Rubdown

Simone Kirsch #2

by Leigh Redhead

Simone Kirsch, P.I. has given up stripping and is trying to be straight. But she can never stay straight for long. Simone is hired by prominent lawyer Emery Wade, to find his wayward daughter Tamara. She's been taking drugs and working in the sex industry and Daddy fears a scandal that will affect not just his reputation, but that of her AFL-hotshot brother and his soap-star fiancee. When Simone finds Tamara dead the coroner says suicide. But Lulu, Tammy's best friend from the parlour, is convinced it's murder. Tangling with a drug dealer, a sleazy brothel owner and a bizarre love quadrangle with three coppers, time is running out for Simone to get to the bottom of it all before someone tries to keep her quiet too. A criminally witty romp on the sexy side of the mean streets.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Australia

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Leigh Redhead, born 18 November 1971, in Adelaide, South Australia is an Australian mystery writer.

She is best known as the creator of the character Simone Kirsch, a stripper who leaves the sex industry to become a private investigator. Redhead drew upon her own experiences as a stripper in creating the character.

Reviews

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm gonna make this brief.

This series is not for me.

It's so freaking kinky. Is 'erotic crime' a genre? Coz that's what this is.

Here's the essential formula:

Kinky stuff -> Drinking and Smoking -> Shower -> kinky stuff in order to get clues -> Drinking and Smoking -> Shower -> Kinky stuff -> REPEAT.

OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND SWEET JEEZUZ I AM OVER IT.

I actually really like the Melbourne setting but even that was a bit overdone - I'm pretty sure people who don't know Melbourne aren't gonna give a crap about all the location name drops. Also, I don't recall Melbourne ever being as seedy as it is in this book. My poor, honest city.

If you like the kinky stuff, ENJOY.

If you like crime, GOOD LUCK.

I have two more books to go in this damn series (won them, so I feel obliged to read them) but for now I'm gonna find some good clean fun to read about. Right after I take a shower.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simone Kirsch has dropped the adult industry to devote her time and resources into becoming a fully fledged PI. In 'Rubdown', Kirsch is sought out by an elderly gentlemen to investigate the murder/suicide of a massage parlor employee Tamara. As facts come to light, Kirsch soon learns Tamara is the adopted child of the wealthy lawyer Emery Wade and sister to AFL star Blaine - complicating matters further is a missing transvestite, a sex worker smuggling ring, and underworld bosses. Much like 'Peepshow', Kirsch's investigation centres heavily around the adult industry and some of the shadier characters that populate it giving it a definitive underbelly feel, I kept waiting for Andrew Rule to make an appearance (he does get a credit in the acknowledgments section). Growth is apparent in 'Rubdown' for both Leigh Redhead as a writer and Kirsch as a PI. I particularly liked the development of her source base and bit characters that made appearances from 'Peepshow'.

Closing Comment: Reminiscent of Christa Faust's Angel Dare PI (of 'Money Shot' and 'Choke Hold' fame), but more subtle with a homegrown flavour - 3.5 stars.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first installment of the Simone Kirsch series, Peepshow, in 2020 but it has taken me 5 years to find a copy of the 2nd. Kirsch is a licensed private investigator, & ex-stripper, & these 2 occupations cover overlapping ground during the lurid cases she gets to work on. The author is obviously a fan of Raymond Chandler, as am I, & creates enjoyable noirish escapades for her seriously flawed heroine, while placing her in credible danger. I have a copy of installment number 3, Cherry Pie, in my to-read pile.

[Jady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cracker read; non-stop action suspense, great characters, all set in my old neighbourhood. Love it :-)

[Laura C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fast-paced story

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simone Kirsch is a Stripper (exotic dancer) turned Private Investigator working the fringe of Melbourne constantly, it would seem, in and around the sex industry.

In RUBDOWN Simone and her new PI boss Tony are called in to look for the daughter of a well-known, respectable barrister. His daughter seems to have got caught up in drugs and the sex industry herself. When she commits suicide whilst Simone is supposedly watching her from outside the flat, things start to get a lot more complicated than Simone and Tony want. Simone's PI license is threatened and so is her life.

Leigh Redhead has created a great PI in the character of Simone. She's in the long tradition of female PI's with attitude, although there's a strong sense of humour and Australian-ness in Simone that makes her a great character to spend time with. Her rocky path to love seems to have stabilised a little in this book, although there's a twist (isn't there always). Given that both Simone (and Leigh) have spent time working in the striptease industry the surrounding characters from that world are sympathetic, if not slightly out there, for the average reader. As with Redhead's first book PEEPSHOW, the sex scenes in RUBDOWN are a lot more on the explicit side than some of the similar style books (Liz Evan's Grace Smith for example).

The mystery in this book is a rollercoaster thriller, the plot is deftly handled and nicely twisted. Some of the outcomes are easy to see coming, but that doesn't matter - this is a book about Simone and how she copes with her world and the series is a great, entertaining romp.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I walked up to the brothel and rang the bell, smoothed my hair and looked around.’

Simone Kirsch has given up stripping, and is trying to concentrate on being a private investigator. But then she’s hired by Emery Wade, a prominent lawyer, to try to find his daughter Tamara. Emery Wade is concerned: Tamara has been taking drugs and working in the sex industry. Any scandal will affect Wade’s reputation, as well as that of his son (an AFL star) and his soap-star fiancée. Simone finds Tamara dead. The coroner rules suicide, but Tamara’s best friend is convinced that Tamara has been murdered.

So, what’s Simone Kirsch, P.I., going to do? Go undercover and try to find the truth. But Simone had better be quick: there are a number of people who would much rather that she kept quiet. And they are happy enough to take matters into their own hands to ensure that she does.

I like Simone Kirsch. Simone has a real knack for complicating her personal life while fearlessly investigating, and it makes for a good, fast escapist read.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sex, drugs and rock and roll - what more could you want? Simone Kirsch, stripper, private investigator, alcoholic and nymphomaniac. A race against time to catch a killer, a hot new boyfriend, an uncontrollable urge to flirt with cops and a desperate cheese single fetish round out this action packed novel.

[lara phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

Australian chick-lit mystery featuring ex-stripper PI. okay but not exceptional. Full of unfamiliar Aussie slang, so at least I learned something from it.

[Pisinat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 même si je ne suis pas d'accord du tout avec la fin !! Nan mé !!

[Kerryn (RatherBeReading) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars