Murder mysteries are not really my style, but I picked this up for the promise of a lesbian feminist protagonist. Plus, the blurb spilled the fact that the murder victim was a man, sealing the deal. (Last thing I need is to spend my free time reading gruesome stories of murdered women.) And The Other Side of Silence ending up being just what I was looking for: a fast-paced story, suspenseful but not so scary I couldn't read it at home by myself, woven with a healthy, lesbian feminist consciousness. Set in San Francisco of the early '90s, the book offered a glimpse into the lesbian cultural and political scene of the time (and I appreciate the critical eye the main characters turned to the growing s&m scene). Interspersed with women's personal stories of abuse, the novel offered a resounding rejection of male violence. As far as mysteries go, the final reveal felt a little incomplete, but was nevertheless satisfying. ( )