Review & Giveaway: The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire by Emily Craven

 

Title: The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire {#1}

Author: Emily Craven

Published: September 2012

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Status: Read on April 20, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

“Just wanted to say, this wasn’t how I imagined the start of my grand adventure; a prig for a housemate and some unidentifiable (possibly Mexican) amphibian called Duncan. My vision of studio loft apartments, spacious and bright come nowhere close to describing this disturbing student housing. I mean, I’m paying a fortune, I have to find a job, and all I get is some crummy, two bedroom apartment with paint peeling off the walls, a cupboard for a kitchen and a bathroom that makes a moss infested cave network look like a barren desert plain. Seriously, there is enough mould on those tiles to start producing our own penicillin tablets.”

And so begins The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire in New York where Madeleine will be studying photography at a prestigious private arts college. Having left behind her friends and family in Australia she is on her own, adjusting to her new life while lurching from one hilarious encounter to another.

I have to admire Craven’s creative approach to storytelling, and admit to being somewhat surprised it actually works. The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire is told entirely in Facebook status updates, notes and private messages as Madeleine communicates with her friends and family. From the descriptions of her first day at college, where her housemate’s stowaway chameleon causes havoc, to her photographic study of cross-dressing little people and her crush on her cute, if self absorbed neighbour, Kevin, Madeleine apprises everyone of every step of her journey. Her family and friends are variously supportive, concerned and disbelieving in their replies, and each update earns Madeleine more ‘Likes’ from an unseen audience.

But it’s not all about Madeleine, from afar she is called upon to defend her wayward genius brother, comfort her hypochondriac best friend and continue to tease Tim about his relationship with his toaster. These ‘conversations’ give the story added depth and develops a uniquely connected cast, especially as her New York friends join her friendship circle.

Despite the unconventional format, The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire reads well. Anyone familiar with Facebook will quickly become comfortable with the rhythm of posts and comments. It’s a short read at just about 150 pages yet there is plenty happening to ensure the reader’s interest.

I was disappointed at the rather abrupt ending though, even with the knowledge that Craven expects to continue Madeleine’s adventures. In fact Craven is hoping that readers will become involved in shaping the story by joining the various Facebook pages she has established for her characters. It is an ambitious idea and though one I admire, I’m not sure it’s one readers are ready for quite yet.

The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire is a funny, lighthearted story of a twenty something Aussie making her way in the Big Apple. Well written and entertaining it is a unique contemporary read and I hope to be privy to Madeleine’s next adventures.

Join Em Craven and Madeleine on her adventures at: The Grand Adventures Of Madeline Cain Facebook Page

 

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Madeline Cain; Kathy Bloomingdale; Tim Gleeve; Cliff Wheeland; Kevin Doherty; Nadine Cain:; Mike Cain; Kim Enuik

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Review: Long and Short Australian Stories by Margaret Lynette Sharp

Title: Long and Short Australian Stories

Author: Margaret Lynette Sharp

Published: Createspace April 2012

Status: Read on February 22, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

This is the second volume of stories I have read at the request of self published Australian author, Margaret Lynne Sharp. The first, A Taste of Life and Love in Australia contains 28 engaging stories that provide a pleasant afternoon’s reading, and this collection is not dissimilar.

There are 20 vignettes of varying length in Long and Short stories of Australia, though most are less than half a dozen pages long. Primarily they feature relationships – sometimes beginning, occasionally ending. Each story is carefully sculpted to communicate the immediacy of emotion and action as succinctly as possible. Sharp’s storytellers are a mix of ages and genders, though primarily young and female, told in both the first and third person. It’s an interesting variety of perspectives and Sharp inhabits them well.

The writing is well crafted though occasionally a little too stiff and formal, using, for example, ‘mien’ instead of expression, several times. And even though they are used correctly, there is an odd over use of colon’s that I found distracting when they appeared repeatedly through out the text.

