Reviews (6)

NUTCASE #7
One morning in 1989 gay school teacher Tom Mason unlocked his Chicago classroom and opened the door to one of the most successful mystery franchises in gay fiction--the real mystery being the apparent popularityof this implacably mediocre series. Enjoyable amateur sleuth
They have been a happily married, faithful couple for years. Scott Carpenter is a well-known professional baseball pitcher while his spouse Tom Mason is an English teacher. They hid their sexual preference and theirrelationship out of fear for their careers, especially the athletic Scott.However, unable to hide any longer, they reveal their relationship to theworld and to their sock and joy, most everyone supports them. As a mystery, so-so, as a gay affirmative novel, very good
The value of the book as a mystery is pretty average.However, I found, as usual, the portrayal of gay characters very affirming and supportive.Especially good for gay teens or people just coming out. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

Former investigative journalist Benjamin Justice has decided that blueagave is a whole lot better than bleak reality, so he's spent the better part ofsix months trying to pickle himself in tequila. Justice has any number ofreasons to be depressed. He was fired from the Read more

Reviews (13)

Very Good Mystery
I don't know why it is that some authors are able to contrive good plots, but can't write worth a damn, or vice versa. This book is more or less in the first category. This is a page-turning type of mystery, that gets more repulsive (story, that is) as it progresses towards its climactic, repugnant, and bizarre ending. As mystery plots go, this is one of the best.
Fanastic bogglers
A few months ago my sister gave me a "Justice" book as a gift.Ever since then I have been of fan of Justice and his creator, John Morgan Wilson.They make my time on the treadmill and bikes at the gym pass very quickly! Justice Bogged Down!
If I hadn't read two previous John Morgan Wilson mysteries, I would like this one a lot more. Although I continue to like immensely Mr. Wilson's novels, THE LIMITS OF JUSTICE is my least favorite so far and suffers when compared to the other two, SIMPLE JUSTICE and JUSTICE AT RISK. My criticisms are two: first, the main character Benjamin Justice should get on with living. I understand that his life has not been easy. We learned three stories ago that he murdered his own father when he caught him raping his own daughter and Benjamin's sister. I won't give away the plot of this novel, but nobody has sympathy for a whiner forever. Secondly, Mr. Wilson gets a little carried away with both plot and subject matter here. He covers AIDS, incest, pederasty, the cult of man-boy love, castration, alcoholism and sleazy biographers. There are a couple of what I call Steve McQueen car chases as well as other near-death adventures for Mr. Justice. This is not to say there aren't touching scenes here. Rod Preston's ex-wife's remembrance of the difficulty of being gay in the 50's is quite moving as well as Justice's landlord Maurice's repeated attempts to get him out of his depression.Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Journalists    7. Justice, Benjamin (Fictitious character)    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Series    10. Mystery/Suspense    11. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (2)

A Fine Detective Series
Queer Street is the 3rd book in the series by Curt Colbert and, like the earlier books Rat City and Sayonaraville, it is set in Seattle in the 1950s and is written in the tough hardboiled style that was common to the pulp novels around the time in which it is set. Jake Rossiter and his partner, the lovely Miss Jenkins are back fighting crime, talking tough and living large.
Queer is good!
Love Rossiter and Miss Jenkins!This is the most convoluted and interesting of the series yet!!And the twist at the end will knock your socks off.Rossiter will never be the same!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Crimes against    3. Female impersonators    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Gay    7. Gay men    8. Mystery & Detective - Hard-Boiled    9. Private investigators    10. Seattle    11. Suspense    12. Washington (State)    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Hard-Boiled   

Reviews (3)

uncutjoey@aol.com
I have always enjoyed Michaels books, but this last one was not one of his better efforts.It was boring next to his other novels.I wish he would bring back Branco & Nicole in a big way.These are great charactersthat I miss.The book is a good read, but not as much as his older ones.

Another entertaining read for us Stan Kraychik fans.
Although I am a fan of Grant Michaels' Kraychik series, I must admit that this one (Dead As A Doornail) left me a little hammered.The writing was filled with its wonderful wit and bite, but I felt the actual mystery was a bit befuddled.The characters were not as interesting as in past novels, and the "whodunit" was kind of a "who cares."This is not said to discourage the established Kraychik fan.Rather, to alert those about to join the club to read the earlier novels first (and in order) before picking up this title.All in all, it is a good read.But I hope Grant Michaels finds the spark from the first three titles and makes another bonfire.

Liked it very much and I follow the series.
Being from the Boston area and having gone to college in Boston, I could identify with all the places and the storyline. I especially like the guessing who did it.I have enjoyed all of Grant Michaels' books. I am eagerly awaiting the next one. ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

Albany's not-so-private dick is at it again.
Extortion, kidnapping and murder complicate Strachey's attempts to protect a lesbian couple from a vicious campaign of intimidation.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   

Reviews (8)

Better than Murder!
Rick Copp's second novel starring former child actor turned amateur detective Jarrod Jarvis is even better than his first novel, 'The Actor's Guide to Murder'.
Excellent, funny mystery!
This second novel in the Jarrod Jarvis series definitely holds its own.Jarrod narrates with style, wit, and panache, and we honestlycare about him, his relationship with LAPD boyfriend Charlie, and the other characters.There's even a hunky ex-Navy SEAL with the hots for Jarrod thrown in for good measure...
I LOVED IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought was very entertaining and I hope he writes many more. I have read both of his novels and have the third one on hold.
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Subjects:  1. Actors    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay men    5. Humorous    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery fiction    8. Mystery/Suspense   

Reviews (17)

Maybe only for a collectible
Maybe you would only keep this book as a collectible. The story itself bored me. It felt like Virga originally wrote this book with a man and a woman then just went back and touched up the main character, Robert Whyte, and made him a man so that he could make a gay gothic romance. Maybe he was originally Roberta Whyte. He was so feminine and so frail it made me want to puke at times. I got about 3/4's through the book and then I decided I had just had enough. Maybe if you are into extremely feminine men you'll like. I gave it 2 stars because the idea is original and it does take talent to write a book.

A Lovely Gothic Romance
If you are a fan of gothic romance, as I am, "Gaywyck" is for you.Of course, it's a gothic romance with a twist, with the main romantic characters both being men.But, all the symbols of the genre are here and done well.Robert Whyte is both lovely and gentle.Donough Gaylord is kind and brooding with terrible secrets in his past. They are both shy and inclined to solitude, and from their very first meeting you can tell they are meant to be together. But, as in all gothic romances, there are secrets to be uncovered first before true love can prevail.
Interesting At Times but Vaguely Unsatisfying
(...)The story is certainly timeless and such a plot is well known if you are a former reader of gothic romance novels like me: two people meet through an arrangement suppose to be business related but eventually and naturally they fall for each other over the course of the story. Subplots and other characters come into play keeping them apart for a time, but eventually everything comes together. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Gay men    5. Gothic fiction    6. Love stories    7. Manors    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery   

Subjects:  1. Brandstetter, Dave (Fictitious    2. Brandstetter, Dave (Fictitious character)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Gay men    6. General    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Private investigators    9. United States    10. Fiction / General   

Reviews (10)

Wanted to like this but....
St. Agatha's Breast by T.C. Van Adler was sadly, a waste of time.The only redeeming quality to the book is the plight of preserving the artistic treasures of Rome.All too often because of corruption, greed and apathy, many of Rome's finest artistic landmarks and works get lost to oblivion.Another illumnating aspect is you see how depraved some priests are and all the cases of priests abusing children don't seem as far fetched when you read this book.The plot was convoluted and the characters totally un-sympathetic. I enjoy adult stories like the next person, but the titillation went overboard for the sake of sensationalism.

Delightful
This book, and the sequel, are delightful little gems.Yes, as with others, I would love to know the real "T.C. Van Adler", an interesting person I should think.I cannot speak for the Latin, but the English usage is complex and new words abound.The plot is superficial, the novel not deep, but the writing style is enchanting. The marks of an educated man (or woman).
The blurb was enticing, and I like that old Simon Raven, Iain Pears kind of stuff anyway, and there was also a gay theme. Looked good.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1594?-1665    2. Appreciation    3. Art thefts    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Gay    7. Monasteries    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Poussin, Nicolas,    11. Rome (Italy)    12. Poussin, Nicolas   

Reviews (1)

Not his best
This is the second Zubro mystery I have read, and it was not near as good as the first one, "Another Dead Teenager." However, I am not deterred from reading all of his work, and I will continue to purchase thenew ones as they are published.Read more

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

Reviews (4)

Plot needs a boost
I just finished the novel.This is the first Tom and Scott novel I have read.I was a bit disappointed with the novel because there was not enough gay drama and fun about the novel.It might as well have been about straight characters.Tom and Scott might as well be a straight couple as they are so Victoria and Albert, with a relationship not a bit strained by anything.It's too good to be believable.And the plot - I guessed who the culprit was going to be long before the end of the story.And since the title mentions a drag queen I expected more of a story based on the lives of drag queens and what they do and how they live.This was a very unusual drag queen who seemed to live the life of an Arab sheik in Chicago.I wanted more normal, everyday drag queens and lots of them.In any case, I thought the story was well written but just not exciting enough and not enough drag queen stuff.This is only my opinion and you should read other reviews before deciding.

Rapid-fire action
There's a bombing downtown and Tom is one of the victims. His lover Scott is frantic and begins his own investigation into the catastrophe. Was it random, or aimed at the clinic where Tom was volunteering, or was it aimed at Tom himself? After Tom wakes from a coma, the duo find even more clues pointing in many directions. And when a drag queen friend of Tom's is killed, they know they're targets themselves. The plot is action-packed and hardly gives the reader time to breathe, and yet I never felt involved in the story. Of course, this is the first Zubro I've read, so that's part of it, but each book in a series ought to bring the reader into the series and entice. The solving of the bombings and murder was well crafted and believable, and Zubro certainly is a great writer. This just may not be his best overall, so.

A Shift in Focus
I liked the idea that Zubro shifted the focus of this novel from Tom, ex-marine superman, to Scott, the "sidekick". Unfortunately the plot in which Zubro involves Scott on his first outing (no pun intended) israther weak when compared to previous novels ("Why Isn't BeckyTwitchell Dead?" is one of my favorites). A good read for fans of theseries, but it needed more meat. I am not sure if the subject (the bombing)was thought to be too sensitive for a real murder mystery; if that was theadvice given to Zubro, he shouldn't have heeded it, because it provides asub-par novel. ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

A DESTINED-TO-BE CLASSIC OF ITS GENRE!
If you've not had the pleasure of reading William Maltese's infamous Doppelmorder, his German-language short-story (not yet offered in English-language translation), that had at least one German critic label the author A Grand Master of the mystery genre ... If you have read several of Maltese's English-language books (and there are several), and you agree he's good but still aren't sure he's all that great ... Don't pass up buying THAI DIED. It may not possess the short-term visceral punch of his tour-de-force Dooppelmorder, but it certainly places the author right up there with the very best of mystery writers, gay or otherwise.Read more

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

Reviews (14)

A Weak Murder Mystery
While working out at the local gym, New Orleans private detective Chanse MacLeod meets a good-looking young man with a problem.It seems that someone's been threatening to reveal his rich, closeted boyfriend's identity to the public unless he comes up with $50,000.Seems like a simple case of blackmail until Chanse finds the young man dead.Against his better judgement -- and that of the police -- Chanse sets out to find out who killed his client, following a winding trail through New Orleans high society and the world of gay rights.
Big Easy Gay
This review is for the Alyson Publications trade paperback first edition, January 2002.
Summertime, and New Orleans is SULTRY !
Greg Herren has put together an interesting cast of characters in MURDER IN THE RUE DAUPHINE.A former New Orleans cop, who just happens to be gay, is now a private detective who repeatedly states, "I don't do murders."Chanse MacLeod is the P.I. in question, and he is hired by a young "body beautiful" to find a blackmailer.The pretty-boy is having an affair with a very rich and prominent married man.Their sexual escapades have been captured on videotape...and there, as they say...the plot thickens.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay    4. Gay men    5. Hate crimes    6. Louisiana    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery/Suspense    9. New Orleans    10. New Orleans (La.)    11. Private investigators    12. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (2)

An hour and a half of FUN!
Biceps of Death is another pleasurable read by the extraordinarily witty author David Stukas.I have certainly enjoyed his books for the mere reason that they are an enjoyable escape from reality.All his novels are extremely easy to read, yet thoroughly entertaining.I love the verbal aerobics that are constantly flying between the principle characters.If they were real people I'd be more than happy to congregate with them and listen to their banter in person.If you have an hour or two to spend, pick up these books.You will be delighted you did.

