Reviews (2)

This is one of the truly rare mysteries...
where every paragraph leaves a distinct impression. Ellen Hart writes with a deft sense of place and time which mysteries often lack. A truly original mystery ... with a great protagonist
I don't know who I liked more, the lesbian sleuth Jane Lawless or her slightly overweight (yeah!) buddy Cordelia! More than just a "whodunnit," this book is part character study, part Minnesotatravelogue, and very much a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Lawless, Jane (Fictitious char    5. Lawless, Jane (Fictitious character)    6. Lesbian    7. Minneapolis    8. Minnesota    9. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    10. Mystery/Suspense    11. Restaurateurs    12. Women detectives    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths   

Reviews (3)

Feeble
All good things must come to an end, and if they don't this is what you get. Carol Ashton should have been kissed off a while back when she was still interesting. This novel is a lemon. The plot is stretched thin and is barely credible to begin with. If you want to read a good Claire McNab mystery, try the early Carol Ashton books. I should have known better than to buy this, but like a lot of readers I was hoping Ms. McNab would pull a rabbit out of the hat. Instead she gave us a turkey.

Another great addition to the Ashton saga
I love the Carol Ashton mystery series and this one certainly does not disappoint.It is certainly not time for Carol to take a bullet.I look forward to each successive book to see what will happen next.I do believe however, that it is time for Carol to have a permanent, stable relationship.I feel that McNab continues to perpetuate the notion that lesbians are incapable of developing and maintaining meaningful and stable relationships.She certainly doesn't do lesbian relationshiops and justice.The mystery part of her books are top-rate and I look forward to #16.Check out the Denise Cleever series as well.

Please, someone start the eulogy
It's a doggone shame, but it's time that Det. Carol Ashton takes a bullet.Thus, the character, the series and the readers will be put out of their collective misery.Perhaps it's time to bring Sybil back into the series full time instead of just the occasional mention. Or, make the series about Aunt Sarah...she, at least, is interesting.Det. Ashton has lost her passion, seemingly, for everything. Her cases, her friendships, her Read more

Subjects:  1. Ashton, Carol (Fictitious character)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    7. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    8. Policewomen    9. Crime & mystery    10. General & Literary Fiction    11. Literature of special Lesbian interest   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Lesbian    4. Lesbians    5. McTavish, Stoner (Fictitious c    6. McTavish, Stoner (Fictitious character)    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. United States    11. Women detectives   

Subjects:  1. California    2. Delafield, Kate (Fictitious ch    3. Delafield, Kate (Fictitious character)    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Homeless women    7. Lesbian    8. Los Angeles    9. Mystery & Detective - General    10. Mystery/Suspense    11. Police    12. Crime & mystery    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    14. General & Literary Fiction    15. Literature of special Lesbian interest   

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Detective and mystery stories    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Fiction / Lesbian    6. Fiction / Romance / Contemporary    7. Lesbian    8. Lesbians    9. Mystery & Detective - General    10. Mystery/Suspense    11. California    12. Modern fiction    13. Romance - Contemporary   

Reviews (1)

A Small Sacrifice
A Small Sacrifice, of the Jane Lawless Mystery series by Ellen Hart, is thrilling and full of suspense.Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    6. Mystery fiction    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Editorial Review

Fans of police procedurals and the grittier murder mysteries will welcome Baxter Clare's debut novel, in which a hardened female police lieutenant, L.A. Franco, known as "Frank," tries to catch a serial rapist and murderer while stoically nursing her grief over the shooting death of her lover Maggie. Having been assigned right out of the academy to Figueroa, the LAPD's roughest district, at 39, Frank's "mastery of the mean streets was no longer a question, either for herself, her colleagues, or the Read more

Reviews (10)

Didn't know it was a lesbian based book...
I wouldn't have given it too many stars anyway. It was boring to me..too much police interaction and the subject was a little too weird but I somehow missed that it was also about lesbianism. I thought Baxter Clare was a man! That a lesbian wrote it doesn't matter to me..just the lesbian parts didn't interest me.

well written, engrossing thriller
Clare's first novel, Bleeding Out, is a taut, gritty, psychological thriller set in contemporary South Los Angeles.Police Lt. L.A. Franco is a tough, tall, handsome, intelligent, dyke investigator.Years ago, the traumatic loss of her lover prompted Franco to shut down much of her personal life and focus on work.Years in one of the city's toughest districts have built an armor around Franco. Excellent Debut
Los Angeles Police Lt. L. A. "Frank" Franco is introduced here as she seeks the killer of a young girl.She eventually ties in nine rapes and four murders to the perpetrator. Franco is meticulous and thorough as she shifts through the few clues she has.The author painstakingly puts us into the mind of both the perpetrator and Franco.This is police procedural at its best.The characterizations are such that the reader cares about the main characters even the closed-off Franco.There are several minor characters that the author manages to fully flesh out as well although Franco's squad members are, at times, hard to identify because of her use of their nicknames - a minor flaw at best.This author deserves a wide audience.Let's hope the author and her publisher gives us more of Baxter Clare and Lt. Franco. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cats - Training    2. Dogs - Training    3. Fiction    4. Lesbian    5. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    6. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Pets   