Suitable for romantics of a range of ages, Long and Short Australian Stories is a congenial, mellow short story collection and an easy read for a quiet evening.

Margaret Lynette Sharp’s short story volumes are available to purchase

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Review & Giveaway: Escaping the Arroyo by Joyce Nance

Title: Escaping the Arroyo

Author: Joyce Nance

Published: June 2012

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Status: Read on February 19, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

Drawing on court documents, interviews, five years of research and Colene Bush’s first hand account, Escaping the Arroyo combines fact with considered conjecture to create a compelling account of an unspeakable crime.

Escaping the Arroyo is based on the tragic true story of college coeds, Julie Jackson and Colene Bush who were kidnapped at knife point by Michael Guzman from Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1981. Nineteen year old Julie was raped and murdered while twenty year old Colene was stabbed 33 times and left for dead by her callous attacker. Exhibiting an extraordinary instinct for survival, Colene crawled more than 150ft, negotiating two steep embankments, in search of help and survived to identify the young man who nearly destroyed her.

The book begins with a harrowing account of the moment Colene Bush was discovered, bloody and barely breathing, on the side of the I-40 by two young men who glimpsed her pale, partially nude body in the glare of their headlights.
The story then shifts to illustrate the personal histories of Michael Guzman, Julie Jackson and Colene Bush in short vignettes. I found this a little disorientating initially, often only two or three pages in length and the perspective identified by date and place rather than name, I found the changes abrupt but eventually a rhythm emerged, leading to the moment the lives of Michael, Julie and Colene collide.
The next section of the book covers the trial of Michael Guzman, who was sentenced to death for the murder of Julie and the attempted murder of Colene, despite his attempt at an insanity defense.
But for Colene, and Julie’s fiance, James, Guzman’s conviction was little comfort as they tried to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

The story of Escaping The Arroyo is compelling though the writing could do with a little more polish. I felt instances of awkward syntax and the intrusion of the authorial voice interrupted the flow of the narrative at times.

While I think Nance covers the case well, I would have liked to know a bit more about Colene’s life post attack. It can be inferred that Colene struggled badly after her experience but Nance only relates incidents, such as the inexplicable discrimination against Colene by the police and paramedic training institutions, without sharing any real insight into why they occurred.

A tribute to the victims of a vicious killer, Escaping the Arroyo is a fascinating account of a terrible crime and it’s aftermath, and it is a story I am glad Joyce Nance decided to tell. To Colene Bush, I extend my sympathy and my heartfelt admiration for her incredible bravery.

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About the Author

Joyce Nance, award winning documentarian, video editor, Albuquerque Sports News publisher, and paralegal at the Public Defenders Office, has written her first book. Although she already has a degree in accounting, she is currently pursuing a second degree in Criminal Justice and working on her next true crime book. Originally from California, she now lives in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area.

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Review: Being Anti-Social by Leigh K Cunningham

Title: Being Anti-Social

Author: Leigh K Cunningham

Published: Vivante Publishing May 2012

Synopsis: Mace Evans is single at thirty-eight. When her much unloved older sister, Shannon, declares that Mace is anti-social, she embarks on a journey to understand her condition; whether she was born that way or if it is the accumulation of thirty-eight years of unfortunate encounters with other humans and dogs. For reasons unbeknown to Mace, she has an affair with a work colleague, which brings an unexpected end to her perfect marriage. And as if the self-imposed torture and regret is not enough, Mace endures ongoing judgment from her older sister and mother, which further exacerbates already tenuous relationships. With support from her four best friends, merlot and pizza, and with guidance from her life coach and mentor, Oscar Wilde, Mace recovers to a degree, but in her quest to understand her anti-social ways, she finds herself wondering about the quality of the fabric that keeps her network of friends intact. When Mace’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, Mace searches for common ground on which to connect before it is too late.

