Lust, Loathing and a Little Lip Gloss
by Kyra Davis
Mira, June 2009, $13.95

Lust, Loathing and a Little Lip Gloss is the fourth entry in Kyra Davis’ series featuring Sophie Katz, burgeoning writer with a propensity for discovering murders—and for solving them. In this highly entertaining novel Sophie embarks upon a quest for the perfect—and perfectly affordable—house in San Francisco. Fortuitously, if not fortunately, her ex-husband, a realtor, shows her the house of her dreams, at a price she can actually afford.

If all of this seems too good to be true, it is after a fashion. Here’s the catch: In order to secure the house, Sophie must join the Specter Society, a bizarre club catering to the lunatic fringe who believe in spirits and gather regularly to commune with them. Masquerading as a believer is difficult, even though Sophie experiences otherworldly phenomena in her house. Mysterious footsteps and lights that turn on and off autonomously are but a few of the anomalies she encounters.

Murder, of course, insinuates itself. It remains for Sophie to sort out the worldly from the otherworldly, which she does after warding off unsuspected danger. Oh, and she has a sexy boyfriend as a sidekick, so the romantic component of this mystery really heats up as the hunt to find the killer escalates. Davis knows San Francisco and, with sardonic wit, portrays its idiosyncratic denizens with consummate skill.

Reviewed by Lynne Maxwell