Life’s a Bitch. So am I.: Rachel Cord, P.I.: A Confidential Investigations Mystery

R.E. Conary
Outskirts Press (2008)
ISBN 9781432731434 
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (8/09)


I have read many, many detective novels over the years and some are really good, but few have such well-developed characters as this one.  The story was very well written, with lots of great detail and some huge surprises!  It had me sitting on the edge of my seat to the very end. 

Rachel Cord, P.I., is certainly one of the most memorable P.I.’s that I have ever encountered in a story.  She has strong opinions, is surprisingly sarcastic, can be very funny and vulnerable and is completely frustrated when her oversized breasts capture the complete attention of people she is trying to question.   She is very tough in her detective work, but shows a much softer side in her personal life.  Throughout the story, she is still trying to come to terms with her live-in girlfriend leaving without a word several months before. 

There are several storylines going on during Rachel’s investigations in “Life’s a Bitch. So am I.”  The author does an excellent job of tying them all together.  The story starts with a missing young girl and a series of beatings at a gay night club.  The hunt leads Rachel to other brutal crimes, some real shockers and a very satisfying conclusion.  The fast pace things happen in this story often left me breathless and unable to put the book down. 

R. E. Conary’s lack of using a traditional formula with Rachel Cord definitely gives this book an individual ring.  She does take some risks when developing the main character, but it plays out well in the story.  The main character is a lesbian, but this book is written for the mainstream reader as well as the gay population.  Hopefully we will see more from this talented author in the near future.  I highly recommend “Life’s a Bitch. So am I.” for anyone who enjoys a good detective novel.

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