Book Review: Madam Tulip and the Bones of Chance by David Ahern

This is such a fun series… I’ve read and reviewed the first two books in the series (reviews here and here), and when the author asked if I would be interested in the third, it was an easy and obvious yes. Derry O’Dell is a lovely character who finds herself in the most unusual circumstances. Said circumstances *should* by rights render the stories unbelievable. Derry has the most appalling luck, managing to stumble into violence, death, and mayhem more often than any regular human being should. Yet somehow, despite the exceptional events, the stories always feel genuine and manage to stay just this side of over-the-top in the final analysis, regardless of how many bizarre occurrences befell the crazy-fun cast along the way.

In this, the third installment, Derry once again finds herself at risk of being overshadowed by her Madam Tulip persona (the psychic character that Derry portrays for fun and remuneration, an more often than not the actual reason for the scary oddities that so often beset the actress). She also once again manages to balance herself and her alter ego, blending the skills of the two into a coherent, entertaining, problem-solving whole.

I must confess, while I think Derry is lovely and a charming protagonist, it is her parents – the indomitable Vanessa and the incomparable Jacko – who steal the show for me. It’s like Will and Grace – Derry may be the title character (well, Derry-as-Madam Tulip), but the “sidekicks” are the highlights because they are so extreme and so eccentric and so absolutely, delightfully, unfailingly sure of themselves no matter how insane their schemes or plotting. Derry is their straight-man foil, and her role as mediator is often a tap dance among landmines – and I do love to watch a good tap dance…

If you like your cozy mysteries with just enough of a mysteriously psychic spin to keep you on edge wondering what might be possible, then this is definitely a series you should check out!

My review copy was generously provided by the author. Once again, this provision did not color my review – the books are just that fun!