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Katherine V. Forrest

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Murder by Tradition (A Kate Delafield Mystery Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Katherine V. Forrest (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 98 ratings

Book 4 of 10: A Kate Delafield Mystery

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Young Teddie Crawford is dead from multiple stab wounds in a restaurant kitchen awash with blood. LAPD homicide detective Kate Delafield is relentless in her pursuit and capture of his killer. But bringing that killer to trial imperils Kate’s professional standing and personal privacy—and her belief in the justice system to which she has devoted her life.

The suspect claims self-defense—that Teddie Crawford made a homosexual advance and backed it up with a knife. Yet everything Kate learns about Teddie Crawford tells her that his murder was deliberate. And to develop proof of first degree murder, she must find clear answers to mystifying questions for the prosecuting attorney—a woman who has never before prosecuted a homicide case.

Kate is increasingly isolated as she tries to shield her young lover from the brutal realities of this case and finds few allies among her LAPD brethren. Even her partner, Ed Taylor, is loathe to aggressively pursue a case involving a dead gay man and his gay associates. As the trial date looms, she discovers she has a personal stake: the defense attorney is a man from her past. A man with the power to expose the private life she has kept rigidly separate from her life as a police officer.

Murder by Tradition reaches new heights in the powerful storytelling readers have come to expect from Katherine V. Forrest. Lambda Literary Award Winner.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lambda Literary Award winner Forrest ( The Beverly Malibu ) transcends the run-of-the-mill police procedural and courtroom drama with this thought-provoking fourth in a series featuring Los Angeles lesbian homicide cop Kate Delafield. Kate and her partner, Ed Taylor, are called to the scene of the stabbing death of gay restaurateur Teddie Crawford. Working with information from a blood-spatter specialist, the cops learn that the killer has been seriously wounded, and soon pick up Kyle Jensen at the hospital where he has gone for help. Although Jensen claims that he killed Teddie in self-defense after Teddie made a pass at him, Kate suspects that Jensen is a gay-basher and investigates on her own. Just as she is making headway, Kate learns that the only heterosexual male who knows of her sexual preferences will be representing Jensen. She fears that the defense will broadcast her lifestyle, thereby weakening her testimony about the scene of the crime and, worse, jeopardizing her job. Kate's effort to persuade the jury to accept her conclusion while keeping her integrity intact is the primary focus of this compelling story.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Lesbian LAPD detective Kate Delafield's fourth appearance should quash any doubts concerning Forrest's abilities as a mystery writer, mainstream or otherwise. Well-detailed police procedure, sizzling courtroom drama, and a firm belief in ethics characterize this story of the gory murder of a handsome, gregarious gay man by a muscle-bound "straight." In tandem with assistant district attorney Linda Foster, and supported by lover Aimee, Kate struggles against departmental homophobics to destroy the murderer's plea of self-defense. Quality writing; for most collections.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

In the brutal murder of Teddie Crawford, co-owner of Tradition, a trendy restaurant/catering business, presence of cocaine, multiple stab wounds, and a blood-spattered crime scene initially suggest a coke party gone bad, but homicide detective Kate Delafield quickly senses that this answer is too simplistic. The first half of the book goes quickly as we watch Kate move through the painstaking process of identifying the suspect and booking him. This is more than just a police procedural, however. The story also explores public attitudes toward homosexuality and the paradoxical nature of a judicial system that sometimes thwarts justice. A high-powered attorney takes the suspect's case and it becomes apparent that he intends to persuade the jury that Crawford deserved his death for attempting to force himself sexually on his straight client. Kate allies herself with Linda Foster, a tough young female d.a., who takes center stage for the remainder of the book. The murder trial that follows is taut and at times more compelling than the police investigation that preceded it. Forrest also lets us see the strains on Kate's life as she pursues the case. The defense attorney knows she is a lesbian and could use it against the prosecution. Kate's male partner is lazy and contemptuous of gays. Her lover, Aimee, appears briefly to provide comfort, although her inability to truly understand the affect of the politically explosive case on her older lover is vaguely troubling. Apart from a couple of strident message scenes in a lesbian bar, Murder by Tradition is suspenseful and wellwritten and Forrest's realistic depiction of the uneven justice afforded gays adds an important dimension to a solid story. -- From Independent Publisher --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Katherine V. Forrest is the groundbreaking author of Curious Wine, the Kate Delafield mystery series and the Daughters science-fiction series. She’s also known as a prolific editor with anthology and non-fiction credits in her own name as well as the editor of hundreds of novels. Dozens of lesbian writers count her among their mentors. Selected as the 2009 recipient of the Publishing Triangle’s Bill Whitehead Lifetime Achievement award, winner of five Lambda Literary Awards and the GCLS 2009 Trailblazer Award, she is widely credited as a founding mother of lesbian fiction writing. Katherine lives with her partner Jo in the Southern California desert. In addition to writing and editing, Katherine is also the Supervising Editor of Spinsters Ink. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00EAPUI9O
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Spinsters Ink (June 17, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 17, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 621 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 218 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,018,004 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #967 in LGBTQ+ Mystery (Books)
- #1,309 in LGBTQ+ Mystery (Kindle Store)
- #4,726 in Gay & Lesbian (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 98 ratings

