Book Review: Transition to Murder
Transition to Murder. Renee James. Riverdale/Magnus Books, March 4, 2014, Trade Paperback and Kindle, 334 pages. Originally published as Coming Out Can be Murder by Windy City Publishers (June 2012).
Reviewed by Julie S. Halpern.
Renee James’s provocative murder mystery is a classic page turner with an unusual twist. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Chicago, replete with frigid winters so beautifully and evocatively drawn, those not intimately familiar with our weather might actually find romance in James’s description of our town’s frozen and windy lakefront.
Sadly for James’s irresistible heroine Bobbi Logan, the harsh weather is the least of the brutality she is forced to cope with. A popular Chicago hairdresser, with a group of supportive friends, including a saintly ex-wife, and an endlessly understanding boss, she is a thirty-eight year-old, six-foot tall male transitioning to female.
As Bobbi adjusts to life as a transwoman, she encounters myriad challenges that range from work issues (such as appearing in female attire for the first time at the salon where she works) to everyday activities ranging from shopping, to dating, to womensʼ room etiquette. A potent hormonal cocktail, which endows her with the sexual desires of a horny adolescent, creates havoc for the usually well behaved Bobbi. When a young transwoman client and friend is brutally murdered, Bobbi becomes an activist in solving her murder, almost getting murdered herself in the process.
Facing an unacceptable lack of action by Chicago’s finest, Bobbi takes the law into her own hands, risking her life to bring this crime to justice. James’s depictions of brutish, homophobic police officers and various low-level thugs were chilling, frustrating, and heartbreaking. As she bravely transitions to her new life, her resolve becomes stronger and her actions a great deal riskier. I found it impossible to put this book down and found myself rooting for Bobbi even when her endeavors to solve this crime bordered on foolhardy.
James brings the unique flavor of several Chicago neighborhoods to life in vivid detail, particularly Boystown, a neighborhood that has welcomed gay and transgendered people for the past few decades. James’s description of specific “El” stops resonate with any us who have waited for a train on an isolated platform or walked down a deserted street on a cold, dark night.
One warning: the beginning of this book contains extreme graphic, sexual violence. Some of the language and detail disturbed me to the point that were I not reviewing this book I might have stopped reading. I am glad I got past the first chapter, however, because this well-written book gave me insight into a world existing alongside all of us every day. While many of us live, work, and socialize with transgendered individuals, most of us have no idea what challenges and obstacles they encounter daily. It was a privilege to have spent time with Bobbi Logan. Readers of Transition to Murder will find their perceptions of the transgendered community irrevocably altered and will find themselves wishing Bobbi Logan the very best on her journey.