A Tiger's Heart: A Caitlin Reece Mystery (Caitlin Reece Mysteries)

Rating:
Summary: Where's the mystery?
Review: Caitlin Reece is a former attorney who has changed career paths becoming a private investigator. This book is the fourth Caitlin Reece Mystery and the first that I have read. The book takes off like a rocket with the murder of one of Reece's former classmates. However, the mystery and suspense virtually end there. The murder consumes Reece's mind and heart with memories. Past memories and extenuating circumstances make taking the case a difficult decision for Reece. More time is spent chasing past memories then is spent on solving the murder itself. Taking the reflections out would make the book 2/3rds smaller.

It is an interesting and easy to read story; however, lacking the "on the edge of your seat" suspense of a good mystery. This is my first experience with Caitlin Reece the Private Investigator, and this experience does not convince me of her skills. Comparatively, Jaye Maiman's Robin Miller, who also changed careers to become a private investigator, is much more convincing. This experience has not convinced me to read the previous Caitlin Reece mysteries right away. Perhaps when I've no other lesbian mysteries left to read I'll return again to Caitlin Reece.

Rating:
Summary: One of Douglas' best
Review: I completely disagree with the previous reviewer sho praised Jaye Maiman's (ugh!) works over those of Ms. Douglas. I have read all of LWD's books and find all of them compelling, intelligent, literate and thankfully free from the leering [implications] that characterizes so many lesbian so-called works of literature. We mystery readers want a good mystery, not thinly-disguised soft porn. Whereas I don't think this is Douglas' best work (read Ninth Life and Rage of Maidens for that) it is good -- very good -- and head and shoulders about lesser lights like Jaye Maiman. It's in this book that Caitlin as a champion of kids emerges as a theme, and this is carried over into subsequent works. If I could compare Caitlin to anyone, I would compare her to Andrew Vacch's character Burke in her advocacy for the underdog. Caitlin is a much softer character (I mean his in a good way) and is unlike Burke in that respect, but I see many similarities. If this reviewer/reader ignores LWD's other works, she does so at her loss. Ms. Douglas is a talented and thoughtful writer and I have enjoyed every one of her books.