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4.6 out of 5

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carlaf

More than just a mystery

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2001

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Katherine V. Forrest, in her Kate Delafield series manages to present a tight, taut mystery along with a political statement, which she doesn't present in a heavy-handed manner. The two just seem to blend seemlessly and if you want to ignore the message (if you can), then you can simply enjoy the mystery. Kate and her dullard partner, Ed Taylor, investigate the murder of Teddie Crawford, a very "out" gay man. In fact, even he calls himself a queen. Teddie was stabbed about 40 times, which indicates to Kate that it was more than just a simple robbery. The first half of the book describes Kate and Ed cornering the killer. The fact that the killer, himself, was hurt badly is a big help to Kate as well as the description given by one of Teddie friends, Gloria. Watching Kate using her interrogative skills to trap this man is very tense, especially since she knows that without a confession all they have is circumstantial evidence. As good as the "law" part of the story is, the "order" part is really more fascinating and suspenseful. Kate has found out that the killer's attorney is someone she knows slightly but someone who knows her secret. Throughout the trial, she wonders how he will try to bring it out and taint her testimony. Sadly, no matter what the outcome of this fictional trial, Forrest shows that gaybashing is alive and well in these United States.

3 people found this helpful

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B Strauss

Great Mystery Series

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022

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Any one of the books from this series are a "can't put it down" novel. Perfect book to snuggle up in front of a fire and enjoy for hours!

One person found this helpful

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ar

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2015

Always good writing!

Excellent fictionalized account of a real murder

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 1997

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_Murder by Tradition_ is an excellent fictionalized account of an actual, brutal, premeditated murder of a gay man, for no reason other than the fact that he was gay. The story is very well told and I didn't want to put the book down from beginning to end.
The first half is devoted to the discovery of the facts of the case and of the identity of the killer. The second half the story of the trial. The suspense is not in discovering the identity of the gaybasher, but in whether or not he will escape punishment.
The victim was stabbed 39 times and bled to death, but the killer has deep wounds on his own hands and claims he was defending himself from a gay man who tried to force him to have sex. There were no witnesses. Can Detective Kate Delafield discover the clues that will convince a jury of what really happened?

6 people found this helpful

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L. Dalzell

Kate Delafield, great detective

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2017

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Another Kate Delafield mystery. Well worth getting.

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2014

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Great but sad story. Forrest is a wonderful writer.

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Amazon Customer

One of the most meaningful...

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2000

In the Delafield series, this book ranks as one of the most, if not the most, meaningful stories. It didn't have the love scenes I so deeply enjoy reading but the story line more than made up for that. Excellent reading!

5 people found this helpful

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@dehelen

Kate Delafield #4 convinces me to read more of Forrest's work

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017

I haven’t read all of Forrest’s books, but I know she is well known and respected by the lesbian fiction community. I’ve read a few of the Kate Delafield books, and I’d heard this one was the best. The beginning is typical for a lesbian murder mystery in some ways, with a weary PI, a requisite sex scene, and some info re the PI’s home life. The murder is of a gay man, self-identified as a queen. Is the crime gaybashing? The book was published in 1991. Times have changed in some ways since then, but we are still plagued by hate crimes. The difference might be the PI wouldn’t have to be in the closet, even if she’s a cop. The story picks up pace (and my interest) when the trial begins. At first, I thought I wouldn’t enjoy the trial, but it turns out to be a great study in how the justice works and doesn’t work in the US. Forrest’s insights into the characters of each member of the jury, the DA, the Prosecutor, even the judge, are well-crafted. I will read more of her work.

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Top reviews from other countries

christy

Kate Delefield a food series

Reviewed in Canada on October 30, 2018

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Love the series

Annie-kindlefan

Moving drama, tense courtroom writing. Gripping page turner. Superb writing.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 4, 2015

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This is a superb drama, very well written and absolutely nail biting. I found myself keeping my fingers crossed for the outcome of the central drama of the book (no spoiler here). The tension is real and the hope that justice is going to prevail over prejudice. Kate Delafield as the troubled yet dedicated detective is superb. For those who know and love Kate Delafield this is another first rate story. If you are new to the Delafield series then by all means start here and then go back and read the series from the beginning.

Joyce

Compelling and telling reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2017

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This is a book which will enthrall both gay and straight readers. It was all about the crime and the motive. The love interest between Kate and Amie was kept under the surface until the end.
My wish is that we see more such books from Katherine V Forest-- retaining the lesbian content but keeping the substance universal while at the same time asking probing questions on attitudes to difference.

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Murder by Tradition (A Kate Delafield Mystery Book 4) Kindle Edition

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Katherine V. Forrest

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