Liberty Square

A Kate Delafield Mystery, Book 5

By: Katherine V. Forrest

Narrated by: Kate Zane

For LAPD Homicide Detective Kate Delafield, Washington DC is the last place on Earth she wants to be. But, thanks to her partner's machinations, here she is.

Driven by insatiable curiosity about a past Kate has adamantly refused to share, Aimee has maneuvered her into attending what Aimee views as an innocuous reunion of the men and women with whom Kate served as a Marine Corps officer in Vietnam twenty-five years ago.

The past resurfaces with a vengeance. First, shots are fired into their hotel room. Then a savage murder is committed by someone attending the reunion. Kate finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation in a city where she has no jurisdiction, confronted by detectives who view her with contentious suspicion. And Aimee learns to her consternation that Kate has had very good reasons to hold her memories at bay. Shocking secrets emerge—among them the alluring Rachel, who has now, thanks to Aimee, reentered Kate's life.

In unknown and hostile terrain, Kate must find a way through her tumultuous emotions, and use all her training and resourcefulness to protect herself and Aimee from the lethal danger gathering all around them.

©2008 Katherine V. Forrest (P)2022 Tantor

Best Viet Nam era story

Katherine Forrest is one of my favorite authors. I appreciate lesbian novels that have substance. This story is an excellent exploration of what it was like for some of the young people who served. Wouldn't need to be a lesbian to appreciate these characters.

A fictional exploration of the Vietnam era

And up this series goes and over the top to I don’t know what. This book was not especially suspenseful or clever.

I remember the post Vietnam era and that is what this is about. It’s set in the early 90s and Clinton is in the White House and has taken the first brave step to try to normalize Gay people in the military. While the actual way he went about it is questionable.

This is also the time when America came to terms with the plight of the soldiers who fought bravely in Vietnam only to return to ambivalence at home. I am totally sympathetic. Veterans are still a group that are not getting what they need and things need to change.

However this is supposed to be a mystery book. That is only about 10% of it. The other well, most of the rest of the book is about memories of Vietnam and the pain gay people suffered additionally. I started zoning out. I actually started looking up pictures of the Vietnam war on my phone as the narrator droned on.

I did find it really pretty amazing that women who served in this war had to take classes in femininity. I would be curious to see the curriculum.

Sadly this book didn’t enlighten me much about Vietnam. Is only recommend it if you’ve read everything else you can get your hands on about the Vietnam era and you still want more fiction about it. Otherwise , pass.