What do you think?
Rate this book
Micky Knight #9
The Girl on the Edge of Summer
Micky Knight reluctantly takes on two cases, one for money, one for pity. The first is a trawl though archives to solve a century old murder for an arrogant grandson who thinks riches should absolve his family of any sins. The other, to answer a mother’s anguish as she tries to understand her daughter’s suicide. Micky sees no happy ending to either case; the dusty pages of history aren’t going to give up their secrets after holding them for so long. And even if she finds answers for the mother’s questions, nothing will bring her daughter back. But as Micky discovers, the past is never past and a young girl can lead a complicated, even dangerous, life. The secrets, both past and present, are meant to remain hidden—only the first murder is hard. The rest come easy.
A Micky Knight Mystery
A Micky Knight Mystery
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2017
19 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Redmann
28 books202 followersAlso writes under the pseudonym R. Jean Reid.
Jean Marie Redmann is an American novelist best known for her mystery series featuring New Orleans private investigator Micky Knight.
Main themes of Redmann's novels are the protagonist's troubled childhood and how it affects her adult life, discrimination based on sexual orientation and alcoholism. Her novels follow the tradition of hardboiled fiction. Redmann's third book The Intersection of Law and Desire won the Lambda Literary Award for lesbian mystery.
Jean M. Redmann is a gay rights activist and works as the Director of Prevention at NO/AIDS Task Force.
Jean Marie Redmann is an American novelist best known for her mystery series featuring New Orleans private investigator Micky Knight.
Main themes of Redmann's novels are the protagonist's troubled childhood and how it affects her adult life, discrimination based on sexual orientation and alcoholism. Her novels follow the tradition of hardboiled fiction. Redmann's third book The Intersection of Law and Desire won the Lambda Literary Award for lesbian mystery.
Jean M. Redmann is a gay rights activist and works as the Director of Prevention at NO/AIDS Task Force.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 14, 2017
I love me some Micky Knight. This is the 9th book in the Micky Knight series, wow. And I'm happy to report, I still love this series. How many times can you read 9 books by the same author/series and never rate them below 4 Stars? I can only think of one other possibility and that would be some of Radclyffe's earlier series, thought I can't remember if any of them made it to 9 books long. Anyway, this book had the same quality of writing that I am used to by Redmann. I think what has given this series such longevity, is that Micky's life is constantly changing. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always interesting enough to hook me right in. I have no idea how many more Micky books Redmann will write, but it's got to be at least one more right? Got to make it at least an even 10. I don't want to say goodbye to Micky, and her story is not over yet.
Micky is still having a tough time, and still drinking more than she should. Her days are lonely and she is throwing herself into work to keep time moving. Micky is even entering the world of internet dating to try to find someone to spend that time with. When two cases land on her lap at the same time, the one that seems easier, might be much more dangerous than Micky thought. And when a body turns up, even her friend Detective Joanne, thinks Micky might be guilty of murder. Can Micky get out of this without going to jail, or worse losing her life?
As always, I was hooked into this book after the first few pages. I love the way Redmann writes, and I feel comfortable with the characters. I honestly can't recommend this series enough for people who enjoy crime mysteries. I would not recommend reading this book without reading the other books, in order first. I know that seems daunting, but I would suggest giving the first 3 books a read. It would give you a good idea who Micky really is, and if you would like the rest of the series. Redmann, if you read reviews, please write another Micky book. I really want Micky to get her happily ever after, not just a happily for now.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
Micky is still having a tough time, and still drinking more than she should. Her days are lonely and she is throwing herself into work to keep time moving. Micky is even entering the world of internet dating to try to find someone to spend that time with. When two cases land on her lap at the same time, the one that seems easier, might be much more dangerous than Micky thought. And when a body turns up, even her friend Detective Joanne, thinks Micky might be guilty of murder. Can Micky get out of this without going to jail, or worse losing her life?
As always, I was hooked into this book after the first few pages. I love the way Redmann writes, and I feel comfortable with the characters. I honestly can't recommend this series enough for people who enjoy crime mysteries. I would not recommend reading this book without reading the other books, in order first. I know that seems daunting, but I would suggest giving the first 3 books a read. It would give you a good idea who Micky really is, and if you would like the rest of the series. Redmann, if you read reviews, please write another Micky book. I really want Micky to get her happily ever after, not just a happily for now.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
July 29, 2025
The Girl on the Edge of Summer (love that title btw) is #9 in the Mickey Knight series and with only one more book to go (for now) I feel the sadness setting in already. I have come to love these characters so much, so objectivity thrown out the window it has become impossible to rate these books other than 4 or 5 stars. J. M. Redman slays me every time.
When I think this book was dragging a bit more (she spends a lot of time eating pizza with teenagers and researching a 100-year old murder in the library), there are still many moments Redman’s brilliance shines through the words. No matters of the heart for Mickey but an appearance towards the end makes me somewhat hopeful because .
f/f no dalliances for Mickey this time
Themes: Mickey spends her time working and drinking (not getting shitfaced but still too much), cold case, teenage suicide, didn’t feel as engaged towards the plot as usual, all that pizza.
4 Stars
-----re-read 5 years later------
I stand by my earlier review, this is my least favorite of the series. Sulky teens and a 100-year old cold case did not really make for an exciting read. But Mickey is still doing her thing and that on it's own is a thing of beauty.
4 Stars
When I think this book was dragging a bit more (she spends a lot of time eating pizza with teenagers and researching a 100-year old murder in the library), there are still many moments Redman’s brilliance shines through the words. No matters of the heart for Mickey but an appearance towards the end makes me somewhat hopeful because .
f/f no dalliances for Mickey this time
Themes: Mickey spends her time working and drinking (not getting shitfaced but still too much), cold case, teenage suicide, didn’t feel as engaged towards the plot as usual, all that pizza.
4 Stars
-----re-read 5 years later------
I stand by my earlier review, this is my least favorite of the series. Sulky teens and a 100-year old cold case did not really make for an exciting read. But Mickey is still doing her thing and that on it's own is a thing of beauty.
4 Stars
February 3, 2020
It gets hard to review these books as I make my way to the end, as each book is just always so fucking stellar. How can I keep finding adequate descriptors for my overall awe of the development of Micky Knight? This book delivers yet again, centering on two cases for our favourite detective, one about a suicide then murder of main suspect, and another story that delves into early history of NOLA. I was more into the history story, personally.
As always, I mostly read these books for my girl Micky and her constant enigma. While the detective work and stories are good and interesting enough, I could see right away "whodunnit." But that's ok, still great writing. I love reading about Micky's relationships and friendships and admittedly, want to see who she ends up with, if anyone. After 9 books us readers have a fairly good grip on this character, the good and the bad, and I just adore her because the author doesn't hold back on her flawed character, she shows it in all it's ugliness, but balances it with her solidness, her love and devotion to those she cares about, but in a truly unique Micky-esque way. So hard to describe!
This one in the series definitely lacked any sort of intimacy, which made me a little sad as I am always rooting for Micky to get a little lovin'. The story with Cordelia weaves it's way in as well, and I was hooked on that alone, wondering what would happen, when it would happen. Anyone who has read it.....that part on the porch? What Micky experiences? ONCE AGAIN my heart was torn to absolute shreds. I had to read that three times to fully digest the emotion. JAY-SUS.
