Reviews (2)

Amusing, good mystery, but fails reality check.
Sheraton and Jeremy are gay lovers taking an unusual vacation in a rural Pennsylvania town, spending some time at a private boy's school to catch up with Sheraton's boyhood friend Barry, who teaches at the school.Shortly after arriving, they hear about the unexpected death of one student, then they get ambushed and knocked out by a mysterious cult of men/boys wearing hooded robes and chanting.Much to Jeremy's chagrin, this encourages Sheraton's latent propensity to get involved in unsolved mysteries, and they are soon comparing notes with Barry and a fellow faculty member, the wisecracking Rick, about the strange goings-on at the school, which are kept as quiet as possible by the schooo's dean.With a student body that seems to be in a trance, the dean's assistant/school cook who looks and acts like the Bride of Dracula, and a visit by Barry's ex who has surprisingly turned into a religious fanatic, Sheraton and Jeremy find themselves drawn into a situation that can be dangerous on several levels.
Very Good
Mr. Albanese's first book - Mystery Without Any Clues - was a good, short and extremely funny read.This time around the author uses many of the same characters (two New York city men and a police detective from hell).Although there is plenty of humor in the novel, this time around the characters are better developed and the writing has improved.This time the humor blends effortlessly with the mystery.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Suspense    6. Fiction / Gay    7. General & Literary Fiction   

Reviews (3)

AWell Written Jaunt
I too bought this book on the recommendation of the 5-star readers' reviews, and I'm glad I did.After the first dozen or so paragraphs, I didn't want to put it down as new events kept tumbling in steady succession from the pages.Yes, the writing style was not slick or airy-fairy, but who really wants the sort of shallow soap-trash that is more about the writer trying to draw attention to him or her self than to the characters whose lives we wish to visit without such distractions? Some reviewers tend to write just as self-consciously, I find.No, I'd much rather have this man's sure depictions of his subjects and their changing surroundings.For example, I visited Chicago a few years ago, and Wood's atmospheric descriptions of the city streets at night and on a weekday morning, along with snapshots of some of its people, brought everything vividly back to my mind.The dialogue was particularly fluid.For just one example, the uncomfortable encounter of the male couple with a group of brash Geordie soccer fans visiting London was brilliantly penned.But then, handling large palettes of word-colour is what competent, mature British writers have always excelled at, even if it occasionally tends to perplex some US readers.

THRILLING
The plot and sub plots are extraordinary and the characterisation is astute and consistent thoughout.The opening few pages are extremely well written and deceptively gentle, and set a rural landscape where Rick's and Jon's farming family background are deftly drawn.By shocking contrast to their way of life, parents and siblings almost immediately find themselves and their lifestyle under extreme threat from outside forces.The secret services, the United Nations, Mafiosi gangsters and religious terrorists all become woven into a really complex saga of intrigue, bloody shootouts, steaming love affairs, international espionage and a chase across America.Muchof the action takes place in Chicago and Colorado, which are themselves superbly portrayed.The principle characters are colourful and attractive.There are sexy liaisons, there's humour and thrills aplenty: in fact, everything the intelligent searcher for adventure could wish for.This is one of the best reads I've had for years.Full marks to the publishers for finding such a fine and original author.

terrific book!
Light out is a superb novel about friendship and family ties, with a good dose of suspense. This book deserves to become a bestseller! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Adventure / thriller    7. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    8. Literature of special Gay interest    9. Modern fiction   

Editorial Review

Mark Richard Zubro writes two strong, gay-themed mystery series--one featuring policedetective Paul Turnerand another about professional baseball player Scott Carpenter and his teacher companion, Tom Mason. Asthis book in the Tom and Scott series proves, Zubro has the enviable ability to create and sustain charactersdefined by much more than their sexuality. Just after their relationship comes out in the media, a medicalemergency takes the pair to Scott's hometown in Georgia, where deadly bigots come in all sizes and sexes.Other Tom and Scott books in paperback include Read more

Reviews (3)

