The Iron Girl: A Jane Lawless Mystery

Jane Lawless #13

by Ellen Hart

Ray Lawless, prominent defense attorney and father of Minneapolis restaurateur Jane Lawless, tries his biggest case yet defending an accused serial murderer and arsonist whom the media has dubbed "The Fireman." Ray's client is eventually convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, though he proclaims his innocence to the end, and a few days later, he kills himself in his cell.

But someone in The Fireman's life can't let go, and, blaming Ray for the man's death, plots a meticulous revenge. Both Jane and her brother Peter, who is already under terrible stress because of a troubled marriage, feel the heat of the avenger's plan.

But Jane is intimately familiar with danger, and she's never been one to shrink from a fight. With the help of her best friend Cordelia, Jane sets out to discover why this person is so determined to undo her family. When she begins to dig into The Fireman's life, the puzzle unravels, leading Jane to a final confrontation with someone bent on making the Lawlesses pay, perhaps with their lives.

Immaculate Midnight is a taught, dynamic installment in an award-winning series.

Genres: Mystery, LGBT, Lesbian, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Lesbian Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Ellen Hart is the author of twenty-eight crime novels in two different series. She is a five-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery, a three-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Best Popular Fiction, a three-time winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award in several categories, a recipient of the Alice B Medal, and was made an official GLBT Literary Saint at the Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans in 2005. In 2010, Ellen received the GCLS Trailblazer Award for lifetime achievement in the field of lesbian literature. For the past fourteen years, Ellen has taught "An Introduction to Writing the Modern Mystery" through the The Loft Literary Center, the largest independent writing community in the nation. Ellen's latest Sophie Greenway mystery is No Reservations Required (Ballantine). Rest for the Wicked, the twentieth Jane Lawless mystery, will be released by St. Martin's/Minotaur in October 2012. Bella Books has recently revived the out-of-print books by publishing them in both trade paperback and E-book. Ellen lives in the Minneapolis area with her partner of over 35 years.

Reviews

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid murder mystery, extra points for sapphic characters that actually have depth. Dull and cringe in some parts but it was published in 2005, to be expected.

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Ms. Hart's better, more believable efforts. For starters, she needs to fire her editor - the book is full of spelling errors that are quite frankly embarrassing. But even if there were no spelling errors, certain aspects of the book just demand too much suspension of disbelief. For instance, Greta looks almost exactly like Jane Lawless's late partner Christine Kane, to the point where Jane has a hard time separating the two and she starts falling for her. It made Jane look like a hopelessly gullible sap. And then when Cordelia Thorn hunts down Greta, a total stranger to her, and demands she give her name, address and social security number....REALLY??? I don't know which is worse: that Cordelia would behave like that, or that Greta actually acquiesced and told Cordelia everything she demanded.
If I hadn't read any of the other books in the Lawless series, I'd stop with this one because it was really out of character compared to the rest of the series, which I absolutely love.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good solid murder mystery with a chance to get to know some of Jane Lawless’s back story. Woven into the mystery are flashbacks to her lover Christine who died ten years ago. Jane finally gets around to sorting through Christine’s possessions and discovers clues to a grievous murder that happened around her last days. Jane needs to close the book on Christine to find her way to Kenzie. Also sprinkled in are clues to her future job as a PI. I continue to love the Minneapolis settings and the cast of characters including over the top Cordelia. Looking forward to the next book in the series. I know I’m late to the party but really want to read them in order.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a mystery this book is fine but I had a real problem with the character of Cordelia Thorn. She is aggressive, rude, opinionated and has little respect for Jane’s privacy. The book jacket describes the duo of Jane and Cordelia as refreshing, entertaining and cerebrally stimulating but I found Cordelia to be intrusive and attention seeking. She spoiled my enjoyment of the book. Jane’s character was none of these things. She needs a better partner.

[Gabby D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it.

I'm a huge fan of the lawless series and this was one of my favorites so far. Now on to book 14.

[Tink · Rating 4 out of 5]

13 down.

[Sarah Thornton]

A good glimpse into Jane's past. A few errors in the print.

[Yahli Rot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still enjoyed the book, but the number of women falling for Jane is a bit crazy in the last few books

[Kathleen Hagen]

The Iron Girl, by Ellen Hart, A. Narrated by Aimee Jolson, Produced by audible inc., downloaded from audible.com.

