Review: The Watson Evidence by Rosalyn Wraight

The Watson Evidence (A Detective Laura McCallister Lesbian Mystery #4)

By Rosalyn Wraight

July 14th 2011

Mystery/Detective/Lesbian/Contemporary

281 pgs

Pub: Don't Waste Daylight

In recent weeks, two teenage boys have jumped to their deaths from Granger Bridge, and now, another one is missing. Detective Laura McCallister is frustrated and desperate to find a way to stop the deadly succession.

Meanwhile, a County deputy summons her to the hospital with the hope that she can ID an unconscious accident victim. After surviving a fiery wreck, the woman’s only possessions: $10,000 cash, and McCallister’s business card in her back pocket. Is there ever a good reason to have a detective’s business card?

Not knowing who the woman is, McCallister waits for the mystery to solve itself with the woman’s awakening. But, things don’t prove quite that simple. In fact, they become so convoluted that McCallister must endure some of the darkest moments of her life. This time, the mystery exists inside her own self, and the skills she instinctually relies upon for resolution seem far beyond her capabilities.

I started reading this particular detective series a couple of years ago and all have been reviewed here on LVLM or Goodreads in case you’re curious. I happen to be really fond of Laura McCallister as a character and have enjoyed reading these books due to it. This book was good as well even though I had some minor issues with it.

Unlike in the last three books, this story revolves mostly around Laura’s personal life, rather than some mystery or case she’s working on. Although a mystery she’s gotten sucked into and her personal life are connected in this case.

On the one hand, I liked this because there is more detail about a character I like. Kind of like when you like someone and you want to know more about them. However, for the purposes of the story as a whole, I felt sometimes there was too much personal emoting/dialogue that left the plot and mystery part, the exciting part really, lacking.

I was really sucked in by the first part of the book. There are several mysteries going on that Laura is dealing with that piqued my curiosity about what’s going on. It starts out as a traditional detective novel, which I liked. There’s been a succession of teenage suicides on a local bridge that Laura wants to stop, and a woman who was in an accident and has amnesia is found to have Laura’s business card on her.

The main mystery going on is the amnestic woman, even though the rash of suicides is how the book starts out. Although it’s not really a case that Laura needs to work on, because of this woman having Laura’s business card, Laura tries to figure out what’s going on with her. As Laura tries to help the woman remember anything about who she is, she comes to a painful conclusion that throws her into a lot of emotional turmoil as she’s pulled into her own painful past. This in turn causes her to make a rookie mistake that almost kills her. She is then forced to deal with long suppressed feelings, which she doesn’t want to do.

OK, so that story line was very intriguing to me. It unfolded slowly enough to keep up mystery and tension. However, how it all resolved and come to a head still left me with many questions about why some characters acted the way they did. Some of it just didn’t make any sense to me, or seemed illogical. A little more psychological motivation of the other characters would have helped I think. Laura’s personal journey is interesting though, and that kept me going.

The other mystery story line also left me wondering what that was all about. I kept thinking there was going to be a linkup between the two threads or some other connection to the main plot, but that didn’t happen. I felt there should have been some explanation as to why it took up as much book space as it did since there seemed to be a suggestion of possibly something more sinister going on. I think this would have been a cleaner, neater story if that part had been left out since it distracted a bit from the focus of the book. But YMMV.

It’s actually kind of hard to categorize this book. I can’t say it’s really a mystery because it doesn’t solely focus on the mystery in the traditional mystery/detective book sense. I can’t say it’s a romance on any level, but a lot of the dialogue between Laura and Holly, her partner, is about their relationship, their life together and Laura’s emotional state. It bordered on being a little too mushy for my taste. But I can’t be nitpicky about that because I do feel that a lot of readers will love that; will love the expressions of a deep emotional connection between them.

Overall though, I enjoyed this book. It flows nicely and at a fast pace, and there is just enough intrigue to keep it interesting and compelling to read. Laura grows as a person quite a bit in this story, which also added to my enjoyment. I hope there’s another Laura McCallister book coming; I’ll definitely read it. 

