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!

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!

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!

Draw the Line - an out of the ordinary super hero tale

Here is another one of those rare instances where I pick up a book that is NOT a series book - but the premise intrigues me enough that I step outside of my norm and give it a try.  The reasons I picked up this book are pretty obvious - first, it deals with a young man who loves super heroes and who writes and draws his own online comic; second, it has actual comic pages within the book (which, it turns out, are pages from the protagonist's online comic); and third, it deals with that age-old struggle of a young gay man who is afraid to come out in a community and at a school who is very much antagonistic towards gay men.  Bundle all three of these together, and there's a likelihood I will enjoy the read.  And, I did.

Draw the Line is the story of Adrian Piper, a young high school student in a backwater Texas town.  Adrian stays in the background, preferring not to be noticed.  While he secretly publishes an online comic about a gay superhero, he keeps his own sexuality a secret (except from his two closest friends).  Adrian expresses his dreams and fantasies through his comic book alter ego - but when a vicious hate crime happens right in front of him and his friends, Adrian does something he never thought possible - he stands up for the gay kid who was being attacked!

Author Laurent Linn tells a compelling story that is more than just a teenage coming out tale.  This is a story about choosing to stand up for what is right.  It's about conquering your fears and helping your fellow man, even when it could cost you everything.  It's about asking yourself where do you draw the line when it comes to discrimination and bigotry?  And considering this is Linn's first novel (which, by the way, he not only wrote, but he drew all of the illustrations found throughout the book!), I'd say he did an exceptional job!

As I reader, I easily found myself drawn into Adrian's world - identifying with his desire to just blend into the background, hoping to avoid all of the bullying and drama, while at the same time, wishing he could be that super hero that fights injustice, stands up for what is right, and is loved by everyone.  I definitely found myself rooting for Adrian when he finally did take a stand, and getting angry when the police department and school refused to believe him, because the bully was the start quarterback (whose father happens to be on the police force).  It's definitely a situation that occurs in the real world, where people are protected from the wrong-doing that they do simply because of their "star" status!).

What was not so real (but, which I realize was written simply for the storytelling aspect) was the fact that Adrian's crush happens to also have a crush on him - how many times in the real world does the little wallflower have a crush on one of the hottest guys in the class, and it turns out that the guy happens to also be gay and happens to also like the wallflower?  That is Hallmark movie material, not real world identification.  Yet, it does bring those "awwwwww" moments into the story and provides Adrian with a "reward" of sorts for all the trauma he faces once he decides to be honest with the world about who he is.  There is, however, a very much real-world aspect to the story and the bully, which I won't specifically reveal here, as it will spoil the story, but let's just say that the author definitely got that part right!

Kind of a shame this is only a one-off book, as I would love to read more of the adventures of Adrian and his friends!

RATING:  10 rounds of Teen Drag Queen Bingo out of 10 for giving the world a not-so-typical coming out story with comic books and super heroes, in every sense of the word!

Scotty Bradley Mysteries No. 8 - Royal Street Reveillon

Scotty Bradley and his very non-traditional family are back for an eighth book in this mystery series by Greg Herren. I am so glad that this series has continued, as I honestly never thought it would make it this far. Herren's Chanse McLeod series has had seven books, and now the Scotty Bradley series has surpassed it (even though I found the Chanse McLeod books first).  Where McLeod is a more traditional gay detective, Bradley is a think-outside-of-the-box, fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants detective with a rather unusual family - two husbands, a live-in nephew, and parents who are open to just about anything and will do everything they need to in order to protect their family...

Royal Street Reveillon finds Colin gone, off on a mission he can't talk about, and Frank is doing a show in Montgomery - leaving Scotty to care for his nephew, Taylor. And what better way to keep a young man busy than to take him to the grand premier of Grand Dames: New Orleans! I have to give Herren credit for his continuity here, as he builds this mystery around the reality television show that was mentioned in the previous book - a bunch of rich women in a particular city who snipe, gripe, and basically backstab one another every chance they get. (Real Housewives, per chance?) For Taylor, it turns out to be a fantastic night, as the creator/producer of the show only has eyes for him - and invites him back to his hotel room to prove it!  For Scotty, though, murder turns out to be on his menu for the evening....

