The Monkey’s Mask by Dorothy Porter
A lesbian private investigator is entangled in a web of murder, deceit, and passionate sexual activity in this fast-paced, darkly comic, erotic mystery thriller written in verse.
The Monkey’s Mask by Dorothy Porter
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The story’s premise centres on Jill, a female private eye. She identifies as “a butch dyke.” She receives a call from a mother and father reporting the disappearance of their university-bound young daughter Micky. When Jill is looking into a young woman’s disappearance, Mickey. Jill meets Diana while conducting research, and the two go on to have an intense and torturous relationship. The thriller darkens as Mickey’s body is found in the interim. Will Jill find her?
The way Dorothy Porter uses a brief aside to describe a person is both descriptive and humorous. With only a few strokes, you can convey the sense of the entire landscape. The way the plot developed was good to me. It was enjoyable, a little sensual, and gave some insight into the lesbian and poetry scenes. Even though murder was the main event, there was also a lot of interesting additional activity.
The Monkey’s Mask by Dorothy Porter is a magnificent, nearly impossible-to-put-down novel that is entirely written in poetry. Even if you often run a mile away from poetry, you’ll probably find this book impossible to put down. The protagonist of Dorothy’s story is a lesbian private investigator who learns as much about herself as she does about the mystery as the book goes on. Australian idioms and imagery abound throughout The Monkey’s Mask, which is set in Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Simply said, it’s a terrific mystery story and a pleasure to read.
