Deaths of Jocasta [Paperback]

J. M. Redmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2002 | Series: Micky Knight Mysteries (Book 2)

Micky Knight had a pleasant evening to look forward to; she was running security at a swank party full of beautiful lesbians and gay men. A dead body ruins the affair. When more dead women are found the police target Dr. Cordelia James as the killer. The same Cordelia who broke Micky's heart. As Micky works to expose the killer she tries to keep her heart hidden. But the killer and Micky keep getting closer to Cordelia . . .Deaths of Jocasta has long been out of print and a prized find at used bookstores for years. Bella Books in proud to reissue this exciting mystery.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

J.M. Redmann was born in Mississippi and currently lives in New Orleans.

Product Details

• Paperback: 398 pages
• Publisher: Bella Books (March 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931513104
• ISBN-13: 978-1931513104
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,070,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Micky Knight is back. Laissez les bons temp rouler!, April 21, 2002

By 

M. J. Lowe "www.mjlowe.info" (Denver, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deaths of Jocasta (Paperback)

The thirty years old, Barnard educated and underemployed, out lesbian, private investigator, Micky Knight has accepted a job overseeing security for a very exclusive and "festive" annual party hosted by Emma Auerbach. Of an old money New Orleans family, Emma has been a friend and mentor to Mickey for years. Sober and celibate for over six weeks, Micky is beginning to face the demons from which the liquor and sex allowed her to hide for over a decade. Although determined to remain sober, Micky does hope the weekend party brings an end to her loneliness, especially when the good doctor, Cordelia James arrives. Micky lost her heart to Cordelia months ago, during the events of "Death by the Riverside." But Emma's annual gay-la ends abruptly when the body of a young woman is found in the woods on her estate and everyone returns to the city.

At loose ends back in New Orleans, Micky goes to the library to check out some Dorothy Sayers books. "Some of her Lord Peter Wimsey books, not so much for detective ideas, but for dating tips." About which Micky concludes, "via Lord Peter, the method for making a woman fall in love with an offbeat detective was to save her from the gallows by proving her innocent. Somehow that didn't seem to have much bearing on Cordelia and myself." (p55). Of course, Lord Peter is right!

Life is complicated for Micky and company. More bodies show up near Cordelia's clinic. When they turn out to be young women who were patients at the clinic, the police see Cordelia as the prime suspect. Cordelia decides to hire Micky to investigate. Meanwhile an uncharacteristically restless, NOPD Detective Sgt., Joanne, increasingly angered by these events, is spending more time with Micky. Joanne senses Micky has similar ghosts in her past.

With the same tough, first-person voice of the first Micky Knight novel, Redmann directs the fast paced action of "Jocasta." Micky tracks down leads connecting the pasts of several characters with the current events. And the truth turns out to involve a dangerous combination of extremists --who justify murder in the name of life-- and people who crave old-fashioned, hateful revenge. Will Micky be able to take Lord Peter's advice?

Redmann presents serious and painful issues without hiding the pain, becoming pedantic, or losing her sense of humor. Her characters are well rounded, interesting women who deal authentically with their problems. One of the most impressive examples of this is Redmann's handling of child sexual abuse. Accurate and realistic, the depictions of the abuse and its ramifications run a spectrum of forms, parental reactions, and consequences from Micky to Joanne to Cordelia. This thread actually evolves throughout the Micky Knight novels as Micky has the opportunity to grow and heal.

This re-release of "Deaths of Jocasta" by Bella Books is a must for mystery lovers and in this reader's opinion, the covers of "Jocasta" and "Riverside" are the best Bella has produced to date. Ten years have passed since "Jocasta" was originally published. It is pinned to the early 1990s by technology --the lack of cell phones and email via the world wide web-- and Joanne's early adolescence (and rest of the crowd's ages in relation to her) is set prior to the Roe v. Wade decision (1973). However, the issues of the novel are very relevant today and Redmann treats the women struggling to survive them with respect and dignity. "Deaths of Jocasta" does not answer all the mysteries hovering in Micky's background. For that, readers should look for "The Intersection of Law and Desire" and "Lost Daughters," in order. Take Micky Knight home with you and laissez les bons temp rouler!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars J.M Redmann's, April 16, 1999

By 

Marilyn "Marilyn" (Riverside, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Deaths of Jocasta (Micky Knight Mystery) (Paperback)

J.M Redmann's `Deaths of Jocasta' is excellent! The best PI novel I've read in a long time. I only wish that New Victoria or Avon Book would reprint it so I don't have to make friends leave their first born as collateral when borrowing mine. This second Micky Knight mystery picks up a couple months after `Death by the Riverside'. The action is fast paced, the characters are complex, richly drawn and well motivated and the humor is wry. (Online used books stores might have it if Amazon.com can't find it.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A really enjoyable book, January 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Deaths of Jocasta (Micky Knight Mystery) (Paperback)

Micky Knight is a tough, "hardboiled" lesbian private investigator who gets quite "bumped around" while trying to solve the difficult cases brought to or rather "dropped" on her. Although sometimes a bit hard to believe, the Micky Knight series is enjoyable and good enough to keep you awake reading until three in the morning.