bit alone. Her sister Magdalene will barely talk to her because she and her conservative spouse do not wish to expose their children to the family lesbian. The will is read and Tyler gets her mother's entire estate. Magdalene blames it all on her sibling's lesbianism, a sexual preference of their mother's attorney also. In truth, their mother's decision was only to counterbalance their father's decree to disown Tyler years ago due to her lesbian inclination. For Tyler, honoring her mother's last wish is important because her mother had accepted her as she is. Tyler, with her dog Aggie returns to her grandparents' hometown on the shore of Lake Superior with no real idea what her mother wanted her to learn. As she gets reacquainted with old friends, Tyler realizes that her family has passed down through the generations many lies and half-truths wrapped up in mystery and legend. The community, especially the males, remain silent and refuse to answer Tyler's inquiries. With the help of some strong women, Tyler begins to put together a history of misogyny and prejudice festering inside the hearts and minds of many of the local residents. SILENT WORDS is an interesting entry into the mystery genre. Joan M. Drury brilliantly and colorfully explores family relationships, interactions between neighbors, and sexual phobias (especially homophobia) that makes readers want to relook their own personal beliefs and relationships. Regardless of the audience's gender or sexual preference, Tyler Jones, in her second outing, is one of the better amateur female sleuths in nineties literature. Harriet Klausner -----