The Dandelion Murders

August 29, 1994
The romance that blossomed between plant pathologist Claire Sharples and botanist Sam Cooper in The Bulrush Murders begins to wilt, scattering its dreary debris throughout Rothenberg's second novel. Claire, hassled by the visit of Sam's preteen sons, escapes to the agricultural field station where she and Sam work, where she discovers an even better distraction: a dead journalist in an irrigation canal. It's the third corpse, following the bodies of two field laborers, found in a San Joachin Valley canal in three weeks. Claire's curiosity is fueled by a sense of responsibility to the journalist; when relations with Sam further deteriorate, she moves from his house to the run-down motel the writer shared with the families of field workers. While tracking the journalist's story, Claire learns how death lurks in fields dedicated to life and growth. Although some of the botanical detail slows the pace like tangled undergrowth and Sam has all the appeal of crabgrass, Claire struggles quite convincingly with her own personal development while solving the mystery behind the deaths.

September 15, 1994
Rothenberg tries to cover lots of bases in her second book. Besides presenting a convoluted murder plot, she works in women's rights, the plight of migrant workers, botany, biology, the problems of single parents, fruit-growing, ecological awareness, the environment, the negative effects of pesticides, the perils of step-parenthood, poverty, the role of women in the workplace, and infidelity. If she had successfully woven all of these minithemes into a single coherent story--a near-miraculous feat--readers and reviewers alike would be full of accolades. As it is, the story doesn't hang together very well, even though Rothenberg gets credit for her lofty ideals. Biologist Claire Sharples, who's in California on a temporary research assignment, finds herself caught in a confusing love triangle with a coworker. Then two migrant workers and a reporter are killed, and Claire's natural curiosity gets her involved in helping the local sheriff solve the puzzling murders. Better than the local cops at figuring out whodunit, Claire is less successful at resolving her love problems. Mildly interesting, but only for large collections with extra book bucks. ((Reviewed September 15, 1994))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1994, American Library Association.)