5th Wheel

Cassidy James Mysteries #5

by Kate Calloway

A sadistic serial killer is abducting young women and leaving their mutilated bodies along Oregon's coastal highway. Kings Harbor policewoman Martha Harper believes the clues lead to a local college, but her superiors don't see it that way. Desperate For help, she turns to her best friend, Cassidy James. Posing as a teaching assistant in the Theater Department, the undercover investigator soon finds herself surrounded by a east of intriguing characters, including the alluring Professor Lauren Monroe - whose talents, Cassidy will soon discover, are not limited tot he classroom. But the more she learns about Lauren and the people around her, the more Cassidy suspects she's not the only one playing a role.

Genres: Mystery, LGBT, Lesbian, Romance, Crime

201 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Diane (IF U'RE PRIVATE, PLEASE SKIP ME!!!) Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read!
Still an enjoyable and engrossing plotline. And no reader will be disappointed when Cassidy James is leading the investigation.
Recommended book and series!

[Commander · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery in this one! Definitely a huge improvement. It kept me guessing who the culprit is until the last minute when he revealed himself. Definitely merits 4 stars.

[Glglgl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da es sich hier um ein Buch aus der Reihe "Frauen Offensive Krimis" handelt, wundert es nicht, dass die im Falle eines brutalen Serienmörders ermittelnde Privatdetektivin lesbisch ist und die netten Männer meistens schwul sind. Die Protagonistin begibt sich als verdeckte Ermittlerin an ein US-College, verliebt sich natürlich in eine Professorin, trifft natürlich auf dumpfe Jungmänner usw. Es ist ein leichter kurzer Roman, der sich aufgrund der überzogenen Klischees stellenweise ganz amüsant liest. Der Kriminalfall selbst ist eher mäßig ausgefallen.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

"First Impressions" had a severed penis, I'm not going to forget that for a while.
"Fifth Wheel" brings up another of my least favourite topics - cannibalism. Luckily, for me, it is only graphically described on one occasion.
Cass James is alone again, her lover Maggie has upped and left to look after a dying ex-girlfriend. And when she goes into remission they head off to Switzerland. Cass, to put it mildly, is not happy.
She goes undercover to help her police friend Maggie find out who is sadistically killing 'uppity' young women from the Kings Harbor area.
Working as a T. A. with Dr. Lauren Monroe on a production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar', Cass is getting mixed messages from her. Lustful looks followed by complete rejection - it's enough to put her head in a spin!
She does get some good advice along the way: "The thing about love is, if you can love once, you can love again, ... The only mistake you can make is by not loving when you have the chance. By not living the life you've got."
When the end comes it is, yet again, not so much discovered as revealed - it's a weakness in the series. Why put in all the P.I. work if the criminal just fesses up (a simplification, but valid)?

[Leisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of the series. I teach at a community college AND there's a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. It made me happy, even if I figured out the perp the minute we met them. 🤷‍♀️

[Wayne Spiceland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fine offering from Calloway. Intriguing mystery, very likable characters -- Cass is as dogged, wry and vulnerable as ever -- and aolid writing. If not the best of an excellent series, it's damned close. Highly recommended.