Overview
Jane Lawless lives in a rambling, three-story house on Minneapolis's Lake Harriet with her aunt and uncle and, usually, a tenant in the third-floor apartment. Her newest renter is Elliot Beauman, a writer who seems nice but who's just graced the newspapers with an account of a murder he witnessed but didn't see: Elliot says he's psychic, and his latest visions have been of murder. Lately Jane has her hands full in her personal life, wrestling with long hours at the Lyme House Restaurant and a long-distance and often volatile relationship with Julia, whose medical practice keeps her busy and far away. So the last thing Jane needs is a strange man living upstairs in her own home. Little does she know that her troubles are only beginning.Synopsis
When Jane Lawless rents her quaint third-story apartment to a new tenant, children's book author Elliot Beauman, she unwittingly opens the door to a sinister, decades-old mystery that has been waiting patiently to unfold—in her own house. Meanwhile, Jane assists a detective in tracking down clues about her new neighbor, Patricia, whose husband died mysteriously.
Patricia is eager to become friends, or more...even though she knows Jane is immersed in a long-distance relationship with the attractive but secretive Dr. Julia Martinsen. Little does Jane know that a strange man upstairs, an attractive neighbor, and a volatile love affair, are just the beginning of her problems.
Publishers Weekly
Lambda Award-winner Hart continues the story of lesbian Minneapolis restaurateur Jane Lawless (Robber's Wine, 1996) in this slightly bland tale of a chillingly dysfunctional family. Jane's new tenant is Elliot Beauman, a children's-book author who seems to have a psychic touch when it comes to finding killers. Down the street, his sister Patricia moves in and is helping Jane plan a neighborhood get-together. As they get to know each other, Jane learns that Patricia's former fianc in Iowa recently committed suicide after she broke up with him. Jane is soon contacted by a PI who has been hired by the fianc 's parents who believe their son may have been murdered. The more Jane learns about Elliot and Patricia, the more they trouble her, and her worries increase when she discovers that her house is where their older brother once suffered a paralyzing fall from the roof. Why did they move back to their old neighborhood, with its tragic memories? As Jane probes for an answer, the bones of a young girl are unearthed in her backyard, and she suspects that one of the siblings knows way too much about murder. Hart adeptly wraps up the puzzles, and she also keeps questions about Jane's private life sufficiently unresolved to lure fans back for the next installment. (Aug.)
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Lambda Award-winner Hart continues the story of lesbian Minneapolis restaurateur Jane Lawless (Robber's Wine, 1996) in this slightly bland tale of a chillingly dysfunctional family. Jane's new tenant is Elliot Beauman, a children's-book author who seems to have a psychic touch when it comes to finding killers. Down the street, his sister Patricia moves in and is helping Jane plan a neighborhood get-together. As they get to know each other, Jane learns that Patricia's former fianc in Iowa recently committed suicide after she broke up with him. Jane is soon contacted by a PI who has been hired by the fianc 's parents who believe their son may have been murdered. The more Jane learns about Elliot and Patricia, the more they trouble her, and her worries increase when she discovers that her house is where their older brother once suffered a paralyzing fall from the roof. Why did they move back to their old neighborhood, with its tragic memories? As Jane probes for an answer, the bones of a young girl are unearthed in her backyard, and she suspects that one of the siblings knows way too much about murder. Hart adeptly wraps up the puzzles, and she also keeps questions about Jane's private life sufficiently unresolved to lure fans back for the next installment. (Aug.)Library Journal
Sometime sleuth Jane Lawless (Robber's Wine, LJ 8/96), who runs a restaurant in Minneapolis, finds that a man she rents to supposedly experiences psychic visions of murder. Jane's friend, the inimitable Cordelia Thorn, still assists. An engaging series.From the Publisher
"Hart's fans continue to swell as she consistently delivers a rich, full-bodied banquet with every book."—Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Hart adeptly wraps up the puzzles, and she also keeps questions about Jane's private life sufficiently unresolved to lure fans back for the next installment."—Publishers Weekly