As always, I mostly read these books for my girl Micky and her constant enigma. While the detective work and stories are good and interesting enough, I could see right away "whodunnit." But that's ok, still great writing. I love reading about Micky's relationships and friendships and admittedly, want to see who she ends up with, if anyone. After 9 books us readers have a fairly good grip on this character, the good and the bad, and I just adore her because the author doesn't hold back on her flawed character, she shows it in all it's ugliness, but balances it with her solidness, her love and devotion to those she cares about, but in a truly unique Micky-esque way. So hard to describe!
This one in the series definitely lacked any sort of intimacy, which made me a little sad as I am always rooting for Micky to get a little lovin'. The story with Cordelia weaves it's way in as well, and I was hooked on that alone, wondering what would happen, when it would happen. Anyone who has read it.....that part on the porch? What Micky experiences? ONCE AGAIN my heart was torn to absolute shreds. I had to read that three times to fully digest the emotion. JAY-SUS.
October 9, 2020
*I received this book from NetGalley, and Bold Strokes Books in return for a fair review.*
First: Nature of Book, i.e., can it be read as a stand-alone?
As a series book, ninth book at that, a question of 'can I read this book without having read the prior books?' is something like the standard first question. There are series wherein characters and story grow from book to book, and therefore reading order is quite important; and others where a certain growth occurs, but the main difference, book to book, is the mystery contained in the book - and therefore reading order isn't strictly important.
So, what's up with this book, eh?
In theory you could read this book as a stand-alone. There are blanks that someone who read the series would be able to fill quickly, while those who enter this book ‘fresh’ would have a harder time filling. Though clues to help fill those blanks are there. Blanks include such things like: who is this Alex person who called? Why does Micky seem to know this Joanne cop person? Why does she keep trying to call this ‘Danny’ person? Just who is this ‘Cordelia’ woman that gets mentioned in passing? To those fresh to the series, there are clues, as mentioned.
For the most part, someone could, as I said, in theory read this book as a stand-alone. I believe it is better advised to read this book 9th after the previous 8 books. Micky and friends do change over time. They are not locked into a holding pattern – they are not the same age from book 1 to book 9, and their relationships are not the same either (to a certain extent).
So – can this be read by itself? Yes. Is it recommended? No. But readers’ preferences differ.
Second: Publish Date
The book will be available to be purchased directly from the publishers website starting April 1 2017, and 'everywhere' April 18 2017.
Mystery
The story has three main mysteries, though the third could probably better be mentioned in the section below titled ‘Romance’.
First Mystery: Shortly after Mardi Gras is over, two people, separately, meet up with Micky Knight in her office. One is woman who desires to hire Micky to look for the guy who drove her daughter to suicide. For various reasons, Micky is reluctant to take the case but believes she might be best able to handle it rather than some other scum ball detective who might not care much and would just milk the mother for money.
Second Mystery: And shortly after that a man dressed expensively turns up. He has another death he wants investigated, by Micky. That of his great-grandfather – who was murdered in . . . I think it was 1906.
Third Mystery: Micky is confused by the antics of her friends and relatives. All appear busy at the same time on the same weekend, but refuse to elaborate on what’s going on.
Romance
Torbin, Micky’s drag-queen cousin, suggests that Micky try internet dating. Micky does. During the course of the book she goes on, if I recall correctly, three dates. Micky is not impressed with the internet dating world (or, at least, not after the first date.
Overall
I mentioned in the first status update I did for the book on GoodReads that this book opened sad. Well, it did. And continued that way. It is kind of expected with the book opens with Micky investigating a suicide, and a murder (albeit a long ago murder). Mix in her relationship situation – which I cannot elaborate on as this is the ninth book in a series and there’s a ton of spoiler that could be given away there – and this is a sad book.
Being a teenager in the age of instant communication, easy internet access, where mistakes are hard to hide – is very difficult. A completely different world from the one Micky grew up in (and her own situation wasn’t exactly great), and from my own. And one wherein ‘simple’ mistakes can be costly.
On several levels Micky gets pulled into both mysteries (well the non-romance ones I mean by ‘both’). Trying to help a distraught mother/brother and the high school students who knew the dead girl. The ‘scum ball’ was surprisingly easy to track down. But every time Micky thought she was done with that specific case, she kept getting pulled in. And then .
The first mystery showed how tough it is to be a woman, a young one, in today’s world. The second mystery showed how tough it was to be a woman, regardless of age, in the world of the early 1900s. Somewhere along the line, Micky ended up finding a diary of a police officer from that time period – and the information contained within it was quite interesting and intriguing.
While a sad book in many ways, it was also an enjoyable book. (Though there was that one occasion when Micky did that one stupid thing late at night .. . . then there was that other time Micky did that stupid thing – albeit if she hadn’t done it . . . right, sorry, spoilers and stuff).
Rating: 4.45
March 17 2017
First: Nature of Book, i.e., can it be read as a stand-alone?
As a series book, ninth book at that, a question of 'can I read this book without having read the prior books?' is something like the standard first question. There are series wherein characters and story grow from book to book, and therefore reading order is quite important; and others where a certain growth occurs, but the main difference, book to book, is the mystery contained in the book - and therefore reading order isn't strictly important.
So, what's up with this book, eh?
In theory you could read this book as a stand-alone. There are blanks that someone who read the series would be able to fill quickly, while those who enter this book ‘fresh’ would have a harder time filling. Though clues to help fill those blanks are there. Blanks include such things like: who is this Alex person who called? Why does Micky seem to know this Joanne cop person? Why does she keep trying to call this ‘Danny’ person? Just who is this ‘Cordelia’ woman that gets mentioned in passing? To those fresh to the series, there are clues, as mentioned.
For the most part, someone could, as I said, in theory read this book as a stand-alone. I believe it is better advised to read this book 9th after the previous 8 books. Micky and friends do change over time. They are not locked into a holding pattern – they are not the same age from book 1 to book 9, and their relationships are not the same either (to a certain extent).
So – can this be read by itself? Yes. Is it recommended? No. But readers’ preferences differ.
Second: Publish Date
The book will be available to be purchased directly from the publishers website starting April 1 2017, and 'everywhere' April 18 2017.
Mystery
The story has three main mysteries, though the third could probably better be mentioned in the section below titled ‘Romance’.
First Mystery: Shortly after Mardi Gras is over, two people, separately, meet up with Micky Knight in her office. One is woman who desires to hire Micky to look for the guy who drove her daughter to suicide. For various reasons, Micky is reluctant to take the case but believes she might be best able to handle it rather than some other scum ball detective who might not care much and would just milk the mother for money.
Second Mystery: And shortly after that a man dressed expensively turns up. He has another death he wants investigated, by Micky. That of his great-grandfather – who was murdered in . . . I think it was 1906.
Third Mystery: Micky is confused by the antics of her friends and relatives. All appear busy at the same time on the same weekend, but refuse to elaborate on what’s going on.
Romance
Torbin, Micky’s drag-queen cousin, suggests that Micky try internet dating. Micky does. During the course of the book she goes on, if I recall correctly, three dates. Micky is not impressed with the internet dating world (or, at least, not after the first date.
Overall
I mentioned in the first status update I did for the book on GoodReads that this book opened sad. Well, it did. And continued that way. It is kind of expected with the book opens with Micky investigating a suicide, and a murder (albeit a long ago murder). Mix in her relationship situation – which I cannot elaborate on as this is the ninth book in a series and there’s a ton of spoiler that could be given away there – and this is a sad book.
Being a teenager in the age of instant communication, easy internet access, where mistakes are hard to hide – is very difficult. A completely different world from the one Micky grew up in (and her own situation wasn’t exactly great), and from my own. And one wherein ‘simple’ mistakes can be costly.
