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Author: Marjorie Gosa Shivers

ISBN: 0-9744066-2-7

Marjorie Gosa Shivers’ second novel Once Is Never Enough focuses on Lester Miller, a homicide detective with the Chicago Police Department who is just going through a divorce and is in the process of changing jobs. Lester has accepted a position with the FBI in Virginia in their professional support division.

As the story unfolds, Lester receives a phone call from a police sergeant informing him that there was a drive by shooting at the home of his ex -wife, Brenda. When Lester shows up at Brenda’s home he notices Duncan Tate, whom she is dating and whom he knows to be somewhat of a shady character. Tate recently lost his wife, Jennifer, who apparently committed suicide. When Brenda questions Lester about Tate, he fails to disclose to her that Tate is bisexual and is sexually involved with a politically corrupt chap named Cecil Hawkins, although he does counsel Brenda to make sure that if she sleeps with Tate to make sure he shows her his recent HIV test results. 

We next learn that Lester was involved in an affair with Cara Fleming who was married to his good friend, Mario. At the time, Mario was separated from Cara. After dumping Lester, Cara goes back to Mario and the couple flies off on their second honeymoon to the Cayman Islands with their four-year old daughter and Mario’s mother. Everything seems to be going in the right direction between them until Cara reveals that she is pregnant with Lester’s child.

While this is transpiring, Lester receives an offer from a former long time associate of his, Sonny Newsome. Sonny now operates a private investigation firm and desperately needs someone to come and work for him on a part-time basis as his staff of full-time detectives recently quit on him. This has left him in quite a quandary, as financially his firm is bordering on bankruptcy. Luckily, he has just received two new clients who collectively have paid him an advance of twelve thousand dollars and this alone would take care of over half of his debts.  After some reluctance, Lester agrees to come to the aid of his old friend, whom incidentally once saved his life.

The first case Sonny requests Lester’s help pertains to the apparent suicide of Jennifer Tate. When Lester learns that Jennifer had left a suicide note addressed to his ex-girlfriend, Cara Fleming, he is stunned and is eager to investigate what happened to her. Lester learns that the police never checked out Jennifer’s handwriting to ascertain if she actually wrote the suicide note-something that should have been done before arriving at the conclusion that she had in fact committed suicide. Furthermore, the fact that Jennifer’s blood alcohol level was over .033 and that there was a substantial amount of antibiotics found in her was nonetheless insufficient evidence to rule out foul play.

Initially, it appears that Duncan Tate may be the culprit in Jennifer’s death, particularly considering that he seems to be quite impatient to collect the considerable proceeds from her insurance policy. However, his alibi of being elsewhere at the time of Jennifer’s death seems to stand up. Nonetheless, Lester feels some kind of an obligation to protect his ex-wife from Duncan whom he still believes is in some way involved with Jennifer’s death. Furthermore, due to his relationship with Cecil Hawkins, he may have been the reason for the drive by shooting that had taken place at Brenda’s home.

The story shifts when Duncan, who is quite aware of Cecil Hawkins dealings as a devious drug lord, decides to put an end to their relationship, particularly when he surmises that it was Cecil who was involved in the drive by shooting at Brenda’s home. Duncan tells Cecil, “You picked on the wrong house, man. She’s the ex-wife of Detective Lester Miller.” Cecil is not overjoyed about the break-up and in particular what Duncan knows about his illegal business shenanigans and warns him to watch his step. Cecil throughout the novel is depicted as a bully and a violent powder keg that could go off at any moment!

To keep her readers guessing Shivers throws in a few red herrings as we discover that Sonny’s secretary, Valerie, with whom incidentally he was involved in an adulterous affair, is dating a thug, Earl Whitmore.  Earl is also bisexual and he likewise had a relationship with Cecil Hawkins. In addition, we learn that Jennifer’s mother, Gayle Nichols received money from her boyfriend, Alderman Giles Bennett, to pay Sonny Newsome for the investigation into the death of her daughter. Adding a little more pandemonium to the plot, Giles turns out to be the long lost brother of Mario Fleming.  Eventually, Lester manages to turn all of this chaos into calm as he puts the puzzle together in finding out what really happened to Jennifer Tate.

If you are an action aficionado, you may be disappointed and find that Shivers gives away too much too soon. You may also find that the novel is hobbled by a cast of characters who seem wooden and underdeveloped. What is more, at times the dialogue sounded stiff and stilted.  These criticisms aside, Shivers is a talented writer and if you are looking for a readable low-action thriller, this novel fills the bill with its believable resolution and satisfying conclusion.  Of course, as you will find out, it does help when trying to solve a crime that the murder victim is able to talk back from the grave!

The above review was contributed by NORM GOLDMAN:  Retired Title Attorney: Editor & Publisher of Bookpleasures. Here are  Norm Goldman's Reviews       

 To read Norm's interview with Marjorie Gosa Shivers CLICK HERE