Biceps Of Death - A fun read
I just finished David Stukas' latest novel "Biceps of Death."It falls into my recent kick of reading gay amature sleuth novels.If you have read any of Stukas' other work you know he has no grip on reality and a very campy sense of humor.If you like the combination of a clueless gay man, a six foot amazon lesbian mystery novel buff with bright red hair, and a sexually compulsive rich leather queen, then you will enjoy all of the books in this series.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    7. General & Literary Fiction    8. Literature of special Gay interest   

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

Reviews (25)

One of the Best
For fans of the Mark Manning series, this will rank high on the favorites list. Craft gives an interesting display of the minature world of hobbies along with a challenging web of mystery. Clues begin popping up in early pages, but most readers will have to stayed glued to the unfolding chapters to find the murderer. A well-researched and plotted mystery.

Dollhouses and Adult Videos
In NAME GAMES, Michael Craft's fourth novel in this series Mark Manning has settle in in Dumont, Wisconsin, has taken over the reins fo the local newspaper, his lover Neil is in town working as an architect for the local printing company, and the two of them are finding they like being the parents of Thad, the sixteen-year-old they have "inherited" when his mother was brutally murdered in volume three of the series, less than a year ago. The peace and tranquility will not last for long, however. Grace Lord, owner of The Nook, a shop specializing in furniture for dollhouses, has scheduled an annual regional exhibition of the Midwest Miniatures Society for the people who design and collect these dollhouses or "roomboxes." Any writer who can write an interesting story about such an unusual subject-- and that's putting it nicely-- obviously can write about anything. Carroll Cantrell, the outrageously gay and national authority on these little houses, soon after he arrives to judge the competition, is found brutally murdered in Ms. Lord's carriage house. Pierce, the friendly local sheriff whom we know from the previous mystery is outed as a gay man when he turns up as a suspect since he has been sleeping with Cantrell since his arrival in Dumont.
Twists and Turns....
NAME GAMES is a fascinating and exciting addition to the Mark Manning Mysteries.The plot lines keep getting better and more complex.This particular book is replete with clues for the "wanna-be" slueth in all of us, and a careful reading will provide the reader with all he or she needs to "figure-it-out".Porn, sex, "outing", and murder all add up to a fun read.Don't miss this one. ... Read more

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

Reviews (3)

Nava is one of the best!
The reason why it is such a pity that Micheal Nava stopped writing is because he is basically one of the best mystery writers we had. His plots are closely linked to the growth his characters are going through, which makes his novels not only a very exciting read, but also emotionally a very satisfying one. Anyone of his Henry Rios mysteries is worth reading more then once.

Henry Rios rules
I read How Town first and then decided to give other books in this series a try.Loved it.Read it on a 5 hour train ride and couldn't put it down.I just bought the first book in the series and am planning on reading itnext.

great book
very intriguing - good gay stuff - weird issues about top/bottom - good portrayal of lawyers job and LA politics, very good look at chicano politics in the nineties ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Attorney and client    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Legal    6. Los Angeles (Calif.)    7. Mexican Americans    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Rios, Henry (Fictitious charac    11. Rios, Henry (Fictitious character)    12. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (12)

Manning Is Back!
In the second novel in this series, Mark Manning, ace reporter, is back with a vengence. This time he's hot on the trail of one Dr. Pavo Zarnick, alleged to have discovered a tenth planet in the earth's solar system. Are there holes in his story, for instance, is he a fraud, and if so, why? As Manning becomes more involved, he gets all caught up in a plot by the religious right-- a group called Christian Family Network-- to do bad things, i.e., the murder of the President of the United States, along with a stadium-full of other people. Manning, himself, finds his own life in danger.
Fascinating
The second in the series of the Mark Manning mysteries is far more engaging than the first. Mark develops more as a character and mericifully finally displays the frailties of humanity.Neil, his lover, emerges as a more substantial person.The story line takes interesting twists and turns, thereby making the mystery less predictable and more satisfying to the reader.There is absolutely more writing maturity in this offering than in FLIGHT DREAMS.Give it a try, but I recommend you begin with the first book in the series and read them in sequence.While FLIGHT DREAMS is not nearly as satisfying, it does set the tone for the series.

Great Blend of Real Life & Intrigue, With a Splash of Camp
The second book of the Mark Manning series establishes Mark and Neil in Chicago and also brings Mark head to head wih temptation. The mystery may require you to "suspend belief" on occasion, but it does not disappoint in being action-packed, suspenseful, and a thoroughly satisfying - even if your ashamed to admit - call to justice for someone. Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Chicago (Ill.)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Journalists    8. Manning, Mark (Fictitious char    9. Manning, Mark (Fictitious character)    10. Mystery & Detective - General    11. Mystery & Detective - Hard-Boiled    12. Mystery/Suspense   

Reviews (22)

Mr. Craft's Best So Far In This Series
BODY LANGUAGE, the third novel in this mystery series is Michael Craft's best so far. Mr. Mark Manning returns, as dapper as ever. He still drinks Japanese vodka with a twist of orange peel, writes only with a Montblanc pen and drives a Bavarian V-8. His lover Neil is still in the picture as is Roxanne, the woman attorney friend of both Mark and Neil. Frustrated because he did not win a coveted Partridge Prize, investigative journalism's highest award, and believing the reason he didn't get the reward he richly deserved is because of homophobia, Manning leaves his job he has held for many years at a newspaper in Chicago and moves to Dumont, Wisconsin and purchases a small but excellent newspaper there. And then all hell breaks loose. A woman relative is killed in Manning's home while the house is full of Christmas guests and he becomes the prim suspect as well as inheriting a fortune from the dead woman, along with custody of her unruly teenaged son.
No Mystery Here
Craft is an excellent story-teller, with an equally good hand at mellifluous prose. But when it comes to the "mystery" genre, this work in particular suffers from too much told too soon to offer much of a surprise by the end. This was not the case with "Boy Toy," which is a subsequent novel, but this novel, "Body Language," has all the mystery wrung out of it. I guessed the identity of the "murderer" by the end of the first part. I recommend Craft's other works, but not this one.

I WISH MY LOCAL SHERIFF WAS DOUG PIERCE.
The third in the Mark Manning mysteries is EXCELLENT.The story line is complex and well executed.The primary characters, Mark, Neil, Roxanne, Lucille,(Lucy);and the new characters, Thad, Doug, and Glee develop into mentally tangible figures as opposed to shadows who move through the story.The murder mystery is intriguing, and has a wonderful "twist" which heightens the intensity of the action.I UNHESITATINGLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.It is fun, smart, sexy, and fulfilling. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Journalists    7. Manning, Mark (Fictitious char    8. Manning, Mark (Fictitious character)    9. Mystery & Detective - General    10. Mystery & Detective - Series    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. Wisconsin    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (7)

Sorry that I can't rave about it
While it seems unlikely and isn't popular to berate a praised literary writer, I thought this book missed its mark.
WHAT A TOTALLY TRAGIC STORY !!
"The way you act, we never had a family at all.Just you and me and Danny and Pete living in the same house, sharing the same meals every once in a while."`That's pretty close to the truth,' she said. `Except it was less than every once in a while.'"This brief statement summarizes the total alienation one senses as he reads this remarkable book, VIRGINIA LOVERS.This is a tragic tale of miscommunication, adolescent rebellion, and the total breakdown of the so-called "traditional nuclear family."
He lived valiantly and was loved back with a simple honesty
Author Michael Parker certainly knows teenage angst. He also knows about small town America and how teenagers who are somehow different can so often be cruelly ostracized and made to feel like outcasts. In his world, young men are often angst-ridden, and troubled, stumbling through life shouldering enormous problems with no resolution in sight. Even the families depicted in his novels go through their days in a miasma of missed communication.