Status: Read from November 22 to 23, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

Despite Being Anti-Social’s cartoonish, pastel cover art I disagree with it being labeled as chick-lit. It lacks the light hearted approach to life and love that defines the genre and instead is a fairly serious minded analysis of character, though there are the occasional flashes of dry humor, mainly from well placed quotes by Oscar Wilde, who certainly has sage advice to offer for every occasion.

When Mace Evans is accused of being anti-social by her older sister she gives the complaint considerable thought. While she admits her idea of a good time is an evening spent alone with a bottle of merlot and a slab of chocolate on her couch, she resists the idea that she “unwilling or unable to associate in a normal or friendly way with other people”. Over the course of a year or so, as Mace approaches forty unmarried and childless, she examines her past and present relationships in an effort to define herself.

Being Anti-Social is well written but I found it difficult to sustain interest in what is essentially a first person monologue. Perhaps if I had been able to identify with Mace it wouldn’t have been such an issue but I found it difficult to like, or even understand her. She treats the people in her life carelessly, often with barely veiled contempt, and I thought her behaviour bordered on narcissistic, expecting family, friends, lovers and even colleagues to accommodate her personality ‘quirks’. Though there are incidents that counter her selfishness, and some signs of growth, I didn’t warm to her, which I think is crucial in such a character driven piece.

As I was unable to make that crucial connection with the main character, Being Anti-Social did not really work for me, despite the author’s technical proficiency. However I do think this novel would find an audience amongst readers who can relate to Mace and her journey.

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Leigh K Cunningham is a lawyer with a career as a senior executive for a number of public companies in her home country of Australia. She has master’s degrees in law (Master of International Trade & Investment Law) and commerce (Master of Commerce) as well as an MBA (International Management). RAIN, Leigh’s first title for the adult fiction market (April 2011) was named the winner in the Literary Fiction category at the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards. RAIN was also awarded a silver medal at the 2011 Independent Publisher Awards (IPPY) in the Regional Fiction: Australia/New Zealand category. RAIN was #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for Women’s Fiction (December 2011). Leigh’s first two children’s books, THE GLASS TABLE and its sequel, SHARDS are recipients of silver medals from the Mom’s Choice Awards. SHARDS was also a finalist at the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards in the Juvenile Fiction category. BEING ANTI-SOCIAL is Leigh’s latest title (May 2012). It has been awarded the Gold Medal at the 2012 Readers Favorite Awards in Chick-lit.

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Review: Sydney Blue by Bruce A Wallace

Title: Sydney Blue

Author: Bruce A Wallace

Published: May 2012

Synopsis: In this pacey Australian crime novel, ex-reporter Nat Barker finds himself on a racetrack in the middle of a feud between two warring bookmakers. One of them just happens to be Barker’s best friend, out to avenge his father’s murder. The other wants to end the feud—permanently—and Barker is standing in his way.

Status: Read on November 15, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

Taken at face value, Sydney Blue features Nat Barker, an unemployed reporter with a gambling habit. Indebted to his best friend, a local bookie, Nat reluctantly agrees to work off the $20,000 he owes by helping Hamilton with a few simple tasks that quickly prove deadly.
Readers may recognise however, that Sydney Blue is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, complete with ghostly visitations, a vengeful son driven to the edge of madness and a drowned lover.

It’s been a long time since I last read Hamlet in a stuffy classroom so it took a while for the parallels to emerge but really I think Sydney Blue is an entertaining tale in in it’s own right. Instead of a throne being the Uncle’s target, it is the control of the family bookmaking business that is at stake. Set in Sydney (Australia) the story is well paced with plenty of action and suspense as Hamilton grows desperate to prove his uncle responsible for his father’s murder.

Nat is caught in the middle of Hamilton’s obsession. Poking around on his friend’s behalf sees him shot at, beaten and in trouble with the law all while trying to manage Hamilton’s absurd plans, including a You Tube movie and a fencing duel on Bondi Beach. I like Nat’s character, he is loyal to Hamilton and willing to defend his friend. His cynicism is tempered by a sense of humour and while he doesn’t back down from a fight he doesn’t go looking for trouble.

Sydney Blue is an entertaining, clever story for fans of PI type mysteries, and Shakespeare. A quick and well written read I am happy to recommend it.

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Bruce Wallace is a technical writer from Sydney, Australia. He also likes to write crime fiction about the city he lives in and about the people—good, bad and ugly—that he meets in the streets of the Kings Cross red light district and on the beaches of the eastern suburbs.

Review & Giveaway: Cage Life by Karin Cox

Title: Cage Life

Author: Karin Cox

Published: July 2011

Synopsis: Karin Cox explores the choices and compromises we make in love, and how they can trap or liberate us depending on our mindset in Cage Life. Comprising of two short stories, each tale comes with an unexpected twist that makes reading all the way to the end imperative. In “Cage Life”, a young mum feels like a prisoner in her own home. Her decision to escape the bonds of marriage and motherhood, just for a few hours, has unexpected consequences that force her to a re-evaluate what it really means to be loved, to be married, and to be free. In “The Usurper,” unconditional love is explored within the boundaries of age and longing. Basil is in his eighties, with an illustrious career in law enforcement behind him, when he meets Carla — a beautiful, energetic and much younger mistress. But when Simon appears on the scene, can Basil keep her or does she, in fact, keep him?

Status: Read on November 12, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

Karin Cox worked as an editor in Australia and the UK before turning to writing full time. She has written dozens of titles including travel guides, poetry, children’s books and fiction. Cage Life is an electronic publication containing two short stories that explore the common theme of love. I thought them both well structured within the constraints of the format, and elegantly written.

In the first story ‘Cage Life’, after which the book is titled, Cox thoughtfully explores the emotional restlessness of a young wife and mother who is chafing against the confines of her quiet life, and the dramatic consequences she faces when she takes that life for granted. Unexpectedly dark and emotionally raw I ultimately thought Cage Life to be a moving tale of redemption and hope.

In ‘The Usurper’, Cox questions the surety of unconditional love in the face of aging as Basil questions his young mistress’s loyalty to their relationship. The unexpected twist in this story in particular is stunning, the shift in perspective took me completely by surprise but worked brilliantly.

Cage Life can be quickly devoured in a lunch time or commuter trip but will leave a lasting impression. If this collection is representative of Karin’s writing talent, I am sure she will find success as an author of fiction.

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About the Author

Karin Cox is an Australian editor, poet and author, and a full-time mum to an infant daughter and a black cat with the improbable name of “Ping Pong.” Trained as a professional editor, Karin has published poems and short stories in anthologies worldwide, and has written more than 28 natural history books, social history books, children’s storybooks, and travel guides, as well as ebooks Growth, Cage Life and Hey, Little Sister.

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Review: Run To Me by Erin Golding

Title: Run To Me

Author: Erin Golding

Published: April 2012

Synopsis: What does it take to set you free? For Abby Fox and Paul Beckett, life in the lakeside Australian town of Jungilla is far from idyllic. Running is the only thing that brings them peace. Abby is a teacher tortured by her unfulfilled dreams. When she takes on the role of running coach at Whateley School, she never imagines it will unravel her whole life. Paul is sick of watching his back. His father seems to hate him and he’s got a bully after him as well. All he needs is something worth fighting for. Told in the alternating voices of Abby and Paul, this story explores what can happen when life takes us somewhere unexpected.

Status: Read on November 03, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

Set in a small Australian town, Run To Me is an unconventional love story which explores the development of a relationship between thirty something English teacher Abby Fox and seventeen year old high school student Paul Beckett.

It’s a challenging subject to write about given that the teacher-student dynamic and age difference are well entrenched social taboo’s but I think Golding does a good job of exploring the genuine connection between Abby and Paul, without ignoring the very real issues that stand between them.

I was surprised to find I did sympathise with Abby at times. Golding achieves this by using the first person point of view which reveals Abby’s faulty reasoning process, giving it some legitimacy in context. Abby is not a predator, she is conflicted about her attraction to Paul and does make an effort to resist it. Her marriage crisis also highlights her vulnerability and her genuine desire for love. Though none of this entirely excuses her poor choices it does create the necessary space within which the author can explore the complexities of the relationship.

I was impressed by the authenticity of Paul’s voice, a mixture of hormone soaked crudity, adolescent confusion and blossoming maturity. His physical attraction to Abby is not unsurprising for a seventeen year old but it’s sweet in a way to see that attraction morph into something deeper. I really appreciated the growth of Paul’s character not only in terms of his relationship with Abby but also with his father, and his consideration of his future.

There are a few minor errors in the text but on the whole Run To Me is well written, the first person points of view are authentic and the dialogue is natural. The story develops at a good pace and maintains the tension well. The ending is a satisfying fit for both the plot and the characters.

Run to Me is an interesting novel which explores a potentially sensational storyline with compassion and sensitivity. While not everyone will be able comfortable with some elements of the novel, it is an impressive debut from a self published author.

Read a guest post and enter to win one of two signed paperback editions of Run To Me HERE

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Run To Me is available to purchase

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AWW Guest Post & Giveaway: Erin Golding Explores Love

Born and raised in Australia, Erin Golding currently lives in London. Passionate about film, Erin can often be found at the cinema and she blogs about movies at www.backtothefilm.com. She is also a spiritual seeker and Reiki healer. Erin wrote the first draft of her novel ‘Run to Me’ while studying for her MA in Creative Writing. As a self-confessed hopeless romantic, Erin’s writing focuses mainly on relationships and the power of love. Wanting to give Run to Me a life outside of her computer, Erin self-published her novel in 2012.

Run To Me is the unconventional love story of Abby Fox and Paul Beckett. Abby is a teacher tortured by her unfulfilled dreams. When she takes on the role of running coach at Whateley School in the small Australian town of Jungilla , she never imagines it will unravel her whole life. Paul is sick of watching his back. His father seems to hate him and he’s got a bully after him as well. All he needs is something worth fighting for. Told in the alternating voices of Abby and Paul, this story explores what can happen when life takes us somewhere unexpected. My review will be published later today.

Today I am happy to host Erin at Book’d Out discussing the inspiration for her first novel, Run To Me and offer readers the chance to win one of two paperback copies. Read on…

Exploring Love

I’ve always been a curious person. I like to know what makes people tick, and I especially like to explore the complexities of relationship. What is it that attracts us to certain people? How do we fall in love? Why is desire so powerful? The strength of our desire is one theme I focussed on while writing Run to Me. I liked the idea that we can make bad choices when fuelled by desire and by love.

I’d read about teacher/student relationships in the news and I was intrigued by the stories. How does someone get themselves into that situation? And what if someone really did fall in love this way? While I didn’t want to ignore the moral issue of a teacher’s breach of duty, I knew that some things aren’t always black and white, especially when it comes to love, and I wanted to explore the grey areas.

Run to Me is Abby and Paul’s story. I decided to tell it from both points of view so I could immerse myself fully in each of their personalities. I wanted to work out what inspired them, what annoyed them. Abby and Paul are flawed in their own unique ways and I enjoyed getting inside their heads, trying to make sense of their behaviour. Mostly I liked letting their desires guide them, even if it meant they might lose their way or choose a path they normally wouldn’t.

Running pushed its way into the story because I’d taken it up as exercise not long after I started the first draft. Both Abby and Paul enjoy running, but as I dove deeper into their story I realised it was more than exercise to them. Running was their way of escaping reality, of trying to find peace. I became fascinated with the idea that running away from our problems might be the only way to set ourselves free. That maybe the consequences of a bad decision can actually release us from whatever is holding us back.

As for love – it’s tricky, but it’s the one thing everyone can relate to. We’ve all been caught up in love’s embrace at some point in our lives. Love inspires me; it’s all I’ve ever wanted to write about. As clichéd as it may sound, I do believe love has the power to save us. That’s why we all long for it, why we all run towards it. But falling in love doesn’t always solve our problems. It can actually create some. With Run to Me I set out to write a love story in all its tangled, chaotic glory. I didn’t want a nice, neat, gift-wrapped package of love. Life is more complicated than that.

But love does change us, for better or worse. That’s life. We’re all constantly growing and shifting, aren’t we? It doesn’t matter how old you are, there is always something more to learn about yourself, about others, and about life. In creating Abby and Paul’s story I realised that adults and teenagers can have more in common than we think. Anyone, at any age, can act irresponsibly or make mistakes. Anyone can crash headfirst into love.

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Review & Giveaway: My Sister’s Funeral by Stephen Bush

Title: My Sister’s Funeral

Author: Stephen Bush

Published: Cyberworld Publishing October 2011

Synopsis: In 1973 James’s seventeen-year-old sister, Maria, disappeared while on her way home from school. Her disappearance not only shattered her family, it had strange, far-reaching repercussions for her ten-year-old brother. He was too young to fully understand what had happened but was left to cope alone while his parents struggled to deal with his sister’s disappearance. Over thirty years later the police arrive on James’s doorstep to tell him that Maria’s remains have been found outside Broken Hill, an isolated mining town nearly half way across Australia from where she was last seen. But it is a town that had strong connections with his family back when his sister went missing. Now James knows she was murdered, and where she was hidden for all these years, he has to ask was it family or a friend who killed her. Or a stranger. With her discovery Maria becomes more real for James, she is a sudden violent death in the family, and he sets out to try to discover what his sister was really like as well as what happened to her, while he struggles to come to terms with what her disappearance meant for him in the past. As he seeks answers James discovers the different memories people have of that time long ago and of a young woman standing on the edge of adulthood, who may have been quiet and shy or who may have been spoiled and living dangerously. Read an Extract

Status: Read on September 23, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy the Author}

My Thoughts:

Seventeen year old Maria was on her way home from school in Newcastle when she vanished without a trace. Now, thirty years later, her remains have been discovered in a wooden crate buried under a culvert more than 1000 km away in Broken Hill. As James prepares for his sister’s funeral, he reexamines the mystery surrounding her disappearance, speaking to family and friends in a desperate attempt to make sense of his sister’s fate.

James was just 10 years old when Maria went missing, leaving him with a half formed, childish impression of his sister as a spoilt, promiscuous and rebellious teenager. Her disappearance shattered his family, while his mother searched endlessly for her daughter in this world and the next, James’s father turned against Maria’s memory and just three years after Maria vanished, they acrimoniously divorced. James remained with his mother who made him the target of her increasing rage against all men and during the turmoil of puberty James began to over identify with his sister resulting in a confused emergence of his sexuality that later poisoned his marriage. Using the first person narrative, Bush invites the reader to experience James’s pain, uncertainty and desperation in his search to understand both his sister, and himself. His character feels authentic and I had a great deal of sympathy for the man who became a victim of such tragic circumstances.

Upon Maria’s body being found, James is prompted to learn more about the sister he barely knew and piece together the old and new rumors, evidence and speculation that surround her death. He is told of a rumor that Maria was pregnant, he discovers his sister’s remains were found in a crate similar to those used by his uncle’s business, and he talks with an old school friend of his sister who admits she suspected Maria had a secret lover, each new piece of information contributing to a theory that points to a shifting cast of suspects. When the truth is finally revealed, it makes sense and finally gives James the closure he needs to move on with his life.

While the characterisation and the plot of My Sister’s Funeral is strong, there are some weaknesses in the writing. The narrative rambles at times, not helped by the lack of clear boundaries between recollections of the past and the events of the present as well as the occasional mixing of tenses. There are some minor inconsistencies in the details and the occasional editing error, however the pace is good, and the suspense is maintained throughout the novel.