On several levels Micky gets pulled into both mysteries (well the non-romance ones I mean by ‘both’). Trying to help a distraught mother/brother and the high school students who knew the dead girl. The ‘scum ball’ was surprisingly easy to track down. But every time Micky thought she was done with that specific case, she kept getting pulled in. And then .
The first mystery showed how tough it is to be a woman, a young one, in today’s world. The second mystery showed how tough it was to be a woman, regardless of age, in the world of the early 1900s. Somewhere along the line, Micky ended up finding a diary of a police officer from that time period – and the information contained within it was quite interesting and intriguing.
While a sad book in many ways, it was also an enjoyable book. (Though there was that one occasion when Micky did that one stupid thing late at night .. . . then there was that other time Micky did that stupid thing – albeit if she hadn’t done it . . . right, sorry, spoilers and stuff).
Rating: 4.45
March 17 2017
July 20, 2017
When I requested this book I didn't realise that this was part of a series. I guess I should have read the previous eight but to be honest I really didn't need too. Yes there were a few mentions in passing of names which I assume the previous books would have told who, what, where and when. Again, they didn't play a major part so didn't stop my enjoyment of the story. I gave it 3.5 stars more because the main character Micky kind of annoyed me. I got the feeling that she didn't really like her job as a private investigator.
Maybe this is the kind of book you need to read twice to really enjoy it. I really don't know but some reviews I have read clearly think its excellent so its either the series or the main character. I will admit this is my first book by Redmann and although I did like her writing style and her story telling was good. It was the character. I really feel she should change professions.
Anyway the book revolves around two cases Micky takes on. First being a suicide of a young girl and second a murder that happened at the turn of the century. Both cases caught my interested and it seemed at one point that Micky was involved with a murder of a suspect. I enjoyed both because they were so different. I also liked the way Redmann integrated both cases into the story and had it run so smoothly. Redmann is obviously an author I need to read more off.
During the writing of this review I have decided to up my rating to 4 stars. Kind of changed my mind. While reviewing I realised I did in fact like the book. Thinking about it and reviewing what I read has helped me understand Micky a little more and I really hope Redmann gives her another book where she will finally find some happiness.
Yes I would recommend this book. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
Maybe this is the kind of book you need to read twice to really enjoy it. I really don't know but some reviews I have read clearly think its excellent so its either the series or the main character. I will admit this is my first book by Redmann and although I did like her writing style and her story telling was good. It was the character. I really feel she should change professions.
Anyway the book revolves around two cases Micky takes on. First being a suicide of a young girl and second a murder that happened at the turn of the century. Both cases caught my interested and it seemed at one point that Micky was involved with a murder of a suspect. I enjoyed both because they were so different. I also liked the way Redmann integrated both cases into the story and had it run so smoothly. Redmann is obviously an author I need to read more off.
During the writing of this review I have decided to up my rating to 4 stars. Kind of changed my mind. While reviewing I realised I did in fact like the book. Thinking about it and reviewing what I read has helped me understand Micky a little more and I really hope Redmann gives her another book where she will finally find some happiness.
Yes I would recommend this book. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
August 3, 2018
This is book 9 in the Micky Knight's series by this author. It follows the adventures of a private detective based in New Orleans who has a tendency of getting into trouble while trying to solve difficult cases. If you want to make the most of the series I suggest that you read them all in chronological order as you might miss a lot of background about different secondary characters and Micky's romantic life. However, it's understandable if you don't want to commit to so much reading so you can read this one as a stand alone story. I've read them all in the span of a few years and I've found some better than others. This one is ok but not my favourite.
Normally the strength of this series is the combination of Micky's investigations and her romantic life. We don't see any of the latter in this one as the character is dealing with a painful breakup. It makes sense in the overall series plot design but the readers are going to miss the romantic aspect on this book. Her family and friends are also almost absent which is a pity as some of them are really likeable and bring wittiness and fun to the plot. The Micky we get to see in this book is a more subdued version of herself which is understandable considering what she is experiencing but it's a loss anyway. The two mysteries themselves are interesting and have twists and turns to keep the reader entertained and there are the usual fast paced dangerous scenes to account for.
Overall, an entertaining read charged with action but Micky isn't at her best. 4 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
Normally the strength of this series is the combination of Micky's investigations and her romantic life. We don't see any of the latter in this one as the character is dealing with a painful breakup. It makes sense in the overall series plot design but the readers are going to miss the romantic aspect on this book. Her family and friends are also almost absent which is a pity as some of them are really likeable and bring wittiness and fun to the plot. The Micky we get to see in this book is a more subdued version of herself which is understandable considering what she is experiencing but it's a loss anyway. The two mysteries themselves are interesting and have twists and turns to keep the reader entertained and there are the usual fast paced dangerous scenes to account for.
Overall, an entertaining read charged with action but Micky isn't at her best. 4 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
March 25, 2017
4.5 stars
Micky Knight is flying solo this time, so is needing to take on as many cases as will pay the bills. The first is a wealthy man wants her to find out who murdered his great grandfather in 1906. There are many rumours flying around, but Micky isn’t sure he’ll want the truth if she finds it.
Micky is also asked to find the details of a sexual predator who preyed on a 17 year old, who committed suicide as a result. The mum wants answers, and says she only wants the name and address of the predator for legal reasons. Micky has her doubts, and is pulled into the pool of suspects when the man is murdered. How will she get out of this mess?
This is the 9th book in the series by Redmann. She has developed a great main character, Micky Knight, who is in turns thoughtful and sensitive, and pragmatic and hardnosed. Micky is a great character for a more modern, and very queer take on the hardboiled detective.
In this installment, Micky is traveling solo, and occasionally trying internet dating. She’s also hitting the booze, and using her work to keep her busy. This book doesn’t have the same compelling personal life as others in the series, but it is perhaps refreshing for the lack of drama in that area.
What shines in this book is the combination of current thriller with many possible suspects, and appropriate levels of jeopardy for the main character, and some classic backstabbing by various interested parties. This current crime works really well to add tension to the story, while Redmann allows Micky to explore some of the history of New Orleans.
Redmann has found a lovely way to investigate a crime in 1906, and the lives of some of the local characters at the time. The mix of the two cases is really well done. There is serious tension and jeopardy in the current case, which is lightened by the exploration of the historical crime. This combination clearly shows the skills of an experienced author in the juggling of the two in a seamless navigation of the world of Micky Knight.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well crafted, and cleverly balanced the elements of two cases and the personal life of the main character. I recommend this to newcomers to the series as well as those who have read the others by Redmann.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
Micky Knight is flying solo this time, so is needing to take on as many cases as will pay the bills. The first is a wealthy man wants her to find out who murdered his great grandfather in 1906. There are many rumours flying around, but Micky isn’t sure he’ll want the truth if she finds it.
Micky is also asked to find the details of a sexual predator who preyed on a 17 year old, who committed suicide as a result. The mum wants answers, and says she only wants the name and address of the predator for legal reasons. Micky has her doubts, and is pulled into the pool of suspects when the man is murdered. How will she get out of this mess?
This is the 9th book in the series by Redmann. She has developed a great main character, Micky Knight, who is in turns thoughtful and sensitive, and pragmatic and hardnosed. Micky is a great character for a more modern, and very queer take on the hardboiled detective.
In this installment, Micky is traveling solo, and occasionally trying internet dating. She’s also hitting the booze, and using her work to keep her busy. This book doesn’t have the same compelling personal life as others in the series, but it is perhaps refreshing for the lack of drama in that area.
What shines in this book is the combination of current thriller with many possible suspects, and appropriate levels of jeopardy for the main character, and some classic backstabbing by various interested parties. This current crime works really well to add tension to the story, while Redmann allows Micky to explore some of the history of New Orleans.
Redmann has found a lovely way to investigate a crime in 1906, and the lives of some of the local characters at the time. The mix of the two cases is really well done. There is serious tension and jeopardy in the current case, which is lightened by the exploration of the historical crime. This combination clearly shows the skills of an experienced author in the juggling of the two in a seamless navigation of the world of Micky Knight.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well crafted, and cleverly balanced the elements of two cases and the personal life of the main character. I recommend this to newcomers to the series as well as those who have read the others by Redmann.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
July 1, 2019
I never read a serie that fast. They where all equally good. Great job by J.M. Redmann. I will quote my GR friend Farah " Oh Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind, hey Mickey! hey! Mickey" .
February 5, 2025
I should confess up front that I love Micky Knight. She irritates me, she drives me mad with her reckless decisions but I keep returning. The flaws make her real, the writing makes her credible and the plots are always interesting. Here Micky is trying to be a grown up and taking on a couple of cases so she can pay the mortgages. Both seem fairly straightforward and one Micky doesn't want to do but takes because morally she thinks she'll do a better job for the client than some of her competitors. That sums up Micky...
A young girl has committed suicide because of intimate photos shared with a 'boyfriend'. The girl's mother wants to know who the boy is and hopefully stop another child making the same mistakes. The other case brings a wealthy man wanting to know who killed his ancestor many years ago.
One case involves Micky mixing with young people and eating pizza and the other means sitting in a library researching musty old papers. Both would appear to be resolved quite early in the book but like most Micky books, there are twists to come.
I love JM Redmann's writing style - it mixes pace and pathos and by the end you are racing along. Micky makes mistakes and sometimes the wrong decisions but she has strong ethics and good friends and a need to pay her bills and buy her beers and pizzas... I'm not sure I wanted another pizza after finishing this...
Recommended if you've read the previous stories and if you haven't, do yourself a favour and start with Death by the Riverside and work through to this one. They are beautifully written, emotional stories that will keep you enthralled - and occasionally appalled - by a well drawn, empathetic character. Yeah, I admit it, I love Micky.
I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
A young girl has committed suicide because of intimate photos shared with a 'boyfriend'. The girl's mother wants to know who the boy is and hopefully stop another child making the same mistakes. The other case brings a wealthy man wanting to know who killed his ancestor many years ago.
One case involves Micky mixing with young people and eating pizza and the other means sitting in a library researching musty old papers. Both would appear to be resolved quite early in the book but like most Micky books, there are twists to come.
I love JM Redmann's writing style - it mixes pace and pathos and by the end you are racing along. Micky makes mistakes and sometimes the wrong decisions but she has strong ethics and good friends and a need to pay her bills and buy her beers and pizzas... I'm not sure I wanted another pizza after finishing this...
Recommended if you've read the previous stories and if you haven't, do yourself a favour and start with Death by the Riverside and work through to this one. They are beautifully written, emotional stories that will keep you enthralled - and occasionally appalled - by a well drawn, empathetic character. Yeah, I admit it, I love Micky.
I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
March 11, 2017
4 stars
Michele “Micky” Knight is a Private Investigator who takes on two new cases. The mother of a teenage girl who committed suicide wants Micky to find the person who took a picture of her daughter with her top off and posted it in the internet.
The second case is one of murder, albeit a very old one. The client, Douglas Townson’s, great-grandfather was murdered and he wants Micky to put to rest the outrageous stories the family tells and find out what really happened. (Perhaps it was more a matter of arrogance on Mr. Townson’s part.)
As she goes about her investigations into her clients’ cases, she uncovers interesting details and nefarious doings. Then murders are committed, and things get dangerous.
This is a well written and plotted book. I truly enjoyed it. It was kind of refreshing going back and forth between cases – a different approach if you will. This is my first J.M. Redmann book, but I don’t believe it will be my last.
I want to thank Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc/Bold Strokes Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.
Michele “Micky” Knight is a Private Investigator who takes on two new cases. The mother of a teenage girl who committed suicide wants Micky to find the person who took a picture of her daughter with her top off and posted it in the internet.
The second case is one of murder, albeit a very old one. The client, Douglas Townson’s, great-grandfather was murdered and he wants Micky to put to rest the outrageous stories the family tells and find out what really happened. (Perhaps it was more a matter of arrogance on Mr. Townson’s part.)
As she goes about her investigations into her clients’ cases, she uncovers interesting details and nefarious doings. Then murders are committed, and things get dangerous.
This is a well written and plotted book. I truly enjoyed it. It was kind of refreshing going back and forth between cases – a different approach if you will. This is my first J.M. Redmann book, but I don’t believe it will be my last.
I want to thank Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc/Bold Strokes Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.
December 22, 2017
The book starts with ‘Micky’ taking on what appears to be two simple, if somewhat unusual cases. However, one of the cases soon becomes more complicated as she becomes a murder suspect. This investigation wasn’t bad, although I got a bit fed up of the teenage sulkiness during the middle of the story. The ending was quite dramatic
The second case was really an historical narrative that was very interesting and in many ways the best part of the book.
These books have never been the same since the ‘Cordelia breakup’. I presume the author decided she wanted to write more conventional detective novels. Unfortunately there are already hundreds, if not thousands, of ordinary detective books and these books no longer stand out from the crowd. After reading this book I really don’t understand the author.
I found rating this book almost impossible. The main investigation was worth at least 3 stars, the second case was at least 4 stars. However the relationship aspects of the book, both the online dating and the re-emergence of Cordelia, would only get 1 star.
The second case was really an historical narrative that was very interesting and in many ways the best part of the book.
These books have never been the same since the ‘Cordelia breakup’. I presume the author decided she wanted to write more conventional detective novels. Unfortunately there are already hundreds, if not thousands, of ordinary detective books and these books no longer stand out from the crowd. After reading this book I really don’t understand the author.
I found rating this book almost impossible. The main investigation was worth at least 3 stars, the second case was at least 4 stars. However the relationship aspects of the book, both the online dating and the re-emergence of Cordelia, would only get 1 star.
July 27, 2017
J.M. Redmann, you are a tease!!! Now I'll be waiting for the next Micky Knight novel with my tongue hanging out.
I'm very biased. I love Micky Knight and just love walking with her in the mean streets of New Orleans although I'd die in the heat of the real one.
Micky is lonely, unhappy and drinking too much. But she's still going after bad guys and even doing historical research. Very interesting.
I'm very biased. I love Micky Knight and just love walking with her in the mean streets of New Orleans although I'd die in the heat of the real one.
Micky is lonely, unhappy and drinking too much. But she's still going after bad guys and even doing historical research. Very interesting.
August 26, 2020
J.M. Redmann writes mysteries in series for adults. Not that there is anything salacious here. It's just that many grown-ups will recognize her heroine, Mickey Knight, in how they live and how they suffer from ordinary problems, and how despite being down for good reasons, they step up and help others. And that is how real lives work: sometimes you want to help younger gay people, or just younger people you believe are being ignored and or stepped on. That's one of Micky Knight's jobs in this wonderful mystery. Her second job is to find out what happened to Mr. Rich Guy's grandfather who died in mysterious circumstances in Storyville, the famed prostitute and early Jazz neighborhood of New Orleans, back in 1905. Micky does discover that, along with the diary of a policeman from that era. Not only do the two stories meet and match up uncannily and comment on the treatment of women in both eras, but so does the decency of the turn of the 20th century cop, and the decency of Ms. Knight herself. You could do worse than pattern yourself after her. As usual the descriptions and dialogues are excellent, and of especial notice for this writer/reader, was her 28th chapter, a good-sized piece of pretty much all-(intricate) action writing that sets a standard. The finale is good too.
February 7, 2018
I like Micky Knight books. Since "Water Mark" they just keep getting better. There's a long thrilling nail-biting scene near the end. This one is as norish as they get.
Micky is aging. She's single again--trying to meet women on line. Not working out very well. She's drinking again. And as she ages, her life turns in relation to the closest bathroom.
A teen girl commits suicide because an older guy she was close to put her nude photo on the Internet. So the topic is fresh from the headlines.
I see Redmann is starting a new series under a different name. I sure hope she doesn't forget Micky.
Micky is aging. She's single again--trying to meet women on line. Not working out very well. She's drinking again. And as she ages, her life turns in relation to the closest bathroom.
A teen girl commits suicide because an older guy she was close to put her nude photo on the Internet. So the topic is fresh from the headlines.
I see Redmann is starting a new series under a different name. I sure hope she doesn't forget Micky.
April 14, 2017
Micky Knight takes on two cases. One involves the mom of the suicide girl seeking answers. The second case involves the murder of a man's grandfather.
I enjoyed reading this installment of the Micky Knight series, however, it was gloomy throughout the book. Even though it is the 9th book in its series, it can be read as a stand alone, but you'll miss the introductions and interactions the minor characters had with Micky.
There wasn't much romance in this book for Mickey, so if that's what all you're looking for, you'll be disappointed.
Although I was a little disappointed with the romantic side of things, I found that I was pulled into both mysteries.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-yK
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Image taken from Goodreads.
I enjoyed reading this installment of the Micky Knight series, however, it was gloomy throughout the book. Even though it is the 9th book in its series, it can be read as a stand alone, but you'll miss the introductions and interactions the minor characters had with Micky.
There wasn't much romance in this book for Mickey, so if that's what all you're looking for, you'll be disappointed.
Although I was a little disappointed with the romantic side of things, I found that I was pulled into both mysteries.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-yK
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Image taken from Goodreads.
April 21, 2017
Netgalley
Full disclosure, I probably wouldn't have bought this after I was disappointed with the last one. But then again, I have a hard time letting go, so maybe I would have.
I mostly enjoyed this. Micky was her usual flawed self without the stupidity of the last book (well, mostly. It was more reckless than stupid, and Micky has always been reckless). The main case was engaging, the second one digging up things from the past a little less so. It's just not very compelling to read about someone researching things in the library and online and the articles, etc. that were 'included' as part of the novel just were too long and too many. I liked how she overall dealt with case 2, it was just too much.
The book lacked interaction with her group of friends, but we've been there before and she has once more managed to make a mess of things, so while that makes sense, I wish she were in a better place for herself. I think in the long line of flawed, complicated characters I have felt drawn to in books and on TV over the years, Micky was the first.
So I don't know what to tell you. If you're good with where you left Micky I'll not try to convince you to read this. If you do read it I don't think you'll regret it as the main case is solid from a crime novel perspective and Micky seems to be back in character. I didn't love it as I did earlier books in this series, but it wasn't exactly a chore to read it.
Full disclosure, I probably wouldn't have bought this after I was disappointed with the last one. But then again, I have a hard time letting go, so maybe I would have.
I mostly enjoyed this. Micky was her usual flawed self without the stupidity of the last book (well, mostly. It was more reckless than stupid, and Micky has always been reckless). The main case was engaging, the second one digging up things from the past a little less so. It's just not very compelling to read about someone researching things in the library and online and the articles, etc. that were 'included' as part of the novel just were too long and too many. I liked how she overall dealt with case 2, it was just too much.
The book lacked interaction with her group of friends, but we've been there before and she has once more managed to make a mess of things, so while that makes sense, I wish she were in a better place for herself. I think in the long line of flawed, complicated characters I have felt drawn to in books and on TV over the years, Micky was the first.
So I don't know what to tell you. If you're good with where you left Micky I'll not try to convince you to read this. If you do read it I don't think you'll regret it as the main case is solid from a crime novel perspective and Micky seems to be back in character. I didn't love it as I did earlier books in this series, but it wasn't exactly a chore to read it.
May 1, 2017
Oh, Mickey … so glad you are back! So glad you are still who you are. No matter how painful things sometimes are, for you and for us, your writer keeps staying true to you. And so are we!
I was wondering how the Mickey-Knight-series would continue. To keep it short and without revealing anything: I’ve been left properly satisified also with this newest book of the series. The people are real, the relationships are real. For me as a reader these are the most important things in novels, otherwise they would annoy me. Then there are the storylines. Never far-fetched, always seen through the eyes of someone who cares, always with surprising twists and moments of danger. In this case I also thoroughly enjoyed the look back into a storyline that’s set in the early 20th century, with its interesting characters and a similarity to the current events of Mickey’s other case.
I don’t know any other series where the character developments are being handled with so much care, no matter what. And where the storylines keep staying interesting and pageturning. I very much appreciate that. Worth every penny.
Oh, Mickey … if only you were as real as you always seem to be. I’d fly all the way to New Orleans only to give you a rare bottle of Whisky, a po‘ boy and a hug. Okay, and probably my number …
I was wondering how the Mickey-Knight-series would continue. To keep it short and without revealing anything: I’ve been left properly satisified also with this newest book of the series. The people are real, the relationships are real. For me as a reader these are the most important things in novels, otherwise they would annoy me. Then there are the storylines. Never far-fetched, always seen through the eyes of someone who cares, always with surprising twists and moments of danger. In this case I also thoroughly enjoyed the look back into a storyline that’s set in the early 20th century, with its interesting characters and a similarity to the current events of Mickey’s other case.
I don’t know any other series where the character developments are being handled with so much care, no matter what. And where the storylines keep staying interesting and pageturning. I very much appreciate that. Worth every penny.
Oh, Mickey … if only you were as real as you always seem to be. I’d fly all the way to New Orleans only to give you a rare bottle of Whisky, a po‘ boy and a hug. Okay, and probably my number …
April 22, 2018
Micky Knight has taken on two cases, one to pay the bills and the other because she feels she has to. The first has a rich out of towner wanting her to solve a murder from a hundred years ago, research at the most. The other was brought to her by a grieving mother, looking for why her daughter killed herself. It doesn’t look like either case is going to have a happy ending, if she can find an ending at all. But secrets seldom keep and, as Mickey will find out, the lives of teens rarely simple.
The Girl on the Edge of Summer by J. M. Redmann is something of a cozy mystery, high on personal character drama and low on plot. The protagonist, Micky Knight, is mired in her feelings over her girlfriend leaving her and her friends all acting strange. The book doesn’t seem interested in the plot for the most part. None of this adds up to a particularly compelling read. I would also feel remiss in not mentioning that this is the ninth book in the series, and I do think that a lot of my issues with the book tie into that in one way or another.
A big part of jumping in on a later book in a series is that I’ve missed everything that came before this book. The entirety of Micky’s character development, the entirety of the relationship she’s mourning the loss of, I have none of that. So my first impression is of a character who is such a downer that it became a slog to get through the book at times. She just felt so sorry for herself and the book got mired in that. Plus, there was a lot of stuff that felt like early series character development stuff, stuff that’s important to shaping who Micky Knight is meant to be. But given the general downer vibe of the book and how often it was repeated, it just felt like Micky looking for more things to be sad about. She’s down on herself, on the women she meets online, on her friends, and even on the people who hired her. It gets tiring.
Was there anything in this book that I enjoyed? The parts where Micky actually does her job, particularly the parts with her doing research for the rich guy’s case, were pretty solid. The Micky Knight working in the library trying to find out what happened to this guy’s ancestor was almost a different character, one I’d be interested in reading more. She was invested in what she was doing and talking to people without the self pity from the rest of the book. I would have really liked to see more of this part. It might count as a mild spoiler but I also liked that, towards the end at least, Micky seemed to realize that she was being a downer and started trying to fix that. It’s not enough to save the book for me but I appreciate that it’s there.
So, wrap up time. I feel like I would have enjoyed this book a little bit more if I’d read the first eight books. Having not, the book is a slog with an unlikeable main character and a habit of not caring about its own story. This is one of the few books I’ve seriously considered just not finishing. Which is a shame, because when J. M. Redmann writes well she writes really well, unfortunately there wasn’t a lot of that in this one. The Girl on the Edge of Summer gets a one out of five.
I received a copy of this through netGalley for honest review.
The Girl on the Edge of Summer by J. M. Redmann is something of a cozy mystery, high on personal character drama and low on plot. The protagonist, Micky Knight, is mired in her feelings over her girlfriend leaving her and her friends all acting strange. The book doesn’t seem interested in the plot for the most part. None of this adds up to a particularly compelling read. I would also feel remiss in not mentioning that this is the ninth book in the series, and I do think that a lot of my issues with the book tie into that in one way or another.
A big part of jumping in on a later book in a series is that I’ve missed everything that came before this book. The entirety of Micky’s character development, the entirety of the relationship she’s mourning the loss of, I have none of that. So my first impression is of a character who is such a downer that it became a slog to get through the book at times. She just felt so sorry for herself and the book got mired in that. Plus, there was a lot of stuff that felt like early series character development stuff, stuff that’s important to shaping who Micky Knight is meant to be. But given the general downer vibe of the book and how often it was repeated, it just felt like Micky looking for more things to be sad about. She’s down on herself, on the women she meets online, on her friends, and even on the people who hired her. It gets tiring.
Was there anything in this book that I enjoyed? The parts where Micky actually does her job, particularly the parts with her doing research for the rich guy’s case, were pretty solid. The Micky Knight working in the library trying to find out what happened to this guy’s ancestor was almost a different character, one I’d be interested in reading more. She was invested in what she was doing and talking to people without the self pity from the rest of the book. I would have really liked to see more of this part. It might count as a mild spoiler but I also liked that, towards the end at least, Micky seemed to realize that she was being a downer and started trying to fix that. It’s not enough to save the book for me but I appreciate that it’s there.
So, wrap up time. I feel like I would have enjoyed this book a little bit more if I’d read the first eight books. Having not, the book is a slog with an unlikeable main character and a habit of not caring about its own story. This is one of the few books I’ve seriously considered just not finishing. Which is a shame, because when J. M. Redmann writes well she writes really well, unfortunately there wasn’t a lot of that in this one. The Girl on the Edge of Summer gets a one out of five.
I received a copy of this through netGalley for honest review.
May 14, 2017
I think it took me a lot longer than most readers to fall in love with Micky. At the beginning I was impatient and less forgiving with her flaws and mistakes, often blaming her for not appreciating Cordelia and her friends more, but after what Cordelia did in book 5 and then book 8, it just breaks my heart to see Micky blame herself because she deserves so much better.
My biggest issue with the series is how rarely her friends make an appearance since up until book 6 where I really started to feel for Micky, I was more interested in the lives of Joanne, Alex, Danny, Elly, and, yes, even Cordelia. But that pattern's been no surprise since after book 2, so given the ending of this latest book, I hope that Micky can stop alienating herself and rely on them more in the future.
Admittedly, I was guilty of believing Cordelia was too good for Micky at the very beginning and was always so quick to jump on the Blame Micky train every time something went wrong, but finally I realize with this book just how wrong I was about the both of them.
It took a while, but I'm now extremely emotionally invested in Micky Knight and hope she can finally be truly happy in upcoming books (hopefully there will be more!!). I daydream about the day Micky finally gets to confront Cordelia. Heck, a part of me even wants them to get back together again, but it would take an incredible amount of trust for that to happen and Micky deserves better.
At first I was angry about where the author took their relationship, especially with how things went in book 6, but it also seemed necessary since Micky was able to grow more as a person in the last two books than she did the entire decade she was with Cordelia. A domesticated Micky wasn't the same, but hopefully now that she has a better sense of who she is and wants to be, she can better play the relationship game, even if it is with Cordelia again.
As usual, the mystery and crime was strongly written and all the characters were incredibly real. I look forward to any and all future books in this series.
My biggest issue with the series is how rarely her friends make an appearance since up until book 6 where I really started to feel for Micky, I was more interested in the lives of Joanne, Alex, Danny, Elly, and, yes, even Cordelia. But that pattern's been no surprise since after book 2, so given the ending of this latest book, I hope that Micky can stop alienating herself and rely on them more in the future.
Admittedly, I was guilty of believing Cordelia was too good for Micky at the very beginning and was always so quick to jump on the Blame Micky train every time something went wrong, but finally I realize with this book just how wrong I was about the both of them.
It took a while, but I'm now extremely emotionally invested in Micky Knight and hope she can finally be truly happy in upcoming books (hopefully there will be more!!). I daydream about the day Micky finally gets to confront Cordelia. Heck, a part of me even wants them to get back together again, but it would take an incredible amount of trust for that to happen and Micky deserves better.
At first I was angry about where the author took their relationship, especially with how things went in book 6, but it also seemed necessary since Micky was able to grow more as a person in the last two books than she did the entire decade she was with Cordelia. A domesticated Micky wasn't the same, but hopefully now that she has a better sense of who she is and wants to be, she can better play the relationship game, even if it is with Cordelia again.
As usual, the mystery and crime was strongly written and all the characters were incredibly real. I look forward to any and all future books in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2017
This book is the 9th book in the series. I have read them all. I struggle between the author sharing her arch of the character and as a reader what aspects I would like to see come to fruition. This book is not really a stand alone, because there are characters mentioned, but never identified that if you didn't have history on, you'd be lost.
I truly enjoy the author's talent to write this character!!! I would love to see her work it out with Cordelia, but after the painful break up, (no spoilers here) I am not sure how a lover could ever trust a partner again.
This book gives hope at the end that Mickey might finally being moving forward in her life. Which I hope is the case for the next book. Mickey is truly a character that is so well written, but her storyline seems to be running a little dry. It's almost like Mickey just refused to evolve as a character. When she is in a romance, there was Mickey's ability to rise above her demons and evolve as a person. Without the romance or even her friends, Mickey seems predictable, when they are in the book, there are so many wonderful layers of emotions.
The book starts out sad and I echo the other reviewer who commented on the same things. However it's beautifully written. The last line or two in the book gives me hope for a shift in the character's direction. So in the end I choose to focus on the hope.
I based my rating on how well the book is written.
ARC provided by publisher for an honest review.
I truly enjoy the author's talent to write this character!!! I would love to see her work it out with Cordelia, but after the painful break up, (no spoilers here) I am not sure how a lover could ever trust a partner again.
This book gives hope at the end that Mickey might finally being moving forward in her life. Which I hope is the case for the next book. Mickey is truly a character that is so well written, but her storyline seems to be running a little dry. It's almost like Mickey just refused to evolve as a character. When she is in a romance, there was Mickey's ability to rise above her demons and evolve as a person. Without the romance or even her friends, Mickey seems predictable, when they are in the book, there are so many wonderful layers of emotions.
The book starts out sad and I echo the other reviewer who commented on the same things. However it's beautifully written. The last line or two in the book gives me hope for a shift in the character's direction. So in the end I choose to focus on the hope.
I based my rating on how well the book is written.
ARC provided by publisher for an honest review.
February 14, 2025
“The Girl on the Edge of Summer”, ninth in the 'Micky Knight' series, sees Micky getting on with her life now that Cordelia is gone – there's a lot of booze involved.
Truth be told she's just existing and has fallen out of touch with most of her former friends, even her cousin Torben.
She's working on several cases but the two in the fore are investigating the details of a murder from a century before, and the suicide of a teenage girl who was being sexually blackmailed.
Perhaps oddly the more interesting of the two is the old murder, largely because Micky comes across a newly discovered diary kept by a policeman called Samuel Braud.
He was involved in the initial investigation of the murder of businessman Frederick Kingsly Townson but the trail went cold.
Later in his life, after his retirement, he finally finds the answers.
While the modern day suicide is more prominent in the novel, it eventually boils down to an oft told plot – tragic but banal.
Micky, without Cordelia, works hard because if she doesn't she knows she'll probably drink herself to death.
While many long-running series remain set in a particular time, 'Micky Knight' is different because it traces her life as she ages – she's now in her forties.
I usually read four or five books in a series before moving on to pastures new but I suspect that I am going to read this one all the way through.
4 Stars, largely for the introduction of Samuel Braud's diary – he's a man before his time.
Truth be told she's just existing and has fallen out of touch with most of her former friends, even her cousin Torben.
She's working on several cases but the two in the fore are investigating the details of a murder from a century before, and the suicide of a teenage girl who was being sexually blackmailed.
Perhaps oddly the more interesting of the two is the old murder, largely because Micky comes across a newly discovered diary kept by a policeman called Samuel Braud.
He was involved in the initial investigation of the murder of businessman Frederick Kingsly Townson but the trail went cold.
Later in his life, after his retirement, he finally finds the answers.
While the modern day suicide is more prominent in the novel, it eventually boils down to an oft told plot – tragic but banal.
Micky, without Cordelia, works hard because if she doesn't she knows she'll probably drink herself to death.
While many long-running series remain set in a particular time, 'Micky Knight' is different because it traces her life as she ages – she's now in her forties.
I usually read four or five books in a series before moving on to pastures new but I suspect that I am going to read this one all the way through.
4 Stars, largely for the introduction of Samuel Braud's diary – he's a man before his time.
July 18, 2018
I’m a big fan of the Micky Knight series and I’ve been waiting a long time for this book.
I really enjoyed all the previous books and I’m invested in the character, so I was curious in seeing the development of Micky as much as what the next case was going to be.
Mainly I missed the fun moments in this book. Maybe it makes sense for the character and the point in her life she is in, but the result was that the book is very tedious at moments. I didn’t like the choice of the “story within the story” involving the murder of over one hundred years ago. The bits from the diary worsened the situation for me, making me want to skim through them mostly.
But I have to say that I do understand that the way this book was written was a precise choice of the writer. Towards the end I was able to find again those little pieces that have always attracted me to this series.
So taking it as a single book I would not recommend it, but as a fan I guess that once again I’m waiting for the next book to see where it leads us!
I really enjoyed all the previous books and I’m invested in the character, so I was curious in seeing the development of Micky as much as what the next case was going to be.
Mainly I missed the fun moments in this book. Maybe it makes sense for the character and the point in her life she is in, but the result was that the book is very tedious at moments. I didn’t like the choice of the “story within the story” involving the murder of over one hundred years ago. The bits from the diary worsened the situation for me, making me want to skim through them mostly.
But I have to say that I do understand that the way this book was written was a precise choice of the writer. Towards the end I was able to find again those little pieces that have always attracted me to this series.
So taking it as a single book I would not recommend it, but as a fan I guess that once again I’m waiting for the next book to see where it leads us!
Read
June 19, 2020Here’s something I’ve never had the chance to do before—compare an author’s last book to her first, without having read the ones in between. Of course, Redmann may write many more Micky Knight books, but you get the idea. This is going to be fun. Girl on the Edge of Summer comes 27 years after Death by the Riverside. If you look at my review of Death by the Riverside, you’ll notice that I had a very unfavorable opinion of it—and with good reasons. What I’m going to do here is to look at the reasons why I disliked the first book and see if she makes similar mistakes in the ninth.
The basic premise of the book is that Micky is hired by a grieving mother to find out who had posted nude selfies of her daughter online, causing her daughter to kill herself. She is hired by a second client to find out as much as she can about his great-grandfather, who was murdered in 1906. Micky not only has to deal with these two problems, but also with the fact that she has joined an online dating service and that it seems that her ex has moved back into town without anyone warning her. So there’s a lot going on.
Micky, who is 28 years old in the first book, is not squarely into her 40s. Redmann, too, has aged, and she has improved because of it. In the first paragraph of my first review I state that 1. The book is not well edited, 2. Micky is a thoroughly unpleasant character, and 3. Mickey generally tends to speak in quips and according to one of her friends, has “never in her life held a serious conversation.”. Well, thankfully, all this is in the past. In fact, Micky has aged very well, has become almost wise in her thinking and has given up speaking in quips. There are too many coincidences in the book that a good editor should have talked her out of, but they are not nearly as damaging as those in the first book.
In Book 1 Micky seemed to be the darling of the lesbian scene, with four beautiful women lusting after her. In Book 9, Micky has no lovers at all and has been persuaded to join an online dating service. As she tells us, she “had to go through this slog of frogs until I found one I wanted to kiss.” In fact, the only one lusting after her is a disgusting woman who has given false photos to the dating service in order to get dates. And Micky very definitely shuts this frog down quickly. In fact, I think that the dating service motif serves the book very well; that is, until it gives Redmann an opportunity late in the book to write in a rather impossible coincidence. But that is later.
The worst part of Book 1, according to my earlier review, was that there were two very mismatched cases that tied into each other in a totally unbelievable way. In Book 9 there are also two cases, and they are not tied together in any way. This is really how it should be. The case involving the murdered man in 1906--which Micky "solves" via a 100-year-old diary--brings the book up at least a half a point. Set in the early twentieth century in historical Storyville, it is both charming and well researched and is a welcome change from the sexting case that is Micky’s primary concern. A private eye generally has more than one job going at once. Giving the reader a greater glimpse into what a PI’s job entails makes the book not only more enjoyable, but more realistic.
So what we have is a very professional woman who has gained a lot of maturity over the years. Here’s an example, as Micky thinks, “Men kill each other for drugs or they’re drunk and stupid, or drunk and angry, or feel they have to prove something. Women die because they’re women.” Micky is eking out a living alone, but doing it her way. Both mysteries are gripping and exciting. She actually only stumbles into the answers, but without looking she would never have been in the right place to stumble. Are there coincidences and contrivances? Yes, and although this is almost always true in lesbian mysteries, there are a few too many in Girl on the Edge of Summer for me to let her get away with. And most of them are totally unnecessary. One of her online dates just happens to be kin to the murderer? No. The only place in the world that Micky could have solved the 1906 murder was in the very library where she was researching it? No. But just a few word or sentence changes could have fixed each of these. Why she chose to go with the contrived rather than just a more realistic solution is a good question. And one more thing; why do so many lesbian mystery writers insist on inserting a few (quite unnecessary) chapters from the killer’s point of view when it comes from Micky in every other chapter? The answer, “well, it gives the reader an insight into the mind of a killer,” is nonsense. One of the very oddest things about the book, though, is Mickey’s almost obsessive concern with being near a bathroom. In fact, she mentions bathrooms no less than 17 times in the book. Shrug.
