Debra Hyde

Liv called her hunger the Void, a bottomless pit of sexual desperation. She thought she knew it, and herself. Until a night with Cassandra silenced it. And brought out something in Liv she didn’t think possible: submission. One taste of that, and Liv wanted more. But Cassandra isn’t an easy dominant, and her demands aren’t simple. She expects Liv to earn her way into her good graces, too follow her every command and whim. How many hurdles must Liv jump before she can kneel before Cassandra? Before Cassandra will lay claim to her? Just what will it take to become Cassandra’s “L?” And, if Liv achieves it, will the outcome be all she’s hoped for? Find out in a timeless tale, retold. Find out in Story of L. Winner, Lesbian Erotica, 2011 Lambda Literary Awards “This is a story with some real depth to it, one that forces us to explore our own ideas of dominance and submission, even as Liv learns about hers.” —Sally Bend, reviewer, Bending the Bookshelf

Story of L

A dead body in a back alley means little to the rough streets of 1880s New York City—until Charlotte Olmes, woman detective, steps onto the scene. Crime-solving on behalf of her female clients, Olmes eschews decorum and ventures into places forbidden to the fairer sex, sleuthing after clues hidden, elusive, and often distasteful. When the exotic Miss Tam pleads with Charlotte to find the man to whom she's secretly married, Charlotte ventures into the dark and dangerous crannies of the city with her partner and passionate lover, Joanna Wilson, at her side. Soon, what appeared to be the random misfortune born of Chinatown's opium dens reveals itself as a vicious gang-related murder—and Olmes and Wilson find themselves wedged between the ethnic and political forces that collide where Chinatown borders the Bowery. Penned by Lambda Literary Award winner Debra Hyde, Of White Snakes and Misshapen Owls recasts the classic eccentric detective genius in ways never before seen. Passions both criminal and carnal come alive in vivid and exacting detail in what promises to become the hallmark of the Charlotte Olmes Mystery Series.

Volume One of the Charlotte Olmes Mystery Series

Of White Snakes and Misshaped Owls

Lambda Award-winning author Debra Hyde returns to the rich terrain of late 19th century New York City as she follows genteel lady detectives Charlotte Olmes and Joanna Watson on their quests to find the secrets hidden under the petticoats of women's live. Margaret Sutherland is a tattered heiress, her life torn apart by death, sorrow, and the loss of prosperity and status. She skulks about the Ladies Mile, furtive and avoiding, draped in an ancient, worn cape. Until Joanna Wilson, faithful companion and lover to detective Charlotte Olmes, spots her in the famed shopping district and knows something's wrong. Once, they were all debutantes, celebrating their coming-out season, but fate and fortune cast them different outcomes. As Joanna recalls that time, she and Charlotte scramble to aid the desolate Miss Sutherland, only to find a trail of deception, fraud, and extortion blocking their way. Jumping every hurdle of opposition and rallying allies new and old, Olmes and Wilson must race to see the fair Miss Sutherland to safety and freedom. Be sure to read Of White Snakes and Misshaped Owls, the first volume in this exciting homage to the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

Debra Hyde

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