Heat Level: 0 

Rating: Really liked

Review- Scavengers: Lesbian Adventure Club: Book 1 by Rosalyn Wraight

Scavengers: Lesbian Adventure Club: Book 1
by Rosalyn Wraight
May 21, 2008
Contemporary/ Lesbian- non romance
98 pg- $11.99 paper, $7.99 ebook
Ebook- Pub: Don’t Waste Daylight

Buy it Amazon, DP books, Don’t Waste Daylight

The Lesbian Adventure Club, aka Dykes Who Dare, Scavenger Hunt

5 Couples
8 Clues
24 Hours
1 Pants-Pissing Good Time

The rules of the game are simple: trust no one, steamroll if you have to.

In the end, it matters if you win and how you play.

Series Introduction: This ongoing series revolves around five lesbian couples-from a variety of careers and at different stages in their relationships-who spend a weekend per month immersed in an adventure concocted by one of the couples. While the stories center upon the adventure, the foundation of each is built upon the gritty issues of friendship and trust between women. Told in first-person by character Kate Sutter, a newspaper reporter, the writing is crisp, and yet, it utilizes her unique perspective and peculiar sense of humor, sending it between the extremes of sentimentality and outright hilarity.

I’ve read and reviewed a few of Rosalyn Wraight’s mystery books here on LVLM and enjoyed them even if I did have some issues with the writing. The same goes for her Lesbian Adventure Club series. Scavengers is the first book in this series and sets up the tone with character development and interaction for the rest of the series.

I can’t really categorize this book as anything I’ve read before; it’s not romance, although this is a book about couples and their ongoing conflicts and relationship issues, so there are some relationshippy things that happen. I’d say this is more chick lit since it is about the everyday lives of a group of women, couples, who get together regularly for an adventure/mystery themed weekend with specific rules.

In this story, told in first person by Kate, the women go on a 24 hour scavenger hunt. They all take turns sponsoring the event and Kris and Ginny are responsible for setting up this current adventure for the group of women. They are the oldest couple, both in their late 50’s and also the longest together, 24 years, so they are looked up to by the others. They’ve chosen to do a scavenger hunt for this particular adventure. The women are given several clues during the course of the day and they all have to go out as couples and do what the instructions say. The winner is to pay for dinner for all.

I thought this is a fun and interesting concept, not one that I’ve read before to keep a story going. There’s a lot of ribbing, rivalry and camaraderie between the women as they fight to be the fastest at completing the projects. It’s kind of like hanging out with a bunch of friends during a weekend, but with a fun purpose involved.

Although this story is told from Kate’s POV, we do get some glimpses into the other characters and what they’re about. But mostly, in this book it's Kate and Claudia’s story being worked out during this weekend. Kate and Claudia have been having problems, with Claudia moving away emotionally from Kate and the group for a while now. Kate’s been upset about it, but has been at a loss what to do. What I liked here is that Kris and Ginny, being the wise older couple, are sensitive to what’s going on with the other couples and they see what’s happening to Kate and Claudia. They work out their weekend scavenger hunt to also include some things and situations that could help Claudia and Kate work things out.

So this isn’t only about a mystery hunt or game, it does have a lot of character growth within that realm, which I really liked. What I was really thankful for also, was that this didn’t go the way of the emo drama that happens often in contemps. These women are very real and fun to hang out with.

Two characters, Holly and Laura, are from Rosalyn Wraight’s other series, a mystery series that features detective Laura McCallister. I’m quite fond of Laura as a character and we get another glimpse into her private life with Holly from a different perspective, which I liked as they are part of this group of women.

Unlike the other books I’ve read of Rosalyn Wraight’s, I didn’t find any issues with the writing itself. This is a nicely written book, with lots of humor and human moments with an unusual backdrop for it. And for those who like to read lesbian stories without any sex but with some minor romance to it, this book will hit the spot.

I don't know how the other books in the series will read. There are currently 10 I believe. While I enjoyed the format for its uniqueness, I’m not sure how it would pan out over a long series. I’ll definitely read one of the other ones at some point though to see how it’s carried as the characters are interesting and I do like the concept of mystery weekends.

I think if you’re looking for something light and fun to read that offers something a bit different then you’ll like this book and maybe even the series.

Sex rating: Dry panties- there’s no sex in this book

Grade: B+

Review- Woman Justice by Rosalyn Wraight

Woman Justice
by Rosalyn Wraight
2004- Original pub 1999
Mystery/ Lesbian
Novel -200 pgs.
Ebook version

Buy it Amazon, Fictionwise, DLSIJ Press

What happens to all those characters a novelist creates? Could it be that they exist in an alternate plane? Could they be capable of returning to the writer, demanding a better, more fulfilling existence? This seems to be reality for Emily Decker, lauded mystery writer, when she is confronted by Milicent Baylor.

In her effort to get Milicent's existence past the burgeoning state, Emily writes a series of erotic stories, set in varying locales—from Alaska to Timbuktu. Each word, each sentence that Emily writes, makes Milicent stronger, more viable, more real. Emily places herself in these torrid tales and follows her character's regeneration. As Milicent grows in strength and character, Emily realizes she is falling in love with her own creation.

But all is not well in the real world...

The book opens with a police investigation into a pile of bones found in the woods. Detective Laura McCallister intends to solve the riddle. Whose bones are they? What do they have to do with Emily? What do they have to do with Milicent? How do Emily's father and housekeeper fit into this twisted scenario? Is anything as it appears to be?

I must say, I just don’t know whether the way this book was written was genius or totally lame. Although I was left feeling good overall about it, Woman Justice did put me through the ringer and I was left with lots of conflicting thoughts about his book.

Detective Laura McCallister is called when some bones are found in a park.

Famous mystery writer Emily Decker is having a bout of writer’s block and can’t seem to focus or get inspiration for her next book, which has been contracted with a sizable advance. Caroline, her agent, has been calling and asking what is going on, Olivia, her loyal housekeeper, is getting on her nerves because of her fussing about, and family issues that she’s ignored for years are coming to the forefront.

Emily is having a hard time dealing with life in general when out of nowhere a woman appears at her back door. Virtually a recluse, Emily is intrigued by this woman, especially when this woman claims she is Milicent, a character Emily created when she was much younger and first starting to write. Even though she questions whether Milicent is real or a figment of her imagination, Emily goes along with it not caring what’s real because for the first time in a long time, she’s turned on by something. Not only that, she cuts everyone out of her life to be with Milicent by pulling out the phone and not letting anyone enter her house, including Olivia.

In the meantime, she starts writing again, but not her book. She writes short stories about Milicent in exotic settings that express her inner erotic desires and love for Milicent because all along, Milicent talks to her and complains that Emily hasn’t written her story, her character, properly and she wishes Emily would write her the life that Emily promised. One day Milicent takes off and this pushes Emily to the brink.

OK, several things about this book got to me. I think author Rosalyn Wraight was gutsy to go a very unique route in this mystery and I have to give her some kudos for trying it. The thing is, it almost bombed for me. Many times. I got so fed up with this book on numerous occasions that if it weren’t for the fact that Ms. Wraight got me pissed and curious enough to see where this story was going, I would have ditched this book after the first 20 pgs. or so.

What really rectified this story for me was the ending. It blew my mind with several unexpected twists. It was well worth it to keep plugging along because that was the best part. And as an after thought, I did think several of the issues I did have with the book, were interesting in and of themselves if taken out of context.

My thoughts and impressions: first, there was a huge problem for me in the pacing of this story. It was all off for me, and frankly, I got agitated on more than one occasion because of it.

This book is a mystery with the introduction of detective McCallister. It starts out great with her starting the investigation. Shortly thereafter, the story switches to Emily and her situation, but without context or connection to the investigation. Unfortunately, Emily’s story goes on and on and on and I kept wondering what she has to do with all of this and why aren’t we getting any investigation? It felt as if I had started reading completely separate book. There are brief glimpses of the investigation after a long while, but it quickly goes back to Emily again. There was too much of a disconnect for me to feel a good flow between the story lines.

Then there are the stories that Emily is writing. There’s a string of very short stories that go on and on without any kind of fade back to Emily herself, or fade back to the investigation in between. By the third story in a row, I was getting frustrated. I got that Emily is trying to appease Milicent and work out her own feelings around her, but let’s get on with the main story again please.

Note: The short stories themselves, are very well written. Actually, they’re much better written than this whole book; very poetically erotic and creative. I think I would have appreciated them and what they were meant to do for this story much more if there weren’t so many in a row, but more interspersed throughout the story.

Another issue I had was the overuse of funky metaphors and similes and descriptors, which totally distracted me at times. It’s something I commented about in my review of Secrets and Sins, the second book in this series. This book was worse than the second book on this level, so hopefully it gets better as the series continues.

Some examples:

“There’s not much of it left,” she pelted, inching her sleeve up, exposing her watch to emphasize.

Emily swirled the one o’clock coffee in her mouth like a sewer drain in mid shower.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that the store had emptied itself for the week and would shut its blinds in sleep until Monday came around again.

The wrongness of the situation obsessed the room.

Problem number three; if I really go into it, it will give away too much of the mystery, but it was an issue that almost caused me to drop the book a few times. I’m not a huge fan of author characters treating their characters as real. I’ve read this plot device in a few books and it’s just too much for me to suspend disbelief in that. I just think it’s too hokey. Yes, we finally get to know why Emily is treating her character as real, and the end does make up for it. However, we’re talking about practically the whole book in which Emily is treating her character as real, since the end is just a few chapters.

I don’t want to leave the impression that I was very dissatisfied with this book though, I wasn’t. Overall, I will say that I loved this book. After the fact it is interesting to see what Ms. Wraight did and how it helped to get to the ending. And aside from the clunky wording here and there, her writing style is rather poetic and reflective. She also managed a shocking twist at the end, which totally made this book for me. That, and I like Laura McCallister as a character.

If you like mysteries, all I can say is hang in there with this one. While not a traditionally written one, Woman Justice still satisfies on so many levels. There’s not much of a romantic angle in this story as there was in Secrets and Sins, but there is some romance to this story, which can be felt more as an after effect.

Sex rating: Damp Panties- Lesbian--Ms. Wraight wrote the sexual scenarios more poetically, than graphically. Although some of the sexual situations were very erotic. I was a bit disappointed on this level only because at Fictionwise, where I bought the book, it’s listed under erotica. It’s so NOT erotica. The language is more sensual and alludes to rather than outright describes the sexual situations.

Grade: I have to give a mixed grade. C- for all the technical issues that I had with the book. B+ for the general overall feeling that I had with the book, including the surprise ending and unique take on this genre.

Review- Secrets and Sins by Rosalyn Wraight

Secrets and Sins
by Rosalyn Wraight
Aug 11, 2008
Contemporary/ Mystery/ Lesbian
Novel
Ebook version

Buy it Amazon, Fictionwise, DLSIJ press

The day before lesbian detective Laura McCallister's vacation, an elderly man, Tobias Faraday, is found dead in his estate, a victim of an apparent poisoning. While all the evidence clearly points in one direction, a deathly cold hand, clenched to her shoulder, steers her in another. She is led through a maze of riddles and codes, secrets and sins.

She looks into Faraday's cloudy eyes with a vow to determine the truth. What she didn't expect is that he would end up peering into her own. The investigation becomes excruciatingly personal, leaving her struggling to face her own secrets and sins.

Who killed Tobias Faraday? Is it really as simple as it seems? And what does the painting in his sitting room--crafted by her lover of ten years, Holly Crawford--have to do with it all? Can she solve the mystery without getting mired down in her own fears and pain? And, can she do it in time for her and Holly to catch that plane to Maine?

Secrets and Sins is a nicely done old-fashioned whodunit set in contemporary times. While having the aura of a retro mystery due to the age of the victim and his way of acting and speaking, a carry over from a time past, Secrets and Sins moved along at a fast, modern day pace with all the uses of contemporary technology mixed with traditional detective work.

McCallister, as everyone calls her, is getting ready to go on vacation with her live-in lover/ partner Holly when she’s called to a murder scene. It looks all cut and dry as to who the murderer is so she and Holly manage to get to the airport in time to have their vacation. Not so fast though…McCallister has a gnawing, bad feeling in her stomach about this case and Holly, realizing that her lover will not be able to relax, tells her to forget about the holiday for now.

It turns out that old man Faraday, the victim, was a mystery buff and has set up an elaborate puzzle just for McCallister, leaving a series of clues along the way for her to follow and decipher to help her know what really happened. Along the way, McCallister also finds out things about herself that she’d rather not have to think about.

I really liked this story. I’m a huge fan of the mystery genre and it’s what I mostly read before getting into romance and erotica. On that level this book was very entertaining and well done. As a mystery, Rosalyn Wraight managed to keep it fresh by adding in many twists to the plot, keeping the story from being totally predictable.

As McCallister gets the clues left to her by Faraday, so do we the readers and the step by step process kept me curious as to how it all pans out. Moreover, I liked the idea that the victim has set up all the clues prior to his death somehow knowing what might happen making it a game of wits with McCallister whom he admired, even in his death. Then there’s the private romantic life of McCallister…

Sorry folks, but if you would read this book for some girl on girl action, this book doesn’t have it. Nor is this a romance really, either. What was very satisfying though was that the romantic relationship between McCallister and Holly was woven throughout the story offering a glimpse into home life and heart of McCallister who is a no nonsense detective.

The interactions between these two are very sweet and loving and it’s very clear that these two women have a very close, intimate relationship in which they are very supportive of each other. So while not a hot and steamy romance, if you are looking for a story that depicts an intimate, loving lesbian relationship as part of a larger story then Secrets and Sins will satisfy.

As a character, McCallister is very appealing. She soft in the right areas, as in her love life and interactions with her friends, but she’s tough when it comes to work. She’s in charge and lets people know it, but at the same time, she knows how to delegate the work, trusting her underlings to do the job while at the same time teaching them.

And she smokes. Oh boy, but I love a character who unabashedly smokes. She smokes and drinks coffee throughout this book, constantly needing a smoke break to chit chat things out with her reporter friend or just because she needs to clear her head. It’s my quirk, but the whole politically incorrectness of it is a turn on, especially for me, an ex-smoker.

While for the most part I really enjoyed this book, there were a few niggling points that took me out of the story several times. One of them is Ms Wraight’s overly descriptive language sometimes. Not flowery purple prose, but wording that felt awkward and stilted and which just felt odd. For example:

“…her hat tipped to block the sunshine that tried desperately to burn off last night’s rain.”

“Once satisfied, she continued on until the study’s doorknob succumbed to the twist of her hand.”

“As the car’s clock readied itself to flash three-thirty, she again drove the car in the direction of the Faraday house.”

“Then, like a bullet from her gun, she sped to the kitchen in search of a screwdriver or a knife.”

Fortunately these kinds of sentences were mostly in the beginning and a nice flow in the writing kicked in for most of the book, keeping me from ditching it. Another niggling point was that the name of the supposedly Japanese gardener who taught young Faraday about orchids in the 40’s, was called Kim Su. Sorry but Kim Su is not even close to being a Japanese name. This also threw me out of the story. One other thing that was a bit too much for me was the fact that almost everyone else in this story is gay or lesbian. The coroner is gay and another main character, a reporter, is also a lesbian. What are the odds really?

Still though, I liked Rosalyn Wraight’s story telling enough to buy the first book in this McCallister mystery series, which is touted as an erotic book. I have the feeling that Ms. Wraight can write a very nice erotic romantic mystery type of story based on how deliciously she wrote the relationship between McCallister and Holly in Secrets and Sins.

Sex rating: Dry panties- no sex in this book. Just hints of these two characters might have a hawt, juicy sex life.

Grade: B+