Frances Oliver, the "deathmaiden" of Francisco's captivating first novel, helps ease the passage of the corporeal body to the other world, but only when the spirit is ready to make the journey. When young Tomas, a terminally ill boy in Frances' care, is suddenly taken by paramedics to a hospital where his organs are harvested, Frances suspects foul play. Reacting with soul deep anger, this 40-something computer-and-TV-spurning woman transforms herself into a sleuth to unravel the mystery. Oliver's journey takes her from contemporary L.A. and the unsettling business of organ "recovery" to the shadowy world of smuggled antiquities and, eventually, deep into the rebel-controlled Mexican mountain village where Tomas was born.
The plot is subtle and it takes a long time to reach its conclusion,it offers twists and turns; but it's Frances' soul reflections and inner struggle that drive the book, as well as an exploration of the meaning of medicine and the value of death.
I purchased this book in a Greenwich Village NYC mystery bookstore that was not much larger than the average bedroom, tucked down under an antique shop. The clerk was a goth chick college student who knew her mystery books. I threw a few names that aren't real famous, but are very good at her and she led me right to the books. She had this one waiting on the counter for me when I strolled back up. She told me that Ruth Francisco is going to be really famous and that this book was absolutely wonderful. She was dead on about the latter, I hope she's right about the former. ( )