Amateur City

by Katherine V. Forrest · 1984

When a high‑rise executive is found murdered, tough LAPD Detective Kate Delafield is assigned to the case. What begins as a routine homicide turns unsettling when Kate’s only witness is Ellen O’Neil, a new employee who took the job against her lover’s wishes. As Ellen recounts the night of the killing, her nervous curiosity and hidden motives draw Kate’s attention. The detective soon suspects she’s chasing an amateur killer—someone whose inexperience makes them dangerously unpredictable. As the investigation deepens, Kate’s path repeatedly collides with Ellen’s, revealing personal secrets that threaten to blur the line between witness and suspect. "Amateur City" launches the iconic Kate Delafield series, blending gritty police work with a pioneering lesbian perspective that reshaped mystery fiction.