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Critic's Corner
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MILICENT
Le SUEUR Reviewed by: Patricia Ann Jones I had the honor of writing a blurb for the jacket of Moseley's latest comedic mystery. When I read the book for the second time in it's lime-green, Whoop de doo jacket, it was even more fun. Moseley, born in Durant, Oklahoma and now living south of the border in Texas, is known for her offbeat but lovable characters. Her first novel, "Bonita Faye" introduced a kindly little lady with a penchant for murder. "Bonita Faye" was also a finalist for the Edgar Mystery Award. Then, Moseley tickled our funny bones and raised our adrenaline levels with her Honey Huckleberry mystery series. Now, here comes "Milicent Le Sueur" a neurotic, psychotic bag lady who will steal your heart, but never your money. Some folks where Milicent used to live (wherever that was) thought maybe she should be tested. That's when Milicent just up and moved to Portsmith, a town "just over the hills and through the valley." That's how she became the one and only bag lady in Portsmith. No one ever came looking for Millie and that suited her fine. She has no idea who she is or where she came from. Even her name is new. This she selected from a can of Le Sueur peas. Everyone in Portsmith loves Milicent and finds her colorful even though it is obvious she's a fried chicken short of a picnic. Now it's not quite true that "everyone" loves her, she has her detractors and supporters, and discovering which might just lead to bagging a killer. Moseley pulls you into the story using Milicent's sense of humor, her crazy antics like shouting at passers by "WHATCHA lookin' at?" And, her favorite saying, "Whoop de doo." Also, you learn that she has ten perfect bags she carries about, and a home of sorts between two large trees with what Milicent considers a magic rock between them. You see, every first of the month money appears under Millie's rock, and it has to be magic unless Wade Tate, Portsmith's police chief puts it there. Now is his name Wade Tate or Tate Wade? It really doesn't matter to Millie because she knows Tate is fond of her. Of course Miss Vinnie Ledbetter might be Millie's benefactor. Miss Vinnie allows Millie to sleep in her spare bedroom on cold winter nights even though Millie would prefer her trees in the park. When Millie is out of her medication and has trouble concentrating on what she's supposed to be doing or thinking she has a plan. She studies her Day-Glo shoelaces like the good folks at the hospital once taught her. Counting to ten helps, too. You will find that Millie always has a plan, and her plans although a bit murky usually work. Everything was going so well until the young high school girl got herself killed right near Millie's trees. Then, someone came up with the idea that the crazy bag lady killed the girl. When another murder occurs, the blame again falls on Millie. Millie's convoluted logic puts her way ahead of the local police in solving both murders. You find yourself "on the lam" with Millie as she outwits both the murderer and the police. She does have some help from her second-best friend, Gypsy. Gypsy is a character so finely drawn that it takes a while to discover "her" own secret. Harlan Coban, author of the Edgar Award winning Myron Bolitar series says, "Margaret Moseley's "Milicent Le Sueur is for the little schizo in all of us..." Truer words were never spoken. As I wrote in my blurb for this light hearted story with a lesson for all of us, "Moseley hits pay dirt with 'Milicent Le Sueur'. Millie is a bag lady you 'gotta love.' She's obsessive compulsive with a sprinkling of neuroses, but carries a tale loaded with humor and mystery. Best of all, 'Milicent Le Sueur' is magic in a bag!" Click Here to Order Milicent Le Sueur
(Jones is a
published writer & literary critic)
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