Arts & Entertainment
Secrets from the past
Reluctant PI Jane Lawless back in action in ‘Lost Lake’
‘The Lost Women of Lost Lake’
By Ellen Hart
Minotaur
$25.99
320 pages
Cordelia Thorn figured she would lend a quick hand.
Tessa Cornell, Cornelia’s old friend in northern Minnesota, had taken a tumble and hurt her leg. Because Tessa was directing the community play, somebody needed to finish the job while she was healing, so Cornelia volunteered and invited her best friend, Jane Lawless, along. Jane, a restaurateur and part-time PI, was still mourning the death of her long-time partner, and a trip north would do her good.
That’s the setting that leads to death and danger when the past comes looking for the two women in the new novel “The Lost Women of Lost Lake” by Ellen Hart.
Though Tessa was happy to have help with the play, she didn’t need any company — particularly not some PI-wannabe.
Not long before she fell, Tessa got a call from Lyndie LaVassar and it wasn’t good news: a secret was about to be loose in Lost Lake. The past, it seemed, had caught up with the two women and was about to destroy their lives as well as the reputations of several people in town.
Jonah Ivorsen had enough of St. Louis. He’d hated to move anyhow, so when he decided to hitchhike to Lost Lake, he was sure his aunt Jill and Jill’s wife, Tessa, would let him stay with them. Jonah was excited to be home and to reconnect with friends, especially his girl, Emily, who said she’d love him forever.
But then a body was discovered and another one followed it fast. Emily was hiding something, the authorities were zeroing in on a mysterious fire and Tessa was obviously lying to everybody.
Could Jane Lawless sort things out before someone else died?
Oh, how I love books with Jane Lawless in them. Jane is an unlikely heroine and somewhat reluctant private investigator who doesn’t seem to want her hobby to turn into work, yet there’s a will-she-make-it-permanent story thread in this book that’s satisfactorily solved. There’s also a possible romance angle here that teases readers nicely.
But much as I love author Ellen Hart’s main character, the supporting cast in “The Lost Women of Lost Lake” almost all needed to take a dive. I had to work to keep my eyes from rolling, not only because of the clichéd peripheral characters but also for the clichéd things they said. Triteness definitely taints this otherwise fine mystery.
Fans of this series should be able to overlook these faults but if you’re not a fan yet, start with another book. For you, “The Lost Women of Lost Lake” will not be looked upon swimmingly.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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