Edie Bloom, The Immaculate Complexion

The Immaculate Complexion

Edie Bloom

Leisure, May 2007, $6.99

ISBN: 0843958561

LeVigne Cosmetics employee Marnie Mann is sick of the advice that her peers and customers provide her. She does not want laser treatment to remove her freckles that she swears she always had; her compatriots insist they are ugly age spots that need removal nor for that matter any Botox injections anywhere else. She uses just a touch of make-up to the chagrin of her constant critics. However, the worst to her working compatriots is her shoes that are practical and comfortable instead of glamorous and painful. Outside of repair job suggestions, Marnie likes working the high end beauty treatment.

She especially looks forward to the launch of a product. That turns ugly when someone tampered with the samples that Marnie has distributed. When a user dies from the tainted make-up, the police look towards Marnie, who was the only known person with access to the products. Marnie realizes she must clean up this mess in which the pedigree pedicure princesses accuse her.

THE IMMACULATE COMPLEXION is an amusing satire that ridicules the American obsession with youthful looks at all cost. Marnie being such an outsider enables Edie Bloom to cleverly compare the in-crowd to her as the war over eating sets the table for this wonderful parody; Marnie wants to participate when she dines while her LaVigne associates consider food as part of a still life painting. The homicide adds suspense to the mix and a caution of buy only sealed as the plot shows how easy it is to tamper with cosmetic products, but also takes away from the prime lampooning of a fish out of water learning the puke makes up the products we put on ourselves to look forever young.

Harriet Klausner