Customer Reviews

Idaho Code

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is hilarious. From the opening scene where the heroine attempts to renew acquaintaince at a funeral with the daughter of the deceased while her mother is engaged in a loud cell phone conversation to the surprising denouement of the murder, you will be caught up in the antics of Bil's family and the town of Cowslip, populated by the Radical Faeries, the Lesbian Avengers, and Captain Schwartz's lesbian commune, gun club and baseball field. If this list seems too strange to be true, I dare you to read Idaho Code and marvel at the wealth of characters contained within its covers. I am a sucker for character-driven stories, especially when the characters are so rich they leap off the page and pummel you in the face.

This is one of those books you will either devour in one sitting, or you will read it in carefully measured 20 page increments to make it last as long as you can. I regret that this book will not get the larger public it deserves since it will probably be pigeon-holed as a lesbian mystery. But buy this book, read it, and recommend it to a friend. Joan Opyr deserves widespread support for enchanting us with a town of crazy characters placed in laugh-aloud situations.

Having looked through many of the lesbian books offered and reading a few of them, I find myself tired of the same old mystery, heartbreak and seriousness. Where are the amusing but well written stories? Idaho Code is just the ticket for that.

While there is a mystery that takes a back seat to Bil's life. Oh yeah, she's the main character. See, she's a young buck who returned to live at home and go to college. Her bigger reason is to hopefully get a shot at dating the young woman she's been in love with since she was a teenager, Sylvia. But Bil never sucked up the courage to come out to ask her out. Um... no, her family doesn't know she's gay.

Along with that is her brother Sam who's in jail, and not for the first time. Known for dealing drugs and hanging out with his good for nothing girlfriend it never surprises the family when he is in jail. This time, however, for murder.

Mix this all up with her strong willed mother, three strong willed older sisters, a silent but loving dad, a saucy gay best friend who of course has better fashion sense than her, his lesbian mother who runs the local lesbian wilderness commune, an ex-girlfriend who doesn't want to let go... whew! Wait, there's more! But I'll let you find that out when you read it.

Brilliant story, I'm looking forward to getting the sequel.

Rollicking good read! Highly entertaining characters.

More than a mystery - more than a romance. Unique story telling with a huge cast of odd-ball characters. I was so delighted by the characters populating the story that I didn't care how the mystery was resolved.

Unlike any story you will read this year. At over 300 pages this was a substantial read.

Joan Opyr has concocted a delicious mystery read that, while incorporating all the necessary ingredients (a dead body, mistaken identities, family skeletons and accidental detectives), also throws in some outrageously zesty herbs and spices --- a lesbian wilderness retreat cum shooting range cum softball battleground, psilocybin mushrooms (or are they shiitakes?), Radical Faeries, Lesbian Avengers, heterosexist preachers and outlandish outings. Jam-packed with witty, laugh-aloud dialogue, this story is sure to start a groundswell for more Idaho-seasoned fare from the eminently talented Ms. Opyr and her fledgling detective, Bil Hardy. (Recommend with a side of spuds and home-made hard cider.) Cheers!

I'm unsure how exactly to describe this book. It was definitely humorous, and had a unique tone and structure, as well as quality writing and editing. In fact, it grabbed me from the start, and I couldn't help but devour it. So for those reasons high marks are well-deserved. The colorful characters and crazy situations really brought small-town life to the book vividly. The humor is prevalent, and intelligent.

But I'm unsure as to whether I will be reading it again. It's often frustrating for me to read about self-destructive people, though I'd accepted it by the end of this novel, as the characters accepted themselves. But the book was almost too full of quirky characters and events. There really wasn't the contrast or foil of someone to take a look at all the goings-ons and comment on the craziness of it all. So at times it was almost a bit much: you could assume that whatever would be the most outrageous or unexpected thing to happen would come to pass. Also, I'm unsure what the message was precisely, or if there was a unifying theme beyond something like keeping secrets can destroy you and those you care about.

The characters are likable, though, and it was fun to spend some time with them. I can't tell yet whether spending much more time with them would drive me crazy, though I will likely check out the sequel to test this theory. I do love books in which the characters have a rich family life. So for all it's strengths I'm comfortable with the 4-star display. If you're looking for something well-written and diffferent from the run-of-the-mill girl-meet-girl beach/vacation book, then I expect you'll love this book. I'm trying to think of an apt descriptor...perhaps Napoleon Dynamite meets Trixie Belden?

In this quirky cozy, a lesbian student turns amateur sleuth to clear her brother of a possible murder charge and plunges into mysteries whose roots go back to the time of her childhood.

Bil (who prefers NOT to be called Wilhelmina) Hardy leaves Seattle and transfers her University of Washington credits and broken heart back to Cowslip, Idaho, expecting the usual antics of her quirky friends and family, right down to the cancer-inspired escapades of her brother that make the local jail a second home for Sam. What she is not expecting is the mysterious death of Sam's cellmate, an event that reawakens old secrets.

Will the fact that Sylvie, who Bil would like to get closer to, has deep tie-ins with these old secrets and new mysteries help or hinder her explorations? Will the search for clues and information affect the course of young love? Will the reappearance of an old flame throw dirt on the fledgling fire of new romance? When humor gives way to suspense and danger, will our heroine have what it takes to meet the challenges? Will the contents of ancient worm-cans be worth the hunt for the can-opener? You'll have to read the book to find out!

The funny parts were hilarious, the mysteries and characters were nicely complex, the writing and editing were first rate, and the plot had some twists that bring to mind the hairpin turns on our mountain back-roads. You certainly don't have to be a gay or lesbian to enjoy this fictional romp through a region whose unofficial motto is de Libertas Quirkus. If you like rich, quirky characters, small-town eccentricities, interesting plot twists, and cozies that are not devoid of suspense when the push comes to shove, take Idaho Code out for a scenic spin.

Joan Opyr is a friend as well as the author of Idaho Code.

At present our friendship does not provide me with any social leverage, that will change as more people delve into her world. In the future I can clearly see that being friends with Joan will open many of the barred doors that have kept me from crossing into high society.

You can join Joan and I in the red velvet room of society, and social intrigue - it merely requires a few hours of your time. It will be time well spent. You will learn about Idaho, young love, softball, Idaho, widows, the perils of sleeping in contacts, Idaho, and a surprising number of useful facts about Idaho. Did I forget to mention death and murder?

For heavens sake take a chance on your social future, be the first in your group to read Idaho Code. I will make you a deal, if you buy the book I will even teach you how to say Joan's last name properly.

Idaho Code is quite different among other lesbian fictions. It's full of mystery and humor (oh, I can't count how many times I laughed out loud) and has more characters than many lesbian fictions have. The latter don't lead you away the main theme but rather enrich the story and give more depth in it.

If you seek the love story in this book, you have to be patient. This is not the book that jumps into romance immediately.

If you're not sure, you can have a test read of one chapter in Joan Opyr's website. I did that and then immediately ordered one.

Who ever said that lesbians don't have a sense of humor? We've got Ellen, and Kate Clinton, and Michele Balan, and Suzanne Westenhoffer, and Alison Bechdel, and Joan Opyr. And we're laughing - hard!

Don't miss Idaho Code "where family therapy comes with a shovel and an alibi."

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. As a lover of murder mysteries, this book in particular managed to keep me guessing up until the end; I honestly didn't want to put it down (nor was the plot predictable). The humorous tone was an added bonus, I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit to the annoyance of my sleeping husband. Kudos to Ms. Opyr for a successful first novel. I look forward to the next installment!