Matt McAvoy Book Review

This is a quirky little novella, which amounts to really only an hour or two of reading time, but it is a fun way to fill a couple of lunch breaks, a quiet evening or a day or two’s commute – though, if the latter, then you might want to practice a little discretion, and make sure nobody is sneaking a peek over your shoulder, as some of it is quite explicit, with some pretty graphic descriptions of the more adventurous of sexual tastes.  But don’t think this book is about pure titillation sleaze, and nor is it gratuitous in any way; it is in fact rather grown-up and mature in its approach to the sex trade, including the BDSM scene, and handles the subject with an element of matter-of-fact casualness.  It appears that the author has done a good deal of research into the business, fictionalizing a few case studies picked up along the way.

To summarize, Naked Came the Detective is a pretty self-explanatory title for this short, entertaining, and surprisingly light-hearted mystery – almost more of the cosy genre than its adult nature might suggest.  In it, a highly professional, financially shrewd and well-educated sex worker tries to solve the murder of one of her clients, by subtly investigating suspects and those who may present clues, all of whom also happen to be clients of hers.  I don’t think this is a book which takes itself too seriously, it being somewhat fortuitous that apparently everyone involved or in the know about this murder happens to be a customer of the narrator.  Nor is it ever really explained why she decides to investigate this murder, the victim not being a person she particularly knows well or even likes; it appears that she does so simply to test her own detective powers, and to relish that final Scooby Doo kids’ moment when it comes.  This book is a bit of fun, and although Glendall Jackson has endeavoured to inject a little raw authenticity into what is in part a mock journal, it will only really be treated as such.

This book was an interesting way to fill time, though it never aspires to more than an entertaining short, and that’s exactly what it is.  It’s fair to say that I enjoyed the time spent reading it.  Glendall is a decent author, with humour, wit and a general intelligence which seeps through the character, herself amiable and in some ways an enigma, while in others refreshingly sincere.  If you’re after a light, cosy read which is otherwise definitely for grown-ups, then this might be right up your street, and I’d suggest it might be worth a look.