Lone Star    by Edward Ifkovic Order:  USA  Can Poisoned Pen, 2009 (2009) Hardcover      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Ed Ifkovic, author of Lone Star, taught literature and creative writing at a community college in Connecticut for over three decades. Fortunately for readers, he retired and took up writing fiction. Lone Star is his first offering. Given this sample of his writing abilities, we can look forward to more good reading to come. Lone Star is character driven. Novelist Edna Ferber is borrowed for this cleverly plotted story, and a cast of interesting characters people the plot. Ferber is in 1955 Hollywood for the filming of her work Giant. Mercedes McCambridge becomes her new best friend. Rock Hudson and Liz Taylor play bit parts and James Dean is the bad boy of this fun book. When an ingénue, who claims Jimmy is the father of her unborn child, is found dead by Mercy and Edna, Jimmy Dean is the main suspect. Edna is sure the police are wrong and makes it her goal to clear the name of this recalcitrant man. The plot is pure delight. What intrigued me most about this work is the manner in which the author brings each player to life. One can almost hear the sigh that escapes Jimmy Dean's pursed lips. And Mercy McCambridge inhales so deeply on her cigarette that one can almost faintly hear the intake of breath. Lone Star is a joy to read and hard to put down. I could manage it only with the hope that more of this author's work will soon be published. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews