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Micky Knight #6
Water Mark
It’s just one more body in one more destroyed house. In New Orleans, a few months after Katrina, there are thousands of destroyed houses and hundreds of body yet to be found. Can one more matter? It does to Micky Knight as she takes on the quixotic search to find out who the woman was and why she might have died there. But is Micky searching for justice or just doing anything to avoid confronting the ways Katrina destroyed everything that had tied her to New Orleans? In a city that doesn’t even have working stoplights, there seems little need for a private investigator. Her friends are all struggling with their own disrupted lives, lost jobs, destroyed homes. And the woman Micky thought she’d be with forever, Cordelia James, hasn’t returned.
Micky’s investigation leads to a tangle of greed and deceit that stretches back generations. Someone is using the destruction wrought by the flooding to finish what was started a hundred years ago. To stop them Micky will have to risk not just life and limb, but any chance to reconnect with Cordelia and rebuild the life she had before Katina. But if she doesn’t stop them, a young Midwestern teenager whose only crime was wanting to help the destroyed city, will be the next body left in an abandoned house.
The sixth Micky Knight mystery.
Micky’s investigation leads to a tangle of greed and deceit that stretches back generations. Someone is using the destruction wrought by the flooding to finish what was started a hundred years ago. To stop them Micky will have to risk not just life and limb, but any chance to reconnect with Cordelia and rebuild the life she had before Katina. But if she doesn’t stop them, a young Midwestern teenager whose only crime was wanting to help the destroyed city, will be the next body left in an abandoned house.
The sixth Micky Knight mystery.
281 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
14 people are currently reading
282 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 20, 2020
Can I adopt this woman already?
The plot. Micky returns to New Orleans post hurricane Katrina and tries to pick up the pieces of what used to be her life. But with the city in shambles, her career almost nonexistent and the love of her life nowhere to be found, Micky finds herself completely lost in this new and broken world.
The characters. When I first started this series there were quite a few moments when I wondered why the hell everyone was so enamored with Micky. The woman is a hot mess! Now here I am, several books into the series and ready to bitch slap anyone who dares to say anything bad about her. She may be a hot mess and royally fucks up every now and then but at her core she’s a good person. Oh yeah there were also a bunch of other characters but who cares, this is about Micky.
The writing. It’s hard to explain what reading this book felt like. Yes, the mystery and crime elements were very well written but reading about Micky’s day to day struggle was heartbreaking. You get a front row seat as she tries to make it through each day and not fall apart. As she tries to, sometimes literally, get her feet back on solid ground. And as she tries to find purpose in her life again.
The special. I turned 20 in August of 2005 when hurricane Katrina hit the US. For me it was something that happened on the other side of the world and I never really gave it much thought. Yes it was a disaster and what happened was awful but I didn’t fully understand the absolute devastation Katrina caused until reading this book. Until JM Redmann gave me this character that I care so much about.
The negative. I can’t find anything worth mentioning that would be considered negative about this book. Instead I’ll use this section to point out that once again there are a fair number of triggers in this book. People are awful, and Redmann doesn’t shy away from pointing that out.
The verdict. What do I even write here? Just read the series. Take a look at what other reviewers have said about it. We can’t all be wrong. Full 5* rating.
The plot. Micky returns to New Orleans post hurricane Katrina and tries to pick up the pieces of what used to be her life. But with the city in shambles, her career almost nonexistent and the love of her life nowhere to be found, Micky finds herself completely lost in this new and broken world.
The characters. When I first started this series there were quite a few moments when I wondered why the hell everyone was so enamored with Micky. The woman is a hot mess! Now here I am, several books into the series and ready to bitch slap anyone who dares to say anything bad about her. She may be a hot mess and royally fucks up every now and then but at her core she’s a good person. Oh yeah there were also a bunch of other characters but who cares, this is about Micky.
The writing. It’s hard to explain what reading this book felt like. Yes, the mystery and crime elements were very well written but reading about Micky’s day to day struggle was heartbreaking. You get a front row seat as she tries to make it through each day and not fall apart. As she tries to, sometimes literally, get her feet back on solid ground. And as she tries to find purpose in her life again.
The special. I turned 20 in August of 2005 when hurricane Katrina hit the US. For me it was something that happened on the other side of the world and I never really gave it much thought. Yes it was a disaster and what happened was awful but I didn’t fully understand the absolute devastation Katrina caused until reading this book. Until JM Redmann gave me this character that I care so much about.
The negative. I can’t find anything worth mentioning that would be considered negative about this book. Instead I’ll use this section to point out that once again there are a fair number of triggers in this book. People are awful, and Redmann doesn’t shy away from pointing that out.
The verdict. What do I even write here? Just read the series. Take a look at what other reviewers have said about it. We can’t all be wrong. Full 5* rating.
December 30, 2019
Yet another fabulous read by Ms. Redmann, starring the one and only Micky Knight, my new fake girlfriend. This one packed a punch, as it deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the toll it took on residents. Never could I imaging the heartache, hopelessness and helplessness that the locals must have gone through, and Ms. Redmann deals with this life-changing event with poise and dignity. I applaud her. I found myself watching National Geographic vids and looking at maps of the city to try and get a sense of what the city was, and what it became post-hurricane.
The mystery was different than I expected, a body of a drag king found impeccably dressed in a destroyed home but obviously not dead from the storm. This leads Micky onto a chase of who is trying to exhort money and how a church group somehow got deeply involved. It was interesting enough, but really the main glue and guts of this story (and all others) is how Micky navigates her own broken life after a devastating disaster in New Orleans.
Not only has her life upended itself yet again, but also those of her closest friends. Everyone is fractured and lost. Micky's relationship is one big question mark. I'd say that was the only tedious part of the book is how many times Micky put off talking to Cordelia. Her own inner ramblings kept saying over and over "tomorrow, I'll talk to her tomorrow" when of course she kept putting it off. This was frustrating for a few reasons, one being the hurricane, and how everyone saw how fleeting life is and waiting for tomorrow takes on a whole new meaning. I can see why the author chose to do this, as it added more suspense by threading us along, also added a sense of pure dread on my part, but there was also a LOT of assumption building on Micky's part. I tried to keep in context of how much I now about her after 6 books, how fragile her trust is, her demons and hurts from the past, but I'd hope after 10 years with someone, she would have had more of a foundation. However, by the end, which I also was not expecting, we see that trust goes both ways.
I've noticed that in Ms. Redmann's books that the last few chapters pack a helluva punch and then boom, done. From Death of Dying Man to this one, there was a nice seamless merging of stories due to the timeline, so I do hope this happens with the next one!
The mystery was different than I expected, a body of a drag king found impeccably dressed in a destroyed home but obviously not dead from the storm. This leads Micky onto a chase of who is trying to exhort money and how a church group somehow got deeply involved. It was interesting enough, but really the main glue and guts of this story (and all others) is how Micky navigates her own broken life after a devastating disaster in New Orleans.
Not only has her life upended itself yet again, but also those of her closest friends. Everyone is fractured and lost. Micky's relationship is one big question mark. I'd say that was the only tedious part of the book is how many times Micky put off talking to Cordelia. Her own inner ramblings kept saying over and over "tomorrow, I'll talk to her tomorrow" when of course she kept putting it off. This was frustrating for a few reasons, one being the hurricane, and how everyone saw how fleeting life is and waiting for tomorrow takes on a whole new meaning. I can see why the author chose to do this, as it added more suspense by threading us along, also added a sense of pure dread on my part, but there was also a LOT of assumption building on Micky's part. I tried to keep in context of how much I now about her after 6 books, how fragile her trust is, her demons and hurts from the past, but I'd hope after 10 years with someone, she would have had more of a foundation. However, by the end, which I also was not expecting, we see that trust goes both ways.
I've noticed that in Ms. Redmann's books that the last few chapters pack a helluva punch and then boom, done. From Death of Dying Man to this one, there was a nice seamless merging of stories due to the timeline, so I do hope this happens with the next one!
July 23, 2025
Water Mark is set a few months after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and dramatically altered Micky Knight’s life, that of her friends and the city she grew up in. Micky is barely keeping it together. Stuck in limbo with a broken heart she is both angry and sad and the desolation of the city only amplifies those feelings. Cordelia has not come back to the city yet and if she does, will Micky be able to forgive her or are they broken for good.
This series wrecks me, but in such a good way. I cried at the end for Micky and Cordelia but
J.M. Redmann, what will you think of next? They have been through so much already. I wanted to start book 7 but my poor nerves (and heart) need a little break ;-)
f/f explicit
Themes: New Orleans, the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the aftermath of infidelity, falling apart, holy rollers from the Mid West, bad guy amateur hour, OMG the airport scene, some pretty strong stuff.
5 Stars
------------------re-read 6 years later---------------
Inhaled another one. J.M. Redmann is the only author who can pull that off. I just keep reading and can't stop. Catnip. I'm so glad I'm revisiting this series.
5 Stars
This series wrecks me, but in such a good way. I cried at the end for Micky and Cordelia but
J.M. Redmann, what will you think of next? They have been through so much already. I wanted to start book 7 but my poor nerves (and heart) need a little break ;-)
f/f explicit
Themes: New Orleans, the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the aftermath of infidelity, falling apart, holy rollers from the Mid West, bad guy amateur hour, OMG the airport scene, some pretty strong stuff.
5 Stars
------------------re-read 6 years later---------------
Inhaled another one. J.M. Redmann is the only author who can pull that off. I just keep reading and can't stop. Catnip. I'm so glad I'm revisiting this series.
5 Stars
February 18, 2017
4 1/2 Stars. I'm still making my way through this series, and enjoying every second of it. This book picks up after Hurricane Katrina. Mickey's life and everything around her, had fallen apart. Between drinking, depression, and loss of work, Mickey is not even sure she should stay in new Orleans. When she comes across a body of a drag king, Mickey realizes she is the only one that can find out what really happened to her. The police are just too tied up in the aftermath of Katrina.
Book 6 in this series is pretty emotional. As a reader, it is heartbreaking to watch what Mickey is going through. But it hooks you into the story and you can't put the book down. The murder mystery adds some excitement, and this is another enjoyable book in this series.
I love this series, and am totally hooked. If you want to read this series, I highly recommend starting at book 1 and reading in order. This series spans many years in Mickey's life, and it is a great journey to read.
Book 6 in this series is pretty emotional. As a reader, it is heartbreaking to watch what Mickey is going through. But it hooks you into the story and you can't put the book down. The murder mystery adds some excitement, and this is another enjoyable book in this series.
I love this series, and am totally hooked. If you want to read this series, I highly recommend starting at book 1 and reading in order. This series spans many years in Mickey's life, and it is a great journey to read.
March 9, 2020
This is the second time I’ve read this book. And this is the sixth book I’ve reread by Redmann, I know because this is the sixth book in the Micky Knight series.
This specific book is set in New Orleans post-Katrina. In the previous book, Micky and Cordelia had a rather large ‘relationship issue’ occur something like three seconds before Katrina hit (though was more like a day or so). Then Katrina hit, and both were apart from each other while the destruction was occurring, while people were trying to survive in the immediate aftermath, and then later when both were trying to regroup/recover/re-whatever – on opposite sides of the country (Cordelia was on the east coast, Micky was in San Francisco).
This book here finds Micky back in New Orleans. Relatively freshly back, by about a month or so. And ‘that weekend’, Micky’s not exactly sure what that means, Cordelia will also be back. At least in New Orleans.
Both are suffering forms of PTSD. Micky is just going through the motions, not really motivated to do anything much, and only ended up back in New Orleans because the friend who lent her the west coast apartment was just about to return.
The book opens with Micky having one case – an older woman has decided to leave New Orleans for good, but wants Micky to check out her house to see if a specific item survived, specifically the documents and pictures inside that item. And so, again, the book opens with Micky having that case, which finds her out in the abandoned and destroyed parts of New Orleans. Just about to enter a building. When, nearby, a van of people arrive. A bunch of youngsters pile out and wander around. Enter one of the houses. Shortly thereafter they come screaming back out of the house. They’d discovered a freshly killed corpse (as opposed to one caused by the hurricane and just not yet disposed of). Whereupon Micky ends up picking up case two and three.
Depending on how to look at things, case two is the dead woman ‘in drag’. Presumably there’s something about the way she is dressed that alerts Micky to the fact that the young woman is in drag, as opposed to being a young woman wearing a tux, which young woman can and do do. Luckily enough for everyone’s sanity, the young dead woman had really been a woman who performed in drag. Right, so, case two involves Micky researching this individual and attempting to figure out what happened.
Case three involves that van-filled with youngsters. Specifically one young woman who ‘accidentally’ got abandoned in the area when the rest went off in either the van or in an ambulance. Micky helps that young woman over a period of time.
Alongside these cases is Micky just trying to figure out what to do next with her life, and how to reconnect with Cordelia and her friends.
The mystery was good. The angst was heavy. And, as a reminder to myself,
Rating: 5
March 9 2020
This specific book is set in New Orleans post-Katrina. In the previous book, Micky and Cordelia had a rather large ‘relationship issue’ occur something like three seconds before Katrina hit (though was more like a day or so). Then Katrina hit, and both were apart from each other while the destruction was occurring, while people were trying to survive in the immediate aftermath, and then later when both were trying to regroup/recover/re-whatever – on opposite sides of the country (Cordelia was on the east coast, Micky was in San Francisco).
This book here finds Micky back in New Orleans. Relatively freshly back, by about a month or so. And ‘that weekend’, Micky’s not exactly sure what that means, Cordelia will also be back. At least in New Orleans.
Both are suffering forms of PTSD. Micky is just going through the motions, not really motivated to do anything much, and only ended up back in New Orleans because the friend who lent her the west coast apartment was just about to return.
The book opens with Micky having one case – an older woman has decided to leave New Orleans for good, but wants Micky to check out her house to see if a specific item survived, specifically the documents and pictures inside that item. And so, again, the book opens with Micky having that case, which finds her out in the abandoned and destroyed parts of New Orleans. Just about to enter a building. When, nearby, a van of people arrive. A bunch of youngsters pile out and wander around. Enter one of the houses. Shortly thereafter they come screaming back out of the house. They’d discovered a freshly killed corpse (as opposed to one caused by the hurricane and just not yet disposed of). Whereupon Micky ends up picking up case two and three.
Depending on how to look at things, case two is the dead woman ‘in drag’. Presumably there’s something about the way she is dressed that alerts Micky to the fact that the young woman is in drag, as opposed to being a young woman wearing a tux, which young woman can and do do. Luckily enough for everyone’s sanity, the young dead woman had really been a woman who performed in drag. Right, so, case two involves Micky researching this individual and attempting to figure out what happened.
Case three involves that van-filled with youngsters. Specifically one young woman who ‘accidentally’ got abandoned in the area when the rest went off in either the van or in an ambulance. Micky helps that young woman over a period of time.
Alongside these cases is Micky just trying to figure out what to do next with her life, and how to reconnect with Cordelia and her friends.
The mystery was good. The angst was heavy. And, as a reminder to myself,
Rating: 5
March 9 2020
July 17, 2018
What an engaging read while taking the reader on an emotional roller-coaster. Post-Katrina is written with the type of detail that makes a person not only feel what people are going through but visualize. Mickey is loss as are most of her friends. Some are dealing better than others. Cordelia is working to deal with the after effect of staying in a desolated hospital and her affair. This read has much going on with Katrina, Mickey, Mickey's friends, and the future of her relationship with Cordelia. Enthralling mystery with interesting sub-stories.
January 19, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Detective/Lesbian Noir Reading Level: Adult
Disclosure: I received a free copy of book 7 in this series in exchange for an honest review. I purchased the rest of the books in the series myself, so am under no particular obligation, but am happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: It’s just one more body in one more destroyed house. In New Orleans, a few months after Katrina, there are thousands of destroyed houses and hundreds of body yet to be found. Can one more matter? It does to Micky Knight as she takes on the quixotic search to find out who the woman was and why she might have died there. But is Micky searching for justice or just doing anything to avoid confronting the ways Katrina destroyed everything that had tied her to New Orleans? In a city that doesn’t even have working stoplights, there seems little need for a private investigator. Her friends are all struggling with their own disrupted lives, lost jobs, destroyed homes. And the woman Micky thought she’d be with forever, Cordelia James, hasn’t returned.
Micky’s investigation leads to a tangle of greed and deceit that stretches back generations. Someone is using the destruction wrought by the flooding to finish what was started a hundred years ago. To stop them Micky will have to risk not just life and limb, but any chance to reconnect with Cordelia and rebuild the life she had before Katrina. But if she doesn’t stop them, a young Midwestern teenager whose only crime was wanting to help the destroyed city, will be the next body left in an abandoned house.
My Thoughts: I think this must be the best one yet. Post-Katrina New Orleans is a dark and desolate place, and Micky is just trying to make it day to day with her anger and hurt and ennui. The book is difficult to read – Micky has retreated back into her old self and is avoiding her friends, avoiding life. Redmann portrays the angst and anger and depression in such a realistic way that it was difficult to read, but at the same time it was so unflinching that you had to keep going and live what these people had experienced. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of book 7 in this series in exchange for an honest review. I purchased the rest of the books in the series myself, so am under no particular obligation, but am happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: It’s just one more body in one more destroyed house. In New Orleans, a few months after Katrina, there are thousands of destroyed houses and hundreds of body yet to be found. Can one more matter? It does to Micky Knight as she takes on the quixotic search to find out who the woman was and why she might have died there. But is Micky searching for justice or just doing anything to avoid confronting the ways Katrina destroyed everything that had tied her to New Orleans? In a city that doesn’t even have working stoplights, there seems little need for a private investigator. Her friends are all struggling with their own disrupted lives, lost jobs, destroyed homes. And the woman Micky thought she’d be with forever, Cordelia James, hasn’t returned.
Micky’s investigation leads to a tangle of greed and deceit that stretches back generations. Someone is using the destruction wrought by the flooding to finish what was started a hundred years ago. To stop them Micky will have to risk not just life and limb, but any chance to reconnect with Cordelia and rebuild the life she had before Katrina. But if she doesn’t stop them, a young Midwestern teenager whose only crime was wanting to help the destroyed city, will be the next body left in an abandoned house.
My Thoughts: I think this must be the best one yet. Post-Katrina New Orleans is a dark and desolate place, and Micky is just trying to make it day to day with her anger and hurt and ennui. The book is difficult to read – Micky has retreated back into her old self and is avoiding her friends, avoiding life. Redmann portrays the angst and anger and depression in such a realistic way that it was difficult to read, but at the same time it was so unflinching that you had to keep going and live what these people had experienced. Highly recommended.
January 18, 2015
A while back, I purchased J.M. Redmann’s Ill Will, but decided that, since it had been some time since I’d read the rest of the Micky Knight series, I would read all of them again before starting that latest entry. So, I just finished Water Mark, set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and of Cordelia’s infidelity. I’ve said -- and I don’t believe this is true of any other series -- that my favorite Micky Knight novel is whichever one I happen to be reading at the moment. It’s impossible to choose, like, do I prefer the Chateau Latour ‘82, or the Petrus ‘82? When you’re dealing with the best of the best, how can you possibly choose? However, if I had to pick a “first among equals,,” it would have to be Water Mark.
For those of you not familiar with the Micky Knight novels, Micky is a lesbian PI in New Orleans. She has something of a dark past, a checkered history, but she’s funny, tough, caring, warm, loyal, smart, resilient, passionate, and compassionate. She is often emotional, simply because she cares so much, about people, and about the things that are important in life. Her lover, Cordelia is her grounding, her rock, her safe haven, the center which allows her to rein in those volatile emotions, lest they overcome her.
The plotlines are as complex as Micky, herself. there are usually two mysteries to be solved, and, in addition, elements from her past -- her father’s death or finding her mother, for example --and her present personal life, play significant roles in every story. This, and the well-drawn supporting cast of characters, give Redmann’s work a depth so much “crime fiction” lacks. In fact, to relegate these novels to that genre or to “lesbian fiction” is to do them an injustice. They are basically “human fiction”, by which I mean “suffused with humanity,” with all the joy and pain, laughter and tears, love and hate, hope and despair which that entails. Yes, they’re mysteries, and damned entertaining ones, but, it’s the emotional content which makes them so very special, and which so attracted me to the genre to begin with.
In Water Mark, the title an acknowledgement of the irremediable imprint --scar, if you will -- Katrina left on New Orleans and its people, the two intriguing mysteries involve murder and extortion, and are linked to events generations past. Meanwhile, of course, as the people of the city struggle to recover from unimaginable devastation, we wonder if Cordelia and Micky can mend their fractured relationship. My hopes, incurable romantic that I am, are with them. If pace Yeats, the center cannot hold for this iconic couple, the Bette and Tina of lesbian mystery, then is there hope for anyone? The conclusion of the novel suggests there is, indeed, and, since the breach in their relationship is an analogy for the hurricane itself, Redmann is telling us that, yes, there is hope for post-Katrina New Orleans, too.
Another plot thread involves a naïve young Midwestern girl whom Micky encounters at the beginning of the work. A budding lesbian, perhaps, Nathalie is a member of a rigidly controlling “nut-cake religious family” -- think, the fundy Mormon sects in Rose Beecham’s Grave Silence -- in which females are ritualistically “married to the church,” at age thirteen. At first, before she learns about the rape, Micky doesn’t want to get involved; there’s more than enough going on in her own life, after all. By the conclusion of the novel, though, she’s heavily invested in protecting the young girl, not just from the murderer/blackmailer, but from the horrors she would face if she returned home. ("I won't let them hurt you,"I said, a fierce whisper) It's that compassion and concern for others, even when her own life is in such incredible turmoil, that's the highlight of Micky’s personality. (BTW, I hope we encounter Nathalie again in Micky’s future adventures.)
This can’t have been an easy story for Redmann to tell. The mysteries and the romance, of course, are fiction. The graphic depiction of New Orleans, in the aftermath of Katrina, is all too real. When reading Death by the Riverside all those years ago, I was struck by the actual physical impact of the novel’s highly visceral content. That’s true tenfold for Water Mark, and I’m grateful to Redmann for sharing that part of her life with those of us who weren’t there. It’s extremely important, I think, for all of us to experience the effects of the Katrina, if only vicariously.
For those of you not familiar with the Micky Knight novels, Micky is a lesbian PI in New Orleans. She has something of a dark past, a checkered history, but she’s funny, tough, caring, warm, loyal, smart, resilient, passionate, and compassionate. She is often emotional, simply because she cares so much, about people, and about the things that are important in life. Her lover, Cordelia is her grounding, her rock, her safe haven, the center which allows her to rein in those volatile emotions, lest they overcome her.
The plotlines are as complex as Micky, herself. there are usually two mysteries to be solved, and, in addition, elements from her past -- her father’s death or finding her mother, for example --and her present personal life, play significant roles in every story. This, and the well-drawn supporting cast of characters, give Redmann’s work a depth so much “crime fiction” lacks. In fact, to relegate these novels to that genre or to “lesbian fiction” is to do them an injustice. They are basically “human fiction”, by which I mean “suffused with humanity,” with all the joy and pain, laughter and tears, love and hate, hope and despair which that entails. Yes, they’re mysteries, and damned entertaining ones, but, it’s the emotional content which makes them so very special, and which so attracted me to the genre to begin with.
