Editorial Review

In the middle of one of Minnesota's worst rainstorms, TV newsman Todd Mills--"the most visible gay person in Minneapolis"--is standing on the Stone Arch Bridge, waiting to meet a supposed blackmail victim with a hot story. Instead, he finds an about-to-be-murdered young gay cop named Mark Forrest, lured there by the same tipster/killer. So begins the investigation in this fourth Mills book from Zimmerman, one of the best of the current crop of writers of gay-themed mysteries. As in his previous Mills outings (Read more

Reviews (8)

Fast paced and holds your interest
It isn't often an investigative reporter gets to witness a murder, but Todd Mills does in this page-turner. What I really enjoyed about this book was how Mills follows down this story, tracking the murderer, coming to very reasonable conclusions based on the information he has. Zimmerman also reveals the typical flaw of most police investigators, in that their primary goal is often making an arrest, not necessarily solving the crime. plodding and political
I am gay.I accept the fact that most of the world is not.RD Zimmerman seems to be struggling with this fact and his blindspot keeps his Todd Mills books from moving out of the special niche category.Zimmerman, howabout a gay mystery where Todd and everybody else's sexuality is NOT thefocal point?Despite what you seem to think, it AIN'T all about sex.Tobe fair OUTBURST is a solidly plotted (plodded), well-written (ifpredictable) mystery, and a little more action packed than its predecesors(HOSTAGE remains my favorite).But Todd's main relationship seems to bewith lipstick lez Janice (kill her, PLEASE). The relationship between Toddand Steve is now all but nonexistent, and that's a drag (no pun intended). Is Zimmerman afraid a little emotion/tenderness/affection/SEX willemasculate his heros?You can't emasculate wood.Make these guys fleshand blood, please!Otherwise, don't bother.

Best Todd Mills Yet
R.D. Zimmerman's latest Todd Mills mystery is his best yet.The story's plot twists are extremely clever and surprisingly believable.It's obvious that Zimmerman spends a lot of time researching his novels..hisdescriptions of everything from catered food to forensci science areexcellent and, as far as I can tell, quite accurate. In some novels itshard to believe that a proatgonist who is not a cop can be involved in asmuch murder mystery fare as they are.But Zimmerman's Todd Mills managesto pull it off quite believably.I thought this one was a hoot! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery & Detective - Series    6. Mystery fiction    7. Crime & mystery    8. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    9. General & Literary Fiction    10. Literature of special Gay interest    11. Modern fiction   

Reviews (4)

Witty, wry and different
Zito's Damico leads a cast of characters that will delight all mystery fans and theater lovers.Light and very very fun, this is a greeat afternoon escape, perfect for a day at the beach or a long flight

Promising debut novel from new gay mystery author
Nicky D'Amico is a twentysomething gay man from New York City, who decides to put some distance between him and a failed relationship by accepting a summer job as stage manager for a small theatre company at a Catholic college in a Pennsylvania small town. The play, "Convent of Fear", is about a week from opening, and everything seems to be coming along well.Personally, Nicky is enjoying the sabatical from the craziness of Manhattan, and sees some potential in a cute chorus member who seems to return his interest in him.
Just what a mystery novel should be!
Nicky D'Amico is a dynamic witty character that you can't help but fall in love with as he struggles with his love life and the mysterious death of a nun.
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Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Humorous    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery & Detective - Series    8. Mystery fiction    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Crime & mystery    11. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    12. Modern fiction   

Reviews (6)

Worth reading
Unfamiliar with the author, I bought the book based on my reading of the dust jacket.What an interesting premise--two prominent gay men discover a murder at their wedding reception.The story went downhill from there, however, with so many red herrings flying around than I thought I was watching a rerun of the Muppet Show with the fish boomerang guy.Neither Tom nor Scott were well drawn characters, although I recognize that these are serial characters whose attributes are revealed throughout the series, and the killer's motivation, when revealed, made me simply set down the book and say, "Ewwwwww!" Another Zubro success
I strongly recommend this book as well as any other Tom and Scott mystery.Mark Richard Zubro always weaves a web of mystery that will keep you guessing right up until the end.And you would be hard pressed to find a more perfect example of gay heros.

Wedding Bell Blues For Tom And Scott
Well, you always knew that when high school teacher, Tom Mason and baseball ace pitcher, Scott Carpenter ever decided to officially tie the knot, you should get ready for the media event of the century. And that�s what happens in this the ninth book in the ever-popular Tom and Scott mystery series.

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Carpenter, Scott (Fictitious c    3. Carpenter, Scott (Fictitious character)    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Gay    7. Gay male couples    8. Mason, Tom (Fictitious charact    9. Mason, Tom (Fictitious character)    10. Mystery & Detective - General    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. Same-sex marriage    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (8)

Good Read, Bad Mystery.
The book was a compelling read for chapter to chapter, but at the end you feel cheated.While it makes an interesting Fiction, it did not have the makings of a good Mystery.The solution was rushed in the last two chapters of the book. Another great Zubro Mystery
Great Mystery....Mark Zubro has done it again! Paul Ben his 2 children Mrs. Talucci even his partner all came to life again in another ongoing Turner mystery...thank-you Mr. Zubro for continuing this series

I miss Tom and Scott
This was a good read and an interesting plot, but I wish Zubro would bring back Tom and Scott and their loving relationship.And Fenwick's banter gets awfully tiresome after a while.Not enough about Paul's home life and relationship with Ben.When I read a gay mystery I want more gayness in it.Oh well, will keep buying them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Crime & mystery    7. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (2)

Detective Paul Turner is gay, a hunk, andback on the job!
For those of you who have read the other mysteries by Mark Richard Zubro, this mystery should be no different. Detective Turner is back and they are searching for the murderer of a federal judge. This New Years Eve murderkeeps Turner and his partner busy as they travel through the gay area ofChicago looking for the killer. It is well paced, well developed charactersand an intresting plot. If you have read Zubro before you will enjoy thisone as much as the others.

The best of Zubro.
Easily the best of Zubro's novels.Snappy dialogue.Good plotting.No preachy diatribes.A look into an honest friendship between two detectives, one straight, one gay.And a good swipe at the pompous judiciary.Bravo Mark.Can we expect more of this caliber ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Chicago    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. Gay police officers    7. Illinois    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    10. Mystery & Detective - Series    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. Police    13. Turner, Paul (Fictitious chara    14. Turner, Paul (Fictitious character)    15. Fiction / Gay   

Reviews (4)

Horrifying and Wonderful At the Same Time
This book made the hair on my neck stand straight up!But I couldn't stop reading.The fact that it is fiction centered around real events made it even more horrifying and compelling. But even if the Juarez murders had not and were not taking place, this is still an incredible book.It's well written, the story riveting, and the characters (very important to me) are drawn with great reality.The protagonist, Ivon Villa, is a strong but flawed gay woman, fiercely loyal to her family in spite of her mother's hatefulness, and her iron will and determination make her a perfect vehicle for the non-fictional message of this book. BRAVO ALICIA!

A Simple Yet Facinating Read
I initially was going to give this book three stars, but in all fairness, I was hooked and couldn't put it down.
A farce?
This book read like a cheezy, mystery version of Rubyfruit Jungle--set on the border, Chicana style. It is overflowing with stereotype and is in need of serious editing. Despite its length, I read it in 2 days (for me not always a good sign) and was slightly shocked at how disappointed I felt because I have been a fan of Gaspar de Alba's thoughtful, theoretical work. I wonder what, if anything, this perfectly-resolved tale will do to shed light on the murdered women of Juarez, other than to detail the horror of the killings, which her readers are likely to already know. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adoption    2. Americans    3. Crimes against    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Gay    7. Literary    8. Mexico    9. Mystery & Detective - General    10. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    11. Pregnant women   

Reviews (10)

Witty and Fun Comic Thriller!
Rick Copp surprised me.
A sitcom mystery
That's it! As I read through this in an afternoon, that's what I was thinking: this mystery reminds me of every sitcom I knew and loved, and some I didn't.It's funny, but it plays for the quick guffaw, not the introspective chuckle.And sometimes it plays for the slip-on-banana-peel howl.It's an amusement of the shallow variety--good entertainment without much involvement.And if that's your mood--it's good at what it does.And there are no commercials.

Fun but bland:A prime time TV murder mystery
When a former child star actor is found dead in his own pool just after landing a juicy new role, the door of opportunity is wide open:campy fun?noir crime novel?wide-ranging Hollywood satire?Yet Actor's Guide, written by TV script author Copp, remains bland and distant.This type of thing is done much better in other books, and why not read those instead?
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Crime & mystery    7. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (3)

An Adventurous Romp!
Mark Richard's fifth installment in the prolific "Tom and Scott" mystery series does not disappoint; and while it may be slightly lacking in character study and development, the suspense is rock solid, and the mystery is actually semi-plausible. Disappointing - I felt cheated with the ending
My father told me that most of the old Sam Spade-type of books were of the same ilk as this one.They're certainly not bad, but they leave something to be desired."Death" seems to be written with great care and attention as the murder happens and the mystery begins, but then it just ends.It seems to me that the author was given a page limit and once he reached it, he simply "solved" the crime.The criminal isn't necessarily someone we've ever met before, it isn't someone integral to the plot, it doesn't make sense - it just is. SAY WHAT?
This is my favorite in the Tom and Scott series.For one thing the picture perfect (think Monette not Monet) couple actually QUARREL.Not just once, but intermittently.There are hints of jealousy, problems with communication--they almost seem human.Read more

Subjects:  1. Baseball players    2. Carpenter, Scott (Fictitious c    3. Carpenter, Scott (Fictitious character)    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Gay    7. High school teachers    8. Mason, Tom (Fictitious charact    9. Mason, Tom (Fictitious character)    10. Mystery & Detective - General    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. American English    13. Crime & mystery    14. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    15. True crime   

Reviews (2)

Gripping, & Remarkable!
Albany P.I. Donald Strachey and his lover, Timmy take a trip to Washington, D.C. to visit their friend Maynard, and to go see the AIDS Memorial Quilt.All goes well until they discover a panel for Maynard's ex-lover, who is alive and well, and whom Maynard had just seen two weeks ago while in Mexico.Now the action has begun.As this fast paced mystery continues, there's a drive-by shooting, and the police even suspect Donald and Timmy are involved.This is a gripping story that is filled with carefully crafted and unexpected turns, which kept me turning the pages as fast as I could read them.This is the reason I look forward to these "Strachey" mysteries.They are intelligently written, and often laced with good-natured humor. Unique springboard for a mystery
My hobby is reading mysteries. The nice thing about a series is that if you liked the book, you are likely to enjoy the others. Richard Stevenson is my favorite author; His Donald Strachey books are my favorite series. His current, Strachey's Folly, contains all what I have come to expect: It is a real page turner; characters are believable; well crafted mystery; twists and turns keep you guessing. This story begins with the discovery that a memorial panel in the AIDS quilt is dedicated to someone who has been seen alive two weeks ago.The characteristics that really distinguish this book [and this author] from others are many.Humor, often rye, sassy, and ribald, sometimes subtle and ironic, fills the pages.Some times the humor, all in context and original, has me literally rolling on the floor. The author is socially conscious.His detective, Donald Strachey, has an ongoing personal & romantic relationship with his lover that provides foil to the main story l! ine and a secure base for the reader. Their interrelationship is fully developed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Albany    2. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    3. Fiction    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. New York (State)    9. Private investigators    10. Strachey, Donald (Fictitious character)   

Reviews (10)

GO-GO BOY-TOY PRIVATE DICK !!
JACKSON SQUARE JAZZ is a sequel offering to BOURBON STREE BLUES, and stars the erotically charged character Milton Scott Bradley.Scotty has decided to forego go-go dancing, and pursue a more "stable" profession as a private investigator.He becomes involved with a pre-Olympian figure skater, and from that intimate encounter, the entire story flows.Complex and complicated, the story takes the reader on a journey through New Orleans on a quest for a murderer, an historical treasure, passion, and mystery.Scotty is once again joined with his sometimes sex partners, Special Agent Frank, and the Cat Burglar Colin.Throw in the recurring characters of New Orleans Police Department Detective Venus, and Detective Blaine Tujague (2 characters that appear in both the Scotty Bradley and the Chanse MacLeod series), and one has a novel loaded with fun and adventure.Of particular note is the fact that Scotty is rather religious...imagine...but in a rather unconventional way.
One who likes to read
I found this book and his first one to be well writing. With info about New Orleans and what to look forward to for someone who has the chance to visit it during Decadance. Plus a little historical info as well. Scotty is the guy that if it could happen to someone it usually did. So it gave alot of eye opening info into the scene in New Orleans during Southern Decadance.It also brought out the good in a person (Scotty) to help someone (Bryce) who was in trouble and see it that he was taken care of.Plus Scotty had to deal with his own feelings about 2 guys who were both very interested in having a relationship with him.
Par for the course
I picked this up because my library had it labeled as Fiction, so I was disappointed to find it was yet another murder mystery, not my favorite genre.This one was better than most gay-themed mysteries as the author wasn't trying to dazzle us with his non-stop wit and writes competently.But like most mysteries, this was full of the coincidences and implausabilities that are the stock-in-trade of mystery writers.The protagonist is not particularly likable, just so attractive that he has to fight off "pretty boys" with a stick and treats his would-be boyfriends badly because he's just too hot to give up his promiscuous life.The voodoo visions and tarot card readings didn't help but were easily skipped, and by the 100th time he invoked his "Goddess" or his brother called him "my queen," I was quite ready to skim. I blame my local library for misrepresentation, since as mysteries go this was par for the course. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery & Detective - Hard-Boiled    8. Mystery fiction    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. New Orleans (La.)    11. Noir fiction    12. Crime & mystery    13. Fiction / Gay   

Reviews (1)

ICE, ICE, BABY....
Albany's only gay P.I. takes on that city's political machine when he finds a murdered man planted in his car.Read more

Subjects:  1. Albany    2. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery/Suspense    9. New York (State)    10. Private investigators    11. Strachey, Donald (Fictitious c    12. Strachey, Donald (Fictitious character)    13. Crime & mystery    14. Fiction / Gay   

Reviews (8)

Confronting Emotional Maturity: A Spectrum
Tom Nussbaum knows how to tell a story, how to develop characters that are visible and palpable, writes in a page-turning style that encourages finishing the book in a single sitting, and touches on many issues that confront not only his gay characters but all feeling people despite age or sexual orientation.His only problem is his need to tidy up every minute detail to the point of obsession and that dilutes the power of his story.
Disappointing
Rich, good-looking and good-hearted Rick Bradley runs into a homeless boy outside a bookstore in his hometown of Seattle and takes a shine to him, bringing him home, cleaning him up and trying to get him back on his feet. Unexpected consequences arise from his good deed, of course. The plot sounds more interesting than "The Boy in the Book" in fact turns out to be--Tom Nussbaum has written and published work before, according to the biography on the jacket, but on the evidence of this effort, still needs a good editor and some review of fiction-writing basics, such as: avoiding telegraphing characters' thoughts and emotions when they can easily be discerned by the reader from the narrative alone, using coincidences and adverbs with a sparing hand, and not using melodramatic incidents such as a man blowing his brains out to re-energize a flagging plot.

Good Plot; Needs an Editor
I had to struggle to keep reading this book. The plot is good, but the writing is so overdone, it was hard to get through. Every utterance is characterized by the author, rather than letting the character's words let us know what's going on with them. People never just "say" or "ask," they "philosophize," "blurt," "snap." It seems they are all over-caffeinated and under-medicated. It also seems that somewhere along the way, Nussbaum heard of the Ciceronian Triplet. Unfortunately, he didn't learn to use it sparingly. He often ends a sentence with three adjectives to provide emphasis. The effect works once or twice, maybe. Also, the whole "fate" theme is a bit heavy handed, but I've never been much into that idea. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

The fourth Todd Mills mystery offers the intriguing premise of dual investigations: one into the murder of a 17-year-old gay runaway, and the other into the sexual past and proclivities of Tim Chase, a movie star who has successfully sued a tabloid that claimed he was gay. Without pressuring his police officer boyfriend, Steve Rawlins, for more information than he can safely give, Minneapolis television reporter Todd Mills must try to uncover details about the boy's murder. At the same time, he is granted an exclusive interview with the glamorous Tim Chase, who immediately makes a pass at Todd in the guise of "research" for his next film. Is Todd's boyfriend hiding something important from him, something about Steve's own connection to the dead boy? And what about Tim Chase? Is he gay? And if so, how far would he go to protect his secret? Not especially fast-paced or complex, but absorbing and skillfully written, Read more

Reviews (7)

brillient, easily one of the best books he's written
this book is easily one of the best book he's ever written if not the best and though the facts may be inaccuarte this book is absolutly captavating, definit alnighter (after all your after a brillient read not the a-z of tv reporting) couldn't put the book down much to my mums enduring amusment, i would encourage everyone to read this book.

A story about love and trust wrapped up in a murder mystery
Superb writing and plot development as well as characterization. Then why not 5 stars? Maybe I'm being too snooty about my stars, but I have to reserve them for something truly wonderful, and there are just a couple hitches with this book. Better than following the news of Tom & Nicole!
I simply couldn't read this book fast enough!It was pure fun and kept me guessing from page to page. And oh so current ... involves a plot with an arranged Hollywood marriage involving America's biggest box office stud and his lovely actress wife.Much more interesting than today's National Enquirer headlines and ten times more fun to read.(And the TV reporter and his hunky detective partner are the stuff dreams are made of!) Read it today! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Mystery & Detective - General    6. Mystery & Detective - Series    7. Mystery fiction    8. Mystery/Suspense    9. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (4)

Great concept, mixed execution
Robert and Michael head from New York to Palm Springs, California, to attend the gay party of the year. According to its organizer and sometime boyfriend to Michael, Rex, the Red Party will be big--even bigger than the annual White Party which has been the class act of gay America up until then. Of course, throwing such a party creates waves--and these include extortion notes. As Michael and Robert hang out with Rex, the threats become terribly real and Rex is nearly killed. Calling on his lesbian friend Monette, Robert decides to investigate. Michael would investigate too, except he is too caught up in the need to find frequent and kinky sex. Camp, Queens, and Murder - just don't read it on a train!
I read this on a single train-ride between Ottawa and Toronto. I would like to apologize to the other passengers for the constant smirks, chuckles, guffaws and choked laughs I'm sure I shot out in all directions throughout the trip.I got many dark looks for my audible enjoyment of this mystery.Still, it was worth it. Warming to his characters
David Stukas is at it again in his "Wearing Black to the White Party."He has transplanted his Manhattan trio -- Robert, Monette & Michael -- to Palm Springs, ostensibly to attend a gay circuit party.There are gay quips aplenty and the reader can become mentally exhausted with such strained, rapid-fire attempts at wittiness.The "mystery" is thin, without enough details for the reader to really follow along and draw our own conclusions.Instead, we must trust Monette and Robert (the featured sleuths this go-round; Michael is left out of much of the action of the novel as he satisfies his sexual needs)when they TELL us who and why the murders were committed.It also seems Robert has found love in Palm Springs but as he's leaving for Manhattan, will love survive the geographical distance?Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Mystery & Detective - General    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. Crime & mystery    8. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (15)

A Literary Treat
The academic world at the State University of Michigan is going out of control. As one crisis after another occurs English professor Nick Hoffman and his partner, Stefan, decide it's time to get out of there for a little break. A week at a Caribbean Club Med sounds like just the thing. But the island of Serenity is anything but serene as they find themselves face to face with murder.
Tropic of Murder
The witty and literate Lev Raphael always seems to break the old Yiddish proviso: "You shouldn't 'mix in!' " Anyone who has been to college, on either side of the lecture podium, will remember the ambience and hierarchy so archly portrayed in his Nick Hoffman Mystery series, and will empathize with the intellectual curiosity of the "inquiring mind."
Hilarious and Smart
There's nobody out there who writes academic satire as pointed as Lev Raphael, and this book carries the bizarre doings at State University of Michigan to new heights and new lows.
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Subjects:  1. Americans    2. Caribbean Area    3. College teachers    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    7. Gay    8. General    9. Hoffman, Nick (Fictitious char    10. Hoffman, Nick (Fictitious character)    11. Mystery & Detective - Series   

Editorial Review

There are so many red herrings in the fifth Mark Manning mystery that you want to look around for some lemon and some thinly sliced red onion. There's hardly a resident of little Dumont, Wisconsin, who doesn't stand to benefit from the death of the handsome Jason Thrush, a high school athlete and amateur actor whose debut as the lead in a local play was spoiled by his mysterious death that very afternoon. His father's failing business would also have gotten a boost from the ten million dollar life insurance settlement, and even his creepy sister had taken out a policy, betting on Jason's early demise. When suspicion settles on his theatrical rival, Thad Quatrain, journalist Mark Manning's ward, Mark and his buff boyfriend Neil must find out who the real killer is before Thad is condemned by public opinion, and before Jason's grieving football buddies can exact their own form of justice. Despite its satisfying plot twists and its surprising conclusion, Read more

Reviews (36)

Swinging both ways
I find myself ambivalent about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed the multiple red herrings and the overall arc of the murder mystery -- it certainly kept me guessing up to the end. Craft populates his small town in WI (I live in one too) with many colorful characters (way more than I know here!) who have enough backstory and history with each other to make them rich fodder for this book and many others. I especially appreciated his description of how quickly poor Thad became the 'bad guy' in the eyes of other teens.
Keeps Getting Better
After reading this book, mushrooms are now at the bottom of my Preferred list. Craft has produced a clever interweaving of adolescent emotions and superior sleuthing that reveals his own maturing as a mystery writer. One of the best characteristics of this series is the aging of the principals and the strengthening of the relationship between Mark and Neil.

Dancing Mushrooms
BOY TOY, the fifth novel by Michael Craft in the Mark Manning Mystery series, starts out rather slowly but gathers momentum to become a suspenseful thriller, something that indicates a story certainly worth reading.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery & Detective - Series    6. Mystery/Suspense   

Reviews (5)

Fun Read for the Gay Man
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Richard Stevenson's A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM: A DONALD STRACHEY MYSTERY.The mystery kept my interest and the wide range of "possible" villians kept me guessing to the end.I especially enjoyed reading a novel clearly written by a gay male.This is not a sex novel but the interactions between Strachey and his life partner were funny, sexy and real life.The only reason that it did not receive five stars was the price for a relatively short read.

One of the Best Mystery Writers Today!
If you've read one of Stevenson's "Donald Strachey" mysteries, you will want to read the whole series, and then you will be eagerly waiting for his next mystery to be published.Stevenson's mysteries are addictive, mainly because the characters are so believable, there are more twists and turns to keep you constantly guessing, and they are not boringly serious, they can be quite funny at times. Well Done
Very good read.Stevenson is second only to Michael Nava. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Albany    2. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery/Suspense    9. New York (State)    10. Private investigators    11. Strachey, Donald (Fictitious character)   

Reviews (1)

Set in a fictional city that mirrors San Francisco
Originally published in 1961, The Gay Detective by Lou Rand is a highly recommended "pulp fiction" gem that combines the "hard-boiled" detective genre with a brightly flaming twist. Set in a fictional city that mirrors San Francisco, and set among a scene populated by handsome thugs, vituperous drag queens, remorseless businessmen and cops and politicians on the take, The Gay Detective paints a sometimes shocking, sometimes flamboyant, often over-the-top, but consistently engaging and entertaining noir picture which is certain to be relished by hard-boiled mystery fans for its irony, camp, and deftly written plot turns. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. California    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Private investigators    9. Crime & mystery    10. General & Literary Fiction    11. Literature of special Gay interest   

Subjects:  1. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    2. Gay    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    5. Fiction-Gay   

Reviews (6)

Whose PR dept. wrote some of the other reviews?
Anyone that has read this book needs to read these 5 star reviews and it is obvious they are connected to the author or the publishing company. This has been one of the best mystery series, and until recently, my favorite.The prior book in this series was getting a little weak.Nerds that Kill falls flat.The dialogue is canned, the last couple of chapters appear slammed together and make little sense, and overall a bit boring.I'm sorry to see this happen, but Paul Turner has clearly jumped.

Not that bad
I bought the book to be entertained and that is what I was.If