Editorial Review

Lauren Maddison's ambitious debut novel will more than satisfy fans of the emergent lesbian mystery genre. She offers an intricate and absorbing plot, and the excitement of a new heroine, Connor Hawthorne, a successful mystery novelist and former district attorney who owes something to Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta--and possibly to the glamorous Cornwell herself. The lesser characters in Read more

Reviews (15)

Perhaps not the worst book ever written...
This book is insipid.Well, no, that's not quite accurate... it could be interesting and absorbing, if you enjoy hurling insults at the author every time you turn the page.This book has virtually no authentic characters, a penchant for name-dropping (this author seems to mention any other author, character, publishing house, or book in the apparent attempt to convince the reader that she really _knows_ the lesbian community), and every hackneyed sentiment ever dreamed up.What with the author's attempt to include just about every sub-group you can dream up (Jews! Blacks! Rich white women! Oh My!), she seems to have forgotten the most important ones: real people.

Great read!
Lauren Maddison's debut mystery was a surprise to me.The last "lesbian" mystery I read before this was just that--more about the lesbians than the mystery.Since this is our introduction to all of the characters, she spends a lot of time giving us a good physical and personality description of them.Despite it's length, the book was a two-sitting read. Not a romantic book
The book is not bad. The writer is very talented but reading the book is like reading a travel guide about New Mexico and the Navaho history. There is no romance, just pure action. So if you think that you will find in this book love scenes, just forget it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Hawthorne, Connor (Fictitious    6. Lesbian    7. Lesbians    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Series    10. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. Navajo Indians    13. Women novelists    14. Crime & mystery    15. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    16. Modern fiction    17. North America   

Subjects:  1. English Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. New Zealand    8. Valentine, Amanda (Fictitious character)    9. Women detectives    10. Adventure / thriller   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Fiction / Lesbian   

Reviews (3)

I couldn't finish it
The stiff-as-a-board expository dialogue alone ruins this book. Simply dreadful. Save your money.

Well worth reading!
Nice, suspenseful plot, kept me turning the pages. Lots of twists and turns, plenty of surprises. I like the way Maddison slips easily between planes of reality, without making her readers confused. Good job! My only complaint about the book is that it could have used a good proofreader. Lots and lots of typos, which I find quite distracting when I'm reading.

Best one yet!
Lauren Maddison just keeps getting better and better! The latest installment in her "Connor Hawthorne" series is the best one yet! Mystery, intrigue, and the supernatural make for a mix of non-stop action from beginning to end. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading this author and series, start today! Maddison is definitely a rising star in the publishing world and Connor Hawthorne the next Scarpetta! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boston (Mass.)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Hawthorne, Connor (Fictitious    5. Hawthorne, Connor (Fictitious character)    6. Lesbian    7. Lesbians    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Series    10. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. Women novelists    13. Crime & mystery    14. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    15. General & Literary Fiction    16. Literature of special Lesbian interest   

Reviews (3)

Heart just didn't seem to be in it...
I was looking forward to reading this book and found myself disappointed. I kept thinking, "That doesn't sound like something that character would say". I couldn't help but feel that Ms. Maddison's heart was not really in this book. It seemed disconnected and forced in ways her other books did not. I noticed quite a few editing errors as well. Wish I could give this a better review. Enjoyed her other books and plan to give the next one a good chance.

the eleventh hour a connor hawthorne mystery
Once again Lauren maddison has me questioing my own belief system. By that I mean life after death, reincarnation. I was completely enthralled with this book and the mystery in which Lauren Maddison seems to make you feel comfortable with new characters. This is a book for people who enjoy to read it was simply put a pleasure :)

Another good one
When I picked this book up, I knew I was in for a good read and I wasn't disappointed.I tried to stretch it out overseveral days by reading just a few chapters at a time, but was able only to last two days.The story is good, the writing is excellent and the developoment of the five (count 'em) major characters is so consistent.I hope we'll get toknow Ayallah better as she and Malcolm get married.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Hawthorne, Connor (Fictitious    4. Hawthorne, Connor (Fictitious character)    5. Lesbian    6. Lesbians    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Palm Springs (Calif.)    11. Women novelists    12. Crime & mystery    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    14. Literature of special Lesbian interest   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    6. Modern fiction   

Reviews (3)

Good plot, not so great dialogue
I agree with the earlier reviewer that there is too much "gang lingo" in this book. However, if you can get past it, the plot is rather well done. Not as good as her first book ("Bleeding Out"), but good. The underlying love story is very well done and kept me turning the pages, hoping Frank wouldn't let Gail get away.

Gritty, Hard Hitting
Baxter Claire takes you to the mean streets of LA, but with a modern twist.The language is vibrant and real, the story compelling and in the end the street does rule, just as it often does in real life.Lt. Franco and her squad are imperfect and interesting.This is a powerful series.

Disappointed
I waited three years for this book, and was very disappointed when I finally got it.I read Clare's first book (Bleeding Out, Firebrand Books, 2000)and was amazed and astounded at the talent of that debut mystery.Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Franco, L. A. (Fictitious character)    5. Lesbian    6. Lesbians    7. Los Angeles    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Hard-Boiled    10. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    11. Policewomen    12. Adventure / thriller    13. Crime & mystery   

Reviews (1)

Intelligent mystery/fantasy about dimensional reality.
Funny, insightful character study and mystery placed at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World. Dreher makes even Micky Mouse seems spooky when she delves into the hidden tunnels at WDW that are packed with deceptive turns,tricks of sound and sight, and may be the gateway to another universe. Dreher's regular characters are enriched with the addition of some newones. A must read for Stoner fans and all who enjoy a perfectly craftedwork. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. McTavish, Stoner (Fictitious c    7. McTavish, Stoner (Fictitious character)    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    10. United States    11. Women detectives    12. Adventure / thriller    13. Crime & mystery   

Reviews (2)

Review of "Picking Up the Pace"
Depressed over a recent breakup with her boyfriend, but elated over a job promotion, Angie Mitchell agrees to go to a party where she meets a singer who has just finished a stint in the Peace Corps. Finding herself attracted to Lauren has turned Angie's world upside down.
Sizzling Lesbian Romance Thriller
For a first-time novel (I'm assuming this is a first, since there are no other books by a Kimberly LaFontaine), this was a spectacular effort. New writers often have difficulties completing the first few paragraphs without stumbling into their characters' lives in a clumsey, bumbling way. But LaFontaine manages to jump right in with clear precision that makes you feel like you've known these characters all your life.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction - General    2. Crime & mystery    3. Romance    4. Lesbian    5. Fiction   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - Series    5. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   

Reviews (2)

under the radar
I picked up this book at the bookstore knowing nothing about it. I was pleasantly surprised to find a campy mystery with compelling characters. I hope Ms. Wilbon will write more. I loved it!

Couldn't put this book down!!!
I had gotten a copy of this book back in September and didn't pick it up til this past Saturday.I could not put it down!!!
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Subjects:  1. American First Novelists    2. Ex-police officers    3. Female friendship    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. Humorous    7. Lesbian    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Single women   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Fiction / Lesbian   

Reviews (3)

Nice story, bad mystery
The story in the book kept my attention and I refused to put the book down until I had finished it. However, the mystery itself did not flow well. It seemed to me that Brett and Allie got most of their clues by luck and by Brett's contact with the dead Liza. I think the best approach to this book is to just tell yourself "I believe," and force all doubts and questions out of your mind. I also saw no reason for Storm to keep appearing. Until Storm's appearance, Brett seemed to have no problem with her memories of Storm. It was only after Storm appeared, and told Brett she had to let Storm go, that Brett started questioning her relationship with Allie.

Loved the Murder story...but not much else
Now, I was very excited about The second Brett Higgins mystery becuase I thought the first, 'When the Dancing Stops', was excellent! But, I was a little saddend by this one. I found the writing a little rushed and contrived. The first novel I felt read much more logically and the characters were more believable, likable and interesting. The only person in this novel I liked and believed was Liza, the mudered girl and she was hardly in the story. Brett just seemed to darn butch for her own good and the dialogue between she and her lover Allie was just plain unreal. It was as if the words and the "glares" were stratigically placed. So strategically placed infact that it seemed to flow more like a play. A play written by a budding highschool writer. The only thing that kept me reading the novel was that I wanted to know how the book was finally pulled together in the end, and to see if Liza made any more appearances (and the fact I spent some money on it). The love scenes were clich�, and the character development non-existant. Overall, the read was easy, and a bit entertaining but the novel left much to be desired. I'm a little nervous about ordering the next in the series. I just hope that the story line is a bit more believable than this one. But keep on keepin' on Therese because I'm sure this is not the last novel I'll read by you.

Szymanski a True Genius
Passion filled adventure surrounds Brett and Allie when they take chargeof thier new life together.Upon entering thier new home, believed byneighbors to be haunted, Brett begins to feel something unfamiliar.As thetwo begin to explore the history of the house they find a girl was murderedthere.While investigating the murder of years prior, Brett is faced withher own past.Will the memory of Storm ruin Brett and Allie'srelationship, or will the truth set Brett free from fear?Szymanski is atrue genius in her writings, combining intense passion and adventure toprovide a reading enjoyment like no other. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    8. Mystery/Suspense    9. Adventure / thriller    10. Crime & mystery    11. Literature of special Lesbian interest