Midnight In Orlando by Amy Dawson Robertson

Publisher:                   Fox in the Brush Books

Readers want to enjoy good stories and they want to know that an author can be trusted to deliver on that point.  Amy Dawson Robertson is quickly joining the ranks of those who can be depended on to deliver the goods.  Though she is better known for her Rennie Vogel series of adventure/suspense novels, Robertson proves in Midnight in Orlando that she can perform just as well in other genre.  Officially this is a romance novella, approximately 100 pages long, but it reads with the depth and development of a full length book.

Anyone who has ever attended a lesbian literary conference will feel comfortable with the setting of this book immediately.  It takes place in Orlando, Florida, where lesbians are gathering to celebrate the books written for and by their community.  The story features two “Con virgins,” the term used for people who are attending the conference for the first time.  Susan Voight is a lawyer from Baltimore who faces the same problem many professional women encounter.  She works so many hours that there is no time to form a personal relationship.  She escapes the stress of her job by reading lesbian romance novels and that is what impels her to suddenly decide to attend the conference.  Nic Green believes she is neurotic and suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, although her therapist keeps telling her that neither is true.  She has been a successful author of lesbian romances for many years and is considered a mysterious icon because she has never appeared in public.  Nic decides to expand her horizons and try meeting some of her fans, which is what brings her to the conference.

What proceeds from this is a string of humorous situations bringing the women together.  Susan finds herself trying to duck a lawyer’s conference that happens to be in the same hotel, afraid that someone will discover her reading choices.  Nic goes to bizarre lengths to make herself “comfortable” in her hotel room and hide out, only to discover she is the keynote speaker for the conference.  For a while Susan believes that Nic might actually be mentally ill because of her behavior, but there is something compelling about each woman for the other.  Swirling around them are the events of the conference.  People who have attended one of these meetings will recognize the events and possibly some of the supporting characters that Robertson peppers throughout the story.

Midnight in Orlando is a gem.  It’s short enough to read quickly, but the characters are completely developed and enough is revealed about the events to make the story flow smoothly.  It’s a good example of how writing can be compact yet contain a great deal of information.  This is good reading, plain and simple.

Frozen by Carla Tomaso

Publisher:              Carma Press

What is your worst nightmare?  Carla Tomaso has come up with a worse, but funnier one.

Elizabeth always had a difficult relationship with her self-centered domineering mother Helen.  Now she’s in her forties, alone, suffering from low self-esteem and, frankly, looking forward a little bit to when the old woman finally dies.  Helen is sick, crippled and possesses a sizeable fortune.  In Elizabeth’s mind, death would be a kindness to both women.  When Helen dies, Elizabeth discovers that her mother has concocted the ultimate “gotcha.”  Helen has found an experimental process that not only freezes a person to bring her back, but regresses her age to an earlier point.  If Elizabeth wants to inherit her mother’s estate, she has to agree to adopt Helen as a child and raise her.

Elizabeth believes she’s been given a second chance with her mother.  She can raise the baby properly and create a better person than Helen was in her past life.  They will have the loving relationship that they never really had before.  All will be right with the world.  Imagine her surprise when she gets to the facility and discovers that Helen has only been regressed to the age of ten, still has all of her memories and, worse, her attitudes.  What follows is a hilarious and slightly scary story of what happens to both women as the years progress.  Think of a slapstick version of The Omen.

Carla Tomaso has a different sense of humor.  It might not appeal to everyone, but that would be a shame.  She takes on some of society’s biggest taboos and twists them, including gender rivalry, infidelity, and murder.  Tomaso approaches the subjects from a decidedly altered viewpoint.  This allows the reader to consider some serious issues while laughing at the situations.  She manages to do this without changing her characters, which many authors would find the normal course.  There is no happily ever after second chance for this mother and daughter.  Elizabeth is always rather hapless in knowing what to do about her mother and Helen never becomes endearing.  Helen managed to ruin the one true relationship in Elizabeth’s life and tries to do it again.  In the end Elizabeth will come to realize what she should have done differently the first time around and that some scientific discoveries should not be explored.

Suspend your sense of propriety.  Feel free to giggle at things that you know you shouldn’t.  Frozen is an enjoyable, if sometimes guilty, pleasure.

