Avid Series Reader's Reviews > Face Value

Face Value by Lia Matera is book 4 of the Laura di Palma mystery series set in late 20th-century San Francisco. Earlier in the series, Laura lost her prestigious position in an upscale law firm, and her lifestyle changed dramatically. Now she's starting out on her own in a very modest private practice. Laura's keen insight: "It's easy to think the things you don't have are more 'real' than the things you do. Some are, most aren't."

Her first client is a woman who had regularly participated in group sex led by a charismatic guru, but now wants to sue him for publishing videos of their encounters. Laura is intrigued by the key concepts of the case, the use of technology to alter images vs. personal privacy. She travels to the guru's island estate, and reluctantly watches a group session.

Back in San Francisco, awakened in the middle of the night by a friend's distress call, Laura is unwittingly involved in a violent murder scene at a strip club.

To solve the mystery and keep herself safe, Laura needs to dig deep into details of the victims' lives as well as those of the guru's followers. She enlists Sandy's help (her long-term very dear friend and superb investigator).

The story is all about sex, from the group sex dynamics to the rights of sex workers at strip clubs and elsewhere (conspicuously absent is the portrayal of sex as an intimate romantic experience). The mildly suspenseful conclusion includes a sickening betrayal of trust in the basic decency we expect of a fellow human being.