Okay - Definitely NOT Good
Tom and his lover, Scott, return to the South when Scott's father has serious heart problems.Scott, who is a pro ball player, has just come out professionally, and the couple is still reeling from the repurcussions.Needless to say, the trip South doesn't make it any easier.After just a short time, Tom finds the local sheriff dead in the back of his car.And he's the main suspect, for the most part because he's gay. A exciting visit to the rural South!
Chicago high school teacher Tom Mason and his longtime lover Scott Carpenter already had enough of a crisis to deal with. Scott, a very highly paid baseball player, has just publicly come out. Immediately afterwards, alucrative endorsement deal is cancelled because of his revelation. However,they must forget about Scott's career problems and rush home to Georgia.Scott's father has suffered a serious heart attack.When they arrive in therural South, it really is like entering a different world. The pace of lifeis much slower and the small town alternately feels charming or intolerantof outsiders. Tom quickly learns that gay people are deeply closeted inScott's hometown. While they are visiting Scott's father in the hospital,Tom is accused of murder. This time, their lawyer back in Chicago can'tsave them and they are sure no local one will take the case. They have nochoice but to investigate the murder in order to clear Tom's name.By thispoint, author Mark Richard Zubro has again demonstrated his mastery of bothmurder mysteries and characterization. Tom and Scott are again shown as awarm, caring, interesting couple. Since they consider themselves to bemarried, their lives do not revolve around sex. I especially loved thescenes where Tom's gentle sense of humor is shown. His playful teasing andaffection for Scott are far more interesting to read than a sex scene.Remember, Zubro's gay detectives aren't merely boyfriends, they're married.And the richly detailed, satisfying relationship they enjoy proves it.As ithappens, Tom and Scott discover that Scott's hometown is not as simple asit first appeared. Their probing deeper and deeper into the town's secretsreveals intrigues that are just as complicated as anything they wouldencounter in Chicago. While Tom forges on ahead to clear his name, Scottmust come to terms with what this all means to him. In order to find thereal killer, he will need to learn to see the people he grew up with in anew light.I found one of the best parts of the story to be when Tom andScott are in the thick of things. They are starting to put the cluestogether and the suspects are getting nervous. I really liked how no onecharacter is the obviously guilty party. Zubro always keeps me guessingright up until the very end. I think it's great that you can see that themurder takes days to solve. The solution doesn't occur to Tom in a flash.Instead, he slowly pieces together the clues and realizes who the killeris. By the time he knows, Tom has also discovered why the people involveddid what they did; not merely who pulled the trigger. That's far moresatisfying to me.Finally, I highly recommend this mystery to anyone wholikes suspenseful, exciting mysteries that keep you guessing until the veryend. Zubro has repeatedly proved that he is a master at telling a greatstory with realistic, well rounded characters. This mystery shows that hiswonderful detectives, Tom and Scott, can solve cases anywhere they go, notjust Chicago.

Bring on the muffins.
The whole series of Tom and Scott mysteries read like a campaign to scare tourists away from the US. This one leaves you amazed that anyone's left alive in Georgia at all. Everyone is either a mass murderer, homophobe orlunatic and most characters fit more than one category. The events escalaterapidly, are dramatic and at times pretty ugly, but remain at a completemismatch with any emotional response from the main characters.Tom andScott are great- they're so emotionally incompetant you feel compelled tokeep reading just to see what they'll go into denial over next. Thenarrator keeps telling you how much they love each other but these guysneed help from Relate- either that or they're Vulcans. My favourite bit iswhere one of them nearly drowns and his lover who has taken no part insearch or rescue, just pays attention long enough to get him a change ofclothes. End of problem. By the end I was rooting for events to escalatejust to see what it took to get one of them upset, or shocky or even toshow some sort of human concern for each other! Having reached the end ofthe book, I suspect there is nothing Tom and Scott cannot solve with a workout and a plate of muffins.This is the most passionless Tom and Scott ofthem all- however, like the others it's addictive. Sooner or later one ofthose two will have to manage some sort of believable emotional reaction. ... Read more

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

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Reviews (6)

I'd GiveThis Novel a B-
Patricia Highsmith's last work, SMALL g, A SUMMER IDYLL, gets its title from Jakob's, a Zurich bar, that would have a small "g" written after it in guidebooks to indicate that it attracts a sometimes gay crowd. This novel thus has a clever title and begins with a young man Peter Ritter getting stabbed as he came out of a cinema on a cold January night-- a good beginning. A lot of the action takes place in or about Jakob's with a rather motley group of characters frequenting that establishment. Rickie, who had been in love with Peter; Luisa, a young woman who was also in love with him. She works for the club-footed Renate, who is homophobic beyond words. We suspect right away what her problem is. Then there is Teddie, who is gorgeous and straight, who gets mugged because he is perceived as being gay, Rickie's trick dog Lulu; Willi, the village simpleton; and one of my favorite characters, the decent Freddie, a married police office whom Rickie sleeps with from time to time.
Small g
Not sure I'll ever finish this book-- it's set aside just now. Agonizingly slqw in getting under way, repititious, rather dull characters. little action. Rick is no Ripley.

LONG BOOK for a small story
This is the story of a gay guy, Rickie, in Switzerland who goes to a bar called Jakob's about 50 times a day, along with everyone else in the neighborhood.He meets Luisa, a young girl who is apprenticed to a gay-hating clubfooted dressmaker named Renate.Renate is quite possesive of Luisa, won't allow her phone calls, dates, etc., and Luisa puts up with this because Renate might give her bad references after her remaining 5 months of apprenticeship are up - as though there are absolutely no other jobs out there except seamstress.Rickie and a gay girl, Dorrie, bend over backwards to try to help Luisa out of the situation, but she refuses to budge from her prison and move in with either of them, much like an abused wife afraid of angering her husband.Although she did run away from her sexually molesting step-father, so that makes no sense.
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Subjects:  1. Bars (Drinking establishments)    2. Crimes against    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Triangles (Interpersonal relat    9. Triangles (Interpersonal relations)    10. Bargain   

Reviews (6)

Impressive.
Joseph Hansen manages to fit a remarkable amount of storytelling in this relatively short novel.Fadeout is the story of an intriguing investigation.Yet it is so much more than that.Seemingly without effort, Hansen also succeeds in giving the reader a very revealing look into the inner life of the investigator.
A Classic Characterized by its Clear & Delightful Prose
When Pima, California�s local celebrity/singer/radio show host Fox Olson turns up missing and his T-Bird is found in the arroyo after a fierce storm, his wife, daughter, friends, and fans expect his body to wash up any time. It doesn�t happen. Dave Brandstetter, claims investigator for Medallion Life Insurance Company comes to town. As he interviews family and friends, Dave discovers that all was not well in Fox Olson�s charmed life after all. Did Fox commit suicide? Or kill himself? And if he�s dead, where is the body? Dave thinks Fox disappeared on purpose, but in order to prove it, he�ll have to find the man. A landmark detective...
Joseph Hansen was the second author to construct a series around a gay detective--George Baxt preceded him--and the first to make his gay detective absolutely "normal."And by "normal," I mean "average."Dave Brandstetter is a decent, reticent, often rather icy human being.No genius, he solves cases by patient sleuthing rather than Holmesian leaps of logic.And Brandstetter, who eventually ages in "real time," ultimately comes apart at the seams in realistic fashion: in the last novels, when he is close to 70, Brandstetter forgets things, needs reading glasses, and loses the stamina he needs to think straight.In this, the first novel, he is just beginning to emerge from profound, paralyzing mourning for his companion of twenty-two years; as the series progresses, he will acquire two more partners, one a misfire and the other more permanent.Hansen's characterizations are sharp throughout, and his prose style--short, snappy sentences, with the occasional quirky metaphor or simile thrown in--is deceptively simple.Both this novel and the series as a whole are worthwhile reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Brandstetter, Dave (Fictitious character)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Insurance investigators    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery & Detective - Series    9. Mystery/Suspense   

Reviews (12)

Why, oh please WHY?
Why did I read this book?I guess because I wanted something that would put me to sleep.Forget those expensive pills when you have trouble sleeping, just take out your copy of THE TENTH MAN - it works everytime!Okay for real this book is a snoozer, boring boring boring.There is no need to read more than the first 100 pages, by this point you will be able to figure the whole story out.I am going to stop myself right here, this book has already taken enough of my time.

Slow outta the Gate
A bit sluggish and predictable at the start, but once you get past the first few chapters, the characters begin to develop and the plot builds into a page-turnner.

The book is TRASH!
How anyone could enjoy this book is beyond me. I guess if you like bad stories with stupid endings this is the book for you! Worst "serious" gay theme book I think I have ever read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Americans    2. Amsterdam (Netherlands)    3. Crimes against    4. Europe    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - General    7. Gay    8. Gay men    9. General    10. Mystery & Detective - General    11. Serial murders    12. Crime & mystery    13. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (6)

Lots of Laughs and a Breeze to Read
A great read and a real page turner. Steven Cooper's off beat sense of humor makes the book! It is witty and intelligent, even in its occasional silliness. The characters come alive in their relationships to one another. And its a mystery! I'm looking forward to seeing more from this author.
With you in Spirit
I didn't think I would like this book when I first started reading it, but when I got into the book I found it very witty and full of surprises. It made me really want to know who done it. It was a quick and easy read, and kept you interested until the end.

Recommended By A Friend
Okay, first I want to thank my friend for recommending this book.I wish I had found it sooner.It's one of those books you breeze through with delight.Sure, it's wacky and a little over the top, but it has heart and feeling and it resonates in so many ways.I can't wait to read Cooper's next book.It's already out.I hope it's a treasure like With You In Spirit. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Death    2. Fathers    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Literary    8. Martha's Vineyard (Mass.)    9. Mothers and sons    10. Mystery & Detective - General    11. Fiction / General    12. Literature of special Gay interest    13. Modern fiction   

Reviews (3)

Another gem
Two quick comments.First, I hope that the reviewer who said that he would never read a Zubro book will change his mind, because if he didn't like this one, that surely doesn't mean that he wouldn't like others - the Paul Turner series is one thing, the Tom & Steve series is another, and I would really urge the reader to try again.
Good start to an improving series
Fortunately, the Paul Turner series gets better as does Zubro's crafting of enjoyable cop mystery stories. With this one, the debut of Paul Turner, Zubro tackles an interesting premise: are gay activist orgnizations behind the murder of an anti-gay televangelist's daughter? It's a question Paul Turner, a gay Chicago homicide detective, doesn't like having to look at, but one he realizes he must if he is to solve this case. The reader gets taken in a lot of different directions and one has to wonder if the poor cop will ever solve this case. Maybe Zubro hadn't made up his mind "who done it" until the final chapter because there are no really good clues, but plenty of motive to go around. All in all it was an enjoyable read, but it's not among my top 25 murder mysteries, regardless of genre (gay or straight or whatever)or author.

A Disappointingly Dull Detective
This is the first of Zubro's many books that I have read, and sorry to say it will be the last also. I love gay mystery as a genre, but this book disappointed on many levels. The plot, about the murder of a bigotted televangelist's daughter, and the gay community's possible involvement as a means of revenge undoubtedly has potential, but isn't developed, with the result that I didn't really care how the book ended. Undoubtedly the biggest let down is the quality of the writing. It's pedestrian and leaden, making the promising idea of the central character, a gay cop and father a crashing bore. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Chicago    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    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)   

Reviews (1)

SUSPENSEFUL..THOUGHT PROVOKING..SOUL SEARCHING
SUSPENSEFUL..THOUGHT PROVOKING..SOUL SEARCHING That is how I found reading TERROR IN TITUSVILLE.Jim's spiritual awakening, coupled with the dealings of a crazed stalker, brings him to a discovery about himself.One that it seems everyone around him has already known. The author weaves these three threads into a very believeable and sometimes frightening story. In the end he ties them together in such a subtle way you are left in awe.Bravo.Keep up the good work. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

The latest Henry Rios mystery finds Michael Nava's gay Mexican-American lawyer under severe stress as he defends an L.A. street hustler. One of Rios's former lovers has been murdered; another is nearing death from AIDS. Nava strives for emotional depth and social relevance in his tough tales, told with Chandler-esque language. Rios describes himself best: "I was a magnet for the desperate, frightened and reviled, who somehow or other had heard about the fag lawyer who was a sap for a sad story." ... Read more

Reviews (5)

the not so gay 90's
murder case in l.a.'s gay community.author shows the tragedy of a.i.d.s without being morbid. smooth style,sensitive tone and steady pacing.

Super
Michael Nava is a super writer.This is the second one of his series I have read, and it is a great mystery as well as filled with real life emotion.A can't put it down kind of story.Plus some really greatcourtroom scenes. John Grisham, eat your heart out.This guy can writebetter than you.

Heartrending, insightful, excellent mystery
Wow!I became Henry Rios as I read this story and was touched by his humanity and sensibility.Michael Nava just gets better with each of his books.This one shines a light on what it means to live your entire lifein the closet and the impact on yourself, your family, your friends whenyou decide to step into the light.Yet it is done in the context of acompelling mystery peopled by real characters with real emotions.Navamanages to make nothing look contrived.At the end of his story you knowthese people and what makes them tick.And most importantly you want toknow more about the fine human being that Henry Rios is.Read more

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

Editorial Review

In Fred Hunter's third Alex Reynolds mystery, Alex and his lover, Peter, join forces to determine why their dear friends Mason and Ryan have been murdered. Mason's doll collection, which he had threatened to bequeath to Alex, was found in shattered pieces surrounding his mutilated body. The attack seemed not only personal, but weirdly ritualistic. Not a week later, Mason's partner, Ryan, was discovered in the same room of their apartment in much the same condition. An impromptu visit from State Department investigators, who seem to think that Alex and Peter have come into possession of a mysterious object at the core of the murder case, inspires them to search out the origins of Mason's latest doll, which he had purchased on a visit to our nation's capital shortly before his death. With the help, as ever, of Alex's intrepid British mum, and about equal portions of help and hindrance from the police and the CIA, Alex and Peter undertake a perilous journey into an Eastern religious subculture, vowing justice for their murdered friends. Read more

Reviews (14)

Another Excellent Alex Reynolds Mystery
Alex, Peter and Jean are at it again and the results don't disappoint.It can be dangerous to be gay and know these people since in the first few chapters, one of their friends returns from DC and is brutally murdered.His doll collection, which he had left to Alex, is smashed, and then his lover meets the same fate.
Disappointingly Derivative and Dull
"Capital Queers" started out well enough, as a man was found brutally murdered, with the broken pieces of his doll collection scattered about his body.Then it really heated up when the dead man's lover was found killed in a similar grisly fashion ... with HIS body surrounded by those very same doll pieces which had been thrown away only to reappear! By this time I was hooked, thinking that the third book in Alex Reynolds series was going to be the one in which author Fred Hunter finally found his voice.But then - alas! - a few pages later the author had reverted back to formula by trying to inject "humor" into the plot via his main characters: Reynolds; his "husband" Peter; and Reynolds' British mother, Jean.
Dogs, Dykes,, Dolls, and "Disection"
Alex, Peter, and Jean once again find themselves embroiled in another caper, this time with dolls, among other things.The wit remains the same, and Hunter injects little theatrical and tv asides that are sure to delight any 40something reader.We learn more about Jean in this offering, and can pretty much figure out that she is the "brains" of the operation. The "solution" was somewhat predictable, but I was truly surpirsed that "Duffy"/"Muffin", (a new and endearing character) didn't get to keep the "object" of discovery.This is a fun one!Light, but satisfying reading. ... 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    10. Modern fiction   

Reviews (9)

GREAT BOOK !!!!!!!!!
I really enjoyed this book and I hope he writes another one with these two characters. Elliott Mackel really captured the way things were back then.The story was so vivid I could picture what it was like while I read it. I also liked the story line and all the characters, without giving it away I really liked the ending and how it left things open to a sequel, Hint Hint. I also read it in one day because it was one of those books that you could not put it down. Way to go Elliott.
I'd like to see this as a movie
I think Matt Damon will be perfect as Dan and Ben Affleck is tailor-made as Bud.I hope they co-write the script too....and I hope they get both the Best Actor Award for the parts!

Very Good Gay Male Fiction
It Takes Two:A Novel by Elliott Mackle is a nearly perfect "summer read" (and one thatwould do very nicely on a dreary winter's day for that matter).Some of the historical allusions are a bit strained and the editors missed a quotation mark or two, but the characters and the story will grab the gay male reader.There are a number of weaker gay-themed titles out there that have received more exposure, which is a shame.This book deserves much more than its gotten.(Is that the publisher's fault?)If you've read Hold Tight:A Novel by Christopher Bram and liked it, you'll find this work equally enjoyable.If you are in the market for a compelling light read, try this book. I'm giving this one 5 stars despite the few flaws because I want to read more by Mr. Mackle.Encore! ... Read more

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

Reviews (8)

Review of Time to Check Out
Having read the four previous novels in this series, I am in a position to comment on the fifth. Grant Michaels has honed the art of producing page-turning mystery novels with a gay twist. There are some surprises, but Michaels principle strengths persist: believable dialog from spunky and independently-thinking characters, lush verbal paintings of the settings and actions, and for my money, the eminently likeable Stan Kraychik, although initially, he's a bit more bitter and skeptical, and for good reason--well, a sad reason. (Besides the fact that he's come to Key West, I mean!) Haven't read it all yet, and the Amazon review was here, but I can tell you that I've already bought the next in the series after this one, and it's in the pile by my easy chair.

Not any more.
This is the fifth in this Stan Kraychik series. It seems Grant Michaels has been going downhill. This issue is just boring. I won`t read the next one("Dead as a Doornail").Enough for me. Sorry Stan. You used to be so fun...

A Great read
This is the first gay mystery I've read and it was a page turner for me. I couldn't put it down. I think it is a great read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty operators    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Florida    5. Gay    6. Key West    7. Kraychik, Stan (Fictitious cha    8. Kraychik, Stan (Fictitious character)    9. Mystery & Detective - Series    10. Mystery/Suspense    11. Private investigators    12. Crime & mystery    13. Modern fiction   

Reviews (8)

'Closet' helpd me out of mine
I first read this book when I was 95% sure of my sexuality and trying to muster the courage to come out.It was also my first gay novel.This story of a recently outed gay man who is accused of murder gave me my first tiny clues as to what gay life is and how the coming out experience can be handled.Strange, huh?Who'da thunk it?Nevertheless, it made a real impression on me and I hold this book in special place becasue of it. Good Intro to a Great Series
Although this is the first novel in Zimmerman's Todd Mills Mystery Series, it's the last one I've read.And I must admit that it was wonderful to finally get the introduction to many of the issues Zimmerman brings into the later novels.If you're a fan of "Outburst", "Innuendo" and others, I highly recommend you trying to find a copy of "Closet".It will be worth the effort.

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

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Popular English Fiction    5. Crime & mystery    6. Fiction / General    7. Modern fiction   

Reviews (2)

A Night at the Opera
It might not be the "best whodunnit ever written", it is not even the best one in this series either, but it is a good mistery, nice and easy to read, with a very funny & enjoyable "grand finale" that reminds us of the Marx Brothers at "A Night at the Opera".

Stan at the opera!
Grant Michael's Stan Kraychek (Nancy Drew with a curling iron) sets off for a summer opera fest with a wild cast of characters, some of them charming and some darker and more disagreeable. Three deaths later, and ofcourse our Stan gets embroiled in solving the mystery.Actually, themystery isn't that complicated, but Michaels brings his unique point ofview and superb style of descriptive writing to the effort and the resultis a very enjoyable read. While not as gripping as some of the earlierstories in terms or pure who-done-it, you'll enjoy this one, whether youlike opera or not. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty operators    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Kraychik, Stan (Fictitious cha    7. Kraychik, Stan (Fictitious character)    8. Mystery & Detective - General    9. Mystery & Detective - Series    10. Mystery/Suspense    11. Opera    12. Crime & mystery    13. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    14. Literature of special Gay interest    15. Modern fiction   

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

Reviews (3)

Tom & Scott Mystery #2
Tom Mason is a teacher at Grover Cleveland High School.He teaches remedial English and has gotten to know most, if not all, of the slower students in the area.One of the families that he has constantly been trying to help, both inside and outside of the classroom, was the Trasks.Tom had helped Eric Trask avoid a drug charge and get his life back together, a feat for which Mrs. Trask was eternally grateful.Mrs. Trask never forgot Tom's involvement and help, so when her younger son, Jeff, was arrested for murdering his pregnant girlfriend, she immediately came to Tom for help. A fast and enjoyable read
I consumed this mystery in very short time. Like all good mysteries, the murder is revealed in the first chapter (in this book on page 4!). The pastis fast and furious, leading the reader through a maze of characterrelationships held together with drug dealing, jealousies and suspicions,and of course murder. This was the third Zubro book I've read (PoliticalPoison, and Another Dead Teenager being the other two) and it has renewedmy faith in the author as a competent crafter of murder mysteries.Characterization remains a weakness for Zubro, however. His characters attimes are difficult to differentiate: primarily they speak the same. Heshrewdly and effectively uses how they dress and what their homeenvironments look like to establish their character, as well as createsinteresting set pieces for them to move and act within, but as soon as theyopen their mouths, they sound like everyone else. ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR SCOTT.
Like potato chips, the Tom and Scott mysteries are easy to consume and (as brain food goes) nutritionally valueless.I WANT to like these books.I keep hoping...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. Crime & mystery    13. Fiction / Gay   

Reviews (7)

You know, sometimes I'm just not in the mood for Tolstoy.
At those moments, I thank heaven and assorted authors and publishers for mind candy like this charming little book.As light and breezy as Doan in a chiffon party dress with matching pumps, "Death Wore a Smart Little Outfit" prompts you to laugh, roll your eyes, and rethink your wardrobe and eating habits, all while enjoying a fictional visit to the quirky, laid-back, sexually diverse wonderland that is San Francisco.I've read all three of the Doan and Binky books, and although they all amuse, this frothy little thing is the best of the lot.

A little too pat for me....
Okay I adored the first book, adored the second book, and eagerly awaited this one to come into my hands. Now granted, I have to admit that it fit NYC to a T. BUT, the book was just a little too pat. Ya know, one of those button endings where you knew that everything would end happily ever after but jsut didn't know how. I know it's fiction and I know that we're supposed to suspend our belief system a bit but I couldn't go THAT far with this book. Sigh...I hope there is another to make me happy...

Silly, Pointless, FABULOUS
Thank Goddess we live in an age when a writer can set out to do nothingbut amuse -- and aim for that limited section of the population who seedrag queens and vapid socialites as the indispensible archetypes they are. I've seen more complicated stories on "Full House", but it isperfectly excusable when said story is delivered with such sequin-sparklydialoge and a characterization so sharp it's as if Charles Busch hasmaterialized in your room to play it for you as you read. Thank you, Mr.Outland. ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

More of the life of Jas Anderson
Jas Anderson, Dickson's anti-hero former Scottish police officer, returns for his third go around with Some Kind of Love. Dickson builds his world upon the previous stories in "Freeform" and "Banged Up" and continues the development of Jas. In some ways this is Banged Up, Part II - taking place a bit after the end of that book, building upon the relationship begun between Jas and former gay bashing cellmate Stevie. Now on the outside of prison, with the sadistic villain of Banged Up, Ian Dalgleish dispatched, setting the start of the new novel. Read more

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