The first book in the Jude Devine series, Grave Silence (2005) is an LGBT mystery book with thriller elements by Rose Beecham. The story centers on a lesbian detective charged with investigating a weird murder that no one else wants to touch. It received a generally positive reception from readers and won the 2006 Golden Crown Literary Award. Rose Beecham is the pen name of bestselling romance author Jennifer Knight, best known for blending lesbian romance with the crime, thriller, and mystery genres. Her other pen names are Grace Lennox and Jennifer Fulton. Grave Silence is set in the sleepy town of Paradox Valley, Colorado. Protagonist Jude Devine is an FBI agent currently serving as the local Sheriff’s Detective. The only other person on the police force is Jude’s partner, Tully. Nothing much happens in Paradox Valley, and Jude wonders if an exciting case will ever land on her desk. She should be careful what she wishes for because she is about to land the case of a lifetime. One morning, someone spots a dead body in the Dolores River—the corpse of a teenage girl with a stake through her heart and her legs amputated. No one knows who could possibly be responsible for such a heinous crime, but Jude is the only person with the police skills to solve the mystery. Together with Tully, Jude must find the murderer before they strike again. Jude’s first instinct is that the local Mormon community is responsible. Many fundamentalist Mormons live nearby, and they don’t like anyone who is different. Although Tully warns her to take care around the Mormons, Jude decides to visit the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) to see if anyone is prepared to talk. Before visiting the FLDS, Jude examines the crime scene in depth. She meets Dr. Mercy Westmoreland, the regional forensic pathologist. Although she should focus on the murder scene, Jude can’t help noticing how attractive Mercy is. She suspects Mercy is a lesbian, but she is terrified to make a move in case she is wrong. Despite her attraction to Mercy, Jude keeps her eye on the case. She visits the FLDS and talks to the locals. Here, Beecham draws a distinction between the fundamentalist Mormons and the moderate community. She makes it very clear that she is talking about the behaviors found within a true FLDS society, which is not the same as how Mormons behave overall. Jude is horrified by what she discovers inside the FLDS. She meets child molesters and men who think it is acceptable to beat women. She also speaks with women trapped in polygamous marriages. What alarms Jude the most is that these women don’t see how morally wrong polygamy is. Even if it makes them unhappy, they are so brainwashed by the male leaders that they don’t expect anything better. In the meantime, Jude flirts with Mercy. It is obvious that Mercy fancies her back, and they soon hook up. Mercy makes it clear that she isn’t looking for a serious or long-term relationship. She only wants some fun on the job. Jude acts as though this is okay, but she soon realizes that her feelings for Mercy go deeper than a quick fling. She immerses herself in the murder case to distract her mind. Jude’s investigations take her deeper into the heart of the FLDS. She finds out that underage girls are routinely married to “masters” within these communities. The girls are entirely subservient, not knowing how to assert themselves. They don’t know what it’s like to have fun because they had their childhoods taken away. Although Jude should be focusing on the case, she is distracted by the injustices of FLDS. Tully reminds her that, although the FLDS is not recognized by the LDS, there is nothing they can do. They don’t have jurisdiction over this issue, and Jude must take care around these dangerous people. Jude doesn’t care what anyone says. She is convinced that the FLDS community killed the girl, and someone must know what happened. She won’t rest until she uncovers the truth. Jude finally gets a break in the case. It turns out that the murdered girl tried to flee the community. She didn’t want to become a child bride. She knew that if anyone caught her running, they would kill her. Despite the risks, she decided to take her chances. Although Jude is horrified at the motives behind the murder, she is glad she can bring the case to justice. She plans to expose the entire community and how it treats children and disobedient members. She hopes that the community’s women will stand with her. By the end of the book, Mercy and Jude discuss their feelings. Mercy admits that, while she does care about Jude, she meant what she said. She isn’t ready for a committed relationship. Jude decides to take some time away from Mercy to decide what she wants. Their romance continues in the second book in the series.

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