Books like The Beverly Malibu — picked by fans

Nikki Baker is the first African-American writer of lesbian mysteries and her character Virginia Kelly—who works as a financial analyst in Chicago—is the first African-American lesbian sleuth. This makes it important, but what makes the book outstanding is the writing, especially the voice of the protagonist. The plots are slick and entertaining, but it is Virginia’s internal musings and interpersonal relationships that make this—and the other 3 books in the series—a clear 5-star winner. 

Like Nikki Baker’s novels, Tell Me What You Like is driven by its narration. Alison Kaine, the protagonist of the novel, works for the Denver Police Department. But unlike most protagonists of lesbian policiers—who tend to be sergeants or detectives—Alison is a lowly officer. Because she is an out lesbian, she is assigned to investigate the murder of a leather dyke outside a lesbian bar, and is slowly drawn into the stories of the bar’s other denizens. And, not quite against her will, she slides into the darker subculture of BDSM, with whips and collars and a dominatrix named Anastasia. 

Like the novels in my first 3 picks, this one is part of a series. Nea Fox, the protagonist, is a private eye working out of London. The story contains a series of intricate puzzles with exotic characters and engaging relationships. Think of the Fu Manchu novels if they had been written by Patricia Highsmith. In this one, Nea investigates an alleged haunting and reveals a great deal of monkey business. And if it’s action you like, this may be the most exciting lesbian mystery of all.   

When I was writing my first mystery series, I knew very little about the history of the lesbian detective novel. Because I wanted to work within the genre’s boundaries, I spent almost as much time researching it as writing. With the 2022 publication of The Lesbian Detective Novel, Megan Casey has made this task way easier for future lesbian mystery authors. She lists over 1,000 titles along with their creators and adds a few pertinent notes about each book or series. When you finish my first four picks and are looking for other lesbian mysteries to enjoy, this is the book to have by your bedside. I certainly have it beside mine.

Breaking Character is a lesbian celebrity romance, but it’s also so much more than that. The main character, icy British actress Elizabeth, is in the closet for fear of risking her career. When she meets her younger colleague Summer, she starts letting someone close for the first time—and the result is a romance that is sizzling and sweet at the same time. 

If you like age-gap romances with a fake relationship and well-written characters, this is a great introduction to Lee Winter’s books.

I liked the protagonist, Kate Delafield, immediately for her straightforward manner. Within very few pages, Katherine painted a picture of the neighborhood and the bar where a murder occurred in its back parking lot, yet she never caused the story to drag. Katherine pulled me in with her succinct description of the murder scene. It was as if I stood beside Kate Delafield.

As the detectives entered the bar, I felt lesbian history reverberating down through the years. As a lesbian, I identified with Kate Delafield and with the milieu within which she had to live and do her job as a police detective. I also understood the hostility of the bar patrons—all lesbians—toward the police. Without preaching, Katherine described the larger conflict inherent in the situation.

This book was so well-written that I “felt” the emotions of the characters; the sadness that a young life had been destroyed way… show more.

Unemployed lawyer, Nick, gets offered the chance to make quick bucks in the car repo business. With her repo partner, Frankie, she sets off across North Carolina on a series of zany (and dangerous) jobs to recover the cars. The jobs get more and more bizarre, the characters they meet are loveable and eccentric, and, despite not liking each other much in the beginning, along the way Nick and Frankie fall for each other.

Mixed in with the humour (and there are a lot of zingy one-liners, banter, and snort-coffee moments) are racial and small-town issues that give depth to an otherwise light-hearted story.

If you like novels with big heart, larger-than-life characters (including the cat, Carol Jenkins), an action movie feel at times and a banter-filled developing romance at others, this book will delight you.

This book was a bloody delight—it’s sharp, gruesome, and fun in a way I should have guessed at from the amazing cover. It really kept me guessing!

I had no idea where the story was going, but I was fully in for wherever it took me, and I enjoyed every minute of the ride. The powerful team of girls (ghouls!), unapologetic queerness (in multiple flavours!!!), and the dark humour hooked me and kept me locked in all the way through.

I love the fake romance trope! Characters pretending to be in a relationship for convoluted reasons get me picking the book up every time. This one is a cracker! Top neurosurgeon Samantha Thomson needs a wife like now and advertises to find one. The ad is answered by Hayden Pérez, an ER nurse in the same hospital. Trouble is, Hayden dislikes the rude and aloof Sam and is only doing this for the generous payment for a year of her time.

Watching Sam and Hayden banter and snark around each other is delicious fun. As their relationship develops, the women start to understand and support each other through their individual problems in a very positive way. Readers who love a longer read will adore this one: the word count clocks in at 122,000.

This book is a delight from start to finish.

Venture capitalist Claire Pressley is done with the New York rat race and moves to small-town Oregon. She buys a rundown homestead with the dream of renovating and turning it into a women-only B&B. But hometown sweetheart, Ruby, has had her eye on the Pruitt homestead for years with the aim of turning it into an animal sanctuary. 

The book is billed as an enemies to lovers romance, and that’s spot on. Claire is icy, Ruby is adorable, but as Claire’s renovation proceeds at a cracking pace, the women talk and find common ground. The slow burn development is beautiful, and the sex scenes, when they occur are cracking hot. Kudos for the inclusion of a safe sex scene. 

Side characters add to the story, particularly Ruby’s grandfather. As if this wasn’t warm and fuzzy enough, the animals will melt your heart and make you smile—shout out to Ninja the… show more.