Reviews (13)

another great story
I found Josh Lanyon on this site a couple of weeks ago and downloaded his first book. What a wonderful read! I immediately bought the 2nd and 3rd mysteries and devoured them. I love his characters and twists in the sleuthing. I also enjoy his research into the background of his stories. His description of living life in the closet is also realistic. He's joined my list of favorite mystery writers!

Enjoying Adrien English
I really enjoy this series, it shows growth in the characters, is very funny, and has original mysteries.As a bookseller, myself, I identify a little with Adrien. I like how as an ordinary person, he gets in all kinds of trouble and gets out of the trouble in original ways!I can hardly wait for the next book.

Hell, Yeah!!!!
A lot of us have been waiting for this third entry in the Adrien English series.We love the dry wit of the protagonist and the neat threading in of gay-mystery trivia that Lanyon is so obviously a master of.And we are anxious to see how things are going between Adrien, amateur sleuth and mystery writer, and Jake Riordan, the closeted LA policeman with whom Adrien has a "thing."
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Crime & mystery    7. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    8. Gay    9. Gay men   

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Carpenter, Scott (Fictitious character)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. High school teachers    7. Mason, Tom (Fictitious character)    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery/Suspense   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Romance - Contemporary    6. Modern fiction   

Reviews (57)

Curious????
I loved this book and have read it many times over the years.It is pretty fast paced, but what the heck at least there was no U-Haul involved.
Endlessly Re-readable
Curious Wine was part of the beginning of my lesbian book collection (having come out in the mid-80's). It's still one of my favorite lesbian romances after all these years. I am not one to re-read books much, but I do have a short list of select lesbian novels that I tend to re-read every 1-2 years as sort of my "lezzie break" from reading everything else that I do, the majority of which is written by and about straight people. Curious Wine is right smack at the top of that list. (Along with one of Forrest's other novels, Emergence of Green.)
The FIRST Classic Lesbian Love Story with a Happy Ending!!
When I was questioning my sexuality (about being a lesbian) in the late 1980's, I was hungry for a book that would give me a positive outlook on being a lesbian. Unfortunately I didn't find or read any sexy, enlightening, and romantic lesbian novels until I stumbled upon 'Curious Wine' by Katherine Forrest. I read this book in a couple of hours and proceeded to read it at least another 50 times (this is no exaggeration.)I love this book so much, I own 4 copies.Also, in 2006 I travelled to Australia and New Zealand with a copy of this book in my luggage (I am NOT kidding!)
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Lesbians    5. Love stories    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Romance - General    8. Romance: Modern    9. Tahoe, Lake (Calif. and Nev.)    10. Fiction / Romance / General    11. Genre Fiction    12. Literature of special Lesbian interest    13. Modern fiction   

Reviews (13)

Thrilling Sequel
Under the Gun is a great book!Gun Shy left us all wanting more of these great characters and this sequel delivers! The plot is good through out and this book is a true page turner.
Review of "Under the Gun" by Cheri Rosenberg
In the second gripping police drama in Lori L. Lake's Gun series, "Under the Gun" delightfully picks up where "Gun Shy" left off and sets the stage for the third novel, "Have Gun We'll Travel." Once you make the acquaintance of Officer Desiree (Dez) Reilly and her partner and lover Rookie Officer Jaylynn (Jay) Savage, you won't be able to get enough of this dynamic duo. The two cops are as different as night and day in appearance and personality. Always the macho cop, Dez, affectionately referred to as "tall, dark, and dangerous," maintains a tough impenetrable shell and demeanor to hide her fears. "[Jaylynn] liked the fact that there was a defensive fortress around her taciturn partner, but that the tall cop had let her find the few chinks in the armor so that she had free access to come and go as she pleased" (p. 378). Dez contains her emotions until the breaking point, while Jay is not embarrassed or afraid to show her feelings. "It occurred to [Dez] that one major thing she liked about Jaylynn was how alive she was. She took on life with zest, whether she was investigating a crime, talking on the phone, eating something tasty, making love, or crying at a sad movie" (p. 271).
A sequel as fine as "Gun Shy"
A continuation of her excellent first novel and just as good. Along with all of the romance and relationship angst and suspense and a well relayed tactile sense for her setting (I would actually get cold at times while reading from her description of the environment) the thing I liked most about this novel was the presentation of an empathetic, funny, real, genuinely helpful shrink, if only they could all be as intelligent and insightful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Lesbian    5. Crime & mystery    6. Fiction / Lesbian    7. Fiction-Action & Adventure    8. Lesbians    9. Police   

Reviews (2)

Unfortunately the title is the best part
I admit I bought this book because the title was catchy and the story description sounded interesting. The name the author uses is interesting as well, if it's real. That said, it turns out that the title actually is the best thing about the book.
Winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence
When a new client arrives in his office reporting a missing lover, Dick Hardesty's first reaction is that the guy has taken off for whatever reason. He begins his search by visiting the bars the missing man frequented. Soon Dick learns that police triage missing persons; and they relegate alcoholic, gay men to the bottom of the heap. When he questions his police contacts regarding police procedure with missing person cases, Dick gets unexpected results.

Subjects:  1. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    2. Mystery & Detective - General    3. Crime & mystery    4. Fiction / Gay   

Reviews (13)

Cops and Docs... Typical, Wonderful Radclyffe
It's no secret to anyone who has read my reviews that Radclyffe is my favorite author.That doesn't mean she automatically rates a 5, but it's certainly deserved here.
A Good Romance But a Better Mystery
The gist of this novel is as described elsewhere.
Full of Hot, Passionate...
Shield of Justice by Radclyffe is the first book in the Justice series. Radclyffe is not shy about giving us what we want. This book is full of hot, passionate sex intermingled with a serial rapist investigation. Detective Sergeant Rebecca Frye is in hot pursuit of the rapist, when she meets psychologist Catherine Rawlings. Rawlings is in a position to help in the investigation, but loyalty to her patient puts her at odds with Rebecca. There is an immediate attraction between the two and as they begin to explore their attraction, there are a few turns for the worse in the case and Catherine finds herself right in the middle of the investigation and in extreme danger. This puts Rebecca in a precarious situation, and tension builds as the story continues to develop.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Lesbian    5. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    6. Romance - General    7. Suspense    8. Crime & mystery   

Reviews (1)

The Good Cop
Not really a mystery, just a great story with wonderful characters and real life drama. I read it straight through after setting aside the vast and soporific Cinatis by Donaghe. The quality of the writing and story reminds me of the early Patrica Nell Warren and Ronald Donaghe novels. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Gay police officers    5. Hardesty, Dick (Fictitious cha    6. Hardesty, Dick (Fictitious character)    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Police murders    9. Private investigators    10. Crime & mystery   

Reviews (6)

a [...] mystery that is different
Like the other reviewers I also read through this book straight through and agree with their comments. I did feel uncomfortable towards the end with some of the improbable twist and turns. The one about one of the evil doers having grown up next door to Jack's sister and husband was a bit much. Otherwise the book is original and well written. I normally am uncomfortable with flashbacks, but they are seamless and brilliantly done in this book.

Shady side of business dealings make for great reading
A well-conceived and written novel of romance, suspense and shady business dealings, "In the Shadow of Stone" introduces Jack Fontaine, a self-made gay man who is somewhat estranged from his family, except for his sister's daughter Jenna, and is a successful advertising executive who is in a rewarding but ethically-challenged relationship with one of his firm's copywriters.Jack's orderly life starts to unravel when he is summoned to the deathbed of his sister, who entrusts him with a video tape that is to be held in safekeeping for her daughter's 18th birthday.Shortly thereafter, it becomes apparent that a comment made by his lover Marc at work has resulted in their relationship being known, which threatens his job and makes him second-guess the wisdom of continuing the relationship. What follows is a painful revelation that Marc was actually sent to the firm to "bring Jack down" and, although he now insists he fell in love for real, Jack does not know whom to trust.
Great Book !!
This book has it all.Romance, love, mystery, deception, betrayal, redeamption, and a whole lot more.It is the story of a man who makes a pledge to his dying sister and must, through a series of unfortunate and sometimes hateful events, redeem his promise and in the process, redeem his understanding of the human spirit.Tightly and tensely written, this gripping story will not permit you to put it down until the final page.And even then, you will yearn for more.Fortunately, Mr. Kaufman has provided himself the opportunity to write a subsequent novel about the same protagonist.If he does, I will line up to buy it and read it.This is a good book.READ IT! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction / General    2. Rob Kaufman    3. Fiction    4. Gay    5. Mystery & Detective - General    6. Romantic suspense novels    7. Gay men   

Reviews (6)

Entertaining escapist fare
"Last night I dreamed it was Mardi Gras again."
Scotty and the boys do it again
I love a good mystery. Greg delivers another one in this book. This time, the mysterycenters around the Bradley family's secrets. The murder of Scotty's drug dealer sets him on an investigation that keeps coming back to an uncomfortable truth: that even people we think we know well have hidden lives and agendas. Scotty finds out that his parents have withheld information about his grandfather's secret second family. That doesn't sit well with Scotty, because he was raised to believe that his family was open and honest. But his parents aren't the only ones holding back the truth, and as bodies start piling up around Scotty, more people who are close to him reveal their secrets. Some are devastating betrayals, but some repair strained relationships. I don't want to say any more about the twists and turns this story takes, because that's all the fun of reading a mystery.
Entertaining mystery
Former go-go dancer and personal trainer turned amateur private-eye Scotty Bradley is back in "Mardi Gras Mambo."Again based in New Orleans (as is its author Greg Heren), this third book in the series was delayed due to the author's forced temporary relocation from that city, although the author wisely avoids including the hurricane in the book, since this is very much about the "party hearty" New Orleans that may take some time to come back, but hopefully will.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Popular American Fiction    6. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    7. Literature of special Gay interest    8. Modern fiction   

Reviews (2)

Intrigue! Suspense! Romance!
Dumped by her girlfriend, Hayden Tate exacts her "revenge" and runs off to an island - to a resort she has inherited from an aunt who passed away.There she meets one Adrienne Cangelosi, her deceased aunt's seemingly aloof business partner.
Wacky Cross-Genre Romance with some Dangerous Intrigue
When Hayden Tate's aunt Gloria dies and leaves her niece half interest in an island inn in the Bahamas, Hayden is ready for a change. She's ready to leave her lawn and landscaping business behind, especially since her girlfriend has dumped her for a woman who Hayden says looks like a Saints linebacker. Hayden tells us, "I gave that woman the best year and a half of my life, and she did this to me. Not to mention that she took half my wardrobe and most of my CD collection with her when she left" (p. 14). In retaliation, Hayden plays one last naughty trick on the ex by leaving her a special "treat" in her car. (I can still smell the odor of cat excrement.) In her defense Hayden says, "I know what I did was disgusting and childish, but the woman broke my heart. Not to mention she was in possession of my entire Melissa Etheridge collection. That alone was grounds enough" (p. 14).
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Crime & mystery    7. Fiction / Lesbian   

Reviews (8)

gorgeous
Just after reading Vampire Vow, the first book in the series, I could not help myself, I had to pick up Vampire Thrall. I read it as feverishly as the first book, enthralled (pun intended) by the two main characters, Victor the Vampire (from the first book), and Paul, a painter. They alternate chapters in POV, and that is so enlightening, not because of Victor's chapters, but because of Paul's. You can see him descend into his own darkness.
a hint short of perfect
Much of what I said in my review of Vampire Vow can be repeated for this second volume of Victor's story.
Entrhalled in the Thrall
My reading of "Vampire Thrall" occured during Holy Week and the death of the Pope.So reading this story took on an even greater affect. The story wasenthralling. I wish circumstances would have allowed me to read it in one sitting. However, now we see the character of Victor grow.Will he give in to the redemption Joshu offers him or his thrall, seek his assistance in aid to Paul, Victor's Thrall, or will he continue on in his journey towards the Kingdom of Darkness.I must admit that at first I thought this book would follow the same formula as its predecessor. Thank goodness I was wrong.Some degree of redemption was found for the characters here.The author however, provided yet another wonderful story and is not in need of redemption for this story.I eagerly await the next chapter in this story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decimus, Victor (Fictitious character)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Horror    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Horror    7. Horror - General    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Psychological fiction    10. Rome (Italy)    11. Vampires    12. Fiction / Horror    13. General & Literary Fiction    14. Horror & ghost stories    15. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (17)

Russell Quant on a Whole new Exciting Adventure
I was thrilled when I read the descriptor of this newest Russell Quant mystery. There is nothing more satisfying than putting a familiar hero in an unfamiliar - yet sinfully luxurious setting (a Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Rome)- along with some quirky characters, a potential love interest, some sun and frothy cocktails and see what happens. And the author does not disappoint.
Wonderful from start to finish-Something new in the Mystery Genre
This is a most modern of all retelling of the standard whodunit-on-a-cruiseship with clever riffs on Wizard of Oz, Agatha Christie, Mary Tyler Moore and The Love Boat. All done with a gay twist. What more can a reader ask for if your looking for something new in the mystery genre?
Disappointing
Over the top and silly.I was a big fan of his first two books and recommended them to many people.There are just too many characters, too many places and, too many things happening that we just don't care about.The book is far too short to employ as many twists and characters as it did.Not his usual effort. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay men    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery And Suspense Fiction    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. Private investigators    8. Quant, Russell (Fictitious character)    9. Fiction / Gay    10. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (8)

not his best but a definite must read.
This was the first book by Zimmereman i read and it got me hooked though it is not as captavating as some of his other books it is a deffinite must read.

Fabulous reading.......got my attention QUICK!
Todd Mills (not related to me either!) is a very realistic character whose life and love is believable.Zimmerman minces no words in describing the trials and tribulations of gay men, and their experiences with society and gay culture.The situations Todd and Rawlins get into are very intense.Down to earth portrayal of gay life.The mystery aspects kept me turning the pages and I stayed up until 3am to finish the book.Then I went searching for all the other books in the series.Hard to find Closet - got a copy from Canada.... Very much worth the time and effort.I'm hoping Zimmerman keeps the Mills series moving right along.

Good novel on a hard topic
Although this is not Zimmerman's first novel in the Todd Mills series, it was the first one of his I read.And I think it was a good choice for my first one.Read more

Subjects:  1. AIDS (Disease)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Gay journalists    6. Minneapolis (Minn.)    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery/Suspense    9. Patients    10. Terrorists    11. Crime & mystery    12. Fiction / General   

Reviews (17)

3rd Gun is Great
I didn't read the 2nd one yet, but the first and third novels in this series are awesome.
Enjoyable
Great book to just enjoy and take your mind off the day to day workload. I really enjoyed it.

This thriller has all the hallmarks of a best seller
A graduate of Lewis & Clark College, Lori L Lake grew up in Portland, Oregon and moved to Minnesota with her partner after graduation. She worked in government for twenty years and retired to spend more time writing. She is active in teaching Queer Fiction writing courses for The Loft Literary Center. She has published five novels since 2001, a book of short stories, and has edited an anthology of stories. Her novels have won several Stonewall Awards. She was chosen the Twin Cities favorite GLBT author in 2002 and 2003. She is also a fellow reviewer for the Midwest Book Review and several other writing services.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Fiction / Lesbian    5. Mystery fiction    6. Thrillers    7. Lesbian fiction    8. Romance - Suspense   

Reviews (4)

Great read.
This is a very enjoyable book.The main character, Kylie, is charming, cute and funny and being that she just moved to the U.S. from Australia, she has a lot to learn about how things work, which leads to moments of hilarity.I especially enjoyed Julia Roberts, the cat.She is Kylie's companion in the book and is just as much of a character as everyone else.The people that surround Kylie are entertaining in their own way and well developed.The love story just begins to develop near the end of the novel and I can only imagine it's going to steam up in the rest of the series.I am anxiously awaiting to read the rest of them and absolutely recommend this one.I immediately liked the main character, I laughed a lot and I like Claire McNab's writing style.

Best ever, now she got it
Claire finally got it in this one. As one of her frequent readers I really enjoyed the latest of her novels. Here she combined action with character and love interest. The love interest should be still more developed since it came too late in this novel (last page), but at least Claire McNab has touched that topic in her latest novel and did not leave it out like in all the Carol Ashton or Denise Cleever novels. Way to go Claire, that looks like a good mix. Continue!

Fun & Exciting!
I enjoyed this book a lot.I thought it was fun and exciting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Australians    3. California    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Inheritance and succession    7. Lesbian    8. Los Angeles    9. Mystery & Detective - General    10. Mystery/Suspense    11. Women private investigators    12. Crime & mystery    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    14. Literature of special Lesbian interest   

Reviews (3)

"Enjoy!"
Claire McNab once again treats the reader to a microcosm of Los Angeles through the eyes of intrepid P.I. trainee Kylie Kendall, who's still feeling her way 'round SoCal, bumping into unexpected situations, characters and traffic jams with a style all her own.
an excellent quick read
The story with the superb sub-inter office story kept me wanting to read more and more.When I was done the only thing on my mind was when is the next Kylie Kendall mystery due out.......I hope soon.

Another bonzer book for McNab!
Claire McNab has written another brilliant, and brilliantly funny, Kylie Kendall mystery. They're getting better and better! The plot is good, the characters well delineated, the situations delightful, and, in short, this is her best yet!
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Subjects:  1. Australians    2. California    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Kendall, Kylie (Fictitious character)    6. Lesbian    7. Los Angeles    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    10. Women private investigators    11. Fiction / Lesbian    12. Modern fiction   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Crime & mystery    6. Fiction / Lesbian   

Editorial Review

LAPD homicide detective Kate Delafield is shot in a routine drug bust.It's her first line-of-fire accident, but when it turns out that the bullet thatwinged her came not from the suspect's gun but from a police weapon, the casetakes on a different hue. Was Kate's injury the result of a bias against gaysand lesbians in the department? And how does it tie into the charges leviedagainst Luke Taggart, a cop whose partner, a closeted gay man, was killed inwhat he believes was a hate crime? Read more

Reviews (7)

Kate finds out she's human
Kate Delafied is shot and wounded in a "routine" bust. What really blows her mind is when she finds out that the bullet came not from the criminal but from one of her fellow officers, all of whom are loathe to speak to Kate which makes her even more cranky. Then out of the blue comes a request from Luke Taggert, who is accused of having killed a drug dealer in cold blood and he wants Kate as his advocate. Kate is initially unwilling to take the case but boredom and the inconsistencies she finds when she starts investigating keep her going. She is astonished when Taggert is less worried about his own fate and more concerned about the murder of his closeted partner Tony Ferrera, who was more like a brother than a partner to Luke. As Kate works on Taggert's case, she finds herself also looking into Tony's death as well. She finds that Tony made a computer disk of closeted gays that he intended to publish. THis makes the LAPD the prime target. Did one of them kill Tony to keep him quiet? and what of Luke's story. Kate begins to find it has more holes than swiss cheese. As an aside, I found her sparring with psychologist Calla very interesting and Calla's warning to Kate before she releases her to return to "light" duty shakes Kate and we can only hope she will listen. A lot is going in in this book and it is very complex and exciting.

Not the best in the series...
Of all the Delafield books, this was one of the weakest.Too manyintersecting stories to really keep up.Had a hard time believing Aimeewould be working so hard after the shooting.Worth reading for the sake ofkeeping up with the series.

Incredibly Boring
This book is definetely "no frills". The writing is terse, tense, clipped and unembellished to the point of tedium. Never again! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Lesbian    4. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    5. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   

Reviews (2)

Good Read!
A friend gave me a book she had just finished: "The Ninth Man" by a Dorien Grey. "It has a gay detective" she said, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. I'm glad I did. This guy has a great sense of humor and writes a good story that kept me guessing until the very end. I recommend it to anybody, straight or gay, who likes a good, fun mystery yarn. Tense, contemplative, superbly crafted reading
The 9th Man is a compelling mystery novel of the Dick Hardesty series. Hardesty is a homosexual private investigator trying to earn a living in a trade that's rough on all genders and all sexual orientations. Hardesty is hired to find a murderer; as the body count rises, he realizes he's on the trail of a serial killer who is apparently being ignored by the police because all of the victims are gay. Enthusiastically recommended for all mystery fans, The 9th Man is a tense, contemplative, superbly crafted reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - General    2. Gay    3. Crime & mystery    4. Literature of special Gay interest