Amazon: The Complete 13 Adventures of Detective-Lieutenant Cathy Carruthers

Jo-Anne McBride is a renewable resource specialist in Vancouver, B.C.

In the tradition of the early pulps, the newsstands are full of monthly
story magazines that carry lurid titles and catchy copy. Amazon is a
collection of such stories, and as a collection it is a tribute to the
genre. In each of the book’s 13 stories, Detective-Lieutenant Cathy
Carruthers is described as “a paradox of such outrageous beauty and
sheer physical strength and intelligence, that she seemed at times to go
beyond the pale of mortal blood and bone,” or variations on that
theme.

The charm of each story lies in the interplay between “the Amazon”
and her equally gorgeous partner, and in the clues they must unravel in
order to solve each improbable homicide. Set in an indefinite time and
in the generic city of “Metro,” the stories are unencumbered by
details that could get in the way of a fast and gritty read. Deft pacing
and the use of stereotypes instead of well-rounded characters keep each
story moving.

Certain phrases and storylines that could definitely be called
politically incorrect probably shouldn’t keep this book out of the
hands of any reader interested in the contemporary stylings of a
well-loved genre.