Limbo

March 1, 2014

Highly educated and well regarded as an environmental expert, Jamaican Flora Smith, nonetheless, doubts herself. Capable of great love and sexuality, Flora now finds romance with Jerome Fontaine, a local divemaster and photographer 20 years her junior. His underwater videos spur her on to investigate coral reefs being dismantled to make room for cruise ships. Then, one of Jerome's fellow divers, Cliff, is shot and killed. Unable to get the authorities to pursue Cliff's death with any urgency, she instead mounts her own roundabout investigation (and it is roundabout). Jerome, meanwhile, is very focused on finding Cliff's killer, putting himself in danger. As Flora grapples with politics, corruption, and her personal life, she finally knows why Cliff died. And she decides how to make it matter. VERDICT Despite the sunny cover featuring limbo dancers, Figueroa's debut addresses the darker side of island life. Her impassioned protagonist--sensual and brilliant--makes the preservation of Jamaica her cause. The author's satirical jabs at corruption and politics contrast with her unabashed love for Jamaica and its people's history. Her mystery plot is slim, but as a midlife treatise, it shines. Patois glossary included.

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