Overview

It’s not that unusual for a lesbian sleuth to get a crush on someone that is the prime suspect in a murder. Harriet Fordham Croft has this experience in The Monarchs are Flying, the enjoyable first novel by Marion Foster. In fact both Harriet and Diana Mendoza—the main character in If Looks Could Kill—are lawyers. But while the romance between Harriet and Leslie is somewhat casual, that between Diana and up-and-coming actor Lauren Lytch smolders and sizzles by turn.

In fact, it is the relationship between these two characters that drives the novel. And the reason is an odd one. The truth is, Diana dislikes Lauren at first sight, not just because she seems stuck up, but because she is white. That’s right, Diana—who is of Costa Rican heritage—has racial issues.

Diana is a successful Boston attorney who has found a side-niche consulting with scriptwriters of crime dramas. She has even begun to write scripts herself for a popular TV series, Milipitas Knows . Because of her dark complexion, Diana often feels that she is talked down to by “Anglos.” For this reason, she is very reticent to even mingle with people who are not Latinos. This becomes apparent when the blonde and beautiful Lauren mistakes her for a waiter at a Hollywood party. Later, though, Diana discovers Lauren in an unguarded emotional moment and, against her better judgment, begins to like her.

It seems that several years before, Lauren was blackmailed into marrying a real estate broker. Now the husband has turned up dead. Although they have been separated for years, Lauren just happens to have seen him on the night he died and is, of course, suspected by the police. Can Diana help her? Well, of course. “There was something in Diana that responded to being needed.” I love the interplay between the two women. It might not be as sassy as the relationship in Lee Winters’ The Red Files or Robin Brandeis’ She Scoops to Conquer, but it’s darn close.

The mystery itself is both twisting, interesting, and more plausible than most. Despite one or two very small glitches, the point of view narration was extremely well done. I like Diana and I like Lauren and I would gladly date either of them. Give this book a solid 4. On the whole it is an unexpected little gem. Nice story, nice characters, nice cover.