My Sister’s Funeral is a thoughtful story that explores themes such as loss, grief, family and identity within the framework of an interesting murder mystery.

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Review: Coming Out Can Be Murder by Renee James

 

Title: Coming Out Can Be Murder

Author: Renee James

Published: Windy City Publishers 2012

Synopsis: First he wants her … then he wants her dead. Bobbi Logan’s life and career begin to spiral downward when she comes out as a transgendered woman. But the gutsy hairdresser is determined to live her “new life” authentically, even as she is drawn into the investigation of her brutally murdered friend. The Chicago police have all but said they’re not interested in the death of a “tranny” and the media has failed to report it. As she follows a trail ofevidence through the shadowy underground of the Windy City, Bobbi is led to John Strand, a seductive powerbroker. Coming face-to-face with the number one suspect can only lead to one thing … murder. But who will it be?

Status: Read from August 22 to 23, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

I was intrigued by a review I read online of Coming Out Can be Murder at the book blog Literary R&R which praised the novel’s combination of unique transgender protagonist and page turning mystery plot. After leaving a comment, the author contacted me to ask if I would be interested in reviewing the novel and I was happy to accept, adding it to my schedule.

Coming Out Can Be Murder is set in and around Boystown, Chicago, a district recognized as a cultural center for the LGBT community. Bobbi Logan is in a period of transition, working as a male hairdresser by day, on her own time she prefers to dress and identify as a woman. Considering gender reassignment surgery, but still uncertain about her such a radical change, the first step for Bobbi involves coming out at work. It’s a difficult transition and between her insecurities about her looks, hormones and more than a few nasty reactions, Bobbi can’t help but question her burgeoning identity. James realistically portrays Bobbi and her emotional and mental turmoil as she begins her life as a full time transgender woman considering gender reassignment. Much of the novel focuses on the individual challenges Bobbi faces as she tries to become comfortable with who she is and I couldn’t help but sympathise with the difficult journey she undertakes. James approach to Bobbi’s character is a holistic one with the author careful to ensure that Bobbi is a well developed multifaceted character.

When one of Bobbi’s clients, Mandy, a young transgender woman, is brutally murdered, and the local cops seem indifferent, Bobbi finds herself drawn into finding the man responsible. In her emotionally vulnerable state however she finds herself in a dangerous situation, targeted by the sociopathic man who is protected by wealth, power and status. I think Coming Out Can be Murder is more properly a psychological thriller than a mystery. The tension is generated by the author’s decision to give us insight into the man’s perspective. The reader witnesses his sadistic personality and fears for Bobbi’s safety while Bobbi largely remains oblivious to the situation she has created. While I thought the suspense aspect of the plot was well developed, I have to admit I wasn’t satisfied with its cold blooded conclusion. Though I can see what the author was aiming for, it didn’t sit well with me and as a result there is a sense of imbalance overall.

Coming Out Can be Murder also explores the social challenges members of the transgender community face. The responses of family members and friends, many of whom choose to exorcise the transgender person from their lives in shock and disgust, leaving the person vulnerable with few resources. Having to endure the attitudes of strangers, ranging from the uncomfortably curious to violent anger and hatred. The apathetic political, legal and justice systems whom discriminate against the community because of individual prejudices. There are some confronting scenes in the novel, including a brutal rape and assault on Bobbi, but I found the less violent slights, snubs and reactions of Bobbi’s clients similarly disturbing. I have to admit I have never met a transgender person but I like to think I would not be bothered by an encounter. My personal philosophy is along the lines of “live and let love”.

While I enjoyed the thriller aspect of Coming Out Can be Murder it is the insight into a lifestyle and a community I am not familiar with that I found to be the most fascinating element of the novel. I am glad I took a chance on this small press title and I would recommend it to anyone whose curiosity is piqued by the premise.

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