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!

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.

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!

A Nicky & Noah Mystery, No. 2 - Drama Muscle

Nick and Nora were the crime solving husband and wife team from The Thin Man films back in the day. But, in today's world, crime solving duos come in all forms and fashions - and author Joe Cosentino has given the world a humorous, theatrical duo in his "Drama" series of mysteries starring two college theater professors - Nicky Abbondanza and Noah Oliver (get it?  Nick and Nora is now Nicky and Noah!). In the first mystery, Drama Queen, Nicky and Noah had to figure out who was killing people on campus before their entire department was put six-feet under! Now, they are back in this second mystery, only this time, someone is killing off the competitors in a muscleman competition.

Drama Muscle finds Nicky and Noah taking a break from their own theater and helping the physical education department put on a true show for their muscleman competition. But it doesn't take long before the bodies in this competition start piling up, and Nicky and Noah find themselves smack dab in the middle of another murder mystery.  As with the first book, there are plenty of characters, plenty of suspects, and plenty of victims. Thankfully, Cosentino provides a cast of characters in the front of the book (just before the first chapter), which acts as a program for the story (I mean, hey, this is a book about theater people, after all).

Brick Strong is the department head of bodybuilding who is helping his some of his students in more ways than he should. Van Granite is the professor of bodybuilding who would do just about anything to become department head (and to get into Noah Oliver's pants!). Tim and Kim Sim are twin brothers competing in the competition, and who are fighting over an inheritance they will receive when their father dies. Maria Ruiz is another competitor who has her own very shocking secret that she will do just about anything to keep from coming out. Jimmy Saline is a theater student who has been helping out in the physical education department to get close to one of its students - but what would he be willing to do to see his secret crush win?  Jillian Flowers is yet one more competitor who has her own issues that could spell disaster. Then, of course, there is Cheryl Stryker, another professor of bodybuilding, whose secrets could threaten not one, but two of the people involved with the competition. And, of course, this is all just the beginning...

Cosentino writes a fast-moving, always humorous murder mystery with fun, sometimes over-the-top characters and with a main character (the story is told from Nicky's point of view) who always has just the right quip or snarky response to make the reader smile. But he's far from the perfect detective - he has his own insecurities about his relationship with Noah, as well as his own prowess as a crime-solving sleuth. But, as he stumbles across one body after another, he soon realizes he has no choice but to figure out who the murderer is before he gets tied up to the weight-lifting equipment and his own life placed on the line!  (Oh, wait - that does happen!)

Admittedly, it wasn't hard to spot the killer pretty early on (I think I've read way too many murder mysteries at this point to make them overly difficult to figure out), but it is not so much the whodunnit as it is the how-are-Nicky-and-Noah-going-to-figure-it-out? The journey is what is so much fun, and Cosentino's writing makes it well worth the read. Already have the next book on my stack, ready to read - can't wait!

RATING:  9 china cups of hot cocoa out of 10 for combining mystery with humor for a truly enjoyable read!

Psychic Detective Mysteries, Volume 2 - Shadow's Return

Psychic Detective Mysteries #2
Shadow's Return
Publisher: CreateSpace Ind. Pub. Platform
Publication Date (March 2018)
ISBN 10 - 1986518477
ISBN 13 - 978-1986518475
258 pages of story

Now here's a sequel that I never expected to happen. When I read the first book in this series, Shadow's Edge, I did not expect there to be any further books about psychic detective Liam Baker and his police detective boyfriend, Kimball Thompson. The first book was pretty intriguing, and the psychic battle between Liam and the crazed psychic psychopath, Steven Pine, was powerful and kept me turning page after page. So, when I discovered this second book on Amazon, I couldn't wait to read it.

Shadow's Return takes place some months after Baker and Thompson captured Pine and put him away. They are beginning to build their relationship, but Baker begins to question things just as a new case comes up - a young college student is murdered, her body found strangled to death in the college gym. All the doors were locked, so it's clear that only someone with a key could have done it. It all appears straightforward, until Baker begins to "see" the murder. And then the victim comes back - - and all it takes is one word, "Pine," for Baker to grow worried that perhaps even behind bars, Steven Pine can still be a threat!

Another murdered college student, a cold-case murder of a prostitute, a college campus grief-share group, and a cheating boyfriend and best friend send Baker and Thompson in circles, as they slowly discover that everyone is hiding something. Wynne provides another intricate mystery, where Baker is forced to question everything he sees and Thompson is put in the position of doubting his partner's abilities. Wynne is careful to never give away too much too soon, and the characters are never black-and-white or stereotypical. In these mysteries, everyone is a shade of gray, and what each person is hiding could lead Baker and Thompson to a surprising revelation.

The mystery is well-paced, with Baker and Thompson following clue after clue, interviewing witness after witness, and trying to make sense of the various things that Baker sees. I like the fact that Wynne introduces a new element to Baker's abilities in this book, when the ghost of the murdered prostitute appears to him more than once in different places. It would actually be kind of cool if Baker were to have a permanent "spirit guide," so to speak, that helps him with future mysteries (and I am hoping there will be more books in this series!).

As a fan of psychic detective murder mysteries, this is a series I would certainly recommend!

RATING:  7 lemon drop martinis out of 10 for creating an evil, dark villain without making the mystery itself too overwhelmingly dark.

Young, Gay & Restless - the Scandalous On-Screen & Off-Screen Sexual Liberations of Soap Star Thom Bierdz

Young, Gay & Restless
by Thom Bierdz
Publisher: Thom Bierdz Inc.
Publication Date (November 2018)
ASIN: B07HTRGMZC
398 pages of story

Let me start off by saying that I don't read non-fiction. I get enough reality in my life that I don't want to read about it in my books (I think I read enough non-fiction in 12 years of schooling and 8 more years of college). On top of that, I don't read biographies or autobiographies because I tend to see them (particularly autobiographies) as nothing more than publicity for the celebrity who is writing it or who it is written about. The books never truly delve into the subject's psyche or hidden/secret thoughts, feelings, dreams, wishes, and desires. They are normally superficial and give only what the subject wishes people to know. So, when a friend suggested this book to me, I was hesitant. Yet, the idea that a soap star (and I'll unashamedly admit I have loved my soap operas through the years - starting with General Hospital, then Dark Shadows, All My Children, One Life to Life, Santa Barbara, Passions, and even Loving when it was first on the air) was going to write about his so-called scandalous "sexual liberations" - well, I was intrigued.

So, I did some searching online to find out exactly what this book was about. WHOA! The descriptions I found, not just about the book, but about Bierdz and his life and what he has gone through - well, it was enough to convince me to buy the book. And while I have a shelf of more than 70 books that I still need to read at this point, Young, Gay & Restless moved up to the top of the stack. There were certain elements that I was curious about, as some of the content opened up some questions and thoughts about my own life...

WARNING!!  This book contains graphic and honest descriptions of Thom Bierdz' search for sexual identity, independence, and validation through the years, and it is explicit.  While my discussion and review below will not be anywhere near as explicit, in order to give an honest and thorough review, there may be some discussion on topics that may make people feel uncomfortable (even though it shouldn't, as you'll see in part of my review.....)

There are so many words that could be used to describe this book. Honest. Surprising. Open. Revealing. Humorous. Heartbreaking. Shocking. Explicit. Brave. Real. Blunt. Touching. And I could go on with just about every adjective in the dictionary. This book is not at all what I expected, and way more than I could have possibly anticipated.  I expected, based on descriptions I had read, that Bierdz would talk about his sex life in this book - but this is way, WAY more than that.

This book is a memoir. Bierdz looks back at his life, from his time as a child, the separation of his parents, his desire to become a famous actor, his jaunt to Hollywood to pursue his dreams, his acting gigs that lead to a role on Young and the Restless, the numerous jobs he took to survive for the years after he left the show until he returned, his search for love and acceptance, his art, and his ultimate move to Arrowhead for solitude and self-contentment.

This book is also a story of loss and tragedy.  The death of his mother at the hands of his own brother.  The search for way to heal and forgive his brother.  The suicide of his other brother.  The friends and lovers who have come and gone.

But above all of that, this book is about exactly what it says on the front cover - sexual liberation.  Bierdz grew up being taught that sex was naughty, that his penis was private and naughty, and basically taught to repress those feelings of sexual desires for others.  Growing up in church, becoming a Christian at an early age, I was taught the same.  And for a gay man, that creates such confusion, which Bierdz addresses in his opening chapters.  As a child, pre-teen, and even early teen, I didn't necessarily realize that my attraction for boys was what was called "gay." But when I became old enough to realize what it meant, I had already been taught and indoctrinated with the belief that gay + sex = evil/bad/wrong. So reading this book where another man not only shares his experiences, but also his insecurities, his fears, his thoughts, his feelings, his explorations, his discoveries, and his sexual encounters with absolutely no holding back - particularly when that man is a Hollywood star (and let's face it - most of us have this unspoken belief that Hollywood stars don't really have dirty thoughts or look at others with sexual desires or get instant erections at the most inopportune times because we are dreaming about someone) - well, it opened my mind to the fact that maybe those feelings and thoughts and desires I had growing up aren't necessarily so uncommon or odd or perverse as I first thought. I mean, really? If a Hollywood star had these same thoughts and feelings, how many others out there have had them and are just to afraid to admit it?

Let's take masturbation, for instance.  Unless the term is being used in a joke, it is something that men (particularly straight men) are very, VERY uncomfortable talking about, and almost no one will ever admit they do it.  Despite the fact that nearly all men do it, no one wants to admit to it.  Why?  Because society has deemed it as "unmentionable." As something that is not normal or good.  Why?  What is inherently bad about it?  I'm not saying it should be done out in public, but why are people so afraid to mention it, let alone talk about it?  Bierdz has no problem talking about it.  He not only admits to it, but he talks about how often and even how he has done it at times.  Did I find it uncomfortable reading about it?  No.  Did I find it a sexual turn on reading about it?  Honestly, no.  Because it was not written to be a turn on.  It was written as an admission, as a release (so to speak) to everyone that it is natural and not something to be feared, hated, or frowned upon.

And what about the penis?  The male genitalia?  That is something that has been taboo, more so in America that anywhere else, for so long.  We see ads with scantily clad women constantly.  We see women baring their breasts and more in movies all the time.  Breasts are even acceptable in PG rated movies any more. But a man's penis?  No way!  As a society we are uncomfortable with it.  Why?  Because we are taught from an early age (as Bierdz was, as I was, and as I am sure many of you were) that the penis is a naughty thing and should be hidden away.  But why?  It is just another part of the body - skin and tissue and blood vessels.  Bierdz does not shy away from talking about this in his book.  From his own manhood to the joys (and not so much joys) he has experienced through the years with other men's manhoods (menhood?  LOL).  Again, none of his discussions about this made me feel uncomfortable or weird; rather, it actually made me feel relaxed and normal about it, and about my own body for the first time in God knows how long.  I am certainly not the Adonis that Bierdz is - a long way from that, in fact! - but Bierdz, throughout the book, admits numerous times to his own self-consciousness about his body not being what he wanted it to be.  We, as fans and viewers of Y&R, see this actor and think, "Man, I wish I had HIS body!" And yet, here he is admitting that he has had issues with his body for years, not liking what it looked like, comparing it to others, and wishing he had their bodies.  Fame and popularity?  Clearly it doesn't make a man any different than the rest of us!

And one thing I should point out is the style in which the book is written.  It is not formal and stiff (again, no pun intended); rather, it is very conversational in tone and format.  It is not linear, jumping back and forth between the past and present, depending on the particular topic being discussed. It sometimes hops off on rabbit trails while talking about one subject, then jumping over to another that is not necessarily related, but is of importance to the general topic.  Quite honestly, the book read like a discussion.  I could almost feel myself sitting with Bierdz, listening as he talked about these different aspects of his life, his sexual adventures, his time spent "in the closet," his fear of being outed and losing his career in Hollywood, his freedom and release in Arrowhead, CA, his friends and neighbors, his family, his art, his dogs.  It makes the book easy to read and definitely brings emotions to the surface as you listen to his story.  (When I read the part of the book where Bierdz talks about his mother's death, and how he prayed for so long to hear his mother again, to have her speak to him, to reach out to him - it brought up my own sense of loss at my mother's passing - she died in December 2017 - and how over the past year, I have longed to see her, to hear her, to hug her, to have her reach out to me. I have no problem admitting that I cried as I read those pages, as I would not wish that type of longing and loss on anyone, and my heart went out to Bierdz having to go through that.)

For me to really go into everything this book has to offer, it would probably take me a month to write.  Bierdz offers so much in this tell-all book - and I do mean, tell ALL!  There is nothing he holds back (so much so that he admits even his father did not want to read the book), and in so doing - in sharing his life experiences, his dreams, wants, desires, disappointments, losses, regrets, guilt, fear, and everything else - Bierdz managed to make this reader feel normal.  After reading this book, I realized that my own desires, dreams, fears, regrets, guilt, and everything else are not any less "normal" than anyone else's.  They may not be the same, they may not necessarily agree with or compare with others, but that doesn't make then any less real, nor does it make them any less valid or any less important.  What it makes them is mine.  Just like yours are yours, Bierds' are his, and everyone else's is theirs.  None of them should make us ashamed, nor should we let anyone make us ashamed of them.  Own them, live them, embrace them - they are what makes us who we are.

And for that, Thom Bierdz, thank you.  Straight or gay, I would highly recommend this book to just about anyone, as I think it speaks volumes to who we are as individuals, as humans, as men, as gay men, as a society.  Some may disagree with my assessments and thoughts on the book, and you know what?  That's okay - I honestly believe that different readers will likely get different things from reading this book - which, to me, proves just what a success this book truly is.

RATING:  10 Phillip Chancellor III coming out stories out of 10 for daring to go where no one has gone before and to share the unedited, unabashed, blunt truth of a celebrity's life, bared naked for all to see (literally!).

The Mystery of Nevermore - Snow & Winter, Book One

Snow & Winter
The Mystery of Nevermore
Publisher: DSP Publications
Publication Date (August 2016)
ISBN 10 - 1634770692
ISBN 13 - 978-1634770699
197 Pages of Story

Three things sold me on this book before I even knew what it was about. First, the title. Being a huge fan of Nancy Drew and other children's mysteries from the '70s and beyond, I love titles that begin with "The Mystery of...." or "The Secret at..." or "The Clue in...." Second, the book clearly involved Edgar Allan Poe, based on the title. And third, it's a mystery series. Put all three of those together, and you've got a combination that I simply cannot pass up! Thankfully, the book was well worth the purchase, and it was so good, I'm going online to order and second and third books in the series, hoping there are more to come.

That being said, The Mystery of Nevermore begins the sleuthing adventures of one Sebastian Snow (love that name!), antique dealer and fan of mystery novels. He is having difficulties with his closeted partner, Neil, who is a detective with the NYPD. With his assistant, Max Ridley, Sebastian runs a pretty successful antique shop, and life trudges along as normal. Until he discovers a bloody heart under one of the stairs in his shop. And he stumbles across the body of a competing antique dealer with a black cat hung over the body. And discovers a previous murder of a woman, whose blood is used to write a message on the wall. All of which lead Sebastian to realize that someone is a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and is using Poe's stories to stage his or her murders!

The backstory of these murders stems from a little known book (pamphlet, really) of Poe's known as Tamerlane. This poem, with several others, was the first published work of Poe, and is, indeed, extremely rare, as so few copies were printed, and even fewer remain in existence today. So, C.S. Poe poses the question - what would happen is an unknown to exist copy surfaced today? And what if that copy were sold, unknown, in a group of books to an antique dealer in New York City? And what if someone were to want that copy so badly that he or she were willing to kill for it - literally?! Poor Sebastian has to find out, as he begins to put the pieces together and realizes that a collection of books he recently bought could very well contain that newly discovered copy, marking him as the next target for this Poe-inspired killer!

C.S. Poe (I hesitate to simply use the author's last name only, as her last name coincidentally is the same as good ol' Edgar Allan's) writes a beautifully woven mystery, perfectly paced to keep the reader engaged and wanting to know what happens next. The characters are far from cookie-cutter, and the tension, not only relating to the mystery, but also to the relationships between Sebastian and Neil, and then between Sebastian and investigating detective, Calvin Winter, are natural and all-too real and relatable. Plus, I have to admit, love the combination of Sebastian and Calvin's last names - Snow and Winter.

The only drawback I would say to the mystery are the couple of fairly explicit sex scenes. I just don't see the need for explicitness when it comes to the sexual encounters of the characters in a good mystery. I know the expression, "sex sells" - yet, for me, if the explicit description of the sex can be removed and the story continues unchanged, then it isn't really necessary. However, there are only a couple in this book, so they did not take away from my enjoyment of the characters and the mystery - I simply overlooked them and moved on with the mystery!

I think pretty much any mystery-lover will appreciate and enjoy this book!

RATING:  8 cardboard-tasting pizzas out of 10 for giving readers a new mystery series with truly interesting characters and a superbly-written mystery right off the bat!

Holmes and Moriary, Book Four - In Other Words ... Murder

Sometimes it is hard to remember what has happened previously in a series when the books come out infrequently.  Such is the case with the Holmes & Moriarty series.  Author Josh Lanyon is quite the prolific writer, authoring quite a number of series, but the Holmes & Moriarty books are the only ones I read. The series is about mystery writer Christopher Holmes and his (now) fiance, J.X. Moriarty (and yes, the author does have characters in the books acknowledge the significance of the names), who stumble across bodies are ultimately investigate to solve the crime.  Previous books in the series were Somebody Killed His Editor, All She Wrote, and The Boy with the Painful Tattoo. And while I remember some general premises about the stories, it's hard to recall the details, since it has been several years since the last one came out.

Like the fact that Christopher and J.X. have now moved in together.

Or the fact that Christopher has been on an extended sabbatical, unable to write any of his famed Miss Butterwith books.

Or even the fact that J.X.'s young nephew is staying with them.

But that's okay.  Thanks to Lanyon's excellent writing, I was quickly brought up to speed while reading her latest offering, In Other Words ... Murder.  Other than Christopher's writer's block, everything is going great for this couple.  They are planning a vacation getaway (that J.X. is hoping will be a honeymoon!), J.X.'s books are selling like hotcakes with one even optioned for a movie, and they have settled into their new home.  What could possibly go wrong?  Well, a body found buried underneath the gazebo (er, I mean the pergola) in the backyard of Christopher's old house.  The one he sold a year ago.  And based upon the call from his ex, it appears the body may belong to the man his ex left him for - the same man that used to be Christopher's personal assistant.  How could things get worse?

Well, the new owners are threatening to sue Christopher and break the contract on the house. Then, there's the sudden appearance of Jerry Knight, his biggest fan.  The one who tried to kill him.  Oh, and did I mention the clown that has been stalking Christopher?  So, yeah, maybe things aren't going quite as well as Christopher had thought they were.  And just when J.X. was getting ready to leave on his book tour.   And if all of that weren't enough, let's not forget that Christopher's father is in town and wants to meet J.X.   Meanwhile, Christopher's ex (David) wants to not only help Christopher with his investigation into the murder (who even said Christopher was looking into it?), but he also wants to get back into Christopher's pants!

Without a doubt, there is PLENTY going on in this book, but despite the overwhelming amount of story, Lanyon does an amazing job of keeping the story flowing nicely, never rushed, but with no lulls, and brings the mysteries to a very satisfying conclusion.  Lanyon is without a doubt an author I would highly recommend for anyone who loves a well-crafted mystery with fun, believable characters.  Now, the only mystery that remains is - how long before we get the fifth Holmes & Moriarty book?

RATING:  10 hotel glasses washed with toilet brushes out of 10 for a truly great murder mystery!

DASH - The Case of the Mysterious Zita Makara

It's not often (if at all) that I will review an ongoing comic series, mainly because I would have to keep coming back over and over to review the various stories throughout the series.  However, after reading the first four issues of DASH by writer Dave Ebersole and artist Delia Gable, well, I couldn't let it go by without saying something.

Dashell Malone - - or "Dash" as he's known to his friends - - is a small-time detective in the big city of Los Angeles back in the days when femme fatales were as deadly as they were beautiful, cops were none too keen on private dicks, and the mysteries always involved someone dying.  And from the moment the mysterious Zita Makara steps into Dash's office (which, coincidentally, is were our story begins), the reader knows she is going to be at the heart of this mystery.

Ebersole sets the stage for a great noir tale as Zita begs for Dash's help in obtaining a package for her.  He decides to think it over before making up his mind on whether to help her - a decision that turns out to be very costly!  It isn't until nearly half-way through the first issue that readers find out Dash is actually gay - meeting his male lover on the sly, since being gay was not tolerated in the time the story is set.  However, all his worlds come crashing together by the end of the first issue when Dash discovers his lover dead, yet another victim of the strange deaths occurring in Los Angeles recently - and finds the earring of the mysterious Zita Makara at the scene of the crime!

Thus begins Dash's investigation into the femme fatale that cost him the man he loved.  Only, finding her won't be as easy as he thought.  And not everyone he meets is who they appear to be.  And sometimes, the most unusual of all explanations could quite possibly be the truth - after all, the truth is stranger than fiction, isn't it?

The characters in this comic are diverse and very believable.  Dash, himself, is strong, self-reliant, yet sensitive and caring.  He has a great relationship with his secretary, Cindy Crenshaw, who, quite frankly, may be my favorite character in the series.  She is sarcastic, playful, yet 100% loyal to her boss, and the banter that occurs between her and her boss is pretty much the same way me and my boss communicate! Then there's Officer Sal McGillicutty, Dash's only friend left on the police force.  He has sympathy for Dash's plight and maintains his friendship with him, despite the rest of the force viewing Dash as a degenerate. Such as Detective Bruno Fernez, who is a bigoted, hateful cop who would like nothing better than to see Dash rot in a prison cell for no other reason than the fact that he is gay.  (Issue 2 has a very dramatic scene with Dash and the homophobic Detective Fernez, where we discover that while the force may not like Dash because he is gay, they have Fernez even more simply because he's a total @$$#*!%.)

In these first four issues, we not only get the set up for a unique mystery involving a centuries old mummy, a descendant from Egyptian royalty, and a dark power being used to revive a long forgotten son, but we also get an opportunity to see Dash face the fact that his lover was not exactly on the up and up with him and was hiding secrets that not only cost him his life, but may ultimately be the only thing that can prevent any more murders.

Ebersole knows how to provide the perfect issue breaks, ending each chapter (issue) with a great cliffhanger (like the old serials from yester-year) that leaves you desperately wanting for more.  The plot is face paced, yet not so fast as to not allow us to get to know each character (even some minor ones who are clearly going to play a much bigger role in the overall story).  Ebersole has the noir feel down just right, with Dash narrating the story like in the old black and white films.  The only drawback I can see at all from this series is the fact that after reading the first four issues together like this, I'm going to have to wait for who knows how long before issue 5 and future issues come out!

Oh, and did I mention that even though this is a comic / mystery series with a gay protagonist, there is absolutely no gratuitous sex / nudity?  I am so impressed and so thankful that Ebersole did not stoop to the level that most authors seem to find necessary with gay fiction to see his work.  Do Dash and Plink kiss?  Yes, of course they do, they love each other.  Do they end up in bed together?  In the first issue, yes, they do - but the reader only sees the after glow, with Dash and Plink waking up the next morning, fully covered.  It provides the same, if not better, affect for the reader, in that we see the characters actually have feelings for one another, and it's not just an act of animal lust used to titillate the reader for a few moments.  So, thank you, Ebersole, for proving that gay fiction can be great and enjoyable without the explicit sex.

RATING:  10 tail-eating snake necklaces out of 10 for a great detective tale combining the noir and supernatural genres seamlessly with great characters and even greater storytelling!

A Mitch Mitchell Mystery, Book 4 - The Sun Goes Down

WARNING - this book and its review are definitely NOT meant for children!

That little disclaimer out of the way, I was surprised when I stumbled upon this fourth Mitch Mitchell mystery on Amazon a month or so ago.  I read James Lear's three previous novels in this series - The Back Passage, The Secret Tunnel, and A Sticky End (and yes, all three are definite innuendos) - and aside from the unnecessary graphic sex within the books, they are actually really well plotted murder mysteries.  Lear's protagonist, Edward "Mitch" Mitchell, an American doctor who is thriving (in so many ways) in England, finds that he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to ask the right questions and solve some rather unspeakable murders (and by "unspeakable," I'm referring to the fact that in the early 1900s, any acts of love or otherwise between two men was unspeakable and in Mitchell's case, led to murders!).

After the third book a few years back, it seemed that was the last we would see of Mitch, as he was happily settled down, having said a final farewell to his off-again, on-again fling/best friend and made the decision to stay with his one true love, Vince.  Now, with The Sun Goes Down, set some time after the end of the last book, it seems Lear cannot allow his unwitting detective to be happy.  Vince is gone, and Mitch is taking a trip to the Mediterranean island of Gozo to help a fellow doctor with a patient in the military.  While there, Mitch hopes to put his past behind him and with any luck, find some men to take his mind off of Vince.

What he finds instead, much to his liking, is not only one man after another - but another murder to solve!

Lear provides a very interesting romp through the Continental hotel on the island of Gozo - a hotel that caters to a very unique clientele.  The new owners, a young couple from England, are doing their best to follow in the previous owners' steps, but they find it somewhat difficult when the regular guests become more and more demanding.  Mitch, though, finds the accommodations just to his liking, and it provides him just the right place to make contact with the right individuals who can help him solve the case of the young lieutenant's apparent suicide - or, as Mitch believes it to be - murder!  Plenty of suspects, plenty of motives, and lots of secrets to be uncovered - and when a second body turns up, mirroring the death of the lieutenant, Mitch knows he's on the right track to finding the killer.  An aging star of the stage ... an uptight religious couple ... a young priest ... a has-been artist with a liking for boys ... a thieving young man still in the closet ... and a hostile military and police force who will do anything to keep scandal away from their ranks.  Mitch definitely has to watch his step, while at the same time watching the bountiful and beautiful men of the Mediterranean.

The big reveal is definitely very Agatha Christie-esque and provides a fantastic pay-off for readers that will leave you very satisfied and hoping that Lear will give us more of these mysteries in the future.  If he would just tone down Mitch's sexual escapades, then these would definitely be books for any and all mystery fans to enjoy!

RATING:  6 rocky cliffside paths out of 10 due to the completely unnecessary explicit sex scenes that added nothing to the story and only served to take the reader away from the wonderfully written murder mystery itself!

The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek

Anyone who knows me, knows that I enjoy the theater.  So, naturally, when I find a book that combines both my love for the theater with my love for a good mystery, I'm going to have to give it a shot.

This book tells the story of Justin Goldblatt, a normal (i.e. not thin, still fighting through puberty) teenager who gets the chance of a lifetime to intern on Broadway with an actor for whom he has had a crush for the longest time.  So he lies to the firm where he was going to intern and takes off for New York...

Only to discover that everything is not what he expected with the internship.  This little comedy/drama/mystery raises some interesting questions - such as who is leaving Justin notes saying "He's a fake"?  Why is the actor's assistant giving Justin every task in the world to do that purposefully keeps him away from the theater?  Who is the person Justin sees walking the streets with the actor's assistant?  There's a mystery afoot, and Justin is determined to solve it and save his favorite actor's Broadway career!

While Seth Rudetsky (the same one who wrote Broadway Nights and The Q Guide the Broadway) does capture some of the drama that teens go through with low self-esteem, petty arguments and jealousies, and the uncertainty of making the right choices, he goes a bit overboard with Justin's incessant whining, whoa-is-me, why is everyone blaming me attitude throughout the entire book.  Yes, the character has a few redeeming qualities (his determination to save Chase Hudson's career on stage) and he does manage to make some positive changes towards the end (such as apologizing to his friends and coming clean with the lies he told to get the internship), but by that time, I was so fed up with the constant whining that I still didn't like the character.  I found his best friend, Becky, and his new-found friend in NYC, Devon, to be much more well-rounded characters and more likable than Justin.

That being said, the underlying mystery was well-done, indeed. You pretty much know who the culprit is the entire time, but what you don't know is exactly what that person is up to and the reasons behind it.  The final reveal at the end is very much like a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book, with Justin finding out that last crucial bit of information that makes everything fall into place, then, with the help of his friends, setting up an elaborate plan to catch the crook and trick that person into revealing him/herself.

Overall, not a bad read, but not one of the best I've read.  Paul Ruditis' DRAMA series of books, or Marc Acito's How I Paid for College and its sequel were definitely much better tales of actors and the stage.

RATING:  6 out of 10 standing ovations for being able to tell a good mystery with a very unlikable protagonist.