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Feminist Mystery Reviews STRANGE BREW Reviewed by Harriet Klausner Ex police officer turned private investigator and owner of a cleaning service, Callahan Garrity, is watching her Atlanta neighborhood dramatically change. Historically, Candler Park has been a working class neighborhood, but recently Yuppies have discovered it, driving prices up and ousting long term residents. One individual feeling the change is local toy store owner Wuvvy, whose shop is being closed to make room for a Yuppie establishment. Wuvvy feels betrayed by a relative. So when that individual is found dead, Wuvvy becomes the prime suspect. Wuvvy asks Callahan to help prove her innocence. However, before the private investigator can begin, Wuvvy's past is announced on the news. She once served ten years for murdering her wealthy spouse. Not long after that, Wuvvy's body is found, an apparent suicide victim. Callahan thinks otherwise and decides to vindicate her client, posthumously even at the cost of her own life. This sixth installment in the Callahan Garrity series is Kathy Hogan Trochek's best work to date because the novel transcends genre stereotyping with its literary appeal, reminiscent of the early works of Sharyn McCrumb. The gentrification of a working class neighborhood and the impact on its long time residents is carefully examined as an overlooked social problem. This adds to the charm of the book. There are no simple solutions in STRANGE BREW. Instead it is a thought provoking piece of entertainment.
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