A Poem For What's Her Name by Dani O'Connor

Publisher:      Spinster's Ink

What happens when you give up on love?  Doc is a professor and the head of the English Department at the college where she works.  She tries to find love, even to the point of enrolling herself in Internet dating.  What follows is a hilarious series of the worse dates ever endured by anyone and Doc is convinced the kind of woman she is looking for just doesn’t exist.  Just as she adjusts to the idea that she will spend her life alone, Doc meets a young woman who changes her mind.  Not only do they form a relationship, but they end up making a life-long commitment.

This is a romance and a comedy.  Some of the dates Doc finds herself on will have the reader howling with laughter.  There’s nothing complicated about the story or that requires any deep thinking.  It’s just to be enjoyed.

If someone is looking for a book with which to have a good time, A Poem For What’s Her Name is that book.

Marching to a Different Accordion by Saxon Bennett

Publisher:     Bella Books

Marching to a Different Accordion continues the story of Chase Banter, her partner Gitana, their daughter Bud and their friends who were introduced in the earlier book Family Affair.  For those fans who like Bennett for her quirky characters and funny plots, she doesn't fail to deliver in this book.

Chase, as usual, finds herself at the center of a human tropical storm.  She and Gitana are trying to parent a child who is smarter than both of them.  Bud at four reads philosophical tomes, collects dictionaries and teaches herself foreign languages.  This doesn't seem to faze Gitana, but has Chase in turmoil as she struggles to stay ahead of her daughter.  Chase's career writing heterosexual mystery novels is very successful, but it's drawn the wrath of the Pink Mafia, who accuse her of deserting the lesbian community.  They demand that she write a lesbian novel immediately and Chase is afraid not to do it.  Adding to the distractions is Chase's friend Lacey who has decided to open a lesbian center from which lesbians will launch their bid for world domination.  Chase has to wonder how out of touch she has become with her lesbian world because she didn't know they were trying to achieve domination.  As usual, Chase, who is a control freak, is not in control of her own world, but her family and friends will keep things in some sort of order for her.

Marching to a Different Accordion features two Bennett trademarks – there are numerous funny episodes and the children seem light years ahead of most of the adults in maturity and intelligence.  What is different about this book is the rather serious discussion that goes on about the nature of the lesbian community and whether or not it's losing its culture as it is assimilated into the mainstream.  Bennett doesn't deliver a lecture, but handles this with her typical humor.  Chase becomes quite concerned that she's "losing her lezzie" and the topic keeps coming up, so that the reader eventually has to think about where she stands on the issue.  It provokes a number of questions about what will happen to the homosexual community as its members become more accepted and have less need to hide themselves.  It also reflects the beginning divide between those who will support inclusion and those who advocate separation, an argument that has occurred in other persecuted minorities.  Where Bennett shows her ability and experience is that the two different themes don't conflict with each other and one does not affect the enjoyment of the other.

The reader can enjoy Marching to a Different Accordion just for the humorous situations that occur around Chase.  For the reader who is looking for something with a little more depth to it, that is also here.  Either way the reader will enjoy the experience.

She Waits by Kate Sweeney

Publisher:               Intaglio Publications

Kate Sweeney introduces a new mystery series with her first book She Waits.  Her heroine Kate Ryan is a klutz.  She doesn't mean to be, but Kate can't seem to do much without having an accident of some sort.  It actually makes her rather endearing.   

Kate was once a private investigator, but, after a horrible incident that is never fully explained, she gave up that occupation to become a very successful wildlife photographer.  When the book opens, she is on her way to Galena, Ill., to spend a peaceful weekend with her sister.  While she is in the area, some friends have asked her to visit a friend of theirs who is having some problems.  Maggie Winfield has had some strange things happen to her and her friends are hoping that Kate can help her figure out what is going on.  Maggie doesn't want anyone else to help her, especially Kate after the way they meet.  Kate is driving down the road and nearly hits Maggie as she crosses the road at a high rate of speed on her horse.  For a while, things go downhill from there.  As the mystery unfolds it is clear that Maggie's rather eccentric family is hiding secrets and that these secrets are related to what is happening to Maggie.  There is a string of unusual deaths, including Maggie's parents and a long time family employee.  Maggie is quite wealthy and her death would make someone very rich.  Then there's the ex-girlfriend Allison who seems to be tied into everything.  Kate has more clues than she knows what to do with and they don't seem to fit together. 

