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Book Review of The Black Stiletto

The Black Stiletto
nrlymrtl avatar reviewed on + 297 more book reviews


I did not want to put this book down. Judy Coopers survival spirit caught me right away and swept me off to New York with her, through her years of training and growth, and finally to the super hero clad in practical boots, a balanced knife, and chic leather outfit. The story was so believable, so every day life of masked crime fighter. Raymond Benson has created a kickass heroine in the super hero realm where so few clothed, practical, female crime fighters exist in literature. Judy is so very human with her flaws, her inner drive, her mistakes, and her questions about how and why she pursues justice.

The side characters were well placed, giving Judy a balance of friends watching her back and those enemies pretending to be chummy or ignoring her because they dont believe her a threat until too late. Throughout the tale, she keeps her secret identity to herself, with only a few close friends making some educated guesses. But she also has close friends that have no idea an aspect that I also liked, as it gave Judy time to simply b Judy, a young single women in NY. The book also notes racial and gender inequalities, and the differences between NY and TX at the same time period.