From
The Clarion-Ledger, September 15, 2002
'Record' fun read with doozy of a topic
by Susan O'Bryan
ŠThe Clarion-Ledger
For his first novel, Joe Lee has picked a doozy of a
topic - Mississippi state government and corruption.
What, corruption in our fair state? Never!
Well, believe it. Lee, a graduate of Mississippi State
University, has singled out the attorney general's
office as the setting for his first venture into fiction
writing. Wife Leslie works for the AG, now in the
prosecutor training office, and it's her experiences
that Lee draws upon.
"It was fascinating to me what went on there," he said
about his wife's former role in the consumer protection
division. "To her, it was run of the mill, but to me, it
had me wondering what if this happened, ... and then
this ... and this."
So began his first draft in 1997, and several years and
many revisions later, came On the Record. It sprang to
life after Lee, a radio broadcaster and fill-in TV
weatherman, made a decision to work from home.
"I wanted to make a full-time, legitimate attempt at
writing," he said.
The result is the story of Maureen Lewis, a 34-year-old
spitfire, who serves as the consumer protection director
under the attorney general.
She deals a blow to fraudulent advertising, especially
those of car dealers, with a new law, the Consumer
Protection Act. Instead of a slap on the wrist, there's
finally some real teeth in a bite to curb overstating
advertising tactics.
While the law is popular with consumers, it doesn't sit
so well with big business --- or big-planned
politicians. Trying to shut her down, AG Frank Cash
pulls her from the top slot and gives it to the
mean-spirited, down-right-dirty Ashleigh Dunn. Imagine
that, a bad girl who graduated from Mississippi College.
What's the world coming to?
Mad that she's been targeted, Lewis turns the tables
when she discovers embezzlement, affairs - and more.
On the Record is "a fun, fast-paced read with lots of
local color," said fellow author Martin Hegwood. That's
an understatement.
"I've always been told that you don't try to write
about places you're not familiar with it," Lee said.
"I'm from this area. My grandparents lived on Howard
Street in Belhaven. I'm proud to be from here and from
Mississippi."
It's those local references that draw you in, keep you
interested and make you laugh. Without coming out and
saying it, Lee draws from some of Jackson's most
celebrated spots, places where you know local politicos
go to be seen - or not seen, as the case may be.
On the Record isn't a thick book. It's not a
brain-stumper. What it is is a fun read, a must read for
anyone familiar with or fascinated by Mississippi,
Jackson or Southern politics and pranksters.
Copyright, 2002, The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, MS. Used
with permission, no additional reproduction permitted
without further permission of
The Clarion-Ledger. |
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