First, he returns home to discover Colin standing over a man that he has clearly just murdered. After helping him clean up the evidence and dispose of the body, Scotty gets a phone call. From Taylor. Saying he doesn't feel so good, he woke up in Eric's suite naked, and, oh, yeah, Eric is dead.  Tis the season to the jolly, right?

Herren offers up a well-plotted murder mystery with lots of suspects, lots of motives, and a lot of red herrings (which frustrate me, but at the same time, add to my enjoyment of the book, as it keeps me from guessing the murderer's identity way too soon).  I will admit, I did guess the killer pretty early on in the story, but not for the reasons I first thought, and not because of any particular action or words of this person - rather, with as many mysteries as I have read over the years, I've come to the realization that 9 times out of 10, the killer is someone who keeps to the background and seems innocent enough without any real involvement - but who is ultimately revealed to have connections to all the victims.  Such is the case here.  However, Herren did have me wavering from time to time, thinking perhaps I was on the wrong track, offering up one after another potential suspects who had more than enough to hide.

On top of all that, throw in the whole Colin and Russian terrorists subplot, the car accident that wasn't really an accident, and Taylor's kidnapping - well, it's easy to see that there is quite a lot going on in this book.  NOPD officers Venus and Blaine are on the case (cases?), and at every turn they tell Scotty and Frank to keep out of their investigations. But when not only their lives, but Taylor's life, are on the line, how can they stay out of it?  Plus, let's face it - a gay man will have an easier job getting information out of upper-class, uppity rich divas than a police officer any day of the week.

The only problem I have with the book is the same problem I had with the last one - Herren has a habit of repeating himself - often! His descriptions of characters and their backgrounds are repeated in detail several times throughout the story - and after two or three times, it leads one to wonder if he either has forgotten he already provided all of those details, or if it is simply padding to fill out the book to a certain page count.  As with the last mystery, it wasn't enough to really ruin my reading of the book, but it was enough to be noticeable and distract me from the story.  Hopefully, in future books, he will shy away from the repetition.

And speaking of future books - when are we going to see a team up between Scotty Bradley and Chanse McLeod???

RATING:  8 highly sophisticated Russian tracking devices out of 10 for keeping the New Orleans mysteries coming and keeping the readers on their toes in trying to solve the mystery!

A Blake Harte Mystery, Book 4 - Reach

With this fourth novel in the Blake Harte mystery series, author Robert Innes has without a doubt secured his place as one of my all-time favorite mystery authors.  Innes' ability to write a well-crafted murder mystery with endearing characters that will keep you guessing right up until the very end (or, for seasoned readers, at least until the half-way point!) shines through in each of his books, and this latest one I've read is a shining example.

Reach continues the ongoing threads of Detective Sergeant Blake Harte's growing relationship with young Harrison (as they take the next big step in this book), as well as his varied relationships with his superior and co-workers in the Harmschapel police department.  Readers also gain a bit of insight into Harte's past, as a criminal that he helped put away seven years ago comes back to haunt him in the worst possible way.  Thomas Frost was a serial killer who Harte captured just as he was about to claim his sixth victim. Kerry Nightingale is the one who "got away," so to speak.  But now, seven years later and from behind bars, Frost taunts Harte by claiming that he will finally finish what he started all those years ago.  "Before the end of the week," he threatens, "Kerry Nightingale will die!"

Innes then tells one of those "locked-room" stories that he is so good at.  Harte is determined to protect Nightingale at any cost, even if that means sitting outsider her apartment all night long with a security guard right next to him.  In a high rise building, there is no other way in or out - and yet, the next morning, Harte and the guard hear a crash inside, and when they rush inside, they find Nightingale on the floor, choking out the last bit of life she has left.  There are marks where she had been strangled, just like Frost had done to all of his previous victims.  But Frost is still behind bars ... so how in the world did Kerry Nightingale die?

