Mother Finds a Body

"Pure ozone to those tired of ordinary oxygen."--The New Yorker

In this steamy sequel to The G-String Murders, Gypsy Rose Lee's noir thriller reads as if it's ripped from her own diary pages. When her mother finds a dead body in Gypsy's trailer during her honeymoon, Gypsy realizes that no one is who they seem to be, and everyone is worthy of suspicion.

Femmes Fatales restores to print the best of women's writing in the classic pulp genres of the mid-20th century. From mystery to hard-boiled noir to taboo lesbian romance, these rediscovered queens of pulp offer subversive perspectives on a turbulent era. Enjoy the series: Bedelia; Bunny Lake Is Missing; By Cecile; The G-String Murders; The Girls in 3-B; Laura; The Man Who Loved His Wife; Mother Finds a Body; Now, Voyager; Return to Lesbos; Skyscraper; Stranger on Lesbos; Stella Dallas; Women's Barracks.

Gypsy Rose Lee (1911-1970) was born Louise Hovick in Seattle, Washington, and became the most famous burlesque actor and striptease artist of her day, renowned as much for her witty repartee on stage as for removing her clothes. First performing with her sister on the vaudeville circuit and later in striptease routines, Rose soon landed star billing in a top New York burlesque theater, and following her wild success there, became a popular fixture in Broadway theaters. In 1937 she moved to Hollywood. She went on to appear in twelve films and have her own television show. Rose’s writing career included contributing regularly to The New Yorker, reporting on the New York social scene, and publishing two novels. She also wrote her memoir Gypsy (1957), which later became the inspiration for the hugely popular Broadway musical, Gypsy: A Musical Fable and the 1962 film version of the play.