Maxie Mainwaring, Lesbian Dilettante

Title: Maxie Mainwaring, Lesbian Dilettante
Author: Monica Nolan
Published: 2013
Genre: Pulp fiction!
Pages: 281


 Whee! I had just been thinking that I need/want to read Lois Lenz (linky link) or Bobby Blanchard (the link) again, as they're fun and great summer reading, but then I happened to find this one in the book shop! Joy of joys!

Third of Monica Nolan's series -I hope there'll be a looot more- set in the late fifties, early sixties, we've already met Maxie in the first book as a minor character, living in the same boarding house as our other heroines. And now it's her turn to shine! Maxie's an heiress to a rich family, but when she's caught -by her mother! Gasp!- in a country club's powder room, getting to know another young girl very personally, she's told to either move home from the big city, or make it on her own. Maxie chooses the latter, and sets out to find a career for herself. Jobs aren't as easy to keep as one would think, but luckily there are plenty around. Girlfriends are not so easy to keep either, especially since there are so many other pretty girls around! Maxie is particularly interested in Lon the laconic loner, who seems to be mixed up with the Scandinavian mobs running the darker side of the city.

Oh, oh, oh, that's another thing. Alliteration. I love alliteration, and Ms. Nolan does as well. It makes me happy and helps to set the pulpy tone for these lovely books.


   Maxie burst into the Arms full of her new job and her new discovery. "Hallooo!" she caroled, when she reached the fifth floor. "Where is everybody? I've got news!" How the girls would exclaim when she told them that Kitty, the new girl, was playing the innocent student while spying on all of them in order to write a supposedly serious sociological study of the Sapphic sisterhood!


I might just re-read Lois and/or Bobby anyways.