Loose Lips (Paperback)

Six of One introduced Julia and Louise Hunsenmeir, fondly known as Juts and Wheezie, an indomitable pair of quarreling sisters born around the turn-of-the-century in Runnymede, Maryland. The ensemble cast featured Cora, their strong and caring single mother, housekeeper of Celeste; the formidable Celeste Chalfonte, a lesbian without apology, and her lover, the elegantly beautiful Ramelle Bowman; Fairy Thatcher and Fannie Jump Creighton, ever-scheming schoolchums of Celeste; and in later chapters, Chessie and Pearlie, long-suffering husbands of Juts and Wheezie. Spanning almost a century, we watch the madcap life of Juts and Wheezie take them from small tots following their mother around in Celeste's Georgian mansion to the birth of their own children and the mayhem that follows, to Juts and Wheezie as old cronies, still tangling in their 80's.

Continuing the story in Bingo, Brown brings Runnymede back to life with Juts' daughter, Nicole, better known as Nickel. The cast, while still containing Juts and Wheezie as central figures, leaves a bit to be desired when compared to Six of One, and the storyline dwells a bit too much on newer characters who aren't quite as developed. Bingo is a an enjoyable read, but never catches fire like Six of One.

Enter Loose Lips.

In Brown's latest, the storyline picks up in 1941. Juts and Wheezie have entered adulthood, matrimony and maturity - or what resembles maturity for the Hunsenmeir sisters. A war is brewing across the seas, and in Runnymede, where Juts is about to commit an unspeakable act. The book goes in-depth into their lives, giving detail to events briefly mentioned in previous books, such as why Hansford, the girls' vagabond father left Cora, whether Chessie is really a squeaky clean husband, and what Nickel's true parentage is.

While any fan of Runnymede would eagerly anticipate another installment, this reader was a bit disappointed in the latest offering. Granted, the majority of original characters are here. However, there's just something missing from the mix. The girls, while always dramatic, don't shine as they did in previous books, and the mundane aspects of everyday life are more prevalent. Celeste is featured only briefly, Ramelle plays a bit part as well and Cora sparkles but for a moment. Storylines are left hanging. Time passes with segues such as, "Two years passed..." With such events, one feels left out of the story time and again.

Brown misses the mark in Loose Lips, which would have been a wonderful vehicle to enrich already unforgettable characters. With such a colorful past, one would expect the Hunsenmeir sisters and the entire Runnymede cast to be bright fuchsia instead of shimmering pink.

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