Reviews

CRITICAL REVIEWS

For ASHES TO WATER       Reader Reviews appear below.

BY BOB MASINGALE bmasingale@nctimes.com North County Times - Californian | Posted: Monday, September 20, 2010 10:47 am

Ashes to Water Author 'Scary Good' in Debut

**** (out of four)

Irene Ziegler likes to tell fans on her website that she's a perfect parallel parker and "the voice you love to hate" on GPS cell phones.

Now we can add her dazzling debut novel, "Ashes to Water," to the list of things to love about this Richmond, Va., actress/playwright.

Ziegler is scary good in "Ashes," a double whodunit riddled with fantastically flawed characters hiding behind all sorts of lies and secrets in a small Florida town where everyone's in everyone's business or back pocket.

And as if that's not enough, someone's lighting up houses under construction near the town lake.
Murder, arson, the sweltering Florida heat and humidity: It's a smorgasbord of evil that would push anyone and any town to the edge.

"Ashes" is set in the '80s, in the gossipy village of DeLeon, where Annie Bartlett has been called home to bury her murdered father ---- the apparent victim of his oar-swinging girlfriend, Della, a near dead-ringer for Annie's late mother.

Annie reluctantly decides to help Della by looking for the real killer, both because she's inexplicably drawn to this mysterious woman who looks like her mother and because she's buying what Della's selling ---- that she's being framed.

Before long, though, Annie realizes that her prying has made lots of people uncomfortable and that her dead parents may have harbored a few sordid secrets of their own.

It's hard to believe this is Ziegler's first full-length novel ---- she has written plays and non-fiction books before this ---- because she spins such a mesmerizing tale, folding and unfolding layers of her byzantine plot like berries in batter.

She's also seriously good with dialogue and lyrical, spot-on prose, using deceptively simple lines like "Her life, like a flatsided rock, skipped from tragedy to tragedy" to add depth and dimension to characters that pop off the page.

As a result, the book is steeped in wonderfully nuanced characters: a dangerously bad-to-the-bone boyfriend, a Golden Boy firefighter, a my-way-or-the-highway judge and her odd-duck developmentally disabled son, a bellicose Miccosukee Indian developer, the brassy, bosomy owner of a popular diner, and an up-against-it sister.

And then there's Annie, who occasionally engages an apparition of her dead mother in revealing mother-daughter conversations like it's as right as rain.

It's all great fun in what is as much a whodunit as a whyfor, as much a murder mystery as an exploration of the tricky, fragile nature of relationships.

The rapidly rising body count leading up to the final pages feels almost Shakespearean, where circumstance and chance and fate weigh heavily in who lives and who dies. (And, actually, it's a good thing Ziegler ran out of story after nearly 400 pages, because another 50 and there may not have been anyone left standing in DeLeon. Hello, "Hamlet"!)

Ziegler has crafted an entertaining, nearly flawless read, unless you really want to quibble about a slightly incredulous, tension-ratcheting turn of the screw at the end that doesn't detract from the story. Although "Ashes" is essentially a sequel to Ziegler's "Rules of the Lake" ---- a collection of short stories about Annie's character-forming adolescent years ---- you don't need to read "Rules" first.

Fair warning: This isn't a book you can set aside easily for TV or dinner or time with the family or anything else, because Ziegler doesn't pad her pages with superfluous, boring passages like too many of today's readers-be-damned, self-indulgent authors. There just aren't many jumping-off points.

Good for her. Good for us.

Bob Masingale is a city editor for the North County Times, and a frequent contributor to Goodreads.com, where this review first appeared.
"Ashes to Water"
**** (out of four)
Author: Irene Ziegler
Publisher: Five Star
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 398
Price: $25.95

Copyright 2010 North County Times - Californian. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

****

Posted On: 7/6/2010 
Goodnight Irene 
Author translates life in the new “Ashes to Water.” by Valley Haggard 

Irene Ziegler’s new book is part whodunit and part character study. “I love it when I read a character and can tell so much about who they are by the way they talk.”

Irene Ziegler knows dialogue, dialect and how to create a scene that compels you to flip the page in a hurry. An actor and a playwright, she’s used all of the well-honed tricks of her trade to write her seventh book and first novel, “Ashes to Water” (Five Star, $25.95).

“I think it’s inevitable that one informs the other,” says Ziegler, who’s had roles in numerous plays, television series and movies, including “The Contender” and “GI Jane.” Author of the play “Full Plate Collection,” and founder and director of Virginia Arts and Letters Live, Ziegler is adept at translating life — and fiction — onto the page and the stage. “I love it when I read dialogue and can tell so much about who character is by the way she talks.”

Think “The Wire,” 1980s-style, before cell phones or the Internet, and set in Hades. “Ashes to Water,” deemed a “pitch-perfect literary thriller” by acclaimed Southern writer Pinckney Benedict, is the sequel to “The Rules of the Lake,” a collection of short stories that Ziegler published in 1999. Suicide, murder, arson, ghosts, evil spirits and drug addiction play starring roles alongside the feisty but troubled sisters Annie and Leigh Bartlett, who live in the fictional town of DeLeon, Fla. It’s a place that’s based on Ziegler’s hometown of DeLand.

“A lot of it was semiautobiographical, and then I got better at making things up,” she says. “I used the setting and then imposed the relationships and conflicts. My father is not a feckless womanizer and my mother is still alive. But I did grow up on a lake and I did live next to a pedophile.”

Moved by the fires that ravaged Florida every summer during the early part of this decade, a family member who struggled with addiction and the bitter divorce of a close friend, Ziegler gives as much weight to the fast-paced detective whodunit as to the internal struggles of her characters. Pyromaniacs and firefighters, womanizers and women scorned, dope fiends and recovering alcoholics, Seminole Indians and land-starved developers all have their secrets, their motives and their days following the mysterious lakefront murder of Ed Bartlett.

What began with a tightly wrought 32-page outline that took Ziegler two years to write, two years to sell and a year and a half to put into print, deviated from course. “Round about page 18,” she says, “the book went its own direction and I let that happen. It sounds so disingenuous to me when writers say, ‘the characters just take over.’ The characters don’t just take over. You have to make choices and I made choices grounded in solid scene building.”

“Ashes to Water” finds its resolution, but it certainly isn’t packaged neatly with any sort of shiny bow. “I am fond of the story where the evil forces do, in a way, win, but they’re harder to write because you have to make sure it’s still extremely satisfying,” the author says. That Ziegler has begun scheming about how to turn her sequel into a trilogy is satisfying indeed.

Irene Ziegler will read and sign “Ashes to Water” at Fountain Bookstore on July 13 at 6:30 p.m. and at Page Bond Gallery on July 21 from 6-8 p.m.

By JAY STRAFFORD | TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Published: June 27, 2010

MYSTERIES
Anyone who has lived in a small town knows that the Norman Rockwell veneer is just that -- an idyllic façade covering a multitude of sins.

Richmond actress, playwright and author Irene Ziegler, who was raised in Florida, peels the surface away in her first novel, Ashes to Water (394 pages, Five Star, $25.95).

Annie Bartlett grew up on a lake near DeLeon (read DeLand), Fla. When she was 9, her mother committed suicide by drowning in the lake. Neither Annie nor older sister Leigh got along with their dad, and both left as soon as they could. Annie's now 28, a photographer in Michigan and engaged. When she gets a call that her father has been murdered, she travels to Florida intent on a quick funeral and a quicker departure.

But that's before she learns that the main suspect is her father's girlfriend, Della Shiftlet, who claims innocence and asks Annie for help. And before Leigh -- beautiful, addicted Leigh -- blows into town. And before Annie runs into old boyfriend Pete Duncan, Della's court-appointed lawyer.

Meanwhile, an arsonist is torching houses built by a powerful and ambitious Miccosukee Indian, and a judge's mentally disabled son is suspected in the fires. And Annie decides that with so much in doubt and in limbo, she'll stand and fight.

The characters are fleshed in different degrees, but Annie is instantly memorable: strong, troubled and fully human.

Ziegler's prose displays a flair for the lyrical: "As she rowed with bandaged hands, the hem of Annie's long, white dress brushed the bottom of the boat. The air smelled burnt, but the sky was the bright blue of Greek pottery, and the high, hot sun beat down on Annie's head."

And the gritty: "Annie slowly moved her knees beneath her. Dizzy, she grasped what felt like a metal shelf leg to steady herself, and, sweaty with shock, her hand stuck. Blind, bleeding and freezing, she cried out for Camp, darkness absorbing her cries in its sticky coat."

"Ashes to Water" works on so many levels -- the troubled parent-child relationship, the tension between Anglos and Native Americans, the bad choices we sometimes make in the pursuit of love -- that the reader has much to digest. And Ziegler, in addition to laying out a dandy whodunit, accurately portrays the devastation wrought on Old Florida by New Florida, an acre at a time.