Two of the best characters in the book are Maggie's Aunt Hannah and Kate's dog Chance.  Hannah is the walking definition of blunt, irrepressible and buttinski.  Sometimes it's difficult to tell what interests her more, solving the mystery or getting Kate and Maggie together.  Chance is a gem.  Totally dedicated to her mistress….or whoever will scratch behind her ears, and with a sharp nose that keeps turning up the clues in the case.  Add to these two Kate's sister Teri and her husband Mac and you have the supporting characters that should transfer with this series very easily.

Sweeney has written a well-structured book to introduce a new series.  She Waits contains an interesting mystery that isn't solved until the final pages.  A possible relationship between Kate and Maggie is set up for exploration at a later time and enough hints have been dropped as to what the tragedy was in Kate's life that readers will be encouraged to buy the next book.  She Waits is a very satisfactory introduction of a new character in lesbian fiction.

All the Bold Days of My Restless Life by Sharon Stone

Publisher:                  Alyson Books

Zany was a term that was sometimes applied to the screwball comedies made for television and the movies in the 1950s and 1960s.  It meant something that had little redeeming quality except that it was hilariously funny.  If there was ever a book that fit the definition of zany, this one is it.  Very few things make me laugh out loud, but I found myself roaring at many of the incidents described and the closing scenes had me literally howling.

Bailey Conners is the head writer for a soap opera called All the Bold Days of My Restless Life.  She presides over a writing staff made up of people who are only slightly less nutty than the actors she has to deal with.  There is Peter, her assistant, who is determined to help Bailey meet Ms Right after her girlfriend dumps her.  He manages to arrange three blind dates from hell.  The first is with a woman who has a midnight online sex show and likes to use her dates as her "special guests." The second regales Bailey with intimate details about why she has six children and how that has convinced her to start dating women. Then the last is a cop who gets drunk and starts shooting rats as they walk down the street, causing an encounter with some of New York City's finest.  Encouraging Peter is his partner Alec who absolutely refuses to wear his glasses so he is constantly mangling everything he reads.  For example, he berates Bailey and Peter for the poor offerings on TV, until Peter points out that what he has read in the TV Guide as "Ten With Macaroni" should have been "Tea With Mussolini."  When Bailey isn't trying to avoid more of Peter's dates, she's dealing with a goofy bunch of writers, the idiot daughter of the boss who has been added to her staff, and a truly weird assortment of network executives and directors.

Then there is the show itself.  Every horrible cliché that can be written about a soap opera applies to this one.  What can you say about a show that has a main character named Aruba, her mother is Myrtle Beach and her stepsister is Bermuda Schwartz?  And then there is the fact that the two major stars of the show spend all of their time trying to do each other in professionally.  Derek Young is the vain aging leading man who has built his entire career around this show and he is determined to have the female star fired.  Morgan Gable, who plays Binaca, is a hold over from the glory days of Hollywood.  She's not only smarter than Derek, but more attractive to both sexes.  These two haven't had a line written for them that they can't twist while on air, giving their ad libs wholly different meanings than what Bailey's writers intended and driving the censors crazy.  The final scenes of the book deal with a special "live" performance that will leave you weeping with laughter.

This is a tremendous spoof of soap operas, much like the movie Soap Dish, but better.  If you have read Sharon Stone's other book, Love Letters in the Sand, you will not be prepared for this book.  They are so different it's difficult to believe that the same person wrote them.  If you don't  like satire and take your soaps seriously, this is not the book for you.  However, if you enjoy a book that reads quickly and makes you giggle, check this one out.

Who'll Be Dead For Christmas by Kate Sweeney

Publisher:                     Intaglio Publications


Kate Ryan strikes, um, bumbles, um, stumbles, oh heck, Kate is having her usual run of luck. She thought she made a really good deal when she bought a renovated brownstone in her old neighborhood in Chicago, then she learns it was such a steal because the previous tenant was murdered there. Poor Kate. All she wanted was a nice place to bring her lover Dr. Maggie Winfield, but strange things begin to happen almost immediately and she’s sucked into a mystery against her will. 

Kate discovers a journal hidden in the floor and a CD in a secret compartment in the fireplace that seem to indicate the former tenant was involved in some kind of medical experimentation that was connected to the government; then someone breaks in and tries to bash out her brains with one of her own dining room chairs. She  hears footsteps in her apartment; someone drugs her and there are two attempts on Maggie’s life. All of this concerns Kate, but none of it scares her as much as trying to find the courage to say “I love you” to Maggie. If she doesn’t find out quickly what is going on and why people seem to be spying on not only her but Maggie and her new friends who are the other tenants in the building, she may never get a chance to say those words.

Kate Sweeney has provided another opportunity to spend some time with her accident-prone detective Kate Ryan. This time she is surrounded by a new cast of characters. There is the aging hippie couple, Summer and Todd Lockwood, who own a natural food store and see conspiracies behind everything. Ironically, this time they prove to be correct. Living across the hall are Jerry O’Neill, who owns a research company, and his partner Matt Johnson, a restaurant owner.  Matt insists on speaking to Kate as if he were in the Medieval Age and likes to compare Kate and Maggie to Tracy and Hepburn. They provide a nice complement to Kate’s confusion.

As usual, Kate tries to solve the mystery without anyone else getting hurt and they all end up in the soup. This plot is more complex than the previous Kate Ryan mysteries and it’s not clear at the end exactly who the “bad” guy is. In fact, there seem to be several different ones. The resolution of the case gets bogged down in the cross purposes of certain government agencies and private interests and following who did what gets a little muddled, but, as usual, it’s fun getting there with Kate.  

Who’ll Be Dead For Christmas should provide some reading fun for a few hours.

The Trouble With Murder by Kate Sweeney

Publisher:                  Intaglio Publications


Kate Ryan strikes again. In more ways than one. Kate's insecurities about her relationship with Dr. Maggie Winfield drove her to take a three-week assignment, photographing mustangs in South Dakota. During that time she hasn't been in touch with anyone, not her sister, not her editor, not Maggie. Now she's home and, although her first stop is to visit Maggie and her Aunt Hannah, she's not sure of the welcome she'll get. The situation is difficult and then, as is typical with Kate, it gets more difficult when Maggie introduces her new friend Ellen. 

Kate was already going to retreat to her cabin on the lake and intended to invite Maggie, Hannah, and her sister to join her for a girl's weekend. Her confusion multiplies when she finds herself inviting Ellen also, a woman she is pretty sure intends to take Maggie away from her, that is, if Maggie does belong to her, which she's not sure of because Kate's afraid to say anything and Maggie is too mad to say anything and, well, maybe Kate isn't meant to have a relationship, but Aunt Hannah keeps prodding her to do something and, well…you begin to see how Kate's mind works…or doesn't work.

Strange things begin to happen as soon as Kate arrives at the cabin. There are signs of a possible break in and, when she's in the shed checking on some equipment, someone knocks her out. It's a testament to Kate's ability to frequently get hurt, especially by hitting her head, that her sister Teri, Maggie, and Hannah don't really seem surprised when they find her unconscious. They're used to patching her up by now. 
 
When things begin to disappear though and it seems someone is watching them from the woods, the situation turns more serious. A suspicious fire and a body washing up on the shore have Kate regretting that everyone she loves is with her. When a storm causes flooding and strands them at the lake, Kate becomes desperate to solve the mystery to protect the people who mean everything to her.
And then there's her relationship with Maggie. Can she find the courage to open herself up to the possibilities that Maggie is offering or will she drive her into another woman's arms?

Once again Kate Sweeney delivers a story full of interesting characters, led by poor hapless Kate Ryan. The reader doesn't know whether to laugh with Kate, cry with her or smack her on the side of the head and sometimes it's all three. Only Kate could get caught up in the passion of the moment, go to rip the blouse off of Maggie in her haste, and hit herself in the face with several of the buttons. Then go to pull her own shirt off and get it stuck on her head with her hands pinned in the air. 

Any reader who doesn't find herself laughing at parts of this book needs to make an appointment for a sense of humor transplant. Don’t mistake this for a comedy however. There is also a serious mystery in here and a strong sense of foreboding that hangs over parts of the book. The story is deftly worked and the solution to the crime doesn't become apparent until the end. Meanwhile, there are lots of suspects to be wary of.

This is the third mystery starring Kate Ryan and her friends. Unlike some series, these stories continue to get stronger. They are better developed with each book and it's clear that Sweeney's skill is improving with practice. It's pleasing to see an author working to make her writing stronger rather than coasting with what has already worked.

Anyone who likes a good mystery will like The Trouble With Murder. Anyone who likes a good romance will like it. Anyone who likes good characters, who have you caring about them and laughing and crying with them, will like this book. Does that leave anyone not to like it? Probably not.

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody

Publisher:             Bold Strokes Books

If you like rollicking, funny pirate stories, The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin is your book.  The quirky title announces that this book is about more than swashbuckling.

Gayle Malvern finds herself thrust into the position of captain of the pirate ship Original Sin when her father "Madman" Malvern is wounded in a battle.  When she sends members of her crew ashore to find a doctor, the coward hides while his fiancée Celia Pierce, the town seamstress, is kidnapped instead.  For superstitious pirates who aren't used to having one woman aboard, the idea of two is really dangerous for both women.  Celia is assured by Gayle that as soon as possible she'll be put off in a safe port and returned to her family, so she decides to make the best of the situation and treat is as a lark.  She's drawn into a world of adventure, slave-traders, rival pirates, unscrupulous sea captains and frightening battles.  She loves it.  Celia never expected to have so many experiences in her life and she finds it quite exciting.  She also begins to find Gayle quite exciting and comes to understand why she was never really interested in her boring future husband.  As she and Gayle become closer, Celia begins to think of herself less as a captive and more as a member of the crew.  Gayle comes to realize that spending the rest of her life at sea isn't very appealing, but having a life with Celia is, if she can find a way to get them out of the pirate life without anyone hunting for them.  Not easy to do when you command one of the most infamous ships in the Caribbean Sea.

Colette Moody injects a lot of humor into this book and intersperses it with terrific adventure scenes.  Her characters are interesting, even the ones the reader won't particularly like.  These are scoundrels with hearts more than just scoundrels.  The reader will feel the tightrope that Gayle has to walk in order to keep her male crew happy and protect herself and yet not become as ruthless as pirate captains are usually portrayed.   

Celia is the prize in the story though.  She's an unusual mixture of wisdom, naivete and earthiness.  Her character grows the most and is the most entertaining as she goes from the meek daughter accepting a marriage she doesn't want to a woman willing to knock another one out cold to shut her up and keep her away from Gayle.  It's almost too bad the women abandon the sea and settle down.  There is a real feeling that there was a lot more fun and adventure in them.

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin doesn't pretend to be sophisticated or loaded with meaning.  It's a quick, entertaining and fun story to read and well worth setting aside a couple of hours to enjoy it.

Midnight Rain by Peggy J. Herring

Publisher:              Bella Books


Peggy J. Herring should be considered a major author today. Not a major lesbian author, but an author to everyone. Not only does she write an excellent story, but also each book she publishes shows an improvement in style and storytelling ability. Unlike some authors, she is not stuck in a formula that appears in her books one after another until you can predict what the story is going to be before you open the cover. Her latest offering to prove this is Midnight Rain. 

Men are attacking women in San Antonio, much as they are in every US city, but San Antonio suddenly has a difference. An unknown avenger, who identifies herself only as Kate the Lesbian, is rescuing the women. KTL, as the press dubs her, is the rescuer that everyone hopes will show up to save him or her at the last minute when there is trouble. Clad all in black and driving a sleek black sports car, she appears out of nowhere, confident, in control of the situation and toting a big gun. Once she stops the assault, she makes sure the women are cared for, the police called and then she takes the men away. The police seem more concentrated on the fact that she is kidnapping the men than that she is saving the women; however, the women know she has changed their lives and left an indelible print on each one. Most of the book is about how four of the women join forces to find Kate to thank her for what she has done. Then they unexpectedly find themselves able to thank Kate by rescuing her from the police who are hunting her and the news media, which is searching for any evidence about her.

Although the women discover that Kate apparently has a preference for helping lesbians, this should not be considered a "lesbian" novel. This is a book about women bonding. It is about women joining together to be stronger and to overcome devastating fear. This is not a brooding, dark book, however. It contains numerous humorous episodes as the women come to know each other, feel attractions they sometimes cannot explain, and especially when they employ a curandera, a type of wise-woman or seer, to help them. One of the group insists on referring to her as "the witch" and finds herself banned pouting to another room during an important meeting because she is "blocking the flow." Secondary characters are few in this book, but they are interesting, especially the curandera.

People often say they couldn't put a book down. This book is so compelling that you keep thinking about it. This review was driven by a need to write about this book. If you read it, you will probably find yourself thinking long afterwards: This was a really great story.

The Quokka Question by Claire McNab

Publisher:                  Alyson Books


You have to love Kylie Kendall. In the previous books in this series by Claire McNab, The Kookaburra Gambit and The Wombat Strategy, Kylie left her Australian roots behind and moved to Los Angeles to claim the inheritance left to her by her estranged father, half of a detective agency. The fact that Kylie knew nothing about being a detective did not deter her one bit; nor did trying to adjust to life in Los Angeles or working with the cast of zany characters employed at the agency.

In The Quokka Question, Kylie finally has her own case to handle. Dr. Oscar Braithwaite believes that someone is stealing his research on the lifestyle of Quokkas (you'll have to read the book to find out what they are) and is planning to torpedo his presentation at an international symposium about to be held in Los Angeles. He hires Kylie to find out who is doing this, which seems to be a simple enough case for a novice detective to handle, until someone murders him. This brings into the story one of the truly amazing characters in the book, his sister, sex therapist extraordinaire Dr. Penelope Braithwaite, who wants Kylie to find out who killed her brother. To say that Penelope is bigger than life doesn't do her justice as she sweeps into Kyle's life, creating mayhem wherever she goes. Meanwhile, Kylie is still trying to convince her business partner Arianna Creeling that they should take their partnership to a deeper level…or softer bed. Will Kylie earn her wings as a detective before someone clips them permanently? Will Arianna finally let her icy exterior melt so that Kylie can really get to know her? Will Dr. Penelope find someone in the book she doesn't want to give sexual advice (or experience) to? You will have fun reading this as the questions are answered.

Claire McNab has been writing for a number of years and is well known for her straightforward mystery series featuring Carol Ashton and Denise Cleever, as well as other books. It's nice to see an established author try a new spin in her work and do it well. The Kylie Kendall books are still mysteries, but they're infused with a sense of humor not found in McNab's other works. You get the feeling that McNab has decided to cut loose a little and just enjoy writing. The cast of characters she surrounds Kylie with will keep you chuckling, from the receptionist Melodie, who doesn't have time to do that job while she takes off for casting calls, to the self-centered cat Julia Roberts who shares Kylie's unusual living arrangements. And leading the pack is the irrepressible Kylie, often puzzled by what is going on around her, but never afraid to plunge in and see what happens. If you have not experienced Kylie Kendall yet, you are missing a gem of an opportunity.

The Platypus Ploy by Claire McNab

Publisher:               Alyson Books


Once again Claire McNab shows her talent for wrapping a mystery in humor. McNab is one of our "founding mothers" who never seems to get the credit or recognition for what she's done for lesbian literature. She never pretends she's writing the great lesbian novel. She just writes good books. With her Kylie Kendall series, she's struck pure gold. Anyone who has not read any of the other books in the Kylie Kendall series has missed a treat. 

The Platypus Ploy is the fifth book in the series and opens with Kylie, transplanted Australian and detective in training, preparing to work undercover in a retirement home for show business stars. Someone is embezzling money and Kylie's agency has been hired to find out who it is. This brings her in contact with outrageous individuals, including a Shakespearean ham, a faded matinee idol, and a former Hollywood beauty queen who has a voracious appetite for women.

Unfortunately, before the investigation can proceed very far, someone kidnaps Ariana Creeling, Kylie's partner in the agency and the woman she adores. Kylie is sure that someone at the home knows what has happened and that to rescue Ariana, she's going to have to solve the mystery, but getting anyone to talk is extremely difficult. Things take an even darker turn when it becomes clear that Ariana's disappearance is connected to someone who has been stalking Kylie and making death threats. Kylie knows she's in a race against time and the reward is Ariana's life.

The series is peopled with a great supporting cast of characters, including Melodie, the receptionist-soon-to-be-major-star, who uses her network of receptionists to know everything before the Office of Homeland Security; Fran, the self-appointed office manager, who insists on having disaster drills for The Big One, whether it's a nuclear attack or general terrorist mayhem, and Julia Roberts, the cat who rules the office and torments Lonnie the computer geek. This book also includes, besides the entertainment has-beens, a psychic who keeps things stirred up. 

The ways the characters interact are totally authentic and lead you to believe that you're in the midst of real people. One of the best lines in The Platypus Ploy is when Kylie lets loose with several Australian sayings and Fran says to her that she hasn't understood a word she's said and she's been meaning to tell her for some time that she usually doesn't. The way McNab words it is hilarious. As an Australian who has lived in the US for a long time, she's probably encountered that problem herself.

If you haven't read any of the previous books, you really should start at the beginning with The Wombat Strategy, then go to The Kookaburra Gambit, The Quokka Question and The Dingo Dilemma. The development of the characters is progressive in the books, and unlike some series, you don't get the same story over and over with just a different title. If you have read the other books, The Platypus Ploy feels like coming back to old friends, but friends who always have something new to show you. This keeps the books interesting instead of stagnant. 

If you like a good mystery that will also have you laughing, you'll love these books.

Winds of Heaven by Kate Sweeney

Publisher:              Intaglio Publications

This is a wonderful book.  There’s no point in holding that until the  end of the review.  If you’ve ever gone through a first pregnancy not knowing what you were doing; if you’ve ever been in the position of someone who knows very little about children and suddenly having to cope with a three year old who only comes up to your knees; if you’ve ever found yourself in a relationship that you never thought possible, then this is the book for you.

Casey Bennet is a successful composer and well-known playgirl who is use to living by herself and not having to worry about any commitments except those required by her profession.  She broke up with a woman she loved because she knew she didn’t want a family, but life has a way of twisting around.  The ex-lover Julie has died from cancer and leaves a letter for Casey.  Julie has left behind a pregnant partner and a child who have no money and no one they can depend on.  Julie’s last request is that Casey take care of her family and help them get back on their feet, so Casey finds herself suddenly living with Liz Kennedy and her three year old daughter Skye.  Liz doesn’t want to be in the position of needing help from someone she’s always thought of as arrogant and self-centered, but realizes there isn’t an alternative, so she’s resolved to make the best of the situation.  For Casey and Skye it’s a case of love at first sight, although they sometimes seem more like playmates than adult and child.  Casey, Liz and Skye embark on an adventure of coping with loss, pregnancy and the needs of two children – one three and the other forty-four.  Families come in all configurations and this is an interesting one.

Kate Sweeney is emerging as one of those rarest of writers, someone who can handle different genres equally well.  Sweeney is better known for her Kate Ryan mysteries and her Dawn series about the vampire Sebastian, but she proves with Winds of Heaven that she is just as capable of writing an entertaining romance.  This book is full of warmth and humor as Casey struggles to deal with the constantly shifting moods of a pregnant woman and the needs of a small child.  There are numerous scenes that will leave the reader laughing helplessly as Casey stumbles from one accident to another or tries to remember not to use “certain” words around Skye who is more than willing to parrot them back.  The tenderness that develops between Casey and Liz puts the book squarely in the romance category and is very satisfying.  The supporting characters, including Casey’s friend Nils and her grandmother, enrich the story as they try to help Casey see the direction her life should be taking.  One of the important aspects of a book is that the reader relate to and care about the characters.  Both of those happen in this case.

Winds of Heaven is a gentle, funny book about the relationship between two women and a child.  It’s also the story of a child-woman who has to confront the shallowness of her own life and finally grow up.  Those who are not normally drawn to romances will enjoy this book because it’s primarily about the humor in life.  This is one of those books that the reader will wish lasted longer.