Seeing Is Deceiving

Ian C. Nelson is assistant director of libraries at the University of
Saskatchewan, and président de la Troupe du Jour, Regina Summer Stage.

Suzanne North’s second Phoebe Fairfax mystery confirms the promise of
her 1995 Healthy, Wealthy and Dead, which was nominated as best first
novel by the Crime Writers of Canada. Deftly paced and filled with
intriguing twists of motive and plot, Seeing Is Deceiving is a fine
contribution to the reluctant-sleuth genre.

The bracing air of Alberta brings to North’s novels enough local
color to make western audiences appreciate the home-town flavor and to
point visitors to landmarks in the Calgary environs. North has obviously
done her homework regarding the specifics of the crime scene as well: in
this case, a psychic fair, with interesting stopovers at the racetrack
and a tony beauty salon. While delivering a cornucopia of detail dear to
mystery clue-seekers, North’s heroine delights the general reader with
assorted lore and irreverent observations on music, gardening, pets,
photography, and politics of both the governmental and gender variety.
She even manages an exquisite instead-of-sex scene. It is hard not to
celebrate North’s delight with words. She has a particular flair for
chapter endings: “Laugh all you like, Cyril, but, used judiciously, a
little poison can work wonders.” Happily, North doesn’t stint on
character description for a host of principal and supporting characters,
nicely suggesting enough life in the wings for further foothills feats
from Phoebe.