Above All Honor

Radclyffe
Justice House Publishing
0970887426

The Secret Service in Radclyffe's Above All Honor has their hands full. They are trying to guard Blair Powell, the daughter of the President of the United States. Blair, a prominent artist in bohemian art circles of NYC, has grown tired of the oppressive consequences of her father's political career. The polished, beautiful, and politically savvy, Blair is willing to play her role within reason -- speaking for special events, sponsoring charities and making appearances in political venues that are all accepted parts of her public persona; however, she is tired of the constant invasion into her personal life. In her private life Blair is unabashedly lesbian. That private life her father prefers she at least keep discrete. Frustration has led Blair to taunt, tease, annoy and evade the security detail whenever possible. She leads them on merry chases through a range of ... bars in the city, particularly enjoying opportunities to lose the easily spotted "straight laced" agents in one of the leather clubs. Much to the embarrassment of the agents, Blair is quite skilled at her disappearing act.

Senior Agent Cameron Roberts has just been given a clean bill of health after a near fatal shooting during an undercover operation that went badly. Displeased with her new assignment in charge of a security duty for the President's daughter, Roberts quickly realizes that her own lesbian identity is one of the reasons for it. Roberts is determined to treat Blair with as much respect and professionalism as possible without being stymied by her little games. Despite her handsome, butch lesbian, appearance, Roberts seems immune to Blair's charms. This impression is not entirely true of Roberts, but Blair is quite willing to rise to the challenge of the enigmatic agent. Both women carry painful secrets in their past making the possibility of a romance professional inappropriate and personally difficult. No light romantic comedy, the courtship dance in Above All Honor has an edgy, tense quality, although at times it is predictable. Meanwhile, Roberts' charge to protect Blair becomes more challenging when she begins to receive "gifts" from a stalker.

A fast-paced read, Above All Honor has some entertaining and erotic elements. It does not, however, entirely succeed as an "action and suspense thriller" reinterpreted through a lavender lens. The novel is too short in that it leaves too many questions unanswered and too many allusions unexplained. Blair and Robert's pasts are hinted at, but not explored enough for this reader. Blair's behavior almost goes too far for her to be "redeemable" without more background. And one storyline is left hanging in an un-fulfilling, even annoying, manner. Because of the weak character development and the incomplete plot, Above All Honor does not hold up to the promise of Love's Melody Lost, Radclyffe's lavender, tongue-in-cheek tribute to gothic romances. Hopefully, Radclyffe will find better ways to express these elements in future stories.

-MJ Lowe

BN: Above All Honor was re-release in an all new, expanded edition by Bookends Press in 2002 and again by Bold Strokes Books in 2004.

Back to Salem

Alex Marcoux
Harrington Park Press
1560232242

For better and worse, Back to Salem reads like a Hollywood action suspense movie. The "better" part is that Back to Salem is fast paced and engaging reading with several plot twists that keep the reader guessing. The "worse" part that is that some of the themes are poorly presented; some plot lines are unnecessarily complicated (not to mention, a bit far fetched); and some character elements are annoying.

Jessie Mercer is an openly lesbian, best selling author and screen writer living near Los Angeles whose latest best selling book is to be made into a movie. This film interpretation is important to Jessie because this novel is different from her other books. The story practically wrote itself and for the first time she's written a novel with a lesbian as the leading character. In the novel's plot, a lesbian falls in love with a prominent actress whose husband is killed. The lesbian is framed and imprisoned for the murder. Jessie is pleased that she has been asked to help consult with the film's production.

Taylor Andrews, a popular singer, is auditioning for one of the lead roles in the movie. Taylor finds herself drawn to Jessie in a strangely intense attraction. Jessie has similar feelings and she believes she knows why. The two women become friends. Taylor will draw on that friendship after the sudden and suspicious death of her husband. Eventually Taylor surrenders to her "mystical" attraction to Jessie and the two become lovers. Meanwhile Jessie is a suspect in the death of Taylor's husband.

Annoyingly, Taylor repeatedly assures herself and others that she's not gay and isn't attracted to other women, just to Jessie. Loving Jessie is okay because Taylor comes to believe that she is her "soul mate." However unintentionally, this justification felt unnecessary and homophobic. If Taylor really isn't lesbian (or at least bi), surely she wouldn't consummate her feelings for Jessie in a sexual manner. Since she did (although the reader is only treated to oblique references and "PG rated kisses") doesn't that at least make Taylor bisexual in practice?

There are a number of interesting twists and the action moves quickly with several very dramatic revelations at the end. This reader is willing to suspend her disbelieve for a well spun story. Yet I can think of several examples of the reincarnation theme, some with lesbian characters, that have been done better --- with more plausible history and folklore, more humor, better romance, less homophobia, and more enchanting magic.-- Don't try to make all of the themes and threads make sense, because some are just too unlikely, like the Egyptian mythology and Colonial Salem connection. Some of these flaws are disappointing because they are the same ones made in Montegue's last novel. Having said that, Back to Salem is enjoyable if you think of it as a summer released action movie. It's fast paced and it makes a good book to take on vacation or read on the treadmill.

-MJ Lowe

Meridio's Daughter

L. J. Maas
Yellow Rose Books
193092853X

Everyone has secrets in Meridio's Daughter, this fast paced thriller by L.J. Maas. Andreas Meridio is a powerful and prominent businessman and olive grower on the Greek island of Mykonos. What his daughter, Cassandra doesn't know is that he is also the "Mangas" or godfather of the Greek black market in certain illegal goods. The 25 year old Casey is returning to Greece for the first time in six years, having completed graduate work in Classical studies and anthropology. She has been chosen to assist with an archaeological dig near Athens. The petite blond has spent most of her life since the age of five in America, although each summer until she started college was spent with her father. Casey also has a secret. Her traditional, "Old World" Greek father doesn't know that his accomplished archaeologist daughter is a lesbian. Then there is Tessa Nikolaidis, the beautiful and deadly Right Hand or "Kare" of Meridio. Openly lesbian Nikki, as she is known to friends, holds the most potent secrets of all. She has reasons and plans for revenge against Meridio.

Life gets complicated when Nikki, entrusted with the safety of Meridio's daughter finds herself falling in love for the first time in her life, with Casey. It is a relationship of which Meridio would never approve. The open and honest Casey sees no reason to deny her feelings for Nikki. The two women finally compromise and begin a clandestine affair. Meanwhile Casey is once again haunted by dreams she can't remember reflecting events from 20 years ago. The same events that prompted her mother's decision to leave Greece.

Meridio's Daughter is a suspenseful and engrossing story with a few plot twists. Maas provides wonderful depictions of the Greek islands, its culture (and lesbian subculture!) as well as interesting characters. Casey's post traumatic stress is handled reasonably and moves the plot. There is plenty of erotic play for Nikki and Casey that serves to further develop the characters and their relationship.

Technically this novel could be considered Xena uber for those who might enjoy seeing it. However, happily the story requires no understanding of the show to be appreciated. L.J. Maas also created the lovely cover of this book (and several other books by this press) that matches the mood of the culture and climate. After reading Meridio's Daughter, this reader will be looking for other Maas novels.

Bleeding Out

Baxter Clare
Firebrand Books
1563411180


Clare's first novel, Bleeding Out, is a taut, gritty, psychological thriller set in contemporary South Los Angeles. Police Lt. L.A. Franco is a tough, tall, handsome, intelligent, dyke investigator. Years ago, the traumatic loss of her lover prompted Franco to shut down much of her personal life and focus on work. Years in one of the city's toughest districts have built an armor around Franco.

Franco cares about the people in her district and is alarmed when the first victim of a serial murderer appears. Franco sees the pattern in these murders as an extension of earlier, increasingly brutal, rapes and walks a razor's edge as she allows herself to sink deeper into the killer's mind in order to track him down.

Clare provides remarkable insight into the "rearing" of a serial killer in a series of short, often horrific vignettes at the beginning of each chapter. These hauntingly powerful depictions stay with the reader.

Allison Kennedy, a young, smart mouthed, narcotics officer is brought in to act as bait for the killer. Displeased with the stake out plan, Franco is annoyed, worried and just a little attracted to Kennedy. --Feelings that Franco does not welcome, yet may be important for her salvation. Not because their relationship is necessarily destined to be a success, this is not a "happily ever after" love story. -- Because for the first time in years Franco feels more than simple lust for another woman and is willing to risk the relationship.

Some of Clare's secondary characters are difficult to differentiate, particularly in the macho police world. Yet other characters are complex, compassionately drawn and touchingly real. Not a thoughtless, pleasant armchair mystery; Bleeding Out is a well written, engrossing thriller of police investigation and politics.

-MJ Lowe

BN: There are now five L.A. Franco mystery released by Bella Books including a new edition of Bleeding Out.