Crime fiction that comes from a unique perspective

Devil’s Breath by Jill Johnson, Black & White Publishing, $37.95 .. .. .. ..

.. .. .. Eustacia Amelia Rose is a Professor of Botany whose field of expertise is botanical toxicology. In layman’s terms she describes this as the study of poisonous plants.

When the story begins, she is living alone in her little flat with its roof garden. Because of an unfortunate incident, her position in the university has been terminated.

Continuing in her much loved field of interest Eustacia has developed her roof garden into a garden of poisonous plants. She has also built herself a small greenhouse, where she is studying the science of antidotes for these poisons. This is a secret venture.

Eustacia has had a rather sad life. Her mother skipped off shortly after she was born. Her father, a renowned astronomer, gave away his career to bring up his baby daughter although he continued with his love of astronomy, developing a similar passion in his daughter.

When the story opens Eustacia’s father has been dead for a year. Eustacia, very clever but definitely showing signs of Asperger’s syndrome, does not cope with his loss. Her erratic behaviour after his death is underlined by the unfortunate incident in her lab.

She is now living alone and still symptoms of her behaviour are reinforced by these behaviours. She dresses only in her father’s clothes and is living as a recluse.

Many years ago she became infatuated with a new student. This was initially reciprocated but came to a quick conclusion when the student became involved with another colleague who swept her away. Eustacia detested this colleague. Her father had tutored her in emotions and how to respond to them. She still found it too difficult to hide the emotion she was experiencing towards this colleague.

In her roof garden Eustacia has set up her father’s powerful telescope. She has continued her love for astronomy, finding it somewhat comforting.

On a whim one evening, she focuses her telescope on the flat below. There is a beautiful young girl below. Why are these three different men visiting her? She tries to develop a friendship with this girl.

An incident she witnesses worries her as the young girl appears to have disappeared. She rings the police. Unfortunately the police officer was the same officer who had dealt with the earlier incident and he dismisses her concerns as he feels she is exhibiting the same bizarre behaviours.

Eustacia sets out to solve the mystery of the missing girl herself.

For more, read the story.

I found this crime/mystery novel absolutely fascinating and I could not put it down.

I have read countless detective stories but never one quite like this. The author has captured beautifully the sadness of a character who has never had any maternal feeling shown to her, is lost without her father, the one stable figure in her life, her career ruined and now, while still feeling a victim, is struggling to start again.

I could not put it down until I had finished it. If I had one criticism, I would say at times it felt a little bit rambling, but on reflection that might well have been the author’s intention.

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