 For RULES OF THE LAKE

"Sparkling...excellent title story...Ziegler's dry wit and facility with metaphor offer a visceral evocation of a not-so-sunny childhood. —Megan Harlan, New York Times Review of Books

"Ziegler's lyrical prose strikes exactly the right bittersweet note here. She has an uncanny ability to see the worl as a child sees it, to let the audience infer truths about these characters and their lives beyond what the child-narrator is capable of articulating. Simply put, Rules of the Lake is a treasure."—Ron Carter, Richmond Times-Dispatch.

"These fine stories throb with the look and feel and smell of a fully imagined place, and ache with the tensions of family love and hate, rebellion and failure and loss. Each gathers strength from the others until they form a complete and satisfying whole." —Ellen Douglas, author of Can't Quit You, Baby.

"Rules of the Lake is a string of pearls. I love the heroine of these stories. She's funny, daring, quick-witted, and big-hearted. She's as sharp as Holden Caulfield (but less mopey), as tough a cookie as one of Margaret Atwood's schoolgirls, and as eager for life as Tom Sawyer. This book is a real find." —John Casey, author of Spartina, National Book Award Winner.

"Irene Ziegler takes us by the hand and guides us expertly through the bittersweet life of a courageous young girl and her star-crossed family. This series of interlocking stories combines the energy and insight of short stories with the depth and development of a novel. The lake, its rules and those whole lives have been changed by it seem so real you'll need to put on suntan lotion and mosquito repellant before you read it." —Howard Owen, author of Littlejohn.

"Painful, heartrending and funny. An impressive debut by a fine new writer." —Lois Battle, author of Storyville.

READER REVIEWS 

Ashes to Water by Irene Ziegler is a mystery which reads like a mixture of a Shakespearean tragedy and an Agatha Christie Miss Marple Mystery...

           -See full review at A Books Blog http://bit.ly/dzwSOo

I've been aching to read an adult novel, but wanted to make sure that whatever I chose would really resonate with me. In other words, I needed a soul searching novel. That is what I hoped to find in Ashes to Water.

My Thoughts:

In a world that is completely filled with books, piled up in multiple warehouses and waiting for a home, it is difficult for an author like Irene Ziegler to shine. As I am sure you all know by now, I am a huge fan of uncovering those hidden shining gems and sharing them with you! Ashes to Water is without a doubt my favorite hidden gem this year. If the following review happens to make no sense and ends up entirely filled with ramblings, it is only because I still cannot seem to wrap my mind around how much I fell in love with this book. Let us begin shall we?

One of my absolute favorite parts about reading adult literature is being able to connect with the characters on a much deeper level. As much as I adore Young Adult books, I am past the point in which I resonate with those characters in my current life. They can remind me of what I once was, but only adult characters can actually show me who I may or may not want to be. Does that make sense? I hope so.

That being said, Annie is such a fantastic protagonist in this story. Her life as a whole is laid out in this story, and Irene has no qualms with sharing the less than favorable parts about who Annie is. As a character with understandable flaws, she was so easy for me to connect with and I fell in love with her instantly. From the first page I was completely invested in who she was and what she wanted to be. Sweet Annie, a photographer who loves her mother and cannot seem to let her go. Flawed Annie, who needs love and reassurance and is not always sure where to go to find it. I adored her! She made the book for me, and sticks with me even after finishing it. If she were a real person, I do believe she and I would get along quite well.

On the flip side we have Annie's sister Leigh. The yin to Annie's yang, Leigh projects herself as a self assured and confident female figure. Only when you read on do you begin to see the cracks in her shiny exterior, and as the story progresses they just grow more and more defined. Leigh definitely makes her fair share of bad decisions throughout the story. However she is written so that it is hard not to feel for her as a person. She knows the decisions that she makes aren't always the most intelligent, but she only stops to ponder them after they have been made. Leigh knows she needs help. That alone makes her favorable in my eyes.

Lest I make this book sound like some self help book, I must add that on top of all of the inner dialogue is a beautiful and well paced story line. Irene shines in her ability to write a story that will keep you guessing! There is both an arsonist and a murderer on the loose, and it has turned Annie's small hometown completely upside down. People begin to suspect one another, and no one is sure that they actually "know" one another anymore. One part mystery, one part introspective story, this is exquisite book that will stay with me for a long time. Page turner is an understatement. 

If you haven't decided that you must read it by now, I will leave you with this. There is a twist. Yes, a delicious twist at the end that will make your mouth gape open and possibly leave you wanting to applaud. I need a copy of both this book and the prequel. Stat.

                                   -Jessica, "A Fanatic's Book Blog" http://afanaticbookblog.blogspot.com

Because I had really enjoyed Ms. Ziegler's earlier book "Rules Of The Lake," a novel-like series of connected short stories, I acquired a pre-release softback copy of ASHES TO WATER and dove right in. No space here for details or plot, but it is a murder mystery. I like to think my intuition is good. I can stay ahead of Dan Brown, for what it's worth, but not so with snooping out the killer in this contemporary yarn. Characters are lovingly drawn, totally believable, and elicit responses from us that make us keep turning pages. With a nice tight page turner like Ziegler's ASHES TO WATER, I like to force myself to put it down at a chapter end no more than 50 pages a sitting. It's that way with delicious things. In the last few years that has happened only with "Cold Mountain", "The Poisonwood Bible" and "The People of the Book," heady company.

 -J. Alan Sader, Richmond, VA

Ziegler does a fabulous job...great descriptions, wonderful plot, perfect timing, great arc, fascinating and full characters, natural dialogue...the whole thing adds up to a PAGE TURNER!

          -Emyl Jenkins, author of The Big Steal.

Ashes to Water strikes the perfect balance between page-turning thriller and pitch-perfect literary novel. A marvelously accomplished piece of writing, pulsing with rich characters and lush landscape.

-Pinckney Benedict, author of Town Smokes and Wild Bleeding Heart.

Ashes to Water is a compelling and nuanced novel with a rich and complex character at its center.  Irene Ziegler is an extremely talented writer who has gone straight to my must-read list.

-Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Good Scent From a Strange Mountain, and Tabloid Dreams.

Ziegler is a very able storyteller, and her instincts don’t seem to falter; she’s able to balance romance, suspense and heartbreak very effectively. When you finish the book you’ll be fond of Annie and wondering what’s going to happen to her next; and oddly, just as fond of her difficult, wounded sister, Leigh, who Ziegler has brought just as fully to life as she has Annie.  I hope there will be a second installment at some point, as these are characters I could happily read about again.

                                   -Robin Agnew, Aunt Agatha's Mystery Bookstore

Irene Ziegler paints a vivid picture of small-town characters and weaves an intriguing story from the very first page to the bitter-sweet end. You will feel the cool breeze flowing over Willow Lake as well as the icy glares from Pier Diner patrons. This is a book for your must-read list."

                                  -Margaret Oleska, The Richmond Books Examiner.

...brings a new and skillful voice to the mystery scene... Ziegler's tight plot, deft descriptions of mood and place, and willingness to dig into both small-town life and the pain of a child's losses, add up to a striking debut mystery that's worth adding to the shelf. Dark and haunted, the book does what I like best in a plot: lays the responsibility for straightening out the mess onto Annie, who needs to test the friendships, loves, and memories that surround her. Only if she can line them up accurately will she have a chance to save her sister, herself, and the past held hostage to the bitter present tense."

                                    -Beth Kanell, reviewing for Kingdom Books

For Rules of the Lake:

I love this book. When I finished it, I closed the book, took a deep breath, then opened it and read the prologue again. I forced myself to put it down, and to wait a few days before reading it again. I am in the middle of my second reading as I write this. I normally read fast. But this book is a Slow Read. I felt the need to slow down, and to savor each sentence, each phrase, as I read it. Thank you, Irene Ziegler. I love this book.  

-Dave Hulbert, Richmond, VA

Unlike Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ms. Ziegler's narrative never becomes precious. It's a look into the past from a contemporary and adult perspective.

-Ralph Tropf, Los Angeles, CA

I can't believe how close I came to missing out on this wonderful book. I checked it out of the library and started reading it the day it was due, thinking, "I'll give it a page, then it's outtahere." I paid the late fee. Ziegler has created in Annie Bartlett one of the most poignant, hilarious and beautifully crafted characters I have ever met, and plunks her down in a setting so seductive, nostalgic and rich I can't wait to go back. Not only did I buy this book for myself, but I'm buying it as gifts from now on. And to think I almost gave it back. 

-A Customer, reviewed in Amazon.com

Through a uniquely structured series of "connected stories" Annie's memories flow across the pages the way memories are meant to, not in neat chapters, but in vivid images and epiphanies. Rules of the Lake is a finely crafted piece of storytelling with totally engaging characters and an extraordinarily vivid sense of place. It resonates with humor and hope and the mysteries that always drift just beneath the surface. 

-Michael Bailey, Tempe, AZ

 "A conjugal blending of approbation and curses upon you for keeping me up 'til the wee hours finishing Ashes to Water. Beautiful, awkward, engrossing, unexpected, wincing, cathartic. Feel free to use that on the jacket of your second printing. ; )

                                   -Thomas B. Scott, Richmond/St. Lucia