LGBTQ+ Category: Lesbian
Genre: Murder Mystery, Romance
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
A murdered drag queen. Dozens of suspects. One determined detective. Book 7 in the popular Lessons in Murder series, by award-winning, best-selling author Edale Lane
Lieutenant Detective Jenna Ferrari excels at catching criminals, and while she’s come a long way toward taming her temper—thanks to her loving partner, Dr. Miranda McLeod—this case may get the better of her. While Jenna and Randi are in the audience of a regional drag competition, the contestant favored to win is being murdered backstage.
Deciding she needs a man on the inside to really find out what’s going on, Jenna sends a member of her team undercover as the murdered queen’s replacement. Will he reveal the killer or long-concealed truths about himself?
Who killed the queen? Was it a nasty anti-LGBTQ protestor, a homophobic pastor, the victim’s ex-boyfriend, another competitor, or someone nobody suspects?
Enter the fabulous world of drag in this established-couple, sapphic, queer-inclusive whodunit mystery novel.
The Review
Randi has tickets to the hottest regional show in Roanoak – the three day Drag Queen Competition at the Berglund Performing Arts Center. One of her freshman students, Chris Gates, a theatre major, is competing in the competition. The winner of the competition gets to perform at the Vegas Dragapalousa Extravaganza. Randi is looking forward to spending an evening with Jenna.
Jenna is ready to relax too and enjoy the evening out with Randi, leaving the Roanoke PD issues behind. But the evening starts with a sour note the minute they arrive at the Berglund. There’s a protest in front of the Center. Jenna slips into cop mode and makes her way to the front of the crowd, where she finds that Officer Michael Murphy is already there for crowd control. As he had tickets to the event too, he had to leave his girlfriend inside the Berglund. Since things seem to be under control, she and Randi make their way inside to watch the competition.
The evening unpleasantly interrupted when the winner, Lonny Marshall, is found murdered. With a call from Jenna, the RPD team immediately jumps into action. Everyone has their own assignments to help solve the case.
Jenna needs someone who wasn’t noticed at the competition to go undercover, and Security Specialist and Tech expert Ethan Bauman seems to be her best choice. Although he protests, she insists, and he finds himself in a whole new world when he’s taken under Hailey Adler’s wing.
Jenna and her team have their hands full with this case, as anyone from the other contestants to the protestors could have committed the murder. And as if it isn’t stressful enough, Jenna has to deal with her sister Angie, and has a grave misunderstanding with Randi.
Edale Lane takes a big step with Queen of Murder, the seventh novel in her continuing series “Lessons In Murder.” Jenna and Randi’s relationship is still going strong but it’s not without problems, but the love and care that they have for each other might just see them through it. Lane takes readers into the world of Drag Queens, a deep dive into this fascinating world courtesy of Hailey Adler/Kile Brown. Chapter twelve clearly explains the difference between drag queens and cross dressers, as well as gender identity, gender fluidity, and what it means to be non-binary, along with so much more. Check out more about Hailey Adler in the “Acknowledgements.”
This story also reflects the trouble for the LGBTW+ community in general and drag queens in particular that exists in our world today – protests against queer folks, homophobia, hatred and lies that are too often believed, the banning of drag queens, and more.
With Queen Of Murder the author brings a different perspective to the series. Many of the secondary characters are in MF relationships, but Randi’s friend Jo may be starting a new FF relationship with Tosh. Ethan Bauman faces new experiences while investigating the murder undercover, and learns about himself and this new world with the help of Hailey Adler. He starts to build a friendship with Mario, lending diversity to this series with a possible MM paring. Hopefully Ethan and Mario will make additional appearances in upcoming stories.
Jenna and Randi still have a lot of growing to do, and a lot to learn about each other. Bandit has his paws full, as he’s in the process of getting this household under control. It’s a big job having to deal with these crazy humans and that darn dog Byron.
I highly recommend Queen of Murder – it’s the best book by far in Lane’s “Lessons In Murder” series, a psychological murder mystery set in the fascinating world of Drag Queens. And the cover is beautiful!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
