Naked Came the Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III

A slick and confident mystery told through the eyes of a no-nonsense mistress, Naked Came the Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III is a steamy sleuthing novella that can be devoured in an afternoon. Boldly erotic in both language and content, but balanced well with a cleverly crafted mystery, the story is self-assured and memorable, much like the protagonist.

Probing the dark connections of sex, power, and death, a high-end call girl recounts her final weeks in the escort business, which ensnared her in a tangled murder investigation that hit shockingly close to home. Peeling back the curtain on certain elements of high-end escort work, readers follow this sex-positive sleuth as she sneakily puts the pieces together, and sets a very on-brand trap of her own.

Despite so much of the plot revolving around sexuality, the author avoids objectification and develops three-dimensional female characters. It feels convenient that almost every one of the unnamed narrator’s clients happens to have a hint or subtle clue about the murder, but suspending disbelief is worth it, as the clues are nonetheless entertaining and intriguing.

On a technical level, there are some sloppy proofreading errors, missing words, and mismatched tenses, but it doesn’t take away too much from the flow of the story, with an ending that truly satisfies.

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