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Virginia Kelly Mystery #3
Long Goodbyes
Lured to her midwest hometown for Christmas and a family reunion by a former flame, Virginia observes that nothing has changed. Her parents, still hoping a man will reclaim her from her lesbian path, do not see that she is in deep mourning for a man, who had meant a great deal to her and helped her accept her sexuality and identity, gay friend Emery Arkin, dead of AIDs before she even knew he was dying.
But at her high school reunion, the painful past of being an outcast nerd is transformed to a much different present where she is now one of the best looking and successful graduates to return. Rosalee, who had called and written Virginia begging her to come, is now indifferent but another former classmate now named Spike determinedly pursues Virginia. The marriage of a friend turns out not to be as idyllic as it first appears. And former English teacher Harry Hobart has lost his wife in a drowning.
But she was not the last to die and Virginia has to fight to survive.
But at her high school reunion, the painful past of being an outcast nerd is transformed to a much different present where she is now one of the best looking and successful graduates to return. Rosalee, who had called and written Virginia begging her to come, is now indifferent but another former classmate now named Spike determinedly pursues Virginia. The marriage of a friend turns out not to be as idyllic as it first appears. And former English teacher Harry Hobart has lost his wife in a drowning.
But she was not the last to die and Virginia has to fight to survive.
235 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1993
48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 18, 2020
This is an odd novel. For one thing, it isn’t a mystery. Nor is it a thriller or a romance or any of the other typical genres. Although Virginia Kelly is the protagonist and the story is told in her inimitable voice, the location and the cast of characters has changed. Yet, except for a slightly sloppy ending, Long Goodbyes could be ranked high on a list of literary novels.
Virginia Kelly, has traveled from Chicago to her home town of Blue River to attend her 10-year high school reunion. Because her relationship with her girlfriend Emily in Chicago seems to be over, Ginny becomes fixated on Rosie Paschen, her first love and her first lesbian dalliance, who has contacted her after a decade of silence to beg her to attend the reunion. But Blue River is not the same as it was when Ginny was a girl, nor are her friends. “I imagined many pasts in my home town, as many as there are individuals, as many as there are points of view. If they took up space, in the air over Blue River there would have been a huge traffic jam of individual perspectives returning, making it hard to avoid unfortunate accidents of colliding perception.
She is looking to her meeting with Rosie to complete an unfinished transaction, to show courage where she once felt fear. But when the two finally connect, Rosie is distant and standoffish. Ginny’s near-obsession causes her to initiate sex with a reluctant Rosie anyway. And then Rosie completely disappears. The book is Ginny’s attempt to find her and make the kind of connection that she has been fantasizing about for years. Something that will validate her life and everything she has done up until this time.
Although Baker introduces Ginny’s parents and high school BFF Sandra, I missed the laconic Naomi, Ginny’s bud from Chicago. Without her, this novel is darker and more brooding, more desperate and haunting than the first two novels in the series. And I think this is the point. Ginny’s search is our search; the same search animals might make when looking over the fence or across the road or wondering what is on the other side of the mountain.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Baker conceived this novel as a stand-alone, with someone other than Virginia Kelly as the protagonist. But it works as it is and I was glad to connect with Virginia in a new way. It must have been a difficult book to write—and to edit: Katherine V. Forrest missed a couple of convoluted paragraphs and seemed to be unable to get Baker to cut out unneeded scenes or characters—such as her gay friend Emery from high school. He was an interesting character and I would have liked to see him in another novel, but in this one he was extraneous. At 235 pages, Long Goodbyes is more than 60 pages longer than In the Game, which is a gem.
Despite its shortcomings, Long Goodbyes is a good addition to the Virginia Kelly series, and to lesbian fiction in general. It shows us another side of Ginny—one that most authors would hesitate to write. Anyone who is turned off by anything in the first two novels will certainly be turned off by this one. But for those of us who like Baker and Ginny, Long Goodbyes is simply another pleasure.
Note: I read the first printing of this book.
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.
Virginia Kelly, has traveled from Chicago to her home town of Blue River to attend her 10-year high school reunion. Because her relationship with her girlfriend Emily in Chicago seems to be over, Ginny becomes fixated on Rosie Paschen, her first love and her first lesbian dalliance, who has contacted her after a decade of silence to beg her to attend the reunion. But Blue River is not the same as it was when Ginny was a girl, nor are her friends. “I imagined many pasts in my home town, as many as there are individuals, as many as there are points of view. If they took up space, in the air over Blue River there would have been a huge traffic jam of individual perspectives returning, making it hard to avoid unfortunate accidents of colliding perception.
She is looking to her meeting with Rosie to complete an unfinished transaction, to show courage where she once felt fear. But when the two finally connect, Rosie is distant and standoffish. Ginny’s near-obsession causes her to initiate sex with a reluctant Rosie anyway. And then Rosie completely disappears. The book is Ginny’s attempt to find her and make the kind of connection that she has been fantasizing about for years. Something that will validate her life and everything she has done up until this time.
Although Baker introduces Ginny’s parents and high school BFF Sandra, I missed the laconic Naomi, Ginny’s bud from Chicago. Without her, this novel is darker and more brooding, more desperate and haunting than the first two novels in the series. And I think this is the point. Ginny’s search is our search; the same search animals might make when looking over the fence or across the road or wondering what is on the other side of the mountain.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Baker conceived this novel as a stand-alone, with someone other than Virginia Kelly as the protagonist. But it works as it is and I was glad to connect with Virginia in a new way. It must have been a difficult book to write—and to edit: Katherine V. Forrest missed a couple of convoluted paragraphs and seemed to be unable to get Baker to cut out unneeded scenes or characters—such as her gay friend Emery from high school. He was an interesting character and I would have liked to see him in another novel, but in this one he was extraneous. At 235 pages, Long Goodbyes is more than 60 pages longer than In the Game, which is a gem.
Despite its shortcomings, Long Goodbyes is a good addition to the Virginia Kelly series, and to lesbian fiction in general. It shows us another side of Ginny—one that most authors would hesitate to write. Anyone who is turned off by anything in the first two novels will certainly be turned off by this one. But for those of us who like Baker and Ginny, Long Goodbyes is simply another pleasure.
Note: I read the first printing of this book.
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.
December 20, 2017
I didn't realize this was part of a series until I had started reading it. (It's yet another random pick from the LGBT center.) From the first chapter, I thought I was reading a book about a murderer. Ha! That's what made me look closer at the front and back cover and made me realize that it's part of a mystery series. Or is it? Though I'm going to put it on my mystery shelf, it didn't feel much like a mystery. Not just plot-wise, but the writing, as well. I feel like I should offer some further thoughts on that, but also... my brain is dead.
I do know that Virginia Kelly, the main character, is someone I want to get to know better. I was looking forward to reading further in this series, but alas! this is the last book. I still get to read the first two books in the series, but I was hoping for a stronger resolution to Virginia's story.
I do know that Virginia Kelly, the main character, is someone I want to get to know better. I was looking forward to reading further in this series, but alas! this is the last book. I still get to read the first two books in the series, but I was hoping for a stronger resolution to Virginia's story.
March 26, 2014
Give this a try and you'll find out why I gave this book 5 stars.
September 12, 2012
Just got the book for a friend hoping that it's it good.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews