I enjoyed the first one more than the second, primarily because I'm not a big golf-tournament fan, but both are a cut above most mysteries in balancing the plot with character development. It's rare to find detective novels that are as unpredictable, funny, and enjoyable as these are, and I look forward to more books in the series.

Cold Steal, Carol McCauley's first novel in the U.S. (she has published twelve in Britain), is an intriguing mystery for several reasons, not the least of which is its bisexual protagonist, Pauli Golden. Pauli is a freelance medical writer trying to get to the bottom of the murder of the CEO of a cancer research institute (who was also her lover), and her investigation takes her deep into the secret and complex world of science and cancer research. This book is NOT for everyone--it features graphic descriptions of cancer research with mice, for example, so those upset by animal testing should definitely avoid it--but those with strong stomachs will find the well-written, fleshed-out mystery an oddly compelling read.

There are also several good books around with secondary lesbian characters. Cynthia Hartwick's Ladies With Options and the sequel Ladies with Prospects are fun, inspiring novels about a group of ordinary women in a small town who successfully form their own investment club and eventually save the town from bankruptcy. Young, rebellious lesbian teen Skye initially becomes a member against her will, but unexpectedly discovers she has a head for business, and goes on to a very successful career in business. Subversively feminist light summer reading, these novels are entertaining and surprisingly hard to put down.

The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler, is another good summer read about a club of (mostly) women that revolves around Jane Austen novels instead of investments. The lesbian member of this group, Allegra, isn't nearly as much fun as Skye, and not much happens in this novel--it's a lot of back-and-forth between discussion of various Jane Austen novels and parallels to the book club members' lives, often confusingly so--but if you are a fan of Jane Austen, you will likely enjoy this book. Finally, we have Born Confused, by Tanuja Desai Hidier, an excellent novel about a 17-year-old girl, Dimple, who feels too American at home, and too Indian at her mostly-white high school. Although the plot isn't unique--Dimple and her (white) best friend fall for the same boy, and Dimple finally learns to embrace her ethnicity instead of trying to hide it--the richness of the characters and the writing make it fresh, along with Hidier's ability to interweave American and Hindi culture. The novel is also rare for featuring three lesbian Indian characters, including Dimple's college-aged cousin Kavita, who is portrayed sympathetically in the novel.