Author

Brian Kenney

Review

Murder in the Dressing Room

by Brian Kenney

By day, Joe is a dreary accountant in a hotel, but by night they (Stars uses “they” pronouns when mentioning Joe) are Misty Divine, one of London’s leading drag queens. Joe’s wonderful life is thanks to Lady Lady, their drag mother, who discovered them, set them up in the right sequins and heels, and pushed them out onto the stage. Until the night Joe drops by Lady Lady’s dressing room and finds her dead, sprawled out on the floor, her fingers clutching half a truffle, her mouth oozing foam. Joe’s life is upended as they and the other drag queens become the prime suspects. But unlike the other girls, Joe won’t let only the police handle the investigation, especially when it means Joe could end up behind bars. Maybe I’ll find out who did it, said a voice somewhere in the back of Joe’s mind. Maybe I could catch the killer.” So we’re off and running, despite the fears of Joe’s boyfriend, Miles, tracking down the drag queens and kings who perform at the club, and some suspicious-looking hangers on as well. There’s plenty of humor in the novel—check out a side story about a very important Judy Garland dress, as well as the continual banter between Joe and Miles—but at its essence, this is a serious work of crime fiction, wonderfully executed and leaving unanswered some important questions. It has all the makings of a great series.

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Review

The Mistletoe Mystery

by Brian Kenney

Are you one of the many fans of Molly the maid? Then you’ll love Prose’s latest work, a novella—this reader finished it on the flight from Boston to New York—centered on the holidays. Since Molly’s much-quoted grandmother has died, the holidays just haven’t been the same. This year, though, boyfriend Juan Manuel is determined to bring joy to Molly every day of Advent. But when a few shadows pass over Molly’s work life in the Regency Grand Hotel, she’s suddenly doubting Juan, love, and their future. What a perfect stocking stuffer!

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Review

The Gonif

by Brian Kenney

Work has been sparse for detective Amos Parisman. He’s getting older, while his wife, whose dementia has become more advanced, requires greater attention. So when he’s asked to take on a job protecting a rare Torah—it was smuggled out of a North African Jewish community during World War II and somehow made its way to a small, rundown Sephardic temple in Hollywood—Amos is quick to say yes. A small, easy job, what could go wrong? Just wait and see. A bit of a classic gumshoe and a bit of a luft-mensch, or dreamer, Amos brings on his usual cast of characters to help out, from former-wrestler Omar to cousin Shelly to LAPD Lieutenant Bill Malloy (the two guardedly share information.) It’s a delight to follow Amos as he rolls around Los Angeles County, following potential leads while immersing himself in the world of rare books. Weinberger never fails to deliver a novel that’s as rich in character as it is in environment. Save it for that weekend when you need to escape.

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Review

Passiontide

by Brian Kenney

A brilliant novel, at turns passionate and bold, deeply unsettling yet often wonderfully humorous, set on the small Caribbean island of St. Colibri. It’s the evening before Ash Wednesday when a young woman is discovered murdered, lying in a public park under a cannonball tree. Talented Sora Tanaka was one of the many pan players who came to the island for Carnival—in her case from Japan—to perform in a steel-pan competition. There is nothing surprising about Sora’s murder, in fact so many women have been killed on the island that there is even a police unit dedicated to solving their killings (OMWEN, the Office of Murdered Women). But for some reason Sora’s brutal killing sparks an outcry from women that evolves into a full-scale revolution, attracting thousands of women to occupy a downtown square, igniting the fight against the patriarchy, domestic violence, and international femicide. Eventually their protests reverberate across the world and are covered everywhere from CNN to the BBC. Much of this story is told through the lives of four women, including a leader of sex workers on the island and even, shockingly enough, the wife of the Prime Minister. Roffey is a genius at dialing down the story—focusing on one character or a couple—then ramping it up to depict huge crowd scenes. This book is a wonderful reminder of why I read crime fiction; it belongs in the collection of every public library.

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Review

A Messy Murder

by Brian Kenney

Simon Brett is juggling a number of excellent series, but these mysteries, featuring professional declutterer Ellen Curtis, are my favorites. Ellen is a totally believable character, with a complex life involving family, her career, and the lives of her clients, who often come to her in a state of crisis. The major mystery here is the death of 80-year-old Humphrey Carter, a well-known TV personality. Ellen is hired to sort out his study, only to find him slumped over his desk, dead. But minor mysteries abound. Why has Ellen’s 20-something daughter moved home, refusing to talk and leaving an older man to take care of the expenses? And how did her son suddenly pop up on the television, escorting a starlet on Hollywood’s red carpet? There’s lots to figure out here, and even more to make us wait impatiently for the next installation.

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Review

The Sequel

by Brian Kenney

Yes, in nearly every way The Sequel is The Plot Redux, but don’t let that stop you for a minute. In most regards, The Sequel is more fun, more sardonic, and much darker—although this is one of the few series in which reading the first book before the second pays enormous dividends. We are back in the world of Anna Williams-Bonner, whose late husband, novelist Jacob, died by suicide. His novel The Plot found its way to the top of the Times bestseller list, leaving Anna doing everything she can to succeed as a literary widow—including touring across the country in Jacob’s stead. Anna gets so into the publishing groove that she actually authors her own debut novel. If only the story could end there. Anna undergoes harassment from someone who knows all too much about her life, her husband, and even her brother. But this anti-hero isn’t one to go down easily. I have no doubt Anna will be kicking her way into #3, to the delight of her many fans.

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Review

Beautiful Ugly

by Brian Kenney

Novelist Grady Greene can’t wait to share his good news with his wife, Abby: he’s just made the New York Times bestseller list. He calls her, she’s driving home and not far from their house, only to hear her slam on the brakes, telling him that someone is lying on the road. Then silence. Grady heads out to find her and discovers that the car is empty, the door wide open, her cellphone abandoned, and Abby gone. So begins Grady’s year of mourning for his disappeared wife. To break his melancholia, and kick-start his work on his next book, his agent offers a little cabin on a barely habited Scottish isle. Grady takes her up on the offer, only to discover that there is, you guessed it, no way off the island—what ferry schedule?—and the two dozen or so female-only residents are a bit beyond odd. But oddest of all? The quick glimpses he has of a woman who is the spitting image of his wife. The creepiness, the occasional bursts of humor, the horrendous history, and of course the inevitable twists, all of which layer over one another, make for one terrifying ride.

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Review

Invisible Helix

by Brian Kenney

A new Higashino that will meet the expectations of his many fans, and then some. As is typical of Higashino’s unique police procedurals, the story goes both deep–into the past of its leading characters—and broad—Japan today, for example, where we learn about Japanese culture, such as the world of hostess clubs. The story begins with the discovery of a young man’s body in Tokyo bay; a bit of research reveals he is quite the loser who lives off his girlfriend while continuing to abuse her. But by the time the detectives locate their apartment, she’s skipped town. A likely suspect? Yes, but with an airtight alibi. Which draws Detective Kusanagi to “Detective Galileo,” a scientific genius and old friend, and the star of Higashino’s most well-known work The Devotion of Suspect X. In Galileo’s hands, connections are illuminated, the trauma of the past is brought to the forefront, and we learn the startling connections that link our characters. Brilliantly plotted and wonderfully rich in characterization.

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Review

The Rivals

by Brian Kenney

The many fans of Jane Pek’s first book, The Verifiers, will be thrilled to get their hands on this new novel featuring the indomitable Claudia Lin. In this darker and tougher novel, with a robust comic streak and a deep foray into technology—featuring synths, the scary new generation of bots—Claudia can’t help but employ some espionage tropes as she investigates a corrupt matchmaking firm with the help of a corporate whistleblower. But there is plenty else to distract Claudia. Her family is falling apart at a prodigious rate; she is barely speaking to any of them. Romantic tensions are growing between Claudia and not one but two women, one of whom is the ever soignée Becks, Claudia’s one-time boss and major crush. Questions about sexual identity are sending these 20-somethings spinning in and out of the proverbial closet. While Inspector Yuan, a character created by Claudia, provides plenty of maxims throughout the text. Lots of fun, but also some real terror, in what is a brilliant depiction of New York City.

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Review

A New Lease on Death

by Brian Kenney

Having left behind her life in Baltimore, 20-year-old Ruby Young has settled in a so-so apartment in a so-so Boston neighborhood. The previous tenant who rented her apartment, Cordelia Graves, died just a few months ago, reportedly by suicide. But now another neighbor has died, murdered in an apparent mugging, and Cordelia—she’s become the building’s ghost-in-residence—is determined to keep Ruby safe. But Ruby is one tough cookie herself, with zero fear of the supernatural, and as much as they may be opposites, eventually the two women settle on refrigerator magnets to (sort of) communicate. Hearing each woman’s interior monologue is a hoot, as their relationship as roommates grows and they head out into the world to investigate if Jake was actually murdered…and did Cordelia really die of suicide? Droll, a touch maudlin, and featuring two outstanding characters. Readers are going to be eager for a sequel to this story.

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