Two young women of similar backgrounds--wealthy, privileged and with families who have disintegrated--are drawn to each other in Double Exposure, the second neo-noir novel from Ava Barry (Windhall). This provocative, character-driven drama manages to keep its surprising twists in focus while also giving readers a lyrical look at Los Angeles.
Private investigator Rainey Hall, along with two friends, co-owns an all-female boutique agency that has been increasingly successful because of its exclusivity. Rainey has a soft spot for needy clients such as Melia van Aust, whose fragility is palpable. Four years ago, Melia's wealthy parents were brutally murdered in Slant House, the family hillside mansion; her brother, Jasper, vanished that same night. Melia still bears the scars of that attack. Having returned to Slant House, Melia wants Rainey and her crew to track down Jasper and find out who is sending her threatening letters. Melia has never been able to escape the notoriety of the murders, preferring to stay inside so she won't be recognized. Rainey feels a kinship: her father was a famous composer, and she spent her childhood on world concert tours as a violin prodigy. The two women become lovers as Rainey is caught in the net of Melia's emotional frailty; events are exacerbated by the fact that Rainey's lawyer controls her life--and her fortune. A stupendous turn adds an intense level of terror to Double Exposure.
The women's psyches parallel Barry's evocative look at Los Angeles where "even in private homes, the city pressed in at the edges, reminding you of its presence." --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer