Customer Reviews

The Beverly Malibu: A Kate Delafield Mystery (Kate Delafield Mysteries (Paperback))

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Owen Sinclair, a B-movie director is murdered in a hideous manner. This makes Kate Delafield think the murder was one of revenge. Through sleuthing, she finds that Sinclair was a "friendly witness" during the McCarthy witchhunt era. He spoke to HUAC (House un-American Activities Committee), which was the House arm of McCarthy's own Senate hearings. Hollywood was especially vulnerable at this time. Forrest skillfully weaves in information about that period through her characters but never allows it to overshadow the mystery. There are red herrings galore and Kate lets herself get emotionally involved with several of the people and there's even a romance in it for the lonely Kate who feels that she must protect the people she loves from the horrors of her job. She is also isolated because she is gay and must remain closeted to be able to do her job. The LAPD has a policy not unlike the military: Don't ask, don't tell. Every Delafield book reveals a new facet of Kate and this is no exception. If Forrest wrote mainstream detective mysteries rather than mysteries with a lesbian heroine, she would probably be as popular as P.D. James or Ellis Peters or Elizabeth Peters. It's unfortunate because all her mysteries are first-rate. As I said, the politics never get in the way of the story, although this book did introduce me to Scoundrel Time by Lillian Hellman, which I later bought.

This, along with Nightwood, is one of the best reads in the Delafield series. The murder plot and details are simple, as opposed to those in Apparition Alley or Liberty Square, and the story of the new relationship is unforgettable.

Forrest combines history with suspense and comes up with an interesting and very readable instalment in the Kate Delafield Mystery series. An unpopular tenant is poisoned in a slightly seedy apartment block peopled by Hollywood employees of the forties and fifties. These eccentric and enchanting characters bring to life the era of McCarthyism and the House Un-American Committee, as well as nostalgia for the glamorous Hollywood of that time. Of course, lesbian detective fiction wouldn't be complete without romance, and Kate Delafield finds that in the Beverly Malibu. This novel has a strong story line and keeps you guessing until the last moment - I recommend it.

I found the Beverly Malibu a fascinated book. It held my interest till the last page and I couldn't guess the murderer. It think it will be difficult for anyone to even though the evidence is there in front of our faces. We can't see it because like a magician, Forrest focuses our attention elsewhere. I thought the dynamics of the relationship which developed between Kate and both Grant women quite interesting and she pulls a twist on that one too. All in all, a very satisfactory read. On top of that, we learn a lot about the House on Un-American Activities Committee. It just amazes me how a committee could gain such power and igore due process. Sometimes it makes me wonder just how much freedom we truly have. It is a scary thought and we should never allow such a witchhunt to happen again. In fact, I found the subject so interesting that I ordered Scoundrel Time by Lillian Hellman (from amazon.com, of course<g>). I want to learn about what life was like in that era from someone who lived through it and suffered from it.

I really enjoyed this mystery. The plot was a challenge and the characters well developed. The political and social background information added to my limited knowledge of that era and made me want to find out more about those times in America. This would make a very good live performance production as well as a movie.

was a easy read, that involved some important, and well-justified observations about life for a female detective. A female in a male dominated world, and field.

Makes a change to be able to get books on the subject out here.