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mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
The Killer Wore Leather is a well thought-out, well-played murder mystery that just happens to take place in a fetish-filled environs of a BDSM convention. If you're thinking that's hardly original, especially since CSI has already done it more than once, you're right, but Antoniou cleverly owns up to that. In fact, she even has one of her characters reference the fact very early on, just so there are no misunderstandings. Yes, she nods to the reader, it's been done before, but never by such a well-qualified insider, and never with such depth and deliciousness.
As murder mysteries go, that element of the tale is rather straightforward. It's your traditional whodunit, with all of the false leads, red herrings, and misdirection you might expect. Personally, I solved the case rather more quickly than the lovely Detective Rebecca Feldblum, but that's perfectly all right. It's the investigation that drives the story, not the solution, and there are a lot of clever twists along the way.
I loved the way Antoniou peeled back the leather and the latex, peeked beneath the satin and the lace, and exposed the human beings involved in the scene. She plays to their fantasy personas, but also has some good-natured fun with their fetishes. For every scene that excites or titillates the reader, there's another that makes us pause, think, and feel for the characters. There are sincere homages to many stereotypes within the book, but some nonchalant dismissals of others as well. Just like in real life, nobody is wholly defined by their costume or their role, and others are so very much not what you would expect.
Oh, and I'm not just talking about the convention attendees, either. Antoniou paints the detectives, hotel staff, and other guests with just as diverse a brush, revealing some clever and witty insights along the way.
Ultimately, aside from the delicious humour, I think what really distinguishes The Killer Wore Leather is its commitment to the BDSM scene, even while acknowledging just how universal its themes and characters are. Theoretically, you could change the setting to a Star Trek convention or a comic con and have it work very well, with the same us-versus-them mentality, the same misunderstandings, and the same protective sort of clique-ness. However, there are some deeper insights into love, friendship, and the whole power dynamic that are unique to the scene, and which really provide the story's charm.
Whether you're whips and chains and collars are second-nature to you, or you have never imagined them on anything other than the neighbour's dog, this is a mystery that's worth a read. Play along and solve the case, or just enjoy the journey . . . it's up to you.
As murder mysteries go, that element of the tale is rather straightforward. It's your traditional whodunit, with all of the false leads, red herrings, and misdirection you might expect. Personally, I solved the case rather more quickly than the lovely Detective Rebecca Feldblum, but that's perfectly all right. It's the investigation that drives the story, not the solution, and there are a lot of clever twists along the way.
I loved the way Antoniou peeled back the leather and the latex, peeked beneath the satin and the lace, and exposed the human beings involved in the scene. She plays to their fantasy personas, but also has some good-natured fun with their fetishes. For every scene that excites or titillates the reader, there's another that makes us pause, think, and feel for the characters. There are sincere homages to many stereotypes within the book, but some nonchalant dismissals of others as well. Just like in real life, nobody is wholly defined by their costume or their role, and others are so very much not what you would expect.
Oh, and I'm not just talking about the convention attendees, either. Antoniou paints the detectives, hotel staff, and other guests with just as diverse a brush, revealing some clever and witty insights along the way.
Ultimately, aside from the delicious humour, I think what really distinguishes The Killer Wore Leather is its commitment to the BDSM scene, even while acknowledging just how universal its themes and characters are. Theoretically, you could change the setting to a Star Trek convention or a comic con and have it work very well, with the same us-versus-them mentality, the same misunderstandings, and the same protective sort of clique-ness. However, there are some deeper insights into love, friendship, and the whole power dynamic that are unique to the scene, and which really provide the story's charm.
Whether you're whips and chains and collars are second-nature to you, or you have never imagined them on anything other than the neighbour's dog, this is a mystery that's worth a read. Play along and solve the case, or just enjoy the journey . . . it's up to you.
lynn_the_greyhound_mum's review against another edition
5.0
Really, really enjoyed this book. The writing is excellent and the characters richly drawn.
bookhobbit's review against another edition
3.0
A cozy mystery...that takes place at a major leather and kink event. The ending isn't too hard to spot, but the community, its dramas, and its quirks is painted in loving/exasperated detail.
sscs's review against another edition
5.0
By the time I was halfway through, I'd sent a copy to a friend. This clever book reads like a roman a clef to anyone who has ever been to a nerdy convention of any sort and I'm confident that many if not most of my friends would enjoy it for Antoniou's sheer ability to capture a subculture.
I have a nitpick or two with the mystery itself, thought it is better thought-out than many I've read. Also, as a Washingtonian, I have to point out that the "Organization with an acronym that spells something dirty/silly" joke is WAY old. The sex is sexy enough, but there's a scene where someone is getting a pair of shoes shined that did it for me almost more. But while the sex scenes and the mystery plot itself aren't in any sense neglected, this is fundamentally a comic novel and it works as one.
Good book.
I have a nitpick or two with the mystery itself, thought it is better thought-out than many I've read. Also, as a Washingtonian, I have to point out that the "Organization with an acronym that spells something dirty/silly" joke is WAY old. The sex is sexy enough, but there's a scene where someone is getting a pair of shoes shined that did it for me almost more. But while the sex scenes and the mystery plot itself aren't in any sense neglected, this is fundamentally a comic novel and it works as one.
Good book.
crystalisreading's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a fun read. I've been reading a lot about the BDSM lifestyle and community in the past few years, and this was another fun glimpse at a much different world than I live in. It read like a spoof, but a loving spoof, with a good mystery, that kept me guessing til the very end. I admit that keeping some of the characters, especially the judges and contestants, separate could be challenging at times (Kelly? George? Blade? who knows?). But other characters were vivid and fairly likable, like the police detectives on the job and the two Jacks. there was some sweet romance (Binky!) and plenty of kinkery, all told with an affectionate light handed touch. the cast was relatively diverse in age, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, religion, and kink/ lack thereof. I started reading this while at a (work) conference--while they were much different experiences, it was a good setting for putting myself in that conference mindset. I would definitely give this author another try, especially if she wrote more mysteries, and recommend this for an enjoyable, interesting fun read.
mtoddweb's review
5.0
Antoniou is well known for her Marketplace series, which mixes serious emotional drama with hardcore BDSM porn. This, her first mystery novel, is an affectionate and hilarious satire of the real-world BDSM subculture, with a plethora of eccentric characters and very little sex. The detective is a sober, no-nonsense vanilla lesbian who's assigned a new partner for the case, a younger black man from the South. If you're a member of any fannish subculture--such as Doctor Who or Star Trek--you'll get enough of the jokes in this story to laugh out loud, as I did.
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