NY Days: Survival Instincts by Marissa Piesman


published 1997



Survival Instincts 1


[Nina is discussing the murder victim’s widow with an old friend]


“How long have you known her?”

“About 15 years. We both used to live on the Lower East Side. I was working in a shop on St Survival Instincts 2Mark’s Place when we met. She used to keep her hair very black, in a china-doll’s cut, with white face makeup and a lot of kohl around the eyes.”

“Oh yeah. I remember kohl. Everyone was using it after they got back from Morocco. I tried it for a while, but I was never fully convinced that it wasn’t blinding me.”…

“Roz was so dramatic back then, especially when it came to her secrets. She’d always flaunt them… It was a time of great sexual drama. For all of us. But particularly for Roz…. Really, these kids on college campuses think that they invented bisexuality. But back then you couldn’t even have tried to chart of the comings and going that went on between Avenues A and D.”

Survival Instincts 3

[Much later, when Nina and Ida are about to solve the crime

Nina and Ida had dressed in the most threatening manner they could manage. Perhaps Nina was subconsciously aping the juvenile delinquents of her youth, because in addition to dressing in black, she stopped on the corner and bought a pack of Dentyne. Chewing gum made her feel tougher, even though Dentyne was not a particularly tough brand. Ida donned her usual New Balance running shoes, worn for comfort, not for swiftness. She also wore a smocky navy blue top that could possibly trigger memories of [X’s] kindergarten teacher and therefore serve to infantilize and intimidate [them].

commentary: Another New York book, to mark my recent trip there…

Very sad to say this is the last of the Nina Fischman mysteries to date: Marissa Piesman is an Assistant Attorney General at New York State Department of Law, which is quite the dayjob, and is presumably her excuse for not writing more crime books. Shame, though.

I re-read my piece on the penultimate mystery, Alternate Sides, and found that almost everything I would like to say about this series has already featured in that blogpost, so please do go and read it, and find out why I enjoy these books so much.

This individual book: Nina is back in New York (there was a fear she might end up on the West Coast, not her natural habitat at all), has no job and has to live with her mother. But that’s OK. She gets involved in investigating the death of her brother-in-law’s colleague. There are issues of animal rights and lab practices, and a very interesting discussion on the possibility of finding a clinical hormone treatment that would work to combat obesity. And Nina ambles around New York meeting people, commenting internally on their clothes and hair and manners. And making me laugh about three times a page. I love Nina, love her wonderful mother Ida (her feature is that she is a Jewish mother, and has been in therapy longer than anyone else), love her over-perfect sister and the completely real and convincing relationship that the siblings have.

Ida has a big role in this one, and the picture of her and Nina going off investigating together is marvellous: this would make such a great TV series or film with a wise-cracking mother and daughter solving crimes and discussing their lives. It’s not too late.

I wish the books were longer. There, I never say that. And now I think I am going to read all six of them again.

The top black and white photos are by James Jowers, and were taken in and around St Marks Place in the 1960s: they are from the George Eastman Museum. They are an amazing set of photos, which I use as often as I can find an excuse.

The third picture is an arty double portrait of archetypal 90s woman Jodie Foster – I thought Nina could look that smart.

My friend Kathy Durkin would like these books if she’s never read them – she’s a New York lady with an interest in crime and a passion for left-wing politics. And that’s a description of heroine Nina and author Marissa Piesman as well as of Kathy…




















Comments

  1. Oh, I must dive into this series, Moira. I'm a bit embarrassed that I haven't yet. The setting, the characters, the wit, they all appeal to me. And I remember your other post on this series, too. I'm so glad you reminded us of it.

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    1. I honestly think you would love these books Margot! I so wish someone would reprint them, and maybe then the author would be inspired to write more...

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  2. Never heard of her, Moira, but this does sound so tempting. I love the idea that there could be a tough brand of chewing gum! Who knew? It sounds like something a teenager might think. How old is Nina?

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    1. She's in her 30s: a bit Bridget Jones, a bit Sex and the City but much more sensible and real! I think you would like her, definitely worth a go. And actually short books compared with the standard length nowadays.

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    2. Maybe Black Jack (a licorice flavored gum) is tough? My dad used to chew it. I like Dentyne. It has a strong cinnamon zing.

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    3. We had Blackjacks in the UK, but it wasn't gum, they were penny chews, little soft sweets you bought with pocket money. It is a good tough name though...

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  3. I really would like to sample these - one day Moira, when the TBR is finally manageable (I know, probably a vain hope ...)

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    1. Well that's never, Sergio! But, I think you 3 commenters here are all people who would like Nina, in fact love her...

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  4. I have two of the books, #1 and #3, but still haven't read them. Still thinking I will like them when I get to them. Too bad that there are only 6 books.

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    1. I think you'll love them! And yes, I wish she'd write more.

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  5. Outed! Wow!

    I do know of Marissa Piesman's books, and I'm sure I read some of them years ago. But I can't remember which ones.

    I remember laughing my head off because I love New York Jewish humor; that was the humor of my grandparents and their siblings. I grew up with it and it's my favorite type of humor.

    I'll have to see what I have read and haven't read and what is available in the library or at Abe Books.

    And I know I read some of them because I remember when I found out that the author wasn't writing any more, and was sorely disappointed.

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    1. I think you out yourself! I love it that your comments here are so often flavoured with your strong, admirable views on humanity. And I'm sure it's time for you to re-read these and work your way through them

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  6. I do want to reread some of Piesman's books, but it depends on what the library has. A few years ago, the library system culled tons of "old" books and kept on copy in one library not convenient to me.

    So I'll have to see what is what and also check in with Abe books.

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    1. I actually found #s 1,2, and 3 on amazon with a buy-all-three-for-a-discounted-price deal. So, I'll try these and see if I want to look for 4,5, and .

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    2. Oh that sounds good! I really hope she will be re-discovered, and that might help...

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  7. This does sound like fun, although the bit about her becoming Assistant Attorney General does remind me of something that I read about John Buchan. In the front of one of the later Richard Hannay stories he says that a young fan of the series had read a few of his serious, academic works and had responded by writing him a stiff letter telling him to 'pull himself together!' and write a new Hannay novel. Perhaps some of her fans need to tell her to get writing again...

    It does sound tailor made for TV, although these days it would take an uphill struggle to convince a TV company to get involved, since they seem to believe that the only author who deserves screen time is Agatha Christie (cue THIRD version of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS!)

    ggary

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    1. I know - I did actually try to find her on Twitter to see if a friendly review might encourage her, but she doesn't seem to be there...
      And yes - I couldn't be more of an Agatha fan, and do enjoy TV/film productions - but for goodness sake! All the glories out there, go and find some of them...

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    2. Oh, man, and how many Pride and Prejudices do we need?????

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    3. Yes, exactly! So many great books that could be done...

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