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Jan 16

Death In Heels By Kitty Murphy

Death In Heels‘Death In Heels’ is the first book in the ‘Dublin Drag’ series by Kitty Murphy.

When Fi went to support her best friend’s drag debut, she didn’t imagine a killer would be going to watch it too. And they’re waiting for their grand finale. Fi McKinnery is full of nerves as the gorgeous Mae B (aka her best friend Robyn) takes to the stage for her debut at drag club TRASH, but Mae B is dazzling…that is until local queen Eve lampoons her performance and ruins the show. So when Eve turns up dead later that night, face down in the gutter of a rain-soaked Dublin street, the timing seems awfully suspicious. The police are quick to rule Eve’s death an accident, but Fi is convinced it was foul play. When her ‘Hagatha Christie’ amateur sleuthing backfires, it drives a wedge between Fi and Robyn. But when another friend is targeted in a hit-and-run, she’s determined to get this twisted killer caught, no matter what the consequences. Even as the rest of the gang start to distance themselves, Fi is certain that they’re all in terrible danger. Something dark is lurking beneath the feathers, glitter and sequins of Dublin’s drag scene. And it’s not just the sticky floor and cracked mirrors. Someone is targeting the queens. When another member of the group is gunned down, it’s clear the danger is coming ever closer. Can Fi stop the killer before any more of her friends are hurt?

I’ve spent my day curled up with this book and this cosy thriller set against the backdrop of the bustling city of Dublin.
Written through the narrative of Fi McKinney, who’s best friends with Robyn aka Mae B, who’s dream is to become a drag queen at TRASH drag club and on the exciting night of her debut, another drag queen dies. Although the Irish police believe that Eve’s death was an accident, Fi believes that the death was more sinister especially when other drag queens are targeted.

I loved Fi, a budding sleuth, when she’s not busy as a shop assistant and photographing pets, she’s trying to convince the police and the other drag queens that someone is targeting them. But she’s seen as the ‘little straight girl’ and as much as she tries to fit in with the crowd, she’s constantly excluded. The drag queens are a huge bunch of flamboyant and outgoing personalities, they clash but underneath it all, they are a family.

‘Death In Heels’ was a great introduction to a new series, it’s fast paced, fun, packed with interesting characters and a relatable protagonist who’s at a crossroads in her life. The descriptions of Dublin were vibrant, as were the personalities.

You can buy ‘Death In Heels’ on Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Aug 7

Girls’ Night Out By Liz Fention and Lisa Steinke

Girls' Night Out‘Girls’ Night Out’ is the second book by writing duo Liz Fention and Lisa Steinke.

For estranged friends Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren, it’s time to heal the old wounds between them. Where better to repair those severed ties than on a girls’ getaway to the beautiful paradise of Tulum, Mexico? But even after they’re reunited, no one is being completely honest about the past or the secrets they’re hiding. When Ashley disappears on their girls’ night out, Natalie and Lauren have to try to piece together their hazy memories to figure out what could have happened to her, while also reconciling their feelings of guilt over their last moments together. Was Ashley with the man she’d met only days before? Did she pack up and leave? Was she kidnapped? Or worse—could Natalie or Lauren have snapped under the weight of her own lies? As the clock ticks, hour by hour, Natalie and Lauren’s search rushes headlong into growing suspicion and dread. Maybe their secrets run deeper and more dangerous than one of them is willing—or too afraid—to admit.

For the last few days, I’ve had my head stuck in ‘Girls’ Night Out’, a gripping story about the complexities and issues of female friendships with unexpected results.

The story is seen through the eyes of once best friends, Ashley, Natalie and Lauren as they all disappear to Mexico to try to rekindle the old friendship that they had, but life and jealousy has gotten in the way making them wary of each other. What should be an adventure and an opportunity to mend old wounds turns into a nightmare when Ashley disappears leaving both Natalie and Lauren wishing they had been better friends. The story floats between the past and present tense leading up the Ashley’s disappearance.

The three friends are interesting characters. They pretend to be best friends, but really they are all hiding something from each other. Ashley is quite obviously the leader of the pack, men want to be with her and women want to be friends with her, but her two best friends see another side of her that they don’t like. She’s domineering, self-centred and likes everything to be her way, much to the despair of Lauren and Natalie. Natalie is the peacekeeper of the group, always neutral and trying not to take sides, but she’s finding it hard to keep things together when her own marriage is falling apart, whilst Lauren will never forgive Ashley for not really being there for her when her husband died and thinks that this holiday will be the ending of the relationship.

A taunt thriler from the very beginning and riddled with tension throughout that made for dramatic reading, ‘Girls’ Night Out’ is a thrilling story of jealousy, that shows female friendship at its very worst.

You can buy Girls’ Night Out from Amazon