In Water Mark, the title an acknowledgement of the irremediable imprint --scar, if you will -- Katrina left on New Orleans and its people, the two intriguing mysteries involve murder and extortion, and are linked to events generations past. Meanwhile, of course, as the people of the city struggle to recover from unimaginable devastation, we wonder if Cordelia and Micky can mend their fractured relationship. My hopes, incurable romantic that I am, are with them. If pace Yeats, the center cannot hold for this iconic couple, the Bette and Tina of lesbian mystery, then is there hope for anyone? The conclusion of the novel suggests there is, indeed, and, since the breach in their relationship is an analogy for the hurricane itself, Redmann is telling us that, yes, there is hope for post-Katrina New Orleans, too.
Another plot thread involves a naïve young Midwestern girl whom Micky encounters at the beginning of the work. A budding lesbian, perhaps, Nathalie is a member of a rigidly controlling “nut-cake religious family” -- think, the fundy Mormon sects in Rose Beecham’s Grave Silence -- in which females are ritualistically “married to the church,” at age thirteen. At first, before she learns about the rape, Micky doesn’t want to get involved; there’s more than enough going on in her own life, after all. By the conclusion of the novel, though, she’s heavily invested in protecting the young girl, not just from the murderer/blackmailer, but from the horrors she would face if she returned home. ("I won't let them hurt you,"I said, a fierce whisper) It's that compassion and concern for others, even when her own life is in such incredible turmoil, that's the highlight of Micky’s personality. (BTW, I hope we encounter Nathalie again in Micky’s future adventures.)
This can’t have been an easy story for Redmann to tell. The mysteries and the romance, of course, are fiction. The graphic depiction of New Orleans, in the aftermath of Katrina, is all too real. When reading Death by the Riverside all those years ago, I was struck by the actual physical impact of the novel’s highly visceral content. That’s true tenfold for Water Mark, and I’m grateful to Redmann for sharing that part of her life with those of us who weren’t there. It’s extremely important, I think, for all of us to experience the effects of the Katrina, if only vicariously.
March 11, 2014
This sixth book in the Micky Knight series is still awash with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. So, there is palpable gloom hanging over folks. I really felt like I was right there in the trenches following the devastation and that was tough but an eye-opening experience. The complete enjoyment of this book is quite dependent on having read the previous installments. Since I have read them, this book was more than worth it!
Micky is still hurting from the betrayal by her lover and the subsequent separation from the love of her life. Work has been slim to none for Micky as so many folks have not or cannot return to New Orleans. True to form nevertheless, Micky gets involved in several escapades as she struggles with her feelings toward Cordelia. Two events set the tone and wheels whirring for Micky's primary activities. A church group from Wisconsin coming to assist in the Katrina ravaged New Orleans and a dead body clearly not a victim of Katrina at the house the Wisconsin group was assigned to work provide the underpinnings for Micky's primary escapades. Wonderfully detailed and incredibly intriguing!
Nathalie is one of the members from the church group and has her own mystery swirling around her. A weird turn of events initially leaves Nathalie in Micky's care, with no contact information at all. That is just the beginning of many odd scenarios that occur to Nathalie which continued to link Micky closer and closer to her, since there didn't seem anyone willing to stand up for her. In fact, Micky starts to have a truly protective concern for Nathalie during the ongoing struggle to get Nathalie safely re-connected plus a minor run-in with a medical team that turns into a major hullabaloo. The medical team were checking for infectious diseases, everybody in the vicinity of the dead body had to have blood work done, and Nathalie's blood work comes back with some disturbing results. Nathalie is caught between two intense forces and Micky keeps trying to do the best for her. Micky actually does a very fine job on Nathalie's behalf. I really liked Nathalie in addition to the fact that she brought out the best in Micky.
The whole question about Cordelia continually weaves through the book. I was constantly hoping some resolution would occur. Another member of the church group pops up in a rather disturbing manner in regard to the dead body that Micky initially investigates on her own and then is contracted to get to the bottom of things. This intertwining was delightfully maintained with an initial gentle escalation barreling into a dandy Micky heartthrobbing, death-defying classic conclusion. I so adore the super elevated thrill endings that are generally a part of this series. Number six in the collection is magnificent, but as I mentioned reading the previous books is a real plus to the complete enjoyment in this on going tour de force. Fantastic!
Oh, by the way, the title Water Mark comes directly from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and how in many locations the poignant height that the flood waters reached left a painful mark not only on the buildings but on the residents who would try to rebuild or left New Orleans permanently.
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Micky is still hurting from the betrayal by her lover and the subsequent separation from the love of her life. Work has been slim to none for Micky as so many folks have not or cannot return to New Orleans. True to form nevertheless, Micky gets involved in several escapades as she struggles with her feelings toward Cordelia. Two events set the tone and wheels whirring for Micky's primary activities. A church group from Wisconsin coming to assist in the Katrina ravaged New Orleans and a dead body clearly not a victim of Katrina at the house the Wisconsin group was assigned to work provide the underpinnings for Micky's primary escapades. Wonderfully detailed and incredibly intriguing!
Nathalie is one of the members from the church group and has her own mystery swirling around her. A weird turn of events initially leaves Nathalie in Micky's care, with no contact information at all. That is just the beginning of many odd scenarios that occur to Nathalie which continued to link Micky closer and closer to her, since there didn't seem anyone willing to stand up for her. In fact, Micky starts to have a truly protective concern for Nathalie during the ongoing struggle to get Nathalie safely re-connected plus a minor run-in with a medical team that turns into a major hullabaloo. The medical team were checking for infectious diseases, everybody in the vicinity of the dead body had to have blood work done, and Nathalie's blood work comes back with some disturbing results. Nathalie is caught between two intense forces and Micky keeps trying to do the best for her. Micky actually does a very fine job on Nathalie's behalf. I really liked Nathalie in addition to the fact that she brought out the best in Micky.
The whole question about Cordelia continually weaves through the book. I was constantly hoping some resolution would occur. Another member of the church group pops up in a rather disturbing manner in regard to the dead body that Micky initially investigates on her own and then is contracted to get to the bottom of things. This intertwining was delightfully maintained with an initial gentle escalation barreling into a dandy Micky heartthrobbing, death-defying classic conclusion. I so adore the super elevated thrill endings that are generally a part of this series. Number six in the collection is magnificent, but as I mentioned reading the previous books is a real plus to the complete enjoyment in this on going tour de force. Fantastic!
Oh, by the way, the title Water Mark comes directly from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and how in many locations the poignant height that the flood waters reached left a painful mark not only on the buildings but on the residents who would try to rebuild or left New Orleans permanently.
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 7, 2011
Three months after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to her city, P.I. Micky Knight has returned to New Orleans. Her house is intact but her life is in tatters; her friends are scattered and hurting and her partner Cordelia saw unimaginable horrors while trapped in Charity Hospital and hasn't returned.
Whilst salvaging a client's sentimental treasures, Micky comes to the aid of a church youth group which finds a body in an abandoned house. But the dead woman didn't die in the storm and Micky latches onto investigating the death as a welcome distraction.
Things that warranted 5 stars:
- it's Micky Knight! Yay!
- Redmann brings the destruction wrought by Katrina to life; showing the difficulties inherent in simple everyday activities like grocery shopping or posting a parcel. There's plenty of anger about the failure of the levees and the government response too.
- portraying the dislocation experienced by residents and their friends and families in Dallas or far-distant states imposed upon "for a stay that started in disaster and had no foreseeable end."
- but she keeps perspective, pointing out that as a rich developed nation, the resources were available to provide clean water and food after the immediate emergency.
Things that irritated enough to drop a star:
- some careless proof-reading - albeit just the odd missed quotation mark or typo - that forced me to re-read a few lines to get the meaning.
- occasional odd use of language. "Inchoate" made far too many appearances and stuck out like a sore thumb to me. "Eliding" I'd never come across before and had to look up.
- waiting until page 118 before Micky & Cordelia even see each other.
Whilst salvaging a client's sentimental treasures, Micky comes to the aid of a church youth group which finds a body in an abandoned house. But the dead woman didn't die in the storm and Micky latches onto investigating the death as a welcome distraction.
Things that warranted 5 stars:
- it's Micky Knight! Yay!
- Redmann brings the destruction wrought by Katrina to life; showing the difficulties inherent in simple everyday activities like grocery shopping or posting a parcel. There's plenty of anger about the failure of the levees and the government response too.
- portraying the dislocation experienced by residents and their friends and families in Dallas or far-distant states imposed upon "for a stay that started in disaster and had no foreseeable end."
- but she keeps perspective, pointing out that as a rich developed nation, the resources were available to provide clean water and food after the immediate emergency.
Things that irritated enough to drop a star:
- some careless proof-reading - albeit just the odd missed quotation mark or typo - that forced me to re-read a few lines to get the meaning.
- occasional odd use of language. "Inchoate" made far too many appearances and stuck out like a sore thumb to me. "Eliding" I'd never come across before and had to look up.
- waiting until page 118 before Micky & Cordelia even see each other.
February 5, 2025
“Water Mark”, sixth in the 'Micky Knight' series, does have a murder to be solved, but the book is mostly about loss and grief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Micky's friends are scattered, Cordelia is out of town and their relationship has broken down after she cheated, and business is slow.
While retrieving sentimental items from a damaged home to send to an elderly woman, Micky notices a disturbance next door – yep, there's a dead body.
More to the point it is a young woman dressed as a man and the corpse is only days old.
A search of the house turns up a folder of documents, some more than a century old.
Collectively they seem to indicate that the ancestors of one of New Orleans most influential families know more than their prayers when it came to theft.
With little else to keep her occupied Micky starts investigating.
She also keeps an eye on a group of young Christian workers who have arrived from Wisconsin and who are completely clueless, dangerously so. One of their leaders, a young woman, appears to be involving her charges in illegal acts while keeping her own hands clean.
The book relies heavily on deliberate plotting in which all the parts eventually fit seamlessly together and leaves no loose ends.
I don't feel it was quite up to the standard of the previous two books.
I did learn something new from it – 'lesbian bed death'!
3 Stars.
Micky's friends are scattered, Cordelia is out of town and their relationship has broken down after she cheated, and business is slow.
While retrieving sentimental items from a damaged home to send to an elderly woman, Micky notices a disturbance next door – yep, there's a dead body.
More to the point it is a young woman dressed as a man and the corpse is only days old.
A search of the house turns up a folder of documents, some more than a century old.
Collectively they seem to indicate that the ancestors of one of New Orleans most influential families know more than their prayers when it came to theft.
With little else to keep her occupied Micky starts investigating.
She also keeps an eye on a group of young Christian workers who have arrived from Wisconsin and who are completely clueless, dangerously so. One of their leaders, a young woman, appears to be involving her charges in illegal acts while keeping her own hands clean.
The book relies heavily on deliberate plotting in which all the parts eventually fit seamlessly together and leaves no loose ends.
I don't feel it was quite up to the standard of the previous two books.
I did learn something new from it – 'lesbian bed death'!
3 Stars.
December 6, 2022
Riveting plot. I'm not from the USA, yet I understand how it is like to be in a city ravaged by a super cyclone. Micky, back to her to self-loathing self (Thanks to CJ for ruining it for no apparent reason and making MK's life hell again). This is a very special book to me. Ms. Redmann has outstandingly portrayed a person dwindling in depression. The painstaking details of a depressed mind were just too real. MK and her dilemmas regarding her tumultuous relationship with CJ; CJ, and her guilt and the horror she had to endure during her confinement in the hospital, all those details were sometimes overwhelming. I was bowled over by Ms.Redmann's story telling ability. I can relate to every word MK was playing in her mind, her vulnerability, her deep love for CJ and the fact love can inflict a great pain, pain that can ruin a person. Clichéd it to be said, I love MK. Her tremendous ability to take cases personally and go belligerent. Her sarcasm, which is legendary, and I love it.😄😄 Her shortcomings, all these make her so human, so relatable.
Note to Author: Please, please don't ruin MK and CJ. The roller-coaster ride will do, but separation, please don't. 🙏🏼
Note to Author: Please, please don't ruin MK and CJ. The roller-coaster ride will do, but separation, please don't. 🙏🏼
December 2, 2024
No sabia las ganas que tenia de leer, hasta que me topé por casualidad con esta saga. Ya no recuerdo ni de dónde salió la recomendación, solo puedo dar gracias. Gracias por descubrirme esta fantasía.
La detective Micky Knight, una gran saga detectivesca, con casos difíciles de resolver y muchos traumas de la infancia aun arrastrados al presente. Lesbianas en un Nueva Orleans homófobo. Y una devastación atroz, el Katrina. Un coctel molotov para mi cerebro, que solo se pasa las horas pensando en como continuaría la historia.
Me he leído 6 libros de la saga en una semana y media.
Pero ahora llega lo peor, solo me queda un libro ‘un asunto turbio’ porque el resto, los 4 libros restantes no han sido traducidos al español. Tengo el corazón encogido porque no quiero terminar esta saga, necesito más. ¿Seré capaz de leer en ingles?
De todos modos, gracias J.M Redmann. Por esta maravillosa travesia.
La detective Micky Knight, una gran saga detectivesca, con casos difíciles de resolver y muchos traumas de la infancia aun arrastrados al presente. Lesbianas en un Nueva Orleans homófobo. Y una devastación atroz, el Katrina. Un coctel molotov para mi cerebro, que solo se pasa las horas pensando en como continuaría la historia.
Me he leído 6 libros de la saga en una semana y media.
Pero ahora llega lo peor, solo me queda un libro ‘un asunto turbio’ porque el resto, los 4 libros restantes no han sido traducidos al español. Tengo el corazón encogido porque no quiero terminar esta saga, necesito más. ¿Seré capaz de leer en ingles?
De todos modos, gracias J.M Redmann. Por esta maravillosa travesia.
May 13, 2020
Nothing like picking up a series at or near the end. I found the story and the characters engrossing and captivating. Micky is kind of old time Private Investigator I used to enjoy reading - hard boiled, not afraid to get dirty, lots of faults, hard scrabble and gritty and in female form. She finds herself post Katrina hurting from her personal life, from the destruction of her city, and from her own inner demons embroiled in a murder, blackmail, and a chance to be a do-gooder with teenagers. I really enjoyed the characters, the friends, the people and the writing. Now I have to go back and read Books 1-5 to see how Micky ended up here and hopfully there are more in the series after this. One of the better lesbian mystery writer out today.
December 23, 2022
Gripping…
I am not a usual reviewer and in fact have only left less than 5 reviews in my life. However, I just wanted the author to know that I have been reading this series from the beginning and there is something about it that just keeps me coming back. My favorite of the series so far is “Water Mark”. My heart was pumping so hard during certain parts (relationship moments) that really bumped up against my insecurities. I felt the realism of the story and yet the hope that was always there too.
Thank you for writing the Mickey Knight Series and especially the “Water Mark” story as I will never forget it.
I am not a usual reviewer and in fact have only left less than 5 reviews in my life. However, I just wanted the author to know that I have been reading this series from the beginning and there is something about it that just keeps me coming back. My favorite of the series so far is “Water Mark”. My heart was pumping so hard during certain parts (relationship moments) that really bumped up against my insecurities. I felt the realism of the story and yet the hope that was always there too.
Thank you for writing the Mickey Knight Series and especially the “Water Mark” story as I will never forget it.
June 25, 2021
Que sufrimiento
Con cada libro de redmann me engancha más a la vida de micky knight. Esta vez se trata de como iba después de su ruptura con cordelia y después del huracan katrina. La autora te hace sentir parte de la historia y yo sinceramente voy, sufriendo con Micky. A veces te entran ganas de coger a micky y dar un buen repaso para que se despierta de su estado y dar un paso más adelante.
Tampoco puede falta la parte suspence de la historia. Y como siempre micky se mete en situaciones que no es fácil salir con vida. Encantada y con ganas de empezar el singuente
Con cada libro de redmann me engancha más a la vida de micky knight. Esta vez se trata de como iba después de su ruptura con cordelia y después del huracan katrina. La autora te hace sentir parte de la historia y yo sinceramente voy, sufriendo con Micky. A veces te entran ganas de coger a micky y dar un buen repaso para que se despierta de su estado y dar un paso más adelante.
Tampoco puede falta la parte suspence de la historia. Y como siempre micky se mete en situaciones que no es fácil salir con vida. Encantada y con ganas de empezar el singuente
August 22, 2018
Be either a book about the relationship or the mystery - not both. Not working that way
August 27, 2024
Depressing. Apparently the situation with Cornelia gets more depressing and more protracted in later books, so unfortunately I will not be reading this series further.
I can understand tension and fallouts, but I do not want to read 10 books about the same repeated emotional dysfunction.
I can understand tension and fallouts, but I do not want to read 10 books about the same repeated emotional dysfunction.
October 24, 2010
A new Micky Knight. That always makes me happy. Micky Knight novels were one of the first I discovered when I found out that lesbian novels existed after I came out oh so many, many years ago. she rocked my world back then. She wasn't PC, she wasn't always nice, she could swear with the best of them.
She is still, so many years later, all of that. But so many more layers have been added to her story.
Sometimes funny, sometimes very painful to read I always enjoy getting back to this universe.
This one is no exception. Micky in post-Katrina New Orleans tries to piece her life back together and it's not easy.
Like the last novel, there's two narratives. Micky's personal life, and the story of New Orleans and Katrina. My heart broke for both of them once more as the catastrophic state of the city was brought home in a really personal way here.
Redmann's writing is tight and to the point. Humor and seriousness are always close together, the characters she has drawn so well over the years come alive again and I felt myself flooded with feelings of sympathy in regard to their lives in post-Katrina New Orleans. I have missed her voice in the years between book 4 and 5 and hope there will be more.
She is still, so many years later, all of that. But so many more layers have been added to her story.
Sometimes funny, sometimes very painful to read I always enjoy getting back to this universe.
This one is no exception. Micky in post-Katrina New Orleans tries to piece her life back together and it's not easy.
Like the last novel, there's two narratives. Micky's personal life, and the story of New Orleans and Katrina. My heart broke for both of them once more as the catastrophic state of the city was brought home in a really personal way here.
Redmann's writing is tight and to the point. Humor and seriousness are always close together, the characters she has drawn so well over the years come alive again and I felt myself flooded with feelings of sympathy in regard to their lives in post-Katrina New Orleans. I have missed her voice in the years between book 4 and 5 and hope there will be more.
September 2, 2013
I am a great fan of the Micky Knight series of books, especially the first 3 books, not just because I find Micky Knight an unforgettable character, but also because of the secondary characters, which are interesting and well developed, and the NOLA setting, which almost feels like an extra character. I was bitterly disappointed by Death of a Dying Man, the previous book in the series. At the time I was reading it, I remember thinking that J.M. Redmann should have ended the series with Lost Daughters. However, I think that J.M. Redmann has found her ground again with this book. It is not as if the book is perfect. The crime plot is farfetched, although I found the historical part within it really interesting. Some better editing would also improve the book. I don't need to be told twice that Micky cooked and Cordelia washed the dishes. What makes the book work is, once again, the complex characters of Micky Knight and Cordelia. Redmann includes in Watermark some of her recurrent themes within the series: New Orleans, child abuse, religious hypocrisy, greed, love, the lack of self-confidence of the main characters, their imperfections, their self-destructive behavior and the complexity of living within a relationship.
September 4, 2011
What can I say, this is excellent, as I have come to expect from JM Redmann and Micky Knight. It takes place in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Redmann gives us the devastation--to the city and to the lives of those who live and love there. The mystery is also fascinating, but the relationship between Micky and Cordelia is what this is all about (though it took forever to get to it). It made me want to go back and read all the books again with an eye on Cordelia, because the first read through is all about Micky, and deservedly so, but go back and focus on those around her and the whole series hangs together extremely well. I'm looking forward to more Micky Knight.
I haven’t liked every Micky Knight book equally, but overall, this is an astonishing series and one that makes me proud of lesbian presses. That the mainstream has let this writer get away is their loss, but also unfortunate because a lot more people could be enjoying these. While I’d love it if Redmann had a bigger publisher, more visibility, and more readers who might see lesbians as we are—flawed but lovable—I’m very glad these stories are getting told.
I haven’t liked every Micky Knight book equally, but overall, this is an astonishing series and one that makes me proud of lesbian presses. That the mainstream has let this writer get away is their loss, but also unfortunate because a lot more people could be enjoying these. While I’d love it if Redmann had a bigger publisher, more visibility, and more readers who might see lesbians as we are—flawed but lovable—I’m very glad these stories are getting told.
December 23, 2014
Oh dear! This is very likely the first mystery novel that got me crying a couple of times while reading it. Not only because I keep realising that I will never be such a great writer like J.M. Redman, but also because ... because ... heck, find out for yourself! I'm still a little emotional.
Read the whole series, start from the beginning, and only stop for food and potty breaks - not, that you'd actually have a choice. If you have read the first five books already, this one will definitely get to you. And that's why you have to read this one, too. But once you got introduced to Micky Knight and her loved ones, you'd want to anyway. So what are you waiting for?
If you are new to the series and can't be bothered to start with book one, at least read the last one "Death of a Dying Man", which explains the mess the characters are in in this book. No, ignore that: Start with book one, "Death by the Riverside". Simply, because you'd otherwise miss out thoroughly.
Read the whole series, start from the beginning, and only stop for food and potty breaks - not, that you'd actually have a choice. If you have read the first five books already, this one will definitely get to you. And that's why you have to read this one, too. But once you got introduced to Micky Knight and her loved ones, you'd want to anyway. So what are you waiting for?
If you are new to the series and can't be bothered to start with book one, at least read the last one "Death of a Dying Man", which explains the mess the characters are in in this book. No, ignore that: Start with book one, "Death by the Riverside". Simply, because you'd otherwise miss out thoroughly.
September 22, 2010
The sixth book in Redmann's incredible Micky Knight series, she does not disappoint. This book has a well developed story line as Micky digs into the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina to solve a mystery with deep roots. And for those of us who gnashed our teeth at the ending of the fifth book, yes, Cordelia and Micky finally confront each other. Can they recapture the love they once had before Cordelia's betrayal? You'll have to read to find out. This is a must read for any Micky Knight fan, and a likely award winner for Redmann.
July 27, 2011
I'm a Micky Knight addict, all right! "Water Mark" took ages to read because there's so much pain in it; Micky's going through a double hell, as it is. This is an absolutely wonderful novel, despite all the pain . . . or maybe because of it.
October 10, 2015
A deeply poignant mystery with private detective Mickey Knight barely coping with post-traumatic stress in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. # 6 in the Mickey Knight lesbian mystery series.
April 3, 2016
This New Orleans author actually makes the city and its troubles a character that increases the conflict. In this book, Redman's first since Katrina, New Orleans is in places distopian. People are scattered.
March 19, 2011
Anyone for lesbian detective fiction? Or hot butch private eyes?
Yes and please.
Yes and please.
August 19, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. So glad that she continued to write. I waited a long time for new books to come out by this author.
February 19, 2012
This was a great quick read! hauntingly accurate descriptions of post-Katrina NOLA will break your heart, but also remind you what is so amazing about New Orleans.
December 21, 2017
Could have used better editing, but was a very enjoyable read. I'll keep my eye out for the rest of the series.
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