Customer Reviews

In Too Deep

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow! That was some book. In Too Deep by Ronica Black is sizzling hot! It is a detective mystery that is full of surpises and twists. Detective Erin McKenzie goes undercover to try to capture beautiful lesbian bar owner, Elizabeth Adams, who is suspected in a series of murders. Poor Erin, straight girl, doesn't know what she's in for, so co-worker detective Patricia Henderson, lesbian, steps in to help Erin. Erin soon grows an attraction for both Patricia and Liz, and Black plays on this throughout the book. Who will Erin end up with? The suspense was great. Oh, and there was a murder mystery going on too.

Black introduces a cast of characters besides Adams to pin the murders on, and as the story develops each character is presented just at the precise moment you might be inclined to say, "So and So did it," thus foiling your who dunnit discovery.

The book is hot, and Black leaves no detail untold when it comes to the sex scenes. She's one of the best at this. She also weaves in humor with several scenes leaving me smiling and saying, "Oh, no!" followed by a good laugh. The swimming pool scenes play a big part in this. What I think most endears me to this novel is how Black leaves the reader with inner turmoil as to what she (the reader) wants to happen and what should happen in a good holsome sense, or vice versa depending on the reader. I felt happiness and sorrow for some characters. She must write a sequel to make it all right! I'll be waiting.

Ronica Black's debut novel, "In Too Deep," is the outstanding first effort of a gifted writer who has a promising career ahead of her. Black shows extraordinary command in weaving a thoroughly engrossing tale around multi-faceted characters, intricate action and character-driven plots and subplots, sizzling sex that jumps off the page and stimulates libidos effortlessly, amidst brilliant storytelling. A clever mystery writer, Black has the reader guessing until the end.

Called in to investigate a murder, newly appointed homicide detective Erin McKenzie of the Valle Luna, Arizona PD, ends up going undercover as bait to investigate a rash of serial murders. The suspect is none other than the affluent, powerful, sexy, skilled seductress and positively drop-dead gorgeous elite lesbian nightclub owner Elizabeth Adams. It is Erin's job to lure Liz hoping to get close enough to the woman for a confession. In addition, who better to teach a straight married woman how to be a "lesbian on the prowl" than a lesbian, namely, detective Patricia Henderson. Patricia knew Erin before the assignment but when she notices Erin's wedding ring is missing she is intrigued. In fact, Patricia can't help but notice everything about Erin, including her sexy vulnerability and good looks; she becomes more than just smitten--protective seems more like it. She even contemplates that a commitment would be a dream come true.

Patricia wonders if her attraction to Erin is just "...so desperate that a polite `how are you feeling?' could leave her panting and ready to pounce" [p. 36] or is there really more to her feelings? It doesn't help that the two women have to work very closely on the case, which has Erin questioning her sexuality as new feelings surface. Emotional floodgates threaten to open after Erin meets and falls hopelessly in love or at least lust for Liz Adams, while still having feelings for Patricia. The fact that she is in the throes of divorce from her cheating husband, investigating a high-profile murder, all the while questioning her "previously unsuspected attraction to her own sex," [p. 76], and you have the makings of a complicated romance with Erin torn between two desirable women.

Erin searched Patricia's face, a note of desperation in her voice. "This doesn't mean I'm gay...does it" [p. 37]. She feels like she "had been given the key to a whole new world. The door had been unlocked and she was seeing what she had never noticed before--the allure of the female body..." [p. 46]. As if the investigation of a potentially dangerous murderer isn't enough, Erin has to deal with her own confused feelings.

Is Liz Adams really the calculated killer the police have made her out to be or is there a human and very innocent woman just hungering to be let out? Black does a convincing job of leaving plenty of room for doubt. The reader is on a merry-go-round when it comes to whom Erin should stick with, Patricia or Liz, but knowing that Erin's happiness is the most desired outcome.

Ronica Black uses metaphors like an Olympic swimmer gliding through water snatching up Gold. From the very first absorbing page to the last, there is a richness in the text that resonates in each sentence, bringing the reader that much closer to the character's actions, emotions, and the vivid setting in which they live. Black makes everything clearer when she describes Erin's attraction to Liz, "Liz swallowed hard, and Erin noticed. She was noticing everything now. The beauty of the woman before her, the fragility masked by indifference and distance, the delicate pulse that beat just beneath the damp skin on her neck. She was human. And that was something it seemed no one had ever considered before" [p. 163].

Every time the reader has a handle on what's happening, Black throws in a curve, successfully devising a good mystery. The romance and sex adds a special gift to the package rounding out the story for a totally satisfying read.

"In Too Deep," by newcomer Ronica Black, is emotional, hot, gripping, raw, and a real turn-on from start to finish, with characters you will fall in love with, root for, and never forget. A truly five star novel, you will not want to miss "In Too Deep" and will look forward to Black's next novel, "Wild Abandon," coming out in 2006.

The plot of this book is as described elsewhere.

There are many things wrong with this book, and only a few things right. The right things are the storyline, the characters, and the potential of the author.

The things that are wrong are that the author's characters are bigger than the author's talents. She needed a very good editor to make this work. For instance, the murder suspect tells her colleague to call her attorney as she is being taken downtown for questioning. Eighteen hours later, her attorney still hadn't either shown up or not allowed to see her client. Not believable. For instance, one of the main characters has been a stone butch all of her life, but one woman comes along and changes that in a matter of days. Not believable. For instance, a young straight detective is sent undercover to seduce a lesbian barowner in order to get a confession from the suspect. What no one wonders about is how the young detective is going to convince an intelligent, savvy lesbian that she is one, too. Not believable. And the list goes on.

This is a big story and needed a very experienced author to pull it off. Black was not that author. Undoubtedly, she will be one day. But when she wrote this book she wasn't, and there is just too many lapses for this to be a really good book. If you're looking for a book with a strong plot with strong characters that is well written, buy Gerri Hill or Radclyffe. If you want to watch a "young" writer develop, buy this book.

Ronica Black is a relatively new author that shows a lot of promise. Her first two books, including `In Too Deep,' have been really enjoyable. Her characters are likable and believable and her stories are exciting. The reader can guess, but never really knows what's coming on the next page until she gets there.

Here, Black introduces characters Erin McKenzie and Elizabeth (Liz) Adams. Erin is an undercover detective who has been assigned to get cozy with suspect Adams. Erin's home life is rather disappointing. Her husband is having an affair and they rarely see each other. Erin is nothing more to him than a possession to impress his business associates. Fellow detective, Patricia Henderson is tapped to help Erin prepare for this assignment - fitting, because Patricia is a lesbian and so is Liz. In fact, Patty is one of Liz's former lovers. Erin can't recall any feelings toward another woman, but finds herself completely turned on by Patricia's coaching.

Erin finds herself aching by the time she finally meets Liz, but plays the part of an "old fashioned" woman to keep Liz's attentions trained on her. The approach helps with the ultimate solving of the case, but makes things much worse for Erin on a personal level. She struggles with her growing attraction and feelings for the sexually raucous older woman.

This book offers so much for the reader. There is sexual awakening, beautiful women, intrigue, passion, and a lot more. It's a romance and mystery rolled up in one novel. I highly recommend this one to anyone.

Enough is enough. This is one of my favorite books, EVER, and after reading these two "reviews" which were posted to obviously do nothing more than promote other authors, I had to write in.

In Too Deep blew me away. Plain and simple. It took the world of lesbian fiction and spun it on it's cliche little head. Maybe that's why some of these close minded lesbians feel threatened. It's a shame that the community as a whole, can't support and encourage the best new writer to come along in ages. Ronica entertains like no other, and one would think that people would embrace that.

About the book. There's nothing cliche about it. It's edgy, it's hot and it's got unbelievable character depth. The reader gets taken back to the characters childhood and their dark pasts which explains a lot of their present behavior. You don't find that in other lesbian books and Ronica's characters are flawed, far from perfect. They make questionable decisions, react in a way far more real than most other characters in this genre.

Another thing I like about Ronica is that she doesn't pat her readers on the head and force feed them every single detail. She moves quickly and expects the reader to have half a brain. There wasn't a scene in this book that I couldn't understand or explain with my own intelligence.

If you're a reader looking for one hell of a ride and some serious entertainment, this book will not let you down. It hasn't earned countless rave reviews for nothing.

I sincerely hope that this author keeps writing and hopefully doesn't read some of the crap amazon posts. Ronica needs to move on from lesbian fiction. She certainly has the talent.

