Customer Reviews

Likely Suspects (Lesbian Adventure Club, Book 10)

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I just finished the series, and I'm thinking that Likely Suspects may soon be my new favorite. It's rising fast, and this is only my second time through. Scraps and L-word are both really good, too, as is Leakers. Well, the competition for second place is fierce. But so far, Ledge Walkers is still my favorite. Usual Suspects has so many delightful elements, though, and with having only read it twice, I can in no way claim that I thoroughly know the content.

There is so much of the fictitious-fictitious backstory that has to be deduced. (When I say fictious-fictious, I mean the role playing that the characters do, the story-within-the story.) For example, why does Amah experiment with children? Is there money in it? Does she hate all children? Going by the actual life of Anna Freud, I would deduce that there is an element of academic ego involved--she wants to be the first to discover some specific effects of stress on children.

And who all is blackmailing whom all? We know that Joan is blackmailing Amah, and Joan in turn is being blackmailed by Gerte, and Gerte is being blackmailed by Carolina--or is it Carolina being blackmailed by Gerte? Or was that Alberta?

And what will Bonnie's talking to the cops do to Alberta's business? Up to now, there has never been any evidence against her, just suspicion. If Bonnie cops a plea, is Alberta's empire in danger, or will her payoffs to corrupt officials save her? Or will Heady jump to the rescue again with newspaper articles that provide enough bias to keep the jury from believing Bonnie?

There is so much potential backstory floating in limbo which will never be told because it's fiction-fiction. But it's that hazy potential that makes this such a fascinating story. Both the character and reactions of the ladies when they are role-playing, and the potential character and reactions of the fictional-fictional characters, as well as the way both the real characters and the F-F characters react to Bimbo Babe and her kidnapping, keep the reader guessing. Every scene you have to ask yourself, "is this Heady's reaction or Kate's?" "Is that coming out of Carolina's mouth, or Holly's?" It's fun!

And every episode that includes Sam, Charles, Denny and Noelle have additional elements of fun potential in them. The most entertaining element of this episode is Laura's total neglect of crime-solving. We find out at the end that Laura's character made a conscious effort to not solve the crime, deciding that the detective getting the girl was much more important than the detective solving the case. But we don't know that during the action, and Laura's anomalous behavior during the course of the book are intriguing and puzzling. Of course, the real Laura would never make a decision like that (or would she?) but her Sam Shovel character would. What makes it fascinating is that this is exactly the opposite decision that her namesake Sam Spade made in The Maltese Falcon, when he chose to solve the case and give up the girl.

Meantime the addition of backstory about Kate's and Janice's history adds content and quality to the series plot. We find out exactly where Janice's and Alison's relationship is in Alison's mind. We find out how Kate met and got to know Janice. We find out more about Janice's history. We find out more than we wanted to know about her in-laws. Janice's victorian mansion becomes a provoking and compelling setting, with it's multitude of cool rooms and stimulating decor. The grounds with it's garage, porch, shed and garden also provoke and compel.

This is certainly not the first time the ladies have done role-playing. They have worn costumes and acted from scripts. The references to the murder mystery weekend come to mind. The costumes in Leakers Ignited and the serious role playing in Savages are both examples. But this is the first time the roles they play have been so rich and had such historically romantic content. The peripheral references inherent in the roles bring to mind such riches as Dashiell Hammetts mysteries, Georgia O'Keefe's painting, Anna Freud's research, Annie Sullivan's dedication to Hellen Keller, Jane Addams and the whole sufferagette movement, Gertrude Stein's literary world--so much drama straight from the richest periods of American history and literature. The associations that linger at the back of one's mind while reading keep the imagination busy with suggestion and innuendo.

And then just to top everything off, Ms Wraight throws in the "do-gooder" of cancer awareness to prick the reader's conscience and moral sense. It's not enough to entertain, and entertain well, she must also instruct and admonish. None of her books would be complete without a plethora of themes and theses.

And the outcome! It's reminscent of the "real world" mysteries of Woman Justice, Secrets and Sins, or Corpse Call. They all done it! Every one except Kate and Claudia are involved in the crime to one degree or other. Everybody does it except the butler (and the cook)!

I love it. The delightful richness of character-driven Ledge Walkers finally has a serious contender with the multiplexing of characters with their fictious-fictious roles. I will freely admit that my attraction to Ledge Walkers has always been the character-driven nature of the story. But Likely Suspects, even though plot-driven, has such a richness of characterization that it seriously rivals Ledge Walkers for my favor.