Not Today: A Dora Ellison Mystery

Not Today, by David E. Feldman, tells the story of corruption in Beach City, and the unlikely heroine who takes it on. 

Dora, an unusual heroine, doesn’t mind being called a garbage man. Dora’s a huge woman, and unapologetic about her size, with strong muscles and a soft heart. I enjoyed getting to know this really unusual character. Dora turns the setbacks and sadness of her past into both a zest for life and into her MMA hobby. Dora would be happy collecting garbage by day and relaxing with her wife, Franny, at night, but she’s pulled into the investigation when Franny receives creepy anonymous calls. 

At the beginning, it’s a bit confusing to follow all the characters and subplots introduced, but this comes together in revealing the corruption (and certain closed eyes to the corruption) in Beach City. Give it a little time, and the interlocking relationships between characters becomes clear. This is fiction, of course, but there are also some thought-provoking moral questions in this mystery. 

Dora slowly uncovers this convoluted web of corruption in Beach City, piecing together stories, misdirections, and clues to find out who is behind the corruption. I don’t want to reveal much about who’s actually to blame or how Dora finds out, since discovering the mystery is the heart of the book,  but I do want to say there’s almost a Miss Marple feel at certain times, when our clever sleuth is stereotyped and underestimated by those around her, much to their detriment.  Our Dora is more than just a sleuth here, she’s also physically tough and always ready to defend the weak.

There was great representation in Not Today, too, starting with our unusual heroine, Dora.  None of it feels forced, either, instead the wide range of identities helps makes the city feel more realistic and alive. 

This is a twisty mystery with a memorable heroine.  There are many unpredictable moments in Dora’s discoveries, and it’s a mystery story at it’s heart, but readers will be pulled into Dora’s personality just as much as the unfolding mystery. The end of the novel makes it clear there’s more of Dora’s rage in future books. The sequel, A Gathering Storm, continues Dora’s story, so readers will be able to spend more time with this unlikely but extremely likable heroine.