Enright, Tracey

PERSONAL:

Born in Dallas, TX.

ADDRESSES:

Home—New York, NY.

CAREER:

Writer, novelist, and screenwriter.

WRITINGS:

Claire Fontaine, Crime Fighter: A Novel of Life and Death—and Shoes, Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Minotaur (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Novelist and screenwriter Tracey Enright made her crime fiction debut with Claire Fontaine, Crime Fighter: A Novel of Life and Death—and Shoes. "The traditional gumshoe novel is given a Hollywood makeover," observed a Kirkus Reviews writer. Claire Fontaine is not a traditional detective, police officer, or investigator. Instead, the twenty-eight-year-old is a spoiled, bored, rich woman, albeit one with a deep curiosity and a fondness for spy gadgets. Claire believes that she would make a fine investigator. Using her father's connections, she wrangles a job with curmudgeonly middle-aged private investigator Henry Bennett, an old-fashioned detective. Bennett has reprehensible personal habits, a dreadful fashion sense, little patience for foolishness, and an iron-strong ability to ferret out clues and roust suspects. In contrast, Claire is immaculate, dressed in designer clothing, naive to the ways of the streets, and eager to crack her first case. As the pair of mismatched gumshoes explores just how many ways there are to irritate each other, they become involved in a murder investigation, searching for a serial killer who favors pretty young women. As Bennett looks for clues in the usual way, Claire trades tanning lotion and skin-care tips for promising leads. As the novel progresses, Claire shows some genuine talent for investigating, and for making a connection with the sleazy Hollywood denizens that are part and parcel of her new professional life on the streets. Adding to the mix is Claire's budding romance with her aloof but strikingly handsome next-door neighbor. Claire "is so self-absorbed and clueless that she's maddening," commented Verna Suit in a review for I Love a Mystery Newsletter. "But she's also admirable for coming up with unexpected leads. Plus, she's got heart. She grows on you. Finally, she wins you over." Enright's writing "matches the staccato pace and quick rhythms of the finest detective novels," noted the Kirkus Reviews contributor. "Solid plotting and characterization bode well for any future sleuthing adventures featuring this incongruous pair," observed a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2006, review of Claire Fontaine, Crime Fighter: A Novel of Life and Death—and Shoes, p. 481.

Publishers Weekly, April 3, 2006, review of Claire Fontaine, Crime Fighter, p. 43.

ONLINE

Entertainment Weekly Web site,http://www.ew.com/ (July 14, 2006), Jennifer Armstrong, review of Claire Fontaine, Crime Fighter.

I Love a Mystery Newsletter,http://www.iloveamysterynewsletter.com/ (December 20, 2006), Verna Suit, review of Claire Fontaine, Crime Fighter.

ReviewCentre.com,http://www.reviewcentere.com/ (April 26, 2006), Harriet Klausner, review of Claire Fontaine, Crime Fighter.

Romantic Times,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (December 20, 2006), Tara Gelsomino, review of Claire Fontaine, Crime Fighter.