The Beverly Malibu [Hardcover]

Katherine V. Forrest (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1989

As LAPD detective Kate Delafield investigates the Thanksgiving Day strychnine poisoning of retired movie director Owen Sinclair, she discovers that he turned over names to the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s and destroyed countless careers. But which of his charmingly eccentric neighbors, most of whom have worked in Hollywood since the 1940s, might be responsible for what now appears to be a revenge killing?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this absorbing procedural, Forrest's intelligent, complex series heroine, LAPD homicide detective Kate Delafield, makes her first appearance in hardcover, investigating the Thanksgiving Day murder by strychnine poisoning of septuagenarian Owen Sinclair, a retired movie director. Suspecting a revenge killing, Kate learns that more than 30 years ago, in the '50s, Sinclair named names to the House Un-American Activities Committee, destroying countless careers and lives in Hollywood. Many of Sinclair's eccentric, film-world neighbors in his apartment building were affected by HUAC and had reason to kill him. Kate, a lesbian, is attracted to two beautiful women who are under suspicion, and as the investigation continues, she is warmly welcomed into the tenants' extended family, one of whom, she knows, is the merciless killer. In her look back at the McCarthy era, Forrest has created a restrained and compassionate portrait of a turbulent period in American history. Movie buffs as well as mystery fans will enjoy her book.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Katherine V. Forrest is twice winner of the Lambda Literary Award for best mystery, and has been recently honored with the Pioneer Award from the Lambda Literary Foundation.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 274 pages
• Publisher: Naiad Pr; 1 edition (November 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941483479
• ISBN-13: 978-0941483476
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,020,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great mystery and a reminder of past injustices, August 9, 2001

By 

carlaf "carlaf" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beverly Malibu: A Kate Delafield Mystery (Kate Delafield Mysteries (Paperback)) (Paperback)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best..., September 4, 2000

By 

"2hoo" (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beverly Malibu: A Kate Delafield Mystery (Kate Delafield Mysteries (Paperback)) (Paperback)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mystery and history, May 7, 2001

By 

Sharilynn Gerchow (Brisbane, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beverly Malibu: A Kate Delafield Mystery (Kate Delafield Mysteries (Paperback)) (Paperback)

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.