Blood and Groom (Sasha Jackson)

by Jill Edmondson

Someone in Toronto has murdered nearly bankrupt art dealer Christine Arvisais's groom-to-be. Former rock band singer and neophyte private investigator Sasha Jackson lands the case because she's all... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1554884306
• ISBN13: 9781554884308
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Dundurn Pr Ltd
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Street-smart and crafty

Sasha Jackson is a street-smart, crafty and thoroughly original denizen of Toronto. In her first published novel, Jill Edmondson has created a P.I. who evokes the age-old noir style urban lone wolf looking for justice amidst the gray fog of moral ambivalence - updating Marlow and Spade with a modern, peppy edge. Sasha's job is to dig up the truth about an unsolved murder among Rosedale's blue bloods, but like the proverbial onion, each layer that she peels away uncovers even darker plots hidden behind this mystery. No one, and especially not Sasha's clients, can be trusted; the deck is stacked against her, and someone out there is playing for keeps and offering no consolation prizes. Sasha succeeds in unmasking the hidden culprit by employing all of her pluck and smarts, a sharp tongue and a very lucky choice in underwear. The ending is a gem because it has a truly surprising twist that is well worth the ride. Along the way Sasha takes us on a whirlwind tour of Toronto, especially some of the city's better drinking spots, like the Wheat Sheaf and the Pilot, along with some not so upright watering holes, wherein the city's underbelly dwells. Just as Raymond Chandler gave us a "Chandleresque" L.A. of his age, so I see this as the first installment of an "Edmondsonesque" Toronto for ours. I recommend Blood and Groom to anyone who likes a good mystery and intriguing characters. I hope we get to see more of Sasha Jackson in the near future.

Marriage and Murder

Jill Edmondson's BLOOD AND GROOM is truly a fun read. The pace is quick, the tone is light, the action interesting, and the characters well-drawn. Writing with a refreshing female perspective, Edmondson keeps you turning the pages right to the end. As a by-product, there are excellent descriptions of many Toronto neighbourhoods and specific locales. There are sections of sardonic wit, some extremely humourous passages and, of course, several murders to keep things spicy. The main character, Sasha Jackson, sounds very realistic in her reactions and thought patterns, and her sense of humour is evident throughout. We get to know Sasha quite well, as the book is written in the first person, from her point of view. I think that this is Edmondson's first published novel, and I sincerely hope that there will be more forthcoming.