Reviews (2)

Powerful Storytelling
Being a fan of the way Sydney Sheldon (Master of the Game) and Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) write stories, I initially had my doubts, but the moment I started reading this book I knew I had hit the jackpot.This is an author who can weave that same story-telling magic as Sheldon and Brown and write stories where the gay guys (like me) are the heroes.I especially like the fact that the gay characters are created from a perspective of normalcy rather than the traditional perspective.This book stimulated me as well as made me laugh and cry.

Tragedy + Mystery = Romance and A New Sleuth
J.P. Bowie, in A PORTRIAT OF PHILLIP, has created endearing and complex characters in his novel.This particular edition is the paperback version of the original published some years ago. We first meet Peter Brandon, a young gay artist, while he is caught in the swirling darkness of a coma.The coma is the result of a brutal beating, one in which is lover, Phillip, is killed.Peter emerges from his coma 3 years after the assault, to discover himself in a hospital room, being tended to by a physical therapist, Andrew, and his devoted mother, Eva Brandon.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    3. Gay    4. Mystery/Suspense    5. Romance - Contemporary    6. Suspense    7. Adventure / thriller    8. Crime & mystery    9. Fiction / Suspense    10. General & Literary Fiction    11. Literature of special Gay interest    12. Romance   

Reviews (9)

Astounding
Renting out a room can be hell, especially when you're used to living on your own. There's something very threatening about letting a lodger into your private space, never quite knowing if they are who they say they are. What if they turn out to be a serial killer? Or worse, straight? Makes You Want to Get a Lodger
Drew Gummerson's novel "The Lodger" is an enjoyable book. There is a predictable style to it that probably is the author's intent. It's easy to get "involved" with the characters. I found myself waiting for the commute home to immerse myself back into this book. This novel reads very easily and the pages practically turn themselves. I highly recommend it.

Suspiciously over-rated...
...Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    6. Modern fiction   

Reviews (1)

Well written and intriguing story.
A well paced novel with interesting characters infused with changing relationships.There are many dimensions to the story: physical intimacy with graphic descriptions of multiple man/boy rapes, murder, all of whichunderly the emotional/mental gyrations of the main characters as the storyraces to its inevitable conclusion.Well worth reading several times todiscover other nuances to the main characters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Gay police officers    3. Kidnapping    4. Mystery fiction    5. Police   

Reviews (1)

Narrative & Lyricism
I enjoyed this book by Keith Botsford tremendously. It's, well, a bit *twisted*, but that suits my tastes. And I must say (if I may say without sounding presumptuous): Botsford really can write. I find I'm getting more and more turned off by the contemporary unctuous artistes who write fine sentences but wouldn't know a story if it bit their privates; I find myself rolling my eyes at faux-Faulknerists who revel in "stopping time" and never letting it get started again; in short, I'm sick to damn death of stories where *nothing happens*. L&V&B is a terrific *story*...it moves, it chills, it frankly freaks me out at times...and of course it's also lovely in spots: "Towards the back in those days you would have seen Benji slight and dancing like Lennie, but shorter, an assiduous listener like Vance, blond too, sweeping up the hair that gathered in hassocks like lumps of prairie grass, supplying the towels that lay across the customers' shoulders or taking them out to the laundry bin." It's no-nonsense, but lyrical, stuff. This book is not for the faint of heart, but it's a tough and crunchy read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay men    4. Male rape    5. Mystery & Detective - General    6. Psychological fiction    7. Texas   

Editorial Review

Nick Hoffman, the crime-solving Edith Wharton scholar who's starred in three previous mysteries by Lev Raphael, still doesn't have tenure.His boyfriend Stefan's position in the English department at the State University of Michigan is a little more secure, but Stefan's career as a novelist is stalled in traffic, and the appointment of the gratuitously nasty Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Camille Cypriani--"a cross between Anita Brookner and Judith Krantz"--to a newly endowed chair in the department isn'tdoing much for their relationship. But that may also have something to do with the strange attraction that Nick, who's never been sexually interested in women, suddenly feels for Juno Dromgoole, the outsized and outrageous professor who's counting on his support in her quest for chairmanship of the department.Read more

Reviews (33)

Bad form, and Nick always had good!
I didn't even make it past the first three chapters. The author's constant remarks about how over-weight this character was or how ugly this other one is made it a real drag. Why bring a mystery down to the level of insulting it reader's intelligence with diatribes about your stand point on what is "beauty." It's a mystery novel.
Dessert: Adash of Midwest, academia, Jewish, gay & mystery
Lev Raphael's stories I find delightfully entertaining. I read "Little Miss Evil" back to back with "Death of a Constant Lover" which is probably the recommended course of reading.Alas, I've missed Lev's publications since "Let's Get Criminal," but I have added those overlooked to my wish list. Pretty decent academic satire
Maybe you need to be familiar with the academic world to appreciate Raphael's books.It might also help to have lived in a Midwestern college town.Nevertheless, he gets those realities down pretty well and makes for an entertaining read. Who really cares whether it falls into the category of "mystery" or something else?Kind of on the light side but I think that's the point. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. College teachers    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay men    6. Hoffman, Nick (Fictitious char    7. Hoffman, Nick (Fictitious character)    8. Michigan    9. Mystery & Detective - General    10. Mystery & Detective - Series    11. Mystery/Suspense   

Reviews (4)

Halfway Home?I was bored halfway!
There's nothing interesting about this book at all.I was bored from the beginning thinking it'll pick up in the middle.I found myself reading through the book just to finish it because I don't like to leave books unread.If you get offended easily where religion is concerned then Miss. Jesus as played by the title character in the book as a flamboyant Jesus Christ might offend you.The drama is to dry.Though it ends on a happy note for the character, I was just happy to finish the book.

A Gay Story for Straight People
Reading this book humanized gay men for me, in a whole new way.I had many gay friends before, but this was different.It's as if Monette reaches out to his straight brothers and sisters and, while not hiding ANYTHING, makes us understand that there's nothing to be afraid of from gay men, or from art, or even (gasp) gay male artists! We all really want the same things in life; to be reconciled with our families, and to be loved for who we are. A gripping, life affirming and funny page-turner.
Initially, I thought this was going to be a weepy, grim AIDS-related drama.The big surprise is that it's anything but that.Smoothly written, it vividly captures its Southern California setting and populates it withcharacters you care for. Heartbreaking and very funny. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. General    5. Popular American Fiction    6. Crime & mystery   

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)

More than just a Gay Detective Novel, A Good Novel
Can you imagine the impact of a gay tough guy detective in 1972, that was thirteen years before Rock Hudson. Indeed, can you imagine a gay tough guy detective even today with all the attacks on Sponge Bob and and other stupidities.
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Subjects:  1. Brandstetter, Dave (Fictitious    2. Brandstetter, Dave (Fictitious character)    3. California    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Gay    7. Gay men    8. Insurance investigators    9. Mystery & Detective - Hard-Boiled    10. Mystery & Detective - Series    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Hard-Boiled   

Reviews (25)

Josh is the MAN
Josh Thomas is a linguistic genius and ALWAYS gets me hard.He just does.No two ways about it.
A thrilling read
From the minute I started reading this book, I felt like I couldn't read fast enough to keep up with the banter and dialogue between the two main characters. This style was very fast paced and engaging, and was the cause of a few late nights as I seemed to be unable to put the book down. Well-written with an interesting storyline, this book also has two superb main characters. These characters have different personalities and different agendas, however Josh Thomas has created them with such vividity that you care what happens to them.

Interesting plot, poor writing.
I finished this book thinking that its somewhat sad that apparently the gay community doesn't have to worry about heterosexual stereotyping when gay authors can do it so much better.The plot of this novel, I will readily admit, is a very engaging one, a gay murder mystery thriller, but where that premise should lend itself to the telling of an interesting story, Thomas instead manages nothing more than predictable plot twists and shallow characters to whom the reader is introduced through prose that is at best pitchy and stilted, an obvious indicator that the author's talents lie in journalistic news reporting, not in creative writing.I wouldn't necessarily say don't read this book at all costs, because it does pass an evening and the reader is at least interested to see how the story shakes out, but really and truly I had hoped for better things.This book reminds me a great lot of those films that promise a groundbreaking cinematic experience for the moviegoer, only for you to find out after you've spent your money on a ticket that you've already seen the interesting bits in the trailer.In short if you have to buy a gay murder mystery thriller, there are many better ones available than this...but if you've read all those already, go ahead and give this one a whirl.It's either that or rent one of those bad movies that I just mentioned. ... Read more

