Kylie’s relationship with paramour Ariana Creeling has reached a new level—until she disappears. There’s no sign of violence, no ransom demand—she simply vanishes. Kylie is distraught, not knowing whether she’s alive or dead. Convinced there’s a link to the prestigious Clarice Turner Evenstar Home, where aged show business stars fade not-so-gently away, Kylie disguises herself as a volunteer and finds herself on the trail of the culprit—but will she be too late to save the woman she loves?
Claire McNab is a transplanted Aussie who has written many mysteries for both children and adults.
CLAIRE McNAB, 1940-2022 Claire McNab died on June 30, 2022, after a prolonged battle with Parkinson’s Disease. She also wrote under her real name, Claire Carmichael, an outpouring of children's literature, textbooks, self-help books, and plays. She became (and remains to this day) a renowned author of children’s books in Australia.
Claire McNab is the pseudonym of Claire Carmichael. She was born in 1940 in Melbourne, Australia. While pursuing a career as a high school teacher in Sydney, she began her writing career with comedy plays and textbooks. She left teaching in the mid-eighties to become a full-time writer. In her native Australia she is known for her self-help and children's books. She moved to Los Angeles in 1994 after falling in love with an American woman, and now teaches not-yet-published writers through the UCLA Writers' Extension Program. She is best known for three lesbian mystery series featuring Inspector Carol Ashton, Agent Denise Cleever and Detective Kylie Kendall. She is the recipient of the 2006 Alice B. Medal.
From the publisher's website: Claire McNab has written over 50 books and is known in her native Australia for crime fiction, children's novels, picture books, self-help, and English textbooks. Her first mystery, Lessons in Murder, was published in the U.S. in 1988. Now a Los Angeles resident, she teaches not-yet-published writers through the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. She is the author of three lesbian mystery series featuring Inspector Carol Ashton, Agent Denise Cleever and Detective Kylie Kendall. She has served as the president of Sisters in Crime and is a member of both the Mystery Writers of America and the Science Fiction Writers of America. She lives in Los Angeles and is working on the finale of the Carol Ashton series, Lethal Care.
The fifth book I've read by this author, and the fifth and final book in this mystery series that stars an Australian woman training to be a private investigator in Los Angeles.
Nice and competent final book in the series. The characters and story grew on me. The relationship between Kylie Kendall and Ariana Creeling always seemed weird and somewhat unsettling in this series, but, eh. The part where Kylie kept chasing Ariana throughout the series; how Ariana is still in a relationship with another woman (in ill-health and not recognizing Ariana in person, though still remembering in their damaged mind).
Right, so. Layers of humor, mystery, etc. Certain amount of thrills and suspense.
I'd be happier with this one if it weren't the last in the series. Too many tantalizing loose ends within the agency . That said, reading this series has felt like jumping into a comfortable jacuzzi right next to my Elizabeth Peters swimming pool. er. That is, similar character energy to some parts of the Vicky Bliss books, albeit with much less sturm und drang und schlag.
Very sudden ending to book - had to check pages weren’t missing kind of sudden - and maybe could have wrapped up the characters stories better given it was last in series. Still a very enjoyable read. Don’t understand why this one is not available as digital edition when first 4 in series are.
Fun book that I found at a library sale. I guess it’s a series but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. A bit slow to get moving but eventually a page turner.