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Kate Ryan Mysteries #1
She Waits
Kate Ryan is a middle-aged, accident prone, ex-private investigator. Emphasis on 'ex' as she and her partner gave up their profession after their last case nearly cost both of them, their lives. They wisely decided to limp away with whatever dignity and body parts they had left. Unfortunately, Kate will forever carry the scar to remind her of her folly that nearly took her life and plagues her heart and soul. Vowing never again to let her emotions rule her reason, Kate decides to go back to her first love, free-lance photography. For the next few years, she exists alone in - 'My emotionally detached loop'; as Kate proudly calls it. Then all hell breaks loose and Kate drops a loop. Enter young Dr. Maggie Winfield and her adorable Aunt Martha. Kate literally stumbles into their lives one autumn morning and becomes an unwitting participant in their tangled web. Clues unravel in their small little hamlet and old secrets are sadly revealed. Kate's long forgotten instincts now compel her to untangle this web of deceit. In the midst of all this murder and mayhem, the detached photographer finds herself in a position she never thought she would be in again. It seems the feisty Dr. Winfield is having an unexpected, yet pleasant effect on her. The elusive Kate combines forces with the sarcastic Maggie, as they become the nucleus for this ongoing series.
252 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2006
22 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Kate Sweeney
61 books172 followersKate Sweeney was the 2007 recipient of the Golden Crown Literary Society award for Debut Author for She Waits, the first in the Kate Ryan Mystery series, which was also nominated for the Lambda Literary Society award for Lesbian Mystery.
The second in the series, A Nice Clean Murder, was nominated the Lambda this year for Lesbian Mystery, and is a nominee for GCLS award in the Mystery category. Her novel Away from the Dawn released in August 2007 is also nominated for the GCLS award for Speculative Fiction. She is also a contributing author for the anthology Wild Nights: (Mostly) True Stories of Women Loving Women, published by Bella Books.
Born in Chicago, Kate resides in Villa Park, Illinois, where she works as an office manager—no glamour here, folks; it pays the bills. Humor is deeply embedded in Kate’s DNA. She sincerely hopes you will see this when you read her novels, short stories, and other works.
The second in the series, A Nice Clean Murder, was nominated the Lambda this year for Lesbian Mystery, and is a nominee for GCLS award in the Mystery category. Her novel Away from the Dawn released in August 2007 is also nominated for the GCLS award for Speculative Fiction. She is also a contributing author for the anthology Wild Nights: (Mostly) True Stories of Women Loving Women, published by Bella Books.
Born in Chicago, Kate resides in Villa Park, Illinois, where she works as an office manager—no glamour here, folks; it pays the bills. Humor is deeply embedded in Kate’s DNA. She sincerely hopes you will see this when you read her novels, short stories, and other works.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 4, 2017
This took me forever to read because I just couldn't get into it. It's very poorly written. The prose is rudimentary and clumsy. Because of that, the first person narration feels awkward and the main character comes off as immature.
The book is almost all exposition, no action. In an attempt to keep they "mystery" from the readers, the exposition ends up being so vague the reader has little idea what's going on with the plot, if there even is a plot. And even with the vagueness, the reader is able to solve the mystery long before the characters, which ends up being infuriating. The answer is so simple and obvious that you read believing it can't be the right answer, and when it turns out it IS the right answer, you can't believe it took the characters that long to figure it out.
I was looking forward to reading this because I knew it was the start of a series, and who doesn't love a good lesbian detective series? Sadly I don't think I can bring myself to read any of the others.
The book is almost all exposition, no action. In an attempt to keep they "mystery" from the readers, the exposition ends up being so vague the reader has little idea what's going on with the plot, if there even is a plot. And even with the vagueness, the reader is able to solve the mystery long before the characters, which ends up being infuriating. The answer is so simple and obvious that you read believing it can't be the right answer, and when it turns out it IS the right answer, you can't believe it took the characters that long to figure it out.
I was looking forward to reading this because I knew it was the start of a series, and who doesn't love a good lesbian detective series? Sadly I don't think I can bring myself to read any of the others.
March 18, 2017
I am reading the 7th book in this series and I have to say that is totally worth the time, better than that, It's a sin not to read it.
It's my first book with suspense and I never tough that it would be like watching a movie. It's also very funny. One of the most amazing points it's the ability to involve the reader in discovering who is behind the mystery.
And of course, the romance part. They are so cute!
It's my first book with suspense and I never tough that it would be like watching a movie. It's also very funny. One of the most amazing points it's the ability to involve the reader in discovering who is behind the mystery.
And of course, the romance part. They are so cute!
September 20, 2012
I think this is the perfectly written book. I have never said that before, so this is HUGE!
The sadness is there but the humor equalizes it. The really good news is that this is the first
book in a series and the series is good. Really good. Kate Sweeney, if you read this, I want to be
one if your beta readers. I'm 50, a lesbian, a former English adjunct and I have a great sense of
humor. Actually it's kind if twisted. Even better...I'm Irish!
The sadness is there but the humor equalizes it. The really good news is that this is the first
book in a series and the series is good. Really good. Kate Sweeney, if you read this, I want to be
one if your beta readers. I'm 50, a lesbian, a former English adjunct and I have a great sense of
humor. Actually it's kind if twisted. Even better...I'm Irish!
August 8, 2018
This is such a compelling and hilarious read!
I couldn’t help but laugh at Kate Ryan’s fumbles as she works tirelessly to find out what was going on in the Winfield family. I even fell in love with Chance, her adorable dog who makes so much mischief, loves beautiful women and cuddling up in bed. I’m already excited about reading the next book in this wonderful series!
I couldn’t help but laugh at Kate Ryan’s fumbles as she works tirelessly to find out what was going on in the Winfield family. I even fell in love with Chance, her adorable dog who makes so much mischief, loves beautiful women and cuddling up in bed. I’m already excited about reading the next book in this wonderful series!
October 3, 2011
Kate and Kate take responsibility for this first-in-a-series mystery novel. The former, Kate Sweeney, is an American author out of Illinois; the latter, Kate Ryan, is an ex-private investigator turned photographer out of Chicago. This profession, the staple of US crime fiction, is tangential to the story - Kate II has dropped that job, and is on her way to a vacation-cum-photo-op as we meet her. With her dog Chance she nearly runs a horse and rider down - or is nearly run down herself, depending on your point of view, and thus becomes entangled in a twenty-year old murder mystery with lethal connections to the present.
'tis an odd one, this. Both writing and characterization start out strong and solid; but slip towards the end. The story itself remains intriguing, with a touch of the supernatural for those inclined to enjoy such. This said, there are the occasional editing problems, a few too many characters criss-crossing throughout, and the odd plot hole.
One, major, character - for example - is both witty and amusing to start, but fades almost entirely by the end. It can be explained in terms of the story, and its consequences, yet ... Overall, however, it's fun, if you can overlook the minor nags above. It's a series I'll revisit; it's a book I'll read again - it doesn't get much better than that.
'tis an odd one, this. Both writing and characterization start out strong and solid; but slip towards the end. The story itself remains intriguing, with a touch of the supernatural for those inclined to enjoy such. This said, there are the occasional editing problems, a few too many characters criss-crossing throughout, and the odd plot hole.
One, major, character - for example - is both witty and amusing to start, but fades almost entirely by the end. It can be explained in terms of the story, and its consequences, yet ... Overall, however, it's fun, if you can overlook the minor nags above. It's a series I'll revisit; it's a book I'll read again - it doesn't get much better than that.
November 16, 2015
If not awestruck storyline/characters, it is a decent mystery novel. Sadly, Kate Ryan didn't strike me as Mickey Knight or Rainey :(
September 13, 2020
When I saw this novel, I was very excited. It was a mystery with a lesbian detective. What could go wrong? Sadly, everything. Maybe because it was one of the first novels of the author or because it is the first part of a series but overall it has many flaws. As regards the romance part, it's like "ok both are women and both are lesbian so at the end they will be together" and that's it. There is no chemistry among the characters or intimate moments or development of any kind. About the mystery parts, Kate is an ex-detective but she does not investigates anything. She literally stumbles with all hints and clues. And it is infuriating the way she does things. For instance, someone is trying to kill a member of a rich family, whose mother has also been killed in the past. What does our heroine do? Obviously she investigates the murder of the mother because I suppose the current problem is not that important. So she goes to the sheriff office and politely ask for the open file. The officer who is very kind gives her the file and even allows her to take it home!. Absurd. Then, throughout the book all clues point out to a certain suspect. Very obvious clues. And I said to myself: "too obvious. Can't be this suspect". Nope. Wrong. It was the obvious suspect from the very beginning. It is sad when you find out the culprit and their motives long before the main character and when they finally do they act very surprised. Really? Eye roll.
August 24, 2018
The Winfields are a rich family. Maggie's mother died a long time ago, her father more recently, and now Maggie is the victim of accidents. Accidents or murder attempts? Enter Kate Ryan, ex-private detective and renowned freelance photographer.
Get to know stubborn and hot-tempered Maggie, a doctor in training; good-hearted and full of humour Aunt Hanna; and accident-prone Kate, who, at a friend's request, agreed to check on Maggie while driving to Illinois.
The Windfields' family history is a tangled web of secrets, deceits, and enough to make Maggie feel cursed.
'She Waits' is an easy-reading suspense thriller written light-heartedly with humour and cunning.
Kate will have to face a few memories of her own, while regularly arguing with Maggie. Maggie, who is better at reigning horses than reigning her temper.
It is a surprisingly endearing story with a few twists (and a few editing typos, but I willingly forgive Kate Sweeney). I think I'd like like to find out what happened to Kate and Maggie next.
Oh, and while you read 'She Waits', watch out for the womon in white haunting the woods.
Get to know stubborn and hot-tempered Maggie, a doctor in training; good-hearted and full of humour Aunt Hanna; and accident-prone Kate, who, at a friend's request, agreed to check on Maggie while driving to Illinois.
The Windfields' family history is a tangled web of secrets, deceits, and enough to make Maggie feel cursed.
'She Waits' is an easy-reading suspense thriller written light-heartedly with humour and cunning.
Kate will have to face a few memories of her own, while regularly arguing with Maggie. Maggie, who is better at reigning horses than reigning her temper.
It is a surprisingly endearing story with a few twists (and a few editing typos, but I willingly forgive Kate Sweeney). I think I'd like like to find out what happened to Kate and Maggie next.
Oh, and while you read 'She Waits', watch out for the womon in white haunting the woods.
October 8, 2018
This was a long read. I'm on the 11th book of the series before I decided to rate this first one. It's one of the slower burn book for the romantics. This book has the lowest rating of the books, but I want to encourage people to pick it up because it's worth it along the series!
READ IT: for mystery + lesbian novel lovers this is worth it. The cases each book presents are fun to read. I found myself waiting impatiently to find out the reveals (I'm usually pretty good at predicting plots) so if I got far to book 11 I think it's a testament. I tend to get bored with long series novels that are just based on two love interests. The couple takes a secondary role. The narrative can get a little repetitive as events from previous books are mentioned (obviously binging the books makes it seem more frequently mentioned).
READ IT: for mystery + lesbian novel lovers this is worth it. The cases each book presents are fun to read. I found myself waiting impatiently to find out the reveals (I'm usually pretty good at predicting plots) so if I got far to book 11 I think it's a testament. I tend to get bored with long series novels that are just based on two love interests. The couple takes a secondary role. The narrative can get a little repetitive as events from previous books are mentioned (obviously binging the books makes it seem more frequently mentioned).
June 18, 2020
In the one of the opening scenes, photographer Kate Ryan is driving through a small town in Illinois, thinking that she may stop by and talk to a young woman that, rumor has it, may need some help. As she enters the city, her car is nearly blindsided by that very same young woman—Maggie Winfield—who is for some reason racing a wild black horse on the paved street. Kate swerves in time, but the horse shies and the woman takes a tumble. Somehow the young woman’s aunt arrives at the scene almost immediately, calls for someone to bring a trailer for the horse, and invites Kate to her house for tea (leaving her car, seemingly, on the side of the road). In other words, there are so many coincidences, implausibilities, and just plain poor authorial decisions that I wouldn't have blamed myself if I had put the book down right away. So why didn't I?
Well, besides the fact that I paid money for the book and that it is kind of my job to write as many full reviews as I can, I admit that I was caught up by the characters, the setting, and the tone of the writing. I was also intrigued that the main character was an ex-private investigator. But am I glad I continued? No.
Yes, I’ll admit I did like the characters and the atmosphere of the book. The mystery was tantalizing, too, as was Kate’s determination to get to the bottom of things—including the 20-year-old murder of Maggie’s mother. But when important evidence turns up, it is Kate’s dog that turns it up. And worse than that; the dog was told where to dig for the evidence by the murdered woman’s ghost. Talk about being disappointed!
From there on out, everything is just as implausible as the first scene. I mean, why did the killer bury the evidence in the first place? Maggie Winfield looks and acts 20, but turns out to be 34—old enough that Kate can’t be called a cradle robber. That is, if Kate ever made a move on her, which she didn't (I expect that and other lose ends to be tied up in the second book). Other quibbles. The author uses “her eyes got as big as saucers” no fewer than three times and almost every epithet (and there are a lot of them) is either Christ! or Jesus! Besides that, there is a major relationship thread involving a misunderstanding between Kate and her former lover that just makes no sense (I read the paperback so maybe she fixed it in the e-book). I mean, does her publisher employ an editor?
Sweeney is a prolific author who has written 9 books in this series in 8 years. Some of these books can be found frequently on the Amazon Top 100 LGBT Mystery list. Based on this book, it’s hard to figure out why unless she is getting some crossovers from the Gothic crowd, who have no trouble when the solution is handed to the protagonist by a ghost. This actually won a Lambda award for best debut author, but that speaks poorly for the award. One star is actually too many.
Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
Well, besides the fact that I paid money for the book and that it is kind of my job to write as many full reviews as I can, I admit that I was caught up by the characters, the setting, and the tone of the writing. I was also intrigued that the main character was an ex-private investigator. But am I glad I continued? No.
Yes, I’ll admit I did like the characters and the atmosphere of the book. The mystery was tantalizing, too, as was Kate’s determination to get to the bottom of things—including the 20-year-old murder of Maggie’s mother. But when important evidence turns up, it is Kate’s dog that turns it up. And worse than that; the dog was told where to dig for the evidence by the murdered woman’s ghost. Talk about being disappointed!
From there on out, everything is just as implausible as the first scene. I mean, why did the killer bury the evidence in the first place? Maggie Winfield looks and acts 20, but turns out to be 34—old enough that Kate can’t be called a cradle robber. That is, if Kate ever made a move on her, which she didn't (I expect that and other lose ends to be tied up in the second book). Other quibbles. The author uses “her eyes got as big as saucers” no fewer than three times and almost every epithet (and there are a lot of them) is either Christ! or Jesus! Besides that, there is a major relationship thread involving a misunderstanding between Kate and her former lover that just makes no sense (I read the paperback so maybe she fixed it in the e-book). I mean, does her publisher employ an editor?
Sweeney is a prolific author who has written 9 books in this series in 8 years. Some of these books can be found frequently on the Amazon Top 100 LGBT Mystery list. Based on this book, it’s hard to figure out why unless she is getting some crossovers from the Gothic crowd, who have no trouble when the solution is handed to the protagonist by a ghost. This actually won a Lambda award for best debut author, but that speaks poorly for the award. One star is actually too many.
Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
August 27, 2015
Short review: The first lesbian mystery I had ever heard of-- therefore, the first one I ever read. I had never read lesbian genre fiction before, but the idea was endlessly appealing. At first, I cut this book a lot of extra slack because I had never read anything like it. Also, the author has a pretty good grasp of characters and isn't awful at dialogue. But the plot wasn't great, and the whole paranormal thing I haaaaaaaaated. I spent way too much time and money reading this series. Now that I'm more well-versed in lesbian mysteries, I can say that this is a middling entry. Better than some, worse than others. But not really one I would recommend.
January 31, 2015
It was a nice story, but kind of lame -- I think it was a free Kindle of the day (or .99)
October 13, 2016
Enjoyed it. Not soppy with nice interaction between the characters. Also not only focused on the romance. Has a good mystery going on.
August 22, 2015
I loved this book. This is a great series and had the pleasure of emailing the author.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews