TANGLED LIP IN BLUE

by Larry Duplechan ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 1989

It's hard to imagine a fluffy novel about AIDS, but, here, Duplechan (Blackbird Singing, 1987) offers just that. Los Angeles, 1985: for Maggie and Daniel Sullivan--married only a year--all seems to be going swimmingly. Handsome Daniel is doing quite well in entertainment law, which he turned to after jettisoning an unsuccessful acting career. Maggie is an aerobics instructor who has just discovered that she's pregnant. The only dark cloud on their horizon is that their absolute best friend--gay romance-writer Crockett Miller--has also just made a discovery: he has ARC (AIDS Related Complex). Maggie is properly shocked and sympathetic--but Dan turns green: it seems that way back in 1978, when both he and Crockett were budding actors, they had an affair. Dan races to his doctor for an antibody test, which turns out to be negative, but Maggie finds out about the old affair--and heads home for mother. It takes a miscarriage to bring her and Dan back together. There remains only Maggie's tearful reconcilation with Crockett: ""Oh fuck, Maggie, don't cry,"" he tells her. ""I'm not worth shit when women start crying."" Predictable and simplistic.

Pub Date: March 18, 1989

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1989

Categories: FICTION