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Alex Reynolds #1
Government Gay
Alex at first thinks nothing of what he deemed a case of mistaken identity outside a local bar, but after another man is found dead there, the incident takes on new meaning and also captures the interest of the CIA. Reprint.
215 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 18, 2015
I came across this series quite by chance on AMZ and decided to give it a try because I enjoy a good murder mystery and I enjoyed this first book in the series.
Alex Reynolds unwittingly stumbles into a murder mystery with espionage, when he is accosted by a man in a down town bar in Chicago. What follows then is amateur sleuthing at it's best as Alex, his mother and his husband try to solve a crime and try to sort out the good guys from the bad guys, and the real CIA from the imposters.
With many near misses, violence, threats, shooting and real danger Alex and his mum manage to piece things together and manage to stay in one piece, just about.
The best aspect of the story is the way it intertwines humour with the serious aspects of the case. People are being murdered and beaten up around them but Alex and his family don't give up and actually embrace the danger, ducking, diving and snooping like seasoned sleuths or so they think.
The humour is what made the story work for me because it isn't just another crime story but a crime story that made me laugh out loud. And I loved the characters. This isn't a romance but the love Alex has for his husband and the love both of them have for Alex's mum gave the story an emotional touch. As the three of them pool their wits, pool their sources of info, argue together, protect each other and take risks we get to see a family of amateur crime solvers in action.
My favourite aspect of this story is the mother and son sleuthing and like all good crime novels it kept me guessing until the end and made for a fast paced, entertaining and engaging read. Definitely another set of books for the to-read pile.
Alex Reynolds unwittingly stumbles into a murder mystery with espionage, when he is accosted by a man in a down town bar in Chicago. What follows then is amateur sleuthing at it's best as Alex, his mother and his husband try to solve a crime and try to sort out the good guys from the bad guys, and the real CIA from the imposters.
With many near misses, violence, threats, shooting and real danger Alex and his mum manage to piece things together and manage to stay in one piece, just about.
The best aspect of the story is the way it intertwines humour with the serious aspects of the case. People are being murdered and beaten up around them but Alex and his family don't give up and actually embrace the danger, ducking, diving and snooping like seasoned sleuths or so they think.
The humour is what made the story work for me because it isn't just another crime story but a crime story that made me laugh out loud. And I loved the characters. This isn't a romance but the love Alex has for his husband and the love both of them have for Alex's mum gave the story an emotional touch. As the three of them pool their wits, pool their sources of info, argue together, protect each other and take risks we get to see a family of amateur crime solvers in action.
My favourite aspect of this story is the mother and son sleuthing and like all good crime novels it kept me guessing until the end and made for a fast paced, entertaining and engaging read. Definitely another set of books for the to-read pile.
November 10, 2022
This is just not my kind of book. It's a suspenseful caper sort of story, about a 30-something graphic artist named Alex Reynolds who, on a night when his husband Peter and his mother (the three of them all live together in a townhouse in Chicago) are both busy elsewhere, decides to drop in at a local gay bar. There, a stranger sits next to him and lights his cigarette for him; Alex heads off to the men's room where he gets roughed up by a pair of bullies who demand, "What did he give you?"
Alex almost immediately finds himself caught up in an adventure that he himself compares to Cary Grant's in North by Northwest, as an innocent bystander pulled into a world of spies and crime and murder that he must try to figure out before he and his family get killed. It's one of those who-can-you-trust/you-can't trust anybody sort of stories; I don't tend to enjoy this kind of thing except on film, where a master like Hitchcock can serve it up as a giddy, fast-paced thrill ride. Reading it, no matter how quickly, I find myself thinking about the places where the hero should have done something different, should have stopped to think or get help...I just generally find myself unable to suspend reality the way I can with a movie.
That's certainly what happened to me with Government Gay. (The title is apparently a play on the title of an obscure Olivia de Havilland film called Government Girl.) I had trouble believing just about everything in this book, especially the exciting ending. Which is not to say I didn't want to read to find out what happened next--it's well enough written to keep you turning the pages. But for me, it pretty much defies credibility, logic, and common sense most of the time.
Alex's personality is a bit of a turn-off as well, being a fairly arch, snobbish, namby-pamby under the thumb of both Mom and Peter. Peter is sensible and likeable, but we never get into his head; Mom is a gigantic pain in the neck whom I could not abide. (Why are these two partners of four years' standing, both gainfully employed, living with this healthy, self-sufficient, and entirely annoying woman?)
The novelty of a gay hero in this sort of thing is really just a gimmick, as there's no real exploration of gay relationships in this book. There's one scene involving a young hustler-type where this could have happened organically--and in the hands of authors I've read recently like Richard Stevenson and Christopher Rice, such scenes brim with understanding and empathy--but here any trace of humanity is sacrificed for a not-very-funny joke at the character's expense.
In fact, I didn't laugh at all during the book, notwithstanding the blurb on the back cover proclaiming it "a hilarious mystery novel." The mystery is okay as far as it goes, but the humor and the overall attitude never worked for me.
Alex almost immediately finds himself caught up in an adventure that he himself compares to Cary Grant's in North by Northwest, as an innocent bystander pulled into a world of spies and crime and murder that he must try to figure out before he and his family get killed. It's one of those who-can-you-trust/you-can't trust anybody sort of stories; I don't tend to enjoy this kind of thing except on film, where a master like Hitchcock can serve it up as a giddy, fast-paced thrill ride. Reading it, no matter how quickly, I find myself thinking about the places where the hero should have done something different, should have stopped to think or get help...I just generally find myself unable to suspend reality the way I can with a movie.