All in all, give this book a solid 4. I’m not sure it could have been a 5, but it certainly could have been 4. 5 or slightly higher with less emphasis on the unnecessary and the coincidental. This is, however, worlds better than the first book in the series, which I would have given a 2 and thought it kind. One final thing. Redmann has some dynamite titles: Death of a Dying Man, The Intersection of Law and Desire, and now The Girl on the Edge of Summer. Bravo. I love titles that not only sound good but that do work—that nail the subject matter.
Note: I read an advanced review copy of this book, which was kindly provided in e-book form from the publisher through NetGalley.
Another 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.
The basic premise of the book is that Micky is hired by a grieving mother to find out who had posted nude selfies of her daughter online, causing her daughter to kill herself. She is hired by a second client to find out as much as she can about his great-grandfather, who was murdered in 1906. Micky not only has to deal with these two problems, but also with the fact that she has joined an online dating service and that it seems that her ex has moved back into town without anyone warning her. So there’s a lot going on.
Micky, who is 28 years old in the first book, is not squarely into her 40s. Redmann, too, has aged, and she has improved because of it. In the first paragraph of my first review I state that 1. The book is not well edited, 2. Micky is a thoroughly unpleasant character, and 3. Mickey generally tends to speak in quips and according to one of her friends, has “never in her life held a serious conversation.”. Well, thankfully, all this is in the past. In fact, Micky has aged very well, has become almost wise in her thinking and has given up speaking in quips. There are too many coincidences in the book that a good editor should have talked her out of, but they are not nearly as damaging as those in the first book.
In Book 1 Micky seemed to be the darling of the lesbian scene, with four beautiful women lusting after her. In Book 9, Micky has no lovers at all and has been persuaded to join an online dating service. As she tells us, she “had to go through this slog of frogs until I found one I wanted to kiss.” In fact, the only one lusting after her is a disgusting woman who has given false photos to the dating service in order to get dates. And Micky very definitely shuts this frog down quickly. In fact, I think that the dating service motif serves the book very well; that is, until it gives Redmann an opportunity late in the book to write in a rather impossible coincidence. But that is later.
The worst part of Book 1, according to my earlier review, was that there were two very mismatched cases that tied into each other in a totally unbelievable way. In Book 9 there are also two cases, and they are not tied together in any way. This is really how it should be. The case involving the murdered man in 1906--which Micky "solves" via a 100-year-old diary--brings the book up at least a half a point. Set in the early twentieth century in historical Storyville, it is both charming and well researched and is a welcome change from the sexting case that is Micky’s primary concern. A private eye generally has more than one job going at once. Giving the reader a greater glimpse into what a PI’s job entails makes the book not only more enjoyable, but more realistic.
So what we have is a very professional woman who has gained a lot of maturity over the years. Here’s an example, as Micky thinks, “Men kill each other for drugs or they’re drunk and stupid, or drunk and angry, or feel they have to prove something. Women die because they’re women.” Micky is eking out a living alone, but doing it her way. Both mysteries are gripping and exciting. She actually only stumbles into the answers, but without looking she would never have been in the right place to stumble. Are there coincidences and contrivances? Yes, and although this is almost always true in lesbian mysteries, there are a few too many in Girl on the Edge of Summer for me to let her get away with. And most of them are totally unnecessary. One of her online dates just happens to be kin to the murderer? No. The only place in the world that Micky could have solved the 1906 murder was in the very library where she was researching it? No. But just a few word or sentence changes could have fixed each of these. Why she chose to go with the contrived rather than just a more realistic solution is a good question. And one more thing; why do so many lesbian mystery writers insist on inserting a few (quite unnecessary) chapters from the killer’s point of view when it comes from Micky in every other chapter? The answer, “well, it gives the reader an insight into the mind of a killer,” is nonsense. One of the very oddest things about the book, though, is Mickey’s almost obsessive concern with being near a bathroom. In fact, she mentions bathrooms no less than 17 times in the book. Shrug.
All in all, give this book a solid 4. I’m not sure it could have been a 5, but it certainly could have been 4. 5 or slightly higher with less emphasis on the unnecessary and the coincidental. This is, however, worlds better than the first book in the series, which I would have given a 2 and thought it kind. One final thing. Redmann has some dynamite titles: Death of a Dying Man, The Intersection of Law and Desire, and now The Girl on the Edge of Summer. Bravo. I love titles that not only sound good but that do work—that nail the subject matter.
Note: I read an advanced review copy of this book, which was kindly provided in e-book form from the publisher through NetGalley.
Another 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.
November 13, 2017
I have read every one of J.M. Redmann's Micky Knight mysteries and I think I enjoy each one just a little bit more, which blows me away because I have loved all of them. To me it has to do with the development of Micky Knight as a character. She is just so real, that if you were walking in the French Quarter, you would expect to see her walking to her house and say "hi." In addition, J.M. Redmann's plots seems to be very relevant to the day. In this book it is the dangers of social media for teens and being marginalized as a human being and how people react to these difficult situations. I can't wait to see what Micky is up to next.
April 11, 2023
The 9th book of the series boasts excellent storytelling as usual. However, the protagonist Micky seems to be facing a lot of turmoil in her personal life, with her struggles with alcohol and CJ's absence. It is unclear why the author chooses to torture her character in such a way, but it adds to the sub-plot of the story. The main plot comprises two parallel mysteries, which can sometimes make for an overwhelming read, requiring readers to pay close attention.
It is surprising that this series has not yet been considered for a web series, as it has all the elements of a gripping thriller. It would be exciting to see MK on an OTT platform. 💖
It is surprising that this series has not yet been considered for a web series, as it has all the elements of a gripping thriller. It would be exciting to see MK on an OTT platform. 💖
March 17, 2021
4 stars only because I cannot understand the whole Cordelia thing. She was the biggest no for cheating. Obviously Micky couldn't stay with her all the time because she had to work, but previous views of Cordelia show her as understanding. If it was a brain tumor or other that affected her personality maybe I could see it, but.... ??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2019
I have enjoyed all of the Micky Knight books. They are very enjoyable despite being full of harsh realities. Redmann has produced a series of books that are good to read and will make you glad you read them. It is best to read them in order although you can read them standalone as well.
January 3, 2020
Then and now
Two cases to solve a 100yr old murder and a suicide/ hard to be a teenager. Add barely recovering from bad break up and starting on line dating. I loved the way everything had a connection and the comparison between now and then
Two cases to solve a 100yr old murder and a suicide/ hard to be a teenager. Add barely recovering from bad break up and starting on line dating. I loved the way everything had a connection and the comparison between now and then
November 2, 2025
Feminismo. Problemas de violencia entre adolescentes. Duelo y una Micky que a pesar de las recaídas de la vida sigue creciendo y aprendiendo. Que magnífica autora debes ser para lograr eso en un noveno libro sin aburrir un segundo y dejar al lector con ganas de más.
Extrañaba a Cordelia.
Extrañaba a Cordelia.
May 18, 2018
Me gustó mucho, más que los últimos, me parece que en este la autora volvió a traernos a la vieja y querida Micky. Realmente lo disfrute de principio a fin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews