The Death of Friends

The Henry Rios Mysteries #5

by Michael Nava

As protagonist Henry Rios investigates his friend Chris Chandler's murder, he begins to discover that the State Supreme Court judge's life had not been at all what it appeared to be, as Chandler's young gay lover begs for protection and other secrets begin to come to light.

Genres: Mystery, M M Romance, LGBT, Fiction, Queer, Audiobook, Romance

232 pages, Hardcover

Published August 27, 1996

About the author

Michael Nava is the author of a groundbreaking series of crime novels featuring a gay, Latino criminal defense lawyer Henry Rios. Nava is a six-time recipient of the Lambda Literary Award in the mystery category, as well as the Bill Whitehead Lifetime Achievement Award for gay and lesbian literature.

Reviews

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+++++++ stars

Henry Rios will finish me! Nick is getting replaced.

GAAAAAAAAAAH!



I can't talk about it! Raw! Raw!

I will just leave this 👇👇 here.

In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” I’d run across that text when I was an undergraduate, still struggling with my own sexual nature, and it had spoken so chillingly and directly to me that I’d written it down on a scrap of paper and carried it in my wallet. The paper was long gone, but the words were imprinted in my memory and they came to me now.

Onto the next.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Now I feel bad for what I wrote about Josh in my review of the previous book. Who would’ve thought that the only book in which I didn’t dislike him would be the one in which his HIV-positive status would catch up to him and he would waste away and die. I knew this was coming, but the way it played out was brutal and heartbreaking in its quiet realism. Between that and the case, Michael Nava still isn’t throwing any punches. The author’s afternote explains a lot and I think what he's doing with these books is valid and extremely important, it still doesn’t make it easy to see Henry going through all of this.
I did like how Henry’s relationship with Josh was in this book, though, through Josh’s illness and by the end of his life, they’ve finally found a way for them to care about each other without all the toxicity.
Regarding the case, I guessed the culprit, although I didn’t entirely hit the mark on the motive, but that wasn’t the point. The investigation was just another occasion to learn something more about Henry’s past, the different paths a person in his place could’ve taken and the way Henry managed to be true to himself even while navigating the grey areas of friendship and of being gay at a difficult time—although I wonder if there ever was a time when being gay (or different in any way, really) hasn’t been difficult.
The series keeps going strong, but it’s also getting ready to come to an end. I hope after the events of this book, Henry can finally move on with his life and find something good for himself. The guy has certainly earned his happy ending.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stayed up late to finish this just to cry myself to sleep.

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Note: This is chronologically #6 in the 2nd edition series order.

I didn't get the opportunity to compare the original edition to this second edition, unfortunately, but I still enjoyed the story, if you can say that about a story with this subject matter: internalized homophobia, external homophobia, AIDS, and infidelity. On top of all that, this takes place during the Northridge earthquake and all the chaos that followed that.

I had forgotten pretty much everything that happened in this one except for Josh dying, which was sad. He wasn't my favorite character by a long shot, but he had grown up over the course of the series, and he and Henry had finally reached a place in their friendship that wasn't toxic or codependent. I mostly feel bad for how this is going to affect Henry. The mystery was well done, and while it personally impacted Henry, it wasn't to the same degree as previous books. Nava doesn't take the easy way out when it comes to legal matters, which I appreciate even if that means the final outcome, as far as the law is concerned, isn't always clear or guaranteed.

[LenaRibka · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,8 stars!

First of all - a big thank you to my Secret Santa who gave me this book as a Christmas gift.

The Death of Friends, the 5th book in the Henry Rios mystery, is the best for me until now. I agree with all readers who said that this series is getting better and better from one sequel to another.

Chris Chandler, a superior court judge, a married man, a father of twenty year old son, a friend of Henry since law school has been found dead in in his office. Was his death in some way connected to his decision to come out after so many years living in closet? How many secrets did Chris hide from his family and his friends? The mystery part was great, there were many suspects, and I wasn't 100% about any of them.

But it was not only a thrilling mystery that made the book 5 very special. It was again some very private emotional moments of Henry Rios' life, the thoughts about being gay, the ability to love and responsibility for one's actions and choices...


And then this ending....WOW.

I think I HAVE/NEED/MUST to read the next book. ASAP.

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fantastic addition to the Henry Rios series. I'm liking this series a lot despite I don't think I can reread it, ever. It's too much at times, too painful. But, as I say in all my reviews, it's something we need to read. We mustn't forget how it was and why it took us so long to reach the point we're now.
The mystery was very interesting and I liked the twist at the end I didn't suspect Tommy was the killer, I couldn't imagine what linked the two characters, but, it was better than my guess... I thought the wife and son did it together and tried to cover the crime... And by the end I was very mad at Chris... What was he thinking to risk everyone life? It's sad he was that messed up, but... Risking his wife and lover lives, lying, denying his true self... But that's what those times were like I suppose. All that homophobia destroyed a lot of lives, still destroy some despite everything...
And that ending was heartbreaking. We knew that was coming for some time, well, since Henry met Josh, but I can't even imagine how was Henry feeling... he left his side for a moment and... He was gone. I feel bad because I didn't like Josh. I don't think they were a good match for each other despite being in love. Their relationship was toxic. They took the worst in each other out. But now, when they finally built a good relationship between them, without all that harmful feelings coloring everything, Josh died. It was so unfair, he wasn't even thirty. I felt very sad for Josh and all those other Joshs out there. I hope Henry won't be too devastated and resort to old methods to ease the pain. I hope he finds what he is looking for and get some happiness.
This was one of my favourites in the series but it broke my heart. It was good having Ele and Linda along the ride.

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Death of Friends (Henry Rios #5)
By Michael Nava
Open Road Integrated Media, 2013 (first published 1996)
Five stars

“The truth can be painful, but it does not produce evil. Lies are the source of evil.”

Thus says Henry Rios, recovering alcoholic, self-accepting gay man, lawyer for the weak and undefended. If Michael Nava’s preceding book in this series, “The Hidden Law,” was all about Chicano rage, “The Death of Friends” is all about the destructive forces of lies.

The story starts with an earthquake—the Northridge quake of 1994 that rattled Los Angles, killing 60 and injuring 9000. While there is a plot-driven reason for the earthquake’s presence in the story, it is an apt metaphor for what is about to happen to Henry’s world. Once again, Michael Nava weaves his tale with smart, beautifully crisp prose and a lawyer’s gift for layered thinking.

I cried a little more at this one, but at least this time I was at home and not on public transportation. Like his other books, “The Death of Friends” hits close to home for a gay man of my generation. Michael Nava’s age places him exactly between my husband and myself. None among those of us who survived the 1980s experienced the devastation of AIDS in exactly the same way; but all of us saw our friends die. All of us lived in the shadow of fear that our uncaring government did nothing to dispel or assuage.

Death is always a central theme in a murder mystery, but here the narrative is bookended by death, and it involves two men about whom Henry Rios cares deeply. Chris Chandler’s murder, and the complicated, ugly truths it reveals, sets the stage for another impending death, that of Josh Mandel, Henry’s friend and former lover. This is no spoiler. I lived through this, there were no miracle drugs yet. There was no escape once the virus destroyed your immune system. It was all a matter of how and when. Josh’s fate is preordained. All we have to learn is how and when.

The greatest joy in these novels is not the courtroom dramatics (which are pretty great), nor the brilliant character studies Nava gives us as we meet the various actors in this tragic history of life in America. No, the bright, vivid center of this series is the increasingly detailed and loving portrait of Henry Rios himself that emerges a little more with each passing volume. This young man, just entering middle age, has rebuilt his life into something strong and good and filled with a desire for justice that has no taint of superiority or self-righteousness. Henry is not perfect, not by a long shot. He has his prejudices, but they are neither thoughtless nor unbending. Henry is fully aware of his own shortcomings, and that awareness gives him the generosity of spirit he needs to see what other people turn away from.

“The Death of Friends” is, in the end, the saddest of the books so far, but it leaves you wishing that Henry Rios was your best friend, and simultaneously wondering if you’d be worthy.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this must be my favourite in the series so far. This was a deeply engaging mystery with many twists and turns that kept me guessing and I didn't know who did the murder until the very end.

The lives of the characters were just so multi-layered and complex and this enriched the story.Reading about them was a bit like peeling an onion with different facets to the characters bring revealed bit by bit.

The story was also emotional with Henry having to deal with the loss of his friend Chris, the closeted secret judge, and the impending loss of Josh who is dying of Aids related illnesses.

Once again this story gives us more background to Henry's life but it is also brilliant in the way it portrays Henry's excellence as a criminal lawyer.

All in all a great mystery and a fabulous read.

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook review

4,5 stars

While the opening, as well as the title, of this book hinted at things to come, there were still surprises waiting. Then again, I feel that’s par for course with this series.

