In the nineteenth century Charles Dickens wrote his novels as serials; in the late twentieth century Merilee Moss conjures up a new kind of serial fiction: of ghosts, of crime, of satire and of lesbian desire. When the ghostly Fedora interrupts Julie Barnard’s morning coffee in Brunswick Street, Julie’s life is set to change. An out-of-work PI, Julie is seduced by Fedora’s French accent and flamboyant hats, but soon discovers that wearing beautiful hats is a dangerous activity.
Fedora Walks, Merrilee Moss
There are simply not enough of these short novella books being published these days. Not only do they give you a real taste of (frequently) lesser known writers, they are perfect little handbag books - stocking stuffers if you want. FEDORA WALKS could definitely stuff the stocking of a lot of readers. If you're fans of the supernatural, if you're a fan of theatricals, if you're a lover of lesbian fiction (crime or not), or if you simply want something funny to fill in a few pleasant hours, then FEDORA WALKS is a great little book.
Now I'm not much of a shoe shopper, but that doesn't apply to hats. I like hats. I really really really like hats. And I did like FEDORA WALKS, even though I spent most of the book wondering why. Sure it's a bit odd. Well really - you can't imagine that a story about an out-of-work detective lusting after (and working for) the ghostly figure of her grandmother's lesbian lover wouldn't be a little odd! Who cares. It was light-hearted, it had some serious laugh out loud moments, and it will make you look at hats in a whole different way. And blue heeler puppies. And mothers-in-law.