The Beverly Malibu (A Kate Delafield Mystery) by Forrest, Katherine V - 1994

New York Usa: The Naiad Press, Inc.. As New 1994. Softcover. Marfree, acidfree fresh recent prtg; no names, not marked-in, underscored, clearance or discard. Mails from NYC usually within 12 hours. ; Kate Delafield Mystery Series; 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches; 274 pages; \nFrom The Critics Publishers Weekly In this absorbing procedural, Forrest's intelligent, complex series heroine, LAPD homicide detective Kate Delafield, makes her first appearance in hardcover, investigating the Thanksgiving Day murder by strychnine poisoning of septuagenarian Owen Sinclair, a retired movie director. Suspecting a revenge killing, Kate learns that more than 30 years ago, in the '50s, Sinclair named names to the House Un-American Activities Committee, destroying countless careers and lives in Hollywood. Many of Sinclair's eccentric, film-world neighbors in his apartment building were affected by HUAC and had reason to kill him. Kate, a lesbian, is attracted to two beautiful women who are under suspicion, and as the investigation continues, she is warmly welcomed into the tenants' extended family, one of whom, she knows, is the merciless killer. In her look back at the McCarthy era, Forrest has created a restrained and compassionate portrait of a turbulent period in American history. Movie buffs as well as mystery fans will enjoy her book. Great mystery and a reminder of past injustices, August 9, 2001\nReviewer: carlaf "carlaf" (Brooklyn, NY USA) -\nOwen Sinclair, a B-movie director is murdered in a hideous manner. This makes Kate Delafield think the murder was one of revenge. Through sleuthing, she finds that Sinclair was a "friendly witness" during the McCarthy witchhunt era. He spoke to HUAC (House un-American Activities Committee) , which was the House arm of McCarthy's own Senate hearings. Hollywood was especially vulnerable at this time. Forrest skillfully weaves in information about that period through her characters but never allows it to overshadow the mystery. There are red herrings galore and Kate lets herself get emotionally involved with several of the people and there's even a romance in it for the lonely Kate who feels that she must protect the people she loves from the horrors of her job. She is also isolated because she is gay and must remain closeted to be able to do her job. The LAPD has a policy not unlike the military: Don't ask, don't tell. Every Delafield book reveals a new facet of Kate and this is no exception. If Forrest wrote mainstream detective mysteries rather than mysteries with a lesbian heroine, she would probably be as popular as P. D. James or Ellis Peters or Elizabeth Peters. It's unfortunate because all her mysteries are first-rate. As I said, the politics never get in the way of the story, although this book did introduce me to Scoundrel Time by Lillian Hellman, which I later bought. .