Finding Ms. Wright: A Jo Jacuzzo Mystery

Anne Seale's latest title "Finding Ms. Wright" is a superb follow-up to her debut novel, "Packing Mrs. Phipps." Soldiering on with a never-overstated lesbian derring-do, Seale's heroine, Jo Jacuzzo, searches the wilds of a seldom-seen Oklahoma for the missing Honey Lou. Jacuzzo's forthright internal dialogue is a laugh-out-loud delight, but the sarcasm is rarely biting, and consequently Jo's insecurities, hunches, and fears make her an appealing, grounded gumshoe. Colorful characters--such as a sticky-fingered senior and a plucky female boat mechanic--populate Seale's novel and provide both comic relief and real red herrings in this intricately plotted, riotous romp of a mystery. Once again, Seale proves herself a master of dialogue, and among the most creative, talented writers to emerge from the lesbian press. "Finding Ms Wright" will whet your whistle for the next Jacuzzo offering. A fun, exciting, perfect summer read!

Members of The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy have been insisting that the Oklahoma schools have been infiltrated by a lesbian underground. One sapphic clique's secrets cause Jo to head down there at the request of her best friend, Weezer. I like this series because Jo is Jo. The money she inherited at the end of the first book (apologies if that's a spoiler) hasn't changed her at all. I'd like the next one to show her life in Buffalo though; that aspect of her world seems lacking, and will be more so should she continue driving off to other locales. One thing though: I find JoDell a "funnier" name than Honey Lou.

Jo Jacuzzo gets around the country, in her motor home she calls Dan'l. She took quite a trip from home town Buffalo, NY to Tampa in Packing Mrs. Phipps, Anne Seale's funny and smart first lesbian mystery novel. And now the sometimes too-helpful inquisitive young butch Jo just has to say yes to another friend whose long-ago lover, Honey Lou Wright, is missing. Last seen in the lake country of Oklahoma, which I didn't even know existed until this novel, Honey Lou has quite a few secrets and a whole cast of comedic characters surrounding her disappearance. Dan'l is a convenient home on wheels when Jo encounters a new lover of her own. Anne Seale brings lesbian-feminist issues into her books, in a never-too-preachy way, and this time Jo finds herself infiltrating a battered women's shelter, even if on false pretenses. But after all, she is a woman who has been battered, even if by a boat, and she does manage to pick up the trail of the elusive Honey Lou. This is the book to bring to the beach this summer, or to a women's music festival, or even to your lonely bedroom when you need a lift and a laugh. Carol Schmidt San Miguel de Allende, Mexico