DAMN STRAIGHT

When Lillian Byrd’s best friend Truby decides to give up on men, she insists Lillian (Holy Hell, not reviewed) coach her in the protocol of lesbian courtship. Then, to double, maybe even triple, her chances of scoring, she books the two of them into a Palm Springs motel for the week of the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament, which attracts thousands of like-minded women. At a cocktail party, Lillian connects with Genie Maychild, the top-ranked LPGA star, leaving Truby alone in that motel room. But Genie has demons of her own: up-and-coming rookie Coco Nash, nipping at her backswing for the Number One spot, and a past she can remember only back to age 15. What happened before that? And is it in any way connected to the threats she’s receiving that are wrecking her golf concentration and causing the death of Peaches, her caddy? To find out, Lillian scurries off to Genie’s hometown to interview her high-school mentor and her first boyfriend—and to learn what her real last name was before she settled on Maychild. Meanwhile, the Dinah is heating up, with Coco and Genie battling it out on the 18th hole, and Truby is kissing, and more, but not having a great time at it. By the time the Dinah concludes, Genie and Lillian have split up, Lillian and Coco have become friends, and Truby is reconsidering men.

Though the plot’s a tad thin, the Dinah and sports celebrities are well-handled, and there’s much charm and deprecating humor in Lillian’s instructions to Truby.