What do you think?
Rate this book
Kate Delafield #1
Amateur City
When Katherine V. Forrest’s Amateur City was published in 1984, introducing LAPD detective Kate Delafield, it not only marked the beginning of one of mystery fiction’s most successful series, it also created one of the most lucrative genres in gay publishing: the lesbian mystery. With her next six Kate Delafield novels, Forrest’s complex and determined lesbian detective became the most celebrated figure in lesbian fiction. Alyson is proud to present the first and second Kate Delafield mysteries, back in print and ready to captivate a new generation of fans!
In Amateur City, Kate and her partner, Ed Taylor, investigate the murder of a highly placed executive, whose body was found by a coworker, a woman who begins to break down Kate’s defenses.
In addition to penning the legendary Kate Delafield mystery series, -Katherine V. Forrest has written the lesbian romantic classic Curious Wine and the science fiction novels Daughters of a Coral Dawn and Daughters of an Amber Noon. She lives in San Francisco.
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
64 people are currently reading
1343 people want to read
About the author
Katherine V. Forrest
44 books323 followersKatherine V. Forrest is a Canadian-born American writer, best known for her novels about lesbian police detective Kate Delafield. Her books have won and been finalists for Lambda Literary Award twelve times, as well as other awards. She has been referred to by some "a founding mother of lesbian fiction writing."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
October 13, 2022
Although I wasn't sure about this book in the first few chapters, I ended up really liking as well as admiring it. It's a groundbreaking mystery with a lesbian detective protagonist, published and set in 1984. It feels very much like a slice of 80s L.A. life, which was a big part of the fascination for me, but also some of my qualms. Living a queer life, even in a supposedly progressive city, was soooooo different and more difficult then. It's hard to believe I was even alive in that decade. I loved getting Forrest's perspective on lesbian identity and culture in this era. Although it was obviously contemporary when it was published, for me it's an amazing piece of queer history. Forrest's writing reminded me of another lesbian trailblazer author, Jane Rule.
Aside from other more innocuous time period specific details, like everyone fucking smoking like a chimney in their offices!!, the explicit, virulent racism, in the workplace especially, was difficult to read. All the racial slurs. I have to assume Forrest -- although she's white -- was attempting to be true to the era and was writing characters that were quite realistic. The racism exhibited by certain characters is clearly textually condemned, although the book has its own issues, particularly its constant assumption that characters are white unless explicitly noted otherwise. There is also some horrible corporate sexism -- like women having to sleep with their disgusting bosses to get ahead -- that was also hard to read about.
Speaking of Forrest's characterization: it's sharp as a knife and deeply uninterested in flat or stock characters or portraying anyone in a black and white way. It's very much Forrest looking the characters straight in the face, no beating around the bush about their flaws or mistakes or bigotry. The mystery here is mostly a character study, with a closed circuit of suspects given the crime takes place in a secured office building and employees are the only possible murderers.
There is a touch of pro-police stuff in this book ("serve and protect" bullshit) that didn't sit well with me, although honestly not nearly as much as I expected from a book by a white author written mid-80s. I expect this take to become more nuanced and critical as the series continues and the awareness of white queer authors like Forrest changes. I've already started the second book! Kate Delafield is a fascinating flawed character.
Aside from other more innocuous time period specific details, like everyone fucking smoking like a chimney in their offices!!, the explicit, virulent racism, in the workplace especially, was difficult to read. All the racial slurs. I have to assume Forrest -- although she's white -- was attempting to be true to the era and was writing characters that were quite realistic. The racism exhibited by certain characters is clearly textually condemned, although the book has its own issues, particularly its constant assumption that characters are white unless explicitly noted otherwise. There is also some horrible corporate sexism -- like women having to sleep with their disgusting bosses to get ahead -- that was also hard to read about.
Speaking of Forrest's characterization: it's sharp as a knife and deeply uninterested in flat or stock characters or portraying anyone in a black and white way. It's very much Forrest looking the characters straight in the face, no beating around the bush about their flaws or mistakes or bigotry. The mystery here is mostly a character study, with a closed circuit of suspects given the crime takes place in a secured office building and employees are the only possible murderers.
There is a touch of pro-police stuff in this book ("serve and protect" bullshit) that didn't sit well with me, although honestly not nearly as much as I expected from a book by a white author written mid-80s. I expect this take to become more nuanced and critical as the series continues and the awareness of white queer authors like Forrest changes. I've already started the second book! Kate Delafield is a fascinating flawed character.
May 22, 2018
Definitely a great book.
I loved all the police procedures, interviews and characters.
I was very pleased that there was not a romance in this book. I have realized that it is often seemingly difficult for lesbian literature to blend mystery / crime with romance. Many authors eventually lose focus on the main theme that should be the resolution of the mystery to pay more attention to the character's romantic relationship.
As in the story there was no romance and I was super relieved because this ended up making the investigation procedures much more focused.
Kate, despite appearing to be a woman who stands for the sake of "one woman helps another or looks to the other," was very sinic when engaging with a woman in a relationship with another and don't give a shit about it.
Even the character's partner being a selfish bitch I thought the two of them should feel a little guilty about what they were doing, but ... You can't have everything, right?
Wrong. I believe that in literature we must always aim for the best, and in this matter, the book could have better addressed it.
I don't know if it was the limitation of pages, but the ending was a little rushed. I certainly could appreciate a few more pages.
Anyway ... Even with these limitations, the book is a 5 star.
I loved all the police procedures, interviews and characters.
I was very pleased that there was not a romance in this book. I have realized that it is often seemingly difficult for lesbian literature to blend mystery / crime with romance. Many authors eventually lose focus on the main theme that should be the resolution of the mystery to pay more attention to the character's romantic relationship.
As in the story there was no romance and I was super relieved because this ended up making the investigation procedures much more focused.
Kate, despite appearing to be a woman who stands for the sake of "one woman helps another or looks to the other," was very sinic when engaging with a woman in a relationship with another and don't give a shit about it.
Even the character's partner being a selfish bitch I thought the two of them should feel a little guilty about what they were doing, but ... You can't have everything, right?
Wrong. I believe that in literature we must always aim for the best, and in this matter, the book could have better addressed it.
I don't know if it was the limitation of pages, but the ending was a little rushed. I certainly could appreciate a few more pages.
Anyway ... Even with these limitations, the book is a 5 star.
April 3, 2017
This was a decent book. It feels dated these days since it was written in the early 1980s. However, that also makes it an interesting read because it captures a moment in time. It's an okay read, overall.
Read
June 18, 2020According to some literary historians, Kate Delafield is the first lesbian detective to be featured in her own series. Although Eve Zaremba’s Helen Keremos predates her by several years, Keremos was not actually identified as a lesbian until the second novel in her series, which was published after Amateur City. In any case, Kate is one of the first three or four lesbian detectives in literature.
When Amateur City begins, Kate has a reputation among her colleagues in the LAPD as an excellent officer and investigator, although the reader is not sure what that respect is based on. Her investigative techniques, however, are impressive; she approaches the case with an incredibly minute penchant for details and obsessive note taking The reader gets the feeling that Kate willget to the bottom of the murder she is presented with.
It is difficult not to like her. She is strong, intelligent, thoughtful, and caring. Yet she is also aloof and difficult to pin down. I actually liked the character of Ellen O’Neil—Kate’s love interest in this book—better than I did Kate. Kate is smarter, Ellen is more human. also liked several other characters in the book. The murdered man’s secretary is a total hoot, as is the wise-cracking young receptionist.
Unfortunately, her male characters don’t fare so well. The good ones are drab and the bad ones are over-the-top bigoted. In fact, that is my main criticism of the book. The overt bigotry (one man manages to use five or six racial epithets in a single conversation) could have been artfully toned down to better effect. As it is, it feels like part of the book was written in 1954 instead of 1984.
But the mystery is a good one, well solved. The romantic interest between Kate and Ellen is also worth the price of the book. It is more than interesting that Ellen allows Kate’s advances despite the fact that she is in a long-standing relationship with another woman. So not only is this one of the first books in its genre, it is the first that features infidelity. In fact,there are few mysteries in which one of the lovers is unfaithful to her same-sex partner. Evidently those that followed Forrest’s lead (and there are many) liked the idea of a lesbian sleuth but shied at the idea of infidelity. Interesting—and probably worth a post of its own.
So is this a great novel or a great mystery? Neither, but its place in the genre rank it as a must-read for aficionados. I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series—not only to find out how Forrest fleshes Kate out, but also to see if the relationship between her and Ellen will continue.
Final Rating: 3.3
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.
When Amateur City begins, Kate has a reputation among her colleagues in the LAPD as an excellent officer and investigator, although the reader is not sure what that respect is based on. Her investigative techniques, however, are impressive; she approaches the case with an incredibly minute penchant for details and obsessive note taking The reader gets the feeling that Kate willget to the bottom of the murder she is presented with.
It is difficult not to like her. She is strong, intelligent, thoughtful, and caring. Yet she is also aloof and difficult to pin down. I actually liked the character of Ellen O’Neil—Kate’s love interest in this book—better than I did Kate. Kate is smarter, Ellen is more human. also liked several other characters in the book. The murdered man’s secretary is a total hoot, as is the wise-cracking young receptionist.
Unfortunately, her male characters don’t fare so well. The good ones are drab and the bad ones are over-the-top bigoted. In fact, that is my main criticism of the book. The overt bigotry (one man manages to use five or six racial epithets in a single conversation) could have been artfully toned down to better effect. As it is, it feels like part of the book was written in 1954 instead of 1984.
But the mystery is a good one, well solved. The romantic interest between Kate and Ellen is also worth the price of the book. It is more than interesting that Ellen allows Kate’s advances despite the fact that she is in a long-standing relationship with another woman. So not only is this one of the first books in its genre, it is the first that features infidelity. In fact,there are few mysteries in which one of the lovers is unfaithful to her same-sex partner. Evidently those that followed Forrest’s lead (and there are many) liked the idea of a lesbian sleuth but shied at the idea of infidelity. Interesting—and probably worth a post of its own.
So is this a great novel or a great mystery? Neither, but its place in the genre rank it as a must-read for aficionados. I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series—not only to find out how Forrest fleshes Kate out, but also to see if the relationship between her and Ellen will continue.
Final Rating: 3.3
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.
October 18, 2012
The mystery is really very good: well-constructed crime with a good list of suspects, a nice twist when it comes to the murder-method and lots of suspense.
Where the book doesn't work is on the "private" level where we get to know something about the protagonist. Some of the more emotional and private moments of Kate Delafield and her love-interest (for lack of a better word - this isn't a love story) are more than awkward and Forrest really clobbers her readers over the head with the lesbian-theme. I understand that this was in 1984 and perhaps at the time it was necessary to stress it like that if you wanted to make a point, but a more subtle approach would have resulted in a better written book. Also I think she overdid it with the sexism and the whole situation in the firm.
I'll give the second book in the series a chance because I enjoyed the crime-solving part of this one very much, but I do hope the author's writing got better with practice.
EDIT: Fortunatly, the writing in the second book of the series is definitly better. Still some clichés, but the writing style improves. Forrest is not a brilliant writer but her work is entertaining and I respect that she had/has a message, even if some aspects are of course a bit dated by now.
Where the book doesn't work is on the "private" level where we get to know something about the protagonist. Some of the more emotional and private moments of Kate Delafield and her love-interest (for lack of a better word - this isn't a love story) are more than awkward and Forrest really clobbers her readers over the head with the lesbian-theme. I understand that this was in 1984 and perhaps at the time it was necessary to stress it like that if you wanted to make a point, but a more subtle approach would have resulted in a better written book. Also I think she overdid it with the sexism and the whole situation in the firm.
I'll give the second book in the series a chance because I enjoyed the crime-solving part of this one very much, but I do hope the author's writing got better with practice.
EDIT: Fortunatly, the writing in the second book of the series is definitly better. Still some clichés, but the writing style improves. Forrest is not a brilliant writer but her work is entertaining and I respect that she had/has a message, even if some aspects are of course a bit dated by now.
February 19, 2019
As someone who normally reads contemporary, I’ve stepped outside my comfort zone reading this book. I did enjoy because it gave me insight in a time I didn’t consciously experienced because of my age. And thank God for that. I thank (lesbian) women all over the world for paving the way for us.
The author did a good job building characters for the suspects with only dialogue between suspects and Kate Delafield. This way it really is a detective story with a “love” twist instead of a love store in a detective twist. I would however have liked a little more in-depth show of emotions about the cheating aspect of Ellen. Despite me disliking her girlfriend because of her views of relationship roles and trying to put Ellen back in a dependent position, I still don’t get how easily the bridge was crossed from sleeping next to each other to having sex. Same goes for Delafield: wtf, having sex with a key witness of your murder investigation.
Because I’m curious how story and writing style will develop, I’ll read the rest of the series too.
The author did a good job building characters for the suspects with only dialogue between suspects and Kate Delafield. This way it really is a detective story with a “love” twist instead of a love store in a detective twist. I would however have liked a little more in-depth show of emotions about the cheating aspect of Ellen. Despite me disliking her girlfriend because of her views of relationship roles and trying to put Ellen back in a dependent position, I still don’t get how easily the bridge was crossed from sleeping next to each other to having sex. Same goes for Delafield: wtf, having sex with a key witness of your murder investigation.
Because I’m curious how story and writing style will develop, I’ll read the rest of the series too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2024
Rep: lesbian mcs, Black side character
CWs: period typical racism & homophobia, racial & homophobic slurs
CWs: period typical racism & homophobia, racial & homophobic slurs
March 21, 2021
Katherine V. Forrest's Amateur City (Kate Delafield, #1) proves to be a solid start to a murder mystery series featuring LAPD detective Kate Delafield. It's also the actual literal start of the lesbian mystery having been originally published in 1984. So part historical writing, part murder mystery genre, Amateur City captures a time in the 1980's where women could be fired for being out lesbians, they could lose their families, they could lose their homes. And yet, Kate finds fellow Sapphic comrades throughout her investigation of a corporate murder in Los Angeles.
July 15, 2015
This novel took me twice to really understand or comprehend in any real way. The first time I read it, everything got all muddled in my head and the story didn't really make sense. I think it was partially because I hadn't read many LesFic novels and I was just starting to read adult mysteries (i.e. non-Hardy Boys stuff) in a real way too. Now that I have read more, many more of both types the book makes much more sense
There were also a whole lot of characters to keep track of, and though they were all very unique, there were just so, so many. Oh, and, it was sort of like a very giant sort of locked room mystery, which is not one of my favorite kinds.
It's an interesting start to the series. We learn some about all of the main characters, get some of the threads that will appear again in the series I assume, but we don't learn everything so that there can be surprises later on.
I do have to say that it was a bit dated, not in a bad way, just in a... hey, where are the cell phones and priuses. But, even as it was dated, it used an astounding amount of forensics in it, which as a die hard CSI lover was awesome. The book was ahead of its time in some cool ways.
There were also a whole lot of characters to keep track of, and though they were all very unique, there were just so, so many. Oh, and, it was sort of like a very giant sort of locked room mystery, which is not one of my favorite kinds.
It's an interesting start to the series. We learn some about all of the main characters, get some of the threads that will appear again in the series I assume, but we don't learn everything so that there can be surprises later on.
I do have to say that it was a bit dated, not in a bad way, just in a... hey, where are the cell phones and priuses. But, even as it was dated, it used an astounding amount of forensics in it, which as a die hard CSI lover was awesome. The book was ahead of its time in some cool ways.
October 1, 2020
Amateur City, book 1 in the series, involves an executive who was murdered. Two LA police detectives, Kate Delafield (lesbian), and Ed Taylor (bigot), investigate. Oddly the story seemed to be more focused on someone who just joined the firm as a secretary. Ellen O'Neil.
It's actually a rather rich detailed little book that might even have ended up rated higher by me if it had cut back on the bigotry. Which later books, at least the second and third, had done. - Amateur City is something Ed Taylor says that the case should be. Or, that the case is "Amateur City", an amateur killer, so it should be an easy case to solve.
It's actually a rather rich detailed little book that might even have ended up rated higher by me if it had cut back on the bigotry. Which later books, at least the second and third, had done. - Amateur City is something Ed Taylor says that the case should be. Or, that the case is "Amateur City", an amateur killer, so it should be an easy case to solve.
August 1, 2020
This is an entertaining mystery. I love the main character, Kate Delafield. She's strong and intelligent. It has humor and suspense. I originally gave it 4 stars. But I changed it to 3 stars because a couple of the male characters were so racist, and their foul language against people of color made me uncomfortable.
June 20, 2022
Why hadn’t I found these books years ago? I would have liked to have read them. I figured out right away that this book was written a while ago. It turns out the story was based in 1980s. I really enjoyed the timeframe and the writing. I didn’t figure it out till the end so it was exciting and mysterious. I highly recommend this book and this author.
October 10, 2022
Nice and quick murder mystery with a lesbian detective, office drama, confrontations with racism, and a good pinch of romance.
LAPD Detective Kate Delafield is investigating the murder of a terrible boss that everyone hated, killed in his office in the early morning. Kate wades through office politics, performs thorough questioning and tests, becomes friendly with some employees - all while still getting over a recent personal loss. We end up learning a lot about this company and its people, except, of course, what business they actually do...
Beyond the murder mystery, issues of race, sexuality and gender abound. This is Los Angeles in the 80s after all, so perhaps realistically our detective is virtually surrounded by bigots - and since she's in the process of an investigation, Kate mostly listens to the spouting of slurs in a kind of resigned irony, though it's relatively clear she does not agree.
Most enjoyable is how lesbians are everywhere in this novel, discreetly but happily having relationships, recognizing one another, leading comfortable lives even while dealing with a variety of difficulties.
The two POV characters - detective Kate and the main witness, Ellen - are both lesbians, which is great on its own but also immediately made me think a romance between them is inevitable, and I ended up really enjoying that aspect of the novel. The POV shifts often happen mid-chapter and even mid-interaction between these two, which is disorientating at times but manageable.
*
A note about my copy of this book:
During a trip to London several years ago, I visited the Feminist Library, which is occasionally opened as a bookshop where you can buy books, zines, art etc. - including old library books that had been removed from their catalogue - and this is where I found and bought this book. So as an added bonus, I can tell you that this book was checked out from the Feminist Library around thirty times between 1986 and 1999.
LAPD Detective Kate Delafield is investigating the murder of a terrible boss that everyone hated, killed in his office in the early morning. Kate wades through office politics, performs thorough questioning and tests, becomes friendly with some employees - all while still getting over a recent personal loss. We end up learning a lot about this company and its people, except, of course, what business they actually do...
Beyond the murder mystery, issues of race, sexuality and gender abound. This is Los Angeles in the 80s after all, so perhaps realistically our detective is virtually surrounded by bigots - and since she's in the process of an investigation, Kate mostly listens to the spouting of slurs in a kind of resigned irony, though it's relatively clear she does not agree.
Most enjoyable is how lesbians are everywhere in this novel, discreetly but happily having relationships, recognizing one another, leading comfortable lives even while dealing with a variety of difficulties.
The two POV characters - detective Kate and the main witness, Ellen - are both lesbians, which is great on its own but also immediately made me think a romance between them is inevitable, and I ended up really enjoying that aspect of the novel. The POV shifts often happen mid-chapter and even mid-interaction between these two, which is disorientating at times but manageable.
*
A note about my copy of this book:
During a trip to London several years ago, I visited the Feminist Library, which is occasionally opened as a bookshop where you can buy books, zines, art etc. - including old library books that had been removed from their catalogue - and this is where I found and bought this book. So as an added bonus, I can tell you that this book was checked out from the Feminist Library around thirty times between 1986 and 1999.
February 25, 2023
I don't usually read cop mysteries. I prefer the sleuth to be an ordinary person or at least some sort of private investigator rather than a cop or former cop. I made an exception for this because the MC is a lesbian and it's set in LA, and I enjoyed the story, but it was definitely a good reminder of why I stay away from this genre of mysteries. The MC parrots all the talking points about criminals being subhuman, right down the using the "thin blue line" phrasing. She even says nothing she saw in 'Nam was as bad as LA lol.
Also you have to brace yourself for a lot of slurs. This has plenty of period typical bigotry from multiple characters (though not from any of the good guys) towards anyone not white, straight, and male.
Also you have to brace yourself for a lot of slurs. This has plenty of period typical bigotry from multiple characters (though not from any of the good guys) towards anyone not white, straight, and male.
June 27, 2022
Fine as far as whodunnit/procedurals go. Would get a .5 star if I could give it for the beautiful scenes of lesbian intimacy and romance, which are refreshing in this hetero-dominant genre.
July 7, 2022
I’m getting the know this narrator but I love the storyline
October 17, 2024
This book is called Amateur City. If you’re not clear on that, don’t worry, the characters will say it about a dozen times so it sinks in.
I gave it 2-stars because of its historical significance (every genre has to start somewhere) and it was, what I call, a "time capsule book." That is, it's a book (that I had only recently stumbled upon) that is interesting to look at as a reflection of the times it was written (the extent of the public racism, homophobia, and misogyny). Like the kid getting a hit in baseball then running like a speed demon down the third base line--well, they tried really hard.
Still--even with time capsule considerations--the book starts with Ellen mocking the name "Luther" with "Parents will name their kids anything these days." A cliched remark in itself, but Luther while relatively uncommon is hardly as out there as she seems to think. It's not like say, "Clear Rivers" (from the Final Destination movies). She acknowledges it as a miscue as she is talking to a man named Gale (a predominantly female-but unisex name). Right after that she gets into fat-shaming.
Now, fat-shaming wasn't called that back in 1984 and mocking overweight people was a staple of comedy at the time (and of children for generations). However, the author uses fat (twice) as a signifier for evil. That's lazy--like JK Rowling describing all of Slytherin as ugly lazy.
However, Ellen's reaction to finding the body and freaking out felt realistic and I bought that she was terrified.
Finally, the star of the show, the (now)famous Detective Kate Delafield. Also makes note of the the victim being fat--as does her racist partner Taylor, the paramedics, and every employee but whatever, that was addressed.
The problem is that Kate is supposed to be a great detective. All of the characters acknowledge her presence and her partner praises her skill. Yet, for far too long, she thinks a man stabbed directly in the center of his chest committed suicide and had to be walked away from that conclusion. How many suicides has she come on with that COD?
Then she complains internally about her partner's reciting small details (the liquor cart being moved seven feet etc) then declares that the liquor cart was moved as if she discovered it--I suppose she did in the same way Columbus discovered America.
Kate then refers to one of the workers as "Oriental", which was a term sliding out of use by 1984 but not fully so I can give that a time capsule pass because--then she talks about how her deceased lover's eyes were "slanted like a Chinaman." I'd expect this from a CIS-GEN white male author of the time, but an author familiar with discrimination as a woman and a lesbian writing about a character that specifically complains about racial slurs, I thought I'd get more self-awareness.
So, after the first two chapters setting up the crime and characters it became a series of talking heads for soooooo long. By chapter 9 with yet another sit-down interview with yet another character smoking and telling Kate how much they hated Fergus vis-a-vis a mini-autobiography, I started to wonder if this was intended as a play instead of a novel. This was done to show how everyone had motive and because they all smoked the cigarette butt discovered could be from any of them and blah blah--but what it also did was give me more emotional investment in these people (the obvious good ones) than in Kate.
As to obvious good ones--Ellen comes across like an idiot. This is only her, what, second day on the job? Yet, she's willing to lie to the police during a homicide investigation for a guy (named Guy... yet, Ellen has no issue with that name) she's only interacted with for, I'm guessing, a total of fifteen minutes or so--and she is absolutely sure of his character and that he couldn't have done it and he's so nice and. Half the time, in chapters narrated by Kate, Ellen is announcing what a great guy Guy is and in Ellen narrated chapters she acts all awkward and trying to avoid him because she thinks he's into her. Pick a lane! Overall, I think the author; in trying so hard to turn the focus away from Guy, she might as well have put a neon-sign over his office door that says: "HE DID IT!". 40-year-old spoiler: He did it.
To make matters worse, Kate the Great (Detective) figures out who the killer is--that is to say, when evidence is shoved in her face--she acknowledges how obvious it was and that she messed up. Yet, she does it in a confusing way. She says, "I let my instincts get in the way of my training." What she should have said, is that she let her prejudice against silver-spooned nepo-babies get in the way of her training. Her instincts were that she didn't trust the guy. Heck, because of her prejudice, said she hated the guy--so she doesn't seriously consider him as a suspect? Does that follow?
What else does the Kate the Great do? She sleeps with the sole witness (Ellen) to the crime, a woman who should also still be considered a suspect in the murder--on the first day. I'm not familiar with LAPD standards of the time (beyond horrible race relations) but I'm betting screwing the witness/suspect mere hours after the crime is not permitted.
She chalks it up to an admittedly emotional moment where she finally grieves for Ann and her horrible death. In fact, earlier in the story, (a bit that started with the "slanted eyes" remark) Kate repeatedly notes how similar Ellen is to Ann. Yet, after she sleeps with her she declares, she looks nothing like her at all. These are the kind of observational skills that I expect from detectives in the LAPD--no wait, delusional psychotics in an asylum. Same difference you say? Well...
Final criticisms: The ending was rushed. After the killer is captured, Kate gives Ellen a "let's be friends" speech and leaps off the balcony (okay, maybe not) but in the next book she has a new lover, so Ellen appears to just be a notch in the bedpost. That's fine and all except you slept with a vulnerable woman, irreparably damaged Ellen's already bad relationship with Stephanie--Okay, I assume so. There is no follow up. Is Ellen going to break up with Stephanie? We spent half the book with her, maybe let us know if she managed to escape her controlling clutches. Nothing? Alright...
Ahh, in the second book I see Ellen is still with Stephanie. Pathetic and gross good riddance Kate move on. You won’t? Are well.
Lastly, this book provided some clear-cut examples of authentic head-hopping. That is to say, the narrative voice switches in the middle of paragraphs between Kate and Ellen. Can I sue for mental whiplash? How about a refund for being unnecessarily confusing? The book was free you say? Fine.
I gave it 2-stars because of its historical significance (every genre has to start somewhere) and it was, what I call, a "time capsule book." That is, it's a book (that I had only recently stumbled upon) that is interesting to look at as a reflection of the times it was written (the extent of the public racism, homophobia, and misogyny). Like the kid getting a hit in baseball then running like a speed demon down the third base line--well, they tried really hard.
Still--even with time capsule considerations--the book starts with Ellen mocking the name "Luther" with "Parents will name their kids anything these days." A cliched remark in itself, but Luther while relatively uncommon is hardly as out there as she seems to think. It's not like say, "Clear Rivers" (from the Final Destination movies). She acknowledges it as a miscue as she is talking to a man named Gale (a predominantly female-but unisex name). Right after that she gets into fat-shaming.
Now, fat-shaming wasn't called that back in 1984 and mocking overweight people was a staple of comedy at the time (and of children for generations). However, the author uses fat (twice) as a signifier for evil. That's lazy--like JK Rowling describing all of Slytherin as ugly lazy.
However, Ellen's reaction to finding the body and freaking out felt realistic and I bought that she was terrified.
Finally, the star of the show, the (now)famous Detective Kate Delafield. Also makes note of the the victim being fat--as does her racist partner Taylor, the paramedics, and every employee but whatever, that was addressed.
The problem is that Kate is supposed to be a great detective. All of the characters acknowledge her presence and her partner praises her skill. Yet, for far too long, she thinks a man stabbed directly in the center of his chest committed suicide and had to be walked away from that conclusion. How many suicides has she come on with that COD?
Then she complains internally about her partner's reciting small details (the liquor cart being moved seven feet etc) then declares that the liquor cart was moved as if she discovered it--I suppose she did in the same way Columbus discovered America.
Kate then refers to one of the workers as "Oriental", which was a term sliding out of use by 1984 but not fully so I can give that a time capsule pass because--then she talks about how her deceased lover's eyes were "slanted like a Chinaman." I'd expect this from a CIS-GEN white male author of the time, but an author familiar with discrimination as a woman and a lesbian writing about a character that specifically complains about racial slurs, I thought I'd get more self-awareness.
So, after the first two chapters setting up the crime and characters it became a series of talking heads for soooooo long. By chapter 9 with yet another sit-down interview with yet another character smoking and telling Kate how much they hated Fergus vis-a-vis a mini-autobiography, I started to wonder if this was intended as a play instead of a novel. This was done to show how everyone had motive and because they all smoked the cigarette butt discovered could be from any of them and blah blah--but what it also did was give me more emotional investment in these people (the obvious good ones) than in Kate.
As to obvious good ones--Ellen comes across like an idiot. This is only her, what, second day on the job? Yet, she's willing to lie to the police during a homicide investigation for a guy (named Guy... yet, Ellen has no issue with that name) she's only interacted with for, I'm guessing, a total of fifteen minutes or so--and she is absolutely sure of his character and that he couldn't have done it and he's so nice and. Half the time, in chapters narrated by Kate, Ellen is announcing what a great guy Guy is and in Ellen narrated chapters she acts all awkward and trying to avoid him because she thinks he's into her. Pick a lane! Overall, I think the author; in trying so hard to turn the focus away from Guy, she might as well have put a neon-sign over his office door that says: "HE DID IT!". 40-year-old spoiler: He did it.
To make matters worse, Kate the Great (Detective) figures out who the killer is--that is to say, when evidence is shoved in her face--she acknowledges how obvious it was and that she messed up. Yet, she does it in a confusing way. She says, "I let my instincts get in the way of my training." What she should have said, is that she let her prejudice against silver-spooned nepo-babies get in the way of her training. Her instincts were that she didn't trust the guy. Heck, because of her prejudice, said she hated the guy--so she doesn't seriously consider him as a suspect? Does that follow?
What else does the Kate the Great do? She sleeps with the sole witness (Ellen) to the crime, a woman who should also still be considered a suspect in the murder--on the first day. I'm not familiar with LAPD standards of the time (beyond horrible race relations) but I'm betting screwing the witness/suspect mere hours after the crime is not permitted.
She chalks it up to an admittedly emotional moment where she finally grieves for Ann and her horrible death. In fact, earlier in the story, (a bit that started with the "slanted eyes" remark) Kate repeatedly notes how similar Ellen is to Ann. Yet, after she sleeps with her she declares, she looks nothing like her at all. These are the kind of observational skills that I expect from detectives in the LAPD--no wait, delusional psychotics in an asylum. Same difference you say? Well...
Final criticisms: The ending was rushed. After the killer is captured, Kate gives Ellen a "let's be friends" speech and leaps off the balcony (okay, maybe not) but in the next book she has a new lover, so Ellen appears to just be a notch in the bedpost. That's fine and all except you slept with a vulnerable woman, irreparably damaged Ellen's already bad relationship with Stephanie--Okay, I assume so. There is no follow up. Is Ellen going to break up with Stephanie? We spent half the book with her, maybe let us know if she managed to escape her controlling clutches. Nothing? Alright...
Ahh, in the second book I see Ellen is still with Stephanie. Pathetic and gross good riddance Kate move on. You won’t? Are well.
Lastly, this book provided some clear-cut examples of authentic head-hopping. That is to say, the narrative voice switches in the middle of paragraphs between Kate and Ellen. Can I sue for mental whiplash? How about a refund for being unnecessarily confusing? The book was free you say? Fine.
December 10, 2017
I rank this more a 3/2. it is the second book by Katherine Forrest and the first in the Kate Delafield Series I have read. I like to go in order when reading series, especially with a new author. It lets me see how characters develop as well as the writing style of the author. I find myself enjoying Ms. Forrest's prose and the structure of her stories. Kate Delafield is an LAPD detective we are introduced to via a murder of a company executive in a local office of a national company. Kate is a no-nonsense police officer on the outside with deep vulnerability on the inside who also happens to be a lesbian. She tends to be a loner and we learn about her circumstances throughout the story. One of the employees at the firm who finds the body also happens to be a lesbian. Hmmm. Imagine that? Even with the predictability the mystery turns out to be pretty good. Mostly a cerebral walk through the suspects it is still satisfying as clues are dropped throughout. Easy and quick read. Looking forward to number 2 in the series to see how Detective Kate develops.
May 15, 2018
Interesting and easy read. The characters were well fleshed out, the mystery was interesting and the romance was realistic. Some of the attitudes of certain characters were hard to take. I remember those days when racism, sexism and homophobia were so commonplace and in your face. I am glad that they are less socially acceptable now.
Read
March 25, 20131. what is a box of "man-sized" kleenex supposed to mean?
2. just about every female in this series ends up being a lesbian. what a fun alternative universe.
3. i genuinely love this series; i've read it entirely out of sequence, but that's actually made it more interesting.
2. just about every female in this series ends up being a lesbian. what a fun alternative universe.
3. i genuinely love this series; i've read it entirely out of sequence, but that's actually made it more interesting.
February 25, 2012
Very of its time, but deservedly a classic.
August 1, 2012
Katherine V. Forrest's Kate Delafield -series is one of the best in the genre, and I just love to return to it after so many years!
July 16, 2023
The writing is weak, but the action picks up in the last quarter. I truly did NOT appreciate the reference to a "Chinaman's" eyes.
August 21, 2018
Amateur City, first published in 1984, was one of the first, if not the first, of the popular and prolific “lesbian mystery” genre which flourished over the subsequent years, and the first in a long running series featuring “tough, capable” LAPD detective Kate Delafield. I first read it probably a couple of years after publication and it rapidly sparked an addiction to the genre.
Here, Kate - deep in unaddressed grief after the death of her lover - is in charge of the investigation into the murder of a manager at an office furniture company. As it turns out, the not so dear departed, Fergus Parker, was a truly horrible excuse for a person who any number of people had any number of reasons to want dead.
The plot is fine, it’s well constructed and although I’d read it before it was so long ago that I couldn’t remember the outcome, and I wasn’t able to guess. The suspects, all senior staff at the company, are well drawn with some more likeable characters and some hateful ones.
It does feel dated in some ways, jarringly so at times - I’d hope the overt racism and sexism expressed by some characters here would be less likely today, though the way things are these days, who knows? (And was a female detective really such a rarity in the ‘80s? - it’s the ‘80s after all, not the 1950s.) Kate’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to the whole being-out-at-work dilemma is never named as such, but that’s exactly what it is (everybody knows, nobody acknowledges it). In fact nobody in any line of work here even considers being out at work, as it’s accepted as probable career suicide, or possibly worse in the case of gay male cops. I don’t know how much this has changed, if at all, in the police force. I certainly hope there has been some improvement.
Anyway a very enjoyable and nostalgic read for me. I also have fond memories of the second in the series, Murder at the Nightwood Bar, so I might reread that one soon...
November 14, 2022
At that time it was one of the first books from the Ariadne publishing house that I read. At that time, such books were still rare. When I read it again after several decades, the book only caught me again after a few chapters, but then it was nice to read it.
Detective Kate Delafield must solve the murder of Fergus Parker, a man who had no friends, neither in the world of work nor in his private life. Even his wife did not miss him after his death. Ellen O'Neil is new to the company and was at the scene at the time.
The world of work is described as very gloomy and heavily dominated by men. In the meantime, hopefully, this has changed for most women and non-Aryan men. It fits into the time in which this book was written.
========================
Es gehörte damals zu den ersten Büchern aus dem Ariadne-Verlag, das ich gelesen habe. Zu der Zeit waren solche Bücher noch selten. Beim erneuten Lesen nach mehreren Jahrzehnten hat mich das Buch erst nach ein paar Kapiteln wieder gefangen, aber dann war es schön, es zu lesen.
Detective Kate Delafield muss den Mord an Fergus Parker aufklären, einem Mann, der keine Freunde hatte, weder in der Arbeitswelt noch in seinem Privatleben. Selbst seine Ehefrau vermisste ihn nach seinem Ableben nicht. Ellen O'Neil ist neu in der Firma und war zu dem Zeitpunkt am Tatort.
Die Arbeitswelt wird als sehr düster und stark von Männern beherrscht beschrieben. Inzwischen hat sich das hoffentlich für die meisten Frauen und nicht-arische Männer verändert. Es passte in die Zeit, in der dieses Buch entstand.
Detective Kate Delafield must solve the murder of Fergus Parker, a man who had no friends, neither in the world of work nor in his private life. Even his wife did not miss him after his death. Ellen O'Neil is new to the company and was at the scene at the time.
The world of work is described as very gloomy and heavily dominated by men. In the meantime, hopefully, this has changed for most women and non-Aryan men. It fits into the time in which this book was written.
========================
Es gehörte damals zu den ersten Büchern aus dem Ariadne-Verlag, das ich gelesen habe. Zu der Zeit waren solche Bücher noch selten. Beim erneuten Lesen nach mehreren Jahrzehnten hat mich das Buch erst nach ein paar Kapiteln wieder gefangen, aber dann war es schön, es zu lesen.
Detective Kate Delafield muss den Mord an Fergus Parker aufklären, einem Mann, der keine Freunde hatte, weder in der Arbeitswelt noch in seinem Privatleben. Selbst seine Ehefrau vermisste ihn nach seinem Ableben nicht. Ellen O'Neil ist neu in der Firma und war zu dem Zeitpunkt am Tatort.
Die Arbeitswelt wird als sehr düster und stark von Männern beherrscht beschrieben. Inzwischen hat sich das hoffentlich für die meisten Frauen und nicht-arische Männer verändert. Es passte in die Zeit, in der dieses Buch entstand.
August 1, 2018
A very fast read that has a good protagonist, well drawn characters and plenty of suspects in the murder of an executive at an office supply corporation divisional headquarters. Kate Delafield and her partner Ed Taylor are called to the scene of early morning murder of Fergus Parker, who was hated by everyone who worked under him and had a motive to knife him with his own letter opener. Ellen O'Neill, a newcomer to the firm, is the only witness in the case, having heard the murder and the killer escape. Kate, having lost her lover in a horrifying car accident, finds herself tempted to cross the line in the case when she discovers that Ellen has a resemblance to her deceased lover.
The novel, set during Reagan-era Los Angeles, focused a lot on the behind the scenes machinations of a business with the cutthroat actions of the characters. I especially liked the assistant Billie, who wasn't afraid to fish dirt on all her co-workers. The book follows Kate's investigation as she sets up shop in the building and has to weed out who among Parker's staff hated him enough to end his reign of terror.
A good mystery that makes Kate's lesbian relationship second to her solving the murder. Recommended!
The novel, set during Reagan-era Los Angeles, focused a lot on the behind the scenes machinations of a business with the cutthroat actions of the characters. I especially liked the assistant Billie, who wasn't afraid to fish dirt on all her co-workers. The book follows Kate's investigation as she sets up shop in the building and has to weed out who among Parker's staff hated him enough to end his reign of terror.
A good mystery that makes Kate's lesbian relationship second to her solving the murder. Recommended!
August 18, 2020
In this very dated book Detective Kate Delafield is called to investigate the murder of an executive at a furniture company where everyone has a motive. Oh also, she and most of the female characters are lesbians for some reason. To be honest at first it seemed fine but ended ended up feeling silly.
I wanted to like this more than I did, but I still enjoyed it enough to consider picking up another in the series to give it a shot as I do like Kate. I don't understand why the bit with the female exec. was necessary, but I don't tend to be forgiving of those sorts of things so ymmv. I also don't know why they were all so proud of themselves for stopping Billie since the people she called out deserved it but again maybe that's just me.
I wanted to like this more than I did, but I still enjoyed it enough to consider picking up another in the series to give it a shot as I do like Kate. I don't understand why the bit with the female exec. was necessary, but I don't tend to be forgiving of those sorts of things so ymmv. I also don't know why they were all so proud of themselves for stopping Billie since the people she called out deserved it but again maybe that's just me.
July 9, 2025
This was such a courageous book to write with the factual experiences of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, ‘Fags’ and women at the time. The crime of a despicable human being that no one not even his wife mourned. Kate’s struggle with the death of her long time partner having to stay closeted and continue to work. Then Ellen’s struggle to make a path for herself separate from her Professor partner who wanted her to be a ‘stay at home’ wife…the investigation followed a realistic path and appreciated the killer was not easily guessed. As an older queer woman I am grateful to authors like KVF who write/wrote stories with lesbian characters that exist, work hard, have heartbreaks, and have sex like the rest of the human race.
July 18, 2024
Most characters are really caricatures. The detective is good. I would read more of the series if I believed the writing would get better.
A lot of unrealistic dialog.
Over the top racist, fat phobic, and homophobic dialog.
What’s worse is the author referring more than once to the “black office manager”, and the “black secretary”, not as dialog but as descriptors in the narration. When she referred to a “black desk” it took me a moment to understand.
She also refers to “orientals” And describes someone’s eye shape as “like a Chinaman’s”.
There’s way too much “don’t look over here, this person can’t be the killer” - there really is no mystery.
A lot of unrealistic dialog.
Over the top racist, fat phobic, and homophobic dialog.
What’s worse is the author referring more than once to the “black office manager”, and the “black secretary”, not as dialog but as descriptors in the narration. When she referred to a “black desk” it took me a moment to understand.
She also refers to “orientals” And describes someone’s eye shape as “like a Chinaman’s”.
There’s way too much “don’t look over here, this person can’t be the killer” - there really is no mystery.
March 24, 2025
Decent mystery, interesting location and cast and a likable, competent detective.
Wish I liked this more.
It's very much of its time, and the 80's could be as problematic as anything from the 30's.
It also has the traditional clunkiness of the first book in a series.
I get that this book has a historical pedigree, but I got tired of being reminded there are lesbians in it every three pages and the relationship stuff was the least interesting part of the book.
The reveal of the 'how' of the mystery was good, the 'why' and 'who' was pretty annoying.
maybe this gets better as the series progresses but I'm not sure I liked this enough to find out.
Wish I liked this more.
It's very much of its time, and the 80's could be as problematic as anything from the 30's.
It also has the traditional clunkiness of the first book in a series.
I get that this book has a historical pedigree, but I got tired of being reminded there are lesbians in it every three pages and the relationship stuff was the least interesting part of the book.
The reveal of the 'how' of the mystery was good, the 'why' and 'who' was pretty annoying.
maybe this gets better as the series progresses but I'm not sure I liked this enough to find out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews