Welcome to Litsy!

An historical mystery set in 1950s San Francisco with an all queer cast! Andy, the MC, is a nuanced portrayal of a gay man with internalized homophobia, a former cop kicked who was caught in a police raid of a gay bar. He's day drinking when an older lady approaches, asking him to investigate her wife's death murder. Great characters, a puzzling whodunit, and a heartwarming story about reinventing yourself after you think your life is over.

Oof this is a well done, fascinating mystery, but there is some disturbing content FYI: a serial child molester and incest perpetrator. The murder victim is a lesbian sex worker too. Anyone picking this up should be prepared. Also: an 80s dyke bar setting where Kate's personal and professional selves are in awkward proximity. The killer, holy shit what a sad twist. A few missteps here again re: race and sex work. Fantastic #audiobook narration!

Although I wasn't sure about this book at first, 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 like a slice of 80s L.A. life. Virulent corporate racism and sexism are front and centre in the investigation. Forrest's characterization is sharp as a knife and deeply uninterested in flat or stock characters. I've already started the second book!