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5th out of 49 books
—
5 voters
Amateur City (Kate Delafield #1)
When Katherine V. Forrest’s Amateur City was published in 1984, introducing LAPD detective Kate Delafield, it not only marked the beginning of one of mystery fiction’s most successful series, it also created one of the most lucrative genres in gay publishing: the lesbian mystery. With her next six Kate Delafield novels, Forrest’s complex and determined lesbian detective b
Paperback, 216 pages
Published
August 1st 2003
by Alyson Publications Inc.
(first published 1984)
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maybe it's all the Agatha Christie I'm used to hearing but I was expecting this to be twistier. I was right about who did it - which is ridiculous bc I suck at this kind of thing - but frankly I was expecting more MSM. oh well. fancy the shit out of Kate, OBVIOUSLY. enjoyed the femme-butch representation, and ESPECIALLY enjoyed the critique of overbearing controlling masculine privilege butches and the resistance Ellen as a femme put up to assumptions about her capabilities and how these things...more
The mystery is really very good: well-constructed crime with a good list of suspects, a nice twist when it comes to the murder-method and lots of suspense.
Where the book doesn't work is on the "private" level where we get to know something about the protagonist. Some of the more emotional and private moments of Kate Delafield and her love-interest (for lack of a better word - this isn't a love story) are more than awkward and Forrest really clobbers her readers over the head with the lesbian-the...more
Where the book doesn't work is on the "private" level where we get to know something about the protagonist. Some of the more emotional and private moments of Kate Delafield and her love-interest (for lack of a better word - this isn't a love story) are more than awkward and Forrest really clobbers her readers over the head with the lesbian-the...more
I had no crime shelf before this! o.O I guess I don't read a lot of crime though, as much as I love stuff like Law & Order.
I would be interested to read more in the series. I like Kate, and once I got into it this was a very quick read, and lots of fun - I don't mind a good whodunnit :) (view spoiler)...more
I would be interested to read more in the series. I like Kate, and once I got into it this was a very quick read, and lots of fun - I don't mind a good whodunnit :) (view spoiler)...more
I read this book for the first time when I bought it in 1994. Back then I was so starved for lesbian literature, I thought almost everything was good no matter what. But now, 18 years later, I have a little better perspective. While Katherine Forrest is head and shoulders above most other authors of lesbian crime drama, this book is still pretty cheesy. Since this book was written in 1984, she's naturally included details of the times; therefore, I don't think it has aged well. Also, as one of t...more
This novel took me twice to really understand or comprehend in any real way. The first time I read it, everything got all muddled in my head and the story didn't really make sense. I think it was partially because I hadn't read many LesFic novels and I was just starting to read adult mysteries (i.e. non-Hardy Boys stuff) in a real way too. Now that I have read more, many more of both types the book makes much more sense
There were also a whole lot of characters to keep track of, and though they w...more
There were also a whole lot of characters to keep track of, and though they w...more
1. what is a box of "man-sized" kleenex supposed to mean?
2. just about every female in this series ends up being a lesbian. what a fun alternative universe.
3. i genuinely love this series; i've read it entirely out of sequence, but that's actually made it more interesting.
2. just about every female in this series ends up being a lesbian. what a fun alternative universe.
3. i genuinely love this series; i've read it entirely out of sequence, but that's actually made it more interesting.
This is the authors first book. I found it a passable first attempt. I wasn't going to read any more but I think I will see what the second book offers to see.
Jul 06, 2012
Kim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
lesbian-mystery,
mystery
A good gritty lesbian cop story.
Classic lesbian reading
Fascinating as a historical document, kind of meh as a crime novel.
Pretty good read for something quick and fun
Katherine V. Forrest's Kate Delafield -series is one of the best in the genre, and I just love to return to it after so many years!
Very of its time, but deservedly a classic.
May 18, 2013
Skye
marked it as to-read
May 13, 2013
Jenn M
marked it as mystery-detective-private-inv
May 11, 2013
Elizabeth
marked it as to-read
May 05, 2013
Stacy Beeson
marked it as to-read
Apr 28, 2013
Katt
marked it as to-read
Apr 26, 2013
Besha
marked it as to-read
Apr 26, 2013
Shellie Heaton
marked it as to-read
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Katherine V. Forrest is the groundbreaking author of Curious Wine, the Kate Delafield mystery series and the Daughters science-fiction series. She’s also known as a prolific editor with anthology and non-fiction credits in her own name as well as the editor of hundreds of novels. Dozens of lesbian writers count her among their mentors. Selected as the 2009 recipient of the Publishing Triangle’s Bi...more
More about Katherine V. Forrest...
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