All signs seem to point to the apartment building's other security guard, who was an ex-boyfriend of Nightingale.  As Harte investigates, it seems everyone has secrets, including Nightingale herself!  But even if that other security guard did kill her, how did he get in it and out of there without Harte and the first guard seeing him?  And how did he escape?  And to make matters worse, the prison where Frost is being held has footage of Frost from the morning when Nightingale dies - and at the time of her death, he can be seen with his hands out in front of him, as if he is choking the thin air!  Harte knows it is impossible for Frost to have killed her from behind bars, but there seems to be no rational explanation.

Then Harte learns that Frost had a son...and that Nightingale wasn't the only victim...and the ex-boyfriend's roommate can't provide a secure alibi for his roommate's whereabouts on the morning of the murder.  When a second body turns up and the ex-boyfriend goes on the run, Harte thinks the case is all wrapped up. But something is off about the whole thing, and when he finally confronts the ex-boyfriend, suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place!

Once again, Innes throws some nice little twists into the story, and while I had figured out a few of the aspects to the crime, the actual murderer didn't actually become clear until nearly the end.  At 160 pages, it is not a lengthy read, nor is it excessively heavy reading - but it is thoroughly enjoyable reading that you won't be able to put down.  Factor into that the background characters (Mattison and Patil's budding relationship; Sergeant Gardiner's bitterness about being passed on for Harte's position; and the unexpected death of one of the supporting cast that will shake everything up going forward!), and you've got the makings of a fantastic tale!

Can't wait to see what Innes has in store for the next novel!

RATING:  10 abortion clinic pamphlets out of 10 for keeping the mysteries fresh, unique, engaging, fast-paced, and utterly captivating!

The Mystery of the Curiosities - Snow & Winter, Book Two

I love a good mystery, there’s no doubt about it – and author C.S. Poe knows how to write a really good mystery! Her first Snow & Winter mystery was so well-written and plotted, and so engaging and fun, that I figured it would be pretty difficult for her to beat that in the second book. But, I was wrong. Antique dealer Sebastian Snow and his partner, police detective Calvin Winter, are back in action, solving another series of murders that once again pull Snow right into the midst of them in an intricately-crafted scavenger hunt of sorts centering around P.T. Barnum and his love of curiosities.

The Mystery of the Curiosities is set just months after the events of the first book. Snow has settled back into life, now with Winter at his side – but the peace doesn’t last long. An antique brick thrown through the front window of his store gets the ball rolling, and in true Nancy Drew fashion, there is a note attached to the brick.  I know you like mysteries is all the note says, but it is clear that the message is meant for Snow.  The next day, Snow finds another brick outside of his store, along with a floor inside covered with the antique bricks.  When the surveillance cameras are checked, it seems someone used spray paint to black them out. And, of course, there is another note.  Curious?

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but that isn’t going to deter Snow from figuring out what is going on. Then he finds a body in his apartment. Then his apartment explodes, bringing down the entire building, nearly catching him and his neighbor inside. Oh, and there was yet another note, which leads Snow to one of his favorite museums – and another body.  Winter nearly has a breakdown as Snow gets deeper and deeper into this game of cat and mouse, with Snow following the clues from the notes, only to discover that each one eventually leads him to another body. The only connecting factor seems to be the curiosities associated with each location … curiosities specifically associated with P.T. Barnum and the fire that nearly destroyed his collection many years ago.

Poe keeps the reader guessing on the identity of the killer – twice I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong in both cases.  The ending definitely creates some tension (and excitement!), and it ultimately provides resolution for not only the mystery itself, but also a couple of underlying subplots that were started in the first book.  Snow and Winter’s relationship develops more throughout the story, and it is nice seeing some of the supporting cast continue to be a part of their lives (such as Snow’s father, the owner of the neighboring book store, and Winter’s partner on the force).  Those kind of small continuing details help flesh out the characters and make their world all that more real.

I thoroughly enjoyed the treasure hunt (so to speak) as Snow is forced to follow up not only on each clue provided in the notes, but also in attempting to solve the cold cases that are connected to the murder victims found at the solution of each clue.  I also absolutely love Snow’s interaction with his assistant, Max, as the sarcasm and barbs that they throw at one another come across as natural and remind me very much of myself and my boss when we are at work!

As with so many gay mysteries, the only drawback for me are the explicit scenes with Snow and Winter.  For me, this type of explicitness is unnecessary to the story, as it does not add anything to the mystery, nor does it do anything for the character development.  To me, it is superfluous and unnecessary.  Thankfully, the rest of the story is so great, that I can overlook it here.

Now to pick up the third book in this series and read it!

RATING:  8 pairs of aviator shades out of 10 for piquing my curiosity enough to plow through this book to find out who was behind the murders!

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.

A Blake Harte Mystery, Book 3 - Ripples

Blake Harte Mysteries
Ripples
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date (May 2017)
ISBN 10 - 1521250928
ISBN 13 - 978-1521250921
205 pages

I can honestly say that Robert Innes has quickly become one my my all-time favorite mystery authors, and the Blake Harte series is my second-favorite adult mystery series (coming very close to my number one series, Odelia Grey mysteries). If I had any doubts before, this mystery definitely sealed it for me.

Ripples is yet another murder mystery with an impossible murder. Five people look out a window and watch a hooded figure stare at a man in a fishing boat. Those same five people stare in awe as the hooded figure literally walks on the water out to the boat. Then those five witnesses watch in horror as the hooded figure stabs the man repeatedly, pushes him into the water. When they get outside, the hooded figure has disappeared, and the man is lying face down, floating in the water. Dead.  They have just witnessed a murder - but how in the world could it have happened?

For anyone who read the previous two Blake Harte mysteries, you already know that Innes writes the most intriguing murder mysteries. Impossible crimes that, when ultimately explained, leave you in awe.  First, it was a locked room mystery. Then, it was a confessional murder. Now, his characters are eyewitnesses to a murder - but can they actually believe what they saw?

Innes takes Blake away from Harmschapel and sends him on a surprise holiday to Manor of the Lakes - an old family manor turned into a spa. As fate would have it, his landlady sets up the whole trip as a way to send Blake and his young love, Harrison Baxter, on a romantic get-away in the hopes it will bring them together. Blake and Harrison agree to take the trip as friends, but the unexpected murder - as well as the unexpected appearance of Blake's ex-boyfriend! - puts a damper on the whole trip. What starts out as a holiday adventure turns into a crime-solving caper.

Readers will enjoy the budding relationship between Blake and Harrison, but for me, the true fun I got out of this book was trying to solve the mystery. There is one suspect who is painfully obvious from the moment the murder takes place; as for the rest, well, Innes certainly knows how to keep things unique, that's for sure! I mean, seriously - how can someone walk on water? And how does that person disappear in a matter of seconds? And when the murder victim is someone everyone hates anyway, how in the world do you begin to narrow down the suspects? A family feud ... a younger brother who is bullied by the victim ... a wife that is tired of watching her husband be bullied ... an employee who is treated unfairly and ultimately fired. Of course, leave it to Blake to figure it all out and one-up his former boss (the local police chief) by solving the mystery and unmasking the murderer.

Oh, and just in case you're wondering - Blake does finally get resolution with his ex by the end of this book, so moving forward, I'm hoping to see Blake and Harrison's relationship blossom (because it really would be nice to see a mystery series with a couple who are actually happy!).

RATING:  10 detailed model railways out of 10 for proving the impossible could very well be probable - and making it totally believable!

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!).