This book is a reread for me, but I am so glad it is now available through Audible Inc. This, in my opinion, is the best of the Jane Lawless books I’ve read, and that remains true with this rereading. It has now been several years since Jane’s partner, Christine, died of cancer. Her belongings have been stored in Jane’s basement because she has been unable to go through them. But she has finally decided that the time has come to go through them, determine if she wants to keep any of them, and to discard the rest. As she starts going through the papers concerning Christene’s last real estate client, she finds things in her possession that seem totally incongruous. One of those things is the beautiful cast iron sculpture of a girl, known as The Iron Girl. The night before Christeen died, three members of her last real estate client were murdered. It now appears that the wrong person might be in prison for the murders, and that Christeen had evidence regarding the crime. Very good, with Jane finding out what happened, and also re-living those last painful days as Christeen was dying.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Jane Lawless mysteries yet! Jane’s relationship with Kenzie Mullroy is becoming serious, and Jane decides that it’s finally the right time to go through the belongings of her partner, Christine, who died nearly ten years ago. When Jane discovers a gun in Christine’s briefcase, a chain of questions leads to the door of the Simoneau family. At the time of Christine’s death, she had been a real estate agent, and the wealthy Simoneau family had employed her to sell their home. Coincidentally, the Simoneau family matriarch was murdered, along with her grandson and housekeeper, on the very eve of Christine’s own death from cancer. But the appearance of a firearm among the belongings of a gun-hating Christine makes Jane wonder what Christine had known, and if the Simoneau murders were really committed by Dexter, the handsome African-American handyman on the estate. And when Greta – a dead ringer for Christine – shows up literally on the doorstep (of Jane’s new restaurant), the plot, as they say, really thickens. I loved the flashbacks in Christine’s perspective, and the chance to know Jane better through her late partner.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is one of the Jane Lawless Mysteries. For me, this was the first one I had read. I found the book to be a good solid murder mystery.

Jane is opening a new restaurant with a fascinating concept...a nightclub fashioned in the 30's. The patrons can go next door and rent the clothing, then on to the restaurant to experience the glamor of the past in food, music, and entertainment.

Jane also has a new love interest and feels it is time to say 'goodbye' to her former lover who died in 1987. This means cleaning out copious amounts of luggage, boxes etc. that has been stored. To Jane's shock, she finds a briefcase with a small Derringer pistol in it. Why was her lover, a real estate broker, carrying a pistol?

The book takes us back to 1987 to the site of a tragic multiple murder, also the tragic death of Jane's partner, and the mystery of the woman who is the photojournalist covering the new nightclub/restaurant's remodeling.

This book was a page turner for me.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading Hart's Jane Lawless series for more than a decade -- I suspect I started as soon as Hallowed Murder came out in 1989. I'm currently several books behind (and might have missed one earlier in the series) but enjoyed this one enough to consider re-reading all the earlier ones.

It was jarring to be reading about Jane's now-deceased partner, Christine, when I didn't remember Christine being a major part of any of the earlier books. (That's part of why I want to re-read them). Hart skillfully weaves Christine's experiences, about 15 years earlier, with current events, creating a nearly-seamless narrative. I found myself not only wanting to read the books that come after this one, but revisit the earlier ones to better appreciate how Jane has changed. I'd definitely call that a well-written book!

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane is still dealing with the loss of her partner Christine. While putting her things away, she finds a gun, then a stolen statue, both connected to a triple homicide which occurred at a house Christine was trying to sell.

It's a very complicated plot and there are some very intense, disturbing elements. One should not read this book if you're troubled by rape scenes.

Personally, I would've liked the book a lot better without Jane's best friend Cordelia acting like an ass. She's not a good character. She's incredibly unrealistic and obnoxious. I don't understand why she's even in Jane's life.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was going to give this book a much higher rating, and I would have if the sidekick character of Cordelia had been stuffed in a car trunk early in the proceedings. But she wasn't. And she's an idiot. She ruined this book for me.

I was amused to see the typo where a character "balled" another out. Yes, I am twelve.

[Jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always found Ellen Hart's mysteries to be entertaining and gripping. I haven't read many in a while, and I found this book to be more predictable than I recall the others being. That said, it was still very enjoyable. As someone who has read most of the Jane Lawless books it was nice to go back in time and see Christine as a character rather than a memory.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just getting around to adding books I read in 2006, so my memory is all I have to rely on -- at that time I just kept a list of books and authors. I've read most or all of the Jane Lawless series and I think I was a little underwhelmed by this one, although I always enjoy the Minneapolis setting and the character of Cordelia.

[Lbaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read, still a good book, still difficult to read the cancer scenes.

Love the Jane Lawless series, this one is set near the beginning of the romance with Kenzie and also the timeline flashes back to the end of her first love Christine's life. The scenes of Christine were painful to read, as I am sitting in a hospital bed fighting cancer today, but I made it through them!

[Angela Garrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Ellen Hart. Jane and Cordelia never fail to entertain. I was so looking forward to buying the rest of the series but they are not available on kindle as e books, very disappointing.

[Syd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really a mystery lover, but a house guest left it behind. I did find myself anxious to read on at several different points in the novel.

[Judith Guyot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this author but sometimes she's a little heavy on the gay righth scene. Her plots are A-1.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of Ellen Hart's mysteries. Another good one that I got through on one sick day. So engaging.

[Alison Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series.

[Josy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Gale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like this series!

[Mary Vermillion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this one moves between Christine's past and Jane's present.

[Cat Voors]

Greatly enjoy Ellen Hart and Jane Lawless. Would recommend them.