Nikki Baker s In the Game (1991) is a historic milestone in queer literature. Originally published by the iconic Naiad Press, it is recognized as the very first mystery novel to feature a Black lesbian protagonist and detective. It was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery and remains a foundational text in the history of intersectional queer fiction.
A groundbreaking text in queer noir, Nikki Baker’s In the Game introduces Virginia ‘Ginny’ Kelly, a sharp, cynical Black lesbian navigating the corporate, predominantly white world of high finance in Chicago. When Ginny meets her old college friend Bev Johnson for late-night drinks, Bev reveals that her partner is stepping out on her. The next morning, the woman is found murdered right outside the bar where they met. Terrified that her friend will be framed for the crime, Ginny launches her own amateur investigation into the victim’s messy life and alleged embezzlement schemes. Along the way, her efforts are complicated by intense workplace microaggressions, a primary relationship under strain, and an immediate, magnetic attraction to a beautiful lawyer named Susan Coogan. The novel stands as an essential exploration of the intersections of race, gender, and sapphic identity within the framework of twentieth-century detective fiction.
A groundbreaking text in queer noir, Nikki Baker’s In the Game introduces Virginia ‘Ginny’ Kelly, a sharp, cynical Black lesbian navigating the corporate, predominantly white world of high finance in Chicago. When Ginny meets her old college friend Bev Johnson for late-night drinks, Bev reveals that her partner is stepping out on her. The next morning, the woman is found murdered right outside the bar where they met. Terrified that her friend will be framed for the crime, Ginny launches her own amateur investigation into the victim’s messy life and alleged embezzlement schemes. Along the way, her efforts are complicated by intense workplace microaggressions, a primary relationship under strain, and an immediate, magnetic attraction to a beautiful lawyer named Susan Coogan. The novel stands as an essential exploration of the intersections of race, gender, and sapphic identity within the framework of twentieth-century detective fiction.
Details
| Title: In The Game |
| Author: Nikki Baker |
| ISBN: 9781950000000 |
| Subtitle: |
| Genre: Mystery; Black Interest |
| Subject(s): |
| Publication Date: 44061 |
| Original Publication Date: |
| Publisher: ReQueered Tales |
| Language: English |
| Format: Paperback |
| Pages: 186 |
| Rating: |
| Notes: |
| Book_ID: 107189 |