Slow to warm and fast to end, this Edgar Award winner finished on a high note that resolved some doubts I’d had through much of the book. Protagonist Kate and her partner Al are thrown together to investigate the murders of three girls. The location of the bodies in an enclave of simple living run by one man on the west side of the San Francisco peninsula, draws attention to a woman, Vaun, who turns out to have a past that seems to implicate her in the slayings. Vaun is known locally to be an artist, but she manages to keep her artistic reputation in the outside world from the locals. The story really turns on Vaun’s life and skills, making the prime suspect drawn more clearly in some ways than the detectives. Kate Martinelli and Al Hawkin both are addressing new statuses, Kate’s a promotion and Al’s just joining the force after serving with merit in another force. The pairing is uncomfortable for Al at the outset and Kate’s extreme reticence about her private life doesn’t lend itself well to developing the working partnership. This reader was a bit put off by the very slow revelation of what was inside the partners, but the ending mentioned above really made the slow development of the pairing succeed.The case itself is cleverly set up, in an odd place with its modern convenience-free bent, including prohibition on vehicles some days of the week, and its leader, Tyler, a rather quirky man, himself. As the story develops, more and more of Vaun’s life and personality and challenges come to play in the investigation. Slowly, Kate and Al forge a trusting team that works to solve the murders. The private lives of both detectives appear and Kate’s affects the outcome. Early on, this reader felt that Vaun and Tyler were clearer characters than Kate and Al, but by the end that wasn’t so. One way I evaluate a mystery, particularly one like this that is the first of a series, is whether I will be looking for others in the series. After doubting that greatly, I find myself having added the second book to my wish list and looking forward to trying King’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, her opening book of another series.
Before anything else I have to address some of the reviews of this book.Being gay is not an agenda. Wanting this to be kept private and free from literature is tantamount to saying that you want to erase gay people from a literary presence which is, to put it bluntly, some bigoted bullshit. There is nothing "politically correct" about an author writing about a happy lesbian couple. Gay people exist in the real world and they deserve to be written about in a flattering or even matter-of-fact manner without being accused of pushing some of kind of agenda, PC or otherwise. That you, in 2011 or 2013, or any year in recent memory can, with no irony, complain about how you don't like gay people existing in your precious detective novels is both disturbing and laughable. You should be ashamed, point blank. I feel secondhand embarrassment for the ignorant words you're spewing into the world.With that being said (and really, I shouldn't have to be justifying why gay people deserve to be written about in this day and age), I thought the book was just okay. The fact that there was zero mystery about who the killer was after a certain point, to me, kind of defeats the whole purpose of a detective novel. Sure, it was written pretty well but pretty writing alone can't carry a whole book. I may read the second one, but I'm not in a hurry.Also, Hawkin pseudo-threatening Kate by holding her sexual orientation over her head made me dislike him immensely (pg 224). Though he doesn't say he's going to out her to others, he sort of uses it to strong-arm her into letting Vaun stay in her house which is not cool at all. Also, Bruckner was creepy. That is most definitely NOT what a psychologist should act like.
What do You think about A Grave Talent (1995)?
(4.5 Stars)A really enjoyable detective/mystery novel. I've read some of the Sherlock Holmes series by her and I had some expectations for this novel. Even though it wasn't always very fast paced, I really loved all of the details and the characters. The writing is especially strong. Even when I was reading a long description about a character, which usually bores me, I wanted to read more. If you like detective novels, with plenty if mystery and a little bit of murder, then I would very much recommend this book. It also not too bloody or graphic at all. I've already ordered the next two in the series. Happy reading!
—Lost Book Thoughts
James wrote: "I really enjoyed this series. I wish she had written more books featuring this character."She's very good, isn't she? I, too, wish this were a longer series.
—L
Spannend zu lesen und glaubhafte, interessante Charaktere. Etwas unangenehm fiel mir jedoch diese schwiemelige Art auf, in der Laurie King über Homosexualität schreibt. Durchaus begrüßenswert befindet sich ihre Protagonistin in einer lesbischen Beziehung. Dass dieser Umstand nicht notwendigerweise mit allen Kollegen im Polizeidienst ausführlichst besprochen werden muss, ist aus meiner Sicht klar und verständlich. Dass es ein Problem für die Protagonistin darstellt, mit überhaupt irgendjemandem über ihre Homosexualität zu sprechen oder über ihr Privatleben, nicht mal mit ihrem Dienstpartner, erschließt sich mir hingegen überhaupt nicht. Das problematisiert eine homosexuelle Beziehung auf eine Weise, die der Zeit, in der der Krimi entstand, nicht angemessen ist. Das Buch ist im Jahr 1994 erschienen, das war der Höhepunkt der amerikanischen Lesbenkrimiwelle. Wenn ich dann noch lese, dass die Lebensgefährtin von Kate auf Schwule spezialisiert ist, weil sie Ahnung von Kunst hat und jeder schwule Mann ja unglaublich kunstaffin ist, muss ich mir leider angewidert den Finger in den Hals stecken... Und dann wird ausgerechnet die Lebensgefährtin durch den Killer schwer verletzt. Bei der schon klar war, dass sie auf der Szenerie nichts zu suchen hat, blabla. *facepalm* Irgendwie überdramatisch und unangemessen. Da es jedoch der erste Band einer Serie um die Polizistin Kate Martinelli ist, habe ich noch Hoffnung, dass die folgenden Bände etwas zeitgemäßer ausfallen...
—Elke Koepping
