In Too Deep [Paperback]

Wow! That was some book. In Too Deep by Ronica Black is sizzling hot! It is a detective mystery that is full of surpises and twists. Detective Erin McKenzie goes undercover to try to capture beautiful lesbian bar owner, Elizabeth Adams, who is suspected in a series of murders. Poor Erin, straight girl, doesn't know what she's in for, so co-worker detective Patricia Henderson, lesbian, steps in to help Erin. Erin soon grows an attraction for both Patricia and Liz, and Black plays on this throughout the book. Who will Erin end up with? The suspense was great. Oh, and there was a murder mystery going on too.

Black introduces a cast of characters besides Adams to pin the murders on, and as the story develops each character is presented just at the precise moment you might be inclined to say, "So and So did it," thus foiling your who dunnit discovery.

The book is hot, and Black leaves no detail untold when it comes to the sex scenes. She's one of the best at this. She also weaves in humor with several scenes leaving me smiling and saying, "Oh, no!" followed by a good laugh. The swimming pool scenes play a big part in this. What I think most endears me to this novel is how Black leaves the reader with inner turmoil as to what she (the reader) wants to happen and what should happen in a good holsome sense, or vice versa depending on the reader. I felt happiness and sorrow for some characters. She must write a sequel to make it all right! I'll be waiting.

Ronica Black's debut novel, "In Too Deep," is the outstanding first effort of a gifted writer who has a promising career ahead of her. Black shows extraordinary command in weaving a thoroughly engrossing tale around multi-faceted characters, intricate action and character-driven plots and subplots, sizzling sex that jumps off the page and stimulates libidos effortlessly, amidst brilliant storytelling. A clever mystery writer, Black has the reader guessing until the end.

Called in to investigate a murder, newly appointed homicide detective Erin McKenzie of the Valle Luna, Arizona PD, ends up going undercover as bait to investigate a rash of serial murders. The suspect is none other than the affluent, powerful, sexy, skilled seductress and positively drop-dead gorgeous elite lesbian nightclub owner Elizabeth Adams. It is Erin's job to lure Liz hoping to get close enough to the woman for a confession. In addition, who better to teach a straight married woman how to be a "lesbian on the prowl" than a lesbian, namely, detective Patricia Henderson. Patricia knew Erin before the assignment but when she notices Erin's wedding ring is missing she is intrigued. In fact, Patricia can't help but notice everything about Erin, including her sexy vulnerability and good looks; she becomes more than just smitten--protective seems more like it. She even contemplates that a commitment would be a dream come true.

Patricia wonders if her attraction to Erin is just "...so desperate that a polite `how are you feeling?' could leave her panting and ready to pounce" [p. 36] or is there really more to her feelings? It doesn't help that the two women have to work very closely on the case, which has Erin questioning her sexuality as new feelings surface. Emotional floodgates threaten to open after Erin meets and falls hopelessly in love or at least lust for Liz Adams, while still having feelings for Patricia. The fact that she is in the throes of divorce from her cheating husband, investigating a high-profile murder, all the while questioning her "previously unsuspected attraction to her own sex," [p. 76], and you have the makings of a complicated romance with Erin torn between two desirable women.

Erin searched Patricia's face, a note of desperation in her voice. "This doesn't mean I'm gay...does it" [p. 37]. She feels like she "had been given the key to a whole new world. The door had been unlocked and she was seeing what she had never noticed before--the allure of the female body..." [p. 46]. As if the investigation of a potentially dangerous murderer isn't enough, Erin has to deal with her own confused feelings.

Is Liz Adams really the calculated killer the police have made her out to be or is there a human and very innocent woman just hungering to be let out? Black does a convincing job of leaving plenty of room for doubt. The reader is on a merry-go-round when it comes to whom Erin should stick with, Patricia or Liz, but knowing that Erin's happiness is the most desired outcome.

Ronica Black uses metaphors like an Olympic swimmer gliding through water snatching up Gold. From the very first absorbing page to the last, there is a richness in the text that resonates in each sentence, bringing the reader that much closer to the character's actions, emotions, and the vivid setting in which they live. Black makes everything clearer when she describes Erin's attraction to Liz, "Liz swallowed hard, and Erin noticed. She was noticing everything now. The beauty of the woman before her, the fragility masked by indifference and distance, the delicate pulse that beat just beneath the damp skin on her neck. She was human. And that was something it seemed no one had ever considered before" [p. 163].

Every time the reader has a handle on what's happening, Black throws in a curve, successfully devising a good mystery. The romance and sex adds a special gift to the package rounding out the story for a totally satisfying read.

"In Too Deep," by newcomer Ronica Black, is emotional, hot, gripping, raw, and a real turn-on from start to finish, with characters you will fall in love with, root for, and never forget. A truly five star novel, you will not want to miss "In Too Deep" and will look forward to Black's next novel, "Wild Abandon," coming out in 2006.

The plot of this book is as described elsewhere.

There are many things wrong with this book, and only a few things right. The right things are the storyline, the characters, and the potential of the author.

The things that are wrong are that the author's characters are bigger than the author's talents. She needed a very good editor to make this work. For instance, the murder suspect tells her colleague to call her attorney as she is being taken downtown for questioning. Eighteen hours later, her attorney still hadn't either shown up or not allowed to see her client. Not believable. For instance, one of the main characters has been a stone butch all of her life, but one woman comes along and changes that in a matter of days. Not believable. For instance, a young straight detective is sent undercover to seduce a lesbian barowner in order to get a confession from the suspect. What no one wonders about is how the young detective is going to convince an intelligent, savvy lesbian that she is one, too. Not believable. And the list goes on.

This is a big story and needed a very experienced author to pull it off. Black was not that author. Undoubtedly, she will be one day. But when she wrote this book she wasn't, and there is just too many lapses for this to be a really good book. If you're looking for a book with a strong plot with strong characters that is well written, buy Gerri Hill or Radclyffe. If you want to watch a "young" writer develop, buy this book.

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