A Blake Harte Mystery, Book 10 - Harte

At last - with this book, we finally get resolution on some of the underlying plot threads that have been woven into this series since the very first book!  The story in this book has been building for a long time, and author Robert Innes does not disappoint.  This series started with the title character, Blake Harte, transferring to the small country village of Harmschapel, where he takes on the role of Detective Sergeant with the local police force.  He quickly develops a reputation for solving crimes that seem impossible - "locked room" mysteries, as they are sometimes called.  And Innes has definitely written some very well-plotted stories (leaving one to wonder just how he comes up with these crazy scenarios!).  But there has always been an underlying plot of why Harte moved away .... snippets of that incident of when he was just a boy ... an incident that has given him nightmares for years ... and the serial killer that he helped put away just before he moved to Harmschapel ... plus, there was the complication of that young man, his landlord's son, who has taken a particular interest in Blake, trying everything he can to destroy his relationship with Harrison Baxter.  And now, finally, everything is revealed in a devastating way...

This book is simply titled Harte, which is very fitting, since the mystery in this volume completely centers around Blake Harte.  His past comes back to haunt him in a vicious way.  Just as he is about to return to Manchester to help his best friend celebrate a momentous birthday, he and Harrison stumble across another body - only this one is not quite dead!  Tom Pattison, their landlord's son, has been struck in the head, and it's clear it was anything but an accident.  Blake, of course, wants to investigate, but he is told he is too close to the situation and to simply go on his vacation.  Little does he realize that his vacation is going to turn into one of the toughest cases of his career!

Innes holds back no punches with this one.  Harte finds himself once again facing the deadly Thomas Frost, who manages to escape prison in front of a live audience!  Everyone watches on television as he is loaded into the van that will transfer him to another secure prison - but when the van arrives at the other prison, the back doors are opened to find that Frost is not there!  How did he disappear from a guarded van that made no stops between the two prisons?  And with Frost once again on the loose, no one is safe.  Soon enough, the dead bodies start to turn up, and Sally (Blake's best friend and fellow cop) is called back on duty.  Blake manages to work his way into the investigation, but, boy is he in for some major surprises!  I won't spoil anything here, but I will say this - there are some definite unexpected surprises that no one could see coming, and if you think you have some of the connections between the characters figured out - think again!

Only Innes could write another impossible crime story that is so utterly engaging like this, and at a whopping 370 pages, not only is this the longest Blake Harte mystery to date, it is also by far the absolute BEST mystery to date.  With the life of someone very close to Blake on the line, he must not only figure out how Frost escaped from a moving van surrounded by cops, but he must also uncover the truth behind what happened to him when he was 10 years old, and exactly how Tom Pattison plays into all of this.  Expect the unexpected and just sit back and enjoy the ride as Innes takes you on a roller coaster ride from one shocking, awe-inspiring moments to another - and the ending?  Well, let's just say every once in a while, the hero does get a reward, and this time around, Blake might actually find himself a bit of real happiness at last.

Now, if we could just talk Innes into releasing the next book in paper format, and not just on Kindle!

RATING:  11 all-important license plates out of 10, well, simply because this book REALLY is that good!

Anonymous True Accounts Told to Thom Bierdz (How Men Really Feel About Being Sexually Assaulted)

I have previously read actor Thom Bierdz' other two books - Forgiving Troy and Young, Gay & Restless - and found them to be raw, moving, and very personal in nature. The first was a journey of facing the most devastating news a person could face and finding a way to overcome it and forgive his own brother, while the second was a very open and revealing (in so many ways!) look back at the author's own life.  This third book, however, is something completely different, as it is not about Thom; rather, this book is an open and honest revelation about something most people don't ever consider - the sexual assault of men.

Anonymous True Accounts Told to Thom Bierdz: how men really feel about being sexually assaulted is not the type of book I would ever pick up and read.  It is not a topic I particularly want to think about, and not being a fan of non-fiction, it is not a book I would normally be interested in reading.  But, having read Thom's other two books, I purchased this one directly from Thom (he was even kind enough to sign it!) and figured I would face the difficult task of seeing how men truly feel about being sexually assaulted.  I can honestly say that I was not prepared for most of what I read!

One does not often think about men being sexually assaulted.  Even though reports of young boys being sexually assaulted are in the news, somehow, there is this misguided belief that men "cannot" be sexually assaulted, and if they are, it does not have the same impact that it does on women when they are assaulted.  Further, there is a misconception that slapping a woman on the behind is assault, while taking the same action on a man is not.  The simple truth is - when you force some kind of physical attention on another human being, whether female or male, without that person's consent, it is assault.  Period.  There are not extenuating circumstances, there are not excuses, and there are certainly no differences.  Assault is assault.  And, as this book shows, not everyone's reaction to assault is the same.  Just as people are different, so are their reactions.

I was utterly surprised to find that some of these anonymous accounts showed how some men found that what would constitute assault in many people's eyes was actually enjoyable and basically became the groundwork for what they enjoyed sexually and what they expected in a relationship.  In fact, one account found a man who had a incestuous relationship with his own father for decades and did not regret one moment of it!  That was probably the most difficult account of all to read, as incest is not something that is natural, and the fact that this individual found it to be satisfying and an important part of his life made me feel sorry that the father had taken away his son's innocence and destroyed his capability to understand right from wrong.  Thom made it clear in his book that he compiled these stories not for the purpose of judging anyone, but to show how abuse affects different people in different ways.  But it was evident from some of the questions Thom asked of this individual that even Thom had a difficult time understanding how this abuse had affected this now grown man.

The accounts within the book varied from men who recalled being abused as children by family members, by friends, by employers, by church members, and others to adult men who found themselves being drugged and taken advantage of and then left to be found unconscious in a parking lot or back room.  As I read one story after another my heart broke when I realized just how many men out there have suffered abuse and how it has affected so many lives (not just of them men themselves, but also the people around them).  While some men have shown the ability to overcome and move beyond the abuse to find healthy relationships and live normal lives, others have lived with the stigma of what was done to them and have been unable to fully deal with the trauma imposed on them by vicious, uncaring people (many of whom have gone unpunished for what they did!).  My heart broke and at times, I had tears in my eyes, as I read story after story of men revealing some of the most horrific moments of their lives - in a lot of cases, being told for the first time, as how many people would really believe that a "man" was sexually assaulted?

While difficult to read, I must praise Thom for providing men with an opportunity to share these stories, since a lot of them have been holding this in, keeping it secret for years, even decades, for fear of what others would say if they told the story of what happened.  Thom provided these men with a safe space to share their stories anonymously, to open up a discussion on how society views assault on men as compared to assault on women, and to hopefully allow these men to find a way to heal from their ordeal (because sometimes just talking about it is the first step of the healing process).  I will warn you, this is not easy reading, and in some places, it can be quite explicit - but it will definitely give you a much better perspective on just what kind of affect a sexual assault can have on a man, and that sexual assaults are just as real for men as they are for women!

RATING:  9 anonymous accounts out of 10 for daring to share honest, raw, and sometimes shocking stories of men who were shamed and forever changed by the assaults forced upon them.

Fence: Disarmed

I came into the world of Fence through the comic published by BOOM! Studios, and while I enjoyed it for a bit, I eventually stopped getting it, as the stories started to feel redundant.  However, when the first novel, Striking Distance, came out, I decided to give it a try.  I enjoyed it somewhat, so figured the second novel wouldn't be too bad, and I picked it up when it came out.  It has taken me some time to finally sit down and read it (the book was published in May 2021), but read it I finally did.  And, sad to say, this will definitely be my last foray into the world of the boys at Kings Row fencing academy.  

Disarmed picks up not long after the first novel ended.  Nicholas and Seiji have become friends, despite Seiji's superior, off-standish manner.  Harvard and Aiden are in an awkward place because they "faux" dated, which ended up a disaster, since they each secretly harbor feelings for the other but are too afraid to say anything.  Aiden has gone to the extreme, chasing after every guy on campus, leaving Harvard to pine after a young man that apparently wants nothing to do with him; meanwhile, Aiden is trying to drown out the sorry he feels from Harvard having told him it was a mistake to try dating and that the worst thing they could ever do is be with one another.  So, when the Coach tells them of the opportunity to train at an elite school in France, it becomes one huge cluster-&*$%!

Author Sarah Rees Brennan has a feel for the characters, and from what I can tell (I have no knowledge myself, so I can't say for sure), she has the necessary knowledge to write about fencing.  But the problem I have with this book is that the entire 350 pages are spent describing how Harvard and Aiden are pining for one another, but they are too afraid to tell the other how they feel - and after the first few chapters, it really starts to become boring.  You keep hoping something will break in their story, but it's just the same hesitations, the same heart-break, the same "He just doesn't want me and I need to accept it" woe-is-me scenes over and over and over.  Quite frankly, the only thing that carried me through this book were the chapters on Nicholas and Seiji.  

 

Nicholas' vibrant, never-give-up spirit and the affect it has on Seiji was fun to read.  Seiji, the way too serious fencer whose entire life revolves around fencing and being the best there is having to constantly be around the novice fencer, Nicholas, and try to train him, made for an engaging story.  You get to see the cracks in Seiji's set ways as he finds ways to help Nicholas, even when he himself can't understand why he's doing what he does.  What is amusing is that his father clearly understands the situation, even though Seiji is under the misguided belief that his father only cares about his business and can't be bothered to be involved in Seiji's life.  These two develop an even stronger friendship and understanding of each other throughout their adventure in France, and it's apparent that sooner or later these two young men will wake up and realize the attraction they have for one another.  This part of the book was very well written, perfectly paced, and, as I said, the most enjoyable portion of the book.

Brennan does bring in some side characters - such as young Bobby, the silent Dante, the nervous Eugene (who gets sidelined from the training), the yearning Arune, and the one who spells trouble for both Nicholas and Seiji - one very talented, very boastful, and very connected Jesse Coste - who happens to not only be Seiji's former training partner from his previous school, but he's also secretly Nicholas' half-brother (of which, only Nicholas is aware!).  

With the recent surge of teen gay romance shows that are streaming (i.e. Love, Victor, Heartstoppers, etc.), I'm surprised this one has not yet been picked up for a television series on one of the streaming networks.  It certainly has the 90210-style drama and it would be the right age group.  But, alas, it won't be for me to know, as this will be my closing chapter on the world of Fence (although, I haven't seen any future books listed yet, so it may be everyone's final chapter.....)  I certainly wish the author well if she does continue with the series.

RATING:  5 extra breakfast rolls out of 10 for at least making Nicholas and Seiji's friendship an engaging story to carry me through the book!

A Blake Harte Mystery, Book 9 - Atmosphere

If you love impossible mysteries, then you will absolutely enjoy the Blake Harte mystery series by Robert Innes.  From the very first book, I have gobbled up each and every mystery he has written, awed by Innes' ability to create crimes that seem ... well ... impossible!  From cars disappearing in tunnels to murders in locked rooms to a person drowning in an elevator to a dead person coming back to life.  Yet, Innes crafts these stories so well, and his detective, Blake Harte, has the perfect analytical mind to figure out exactly how each and every crime is committed.  In this ninth book, we get not a murder, but a magician's act whose assistant disappears in front of a live audience - literally!

Atmosphere is the ninth book in the series, and just when I think Innes could not possibly have any more ingenious ideas, he surprises me with another.  Harte and his partner, Harrison Baxter, are still dealing with the fall-out of their landlady's son trying to break up their relationship and Harte's ongoing nightmares about an incident that occurred when he was a child.  Harte is seeing a therapist, but he's not sure if talking about it will really help.  He's more anxious about his upcoming vacation to Manchester where he will be celebrating his best friend's thirtieth birthday party.  Everything in Harmschapel seems to be calm, so all he has to do is make it through the next week or so, and he'll be able to take a break from everything.  But, as always, fate has other plans...

The self-proclaimed great magician, Sebastian Klein, has come to Harmschapel to put on his magic show, along with his young daughter/assistant, Amelia, and his stagehand, Benjamin.  Harte is not exactly a huge fan of magicians, as his analytical mind can usually see through the tricks.  And when Klein asks Harte to watch what he claims is his greatest trick and see if he can figure it out, Harte can't resist.  Klein, of course, is none-too-thrilled when Harte is able to explain exactly how he makes his daughter disappear and then reappear in a large cabinet.  Harte promises to keep it quiet and not spoil the "magic" of it all for the people of Harmschapel who come to see the show.  The only problem is - when Klein perform the trick for the audience, something goes wrong and Amelia disappears for real!  But how is that possible, when Klein has installed a mirror above the stage so that the audience can see all angles of the cabinet to prove that no one enters or exits the cabinet during the trick.  So, if Amelia entered the cabinet but did not exit it, then where did she go?

It looks like another job for the master of solving impossible crimes!  Harte is back in his element trying to figure out exactly what happened to Amelia.  As he begins to look into the disappearance, he quickly discovers that nothing is what it seems with the magician and his crew.  Benjamin, the stage hand, seems quite disgruntled, so much so, that Klein fires him - but not before Benjamin threatens to expose the magician!  And Amelia may not be the shy little beauty that everyone saw on stage, for Harte soon discovers that she was seen at a strip club - and she was doing more than just taking off her clothes!  And what about Benjamin's claim that Klein was showing more than just fatherly love for his daughter?  And just how in the world does a local councilman figure into all of this?  Well, that's up to Harte to figure out.

Meanwhile, Harrison has his own little mystery to solve.  It seems Tom, the landlady's son, claims to be backing off of interest in Harrison and has promised to leave Harte alone; however, his mysterious phone calls, his intense secrecy about them, and his strange behavior, both towards his own mother and towards Harrison, gives Harte's partner reason to worry.  What is Tom up to?  And who is the mysterious "F" who keeps calling Tom?  Is it a new boyfriend, or is something much more sinister going on?

Innes provides a much darker mystery with this one, a mystery that delves into the darker side of humanity and the truly evil things people do.  At the same time, he continues building towards something big with the continuing subplot of Tom and his mysterious phone calls.  The next book is simply titled Harte, so I'm expecting all of the subplots to come to a conclusion with the 10th book, and we'll see just how Harte handles everything when it all comes to a head.

RATING:  10 cups of Horlick out of 10 for a mystery that is truly a mystery - no excessive foul language, no explicit or gratuitous sex, and no unnecessary hijinks - just great characterization, exceptional plotting, and fantastic mysteries!

The Pardy Boys and Nancy Screw Adventure Series - Adult Parodies of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mystery Stories

I'm always up for a good parody - especially if the books parody some of my favorite childhood series books.  Over the years, there have been plenty of parodies of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books - from books, to magazines, to comics, to stage plays, to burleque - you name it, and there is pretty much a sure bet that someone somewhere has created a parody of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys for that market.  From Nancy Clue to Susan Slutt to Nancy Keene, to "Confessions of a Teen Sleuth," to the Hardly Boys to the Hearty Boys, and so many more.  Some of them are funny, some of them are mildly amusing, and some of them are just okay.  But of all the ones I've read to date, I don't think any of them are as outright raunchy as the Pardy Boys and Nancy Screw books by "Whit Slorp" (an obvious pseudonym if I've ever seen one!) - and, sadly, not funny at all.

Peenocchio and the Wooden Circus Plot is "The Pardy Boys Gay Adventure Series" parody.  Obviously, from the title, it's pretty apparent the story is going to be sexual in nature.  I knew that going in (no pun intended!).  However, I had half-hoped there would be some kind of funny mystery or at least some great jokes that made fun of the clean-cut Frank and Joe Hardy.  Instead, the author basically provides a gay Pinocchio tale with tons of explicit sex scenes and very little of Brian and Joah Pardy (i.e. "Frank" and "Joe" Hardy).  The two step-brothers are more or less side-characters in their own story.  Sure, they are trying to help free Peenocchio from the grasp of the Vincenzo, the owner of a gay dance club who wants Peen to be his wooden dancer for the patrons, but the gist of the story is that Peen is wanting to become a real man so that he can better please his boyfriend, Gepetto, who created him out of his fetish with wooden dolls (don't ask!).  And the story is so focused on getting from one sex scene to the next, that the author can't even get his characters straight when writing non-sex scenes - for example, on page 27, Joah is trying various keys to unlock Peen's cage, but in the next paragraph, it is Brian who is trying to unlock the cage, then in the next, we're back to Joah.  Very sloppy writing and editing (although, let's face it, what can we expect from a basic porn story???).  Very, VERY disappointed with this one.  

 

Oh, and lest I forget, this book has some internal illustrations (I'm guessing as an homage to the internals of the original Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books back in the day), and they are not horribly drawn - certainly better than those "stick figure" drawings in the later years of the Nancy Drew books.  But as the story devolves into pure debauchery, the author (who also provides the drawings) ends up drawing a scene from one of the most depraved and grotesque parts of the story, and all I could do was shake my head when I saw it...

The Hidden Valley Ranch of Studs Mystery, which is "The Nancy Screw Adult Adventure Series" parody, is a few steps above the Pardy Boys - but not much.  At least in this short story, there is an actual mystery for Nancy to solve - and Nancy actually plays a role in the story, she is not simply a side character.  Nancy visits a tarot reader and receives a strange prediction that she can't seem to shake.  When she stumbles upon a woman wandering around the dark woods that everyone is warned to stay away from, she begins to suspect something is up.  Following her instincts, she follows the woman and discovers a burned down farm and a silo from which a young woman is being held prisoner!  SPOILER ALERT!!!!  It turns out the young woman is an orphan, her father having died in a crazy sexual incident at a male whorehouse called "The Hidden Valley Ranch of Studs," and the owner of the ranch took the baby from the mother (who she deemed to be out-of-her-mind) and hid her away to protect her.  Of course, it turns out the young woman is actually a man who wants to be a woman.  In any event, it is Nancy Screw who follows up on the clues she finds in the burned down farm, interrogating the owner of the Ranch, and taking the tarot reading seriously in order to free the kidnapped girl and uncover exactly what happened all those years ago when the girl's parents - the very pregnant mother dressed as Tinkerbell and her father dressed as Wendy - filmed an unbelievable encounter with a hired male escort they had dressed up as Peter Pan that ended tragically for Wendy and Peter....  And, oddly enough, that is exactly where the author chooses to end the book - with Nancy watching the end of the video ...

As with the Pardy Boys book, the Nancy Screw book seems to lack any real editing.  On page 12, when Nancy comes out from having her fortune told, her friends Hannah, Adam, and Derek are waiting for her.  But when Adam talks to her about the reading, suddenly an "Erica" pops in with comments about alleged psychic readings.  Who the heck is Erica and where did she come from?  At least the author tones down on the whole sex thing with this parody and focuses more on an actual story - which, honestly, if you take away the sex and the horrible names, the underlying plot itself would have made for a somewhat interesting Nancy Drew mystery - young child is taken away from her parents after a tragic accident; the captor keeps the child hidden away deep in the woods to keep her safe from the outside world; the woods in which the child is hidden are alleged to be haunted, so everyone stays away from them; Nancy happens upon someone going into the woods, and after a strange tarot reading, she decides to investigate.  

 

Oddly, the Nancy Screw story had no internal illustrations like the Pardy Boys did.  The Nancy Screw story is also 30 pages shorter than the Pardy Boys book.  Not sure if these were written at the same time, or if one was written before the other and that prompted the differences.  

Would I recommend these to anyone?  To read, definitely not.  They are not worth the read at all.  However, for collectors who want anything and everything Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, then these might be something to buy and simply stick on the shelf next to any other parodies you might have and then let them collect dust, because honestly - that's about all they are good for!

RATING:  2 marshmallows speared on long thin sticks out of 10 simply for being a parody of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys - because, really, there's not much else that I could say to support these books.

A Blake Harte Mystery, Book 8 - Touch

Author Robert Innes just never ceases to amaze me.  One "impossible" murder mystery after another, and the man never runs out of ideas!  A part of me wonders if we should be concerned that someone is able to craft murders in such a way that they are nearly impossible to figure out!  (That's a joke, if you hadn't guessed!)  In any event, his exceptional plotting and wonderfully written characters are what keep me coming back for more of Blake Harte and his countryside murder mysteries!

Touch is book eight in the series and features a story that centers around the local football games (and not "football" in the American sense of the word, but football as it is played in England - what we refer to as soccer here in the States).  I was an avid fan of the British television show Footballers' Wives, and even its short-lived spin-off series, even though I have never been, and never will be, a fan of sports.  That being said, my watching of Footballers' Wives did give me a small amount of knowledge about British football, so reading this story wasn't quite as foreign as I might have expected it to be.  Of course, it probably helped that Blake Harte has just as little interest in sports as I do, so it certainly made me identify with the Detective Sergeant on a whole new level.

 

This time around, the star footballer for the Harmschapel FC (which it never really says in the book what "FC" means - but looking it up online, I'm guessing it means "Football Club"?), is murdered on the football field - only thing is, he was completely alone on the side of the field, no one was near him, and it appears his side was slashed open with a knife of some sort.  So, how in the world does a person get knifed and killed in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators, and no one saw a thing?  In fact, Harte and his team get video footage which reveals there was absolutely no one around Scott Jennings when he collapsed on the field and died!  Obviously, it's up to Detective Sergeant Harte to figure it out and bring the killer to justice.

But then another young man is killed in the team manager's office, a blunt blow to the head.  No one was said to have been in the room with him, and a teammate was outside in the hall when it happened.  So, how in the world did a second body turn up in an impossible situation?

One thing I like about Innes' writing is that he never beats around the bush.  He doesn't waste time with unnecessary sidebars or scenes that are unrelated to the tale at hand.  He provides a good build up, giving the reader just enough information about the characters involved so that you have a grasp on them all (or you think you do!), and then, BAM!  A murder happens, the manner in which the person is killed seems impossible, and you are left to wonder how Harte will solve this one.  Now, I will admit, in this story, there are a few things that happen and people say that make it a bit easier to figures some things out (although I was definitely led in the direction about one of the characters, who I was starting to believe was the killer, but turned out he definitely was not!); however, Innes kept enough twists coming that the ultimate revelations were a great surprise.

And, as if two murders were not enough, Innes delves a little bit more into Harte's past with a recurring dream he is having, as well as the lingering concerns regarding his partner's almost liason with their landlady's son.  And the book ends with a rather interesting cliffhanger of sorts, which I can only assume is a prelude to the next mystery (or perhaps the start of a build-up to the 10th mystery, which is named simply enough Harte).  In either event, I look forward to what Innes has in store!

RATING:  10 bloody strips of gauze out of 10 for enhancing the mystery genre as a whole with such intricately plotted crimes that keep the reader guessing up to the very end!

An Ordinary Boy - a novel by Brian Centrone

I happen to know Brian Centrone through a mutual collecting group that we belong to on Facebook - we both happen to be fans of children's mystery series, in particular, Nancy Drew. And, as a fellow series book fan, I was thrilled to find out that Brian was an author himself.  So, when I discovered that he had some books out there, I jumped at the chance to read one of them.  Brian sent me one of his books, which he graciously autographed for me - the only problem is, it appears to have taken me three years to finally read the book!  (I did not realize this until I looked at his inscription, which he dated 2018!)  As such, I feel bad about sitting on the book for so long, and hopefully, he will forgive me this VERY late review of his work!

An Ordinary Boy is, quite frankly, an ordinary story about ordinary situations faced by a freshman in college who discovers that life is anything but ordinary.  Which, as it turns out, made this book most extraordinary!  I don't know many authors who can take a year in the life of their character and create an impact not just in his fictional character's life, but also in that of the reader.  But Centrone manages to capture that moment of transition from boyhood to manhood and bring it to life in a way that so many of us have experienced yet never dared to share.  An Ordinary Boy is a tale that many of us have experienced, and it allows the reader to identify with not just the main character, but also a number of the supporting cast, as well.

Tom Grove is anything but an "ordinary" boy. Tom is from a rich family.  Tom is used to dressing in the best styles.  Tom is good looking.  Tom has just taken it for granted that things come easy.  Tom is planning to become an attorney, just like his father.  Simply put, Tom is very spoiled.  The one thing Tom is missing is a boyfriend.  He knows he is gay, and it is something he has managed to keep a secret from his perfect family.  For Tom, going to college is finally going to be his chance to be himself, live his own life, and be free to express his homosexuality.  Only, Tom has no idea what a sheltered life he has lived - but he quickly finds out.

College is not full of hot, gay men just waiting for him to appear on the scene.  In fact, when he goes to a meeting of the gay & lesbian club on campus, he is shocked to discover that the members of the club are not all Adonises with perfectly chiseled bodies, coiffured hair, and name brand clothes.  Rather, they are what people might consider the outcasts - overweight, skinny, off-the-rack clothes, piercings, and just about anything else that would send his mother into cardiac arrest if she saw.  Tom's roommate turns out to be great looking, intelligent, and athletic - but he's straight.  So, what is Tom to do?

Centrone provides a rather interesting coming-out tale that addresses more than just Tom's coming out to his family and friends; rather, it takes on with full force the preconceived notions that people - both gay and straight - have about gay people, about class status, and about what lies beneath it all.  Honestly, I did not like Tom Grove at all as I read the book - he is judgmental, critical, snobbish, and extremely selfish and needy.  But, then again, he is a product of having been raised with that attitude, and by the end of the book, the reader realizes that the whole story is addressing that very issue.  The very thing that Tom has been looking for was right in front of him the whole time, and all he needed to do was get past his own biases and judgments.

It's funny - in most books, the reader is supposed to be drawn to the protagonist, and we are supposed to sympathize with, or identify with, the main character.  In An Ordinary Boy, I found myself more honestly identifying with some of those outcasts that Tom and so many others at the university were critical of - and Centrone definitely hit the nail on the head with the way the self-proclaimed "queens on campus" looked down on, made fun of, and basically ostracized the members of the gay & lesbian club who did not have the proper "look" to be accepted as a part of the gay clique.  Such an accurate representation of the hypocritical nature of the gay society - cry out for equality and representation, but then within their own circles, consistently discriminate and demoralize those who don't "fit the mold," so to speak.

When Brian sent me the book, he included a little note that apologized for any errors in the book (such as spelling and grammar), as this was published by an indy company, which did not necessarily have the best editors.  Yet, upon finishing the book, I can honestly say there were fewer errors in this book than in many mainstream books on the market today (I just finished reading a book the other day that came out this year from Berkley Publishing, and it had nearly 5x as many spelling errors as this book did!).

The one drawback on the book were the explicitness of the sexual encounters.  It is one problem I have with so many of the gay books on the market - there seems to be this misguided belief that in order to sell a book to the gay readership, it has to include explicit sex.  I disagree.  While erotica may have its place in the market, I think exceptionally good stories marketed to gay readers can do well without the explicit and graphic descriptions.  Perhaps I am in the minority in that thinking, but when I sit down to read a mystery, an adventure, or simply a "day-in-the-life" story like this, I'm not interested in reading porn - a sexual encounter can have a much stronger impact by being less explicit - less is more, as they say.

Anyway, the overall story was a good read, and I honestly wouldn't mind reading a sequel that reveals more about Tom, Darren, Isaac, and the others from this book.  Perhaps an ordinary boy could become an extraordinary man!

RATING:  7 Vera Wang wedding dresses out of 10 for shattering the impossible expectations and misconceptions about gay college life and revealing the realities of human nature.

Fence: Striking Distance

Fence is a comic book series published by BOOM! Studios - it is about a group of students at an all-boys academy where fencing is the sport everyone is talking about.  There is a new student at the school - Nicholas Cox - who is a bit rough around the edges and is there on a scholarship (unlike the rest of the boys, who are all trust-fund, rich kids who are there at mommy and daddy's expense!).  The comic series does delve into the world of fencing, and it's clear the author of that series, C.S. Pacat, is familiar with (or least did considerable research into) the world of fencing.  But the comic is more about the relationships of these boys, their conflicting personalities, and their competition with each other and other schools.  I enjoyed the comic series, so when I saw that a prose novel was advertised, I knew I was going to pick it up.

Fence: Striking Distance is a novel by Sarah Rees Brennan, a name that is not familiar to me.  I'm not aware of other works she may have written, but I do have to say - she captured Pacat's characters very nicely.  Each of the main characters - Harvard (the captain), Aiden (the looker), Seiji (the serious one), and Nicholas (the wildcard) - reads pretty much the same as the do in the comic, which makes for a great read!  The supporting cast is there - Eugene, Bobby and others - but they are not integral to the story, as Striking Distance is definitely about the main four.

Brennan provides alternating points-of-view to tell the story, shifting from Aiden to Harvard to Nicholas to Seiji, back and forth, so that each character not only gets equal time, but also so that the reader can get inside each of their heads and hearts to see exactly what they are thinking and feeling.  While I am not exactly fond of this type of storytelling when it comes to the Hardy Boys' current series, I must admit that it works pretty well here.  By the end of the book, the reader has a strong feel for each of the characters, and you end up finding yourself rooting for each of them (although, let's face reality - this is basically a soap opera set at a fencing school, so there will always be drama, and just when you think something will get resolved, a monkey wrench gets thrown into the works....).

Surprisingly, the plot of this book has very little to do with fencing and more to do with friendship, teamwork, and building relationships.  There is an obvious subplot for a fencing championship that is building in the background, and perhaps Brennan is planning that for a future story.  For now, though, it's all about the characters, their interactions with one another, and their relationships.

For Nicholas, it's all about fitting in.  He is the fish-out-of-water character, being a lower class member of society that is trying to fit in at a school full of rich kids.  And while he certainly is not refined, the other members of the team, as well as their coach, all recognize his potential and skill, and his roommate (Seiji) is the one person who Nicholas thinks could potentially be his best friend - something he has never had in his life!

For Seiji, it's all about coming to terms with the fact that he left his prior academy, which from all indications, was a much better school with a much better fencing team.  But Seiji does not want to live under anyone's shadow, and that's what he was doing at the other school.  He is determined to show everyone he is the best, particularly his parents.  Nicholas, however, has created a conundrum for Seiji, as he doesn't know how to react to someone who is not structured like he is.  Perhaps this whole idea of "friendship" could change things for them.  After all, how far is Seiji willing to go to protect his "friend."

For Aiden, it's all about Aiden.  He can have any boy he wants (and usually does), but he never goes on a second date with any of them.  He rarely shows up at the fencing matches, only when he is scheduled to be in it.  He's an excellent fencer, but he seems to have no time for anyone other than himself.  The coach is determined to do that by using the one thing that Aiden does care about - Harvard.  Aiden could never imagine losing his best friend - while secretly wishing that one day they could be so much more (not that he could ever tell Harvard that!).

For Harvard, it's all about leading by example.  He wants to encourage his teammates, to build them up and watch them succeed.  He wants the best for everyone, and will always go out of his way to help others.  The only problem is, he seems to neglect himself.  So, when the coach encourages him to go out on a date, he finally gives it a chance.  After one date with a girl, he realizes that may not be for him, so he goes out on a date with a boy ... and suddenly his entire world changes, and with it, his relationship with Aiden is put to the ultimate test!

Four boys, four stories, all intertwined and building upon one another.  By the end of the book, all four boys learn more about themselves and each other, and they discover that maybe - just maybe! - they might actually have a chance at being a winning team!  Striking Distance was an enjoyable read, worth the time spent, and I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series when it comes out.

RATING:  9 broken watches out of 10 for giving us a well-written, character-driven story that doesn't focus too much on the angst, but provides plenty of fun and drama to enjoy!

Boystown, Season Seven

The boys are back for another season!  And let's face it - after six seasons, how much more drama and excitement can these characters take?   How much more can the reader take? Well, considering this series is currently up to Season Ten, with Season Eleven in the works, clearly it is well-received.  And I can understand why - the characters are actually engaging at most times, and the stories, while sometimes over-the-top and truly Dynasty/Dallas-worthy, will keep the reader turning page after page to see where it is all going to lead.  And the fact that author Jake Biondi is not afraid to kill off some of the main characters once in a while - well, that tells you that you never know what to expect with this series. And just when the mysteries of the previous books get solved, Bioni drops more mysteries into the mix, more secrets waiting to be unveiled, and more deadly plots than you can shake a stick at!

Boystown: Season Seven brings resolution to all of those cliffhangers from the previous book.  Cole was left to burn in a room by his captor, while Derek and Michael break in to save him, only to get shot instead! Max, out of control in a jealous rage, swings the fire iron at Patrick, but misses and hits his own son instead!  The car carrying Justin and Gino sinks into the murky waters of Lake Michigan as Gino breaks the surface - while Justin is trapped unconscious in the car!  As Jensen is found guilty of the murder of Rachel Carson (who he did not kill!), Emmett collapses to the floor as a result of the brain tumor growing in his head! David's life is nearly lost on the surgery table, but when he comes out of it, his life is forever changed!  And Rob's sister, Rita, tells her brother that she is pregnant - with Cole's child!  So, yeah, this season starts off with a bang, no doubt about it.

With so many characters on the board these days, it's sometimes difficult to keep up.  It usually takes me a few chapters each season to get back into the groove with who is who and who is dating/married/related to whom.  Quickly enough, though, the excitement starts to die down, and there is once again a slow build up to what you know is going to be some major cliffhangers at the end of the season.  Biondi provides some devious and downright evil villains this season - Franco Armani continues to be a major threat, as his obsession with Jensen turns deadly ... Camille Ciancio and her nephew, Marco (who everyone still believes is dead) are vying for control of the family company and push the Mancini family out of business ... and the introduction of Aiden Carmichael brings an entirely new gameplayer to the scene - one that will have devastating consequences on both the Ciancio and Mancini families!

Meanwhile, the lives of the two families continue to intertwine.  Justin and Gino are married, and their love is put to the test as they both survive the car's dive into the cold waters of Lake Michigan, but Gino's push to prove himself capable to running the family company drives a wedge between the two of them.  Meanwhile, Cole is having a hard time dealing with the circumstances of his kidnapping, and knowing Rob is still on the loose causes stress on his and Derek's relationship.  At the same time, Max is overcome with grief at having struck down his own son, who could now face severe brain damage, so he decides to leave town to learn how to deal with his anger issues, Dustin leaving with him.  Patrick stands by Emmett as he learns the prognosis regarding his brain tumor, which is inoperable, and the medicine is not working.  Adam and David are going forward with their wedding, despite David being confined to a wheelchair; and Keith faces the trauma of almost losing Michael once again to the gunshot wound he sustains at the hands of Rob.  Joyelle seems to be the only one with good news, as she accepts Mateo's marriage proposal - but when she learns that he lied to everyone about Hugo's mother (who is really Camille!), she breaks it off, leaving herself open to Jack, who is more than willing to step in and offer his support.

It's a true soap opera, there's no doubt about that - and Biondi excels at setting up each chapter to read like a television episode.  By the time you finish each chapter, you feel like you've just watched an intense, fully-filled episode of Boystown, and you are left breathless, waiting to see what happens next.  And the mysteries this time around surround Emmett's realization that he may have very well been the one to kill Camille's daughter all those years ago - - the missing memory card that could hold the key to obtaining Jensen's freedom from jail - - and the true identity of Aiden Carmichael and why he seems so intent on destroying both the Mancini and the Ciancio families.  The answer to that last one will definitely come as a surprise.

And, of course, there is the huge opening gala from the Ciancio-Mancini Youth Center, that is not only meant to bring the two families together and honor Tyler's memory, but is also the setting for Keith's big proposal to Michael.  But, as with any good drama, the only fireworks that go off at the gala are the most deadly in nature!  Derek and Cole face off against Michael on the rooftop, and one of them ends up lying on the roof after being shot, his blood spilling out.  Adam and David are stepping out for a breath of fresh air, when Aiden climbs into a van, intent on running them down - and succeeds in hitting one of them, sending him across his windshield and over the back of the van to the hard pavement.  Keith ends up at the wrong place and the wrong time, getting shot and falling backwards down the stairs before he can propose.  Justin confronts Aiden about his true identity, and Aiden stabs him and leaves his motionless body bleeding out on the floor.  Mateo and Jack fight on a rooftop over their love for Joyelle, and one of them ends up going over the edge.  Franco sets up an impossible choice for Jensen - Hugo and Ethan are trapped in two separate places, both filled with deadly gas that will kill them within the half hour - he only has time to save one!  Who will he choose?  And Joyelle gets the shock of her life when Mateo shows up at her door with her baby, Hope! But not far behind him is the last person in the world Joyelle would expect to see (considering she thinks he is dead) - the baby's father, Marco!  And probably the most heart-breaking of all of this season's cliffhangers is Patrick, who is talking with Emmett when he realizes that his worst fear has come to pass!  And the final paragraphs of this season provide readers with a small glimpse into the future - with not one, but two funerals, one of them for a Mancini brother!  But which brother is it who is being laid to rest?

While I have been enjoying the drama, the suspense, the action, the devious plots, and the cast of characters, this is going to be the final season I read of Boystown.  Yes, I realize that means I will never get the answers to all those questions of who lives, who dies, and who survives the tragic events of the gala; however, the gratuitous and explicit sex scenes in these books have become too much and detract away from my enjoyment of the stories.  I'm not a prude by any means, but really, there is no reason for the explicit, pornographic descriptions of these characters having sex, and the scenes add absolutely nothing to the story other than for "stimulation" for the readers.  I must prefer writing that leaves these sort of things to the imagination (which ultimately make the scenes that much more intense and meaningful than getting graphic descriptions), and the amounts of scenes in this particular season took me out of the story too many times.  So, I've ultimately decided it is time to put Boystown to rest on my shelves.  I certainly wish Biondi well with his series, and I hope that the oft-talked about television rendition of these books comes to life one day, as I will be one of the first in line to watch it (with the hopes that the sex will be tamed down somewhat for television!).

RATING:  6 small blue memory cards out of 10 for keeping the drama and the characters fresh, and providing cliffhangers that are truly worthy of a night-time soap opera!

The Mystery of the Bones - Snow & Winter, Book Four

After waiting as long as I possibly could, I finally sat down to read the fourth, and sadly, the FINAL, book in the Snow & Winter mystery series by C.S. Poe.  It is always a sad thing for me when I series I enjoy so much comes to an end, and there is always this small bit of hope in me that the author will change their mind and continue the series (unfortunately, though, in this case, it has not yet happened).  But, I could put it off no long, as I wanted to see what mystery could possibly top the last three unusual, historical artifact-related murder mysteries and how Sebastian Snow would solve it.

The Mystery of the Bones celebrates the one-year anniversary of Sebastian Snow meeting Calvin Winter during that whole crazy fiasco with the Poe-related crime.  Christmas time is just about here, and Seb and Cal are planning their wedding (or, rather, Seb is planning it and Cal is just along for the ride).  Sebastian has made a promise to no longer snoop into any more murder mysteries, and it's a promise he intends to keep.  Until Seb receives a mysterious box delivered to his antique shop.  A box with a horrid stench coming from it.  A box that contains a decapitated head. And try as he might (and boy, does he try to stay out of it), Sebastian Snow finds himself once more trying to track down a deadly killer with an unhealthy obsession with antiques - this time, bones.  Or, more specifically, the skull of one Edward Drinker Cope.

Poe once again utilizes real historical material to craft a wickedly good murder mystery.  The mysterious notes that arrive with the boxes (yes, Seb does receive another box or two...) are written intentionally Spencerian script with late nineteenth century verbage that ultimately strikes a chord with him - the Bone Wars.  I had to look it up, and sure enough, it turns out "the Bone Wars" was a real period of time during which there was a race to dig up fossils of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. The two most recognized names associated with the War are Edward Drinker Cope of Philadelphia and Othniel Charles Marsh from Yale.  Needless to say, Poe utilizes these men and their rivalry within the story, as a murdering maniac calling himself The Collector sets forth the most obscure clues that leads Sebastian on a quest to figure out not only what he is looking for, but where it can be found, and to whom it should be delivered.  At first, he tries to ignore it, despite that gnawing sensation within to figure it all out.  Sadly, when he doesn't move fast enough, The Collector gives him the incentive he needs.  The murderer kidnaps Calvin and gives Seb only 48 hours to find the skull, or Calvin will forfeit his life!

The characters in this book (heck, in the whole series) are so well-written, with dialogue that comes across so natural (Seb's sarcastic side definitely reminds me so much of myself!).  It really brings all of the characters to life and makes them feel very real.  And Seb's reaction with his ex-boyfriend, Neil, when he shows up at the antique store on page 11 after the delivery of the severed head is priceless:

Neil seemed to only just notice me as he stopped at the stairs. "Nancy," he said by way of greeting.

"Bess," I countered.

I laughed out loud when I read these two lines - regular readers may not have caught the reference (thinking "Nancy" meant nothing more than a reference to the fact that Seb was gay and out), but I immediately caught the references to my favorite of all sleuths, Nancy Drew - and the character names fit perfectly: Sebastian, as an amateur sleuth, would definitely be Nancy Drew, while Neil, with his fear of coming out of the closet represents the ever-fearful Bess Marvin.  Kudos to Poe for throwing in so nonchalantly a Nancy Drew reference like this!

Now, the identity of The Collector does come a bit out of left field, but when this character is first seen in the book, I immediately thought in the back of my mind, "this is most likely the killer."  While there were several potential suspects, they all seemed too obvious, and some of the things this particular character said made me think they had to be the one doing all of this (even though I had no idea why they would be doing it).  

One last thing about the story is the fact that after three books, some of Calvin's family finally makes an appearance in this book, and Seb's reaction to Cal's brother calling and then showing up in town is perfect - it's probably how I would react to in-laws who were homophobic and kicked my partner out of their lives when he came out to them.  However, that being said, I was a bit disappointed that this certain subplot never actually gets resolved by the end of the book.  And considering how much the relationship of Seb and Cal has been developing over this four-book series, I would have liked to have seen resolution to Cal's relationship with his family.  Or (fingers crossed!!!!!), perhaps this is a sub-plot Poe has purposefully left dangling in case she decides to come back and write a fifth book?!  One can only hope!

 

Finally, I must again thank Poe for yet another reference to the Miss Butterwith books - a direct reference to the series of cozy mystery books written by Christopher Holmes in the Josh Lanyon "Holmes & Moriarty" series of mysteries.  I just love the idea that Snow & Winter are in the same world with Holmes & Moriarty, and it gives me hope that one of these days Poe and Lanyon will bring these characters together for a super mystery (I mean, after all, if Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys can team-up, then surely Snow & Winter and Holmes & Moriarty can!).

[Oh, and Poe - "Ben Dover" as a character?  Really?  Why not mention his sister, Eileen Dover? LOL]

Over-all, this has been a thoroughly enjoyable series of mysteries to read, and I would definitely recommend them to any mystery fan out there (WARNING:  there are some rather explicit scenes in the books, but they do not take over the book and can be easily skimmed over without affecting the reading of the story).

RATING:  10 original autographs of Christopher Holmes out of 10 for creating yet another well-crafted mystery of antiquities and history that completely draws the reader into the story, not wanting to put the book down until it's done!

A Nicky & Noah Mystery, No. 4 - Drama Luau

The drama returns in the fourth Nicky & Noah mystery, Drama Luau, by Joe Cosentino.  This series has been a real hoot to read, and each book can always be counted on to not only make you giggle, but at the same time tug at your heart strings - and none more than this one!  Cosentino pulls out all the stops for this one, and by the end of the book, you'll be sitting there with your jaw dropped and your mind reeling!

Drama Luau takes our intrepid sleuths to Hawaii for a magical honeymoon. Of course, their theater department head, Martin, and his husband, Ruben, come along for a vacation of their own. As luck would have it (whether that's good luck or bad luck is the real question!), the hotel where they are staying happens to need someone to take charge of their luau show. Nicky has no qualms about taking over the production, and with his beloved by his side coaching the dancers on their characters, there can be no doubt the show will be a huge success!  At least, that's what the hotel manager is counting on.  Until one of the dancers falls down dead on opening night, just as the show ends.  And then his body disappears!  What happened to him? How did he die? Who could have killed him? And where in the world did his body go?  It seems no one saw anything - none of the dancers, nor the guests, and the two police detectives sent in to investigate begin to question if there even was a murder...

 

Cosentino provides his usual dose of humor, irony, and fun-filled acting antics as everyone - from Nicky to Noah to Martin to Ruben - gets in on the drama and takes an important role in helping to crack the case. Because one disappearing dancer may be pure chance. Two disappearing dancers, a coincidence, perhaps. But, three? Well, by that time, there can be no doubt that someone is murdering the hula dancers, and if Nicky and Noah don't find out who it is, their show may be shut down - permanently!  Cosentino provides plenty - and I do mean PLENTY - of suspects for this one. There is the waiter who has always wanted to be a dancer and would do just about anything to get a part in the show ... there is the Senator and her husband, who own the hotel, whose hatred of gays is just about as strong as their proclivity for sexual deviance with the dancers ... there is the hotel housekeeper who blames the dancers for the death of her daughter ... there is the hula dancer who is tired of being held back and wants to move up the ladder to lead dancer ... there is the manager's daughter, who has been keeping some secrets of her own ... and then there is the charismatic preacher who hosts weekly gatherings for his congregation at the hotel, preaching intolerance against gays, immigrants, poor people, and basically anyone who is different.

 

 Oh, and yes, then there is little Taavi - the housekeeper's young grandson, the son of her deceased daughter. No, he's not a suspect. He is, however, a persistent little fellow who endears himself to Noah (and eventually Nicky) and ends up playing a big role in their lives - much bigger than either of them ever expected!

The mystery has plenty of twists and turns, and while the identity of the killer may not be too much of a surprise, the ultimate goal of the killers comes as quite a shock - certainly not something that is typical of many murder mysteries, and while a bit over-the-top, even for a comical mystery series like this, it pushes the envelope just a bit too far.  And while I'm on the topic of things that didn't exactly work so well in this book, Cosentino's constant use of the phrase "try saying that three times fast" every time there is an alliteration gets overused way too much in this book. It begins to feel like the author is purposely throwing in the alliterations, just to use that line as a running gag - unfortunately after three or four times, it starts to fall flat and takes away from the story rather than adding any humor to it.  Cosentino's dialogue and overly dramatic characters provide humor naturally, there's no real reason to force anything else into it for the sake of getting a laugh or two.

However, the book overall was still a fun read, and the adventures of Nicky and Noah are sure to please any mystery fan.  

 

Oh, and before I forget, there are a few truly noteworthy moments in the book that are worth mentioning - the first on page 22 when there are not only references to all of the previous murders that Nicky solved, but also Martin's observation that "Nicky, with all the murders of students at Treemeadow, it's a wonder any student will come to the college.  When the students cheer at graduation, it's because they've gotten through their four years alive!"  Any series that can poke fun of itself like that gets some big kudos from me!  Then, later, when Nicky and Noah contact their parents, the first question out of both sets' mouths is, "So, how's the murder investigation coming" - because, as they quickly point out, anywhere Nicky and Noah go, murder is bound to follow!

RATING:  7 seahorses made of coral, algae, and jellyfish venom out of 10 for finding the most unusual and possibly sickening reason for murdering people of any mystery I've read to date!

The Mystery of the Moving Image - Snow & Winter, Book Three

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - one of this things I absolutely love about series books is that picking up the next book in a series is like visiting old friends and family that I haven't seen in a bit. And picking up the next Snow & Winter mystery is exactly like that. I have been thoroughly enjoying this series, not just for the well-crafted mysteries, but also for the much likable and very relatable characters. They are not perfect, they have their flaws and idiosyncrasies; but at the same time, they are not so damaged that the average reader cannot identify with or have any sympathy for them. So, picking up this third book was like catching up with some old friends and hearing about their latest adventures...

The Mystery of the Moving Image finds Sebastian Snow an Calvin Winters moving in together. This is a big step for both of them, as Sebastian has just left a devastating relationship, and Calvin is still dealing with his own issues of P.T.S.D. But they have taken a leap of faith, and things appear to be going good for them. Sebastian has not had any further craziness, and his penchant for getting thrown into the middle of a dangerous mystery seems to have subsided. Until a rather large crate shows up on his doorstep. No return address. No known sender. And inside is a very rare, very valuable Kinetoscope - an invention credited to Thomas Edison that was the precursor to the modern film. The box allows an individual to view rolling images that create a "film" to watch. There is only one canister of film with the box, and when Sebastian and his assistant, Max, carefully load the film, he discovers to his shock that it is the ultra-rare, never-before-known-to-exist footage of the Leonard/Cushing fight of 1894. More shocking, though, is what has been spliced into the end of the film - a real life murder!

(***NOTE - the fight beteween Leonard and Cushing in 1894 is a historical fact, and Thomas Edison did, indeed, film the fight - and this is not the only true historical fact within the story. W.K.-L. Dickson did, indeed, work with Edison and was involved in the creation of the Kinetoscope and the early films associated therewith.)

 Sebastian, of course, tells Calvin; but there is nothing to fear, since the murder on the film occurred more than 120 years ago. Until someone breaks into the Emporium and steals part of the film. And then there is a second break-in. And a dead body turns up in the dumpster behind the store. And then a series of gunshots destroy the front window and nearly hit Sebastian, Neil, and a customer (who happens to be Calvin's ex from his military days!). And then someone attacks Sebastian outside of his new apartment, threatening to kill him if he doesn't turn over the other films. And then a second body is discovered. What starts out as a simply mystery of who sent the Kinetoscope turns into a deadly game of what is so special about that film and why is the killer desperate to get their hands on it?

First, I have to say something about Sebastian's assistant, Max. I so want to have an assistant like him! He is witty, a bit sarcastic, but loyal to the nth degree! Every time he makes an appearance in these books, he makes me smile.

Second, kudos to author C.S. Poe for a subtle reference to another gay mystery series. On pages 138-39, Poe makes reference to the fact that Sebastian is a huge fan of the Miss Butterwith mystery series of books. I read that, and immediately I thought, "I know that name." I had to do some heavy thinking on the matter, and then it came to me - Miss Butterwith is the fictional mystery series that Christopher Holmes writes in Josh Lanyon's Holmes & Moriarty mystery series! So, that pretty much confirms Snow & Winter are in the same fictional universe with Holmes & Moriarty - so does that mean at some point in the future, the two detecting teams will cross over?!  One can only hope!

Third, and finally, the villainous thief/killer is not so easily identified, which is a nice change. After reading so many mysteries (over so many years! how many? well, that we'll leave for a real mystery...), one gets to the point where it becomes fairly easy to pick out the killer early on, even if you don't necessarily know the motive until later. With Moving Image, Poe manages to lead readers down the wrong path, throwing a nice little twist near the end that surprises not only Sebastian, but the reader as well! Definitely makes it a worthwhile read.

Oh, and before I forget - the end of this mystery provides a true tear-jerking moment! While I readily admit, I'm a big softy when it comes to touching moments in movies, on television, or in books; but this one really hits the heart. Poe definitely has a way with words that truly enraptures the reader and draws one into the lives of these characters so completely, you can't help but feel what they do!

Can't wait for book four!

RATING:  10 elusive maroon trees out of 10 for knowing how to craft a mystery and create characters that make the reader greedily turn page after page, knowing we can never truly get enough of Snow and Winter!

Boystown, Season Six

"There's No Place Like Boystown" - that is the tagline at the top of the Boystown series of books, and I can honestly say, it's the truth! Sure, it may be a serialized soap opera in book form ... yes, it focuses on the lives and times of a mostly gay cast of characters ... no doubt it is filled with mystery, intrigue, lies, betrayals, murder, and mayhem ... but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that nothing truly compares to the Boystown series by Jake Biondi!  Not Queer as Folk, not Eastsiders, not Dante's Cove or The Lair, and not the short-lived, two-season Boystown serial - none of them can equal the drama contained in each season of the Boystown novels!

Season Six of Boystown certainly doesn't disappoint in the drama department. This season opens a bit differently - instead of picking up at the moment where Season Five ended, Biondi starts off by introducing readers to a couple of new characters: Cardinal Franco Armani and a young Ethan Anderson, both of whom will soon become intertwined into the lives of our main cast and play very important roles in the stories yet to come.  Armani clearly has a past with Patrick Provenzano, who helped Logan and others with emotional issues; Ethan, meanwhile, works for the Mancini business. Armani's intentions are clear from the get-go; Ethan's importance, on the other hand, doesn't really come into play until the third act of this book's unfolding drama.

Now, for those wondering how those Season Five cliffhangers got resolved - - well, as always, there is plenty of damage. The explosion in the hotel suite leaves one person crippled.  Joyelle Mancini wakes up to find her newborn baby is gone. Hugo finds Jensen holding a bloody knife over Rachel Carson's body in a hotel room. Cole is missing.  Keith gets Michael to a hospital when he can't wake Michael up. Gino and Emmett plunge into the cold waters of Lake Michigan to find Justin and Patrick.  And what happens to Marco. And Jacqueline Morgan sits happily with the baby that isn't hers...

Not everyone survives.

If that isn't enough to whet your appetite and read this six season of Boystown, I don't know what is. Derek is desperate to find Cole, and spends the entire season doing anything he can to find the man he loves.  With the help of Michael, they ultimately locate him, but his kidnapper has other plans - setting fire to the room where Cole is being held captive, and pulling a gun on Derek and Michael. Cole screams for help, hearing two gunshots ring out in the next room...

Joyelle longs to find her missing child. Mateo stands by her side the entire time, but he has his own issues to work out. Hugo leaves town after telling his father than the baby Rachel is carrying is his. And when Rachel dies, Hugo blames Jensen and heads back to Notre Dame and his football career there. Only, not every student is as accepting, and before you know it, Hugo gets beaten so badly, his face is disfigured and he is left in a coma.  Is it too late for Mateo to make amends with his son? And too late for him to reveal to Hugo who his true mother is?

Meanwhile, Jacqueline is unaware that the hotel manager has heard the baby crying, so she reaches out.  Jesse shows up with Michael and some others, only to find Jacqueline on the roof of the hotel, so near the edge. Jesse tries to talk her down, but she won't hear it.  She insists that Lucy is her baby, but everyone knows the child is not hers.  She miscarried her child.  Just as Michael may have convinced her, Max shows up. Upset and confused, Jacqueline turns and falls from the roof, the baby in her arms!

Patrick is found in the lake and he recovers from his gunshot wound; however, in the course of his recovery Emmett finds out that Patrick is a priest, and Cardinal Armani expects him to return to his parish. Emmett is upset that Patrick never told him, but he is unaware that Patrick and the Cardinal have an elicit past, and Armani believes Patrick is his, now and forever.  And when Max gets the chance to reunite with Emmett, he is not going to let Patrick get in his way. A confrontation with Max, Patrick, and the Cardinal turns deadly when Jesse shows up unexpectedly and tries to prevent his father from using the fire iron - but someone gets hit, and when Dustin shows up at the door, he yells out, "You've killed him!"

Michael recovers from the poison that Cole's kidnapper gave him, but not all is well with him and Keith. Keith has been keeping another secret - his sister.  And when Michael finds out, Keith walks away from him, heartbroken that Michael followed him.  Matters turn worse, though, when Michael meets Keith's sister and discovers that Keith has been protecting her all of these years.  Keith was his sister's teacher, showing her how to do all things - including the one thing her parents and doctors would never let her do - drive! But that's okay, she tells Michael, Keith said he would take care of everything after the accident...

The Mancini secret buried under the winery in California seems to be taken care of. But then Camille Ciancio gets pictures of the bones buried in the dirt.  Then someone sends her a bone fragment.  She has it tested and finds that the DNA is definitely a match.  Meanwhile, Justin Mancini has been having nightmares.  He and his brothers as children, playing with a young girl. But then Emmett pushes the girl, and she plunges to her death.  Scared, they bury her body just before the cement is poured for the new winery.  A secret they never thought would come to light is about to ruin everything for the Mancinis....

But that is not all Justin needs to worry about.  Gino rescues Justin from the lake, but he is unable to save his brother, and Marco is found dead.  Gino feels responsible, since he is the one who pulled the trigger on the gun that shot his own brother, but Justin knows if he hadn't, they wouldn't be alive now. They seem to be the only couple in this season that faces very little trouble - until the end, that is, when they are traveling the bridge over Lake Michigan, and an unmarked, black car comes up next to them and starts banging into them, eventually forcing the car over the edge and into the cold waters below...

And finally, there's poor Jensen - all evidence points to him as the murderer of Rachel Carson.  The trial seems to be going well, however, until a surprise witness shows up at the end - Cardinal Franco Armani! He provides a story about how Jensen tried to seduce him, and when that didn't work, he threatened to kill him.  The testimony from a Cardinal seems damning, to the say the least, despite the complete lack of veracity - and the Judge comes back with a guilty verdict!

The most surprising cliffhanger, though - Camille finally gets that elusive Ciancio key that Gino has been holding on to - but when she goes to use it, it doesn't work!  That's because someone has been working behind the scenes, manipulating events all season, to get the ultimate revenge on everyone - Mancini and Ciancio alike!  And here everyone thought this person was dead....

But, with any good soap opera, no one seems to be what you think they are!

Biondi turns out another terrific season, with some over the top characters, some crazy situations, and some life-changing drama.  Biondi even introduces the first transgendered character into the series, and this person has their own agenda - because when they come across some evidence that could help Jensen's case, they don't turn it over to the police or show it to the Court.  No, this person will clearly pay a big part of next season, no doubt.

Again, the only drawback to this series is the graphic sex.  There really is no specific purpose, other than to simply provide explicit erotica.  In fact, the scenes that are more impactful are those where the characters are just starting to get hot and heavy, and the scene switches to other characters, leaving it to the reader's imagination.  The only scenes that might actually have an integral part to the story are the ones with Cole and his kidnapper, as they build into the reason for the kidnapping and exactly how tortured Cole is.  Otherwise, all of the remaining scenes seem very superfluous.

Regardless, I'll be back for Season Seven - I mean, I have to know what happens to these characters!

RATING:  8 new loving puppies out of 10 for drama, suspense, mystery, romance, and mayhem unlike any other!

A Nicky & Noah Mystery, No. 3 - Drama Cruise

That definitely not ambiguously gay duo, Nicky and Noah, are back at it again, setting the stage for their latest production and solving the latest series of murders - this time on board a luxury cruise ship!  First, it was the Drama Queen...then there was the Drama Muscle...and now, all set to produce a murder mystery show on what is supposed to be a relaxing vacation cruise, Nicky and Noah find themselves caught up in a Drama Cruise!

You have to wonder, sometimes, how it is that these (somewhat) normal people in murder mystery series books manage to always stumble across dead bodies and be involved with solving one murder after another.  Sooner or later, you would think people would realize (like viewers did with Jessica Fletcher eventually) - you don't want to be a guest of these people, because those around them have a tendency to be killed off!  At least with these Nicky and Noah mysteries, author Joe Cosentino manages to interject quite a bit of humor, sarcasm, and just plain wicked fun into each book.

Drama Cruise starts off well enough - Nick and Nora...er, I mean Nicky and Noah...have been invited on a cruise by the entertainment director, Aurora Star, to direct a murder mystery show, utilizing various theater professors as their actors for the production. Nick is excited at the prospect, but he quickly discovers that the professors, with all of their individual quirks, are not necessarily enthusiastic about the whole thing.  Before you know it (and before the end of the first chapter), not only do both Nicky's and Noah's parents appear on the ship to surprise their respective sons, but one of the theater professors turns up dead - with a name tag that reads, "Who's next?"

The ship's captain (who happens to also be a bigot when it comes to gay, lesbian, transgender people) assures the troupe that his ship detective has the matter under control and to go on with things as usual.  With a spot to fill, entertainment director Aurora (who can't help but tell anyone who will listen about her college days as a theater major) takes over the role of the deceased.  And then another professor turns up dead.  And another.  Nicky and Noah realize that if they want to survive this cruise (and see their production completed by the final night of the cruise), they had better get busy and solve the murders.

All the while, dealing with two sets of parents who are making all of the plans for Nicky and Noah's upcoming wedding...

Cosentino gives readers no shortage of suspects, that's for sure.  In fact, the only people who are guaranteed not to be the murderer (besides Nicky, Noah, and their parents, of course) are the murder victims themselves!  There are the other theater professors, of course, who each seem to have a grudge against the others; there is the ship's captain, who harbors an intense hatred for gays; there is the ship's massage therapist who has a rare condition that has him mimicking anyone he is communicating with; there is the ship's entertainment director who can't seem to let go of her college days in the theater; there is the ship's doctor, who is definitely more than what he appears to be; there's the ship's porter, who seems to have a penchant for sneaking into the passengers' drawers; and that's just the tip of the iceberg (with no relation to the Titanic, thank you).

In all honesty, I was debating on whether to continue with this series or not - I read so many series, and I have so little time to truly keep up with all of them - - but this book pretty much clenched the fact that I have to keep reading these books.  The Nicky and Noah mysteries are fun, well-plotted, with sometimes over-the-top yet still believable characters, and completely engaging to the point where you want to finish it in one sitting!  So, I will be returning to the theatrical antics of Nicky and Noah so long as Cosentino keeps telling their tales...

RATING:  10 slices of pineapple blueberry cheesecake out of 10 for making drama, well, so much fun to read!

Boystown, Season Five

Previously in Boystown ... Jacqueline is about to give birth to her child prematurely - will it survive?  Logan has made the decision to take his own life - will he survive?  One young man falls over the balcony to crash to the cement below - will he survive? Two other young men are hit by a speeding car - will either survive?  And meanwhile, a group of unsuspecting members of the Mancini and Ciancio families are flying to California for the wedding of Gino and Justin, when the plane crashes - who will survive?

It's easy to see why anyone would rush to read Season Five of Boystown to find out how all of these cliffhangers are resolved!  Author Jake Biondi maintains his television-style storytelling, with each chapter an "episode," and the drama that builds and builds with each episode is beyond anything Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest, or any other nighttime soap could ever hope to compare!  The feud between the Mancini and Ciancio families continues to escalate and become more and more deadly as more and more secrets about both families are revealed.  And the drama extends well beyond the two families, as their friends get caught up with adultery, blackmail, and murder like there's no tomorrow.  Of course, based on those cliffhangers, for some of these characters, there is no tomorrow...

Biondi opens this season immediately following the events of season four.  (NOTE - going forward, there are spoilers, so if you don't want to know what happens, then I suggest going to read season five first, then come back for this review!)  Adam looks down at Dustin, who has just fallen down from the balcony above and lies silent on the concrete, blood forming around his body.  Cole looks down from above, shocked at what he sees!  Later, they arrive at the hospital, only to discover Jesse there - instead of going to California for the wedding, he got off the plane and rushed to Logan's house, only to discover that he overdosed in an attempt to kill himself.  Both Dustin and Logan are now fighting for their lives - but they aren't the only ones!  Jensen is being prepped for surgery after having been hit by the speeding car, and Keith is unable to reach Emmett by phone to let him know.  Hugo is looking for Rachel, but she is with Ben, who is satisfied with the bomb he placed aboard the plane heading for California - unfortunately for him, he's nothing more than a loose end for Rachel, and we know how she handles loose ends...

And yes, the plane crashes with all on board - and sadly, not everyone makes it out.  What was intended to be a wedding and joyous occasion turns into a solemn funeral for loved ones taken way too soon.  Gino and Justin postpone their wedding, and unexpectedly, Gino's aunt, Camille, arrives at the Ciancio mansion, looking to stake her claim.  But, as with any good soap, she has much more devious plans in store and she is hiding a secret that will affect everyone in both families!

While some mysteries are resolved (such as who shot Derek and who is the father of Joyelle's baby), other mysteries begin to surface - such as what are the Mancinis hiding in the winery that they don't want anyone to discover?  What doe that key unlock that Gino now holds half of and Camille is desperate to find?  Who is stalking Cole and to what lengths will he go to make Cole his forever?  Who killed Ben and who will take the fall for it?  Biondi has a way of quickly drawing you into the storylines and actually caring about (and hating!) some of the characters - and like any well-written soap, each episode moves the stories at a good pace, introduces new stories, mysteries, and characters, while solving other mysteries, concluding other stories, and eliminating other characters (because you don't want the "show" to be bogged down with so many characters that you can't keep track!).

The sex scenes remain prevalent throughout this book, as with prior books, but it is interesting that Biondi inserts (no pun intended!) considerably more straight couple sexual situations than he does gay in this book.  Rachel is by far making her rounds with all of the straight men in Boystown, and she is a conniving, scheming, lying, backstabbing, murderous villain that you can't help but love.  And with the introduction of Camille, Rachel may have finally met her match!  With of these two villainous vixens will come out on top?

Once again, Biondi leaves readers with more than one cliffhanger:  gunshots with two bodies falling overboard from Gino's yacht; Cole is kidnapped and held captive by his stalker; Derek arrives at his honeymoon suite, expecting to see Cole, but finding someone else instead; someone takes Joyelle's baby, leaving Joyelle on the hospital floor, not moving; Hugo finds Jensen with a bloody knife, holding a lifeless body in his lap; David and Adam get ready to make use of the suite intended for Derek and Cole, only to have the room explode; Michael is poisoned and falls to the ground; and someone thought dead prepares to make his return to Chicago to wreak havoc on both the Mancini and Ciancio families!

If that's not enough to bring you back for season six, I don't know what is!

RATING:  9 cop cards with graffiti slurs out of 10 for the sizzling, sexy, scheming, scintillating, steamy, sensational soap story that is Boystown!