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Robin Miller Mystery #5
Baby, It's Cold
As bitter winter grips New York City, Private Investigator Robin Miller is catapulted on a bone chilling quest to save a friend's child from a horrifying death. With a vicious kidnapper on the loose and one child already presumed dead, Robin has no time to waste. The investigation has to be conducted at breakneck speed, propelling her on a collision course with a cold-hearted killer - and a former lover.
247 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
32 people want to read
About the author
Jaye Maiman
9 books11 followersJaye Maiman is the author of the Lambda Literary Award Winning mystery series featuring lesbian travel writer and romance novelist Robin Miller.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 13, 2013
When I compare mystery novels having lesbian protagonists, I like to divide them into three categories: cops, private investigators, and “other.” These comparisons are not to say A is better than B, per se, though sometimes that’s unavoidable, but, rather, that I enjoyed A more than B, that it was a more pleasurable reading experience. Sometimes, that’s quantifiable, but, as a rule, it’s purely subjective. The point, of course, is to explain why someone else might enjoy the book, too. Or, in a very few cases, to discourage them from reading it..
“Other” would include characters like Jane Lawless, Vicki McConnell’s Nyla Wade, Barbara Wilson’s Cassandra Reilly, Lisa Haddock’s Carmen Ramirez, Barbara Johnson’s Coleen Fitzgerald, and many more. In the cop niche, I guess I’d have to put Kate Delafield and Clare Ashton at the top, but with L.A. ”Frank” Franco, Stevie Houston, Tori Hunter, Alison Kaine, Kate Martinelli and others, all worthy of mention. Anyone who’s read my reviews in this genre knows I consider Micky Knight to be the ne plus ultra of lesbian PI’s; however Sydney Sloane, Robin Miller, Nell Fury and Cassidy James follow pretty closely and the next rank is so huge that it would be absurd to try to list.
All of which brings me to Baby, It’s Cold, the fifth of Jaye Maiman’s excellent Robin Miller series. Personally, this is my favorite of the series, so far. The mystery itself is compelling, involving the kidnapping of an infant. Noting makes me seethe, and want to see the perps brought to justice more than child abuse. Later, one of Robin's housemates kidnapped, too, heightening the tension.
In addition to the mystery, there are several concerns in Robin’s personal life. After her break-up with KT, she has begun dating, again, and, to complicate matters, the kidnap victim is her new girlfriend’s baby. There are also problems in her friendship with one of her longtime housemates. In addition, Rob’s boss’s health has worsened. In her romantic life, Robin still has commitment issues. On the good side, she seems to have made considerable progress in dealing with the horrific childhood trauma which has plagued her thought the series. All in all, a pretty full plate.
Estranged lover KT makes a very brief appearance at the end, but I have mixed feelings here. I never really cared for KT. And, in the previous book, it was she who left Robin without warning. While all Robin’s friends feel that Robin had treated KT badly in that incident, I felt it was the other way around. Still, Robin’s the sort of person who deserves a stable relationship. Even so, I’m not a big KT fan.
As always, Maiman’s writing is fast-paced, realistic, sprinkled with wit and consistently plotted.I highly recommend this ‘97 Lammy finalist.
“Other” would include characters like Jane Lawless, Vicki McConnell’s Nyla Wade, Barbara Wilson’s Cassandra Reilly, Lisa Haddock’s Carmen Ramirez, Barbara Johnson’s Coleen Fitzgerald, and many more. In the cop niche, I guess I’d have to put Kate Delafield and Clare Ashton at the top, but with L.A. ”Frank” Franco, Stevie Houston, Tori Hunter, Alison Kaine, Kate Martinelli and others, all worthy of mention. Anyone who’s read my reviews in this genre knows I consider Micky Knight to be the ne plus ultra of lesbian PI’s; however Sydney Sloane, Robin Miller, Nell Fury and Cassidy James follow pretty closely and the next rank is so huge that it would be absurd to try to list.
All of which brings me to Baby, It’s Cold, the fifth of Jaye Maiman’s excellent Robin Miller series. Personally, this is my favorite of the series, so far. The mystery itself is compelling, involving the kidnapping of an infant. Noting makes me seethe, and want to see the perps brought to justice more than child abuse. Later, one of Robin's housemates kidnapped, too, heightening the tension.
In addition to the mystery, there are several concerns in Robin’s personal life. After her break-up with KT, she has begun dating, again, and, to complicate matters, the kidnap victim is her new girlfriend’s baby. There are also problems in her friendship with one of her longtime housemates. In addition, Rob’s boss’s health has worsened. In her romantic life, Robin still has commitment issues. On the good side, she seems to have made considerable progress in dealing with the horrific childhood trauma which has plagued her thought the series. All in all, a pretty full plate.
Estranged lover KT makes a very brief appearance at the end, but I have mixed feelings here. I never really cared for KT. And, in the previous book, it was she who left Robin without warning. While all Robin’s friends feel that Robin had treated KT badly in that incident, I felt it was the other way around. Still, Robin’s the sort of person who deserves a stable relationship. Even so, I’m not a big KT fan.
As always, Maiman’s writing is fast-paced, realistic, sprinkled with wit and consistently plotted.I highly recommend this ‘97 Lammy finalist.
June 3, 2014
Bought this second-hand from a certain online bookseller. Have wanted to continue reading the series for some time but the last three books aren't on kindle. Anyway, it was fun to get re-acquainted with Robin Miller and her style of detecting.
I have always wondered though why she carries all the guilt for killing her baby sister when she was three. Her father had no doubt left a loaded gun somewhere within reach of a toddler. Did this man not take any responsibility for this? It seems he laid all the guilt on Robin.
And I do wish she would stop messing about and get down to a regular relationship with the obviously gorgeous KT.
I have always wondered though why she carries all the guilt for killing her baby sister when she was three. Her father had no doubt left a loaded gun somewhere within reach of a toddler. Did this man not take any responsibility for this? It seems he laid all the guilt on Robin.
And I do wish she would stop messing about and get down to a regular relationship with the obviously gorgeous KT.
March 15, 2015
Am still enjoying Robin Miller and her adventures! This one takes places in New Orleans so it can't have been as cold there as it is here!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews