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Amanda Valentine Mystery #2
Second Guess
Amanda Valentine is back And she arrives in New Zealand just in time for the most sensational homicide of the year. Join this unusual, engaging cop on her latest case.
202 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1994
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32 people want to read
About the author
Rose Beecham
12 books16 followersRose Beecham is the mystery pen name of best-selling lesbian romance and mystery novels writer Jennifer Knight. She is the prolific author of romance and mystery novels under three pen names — Jennifer Fulton, Rose Beecham, and Grace Lennox. She was first published by the Naiad Press in 1992. Jennifer is a recipient of the Alice B. Reader's award for Lesbian Fiction, multiple Golden Crown Literary Award winner, and Lambda Literary Award finalist for both romance and mystery.
Jennifer Fulton, Rose Beecham, Grace Lennox
Jennifer Fulton, Rose Beecham, Grace Lennox
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 11, 2017
After reading Beecham's engaging crime debut THE GARBAGE DUMP MURDERS last year, which had the eponymous title INTRODUCING AMANDA VALENTINE in the United States, I immediately hopped online and sourced copies of the second and third books in her Amanda Valentine series from the early-mid 1990s. Although the first book fell into the 'good not great', enjoyable rather than excellent category for me, I had been thoroughly engaged, was keen to see how Valentine's story developed, and wanted to grab some Kiwi crime history. For Beecham was one of a group of talented and groundbreaking writers, including Val McDermid and Stella Duffy, who were bringing lesbian protagonists into popular crime fiction ore than twenty year ago.
I found the second Amanda Valentine to be as engaging and readable as the first. I was quickly pulled into the story in SECOND GUESS, and enjoyed riding along with Detective Valentine as she carefully steps her way through a minefield of lurid media speculation and powerful interests to try and find a young woman's killer. Forced to keep her own sexuality private in the masculine world of policing, she has to delve into others' private lives - the very thing she tries to prevent the media doing to her - in order to solve the murder. This is one of several ways in which Beecham brings some depth to the intriguing character of Valentine, who is a talented and persistent investigator who is also filled with doubts, frustrations, and inner conflicts, despite her 'having it all together' outward appearance and hard-earned reputation.
SECOND GUESS also threads in some interesting issues surrounding privacy, sexuality, media coverage of sensational crimes (and what the media think is news or not), and how power is wielded in relation to various groups of people. But at its heart it's a good murder mystery, a plot-based tale that takes readers on an excursion through 1990s Wellington, a capital city that has something of a smaller town feel, rather than its sprawling metropolitan counterparts abroad. I found the pages turning quickly, and immediately went and got the third off the shelf when I got to the end.
The Amanda Valentine series is sadly now out of print, but you can find copies online and in secondhand bookstores. It's worth digging out. I'm glad I did.
I found the second Amanda Valentine to be as engaging and readable as the first. I was quickly pulled into the story in SECOND GUESS, and enjoyed riding along with Detective Valentine as she carefully steps her way through a minefield of lurid media speculation and powerful interests to try and find a young woman's killer. Forced to keep her own sexuality private in the masculine world of policing, she has to delve into others' private lives - the very thing she tries to prevent the media doing to her - in order to solve the murder. This is one of several ways in which Beecham brings some depth to the intriguing character of Valentine, who is a talented and persistent investigator who is also filled with doubts, frustrations, and inner conflicts, despite her 'having it all together' outward appearance and hard-earned reputation.
SECOND GUESS also threads in some interesting issues surrounding privacy, sexuality, media coverage of sensational crimes (and what the media think is news or not), and how power is wielded in relation to various groups of people. But at its heart it's a good murder mystery, a plot-based tale that takes readers on an excursion through 1990s Wellington, a capital city that has something of a smaller town feel, rather than its sprawling metropolitan counterparts abroad. I found the pages turning quickly, and immediately went and got the third off the shelf when I got to the end.
The Amanda Valentine series is sadly now out of print, but you can find copies online and in secondhand bookstores. It's worth digging out. I'm glad I did.
January 31, 2021
A mess right from the start. I'm usually all for the author not handling me all the facts and backstories from the start, but this time I really needed the clarification.
We left Book 1 with Amanda handing in her resignation, the chief trying to give her holidays instead, but Amanda insisting on resigning because she wants to go back home in the United States. The beginning of Book 2 mentions changes, Amanda being far from her colleagues and being at peace with herself, so I operated under the assumption that she was in the US for like, 3-4 whole chapters. But then it's mentioned casually that Amanda is back in Wellington and has been in the US only for a few months. What happened to being tired of feeling excluded and wanting to go back home? Why was Amanda's mother mentioned in Book 1, inviting Amanda to visit her repeatedly, then not mentioned anymore? Why is Amanda feeling even worse than Book 1? Depression, being closeted, being lonely and feeling excluded. Didn't she go "back home" in order to avoid spiraling down in this way?
A mess fam. A whole mess.
This is another novel that starts with two cases handled separatedly and hints that, if connected, a great story would be the result, but one case is the main one and the other is a joke.
This time the main investigative plot features a lesbian SM club and since the protagonist is a lesbian detective, it was very interesting to note the bias Amanda has towards the lesbian community. Totally different approach than Kate Delafield in Murder at the Nightwood Bar.
The topics of sexism, homophobia, divorce, abortion, and domesticity were handled very well.
I don't like how elements that could enrich the characterization are mentioned in passing but never developed, like Debby being part of a touring drag show. Or characters working for suicide or alcoholism prevention call centers.
The romantic sub-plot was much more rushed than in Book 1. Focus of this book is definitely the main murder case.
We left Book 1 with Amanda handing in her resignation, the chief trying to give her holidays instead, but Amanda insisting on resigning because she wants to go back home in the United States. The beginning of Book 2 mentions changes, Amanda being far from her colleagues and being at peace with herself, so I operated under the assumption that she was in the US for like, 3-4 whole chapters. But then it's mentioned casually that Amanda is back in Wellington and has been in the US only for a few months. What happened to being tired of feeling excluded and wanting to go back home? Why was Amanda's mother mentioned in Book 1, inviting Amanda to visit her repeatedly, then not mentioned anymore? Why is Amanda feeling even worse than Book 1? Depression, being closeted, being lonely and feeling excluded. Didn't she go "back home" in order to avoid spiraling down in this way?
A mess fam. A whole mess.
This is another novel that starts with two cases handled separatedly and hints that, if connected, a great story would be the result, but one case is the main one and the other is a joke.
This time the main investigative plot features a lesbian SM club and since the protagonist is a lesbian detective, it was very interesting to note the bias Amanda has towards the lesbian community. Totally different approach than Kate Delafield in Murder at the Nightwood Bar.
The topics of sexism, homophobia, divorce, abortion, and domesticity were handled very well.
I don't like how elements that could enrich the characterization are mentioned in passing but never developed, like Debby being part of a touring drag show. Or characters working for suicide or alcoholism prevention call centers.
The romantic sub-plot was much more rushed than in Book 1. Focus of this book is definitely the main murder case.
August 14, 2013
Good, but not great, for sure. Still, "great" doesn't come around all that often. It was a very quick, pretty enjoyable read, and very much what I expected. The writing is decent, and the mystery is okay. I do think I liked this more than the series debut Introducing Amanda Valentine, but not enough to merit an extra star. Bottom, line: Amanda's pretty much a Inspector Carol Ashton clone, transplanted to NZ instead of Oz, though Beecham's style here isn't as austere as McNab's is in the Ashton series. It's like Carol Ashton but written more like McNab's Denise Cleever novels. The biggest drawback, I think, is that, aside from our protag, there's no character development. Other characters are basically stick figures.
Not sure I'll bother with the other books in the series, though you could certainly do worse than this one.
Not sure I'll bother with the other books in the series, though you could certainly do worse than this one.
September 21, 2009
ill bk Australia lesbian cop a short book like a Grafton but pretty good
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews