Review: The Intersection of Law and Desire: A Mystery

The Intersection of Law and Desire: A Mystery by J.M. Redmann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Detective/Lesbian Noir Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I received a free copy of book 7 in this series in exchange for an honest review. I purchased the rest of the books in the series myself, so am under no particular obligation, but am happy to provide an honest review.

Synopsis: Micky Knight is a lesbian detective who is a little too proud of her toughness. She takes on the case of Cissy, the daughter of a friend, who is believed to be sexually abused, not knowing that it will lead her on a dangerous and sexual odyssey. In Cissy's sleepless nights, Micky sees echoes of her own past that fuel an obsession to prevent other children from being abused. To discover what has frightened Cissy, Micky becomes caught up in a world where the lives of young girls are treated as commodities. While doing battle with a handful of seedy thugs, Micky confronts her own childhood sexual abuse and tries to hold on to her rocky relationship with Cordelia James, a striking doctor. She travels between the uptown opulence of the Sans Pareil Club, one of the most exclusive of New Orleans private clubs, and a tawdry hole of a bar near the Desire Projects. Evil exists in both places, and the mystery culminates where law and desire intersect.

My Thoughts: I noticed that a lot of reviewers didn’t much care for this book. After reading it, I can sort of understand why, but I don’t agree. Much of the humor of the previous books is missing, but that is because this book deals with weighty and serious issues, namely pedophilia. An ugly, ugly thing, and Micky, being a victim herself, becomes obsessed with trying to cut oft the head of the snake, as she puts it. The title refers to the location of the seedy bar , Heart’s Desire, at which anything can be procured. This was a difficult book to read, and I imagine it was no picnic to write, but it was well-done – handling a very difficult topic with aplomb.

I found the first major plot hole in this book. Micky is thinking about the near-escape in the swamp and states that before Cordelia ran to the car, Micky kissed Cordelia and told her that she loved her. This did not happen – at the time, Cordelia was still engaged to Thoreau. It wasn’t until later that Micky and Cordelia spent the night together, in a carnal sense, and much later before Micky admitted she was in love. Other than that, I found no fault with this book. Recommended for those who enjoy their fiction dark.



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