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

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Crimes against    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. Judges    7. Legal    8. Los Angeles (Calif.)    9. Mexican Americans    10. Mystery & Detective - General    11. Rios, Henry (Fictitious charac    12. Rios, Henry (Fictitious character)    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (1)

WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?
Ginny's best friend, Bev, has a problem. Her white lover, a well known lesbian executive is found dead near a lesbian bar. A mutual friend, Naomi,believes Bev will be suspect. After all she is Black and is more likely toshoulder the blame since the two had problems. Once she is blamed thenGinny and Naomi may be found guilty by association.Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Chicago    3. Fiction    4. Gay    5. Illinois    6. Investment advisors    7. Kelly, Virginia (Fictitious ch    8. Kelly, Virginia (Fictitious character)    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Women detectives    11. Adventure / thriller   

Reviews (3)

A Great Book
After Desert Wives, I was worried that the Lena Jones series would never again live up to the promise of Desert Noir.I was wrong.
Lena Jones Returns with a Vengeance
I am a big fan of Betty Webb because she not only offers a great detective story with a strong female protagonist but also embeds various social issues within her stories as well. The most compelling part of the DESERT SHADOWS plot lies not within the mystery itself but within the mysterious background of Lena Jones.I find the hints about her past the most interesting part of the book and I can't wait to find out more!

terrific private investigative tale
At the Southwest Book Publisher's Expose, Gloriana Alden-Taylor eats salad when the owner-publisher of Patriot's Blood Press starts to feel chest pains.She keels over, foams at the mouth and shortly dies.An autopsy reveals she was poisoned with hemlock sprinkled on her salad; the police arrest Gloriana's employee, Pima Indian Owen Sisiwan for the crime.Earlier that day, group of conference attendees led by Sisiwan went on a field trip where the poisonous plant grew.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    4. Mystery/Suspense    5. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths   

Reviews (2)

A real Page Turner !
These stories held my interest, and I feel they will be exciting to young pre-teen girls. 5 Star Rating!
Review Courtesy of LoveRomances.com

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. General    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery And Suspense Fiction    5. Fiction / General    6. Gay Toltl Kinman   

Reviews (7)

What You Don't Know
For something written by a newspaper reporter, supposedly trained in answering the who, what, when, where and whys, this story sure has a lot of loose ends.The ending itself is totally unsatisfying and had me looking to see if some pages had fallen out.(They hadn't.)And that's too bad because it starts out as a gripping and graphic thriller about a tortured man conflicted between his seemingly perfect family and his true sexual identity.But then the problems with the writing start.Daniel turns on the TV and, presto!, the exact report he is looking for just happens to be on the air. (Cliche.) Characters in Seattle make business calls in the middle of the night. (Maybe.)The bad guy is identifiable less than halfway through the story (the sappy title doesn't help) but his motive and many other details are never revealed.The author credits a long list of people with helping him.They would have served him better by advising him to answer a few basic questions.

Decent
I must agree with some of the other reviews.. it's rather graphic.. but I was too drawn to it, being a gay man. It was very erotic. The story seemed unrealistic.. but I must say the ending SUCKED! I was expecting something wonderful! But it's not..

Taut, edgy thriller
If you thought the dead rabbit in the movie "Fatal Attraction" was creepy, hold on tight. How about a killer who sends a body part from each victim in the mail? That's what happens to Dan Caruso, a newspaper columnist who is married and closeted. He tricks with ferocity, his unrequited lust burning within him and driving him to risky choices. He finds that men he has slept with are getting murdered--and the body parts he receives are the gruesome bonus.
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Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Psychological Suspense    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Journalists    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery fiction    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Psychological    11. Psychological fiction    12. Seattle (Wash.)    13. Thrillers    14. Adventure / thriller    15. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    16. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (5)

Appreciate the intricate plot line
I highly appreciate the intricate plot line and the wide array of characters.I would describe this book as one that requires a lot of attention, such fast-paced television shows with intelligent dialogue also require.
Dullsville
When I read the first five pages I knew I was in trouble.The writing throughout the book was very flat. Keeping track of all the characters was a monumental feat that left you wondering WHY they were actually written into this novel. About the only completely "fleshed" out character was Scott - The main character's lover who happened to be a Baseball athlete. Sprinkled adorations of this character created many stalls to the story line that I began to NOT care for Tom or Scott. I also found myself cringing at all the location descriptions given to the reader about Chicago. Again, this intricate location detail created a stall to my reading. Hasn't this writer figured out that less is more? Yet, I continued through the 182 pages HOPING to get some real writing style that would drive me to the entertainment value I get when reading a Joseph Hansen novel.How sad I was to see this book finish flat. Time to cleanse my brain with a Dave Brandstetter detective read. Oy....

Three cheers for Mr. Zubro
I knew this book had to be good when I read the two reviews prior to mine on amazon.com.As a member of the gay community and a recovering Roman Catholic (who thoroughly enjoys the spiritually fulfilling practice ofCatholicism I find in the Episcopal Church), not only was I not offended byanything in this book, I actually enjoyed it.Read more

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

Reviews (4)

Agatha Christie like mystery.
Stani is a Gay Poirot, a funny, smart, flesh & blood character. Nice mystery plus gay erotica makes a good mix.Very moving "grand finale". A very enjoyable novel.

A Major Disappointment
I had always been impressed by this whole hairdresser turned sleuth thingummyjig. However, I'm afraid I cannot say the same for this sorryexcuse of a mystery novel. Don't get me wrong. I had read all of the otherbooks written by Grant Michaels (they were FABULOUS!), and this one somehow.....just plain stinks. Yet another GREAT read from Grant Michaels!!
Stan Kraychik is one hell of an amateur sleuth.And Grant Michaels is one hell of a writer!!The Kraychik novels will surely define the best of gay writing for a generation. Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballet companies    2. Beauty operators    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Kraychik, Stan (Fictitious cha    8. Kraychik, Stan (Fictitious character)    9. Mystery & Detective - General    10. Mystery & Detective - Series    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. Crime & mystery    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Editorial Review

Whoever said that the pen was mightier than the sword might have had Read more

Reviews (16)

Yes, It is a mystery.
Naturally I expected it was a mystery with murders in the title, but reading it felt like I'd stumbled into a literary novel about writer's Angst.One writer was so obnoxiously obsessed with jealousy and envy that I immediately rooted for her to be perpetrator or victim.A bit over 1/3 of the way into the book, there was a murder and the story evolved into a proper mystery with the appearance of a traditional character, a likeable cop, Lt. Valley, and later, Angie, a criminal justice student who helped with the detecting.Nick's pardner, Stefan, is the practical down-to-earth one.The relationship reminded me of Hall's Stanley Hastings and his wife, Alice.Alice brings Stanley down to earth from time to time, too.Thankfully, there are no details of the men's intimate relations which is as it should be.The largest number of consumers of mysteries are mature women (like me) and the majority of them abhor sex scenes, be they hetero or homo. The book's ending was a very satisfactory wrap-up.
A new twist on an old genre
"The Edith Wharton Murders" has it all---good writing, a bright and charming amateur sleuth, and a fresh and ironic take on those well-worn groves of academe. Wait---before you groan and mutter something about "another campus mystery with cutesy cartoon characters as faculty members," give this one a try. You''ll find plenty of highly UNstereotyped profs---you probably had classes with some of them, maybe even Nick Hoffman himself. New t-shirt motto: I LUV LEV!

Who Dunnit? Who Cares? Miserable Mystery
This is most definitely the worst mystery novel I have ever read. The characters are not two-dimentional--but one-dimentional. You will not care about anyone. There is also too much padding of incidental material, and enough red herrings to stock a Shanghai fish market. Though the lead character is supposedly gay, there is only a token gay content. He might as well be a Buddist missionary. The hero and his lover share only a Jewish ceremonial meal, all other forms of intimacy in their relationship seems to have vanished. We read mystery novels to get pleasure in discovering who dunnit before the detectives. It is impossilbe to do this when essential information is not revealed to the reader until after the culprit is caught. I feel I have wasted my time here. With an eternity of reading ahead of you, the time would still be too short to bother with this one. Read Wharton's Ethan Frome instead. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Congresses and conventions    3. English teachers    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Gay    7. Hoffman, Nick (Fictitious character)    8. Mystery & Detective - Series    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Wharton, Edith   

Reviews (8)

I expected it to be better.
The dialogue was trite and repetitive, and the relationship between Paul Turner and his partner not very believable. I was looking for strong characterisations of the main characters. Instead, what I got were many detailed descriptions of what each successive character wore, the different fabrics, etc. NOT taken in!
I live in Europe but grew up in the States and go back from time to time to visit family.In Chicago, I always stop by Unabridged Books to pick up some gay literature, and this time "Drop Dead" dropped into myhands.It won't be a cat's whisker of a minute before I pick up the otherPaul Turner mysteries, 'cause this one was great.The relationship betweengay Paul Turner and his distinctly not gay partner Buck Fenwick is drawnhilariously, the relationship between gay Paul Turner and his two childrenfrom a previous relationship is touching, the story is interesting, thefashion world is drawn perfectly ... in other words, this was what for mepasses as a "couldn't put it down" (I can put books down becauseI spend most of my time working at the computer, but when I'm free for abit, I keep on reading).Even if you're not gay, pick this one up ... it'sa hoot.

NOT taken in!
I live in Europe but grew up in the States and go back from time to time to visit family.In Chicago, I always stop by Unabridged Books to pick up some gay literature, and this time "Drop Dead" dropped into myhands.It won't be a cat's whisker of a minute before I pick up the otherPaul Turner mysteries, 'cause this one was great.The relationship betweengay Paul Turner and his distinctly not gay partner Buck Fenwick is drawnhilariously, the relationship between gay Paul Turner and his two childrenfrom a previous relationship is touching, the story is interesting, thefashion world is drawn perfectly ... in other words, this was what for mepasses as a "couldn't put it down" (I can put books down becauseI spend most of my time working at the computer, but when I'm free for abit, I keep on reading).Even if you're not gay, pick this one up ... it'sa hoot. ... Read more

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

Reviews (7)

A credible first mystery
The editorial reviewers have summed up the story well, so I'll just say I enjoyed this book. I recommend it. The very first few pages were a tad slow because they deal with university politics, but once I got to know the characters and their conflicts with each other, the story moved along nicely. I read a couple of the other books in this series before this one, and if I could start over, I'd read this one first. The later ones stand alone well enough, but this story presents some background for the later ones. Having read this book, I now have a better understanding of the later ones. I read 4 or 5 mysteries every week, so often figure out "who done it" but this book's ending was clever and I never suspected who the villian was.

A Huge Disappointment
Having read and enjoyed some of Lev Raphael's short stories, I was curious to see how his themes of gay identity, Jewish identity and academic life would translate to the mystery genre. In a word: UGH! Against the backdrop of this silly and poorly constructed mystery, those themes seem very forced or as if they were mere afterthoughts. More fun from Lev
Lev Raphael - Enjoy Lev's academic mysteries and especially get a kick out of the Michigan detail. Brought back memories of working at a teachers credit union for 18 years and have heard many an outrageous tale as told by professors. Lev pins the tail right on. As an aside, Raphael has got to be the most photogenic of authors I have seen in a LONG time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. College teachers    2. Detective and mystery stories    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay    6. Literature teachers    7. Michigan    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Series    10. Mystery fiction    11. Mystery/Suspense    12. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (5)

Michael Nava's character Henry Rios is a terrific character with a huge heart and good brain.
I was both sad and happy when Michael Nava gave up writing to become a judge, as judging from these novels he must be the kind of moral and fair man that we need behind the bench. His novels were terrific reads with good messages without being preachy.

From a non-mystery reader drawn in by gay Hispanic aspect...
first of all, i should warn anyone who reads my review that i am not a big mystery novel fan in general, but i thought i would give this one a try since i had heard that michael nava is an important latino gay writer and that henry r�os, his main character in this series, fits the same description... i thought that was an interesting twist that might make this novel quite a bit different from others in the the gay and detective genres... i imagine it was quite ground-breaking back when it came out in the eighties!
Good Job
Perhaps Nava's greatest accomplishment in this novel is that he makes his main character, attorney Henry Rios, compelling and so utterly human.We read as Henry endures personal and professional troubles and you actually root for him.The fact that he is gay is irrelevant; Henry could be anybody.Being gay is a part of him, but it doesn't define him, and maybe that's the best lesson anyone will take away from this novel.Read more

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