That's certainly what happened to me with Government Gay. (The title is apparently a play on the title of an obscure Olivia de Havilland film called Government Girl.) I had trouble believing just about everything in this book, especially the exciting ending. Which is not to say I didn't want to read to find out what happened next--it's well enough written to keep you turning the pages. But for me, it pretty much defies credibility, logic, and common sense most of the time.
Alex's personality is a bit of a turn-off as well, being a fairly arch, snobbish, namby-pamby under the thumb of both Mom and Peter. Peter is sensible and likeable, but we never get into his head; Mom is a gigantic pain in the neck whom I could not abide. (Why are these two partners of four years' standing, both gainfully employed, living with this healthy, self-sufficient, and entirely annoying woman?)
The novelty of a gay hero in this sort of thing is really just a gimmick, as there's no real exploration of gay relationships in this book. There's one scene involving a young hustler-type where this could have happened organically--and in the hands of authors I've read recently like Richard Stevenson and Christopher Rice, such scenes brim with understanding and empathy--but here any trace of humanity is sacrificed for a not-very-funny joke at the character's expense.
In fact, I didn't laugh at all during the book, notwithstanding the blurb on the back cover proclaiming it "a hilarious mystery novel." The mystery is okay as far as it goes, but the humor and the overall attitude never worked for me.
December 28, 2018
Alex Reynolds is not the the brightest bulb in the box. That's probably why is needs not one but two sidekicks (one of whom is his own mother!) to solve this espionage mystery he randomly finds himself involved with after a visit to a gay bar. Alex Reynolds is also a bit of a prissy queen. Not the most sympathetic of characters.
Despite a rather slow start to the book, and fuzzy elements, the plot eventually takes off and turns into an enjoyably gripping thriller. There are a number of twists to keep the reader on their toes and everything gets nicely resolved at the end as should be expected.
The writing is on whole decent, though there are few odd corners and the dialogues can feel artificial at times.
On the whole a fun book. I would read others from the series or by the same author.
Despite a rather slow start to the book, and fuzzy elements, the plot eventually takes off and turns into an enjoyably gripping thriller. There are a number of twists to keep the reader on their toes and everything gets nicely resolved at the end as should be expected.
The writing is on whole decent, though there are few odd corners and the dialogues can feel artificial at times.
On the whole a fun book. I would read others from the series or by the same author.
December 20, 2023
For me, the books mini daily montages feel like what a 90s mid budget movie would feel like if i ever watched one (in a good way). The spoof aspect is done in a light-hearted way with the characters being quite enjoyable. It just read as a fun tropey spy novel which I think it succeeded in.
July 4, 2007
First novel in the Alex Reynolds mystery series. Alex lives with his "husband" Peter and his british mother Jean in Chicago. A self employed graphic artist Alex lives a somewhat boring life which gets turned upside down because of a "wrong place wrong time" type of situation. CIA double agents, Russian mafia type, snooping and mascarade are on the menu. Not a bad opening novel, I've read worst but and I'm gonna try this dynamic trio again to see how the relationships grow and how Alex's and Jean's adrenaline addiction is going to turn out.
May 2, 2011
A light, fun and frothy read, this mystery/thriller takes place in Chicago and involves CIA intrigue and Russian thugs. The twist, obviously, is that the lead character happens to be gay. And he lives with his mother (seriously).
To add to your enjoyment, I encourage you to cast it like a film. I'm picturing the mother as Joan Collins, because in the book she's an English expatriate.
On the whole you shouldn't expect depth here, but it's still a quick and enjoyable read - perfect for the beach.
To add to your enjoyment, I encourage you to cast it like a film. I'm picturing the mother as Joan Collins, because in the book she's an English expatriate.
On the whole you shouldn't expect depth here, but it's still a quick and enjoyable read - perfect for the beach.
April 17, 2008
I finally got around to reading the first book in this series. Entertaining, but there were a few litle things that bugged me.
One of the most glaring: These two people gained access into a hotel room so they could search it for clues. There was a suitcase by the bed an No. One. Looked. At. It. But they did search everywhere else. Maybe that is just a small nitpick, but it's the little things, isn't it? :-)
215 pages
One of the most glaring: These two people gained access into a hotel room so they could search it for clues. There was a suitcase by the bed an No. One. Looked. At. It. But they did search everywhere else. Maybe that is just a small nitpick, but it's the little things, isn't it? :-)
215 pages
April 1, 2015
Silly, frothy, and fairly pointless, like the other Alex Reynolds mystery I've read. I was in the mood for a zippy mystery novel, and this one didn't disappoint. Of course, it didn't do much of anything else, either, but I wasn't looking for real depth this time around, so the shallowness worked for me.
December 10, 2014
I picked up Government Gay because it's the first book in a series I had heard good things about. Frankly, I don't see the appeal. I found the basic premise to be unbelievable, and I didn't find any of the main characters appealing, so I abandoned the book without finishing.
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September 7, 2016I loved it and will be getting more books from this author.
Sorry I don't have a proper review to post.
Sorry I don't have a proper review to post.
April 5, 2015
Story of Alex and Peter who live with Alex's mother.
Alex goes to gay bar and gets mixed up with a Russian CIA thing.
Mother has a cop friend.
Very contemporary, quick and clever.
Alex goes to gay bar and gets mixed up with a Russian CIA thing.
Mother has a cop friend.
Very contemporary, quick and clever.
June 28, 2016
Clever summer reading, set in Chicago.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews