It’s been far too long since I last enjoyed a good female masking story, much less one that explores a wider spectrum of gender, so I was overjoyed when Miss Circe offered me a copy of Femme Fatale. It sounded like a fun read, but I was not prepared for how much I would end up loving it.
There’s so much to love about this book, so many things it does wonderfully well. It thoroughly embraces the pulp feel, tone, and content of noir crime fiction, coming across as a story that perfectly fits the genre. Not only does it drive the plot and define the characters, but it allows for some storytelling flourishes that would feel out-of-place in a contemporary story, including a final twist/dilemma that had me reeling.
The gender element, of course, is what I came for - and I love everything about it. There’s a journey that starts with amateur drag as part of a job, moves through special F/X level female masking as part of an undercover operation, and ends by flirting with a transgender identity. It’s the middle part of the journey that’s so exciting, using Hollywood prosthetics to transform ordinary men into famous women. There’s a whole other level of roleplaying involved there, not just passing as an elegant woman, but passing yourself off as a Marilyn Monroe or Lauren Bacall, and it’s exciting to witness.
As you may imagine, there are different reasons men want to be with a celebrity, and that allows for some erotic adventures that put a bit of spice (and danger) in the tale. They can be awkward, sordid, dangerous, or even affectionate, and they’re all part of the self-discovery process.
Getting back to the noir aspect, there’s a murder to be solved, blackmail to be sorted out, and betrayals to be survived. I thought I’d had it all figured out more than once, but the twist reveals come hard and fast in the final chapters, and they work beautifully.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
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