Reviewed by R. Lynn Watson
Mega Scene

Thirty-four year old fifth grade teacher Dee Del Valle has a full life as a teacher, union negotiator, and friend to Tully, Jenny and Felicia.  She's also recovering from a bad affair with Los Angeles newscaster Sheila Shelbourne.  The glamorous Sheila collected women in the manner some hunters collect pelts.  Just as Dee is beginning to think about dating again, Sheila is brutally murdered, and Dee finds the police literally on her doorstep.

Relationships Can Be Murder investigates relationships of all kinds: both work and personal.  As Dee and her friends try to discover the real murderer of Sheila, they find intrigues and secrets both at her worksite and between each other.  Sorting through gossip and delving into the past, Dee and her friends find themselves in dangerous situations.

DiLucchio has given her readers a well crafted novel.  It has enough twists, turns, and laughs to keep readers up well into the night.  Her characters ring true, even to Dee's being given a leave of absence until her name is cleared.  DiLucchio knows Southern California, the television industry, and school districts!  Look for this excellent mystery at your favorite gay and lesbian bookstore, or order it directly from: New Victoria Publishers Inc., P.O. Box 27 Norwich, Vermont 05055.

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Reviewed by Arlene Germain
The Midwest Book Review

Relationships Can Be Murder

Dee DelValle once had a brief yet passionate fling with Los Angeles’ top television newscaster, Sheila Shelbourne.  All things considered, it now has become Dee’s most monumental mistake.  The dalliance broke up Dee’s longtime relationship with her partner Evie, confounded her closest friends, and now has placed Dee on an administrative leave from her teaching position because she is the LAPD’s prime suspect in Shelbourne’s murder.  With the police department’s lead investigators, Gina Quinn and Alex Pierce, convinced of her guilt, Dee decides to enlist the aid of her three best friends, Tully, Felicia, and Jenny.  Together they set about trying to clear Dee and find the real killer. Along the way, these women learn that some secrets cannot be kept buried, that friendships will be tested, and that the old cliché is true.  Some things just are not what they seem, and this applies to people as well.

DiLucchio has created an intriguing and witty character in Dee DelValle, schoolteacher cum sleuth.  The author has surrounded Dee with very likable and winning secondary characters as well.  Tully, the extrovert of the group, approaches life with a no holds barred, in your face attitude which serves her well, except in matters of the heart.  Felicia is an interesting character in that she connects the various suspects through her job at the television studio..  Finally, there is Jenny, herself not above suspicion in the investigation.  Jenny too has secrets known only to a few, but damning nonetheless.  It is this coterie of friends which enables Dee to pursue every avenue in her attempt at clearing her name and getting her life back on track.  Each character highlights disparate facets of Dee’s personality, and DiLucchio writes humorously, and at times, poignantly to portray this aspect of her characterization. 

Plotting and logical progression of events are key elements of any good novel, but they are especially important in the construction of a mystery genre work.  DiLucchio has mastered both here.  The suspension of disbelief is present and never falters; its reading flows in a most realistic manner.  There are the various red herrings and expected twists and turns.  However, DiLucchio’s style of writing has such an ease and naturalness, and this definitely keeps the reader challenged, entertained, and completely engaged.  The Prelude of the book is definitely an attention-grabber; yet it manages to convey through adept irony the overall tone one can expect to encounter in this novel.  “The disarray would normally have perturbed the woman greatly.  In fact, she would have been extremely uncomfortable to have anyone see the condo, or herself, in this condition.  However, a deep concave dent on the back of her head had ended all her mundane concerns of embarrassment” (page 5).

Relationships Can Be Murder is an exemplary and captivating debut novel.  It is written with such care for detail of character and plausibility of situation that one can both identify and empathize fully with its protagonist.  DiLucchio successfully manages to avoid the pitfalls of so many formulaic mysteries which seem to flood the bookshelves these days.  Forthright and endearing main characters, the allusion to violence, which often times is substantially more chilling, and the witty and wry dialogues all contribute to a genuinely rewarding reading experience.  This reviewer eagerly awaits Jane DiLucchio’s next novel.  Whether it is a sequel or something entirely different, DiLucchio’s dynamic and ebullient style is well worth the wait.

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