White Offerings by Ann Roberts

Publisher:                 Bella Books


Ari Adams promised her girlfriend, Detective Molly Nelson, that she wouldn't get involved with any more mysteries. After all, the first one nearly cost her life. When white orchids start arriving for her best friend, Jane Frank, though, Ari can't help but be curious and concerned. Jane is happily sleeping her way through most of the lesbians in Phoenix and insists she hasn't created an enemy in the bunch, but both women become worried as the messages with the flowers become more threatening. 

Jane hires private detective Elizabeth "Biz" Stone to find out what is going on, but it's Ari who is disturbed to feel an attraction to the woman. Ari is sure she loves Molly, but Molly isn't being very communicative about her feelings. As Ari battles with these feelings and the messages become more disturbing, an orchid arrives for Ari. Who is doing this? What are the intentions for Jane, and how much danger is Ari in for being her friend? Worse yet, with so many suspects, including some close to them, who can the women trust?

White Offerings is the sequel to Roberts' previous book Paid in Full. It's a simple mystery with plenty of suspects thrown in to keep the reader guessing. The characters of Ari and Jane are well developed because they interact so much in the book and take up the majority of the story. 

Molly and "Biz" could have used some more attention, especially Molly. Her reluctance to commit to Ari isn't really explained and it's a tad curious that, while the woman she claims to love is threatened, she's more interested in a case she's working on with the FBI. The relationship between Ari and Molly is juxtaposed next to Jane's profligate behavior as a contrasting picture of how people live their lives, though what they see in each other is sometimes unclear.

While the mystery is intriguing, it's difficult to develop any feeling for the characters. Ari is the most appealing, while Jane is somewhat humorous, although the reader may come to feel that she deserves the stalker she's acquired through her behavior. Molly is more involved when she's working her case than she is with Ari, and "Biz" doesn't do that much to solve the question of who is sending the flowers. The ending is rather abrupt and there is a set up in the final scene for what is obviously a third book in the series.

Roberts knows how to write a story and White Offerings is entertaining.  It's not her best book though, so give her others a chance.

Water Witch by Nene Adams

Publisher:              P.D. Publishing


Swashbuckling pirates – supernatural occurrences – lost treasure – lusty lovers – adventure on the land and seas – what more could anyone possibly want from a book?

Bess O'Bedlam, known as the Water Witch, has been hunting for years to discover the legendary treasure left behind by Fancy Tom Carew, who killed his whole crew so that he wouldn't have to share his hoard of gold, silver and jewels. As she has led her fleet of five pirate ships on raids around the Caribbean, her goal has been to follow the clues leading to the last resting place of Carew's loot laden ship, the “Deceiver.” On the island of Antigua she discovers the most intriguing clue of all, a tattoo on the shoulder of the fiery and beautiful Marguerite De Vries.

Margo is an accomplished thief who has no interest in going to sea, but Bess is a pirate who has no problem with kidnapping and keeping her a prisoner. Despite tumultuous fights, the two find themselves drawn to the vibrancy that radiates from each woman. What follows is a string of adventures including battles at sea, incantations and spirit visitations, and a wild Spanish woman with a nasty temper and quick dagger. All of this serves to bring the women closer together and the treasure hunt eventually turns into a race against time when Bess and Margo realize there is more at stake than just finding the riches. The charmed tattoo draws them to an island where all of their dreams should be fulfilled, but instead a nightmare begins to unfurl, culminating in a race across the water and a battle that is nothing short of epic and mystical. Whether or not Bess and Margo can have a future together literally becomes a fight between life and death.

Nene Adams has crafted a story that reeks of authenticity, including the fact that there were a number of famous female pirates who successfully prowled the Caribbean area in the 17th and 18th centuries. She uses so many terms and sayings from the period that she includes a glossary at the back of the book to explain them.
When Bess is standing on her quarterdeck preparing her ship for battle, you can almost smell the salt water and envision what the crew looks like as they go about their duties. The supernatural scenes which might make a reader think that the book is a fantasy are done so realistically and with such skill, that it becomes totally possible to believe they are happening. 

The supporting cast is as riveting as the leading ladies. Solomon Lovelock, who ultimately proves what true loyalty is; Dunn, the first mate, and his lover the blademaster Levalier who provide lessons in seamanship and fighting techniques; Mistress Glasspoole, who provides a wealth of information about using herbs and natural items to treat wounds and illness; and towering above them all, quite literally, is Captain Letty Speedwell. If Bess O'Bedlam wasn't such a dynamic character, her best friend Letty could easily dominate the book, but Adams strikes a perfect balance between the two. There is a scene in the final battle where Speedwell will make the reader want to sit up and shout at her performance. There are many other characters and scenes which enhance the story and will stick in the reader's mind.

Adams obviously did extensive research for this book. Besides the language, the details in the clothing, food and geography, plus the extensive knowledge of the medical lore and supernatural beliefs, give this book the texture that all historical novels should have. It puts to shame those books that twist history so that it can't be recognized in reality. At the end it's a disappointment to remember that these people did not really exist. 

Water Witch: The Deceiver's Grave is a book that deserves to be read and enjoyed.

Wasted Heart by Lynn Galli

Publisher:                 Outskirts Press


Sometimes a girl just can't get a break. You leave your family and friends to start a new life and now someone is trying to kill you.

Austy Nunziata left a good job and a supportive group of friends in Virginia to settle in Seattle. The reason for such a drastic change is that Austy is in love with her best friend Willa and Willa is married to another friend Quinn, so the wisest thing to do to keep herself from making a mistake and getting hurt more was to leave. Unfortunately, Willa, who doesn't realize how Austy feels, is the head of a software company with offices in Seattle, so they still see each other frequently. Austy hopes that by throwing herself into her new job as a district attorney and avoiding Willa that she can get over her feelings.

Her new case would seem to be the distraction she needs. She has been appointed as the lead prosecutor in a major racketeering case and that has brought her in contact with FBI agent Elise Bridie. At first Elise provides expert testimony in the case, but when someone mugs Austy and threatens to kill her, Elise finds herself acting as a bodyguard. The attack also brings the Virginia "posse" running to Seattle to provide support, protection and a shove in the right direction for Austy to capitalize on her relationship with Elise. Austy isn't sure which is the greatest problem - the meddling by her friends, her uncertain relationship with Elise or the fact that someone is trying to kill her. What Austy does know is that she needs to get control of her life and make a decision. Does she stay in Seattle, build a new life and possibly a relationship with Elise and maybe end up dead, or does she return to the nurturing environment that her friends offer in Virginia and live with the pain of seeing Willa every day knowing that she can't have her?

Wasted Heart is an entertaining book, but not really because of the lead characters. Austy and Elise tell a pretty standard story for lesfic. It's the supporting cast that adds the charm. Austy's Virginia friends are quite a group - Willa, who everyone loves because of her generosity and genuine concern for her friends; Quinn, Willa's partner and an ex-professional athlete who would protect Austy from any harm; Lauren, Austy's longest and best friend who is insistent that Austy return to Virginia to become her law partner; and Jessie, a true woman-chaser, but the staunchest friend anyone could hope for who is the only one who truly sees what is in Austy's heart. There is a humorous scene when Austy comes into court to confront the criminal who is trying to have her killed and she can hardly walk for the protective ring her friends have formed around her. And what a bunch of matchmakers when they realize Austy is interested in Elise. These and similar characters in Wasted Heart make it an enjoyable read.

Waltzing at Midnight by Robbi McCoy

Publisher:                Bella Books

Waltzing at Midnight tells a story not seen enough in lesbian fiction.  It's about a woman who finds at the age of forty that she is evolving into a new person and the many ways that her life is affected by the changes.

Jean Davis thinks she knows what her life is about.  For more than twenty years she has built her existence around her marriage to Jerry and the needs of their two children.  She passes through the time in a kind of fog of respectability, happy with her limited possibilities and enjoying the reflected glory of her family's accomplishments.  All of that comes to an end when she decides to volunteer in the mayoral campaign of Rosie Monroe.  Rosie is a well known businesswoman and major player in the power structure who exudes energy and vitality in everything that she does.  Jean finds herself caught up in the highly charged environment that Rosie creates and realizes that she is changing in fundamental ways that call into question everything she has always thought about herself. 

As Jean's personality begins to unfold, she finds that she likes being respected by other people and seen as someone who can get things done.  As Rosie encourages her to stretch her abilities and move into her own career, Jean also discovers that she is developing an emotional attachment to a woman for the first time.  She recalls reading Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken in high school and not understanding it, but the meaning has become crystal clear to her now.  She has two roads before her, one of conformity and one with frightening possibilities.  The choice is Jean's to make, but not without consequences.

This is an exceptionally well developed story and one that was refreshing to read because it follows a different path to its conclusion.  Many people find themselves at a crossroads in their lives where they have to choose what has always been or dare to try something new.  Most books choose to tell the easier stories of younger characters and ignore what happens to more mature women.  Jean's struggle is one that many readers will identify with.  Though this is a romance, the central theme is about the ordeal Jean goes through in weighing family expectations against the excitement she feels over discovering talents and interests she never realized she had.  This isn't a story just about a woman discovering lesbianism, but of one opening up her life and finding out who she was, could be and wants to be.

Rosie Monroe is central to Jean's development.  Everyone should have someone in their lives like her.  She encourages Jean in her explorations and allows her to soar, even when it might take Jean away from her.  She provides strength, experience and wisdom when it's needed, but she never dictates to Jean what she should do.  Most importantly, she refuses to lead Jean away from her family, knowing that it would destroy their relationship, and instead leaves Jean to determine for herself what her course should be.

It's hard to believe that this is Robbi McCoy's first book because it's written with such skill.  She doesn't rush her points, but draws the reader along at exactly the right pace.  Not only is it enjoyable, but this is one of those books that it's hard to put down.  If Waltzing at Midnight is indicative of McCoy's innate ability, then readers have some good stories to look forward to.

Vera's Still Point by Ruth Perkinson

Publisher:                 Spinsters Ink


"Have you ever been somewhere or with someone and it was such a wonderful experience that it was like time was not moving forward or backward? You were just standing still, taking in all of the moment's beauty….there is the dance, the dance of life, what we all live for but what most of us don't recognize. We are mired in the past and pulled centrifugally into the future. However, it is the small dancing moments that evade time that we need to touch like a spirit fleshed out before us." Vera's Still Point, p. 104

Vera Curran was living a life where she missed most of the still points. She wasn't completely to blame for this because she was a forty year old lesbian librarian at a public high school in Virginia, a state that unfortunately is well known for being gay-unfriendly. Vera made the decision that the only way to protect her job was to live her life as a complete denial of her sexuality and follow a rather mundane and mind-numbing routine. She thought she was relatively happy living like that, until she met Frankie Bourden. Frankie was a former military pilot who decided to become a teacher with a mission to change the world, or at least her little corner of it. Frankie represented everything that Vera taught herself to be afraid of; she was out and proud and determined to shake up the system. And Vera couldn't resist her. 

Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in real life, the relationship is doomed to be of short duration because the reader learns on page 2 that Frankie dies from cancer, but, instead of being sad, the end of the book is uplifting. It tells the story of two women, how one awakened the life in the other and how the survivor learned to go on without her. The chapters alternate from the present when Vera is telling their story to her nephew Kyle and flashbacks of how the improbable relationship developed, beginning with cryptic questions on Post-It Notes. In the end, Vera would learn from Frankie that it's the still points and the people who make them for you that give richness to your life and she loved her for it.

Vera's Still Point is not a typical romance. There is a love story involved, but it's overshadowed by other themes. The first is the cost of living in an environment that will not let a person be who she truly is. People who do not live in one of the extremely conservative states may have trouble understanding Vera's fear about what could happen to her career if it becomes known that she is a lesbian. Virginia has been dominated for many years by the presences of the Rev. Pat Robertson and the late Rev. Jerry Falwell and was the birthplace of the Moral Majority.

Perkinson, a former teacher, captures the repression of living in such an environment and the destruction it can wreak on a person's soul to be forced to live in the shadows. Vera's fear of discovery is real, which makes Frankie's openness either heroic or foolhardy, depending on how you view the outcome. The fact that Vera is so obviously unhappy in her personal life without realizing it will cause readers who have been in similar circumstances to consider what "still points" they have also failed to experience. There is a certain sadness in wishing that everyone could be as fearless as Frankie and knowing that it sometimes can't be so in real life. 

There is the theme of how family dynamics shape a person's behavior or fail to shape it. Vera and Frankie's mothers make an interesting contrast of people who don't approve of something, but choose to deal with it in different manners. One interesting question that never quite gets answered is why Vera, who appears to have the more accepting family, doesn't have the courage to be more of a fighter for her life. 

Also there is the theme of love discovered and lost. Or is it? The reader will be left to ponder whether the cessation of life has to be the cessation of love. Can love be sustaining when one person is a memory? And what happens if you are the one left behind? It would be expected that Vera, after so many years of cutting her emotions off and then finally discovering the deep joy that love can bring, would become bitter when it's taken away too soon or that she would retreat to her former behavior. Neither of those happens however and the book makes a powerful statement about drawing strength from the past to face the future.

Vera's Still Point is a thoughtful book told with humor and insight. While it tells a love story, it will also lead the reader into reevaluating life and what really matters. Hopefully, it will lead the readers to also be more aware and appreciative of the still points that they personally experience and the people who help to cause them.

Unkindness of Ravens by Kathleen Tracy

Publisher:                 Paribus


Unkindness of Ravens introduces a new mystery series starring Sam Perry, a highly successful crime reporter. Sam has fled Los Angeles, where she covered many sensational murders and made a career writing books about her experiences, and is living in Palm Springs. Sam had reached the limit of her tolerance for murder and mayhem and needed a change of life, but now she's getting restless, which her editor realizes, so Sam is sent to cover the story of a body found in the desert, a body that has no identity and has been slowly and mercilessly tortured to death. 

As Sam begins to unravel the mystery of this young man, she finds that every answer simply opens up more questions. Some of those questions involve the campaign of Ellen Konrad, former movie queen and television star, who is running for the position of mayor in Palm Springs. Was the man murdered because of his unusually close relationship with Konrad or did he know something that was damaging to her political career? Or maybe the murder is tied to his fondness for hanging out in a strip club that has shady overtones.

Sam and Ellen find themselves being drawn to each other by strong emotions, emotions that threaten Sam's ability to remain impartial and solve the murder, no matter who is hurt. The trick will be to answer the questions without destroying her new friendship with Ellen and the possibility of a future before them.
 
Tracy has introduced a promising new mystery series. Sam Perry is a highly likeable character and having her approach mysteries from the angle of being a reporter provides a different twist on the genre. It's interesting to see Sam move through the process of collecting bits and pieces of information that slowly put the puzzle together.
Tracy has written other books and, although not in the mystery genre, this probably gives her the writing experience to be able to twist and turn Unkindness of Ravens in believable ways so that the mystery is not solved until the very last of the story. This is a valuable skill in a genre where too often the answer to the puzzle is all too obvious before the story has progressed half way.

The attraction between Sam and Ellen is also handled extremely well. Though there is definitely the possibility of a relationship, whether or not it will progress is still not clear at the end of the book. It takes a confident writer to be able to leave a relationship dangling without resolution, but it fits this book perfectly. 

Uncommon Emotions by Lynn Galli

Publisher:                Outskirts Press


Suppose you were walking down the hall at work one day, minding your own business, when suddenly someone pulled you into a closet and gave you the greatest kiss you ever had in your life? And it was a woman? And you were straight? You thought. If you found yourself reacting in a way you had never felt before, you might have to follow those uncommon emotions to rethink your whole life.

Joslyn Simonini is a "turnaround specialist." She is hired by companies to tell them how to improve their operations and profits, which often causes employees to dislike her since they fear their jobs will be the first thing she will want to cut. Joslyn understands their feelings, but she's not there to get involved with their concerns. She's there to do an efficient job and move on, which doesn't require an emotional connection with the people she's dealing with. Until that kiss.

That incident begins the unraveling of Joslyn's world as she has known it. She finds herself working with Raven Malvolio the chief financial officer of the family owned business she's been hired to improve. A working relationship quickly grows into a friendship. Joslyn hadn't found previous relationships with men particularly dynamic, but her contact with Raven has her questioning not only her sexuality, but the ethics of her job. She finally feels she has met someone she can let tap into the emotions she has kept hidden for so long, but she has also discovered a secret about the company that could destroy everything. Joslyn and Raven will have to answer some difficult questions about the priorities of family obligations and professional ethics to determine if a relationship is possible between them.

Galli does a good job of building her story and creating her characters. Joslyn starts out as a very repressed character who gradually opens up as events occur. The opening scene of the kiss starts the book off with a nice comic touch without becoming slapstick and then plays nicely into Joslyn's overly developed sense of professionalism when she first meets Raven and suspects her of being the office letch. Incidents occur at a nice pace in the book and give the reader a chance to get to know the characters and who they are. 

This is Galli's third novel and she has developed the ability to write a good solid story with appealing characters that provides a few hours of pleasant reading. Romance lovers will enjoy this book.