Linear as bent

Hats ‘n’ heels, and a clumsy butch

February 4, 2010 at 11:32 pm 2 comments

Mardi Gras is almost upon us. A little later this year (19 Feb-5 March) and for the first time in like forever, the parade and the party will be held on separate weekends. More time for tourists to be forced to visit the state. Heaps of events that look too good to miss – Sarah Waters, Whitney Houston, (George Michael), films, parties, sports – and a real drag race at the racecourse. I think the Pink Stiletto event, a gay day at the races (big horses tiny men), will be fabulous fun. And it’s a fundraiser to boot.

Speaking of hats, you’ve got to give this book a try.

Fedora Walks by Merrilee Moss (Spinifex Press, IPG , Amazon, Book Depository, or any of these)

Firstly, when you see this book on some sites, i.e. Amazon, it has the peculiar sub-title of (Data and Knowledge in a Changing World). I don’t know where that came from but on the book, it actually says A Comic Crime Novel, and that’s exactly what it is. Oh wait, except that it’s more a novella. Less than a hundred pages, sure, but it’s funny.

FW is a lesbian crime story, complete with homicide, a bumbling butch detective and the girlfriend she tries not to lose while also perving after her client. Because the book is so short, I can’t give away much except to say there’s a healthy dose of supernaturalism in the story, enough for me to go ‘huh?’ at some points, but this is offset by the display of millinery and the rather hilarious musings of our PI, Julie Bernard, as she sets out to solve a mystery older than herself by whatever means possible, i.e. on a bicycle.

This story gently satirises the lesbian crime fiction genre by taking itself seriously. It’s not.

What I love about this book, other than that it made me laugh a lot, is the setting (Melbourne) and the editing. FW is a great example of  australian publishing style. I might even keep it nearby as a pocket reference.

Entry filed under: Cultural news, Humour, Lesbian lit, Queer, Queer lit, Reads. Tags: crime fiction, lesbian fiction, Merrilee Moss, review, Sydney Mardi Gras.