I bought this book because I couldn't resist the cover. It's supposed to be a mystery, but it's really the story of a love triangle with all the complicated emotions this situation can lead to. One thing I really liked about it was that the main character, Erin, was quite different from the usual. She is a young recently 'straight' woman coming out and sometimes she seems too stupid to be real, other times she is just like anyone of her age trying to figure out who she is and being in lust with two beautiful women at the same time.
In Too Deep is a hot, unusual book for a first novel and the author's style is quite original. I'm not a big reader of mysteries, but even I could see that the mystery plot was just a device in this book. It's not really plausible and doesn't have the convincing detail you get in books by serious mystery authors. So if you buy it only as a mystery, you might be disappointed. But if you buy it as an erotic, page-turner romance by a new author who has plenty of talent, I think you'll be happy. I was impressed with it.

Ronica Black's debut novel In Too Deep has everything from non- stop action and intriguing well-developed characters to steamy erotic love scenes. From the opening scenes where Black plunges the reader head first into the story to the explosive unexpected ending, In Too Deep has what it takes to rise to the top.

Erin McKenzie is the newly appointed homicide detective who goes undercover as a lesbian trying to coax night club owner Elizabeth Adams into confessing. Adams is suspected of several grisly, very personal murders. Erin, who is straight and separated from her husband, gets help from veteran detective Patricia Henderson. As Erin's liaison, Henderson, as a lesbian, works to make McKenzie believable before she embarks on her first trip to La Femme, Adam's night club. During these sessions together with Henderson, McKenzie begins to question her sexuality while Henderson develops more than professional feelings towards her colleague. To make this even more difficult for McKenzie, she needs to get Adams interested in her without showing any desire on her part. This way she can gather information on Adams who has an airtight alibi for the last murder. While undercover, McKenzie gets more than she bargained for, jeopardizing her career and possibly her future.

Black does an outstanding job of developing parallel plots of suspense and romance. They are intertwined seamlessly and flow as one. She creates pages upon pages of built up desire with Henderson, McKenzie and Adams, constructing a convincing triangle of angst, passion and jealousy. Their conflicts are heightened as business and pleasure are intermixed, crossing boundaries and leaving the reader with many questions as to who the bad guys are in this story. The tantalizing love scenes, especially in the swimming pool, will leave the reader wanting more.

In Too Deep has solid portrayals of the characters, and their interaction with each other sizzles. Adams is an enigma, fiercely loyal and protective, but vulnerable. McKenzie is naïve and confused about her sexuality, but when pushed, she stands her ground. Henderson fueled by an inner rage from past associations and craving a love that is lasting, ends up coming through as a solid cop and friend. This cast is unbeatable as they move the story along with its plot twists.

Black has a winner with In Too Deep, one that will keep the reader turning the pages until the very last one.

The first half of this book is amazing. The character development is well done - and the sex scenes are hot.

Then about halfway through, the tone changes. Suddenly, we're meeting new characters in new settings. Some scenes (especially ones with Patricia and the SGT and Erin's ex, Mark) seem like they were added to take up space. Even the drama of the love-triangle is gone since we know who Erin picks.

From there, the book plods until then end and the final resolution.

When I started reading this novel it was after someone suggested it as being a little like Gerri Hill's style (who i'm a huge fan of!). I began it and got so bored after a couple of pages that I put it away and began on all my others for the third time.
I returned to this however yesterday and thought i'd give it a go. It was very slow to begin with and it took quite a while for it to be up and running, but by half way through I was engrossed and read until 4am just to see how it ended.
Certain parts seemed rushed, and some went on for too long. But for a first time writer, this book's a brilliant achievement.

It is slow to begin with, but keep going! You won't be disappointed by the time you finish it!

Another little side note... this woman knows how to write a good erotic scene! ;)

On the Gerri Hill comment; I wouldn't say that Ronica Black's style equals out GH's in the slitist, but she has got potential. If you do want a book that is along the same lines as this story, try 'Hunter's Way' by Gerri Hill. It's my favourite book - an amazing story. If you liked 'In Too Deep', you'll love it!

I really loved this book and its sequel, Deeper. This is writer is very talented; she knows how to spin a story. I became attached to the characters and was thrilled there was a sequel and could get to know them (and their backstory) more. I blazed through both books in 2 days while on vacation. Looking forward to others from this author.