Reviews (11)

Stronger Kick than the original
Reading Harlan's Race for the first time is like a refreshing slap to the face.I love The Frontrunner and Billy but in a way, throughout the years and the way it has been heralded as THE gay classic of all time, has made it seem less realistic and almost fable-like and surreal (despite the shocking conclusion). Joltingly Jump-Cut? Well Anyhow, Powerfully Portrayed...
I thought I knew "all about" the various ways fiction can be written, but this book showed me a way new to me--whether it's the best way or not?... The book's pattern first eluded me, then confused/annoyed me, then "worked" well enough for me. The pattern is to build via plot-twists: suddenly-emerging changes or new appearances. Like the reader is always made to turn some abrupt corner into a development NOT carefully-foreshadowed. Not unbelievable, just emerging with a jolt. Is this method a cheap shot and thus confusing? or truthful to life-events after all? Finally - the sequel !!!!
How do you write a sequel to a gay American classic? Ask Patricia Nell Warren. She's done it! I can't say that I was always happy with the choices she made but I have to agree that they were the right ones.Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Coaches    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Sports stories    8. Track and field   

Reviews (3)

Valentine gets to the heart of the matter!
Daniel Valentine is a detective of the first water--intelligent, handsome, and gay, he teams up with Clarisse Lovelace in "Vermilion," the first book featuring this fearsome duo in a first-rate comedy suspense series (all with a color in the title, ala John D. MacDonald).Set in Boston (as are the following three), Valentine starts looking into the death of a young hustler, found dead on the lawn of an outspoken homophobic legislator. Book One of Four Great Comic Mysteries
When these books first came out (80's) I do not remember there being a lot in this particular genre (except for the Brandstetter mysteries - which were much more serious.)Now these humorous gay detective stories seem to be everywhere, but the ones I've read come nowhere close to these gems. Whole series is excellent
Okay, I admit I'm a fanatic when it comes to this author's books. He wrote horror novels under his real name (Michael McDowell) that I could not get enough of as a teen. I still reread them all. Then just as I came out, Idiscovered he co-wrote these four books, and I devoured them as well. Ithink they are part of the reason I now live in Massachusetts...kidding,but they are tightly plotted mysteries set in pre-HIV Boston &Provincetown. Buy them lest they go out of print again! ... Read more

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

Reviews (2)

Cookbooks + Intrigue = Entertainment !!
ECLIPSE OF THE HEART by Ronald Tierney is an engrossing and fascinating look at espionage and those on the periphery of it.Zachary, the protagonist of the novel, is a middle-aged epicure who literally stumbles into a world of intrigue, murder, betrayal and lust.The reader of this fascinating story is taken on a literary ride worthy ofIan Fleming and James Bonds, sans the high-tech gadgetry.The novel is fast paced, full of adventure, and is an altogether great read.The fact that Zachary is a repressed gay man who through the course of the story emerges from his cocoon and finds a meaningful life beyond writing cookbooks is rewarding in itself.There are a few unanswered questions that the reader is left with at the end of the book.While this was a bit of a disappointment to this reader, the hint of another episode in the life of Zachary Grayson quells my concern for the loose ends.I stumbled upon this book by chance, but I'm very glad I did.It was entertaining, and I highly recommend it to anyone who might enjoy an entertaining read about a hapless sleuth.

As in "Total"
This is a mystery that came right out of left field. A key friend of mine, a virtual expert in the realm of homophile mysteries, said kind things about it, and that set me to searching for it. I found a used copy in a Charlotte, NC, bookstore and read it right away. The book doesn't "totally" meet the expectations I had of it going in, but it is a pleasant enough read with its moments of action and suspense. Zachery Grayson is a middle-aged cookbook writer of some repute whose dreary, unadverturous life is changed by an encounter with the mysterious operative Manny and a trip to Mexico. The plot revolves around obtaining a computer chip vital to a secret organization's plan to revamp the failing American civilization. That's as much of an explanation as we get of the shady goings on, which involve high level figures from politcs and the corporate business world. What's more important here is Zachery's transformation from wallflower to man of action, in which he is aided and abetted by Sali, a street urchin of indeterminate age but unmistakable resource and beauty. Zachery is "recalled to life", so to speak, and that epiphany, or series of epiphanies, forms the heart of the book and provides its main interest. A decent enough novel, a passable time waster, written in a largely telegraphic, declarative style that put me in mind of the old John Preston series of Alex Kane adventures. I'm sorry Tierney apparently decided not to follow through with other books featuring Zachery. it would be interesting to see what became of him and his Sali. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Food writers    5. Gay men    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery and detective stories    8. Mystery/Suspense    9. Puerto Vallarta (Mexico)    10. San Francisco (Calif.)    11. Crime & mystery   

Reviews (1)

When Bad Things Happen to Good Characters
Nearly all his friends dead or put to pasture, lured out of retirement for one last case, gay PI Dave Brandstetter decides to investigate the unlikely tale of a little boy who claims he witnessed a murder and was thenkidnapped and beaten by a mysterious woman named 'Rachel.'Sure enough,there does turn out to be a dead man: Cricket Shales, a first-rateguitarist but less than efficient drug dealer.Pursuing this case againstthe wishes of his lover Cecil, an ailing Dave is dragged into theunderbelly of the music industry, and the grim world of street drugs.Asone would expect from Hansen, this is a sharply written, effective andclever detective story. I do think good old Dave deserves a moreimaginative fate--in fact, I'd have liked to see Hansen start the book withthe last few pages of story, and flash us back to Dave's first ever case inpost-Chandler Los Angeles.Then we could start the adventures of Dave allover again!Okay, I admit this is the long goodbye I'd have been happy topostpone permanently. ... Read more

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

Reviews (3)

Enjoyable
Returning from Africa, the Anglican Bishop of Bompopo detours to the little island of Nepenthe, where he finds some charming natives and an assortment of interesting and eccentric expatriates. As the Nepenthean year slides gently along, the expatriates go on about their lives, living in a dreamland, and maintaining illusions that keep them happy about themselves. Great Book, Poorly Proofread
As the previous reviewer notes, South Wind is an excellent work of fiction.It is Norman Douglas' most highly acclaimed work.This reprint edition however, suffers from abominably poor transcription and proofreading.Letters are missing from words and spaces are sometimes inserted where they don't belong.In some instances a return character or two is omitted in dialogues.I would guess that I have spotted over a hundred errors.They do not undermine the quality of the story, but do make it harder to read.This book is in the public domain and so is available on the web in HTML format, possibly with fewer errors.That said, I am glad to have a printed version of this book.Reading or printing it from the web would be a cumbersome enterprise.

Intoxicating Sirocco
I hope that this gem of a book is reprinted soon.For all those who cannot wait, wend to the Strand bookstore on Broadway and 12th in NYC, and check out the Modern Library section; a few copies may still linger.Likeits title, the book sweeps over the reader in a sort of halcyon gale oflanguage.Read once, the book must be re-read just so that one can retracethe plot.When not totally high on language I got glimpses of two of themost vivid characters in literature -- Mr. Keith and Count Calovaglia --and that what it was -a glimpse.Like the South Wind of the title, thebook leaves the reader terribly thirsty for more -- more of the island,more of the people, more of the flora, more of the rocks, for crying outloud.It has the sense and immediacy of an impressionist painting.In the1924 Modern Library copy I possess, Douglas has an introduction in which heenumerates the islands that inspired the locale in the book.I am stillconsidering an island hopping vacation to the Mediterranean. ... Read more

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

Reviews (2)

Fast, funny and furious
B. Quick is a delightful combination of mystery, romance and humor with likeable characters in an all-too-real world.
fun tongue in cheek amateur sleuth thriller
Twenty-nine years old Bile College English Professor William Shakespeare Yates heads home in a storm when he nears one lane bridge that leads to the town Lythia Springs, Colorado.Before he can cross it he notices someone drops a bundle that appears to have contained a body off the bridge into the Nugget River.Unable to just keep going home, William dives into the icy waters and rescues student Brian Quick, the star of the professor's late night gay fantasies.
Read more

Subjects:  1. College students    2. College teachers    3. Crimes against    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    6. Gay men    7. Humorous    8. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Crime & mystery   

Reviews (6)

A good read that pulls you along
Jack Dickson has crafted a fine example of the detective story in the noir genre, with a gay angle to it. The gay aspect of the book is important, but it does not overwhelm the story - it's a good detective knovel first, butwith a twist (and several good randy scenes). It grabs you by the lapels ofyour leather jacket and pulls you relentlessly along to bring you to aconclusion that is both unexpected, and at the same time pointed tothroughout the book. formulaic grit
Am I the only gay reader bored with the hard boiled dick (and I use the term advisedly) genre? Detective Sargeant Jas Anderson is his fellow cop's prime suspect when lover Leigh is brutally offed.Makes sense.Jas is abrutal guy despite his--er--softer moments.This is realistic, gritty,hard-edged...Yeah, yeah, yeah. What else is new?You can probably figurethe direction FREEFORM is going simply by the direction all the others likeit go.One difference: this one is Scottish (men in kilts!NOT).Thedialect irritated me till I got used to it.Though not my cup of warm ale,there are so few gay mysteries, especially Scottish ones, that I say giveFREEFORM a whirl.Or a skirl.Or whatever Scots do.

A Compelling Read
Dickson is particularly strong on place, and characterising strong (frequently aggressive) gay men who possess a core of uncertainty and self-doubt. He is also a weaver of intricate plots which cunningly combine the most gripping elements of the hardboiled thriller and the most stimulating of erotic fiction. ... Read more

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

Reviews (23)

A great new sleuth in Adrien English
Adrien English runs a small bookstore in Pasadena, CA.He also owns one of the largest collections of gay mysteries in the Los angeles area.His life soon becomes like the subject of one of those mysteries when his best friend, who also works at the bookstore, is found dead -- stabbed to death -- and Adrien is viewed as the main suspect.He sets out to learn what happened to his friend and along the way, begins to wonder what the motives are behind hunky Detective Jake Riordan's unusual concern for him.
Promising Start to a New Mystery Series!
Adrien English was not at his best when the LAPD detectives called in the morning. He was disheveled, coffee-less and didn't feel any better when Detective Riordan informed him that Robert Hersey, his on-again-off-again friend and employee, had been murdered. He also got the distinct impression that he was a prime suspect in the murder. After all, he had dinner with Robert the night before he was murdered and was the last to seem him alive (besides the killer) and he was gay so he must have done it, right? Unfortunately, Adrien was not able to persuade the persistent police that he was not the killer, but they didn't arrest him...yet. A Promising - and Fun Read
This is the first of a promising new series. The protagonist is a bit of a smart alec bookish book store owner with a heart problem. He came into a bit of money from his grandmother that allowed him to buy the book store and apartment above and which left him financially comfortable if not rich. The inheritance has also, conveniently, left him with the time and money to persue these surprising little mysteries that fall in his lap. The character is a bit of a stereotype, but a very likeable stereotype in this case.Read more

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

Reviews (1)

Better than most gay mysteries, but not the best Zubro
This is better than your average gay murder mystery.Parts are funny, and nothing sticks out as being particularly bad.Not the best Zubro, but one to read after you've finished all the others.Good beach reading material. ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

May disturb some readers
A well-developed, involved mystery-suspense novel, with some sci-fi overtones, featuring fleshed-out, racially diverse, realistic characters most gay, lesbian or bisexual readers will be able to identify with.But if you prefer a healthy dose of PC with your reading, better pass on this one.Read more

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

Reviews (1)

Adventure, Love, S/M, Incest
"A handsome actor is kidnapped, tortured, and raped by two men who keep him blindfolded throughout the ordeal. His therapist, Bruce MacLeod, soon discovers other men in town who have gone through the same experiences. MacLeod's investigation leads to adventure, love, S/M sex ... and a father-son partnership that's gone too far."--� zebraz ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Psychological Suspense    4. Gay men    5. Psychological    6. Sadomasochism   

Reviews (3)

Build An Altar to the Erotic
An air of sadness permeates this novel about a young man from the Caribbean who joins a monastery in England. After Aelred's death, his brother makes the same journey in order to piece together clues about the life of a sibling he's barely known. Whether the author is writing about Aelred's life or the brother's search, there is a poignancy that bubbles through to the surface, a painful poignancy about human beings and the connections they try to make in life. It is these connections - and the varying degrees of depth in them - that really drive the novel. The lives of these men hinge on the clues of intimacy and how much knowledge - mental and physical - is allowed them. Intense, disturbing, and soothing...a jewel
One of the best books I have read for a long time...intense, and soothing at the same time. Subtle and intriguing
An excellent setting. It explores the love between 2 men who have chosen a celibate life in a monastery. But it slowly reveals the past life of Jean-Marc (Brother Alered), his conflict and his adoration of BrotherDominic. There are 2 time settings: Aelred's arrival at the abbey, and 20years later, his brother trying to find out why he died. There are somegreat emotive descriptions, you feel for Aelred, and you are constantlydismayed to know that he has died an unfair death. The author drip feedsthe story, and you always want to know more. Compulsive reading. The authormanages to convey feelings very well - he obviously has a passion about thesubject matter but, at times, I found his description of some of the moreintense emotions a little difficult to decipher. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. England    2. English Novel And Short Story    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. General    6. Monastic and religious life    7. Psychological    8. Sexual orientation    9. West Indians    10. Fiction / General    11. Literature of special Gay interest    12. Modern fiction    13. Mystery & Thrillers / Mystery   

Reviews (1)

Sad that this is the absolute end of this series
This series by Nathan Aldyne (who I just recently found out was not a real person but a nom de plume for two writers collaborating) was what got mehooked on the genre of gay mysteries. I loved the characters, the settings,the plots, the humour, everything!Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Gay    4. Gay bars    5. Lovelace, Clarisse (Fictitious    6. Lovelace, Clarisse (Fictitious character)    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Mystery/Suspense    9. Serial murders    10. Valentine, Dan (Fictitious cha    11. Valentine, Dan (Fictitious character)    12. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (5)

Excellent Follow-Up
When Nava's hero, attorney Henry Rios, is called upon by a friend to defend a young man accused of murder, even the reader is surprised by the ensuing unfolding drama.All the evidence supports the young man's guilt; supposedly, the youth was driven to the act by a blackmailing colleague who threatened to expose the youth's homosexuality.That's just the tip of the iceberg.Seemingly inocuous characters soon reveal their predatory and sinister natures.Good.This compiles a logical and completely plausible pool of possible suspects. Romance over Mystery
I enjoy Michael Nava's books for the characterization and style of writing, not for the accuracies of reality. The romance is mostly believable, but a few spots have me going "What!?" Luckily the plot is quite different from the first in the series, "The Little Death," and the conclusion is more believable as well. However, a few details of detective work are somewhat lacking. For instance when tailing someone, the detective does not want to be in a car labeled PRIVT I. Overlooking these silly mistakes, Nava's excellent writing ability and knack for adorable romance makes this still an enjoyable read.

As Good As It Gets
This novel is as good as any mystery I have read, as good as anything Joseph Hansen, a master of the genre, ever wrote. Mr. Nava's narrative is seamless, his style sparse; but we know with brief descriptions everything we need to know about his characters. Mr. Nava never adds superfluous verbage to show off his knowledge of other novels, poetry and literature in general, something that many mystery writers seem not to be able to avoid-- they often want to show off their English degrees.Additionally, there are no cardboard characters here. Mr. Nava makes statements about homophobia, gay relationships, coming out issues, self-hatred and AIDS without preaching. A friend who is a therapist swears that the scene when Henry meets his new, younger lover's parents for the first time is totally accurate. When Henry tells Larry goodbye as he leaves for Paris for treatment for HIV-- shades of Rock Hudson?-- we are treated to writing both as poignant and good-- and often better-- as anything writers who attempt to write serious gay literature have accomplished. With the right cast, this novel would make a great movie. ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

Spicer's Novel Rewarding On Many Levels
There are basically three sorts of readers who will pick up Jack Spicer's posthumously published, unfinished detective novel, THE TOWER OF BABEL. First of all, of course, are mystery enthusiasts, of which Spicer himself was one (as it explains in the afterword: Hammett and Chandler wereparticular favorites of his). Second, readers with an interest in the poetsand artists of the San Francisco Renaissance of the 1950s and '60's--TOWEROF BABEL is both a portrait of that scene, and a critique of it.Finally,anyone who is an enthusiast for Spicer's strange, hermetic, brilliantpoetry will want to see what he was like as a prose writer.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authors    2. Detective and mystery stories    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Gay men    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. San Francisco (Calif.)   

Reviews (11)

Not tempted.
wit, n. the ability to make clever, ironic, or satirical remarks, ususually by perceiving the incongruous and expressing it in a surprising manner.
Germanic Romp!
What a totally fun book.Mr. Stukas has once again permitted a peek at the madcap lives of Michael, Robert, and Monette.These three characters take the reader on a literal and literary romp thru New York and Germany.Michael, as usual, is consumed with sex; Robert is searching for love, and Monette is along as the "fixer-upper" for all of Robert's conjugal and legal dramas.This is a fun WHODUNIT, with twists and turns that will amuse and intrigue. Mr. Stukas's wit is hilarious.THIS IS A GREAT SUMMER READ!. Don't miss it.

More fun and campy murder from Stukas...
The second wonderful David Stukas humour-mystery series about two gay men and a lesbian, this one was just as much campy, snarky fun!Read more

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

Reviews (3)

So Much Fun!
What a fun read!I really enjoyed this book.Fast paced and funny, Grant Michaels has created a great character.I could not put this book down, as I wanted to get onto the others in the series.

Highly recommended
Humourous & funny, interesting mystery, light entertaiment, perfect for vacations.

Stan Kraychik:A Gay Detective for All of Us
At last:a gay mystery novel which captures the readers' attention from the start.The characters are well developed and beliveable and the dialog is smart.Don't we all know someone (or wish we knew someone) who has a wit like Stan's?And don't we all wish we could have "drop dead" gorgeous men like the Ranger fall for us (but then stay alive so we can ride off into the sunset happy!). Read more

Subjects:  1. American First Novelists    2. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    3. Beauty operators    4. Boston (Mass.)    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    7. Gay men    8. Kraychik, Stan (Fictitious cha    9. Kraychik, Stan (Fictitious character)    10. Mystery & Detective - General    11. Mystery/Suspense   

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

Reviews (10)

Encore! Encore!
Mr.Dunford, wherever you are, Loved the audio version of Soon To Be A Major Motion Picture (back in 2001 I think). Will pounce on your next UNabridged novel with glee!

Deliciously unconventional murder mystery
This delicious murder mystery will have you anxious to stay up late and finish it. Set in Toronto, Canada, the story follows Mitchell Draper, the fame-chasing, gay screenwriter and the antics of his friends Ingrid and Ramir. It's like reading a book written by your best friend. Read the next one too...Making a Killing. We can only hope for more from this witty and original novelist.

Awesome!
Early on in the book, the author describes a character as "nondescript" and I thought "oh, no. This will be bad." but no! This book is tremendously well-written. I think I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to gay humor fiction, so it's great to find something to recommend whole-heartedly. Similar to Misadventures in the 213, Soon to Be.. has a little triumvirate of lovable characters (though Mitchell's friend Ramir can be less than lovable) that are drawn very well. Even minor characters such as the unnerving and condescending Kitina is spot on and Dunford's Carmen Denver strikes me as a Hollywood tyrant completely encapsulated.Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. General    7. Large type books    8. Screenwriters    9. Crime & mystery    10. Modern fiction   

Reviews (3)

Another Aldyne winner!2 0f 4
When these books first came out (80's) I do not remember there being a lot in this particular genre (except for the Brandstetter mysteries - which were much more serious.) Now these humorous gay detective stories seem to be everywhere, but the ones I've read come nowhere close to these gems. A keep you on the end of the pier mystery
A scintilating story of the commings and goings on of P-Town in the heat of summer.Daniel Valentine and his ever indulgent side kick Clarisse Lovelace spy up and down Commercial street looking for bits of evidence to pull together the mysterious deaths of some summer visitors.Delve intothe dark smokey bars along the waterfront and ride the coaster to the end,when you'll need to pick up the rest of the series..Check out the GrantMichaels (author) Stan Kraychik mysteries if you like this one.

Classic "Nick-and-Nora" type gay detective story
There's nothing like finishing a great book and knowing there's a sequel, so you can dive back in for another adventure.There's E. F. Benson's "Mapp and Lucia," Wodehouse's Jeeves series, and "NathanAldyne"'s Blues ("Cobalt," "Slate,""Vermillion").Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Detective and mystery stories    3. Fiction    4. Gay bars    5. Massachusetts    6. Mystery and detective stories    7. Mystery/Suspense