Elizabeth Sims has done it again with her latest novel Lucky Stiff. It's the third Lillian Byrd crime story and it's every bit as good as the others.

We join our heroine some time after the events in Damn Straight, back in Detroit. As usual, Byrd is down on her luck, busking for tips and just barely getting by. Then she has a chance encounter with a childhood friend, Duane Sechrist. The pair get talking about their past, and about the night that Byrd's parents died in a fire. It's not long before they realise that the tragedy might not have been an accident, and thus begins a long, strange trail of events.

There's no polite way of saying this but the thing that makes Byrd such a compelling narrator is the fact that she's a flawed character. This is not to say that she's not a decent human being, she has a strong sense of morality, unlike the people she's investigating, she's just a little bit…rubbish. Don't get me wrong, this is fabulous. In a world where lesbian detectives are karate experts, drivers of fast cars, and the type of women who can get a cutie into bed with a twitch of the eyebrow, Byrd's humility and occasional bumbling demeanour, not to mention her pet rabbit, are fresh and appealing.

But Lucky Stiff is more than its protagonist. Sims has thrown in some lovely touches that help raise this book far and away above the competition. Duane, the friend from the past, is more than a plot device, he's a fully-fleshed character that's searching for answers but completely unable to cope with the truth. If you thought Byrd was fallible then Duane is something else, she's as sharp as a pin compared to her friend. There's a delicious twist in the ending - don't worry, I won't reveal it - which had me sniggering at the poor guy and commiserating with Byrd.

I also loved the satirical forays into the world of Calico Jones, the terribly corny lesbian detective series that Byrd loves. Almost a book within a book, these little interludes are witty and sharp, and they gently lampoon the world in which Byrd wishes she lives.

Similarly, Sims has a great handle on the settings for her novels. From the world of closeted lesbian golfing stars, to the drab outskirts of Las Vegas and, of course, Byrd's home territory of Detroit. Sims describes these places perfectly, and their atmosphere bleeds into the stories in a very satisfying way.

Because this is crime fiction, there are some familiar literary devices, but Sims is such a good writer that she never allows them to sink into cliché. Minerva Le Blanc may be the rich and gorgeous friend who gets Byrd out of a scrape or two, but her own mortality is underlined by her long recovery from a devastating attack and we are left well aware that she is no superwoman.

Lucky Stiff is a joy to read and defines the term "un-put-down-able". Sims is really hitting her stride now with the Lillian Byrd series, her writing is stylish and keeps you gagging for more. Buy her latest and devour it today!

Read our interview with Elizabeth Sims.

Lucky Stiff by Elizabeth Sims
Published by: Alyson
ISBN: 1555838588
Price: £9.99

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