 In
the First Early Days of My Death
AUTHOR: Catherine Hunter ISBN: 0-921833-87-3
When young, unlucky Wendy Li finds herself floating above the trees and buildings of her home town Winnipeg, she immediately suspects she's been murdered by her husband's jealous ex-lover, Evelyn. But no one is aware of Wendy's spirit drifting over the city, longing to settle the unfinished business of her life. The citizens of Winnipeg are embroiled in controversy over the construction of a new casino. Wendy's psychic mother-in-law can't see a thing; her superstitious sister-in-law is afraid of ghosts; and her beloved husband is too stupid to realize what's going on--or is he? Meanwhile, the detective down the street seems more intent on attracting his own wife's attention than on seeking justice. As Wendy watches from above, she begins to fear that Evelyn will get away with murder, and that no one will remember to water the garden.
REVIEWS: "This is an elegant little novel built on the Chinese legend that those who die violently remain in spirit in the place of death until their life's business is completed. In Wendy Li's case, that means drifting about Winnipeg attempting to prove that her husband's mistress, Evelyn, murdered her. But being a ghost is more difficult than one suspects. Wendy's husband, Alika, seems too deadened with grief to realize she's about. Alika's mother, a psychic, seems suddenly blind, and his sister is afraid of spirits. The detective investigating the crime has problems of his own, and Wendy fears that she will end up as a cold case, drifting about Portage and Main for eternity. Then there's a question about just what did happen. How much does a ghost know? Is what she thinks is the truth actually the truth? In the First Early
Days of My Death proves to be well written and clever, as Wendy and her
former family move through the parallel worlds of her death and their
lives." "Reserve a spot
on your New Year's reading list for Catherine Hunter's latest novel. With
two thrillers, three collections of poetry and one spoken word recording
already behind her, this Winnipeg author continues to reveal the scope
of her rich talent. In the First Early Days of My Death is not easily categorized. Found in the mystery section of bookstores, this diminutive novel can be enjoyed on several levels. On the surface it works well as a mystery. Wendy Li is a young Winnipeg librarian. She realizes she is dead when she finds herself floating among her loved ones, receiving neither acknowledgment nor recognition. She comes to the conclusion that she has been murdered by Evelyn, her husband's jealous ex-girlfriend. Wendy hovers on the fringes of the astral plane, frustrated at her inability to help her Earth-bound friends and relatives to see to it that Evelyn is brought to justice. The premise bears a passing resemblance to Alice Sebold's current bestseller The Lovely Bones, whose murdered heroine narrates the novel from heaven. A tantalizing sub-plot involves a widely unpopular casino project and high-level corruption at city hall. The mayor is as addicted to power as his wife Louise is to gambling. To support his habit, the mayor ignores his wife. To support her habit, Louise has an affair with one of the casino investors. She trades insider information for money to play the slots. The pace is good, although the action contains less of the spookiness of Hunter's previous suspense novels. The current novel is at its most intriguing at deeper levels. On the spiritual one, it is a soothing glimpse into the transition between life and death, providing a hint of how one might view the world as one is leaving it. It is a calming reassurance that we are all redeemable, and if one's beliefs permit, recyclable. Sections of the book devoted to Wendy in her altered state are beautifully rendered: " I rose above the silver maple and looked down upon its crown," she writes. "I had never seen it for what it truly was‹a giant being, rooted to the planet, rustling and breathing." Not surprising from the pen of a poet, this novel is rife with symbols. Placed on the eyelids of the dead in some cultures, and buried with the dead in other, coins are scattered throughout the novel as symbolic of the material world. Every morning Felix, the detective, consults the I Ching. He tosses three coins for enlightenment, making choices by the way they fall. Evelyn is haunted by the ghost of her dead brother who, in life, made coins vanish with a magic kit. Louise, who can't keep coins from disappearing, seeks anonymity at every turn. But it is her face, recognized in a video [sic] shot of an anti-casino rally, that finally leads detectives to solve Wendy's case. Wendy, who spent her life seeking belonging, dies because of a momentous decision to stay home from the rally to take care of her family. She now realizes she has always been the centre of the universe for the people who really count. When readers reach the last page, perhaps they can decide: Is it chance that coincidence, the last word in the book, begins with "coin"?"
"Wendy Li knows
who her murderer is as she lies nude at the foot of her staircase under
the parka she wears. When she finds herself floating above the streets
of Winnipeg, she realizes things aren't going her way. She suspects her
husband's former lover and is not happy with the way her murder investigation
is going. Wendy is the ghostly protagonist of the new novel by Catherine
Hunter, University of Winnipeg English professor and murder mystery buff.
This time around, Hunter has created a delectable confection of ironic
humour and a sensitive heart." Other
Signature titles by Catherine Hunter: |
SHORTLISTED
FOR THE MCNALLY ROBINSON BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
ABOUT THE BOOK: