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Jane Lawless #1
Hallowed Murder
t’s almost winter in Minnesota. As the icy cold begins to grip the Twin Cities, restaurant owner, Jane Lawless, and her eccentric sidekick, Cordelia Thorn, are caught up in a spiraling chain of events centering on the university sorority, Kappa Alpha Sigma. Allison Lord, a popular sorority member with a secret, is killed and the murderer continues to stalk the house amid charges of theft, lesbianism and religious intolerance. Featuring a memorable cast of characters and an intriguing inside view of the dark undercurrents of sorority life, this page-turning mystery by newcomer, Ellen Hart, is full of suspense and surprise.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 1989
69 people are currently reading
1625 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Hart
72 books221 followersEllen Hart is the author of twenty-eight crime novels in two different series. She is a five-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery, a three-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Best Popular Fiction, a three-time winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award in several categories, a recipient of the Alice B Medal, and was made an official GLBT Literary Saint at the Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans in 2005. In 2010, Ellen received the GCLS Trailblazer Award for lifetime achievement in the field of lesbian literature. For the past fourteen years, Ellen has taught "An Introduction to Writing the Modern Mystery" through the The Loft Literary Center, the largest independent writing community in the nation. Ellen's latest Sophie Greenway mystery is No Reservations Required (Ballantine). Rest for the Wicked, the twentieth Jane Lawless mystery, will be released by St. Martin's/Minotaur in October 2012. Bella Books has recently revived the out-of-print books by publishing them in both trade paperback and E-book. Ellen lives in the Minneapolis area with her partner of over 35 years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
January 6, 2019
This was an interesting read. Yet the resolution of the mystery was somewhat boring.
Jane and her friend Cordelia are a great pair, emphasizing that Cordelia brings humor and lightness to the plot with her mannerisms.
The alternative pov was also an added touch that made the story very interesting.
Overall, 4 stars ... Unfortunately the motivation to the crime was exaggerated, I saw myself scrolling through the whole conversation of the suspect because I found it ridiculous.
Jane and her friend Cordelia are a great pair, emphasizing that Cordelia brings humor and lightness to the plot with her mannerisms.
The alternative pov was also an added touch that made the story very interesting.
Overall, 4 stars ... Unfortunately the motivation to the crime was exaggerated, I saw myself scrolling through the whole conversation of the suspect because I found it ridiculous.
March 22, 2015
Hallowed Murder, the debut novel in Ellen Hart’s Jane Lawless series, makes for an enjoyable read as a cozy mystery; however, this novel also serves as a time capsule of sorts. With marriage equality the law of the land even in Alabama (well, in early 2015, nearly so anyway), we forget how often people — even people you’d expect to know better — openly expressed blatant homophobia in the late 1980s.
So, children, gather round, and please let me tell you about the bad old days. Condemning gays to the fiery inferno and expressing open revulsion and horror at “crimes against nature” and other such rot today exists only in right-wing megachurches in the South and Glenn Beck’s show, but it was not always so. Same-sex unions — no one even dared use the term marriage then — did even exist in ground-breaking Denmark until October 1989! People could lose their jobs, their apartments, and even custody of their children should anyone suspect that they might be gay. So remaining in the closet was not a betrayal but a survival skill.
So, while Minneapolis caterer Jane Lawless may be comfortable in her own skin, she’s not fool enough to come out to the members of her sorority Kappa Alpha Sigma — even after it’s revealed that one of its members, found drowned in a lake, was romantically involved with a fellow University of Minnesota co-ed. Police, still un-PC enough to express disgust at the girl’s sexual orientation, quickly dismiss the case as a suicide, but Jane suspects otherwise, as do other sorority members. So, in addition to the question of who killed Allison Lord, there’s the question of whether or not Jane will remain safely in the closet or make a stand.
I grew to like Jane, although her BFF, the cynical, whining, and curmudgeonly theater director Cordelia Thorne, was rather off-putting. I’m looking forward to then next novel in the series, Vital Lies, and to see Jane and the gay-rights movement both evolve in the pages of this series.
So, children, gather round, and please let me tell you about the bad old days. Condemning gays to the fiery inferno and expressing open revulsion and horror at “crimes against nature” and other such rot today exists only in right-wing megachurches in the South and Glenn Beck’s show, but it was not always so. Same-sex unions — no one even dared use the term marriage then — did even exist in ground-breaking Denmark until October 1989! People could lose their jobs, their apartments, and even custody of their children should anyone suspect that they might be gay. So remaining in the closet was not a betrayal but a survival skill.
So, while Minneapolis caterer Jane Lawless may be comfortable in her own skin, she’s not fool enough to come out to the members of her sorority Kappa Alpha Sigma — even after it’s revealed that one of its members, found drowned in a lake, was romantically involved with a fellow University of Minnesota co-ed. Police, still un-PC enough to express disgust at the girl’s sexual orientation, quickly dismiss the case as a suicide, but Jane suspects otherwise, as do other sorority members. So, in addition to the question of who killed Allison Lord, there’s the question of whether or not Jane will remain safely in the closet or make a stand.
I grew to like Jane, although her BFF, the cynical, whining, and curmudgeonly theater director Cordelia Thorne, was rather off-putting. I’m looking forward to then next novel in the series, Vital Lies, and to see Jane and the gay-rights movement both evolve in the pages of this series.
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August 9, 2020It is hard not to make comparisons between this book and Val McDermid’s Report for Murder. Both are the author’s first published novels, both take place in the women’s section of a college, both protagonists have sidekicks named Cordelia (doubtless a tip of the cap to the main character of P.D. James’ classic An Unsuitable Job for a woman), neither protagonist is a private detective or connected with the police, and both authors were later published by McDermid's Bywater Books.
Although McDermid’s book was published two years earlier, Hallowed Murder is the better book. For one thing, I like Jane Lawless very much. She is understated, which is rare. She is an ordinary person, a restaurant owner, and her methods are ordinary; she just wants to find out the truth without bribing, inveigling, torturing, threatening, or getting divine inspiration.
Jane’s close friend Cordelia (they went to school together and briefly dated, although a romance never blossomed) make a pretty good pair. Cordelia is the opposite of Jane in many ways. She is slightly overweight and tends toward the hysterical while Jane remains svelte and unexcitable. It is perhaps their difference that makes Jane comfortable in sharing her investigation with her friend. And in this book, they are investigating the death of a young sorority woman.
Briefly, there were four very good friends who virtually ran the KAS Sorority House. One of them—Allison—was found dead in a lake, a possible suicide. A scandal results when it is later found out that Allison was a lesbian. When Jane asks two of her friends, Sigrid and Maggie, if they knew Allison was a lesbian, Maggie is thunderstruck with astonishment while Sigrid claims to have known it for some time. “Why did she tell you and not me?” Maggie demands. When it comes out that Allison had once kissed (and later made love to) Sigrid, Maggie wails, “Why did she make a pass at you and not at me?” This is good stuff. Maggie and Sigrid are particularly well done.
The book is written from multiple points of view. While some might consider this literary cheating, I enjoyed getting inside the heads of the various characters. Chalk it up to Hart’s facility with words and ability to imagine her characters fully—not an easy feat, nor one that a lot of authors even care about. She seems to set the right tone and ends the book at just the right time.
Is it a perfect book? Of course not. I don’t believe that Hart ever completely explains the odd actions of several of the characters, and the murderer turning out to be a psychotic homophobe is not really very new, although I prefer this to the many totally unbelievable motives that abound in mysteries these days. I think, though, that if I could tell Hart to do one thing over (and of course I am) it would be Jane’s initial desire to investigate Allison’s death. It is as if the author decided to make Jane a detective before she began writing the book and forgot to give enough back story to make it plausible. Jane’s not believing that Allison committed suicide is not a good enough reason to put herself and her friends in danger. No one else in the book believed it either—except, of course for the police—and no one else saw the need to investigate. It doesn't need much, but it does need a little.
So give this one many stars. Not all, but a lot.
Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
Although McDermid’s book was published two years earlier, Hallowed Murder is the better book. For one thing, I like Jane Lawless very much. She is understated, which is rare. She is an ordinary person, a restaurant owner, and her methods are ordinary; she just wants to find out the truth without bribing, inveigling, torturing, threatening, or getting divine inspiration.
Jane’s close friend Cordelia (they went to school together and briefly dated, although a romance never blossomed) make a pretty good pair. Cordelia is the opposite of Jane in many ways. She is slightly overweight and tends toward the hysterical while Jane remains svelte and unexcitable. It is perhaps their difference that makes Jane comfortable in sharing her investigation with her friend. And in this book, they are investigating the death of a young sorority woman.
Briefly, there were four very good friends who virtually ran the KAS Sorority House. One of them—Allison—was found dead in a lake, a possible suicide. A scandal results when it is later found out that Allison was a lesbian. When Jane asks two of her friends, Sigrid and Maggie, if they knew Allison was a lesbian, Maggie is thunderstruck with astonishment while Sigrid claims to have known it for some time. “Why did she tell you and not me?” Maggie demands. When it comes out that Allison had once kissed (and later made love to) Sigrid, Maggie wails, “Why did she make a pass at you and not at me?” This is good stuff. Maggie and Sigrid are particularly well done.
The book is written from multiple points of view. While some might consider this literary cheating, I enjoyed getting inside the heads of the various characters. Chalk it up to Hart’s facility with words and ability to imagine her characters fully—not an easy feat, nor one that a lot of authors even care about. She seems to set the right tone and ends the book at just the right time.
Is it a perfect book? Of course not. I don’t believe that Hart ever completely explains the odd actions of several of the characters, and the murderer turning out to be a psychotic homophobe is not really very new, although I prefer this to the many totally unbelievable motives that abound in mysteries these days. I think, though, that if I could tell Hart to do one thing over (and of course I am) it would be Jane’s initial desire to investigate Allison’s death. It is as if the author decided to make Jane a detective before she began writing the book and forgot to give enough back story to make it plausible. Jane’s not believing that Allison committed suicide is not a good enough reason to put herself and her friends in danger. No one else in the book believed it either—except, of course for the police—and no one else saw the need to investigate. It doesn't need much, but it does need a little.
So give this one many stars. Not all, but a lot.
Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
May 18, 2023
First in the series, was an interesting read, with a dramatic ending.
April 28, 2013
I like reading series from the beginning so that I can see the progression of the character as the books unfold. This was a nice easy read set in a city in which I live so places are familiar which is even more fun. The main character is a strong and likable woman who happens to be a lesbian. She has interesting friends and community folk. The writing is good, and the mystery is believable and had me guessing all the way through. I expect to enjoy book 2.
April 29, 2009
You know, there wasn't a whole lot of lesbianism in this lesbian detective story. Yes, two of the main characters are lesbatrons, and one of the murder victims is a lesbian, but they don't have relationships. Maybe they do in later books? Not like I am looking for a hot steamy lesbo romp, but I guess I was spoiled by Elizabeth Sims and her awesome Lillian Byrd series. Also, there was a lot of religion. It was ok; it wasn't poorly written and the characters were fleshed out. I finished it, I just won't be reading the rest of the series.
November 25, 2016
Just like old times....
I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. I love mystery storylines, they always move fast and you have a little blood. This is definitely Opposite of that. It remind me of the old PI tv shows. The storyline moved along slow...which made it hard for you not to miss anything. The characters were great. Jane was so laid back I thought oh she going to get whacked. Cordelia kept cracking me up she is great friend. The others characters fit right into the storyline just perfect. I would definitely recommend this book.
I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. I love mystery storylines, they always move fast and you have a little blood. This is definitely Opposite of that. It remind me of the old PI tv shows. The storyline moved along slow...which made it hard for you not to miss anything. The characters were great. Jane was so laid back I thought oh she going to get whacked. Cordelia kept cracking me up she is great friend. The others characters fit right into the storyline just perfect. I would definitely recommend this book.
December 9, 2022
This one was ultra dry and uninteresting for me. The dialogue was stilted and made doubly awkward by the even more stilted and cheesy narration. The mystery was not super compelling, the conclusion was pretty anticlimactic, and there were too many underdeveloped and unmemorable characters.
January 26, 2021
This is the first in the Jane Lawless series of mysteries and the second that I've read. I picked this one up because, set at a sorority house at the University of Minnesota, it has an academic flavor and I can't resist those. Jane is serving as an alumna advisor to her old sorority, Kappa Alpha Sigma. Early one morning, she and her BFF Cordelia Thorn discover the body of one of the members drowned in a nearby lake. It's revealed that the young woman had been in a relationship with another female student after a breakup with a boyfriend. The police are ready to call it a suicide by someone "pretty mixed up in the head," but Jane isn't buying it. She didn't know Allison Lord intimately, but she had gotten to know her through her work with the sorority's student governance board and she didn't see Allison as the suicidal type. More apt to take her problems head-on.
In addition to the death, there are other mysterious things going on at the house--from thefts to shadowy figures at the windows to blackmail. And then the sorority's rituals room is ransacked--which means someone with access to the keys must be involved. As Jane starts to ask questions, her attention is drawn to the boyfriend in the case, Mitchel Page. Not only was the break-up bad, he works as a busboy at the sorority house and seems to have free rein within its walls. But he's not the only suspect. Gladys the housekeeper seems to know more secrets than average and Jane's fellow advisor, Susan Julian has been very vocal about her views on homosexuality. Even Adolf, the cook, has been acting a bit strangely since Allison's death. When Mitchel dies a few days later, Jane begins to see the pattern but has no evidence to give the police--so she and Cordelia (very much against Cordelia's better judgment) lay a trap for the killer a Jane's lonely lodge. They should have listened to Cordelia's better judgment...but the killer is caught in the end.
Ellen Hart writes a very middle-of-the-road mystery. At least in the two books I've read. The plot is okay. The motive is a bit overworked. But the clues are on display and ready for the taking if readers are astute enough to catch them. The best part of the book is the snapshot of the late 80s. The opinions and prejudices of the time are definitely represented--not that they're very palatable, but it is good to remember where we've been. I do like Jane and Cordelia and their friendship. Cordelia is a little over-the-top, but we all have that one friend who is, don't we?
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
In addition to the death, there are other mysterious things going on at the house--from thefts to shadowy figures at the windows to blackmail. And then the sorority's rituals room is ransacked--which means someone with access to the keys must be involved. As Jane starts to ask questions, her attention is drawn to the boyfriend in the case, Mitchel Page. Not only was the break-up bad, he works as a busboy at the sorority house and seems to have free rein within its walls. But he's not the only suspect. Gladys the housekeeper seems to know more secrets than average and Jane's fellow advisor, Susan Julian has been very vocal about her views on homosexuality. Even Adolf, the cook, has been acting a bit strangely since Allison's death. When Mitchel dies a few days later, Jane begins to see the pattern but has no evidence to give the police--so she and Cordelia (very much against Cordelia's better judgment) lay a trap for the killer a Jane's lonely lodge. They should have listened to Cordelia's better judgment...but the killer is caught in the end.
Ellen Hart writes a very middle-of-the-road mystery. At least in the two books I've read. The plot is okay. The motive is a bit overworked. But the clues are on display and ready for the taking if readers are astute enough to catch them. The best part of the book is the snapshot of the late 80s. The opinions and prejudices of the time are definitely represented--not that they're very palatable, but it is good to remember where we've been. I do like Jane and Cordelia and their friendship. Cordelia is a little over-the-top, but we all have that one friend who is, don't we?
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
September 14, 2022
This is a vintage whodunit that reads like Agatha Christie but is written from a lesbian perspective, which makes this almost the ultimate comfort read for LGBTQ mystery lovers. It offers a glimpse into history for those who might not know much about what it was like to be lesbian or queer in the 80s and 90s, and while it's starkly honest about portraying the treatment LGBTQ people receive from the religious and society in general, the narrative gives these hateful perspectives no real power over its protagonists, which is very heartening to read.
As a series opener it does a good job introducing Jane Lawless and giving her a keen eye for detail, great intelligence to deduce, a warm heart for her friends, and a loving no-nonsense attitude toward the melodramatic Cordelia - not to mention a hint of backstory that makes her feel like a well-rounded and mature person.
Pleasant, intriguing, queer-inclusive and cozy, this makes the reader excited to discover more of this classic series.
-Callen
As a series opener it does a good job introducing Jane Lawless and giving her a keen eye for detail, great intelligence to deduce, a warm heart for her friends, and a loving no-nonsense attitude toward the melodramatic Cordelia - not to mention a hint of backstory that makes her feel like a well-rounded and mature person.
Pleasant, intriguing, queer-inclusive and cozy, this makes the reader excited to discover more of this classic series.
-Callen
January 20, 2013
The first in this long running series, that came out in '89. With amatuer sleuth Jane Lawless, searching for clues in the death of a soroity student, where she is an alumnae advisor. When word get's out that the student was a lesbian....homophobia and sexual politics arise.
A finalist for a LAMBDA award, this debut is a nice entry into this cozy mystery series. 3.5 stars.
A finalist for a LAMBDA award, this debut is a nice entry into this cozy mystery series. 3.5 stars.
January 22, 2016
Stilted dialogue, poorly plotted, swift unrealistic ending. There's a kernel of a great buddy relationship between Jane Lawless and Cordelia Thorn but it's undeveloped in this debut. The series has continued and won awards, so she must get better.
October 21, 2021
Jane Lawless owns my heart! So of course I had to go back to the beginning because I may have “accidentally” skipped it 😅
April 16, 2022
This spectacular introduction to Ellen Hart's long lived Jane Lawless series has all the elements that make the series a great one. Jane, a Minneapolis restauranteur, is the quiet center of the action as the story of the apparent suicide of a sorority girl unfolds. Jane is an alum advisor to the sorority and is alarmed when she hears a catalogue of creepy happenings around the house, with many of the girls virtual wrecks after the death of their friend. Hart focuses on the dead girl's hidden life as a gay woman, while at the same time telling a traditional golden age style story. In golden age fashion, she made me suspect 3 or 4 people in turn, surprising me at the denouement. She also introduces characters that inhabit the series - Jane's flamboyant sidekick, Cordelia; her brother Peter; and Peter's future wife. One of Jane's essential character traits is that she's a gay woman, but that's only one part of her well rounded, very relatable personality. The fact that she loves dogs and food is just as essential. This is one of my favorite series in all of mystery fiction, not least because every single book is a good story, well told. The Minneapolis detail is also perfection.
May 11, 2019
Woman is found dead in park. Main character without background in investigative work or anything even reminiscent of survival instincts disrupts police investigation and almost gets murdered before solving the case. For this to happen, everybody needs to act like complete idiots. Someone has been spying on us for months? Let's not contact the police or react in any way. An employee behaves violently and aggressively? Let's not fire him or even reprimand him. The response to getting stalked by a crazy murderer is obviously to drive out to the countryside and lure them there. That will surely go well.
February 19, 2020
Hallowed Murder is book one in the Jane Lawless series by Ellen Hart. Winter was sitting in Minnesota when a Kappa Alpha Sigma sorority member Allison Lord found dead. Jane Lawless and her friend Cordelia Thorn became caught up into the death of Allison Lord. The readers of Hallowed Murder will continue to follow Jane Lawless and Cordelia Thorn to find out who killed Allison Lord.
Hallowed Murder is the first book I have read of Ellen Hart, and I did enjoy reading this book. However, I will not be reading another book in this series. I never really engaged with the plot of Hallowed Murder or the characters. For me, something was missing with the characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book.
The readers of Hallowed Murder will learn about The society for women students who are studying mathematics, architecture, engineering, technology and the sciences at the University of Minnesota called Kappa Alpha Sigma Sorority. Also, the readers of Hallowed Murder will learn about running a restaurant.
I recommend this book.
Hallowed Murder is the first book I have read of Ellen Hart, and I did enjoy reading this book. However, I will not be reading another book in this series. I never really engaged with the plot of Hallowed Murder or the characters. For me, something was missing with the characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book.
The readers of Hallowed Murder will learn about The society for women students who are studying mathematics, architecture, engineering, technology and the sciences at the University of Minnesota called Kappa Alpha Sigma Sorority. Also, the readers of Hallowed Murder will learn about running a restaurant.
I recommend this book.
March 6, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up. I shall continue with this 26-book mystery series in the belief that it will improve.
September 28, 2022
Couldn't finish this I found it was stilted and didn't flow with interesting prose
February 23, 2023
Set in a university of Minnesota sorority 💅. Someone said it’s a bit of a time capsule for how queer people were treated even as recently as the 80s. Very cool stuff— cleverly written 💯🤩☺️
May 13, 2013
At some point, on the basis of one book -- yeah, I know, not exactly a representative sample -- I wrote that Jane Lawless wasn’t exactly my cuppa tea. I'm not sure why, really, though it wasn't the lack of sax and violins, in other words, its "coziness", something just seemed missing. Anyway, I stand, well, sit corrected. The large number of Lambda Awards wins and finalist selections -- 4 and 11, I think -- led me to believe I was the one missing something, and to try again. So...I just finished Hallowed Murder and really liked it. Is Jane Lawless gonna become one of my favorites? Probably not, but I’ll read more of the series, for sure. It also showed that broadening your horizons is something to embrace.
The mystery itself is intriguing, and the twists and turns certainly keep you reading; the climax, though a little too brief, has a satisfyingly suspenseful feel. The writing itself has a bit of first-novel clunkiness, but not enough to be a problem. At least one person mentioned not liking any of the characters save Jane and Cordelia, but I disagree. I liked both Sigrid and Maggie and, though we only meet her briefly, Brook, too; she’s not a bad person, really, simply a victim forced into unfortunate choices. Cordelia is pretty funny, if a tad over-the-top. I especially liked the way Jane jumped right into the investigation, though she hardly knew Allison, the victim; it shows a sense of loyalty to community that doesn’t have to be earned.
A couple of things led to the 4 rather than 5 star rating: First of all, I felt the homophobia card was played a few too many times. Admittedly, since I have no connection to the LGBTQ community except for my unequivocal support, I don’t really know what things were like for gays in ‘89, but the constant Fundy-religious prating came off as more of a caricature. Secondly, I’ve always felt that having the perpetrator be a complete nutcase is something of a cop-out on the other’s part; it eliminates the need for developing a more clever motive.
That said, I would have to recommend it, and, at some point, I know I’ll read Vital Lies. I’d also suggest people don’t let their personal prejudices pdeprive them of potentially enjoyable reading experiences.
The mystery itself is intriguing, and the twists and turns certainly keep you reading; the climax, though a little too brief, has a satisfyingly suspenseful feel. The writing itself has a bit of first-novel clunkiness, but not enough to be a problem. At least one person mentioned not liking any of the characters save Jane and Cordelia, but I disagree. I liked both Sigrid and Maggie and, though we only meet her briefly, Brook, too; she’s not a bad person, really, simply a victim forced into unfortunate choices. Cordelia is pretty funny, if a tad over-the-top. I especially liked the way Jane jumped right into the investigation, though she hardly knew Allison, the victim; it shows a sense of loyalty to community that doesn’t have to be earned.
A couple of things led to the 4 rather than 5 star rating: First of all, I felt the homophobia card was played a few too many times. Admittedly, since I have no connection to the LGBTQ community except for my unequivocal support, I don’t really know what things were like for gays in ‘89, but the constant Fundy-religious prating came off as more of a caricature. Secondly, I’ve always felt that having the perpetrator be a complete nutcase is something of a cop-out on the other’s part; it eliminates the need for developing a more clever motive.
That said, I would have to recommend it, and, at some point, I know I’ll read Vital Lies. I’d also suggest people don’t let their personal prejudices pdeprive them of potentially enjoyable reading experiences.
September 13, 2020
Hallowed Murder is the second of the Jane Lawless mysteries I've read. The first, Small Sacrifices was the first, but much later in the series. I was introduced to Jane Lawless because of a book club selection. I decided to read another in the series to see if I liked it anymore.
The three star rating is low for me, but shouldn't suggest it wasn't an enjoyable book. In fact, I actually liked this better than the other because the inciting incident, or one of them, happened much earlier in the book. Allison, is a young lady who is a co-director, with Jane, of a sorority. Jane finds her drowned in the first pages of the book and reports the find to the police. There is no obvious signs of murder, and so the death is ruled a suicide. Why suicide, you ask. Because she was a lesbian and so, "obviously," she's depressed, which she hasn't been. Jane and others won't accept suicide as the cause, and the mystery is on its way.
An integral part of this story line is the unreasonable, inexcusable christian based LGBT bigotry that still persists. This, in addition to the general LGBT community players and their difficulties in life is a central theme of this story, as are, apparently, all of Ms Hart's books.
I wish I could get more insight in to the genre, but as these are mysteries and not psychology textbooks, I'm not surprised. The insight we do gain into some of the characters does much to reinforce my opinion that members of the LGBT community and humans first, and suffer from all the same sort of emotional difficulties as do we all, but with a heavy burden of undeserved prejudice leveled on the by self-righteous, holier than thou, self centered christian jerks, among others. I know I'm being much kinder in their description that they deserve, but this is a public forum. Ellen Hart did nothing to tame the flames that burn in me regarding the misery wrought by religion in general, and christianity in specific.
The three star rating is low for me, but shouldn't suggest it wasn't an enjoyable book. In fact, I actually liked this better than the other because the inciting incident, or one of them, happened much earlier in the book. Allison, is a young lady who is a co-director, with Jane, of a sorority. Jane finds her drowned in the first pages of the book and reports the find to the police. There is no obvious signs of murder, and so the death is ruled a suicide. Why suicide, you ask. Because she was a lesbian and so, "obviously," she's depressed, which she hasn't been. Jane and others won't accept suicide as the cause, and the mystery is on its way.
An integral part of this story line is the unreasonable, inexcusable christian based LGBT bigotry that still persists. This, in addition to the general LGBT community players and their difficulties in life is a central theme of this story, as are, apparently, all of Ms Hart's books.
I wish I could get more insight in to the genre, but as these are mysteries and not psychology textbooks, I'm not surprised. The insight we do gain into some of the characters does much to reinforce my opinion that members of the LGBT community and humans first, and suffer from all the same sort of emotional difficulties as do we all, but with a heavy burden of undeserved prejudice leveled on the by self-righteous, holier than thou, self centered christian jerks, among others. I know I'm being much kinder in their description that they deserve, but this is a public forum. Ellen Hart did nothing to tame the flames that burn in me regarding the misery wrought by religion in general, and christianity in specific.
November 12, 2021
I think this book is fine for what it is but I wouldn't call any of it memorable in any way. Lots of characters who I sadly kept loosing track of as I often find myself doing with too many characters that I can't tell apart due to not having enough time to develop. The mystery is good and its a good time capsule of how people acted about homosexuality at the time. However, I think the biggest issue I have was the two characters I liked the most... Didn't have almost anything to do with the plot itself. Cordelia is a funny BFF character who is one of the few characters who has a constant "don't do this yourself are you insane" kind of energy. Edwin as well was an interesting character who I liked a lot for his views and how he acted, the strangeness never making him a suspect in my mind but a character I enjoyed seeing.
Back onto the mystery though, I can understand it in hindsight, but the novel kind of felt like it spent way too long with side stuff and then realized oh shit we need to have the BIG connection point to who the suspect is! And it was kind of just thrown in with a unsatisfying ending to it all as well.
I think if you are a fan of mystery's its a decent read, but I don't think I'll see the what the rest of the series has to offer unless it somehow drops into my lap.
Back onto the mystery though, I can understand it in hindsight, but the novel kind of felt like it spent way too long with side stuff and then realized oh shit we need to have the BIG connection point to who the suspect is! And it was kind of just thrown in with a unsatisfying ending to it all as well.
I think if you are a fan of mystery's its a decent read, but I don't think I'll see the what the rest of the series has to offer unless it somehow drops into my lap.
October 4, 2019
I only just got around to reading this book even though I’ve had it for quite some time, however after a quarter of the way through I began to wonder how long ago did I get the book and had to check the date of publication, as the attitudes were so Victorian. At my age, 1989 doesn’t seem that long ago, but then I don’t really know anything about Midwestern USA attitudes.
I didn’t really enjoy the book, Jane is an interesting character, although I would have liked her to be more assertive, but the rest of the characters were either boring, irritating or just plain repugnant.
This series has won lots of awards so I might try one of the later books before I give up on Jane.
I didn’t really enjoy the book, Jane is an interesting character, although I would have liked her to be more assertive, but the rest of the characters were either boring, irritating or just plain repugnant.
This series has won lots of awards so I might try one of the later books before I give up on Jane.
Read
May 20, 2020One of my pet peeves. A book put through an automatic conversion program that nobody bothered to proofread. Every time I had to stop and realize that die was a faulty translation of the it pulled me out of the story & irritated the hell out of me. There were words I never did figure out so not only pulled out of the story, but wondering, in a mystery, what information I was missing. It always makes me feel like a chump to have paid money for a book so poorly made. So I doubt I’ll bother to read any more of her books because I only read ebooks these days (disability reasons) and why would I give more money to someone who has already cheated me.
November 9, 2008
Set in Minneapolis?St.Paul, this series stars jane Lawless, resteraunt owner, and her "fabulous" friend, the outrageous theater director Cordelia Thorn. Jane is still grieving the loss of her partner, a woman she was with for years, throught the first half dozen books or so. While the mysteries are good and usually involve families and secrets, Hart does tend toward repition--how many books can Jane mope over her turn to alcohol for solace, etc. But that's a minor criticism.
July 27, 2015
I really liked this first book in this series. Jane is a character I could get into a relate to.
It's a good mystery.
The lesbian aspect is, in this story (don't know about the rest) more about judgments of society, and more particularly religion, on LGBTQ persons.
I've already bought the next in the series.
It's a good mystery.
The lesbian aspect is, in this story (don't know about the rest) more about judgments of society, and more particularly religion, on LGBTQ persons.
I've already bought the next in the series.
January 14, 2020
Not Terrible
My opinion is of little consequence. For my taste, the characters' developments were shallow and the plot predictable. The relationship/friendship between Cordelia and Jane felt forced. But try a few chapters, you may very well disagree.
My opinion is of little consequence. For my taste, the characters' developments were shallow and the plot predictable. The relationship/friendship between Cordelia and Jane felt forced. But try a few chapters, you may very well disagree.
June 20, 2022
Hmmm, it was alright. I liked the first Sophie Greenway book more, strangely enough. I think this just wasn’t very personable, can’t really tell what type of person Jane is but I guess there’s about 20 more books to read in the series to figure that out. Cordelia’s obviously amazing.
January 4, 2024
Fun light read
December 6, 2021
Apparently this book was part of a feminist/LGBT "series" (imprint, perhaps?) written by women for women in the late '80s and early '90s. I looked for the other books on Archive but sadly couldn't find any--I'd be interested in continuing the time capsule.
While the mystery, suspect, and resolution of the plot weren't incredibly interesting (spoiler alert: it's a caricature of a Christian "on a mission from God" to make sinners repent, especially lesbians for some reason), and I do think Hart included several unfair red herrings regarding whodunit (she made Edwin seem reaaaally suspicious), I did enjoy the book's characterization, especially of Jane and Cordelia, who were great foils for each other. Current LGBT writers would do well to emulate them as they have personalities beyond "I'm gay."
Interesting, Hart includes a spectrum of religious characters regarding how they view LGBT members: we have Edwin, brother of murdered Ally and some kind of spiritualist monk who essentially says "live and let live"; Susan, outwardly condemning but struggling with the fact that her brother is gay; and of course Adolph (subtle), the crazed fundie who turns to murder in order to rid the world of sin. The depiction of Christians is hardly flattering, but even this variety is pretty forward-thinking considering when Hart wrote the book. I'd like to think that, in the thirty years since, we've developed a more nuanced and sympathetic view towards LGBT members regardless of ideological disagreements.
While the mystery, suspect, and resolution of the plot weren't incredibly interesting (spoiler alert: it's a caricature of a Christian "on a mission from God" to make sinners repent, especially lesbians for some reason), and I do think Hart included several unfair red herrings regarding whodunit (she made Edwin seem reaaaally suspicious), I did enjoy the book's characterization, especially of Jane and Cordelia, who were great foils for each other. Current LGBT writers would do well to emulate them as they have personalities beyond "I'm gay."
Interesting, Hart includes a spectrum of religious characters regarding how they view LGBT members: we have Edwin, brother of murdered Ally and some kind of spiritualist monk who essentially says "live and let live"; Susan, outwardly condemning but struggling with the fact that her brother is gay; and of course Adolph (subtle), the crazed fundie who turns to murder in order to rid the world of sin. The depiction of Christians is hardly flattering, but even this variety is pretty forward-thinking considering when Hart wrote the book. I'd like to think that, in the thirty years since, we've developed a more nuanced and sympathetic view towards LGBT members regardless of ideological disagreements.
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