An old friend of Henry’s, well his first love to be more precise, ends up murdered, Henry finds himself in the position to defend the person the police suspect killed him. Soon he realises all is not as they seem and he starts looking into the case. Trying to unravel his friend’s past and present reveals devastating secrets for all involved. At the same time this is going on in his professional life, Henry’s private one is heartbreaking. Josh isn’t doing well, hasn’t been well for some time now. Sadly it’s only a matter of time, and that fact is casting darker and darker shadows over Henry’s life.

But it’s not only everything that was happening with Josh that affected him, obviously losing a friend and colleague also took its toll. And we learnt that cost by taking a few trips down memory lane, getting to know a young Henry falling in love for the first time, finding himself in precarious situations. Each time we get a glimmer of Henry’s life we gain a better understanding of the man we meet (his) present day.

The case was interesting and intricate. I love how there are so many threads to untangle to get a full picture, and at some point you end up suspecting everyone. It’s thrilling. I love procedurals, so these books are a treat for me. But for those of you that aren’t fans of this particular genre, or need romance in your books, you might want to consider something else. But if like you like me can’t get enough of this genre you are in for a good time – figure of speech, as these books are rarely happy. But they are soo good.

I love Thom Rivera’s baritone voice, he genuinely fits Henry and really captures his personality. A bit stand-offish, but hiding so many emotions underneath. Rivera captures all that and more. Nava and Rivera takes you back in time and make you see it all so vividly, they make it come alive making you feel like you are back there experiencing the injustices, prejudices and life as it was back then. They also make you feel like you are fighting beside Henry, doing the best he can to even the odds. I can easily listen to Rivera for days on end, so I’m grateful I have another two books to go.

As always there were twists I didn’t see coming and I’m grateful every time that happens even more so as I’ve had this happen with a few books lately. I’ve grown weary of predictable books, but these are anything but. I can’t wait to pick up the rest of the series.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

[Ariadna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating is 4.5

Despite being a v. somber book, this one has always been a kind of fast read for me. (This review is for the reread. I'd originally read it in 2005.)

Like the rest of the novels in the series, there's are two strong themes throughout. The first one being how damaging lying to oneself and others actually is (especially w/r/t being closeted when given the chance to live out as a queer person).

The second one has to do with the decimation of the AIDS epidemic including the realities of seeing a loved one eventually succumb to the ravages that the virus causes in the body. It's this second theme that makes it a difficult, at times, book to read. The helplessness to the inevitability of death regardless of age, gender, race or socio-economic status.

FTR, the mystery is v. straighforward. Henry gets the chance to face his past, mull on what could've beens, and truly consider if everything has been worth it.

It feels a little strange to say that I enjoyed this book. Particularly given its heartbreaking ending. Still, there's a lot of love and strength in between all the sleuthing. FTR, the mystery is pretty solid and, even all these years later, I was still surprised when the murderer was revealed.

Content and Trigger warnings: drug abuse, past emotional abuse

TL;DR: An incredibly solid novel that has the kind of downbeat ending that might shake you up. At times introspective on the nature of the closet vs. the true cost of being out, this is nevertheless a really solid book from beginning to end.

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry's friend is discovered murdered and he defends the man accused of the crime. Meanwhile, Josh's health continues to worsen.


I admit, even though I pegged the suspect early on, there were moments when I thought I was wrong, and that Henry was wrong. Even when I figured out how the killer may have done it - which took Henry a little too long to get there, I think - I still doubted it because by that point, I'd forgotten who I originally pinned it on and Henry's deductions were just too complicated.


This is an overall depressing book, as Henry ruminates over the life of his murdered friend, Chris, and all the lies Chris told himself and others in order to achieve the "good life". Simultaneous to this is Henry watching Josh slowly lose the fight against AIDS. But as sad as all this is, there's something endearing to me on Henry's insistence that Zach is innocent of the crime he's accused. Henry maybe worn down by life, but when he believes he's found something good, he holds onto it.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply melancholic book, a reflection in the way our decisions affect our lives and the ones of those close to us, and the consequences of deceptions.

An old friend and lover is dead, Josh is dying and a young man, the one accused of his old friend death, comes looking for his help. It's haunting how always the theme of fathers and sons is present in this series. Lies, betrayals and death, all mixed with an almost desperate search of love and a sense of belonging.

As always, the way in which the court procedures is presented is fascinating, Henry's search for the truth his main drive, even when the truth might be threatening to the son of the victim.

As Henry reflections at the end:

In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” I’d run across that text when I was an undergraduate, still struggling with my own sexual nature, and it had spoken so chillingly and directly to me that I’d written it down on a scrap of paper and carried it in my wallet. The paper was long gone, but the words were imprinted in my memory and they came to me now, as I sat in the living room after Bay had gone, thinking about Chris Chandler, who had waited too long to bring forth that which was within him. When he did, he’d left a trail of destruction in his wake that would continue long after his murder at the hands of the sociopath. I was all wrong about Chris Chandler. He hadn’t come out of the closet in a surge of midlife decisiveness. He’d been driven out by guilt over what he’d done to Bay and his inability to tell her. Chris had simply moved from one room of his closet to another until nothing could reach him, not even love, and his closet had become his coffin.

Bleak? No doubt. But also real.

Thom Rivera does an excellent job narrating this story.

[Antonella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written, lovely literary quotes, good mystery, scenes in the courtroom like out of a gripping movie, the touching relationship with Henry's former lover Josh as he is dying of AIDS, the discussion being in the closet versus being out dealt without preachiness: because of all of this you should read this book even though you can suspect beforehand that the quote by W.B. Yeats from the title is quite literal.

[Bizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thoughts on this book are pretty much the same as for The Hidden Law: Great exploration of the series’ themes, interesting POV shaped by Nava’s real-life experiences, and enjoyable mystery, but left me wishing Henry was better developed.

The identity of the murder victim in this book could have been much more impactful if we’d heard about this long-time friend of Henry’s in any of the past books, and even more so if we’d seen the two of them interact.

Henry is also very judgy in this book, to the point that I often wondered if I was reading Henry’s opinions or Nava’s. I wish more had been done to make Henry distinct from his author.

[*The Angry Reader* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Layered and interesting. I feel this one had a lot of psychological meat to it. Plus I just adore who Henry has become.

[Molli B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title might indicate, this was a sad one. :( Good mystery, timely to Henry’s personal story, but sad all around.

[Liz Cettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

[kn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one hit differently than the past books in this extraordinary series. As we progress through Michael’s novels on Henry, we unravel and slowly peel layers off of Henry and get to dive deeper into his soul. And what is underneath is a man; a good, perhaps great man, and whom like all of us wants to hold on to the very best things in his life. And that comes in this book, in the form of memories of past lovers, current lovers, doing well on his cases, helping solve murders and being the best lawyer, activist and advocate that he can be for his clients/community all the while adhering to his strict, almost impossible moral compass he abides by. More so, I think it’s ‘hope’ that Henry tries to cling onto, regardless of the fact that he is skeptical of what that even means for him. He struggles constantly with himself and tries to dissuade this hope within himself, trying to self-sabotage by tossing any positive reinforcement away every chance he gets. His gentle nature through this story of loving Josh and wanting so much to take care of him and wanting to do everything and anything to help him as he finalizes his journey with AIDS is just heartbreaking and inspiring. I can see the growth and evolving that Henry is exhibiting through each story but none more so than in this book when he has to face multiple realities about his past landing on his present doorstep and propelling him into the future which seems as uncertain as ever.

If I hadn’t said it a million times before, I’ll say it again, I fucken love Henry. Everything about him speaks to me and I am sure any gay man out there at least in some way will connect with his inner dialogues. Michael is just so good at what he does, and it’s giving me extreme anxiety that there are only TWO books left in this series for me to go through. I might vomit when I’m on the last book. Thank goodness he is re-doing the third book in the series (lies with men) which is coming out in April 2021. At least I’ll have one more to look forward to in the future.

As always, I listened to the book via the audiobook format and the narrator, Thom Rivera, IS Henry Rios personified. His voice is so uniquely this man and this story because it seems he just gets it. It’s sexy, serious, funny and visceral. I feel so grateful to be able to consume these stories in this format. And I really think so many people would absolutely love it too if they gave it a chance; it doesn’t matter one bit what your background or sexuality might be and in fact I think those who aren’t gay men might benefit even more from hearing stories like this. There are beautiful lessons about hope and love that is innate in these books for all of us to gain from.

It truly is a masterpiece. 10/5⭐️

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nava's own favorite of what he coins "the children," a.k.a. the Henry Rio's series; and I now understand why

This was a moving book, it felt very real for the clash of Henry's personal life (caring for an ex-lover diagnosed with AIDS), with keeping together and focused on his professional life.

Henry Rios' colleague, Judge Chris Chandler, is murdered in his office on the night of a California earthquake. The suspects pile up, giving us more and more insight into Chris' spiraling mess of a man coming to terms with his repressed sexuality. Homophobic son? His wife? His younger lover? The ambitious latter-climbing district attorney? The jealous porn director?

The court room scenes had me on the edge of my seat, I couldn't put this down... One of the few murder mystery/crime novels I can think of that would hold up to a book group discussion.

[Klaus Mattes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Den Lambda Award für Gay Men's Mystery hat Nava für seinen fünften Mordkimi um den Chicano-Strafverteidiger Henry Rios in Los Angels erhalten, fürs nachfolgende, um einiges dickere „The Burning Plain“ nicht. Aber es steht außer Frage, dass das spätere Buch das bessere wurde. Schlecht ist aber auch dieses hier nicht.

Für mich war es gerade mal das zweite Rios-Buch, das ich kurz nacheinander gelesen habe. (Vor zwanzig Jahren hatte ich die ersten drei gelesen, dann aber ziemlich vergessen.) An so einem Punkt beginnt sich entweder der süchtige Durst auf Serie einzustellen oder es fallen einem beim Vergleich zum ersten Mal die sich wiederholenden Schwächen eines Autors auf.

In der Tat war ich nicht ganz so glücklich, als schon wieder Polizisten eine wesentliche Rolle spielten, die sich früh auf den falschen Verdächtigen festgelegt hatten und ihn mit illegalen Methoden fertig zu machen versuchten. Und wieder fand ich die doppelte private Verwicklung von Rios sowohl zur Seite seines Mandanten hin wie zu der von möglichen Tätern eher unglücklich und unglaubhaft. Es fehlte die elementare Wucht von „The Burning Plain“, bei dem der Anwalt es sich mit der Macht der selbstherrlichen Filmindustrie Hollywoods zu verderben scheint, das gesamte L. A. als Tal der Verdammten gesehen wird, während hier zwar am Anfang bei einer Erdbeben-Katastrophe eingesetzt wird, das Ganze aber zügig auf eine kleine, schäbige Familienaffäre zusammenschnurrt.

In beiden Büchern geht es, anlässlich von Henrys Ex-Lover Josh, um AIDS auf eine ergreifende Weise. Wobei, wenn man den sechsten vor dem fünften Fall gelesen hat, man sich die Augen reibt, wie solidarisch Joshs Familie, die Henry im nächsten Buch zusetzen wird, durch dieses Buch segelt. Gut, der Autor hat sich weiter entwickelt, ist doch gut, mag man denken.

Ein bisschen kommt mein „Verdacht der Weiterentwicklung“ auch für den Konstruktionsplan des Romans auf. Kann es sein, dass Nava eine Menge davon geschrieben hat, ohne wirklich schon zu wissen, wie er den Sack irgendwann zumachen wird – und dass ihm dann ein qualitativ abschüssiger Schlussteil eingefallen ist? Den er mit länglichen Aufschüben über Verfahrenstricks in richterlichen Anhörungen und allerlei Hakeligkeiten androhenden Zeugenbefragungen zu kaschieren versucht, wobei die gut vorbereiteten Zeugen nach dem Ziehen eines Häsleins aus dem Zylinder schlagartig entbehrlich werden.

Auch trifft zu, was ich bei „Burning Plain“ monierte, dass, wenn man sich als Leser zwischendurch die Frage stellt, wer, wenn nicht Mister Unbekannt, kann's von den vorgestellten Figuren überhaupt gewesen sein, wenn es nicht etwa die Polizei, Henry Rios, sein Freund oder doch der Mandat, dessen gutes Herz Rios, als Ich-Erzähler, genug oft beteuert hat, waren. Da bleiben nur zwei Häuser übrig und in ihnen je zwei Menschen. Besonders viele sind das nicht. Wo der Schluss-Twist wieder einmal darauf hinweist, dass Nava einiges vom schwulen L.A.-Vorbild Joseph Hansen gelernt hat, muss schon gesehen werden, dass Hansen sich um dieses Genreproblem mehr sorgt. Er führt mehr fragwürdige Charaktere ein und er bringt die Leben und Vorleben seines Personal dem Leser näher als Michael Nava, der nur über eine von vier Figuren wirklich viel verrät.

Es geht um einen ehemaligen Stricher, dem die Chance gegeben wurde, zum Lebenspartner und Universalerben eines Richters zu werden, den und dessen Gattin Rios noch vom Zusammenleben als Studenten in San Francisco her kennt. Peinlicherweise wusste die Ehefrau bis vor Kurzen nicht, dass der Mann versteckt schwul war (Motiv), während es Henry schon immer wusste und ihr, mit der er vormals seinem Alkoholismus nachgegangen war, verschwieg. Der Richter wurde bei Überstunden, nachts im Büro, mit einem Obelisken aus Stein, einer Auszeichnung für Pflichterfüllung, erschlagen. Und wie das Leben, vor allem in Büchern des erwähnten Joseph Hansen gerne spielt, waren, sehr zufällig, vor und nach der Tat eine überraschend große Zahl von Personen in Hochhaus, Lift und in der Tiefgarage zu Gange, die einander teils sahen, teils nicht. Unter anderem der von der Polizei gesuchte Ex-Stricher, der Henry zuerst engagiert, dann die Flucht ergreift.

Mein Text hat sich vielleicht negativ angehört. Fragen wir uns, was man an den Rios-Büchern mag. Nun, auf jeden Fall, dass er nicht nur hypothetisch blitzsaubere Queer-Figuren konstruiert, sondern auf dem Schirm hat, dass queeres Leben in diverse, sich zum Teil sogar bekriegende Lifestyles zerfällt. So erfahren wir, dass der in seine Vierziger hineingehende Rios auf deutlich jüngere, wie schutzbedürftig wirkende Burschen abfährt, sexuell dann der aktive Partner ist, dass er in der allgemeinen Lebensführung allerdings bürgerlich, ordentlich, gemeinschaftsorientiert ist, etwas langweilig und humorlos. Wann immer von Straßenstrich, Ficken ohne Gummi, Pornografie die Rede ist, zuckt Rios zurück. Er konnte sich nie mit dem promiskuitiven Männerhopping des Richters anfreunden, sondern, wenn es für ihn einen gab, wie jetzt Josh, hatte niemand sonst eine Chance.

Vor allem überzeugt immer die sorgfältige Durcharbeitung der Nava-Bücher, wo – Ausnahme oben angedeutet – Überflüssiges gestrichen wurde, wo die Sprache makellos ist, wo mit dem Leser fair umgegangen, um Plausibilität und Realismus gerungen wird. Wir haben es mit einem seriösen Autor zu tun, keinem Schlamper, Showman oder Hexenmeister.

Anmerkung: Gibt hier in Goodreads auch eine Abbildung der deutschen Übersetzung „Todes Nähe“ - und sogar den Autornamen Nava dazu, aber wenn ich das dort einstelle, gibt es keine andere Review und keine weiteren Sternewertungen fürs Vergleichen. Darum hier, gelesen habe ich deutsch, „The Burning Plain“, wo ich den deutschen Titel zeigte, dagegen englisch.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Rios tries to reveal the crime in which his friend, Chris Chandler, a Supreme Court Judge, was found murdered. Chris was a closeted homosexual and the night that he was murdered, Chris's boyfriend came to Henry for help. On the other hand, Henry must deal with the last days of Josh, his lover who suffered from AIDS, after seven years.

Why do I bring myself to hearbreak like this *sob*. I know that this novel will be the "saddest" among all of the novels. But it is still very good. Michael Nava's write with sensitivity and tenderness but at the same time, determination, that comes from Henry Rios's character. I can't believe there are only two novels left *sigh*.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus said, “If you bring forth what is inside you, what you bring forth will save you. If you don’t bring forth what is inside you, what you don’t bring forth will destroy you. ” — The Gospel of Thomas

Like other novels in the Henry Rios series, the author, Michael Nava, examines how we become who we are. This, of course, begs the author to also explore questions of identity.

Nava introduced readers to Henry Rios, in 1986 with the novel, The Little Death. As author Garth Greenwell wrote in The New Yorker (Sept 11, 2015), Rios was a “detective unlike any previous protagonist in American noir. Gay and Latino, from an immigrant family in California’s Central Valley, Henry Rios is a defense attorney whose hardboiled bona fides—world-weariness, wit, a penchant for erotic entanglement—are accompanied by a hyper-attentiveness to class and a commitment to the poor. In a genre that had used queer people primarily as figures of ridicule and contempt, the Rios books offer a vista on gay lives extending from the closet-lined corridors of power to cruising parks and leather bars.”

When Nava began writing in the late 1980s, most gay characters in novels were doomed East coast men leading lives of secrecy and even hedonism. Nava, however, wanted to write about openly gay men who were hard-working, responsible, principled, and good. Furthermore, unaware that most readers thought of mystery novels as “trash reading,” he aspired to write “good literature” that built on, and transformed, the classic American noir novels of the 1940s and 50s.

With this fifth Henry Rios mystery from 1996, Nava appears less interested in writing a conventional mystery story than he is with exploring questions about how we define ourselves, how living a lie affects people, and how the crisis years of HIV / AIDS shaped a generation of gay men. As such, the author Christopher Bram noted the Rios novels are character studies of grief, despair, and renewal and are “a large-scale moral portrait of one man’s life.”

Though the plot is straightforward and enjoyable to read as we watch Henry Rios solve a murder with several different suspects, these universal and thought-provoking questions make the book especially interesting, while the strong writing makes the book worth reading.

Readers will especially find themselves drawn in if they read the novels in order. Though each story can stand on its own, it is the increasingly complex personal and moral narrative arc that moves through the series that makes these books so compelling. In fact, by the third book in series, Nava does not introduce the murder until many pages into the story. Instead, the story of Henry Rios engages us as his relationships with family, friends, and lovers becomes primary to the novels and as the protagonist interacts with the LGBTQ and Latinx communities.

Furthermore, when readers approach the novels in order, they can better understand the horrors of HIV / AIDS and its impact as the virus decimated a generation of gay men. Understandably, Nava’s books become darker and angrier as more men die alone, abandoned, and ashamed.

The Death of Friends begins when an earthquake shakes Los Angeles. After the aftershocks end, Henry Rios returns to his home to find a frightened and exhausted young man outside his door. This man, Zach Bowen, has more earth-shattering news for Rios--Henry’s old friend from college, Judge Chris Chandler, was murdered in the courthouse. Furthermore, the deeply closeted man was Zach’s lover. Soon, the police believe Zach is the primary suspect and Rios defends the man.

Rios and Chandler had not only been friends, at one time they were lovers. Furthermore, Chandler’s wife is a friend of Henry’s, too.

Though Rios had long lived his life as an openly gay man, Chandler, had passed himself off as straight so he could have the kind of life that certainly would have been denied him had people known he was gay. At one time during law school, in a conversation with Henry after sex, Chandler told Rios that “I want this, but I want other things, too. A family, a career, to make a difference in the world. Those things won’t be possible if I’m with another guy.”

In fact, the openly gay Rios was a recovering alcoholic, public defender with a former lover dying of AIDS. Chandler, on the other hand, was a wealthy and respected judge married to the daughter of one of LA’s most prominent attorneys. The couple have a son. Chandler, however, secretly meets other gay men for sex.

In a later conversation about their struggles to live the kind of life they want, Chandler tells Rios that “It doesn’t sound like being out of the closet is much better than being in it.”

Rios replied, “That’s what you never understood. I didn’t come out to improve my chances of finding a boyfriend. I came out because I had to, because it’s who I am.”

Now, to defend Zach, Rios must learn more about his friend and his secrets and risk destroying Chandler’s reputation and family in the process. To add to the stress, Rios’s former lover, Josh, is entering the final days of his life and needs the help of the man who still loves him.

This is a beautifully written book, one that transforms the legal procedural / noir genre but leaves the reader more aware that seldom do matters of the heart and life have clearly defined answers. All our choices have consequences and sometimes none of those choices are ideal.

A recommended book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nava delivers another well written, compelling mystery replete with real characters with real emotions. As the series continue, the narrative is becoming more personal and introspective and I think a bit darker.

[Solocol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Breathtaking ending

[Rod · Rating 5 out of 5]

His book get better and better. I am intrigued with Henry Rio.

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The worst thing about it is you start to think maybe they’re right to hate you.”

[4.75] just as the Northridge earthquake devastated the streets of California in 1994, so did it portend the upheaval in Henry's life. past and present flanks this narrative with the passing of two men who've played important roles in Henry becoming who he is today.

the story packed a powerful punch by writing Chris and Henry's courses in life as analogues in the greater commentary on what it means to live in the closet and what it means to be out, deeply affected by the times in which these books take place. it's a clever construction that speaks to the different ways a life can play out from a single fundamental choice. what hit hardest was the detailing of how lies and layers of deceit from living a double life is akin to an infection that festers and preys relentlessly from within. the exposition at the start had a slight lag in drawing me in, but fear not - the instant my attention was captured, you couldn’t have pulled me away with a tractor.

the courtroom scenes continue to be exhilarating like a double dose of caffeine topped with a two-days-running sugar rush. is it odd to be as obsessed as i am with how Henry commands the room? it's tied closely to where Michael Nava excels: his dialogue. never dry, always enrapturing, down to even the simplest exchanges of hellos and goodbyes. the pinnacle of legal procedurals is right here, folks.

also, i can't believe i haven't mentioned the narrator for the audios yet. this has to rank as one of my gravest transgressions, so rectifying it immediately: Thom Rivera is Henry Rios. no ifs or buts about it. he does a stunning job portraying every bit of his “still waters run deep” disposition - the flashes of romanticism, the quiet sadness, the purposeful vulnerability, his inspiring resilience. i’m so glad he was chosen to give voice to who is now one of my favorite characters of all-time.

⚠️ spoiler territory ⚠️
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we saw the ending coming since Josh was first diagnosed, but it didn't make it any less painful. i hate that he had to suffer the way he did with so much suffering, his body little more than a withering husk, but i loved his final conversations with Henry. there's something to be said for the clarity(? purity? back to basics mentality?) that can come with an approaching end date, where the two-way toxicity, need for control, and pettiness fall away, and they reach a middle ground where they could simply be - for themselves and for each other.

i could never forgive Chris for what he'd done to those he supposedly loved, but on some level, i understand that this is exactly what shame has the potential to drive people to do.

i don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that the figure Henry perceived in his room in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake hadn't manifested into something more, but i was also listening while doing odd chores around the house and rolling around on the living room floor, so please let me know if i missed something 😂

[Lily Heron · Rating 3 out of 5]

As his former partner enters the final stages of his terminal diagnosis, Henry Rios takes on the defence of a young man accused of murdering his boyfriend, the dead man being an old friend from Henry's past.

Something I'm coming to realise more and more is that Henry is like the adult role model I want to aspire to emulate, with his firm boundaries, unruffled demeanour, and absolute commitment to seeing justice done. Henry feels like a lighthouse when you're lost at sea.

While there was less emphasis on Josh's subplot than I had hoped, I really enjoyed meeting Zach in this book, and more and more I feel like the setting of LA is seeping into my bones while reading. Like the author says in his endnote, these novels very much bear witness to the tsunami of grief and loss, tracking the AIDS crisis from its origin to the heights of its devastation. Those themes lend incredible depth to the police procedural storylines, with Henry in the centre as a gradually aging man surviving the everyday war raging on every street.

absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
13. The Death of Friends 3/5

[Paul Manytravels · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Death of Friends by Michael Nava is a great mystery story in the tradition of all mystery stories. It happens to have gay characters, but their presence in the book is incidental to the storyline in that they experience difficulties and discrimination that straight people in similar circumstances would not face. The combination of their orientation and the discrimination against them creates the major thread of the plot.
The victim in the story is a high-profile judge who cannot accept his own sexuality and, in the end, is a victim of his duplicity. Along the way, he betrays and hurts those around him in many ways.
The detective in the book, actually an attorney, is openly gay and ends up being just about the only person in the entire book who is not destroyed in the storyline.
The book spreads its clues liberally as mystery stories do and also leads readers along a path toward the wrong conclusions, as mysteries usually do. It is an engaging story and the twists and turns of its plot are feasible and credible within the context of the story.
It is a good book, a good mystery; one that just happens to have a lot of characters whose sexual orientation is a burden they carry throughout their lives.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, weird. I hadn't marked this one as previously read, but it was familiar to me. Not whodunnit, but some of the twists and turns felt like I'd twisted and turned them before. Or maybe it's just that the Rios novels have a certain rhythm that felt familiar?

Regardless of whether I've read this one before, The Death of Friends is a prime example of why I love this series. Sure, the mystery's gripping, holding several twists I hadn't anticipated and making excellent use of the setting. But more importantly, we continue to see more into Henry's life and world. The book contains several emotional gut-punches that are no less effecting for having been somewhat expected.

I've bailed on several mystery series because I can't care about a mystery if I don't care about the character who's solving it. I keep on caring about these books, even on a reread ten-ish years later, because I keep on caring about Henry Rios.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid mystery/lawyer-procedural, even if the whodunit isn't solved until practically the prologue. I love Nava's writing, and he continues to excel at sense of place. The longer this series goes on, the less they feel like gritty '30s noir, but that feels in sync with Henry quitting drinking, growing as a person, and being less of a '30s noir detective plopped in the 1990s. I also loved the afterword in the 2019 edition I read, where Nava writes about a letter that "reminded me that I wasn't writing these novels to sell books, make money or become famous, but to bear witness." He does an excellent job at that. I was an oblivious teenager in a midsize midwestern town in the mid-'90s, and I really appreciate his chronicling a piece of what the AIDS epidemic was like for members of the gay community at that time in LA.