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Boystown #5
Murder Book
In the fifth book of the award-winning Boystown mystery series, it's fall 1982 and Chicago is gripped by panic after five people die from poisoned Tylenol capsules. Amid the chaos, the Bughouse Slasher takes his eighth victim, this time striking close to private investigator Nick Nowak. With the Chicago Police Department stretched to its limit, Nick takes matters into his own hands. But what will he do with the Bughouse Slasher once he finds him?
174 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2013
54 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Marshall Thornton
56 books629 followersThree-time Lambda Award-winning author, Marshall Thornton is best known for the Boystown and Pinx Video mystery series. Other novels include the erotic comedy The Perils of Praline, or the Amorous Adventures of a Southern Gentleman in Hollywood, Desert Run and Full Release. Marshall has an MFA in screenwriting from UCLA, where he received the Carl David Memorial Fellowship and was recognized in the Samuel Goldwyn Writing awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 21, 2019
7++++ stars for wrecking me!
All the FEELS! This book got ALL THE FEELS!
When i started this series, i was like; i know where this is going so let me relax and enjoy the ride. The amazing writing massage is what i live for.
Little did i know, Marshall was there in the corner telling me;
I read the first sentence of this book and my heart broke into tiny little pieces. Gaaaaaaahhhh!!! Nooooooooo! That cover should have been my first warning.
I cried my little peanut heart out! Then i composed myself and said:
Jesus took the damn wheel, but Marshall was in charge of the gas, and we ran out of gas and got hurt.....It was one blow after another.
GAAAAAAAAHH!!!
-This is the best mystery so far.
- The writing is great, the twists and turns!
Nick, Harker, Ross, Brian, Daniel, Mrs Harker, Christian, Sugar and i am now adding Connors into the mix.
GAAAAAAAAHHHH!
All the FEELS! This book got ALL THE FEELS!
When i started this series, i was like; i know where this is going so let me relax and enjoy the ride. The amazing writing massage is what i live for.
Little did i know, Marshall was there in the corner telling me;
I read the first sentence of this book and my heart broke into tiny little pieces. Gaaaaaaahhhh!!! Nooooooooo! That cover should have been my first warning.
I cried my little peanut heart out! Then i composed myself and said:
Jesus took the damn wheel, but Marshall was in charge of the gas, and we ran out of gas and got hurt.....It was one blow after another.
GAAAAAAAAHH!!!
-This is the best mystery so far.
- The writing is great, the twists and turns!
Nick, Harker, Ross, Brian, Daniel, Mrs Harker, Christian, Sugar and i am now adding Connors into the mix.
GAAAAAAAAHHHH!
April 13, 2017
4.5 Stars
Well crap. That sucked.
Let me clarify.
This has never been a joyous, swoony series where the guy gets his guy and they live happily ever after, and no obstacle is too big, no problem too hard to solve.
This is a story about a man who has not had it easy. He's been unlucky in love, he's lost his dream job. He's been disowned, ostracized, attacked, persecuted and hated simply because of who he's attracted to. Despite these challenges, they pale in comparison as Nick suddenly finds himself in the most epic shit situation. He has never been so devastatingly low, and he's forced into solving the toughest, most important case of his life.
So the stakes are high. There's no question that justice must be delivered. Losing is not an option.
Don't worry. Nick prevails as he always does, but a celebration is not in the cards. There is no sugarcoating here because life isn't pretty, it certainly isn't fair. In the past he has soldiered on, he has persevered and he has squeezed out some good wins. But this win is hollow and empty, and I fear because this kind of loss can never be regained, Nick won't want to come back. Honestly, I can't say I blame him.
Hence, this was a gawd awful punch to the guts and the reason why it sucked.
In the best, worst possible way.
Well crap. That sucked.
Let me clarify.
This has never been a joyous, swoony series where the guy gets his guy and they live happily ever after, and no obstacle is too big, no problem too hard to solve.
This is a story about a man who has not had it easy. He's been unlucky in love, he's lost his dream job. He's been disowned, ostracized, attacked, persecuted and hated simply because of who he's attracted to. Despite these challenges, they pale in comparison as Nick suddenly finds himself in the most epic shit situation. He has never been so devastatingly low, and he's forced into solving the toughest, most important case of his life.
So the stakes are high. There's no question that justice must be delivered. Losing is not an option.
Don't worry. Nick prevails as he always does, but a celebration is not in the cards. There is no sugarcoating here because life isn't pretty, it certainly isn't fair. In the past he has soldiered on, he has persevered and he has squeezed out some good wins. But this win is hollow and empty, and I fear because this kind of loss can never be regained, Nick won't want to come back. Honestly, I can't say I blame him.
Hence, this was a gawd awful punch to the guts and the reason why it sucked.
In the best, worst possible way.
November 5, 2015
Re-read as audiobook March 2-5, 2015
OH. MY. GOD. Thornton broke me with this one. It's shocking, compelling, emotional and heart wrenching .
I still don't know how to review this book without spoilers so instead I'll just talk about the audiobooks.
The audiobooks for this series are fantastic! Admittedly, it took me till book 2 to really appreciate Brad Langer, the narrater, as Nick. Not because he's not good. On the contrary, he's got the Chicago accent down and the rough voice that a smoker like Nick would have. It's just that I had a certain image in my head of Nick, that I guess included his voice, after reading the 6 books that it was tough for Langer to replace it. Now, though, he is Nick Nowak.
If you haven't read this series...
This may not be for everybody. It's not a traditional romance. Nick is broken but so very fascinating. Just give him a shot. I hope you love as much as I do. Read this review for some better convincing.
OH. MY. GOD. Thornton broke me with this one. It's shocking, compelling, emotional and heart wrenching .
I still don't know how to review this book without spoilers so instead I'll just talk about the audiobooks.
The audiobooks for this series are fantastic! Admittedly, it took me till book 2 to really appreciate Brad Langer, the narrater, as Nick. Not because he's not good. On the contrary, he's got the Chicago accent down and the rough voice that a smoker like Nick would have. It's just that I had a certain image in my head of Nick, that I guess included his voice, after reading the 6 books that it was tough for Langer to replace it. Now, though, he is Nick Nowak.
If you haven't read this series...
This may not be for everybody. It's not a traditional romance. Nick is broken but so very fascinating. Just give him a shot. I hope you love as much as I do. Read this review for some better convincing.
January 21, 2017
OUTSTANDING.
Murder Book is the 5th book in the Boystown series and the second full length novel in it. And it is probably the best one.
I.AM.OVER.THE.MOON.
In one of the interviews, that Marshall Thornton had given before starting the 5th book, he said:
"I’m planning something very shocking for the first page."
I can assure you, he did it!!! AND HOW!!!
He grabbed you from the very first page and didn't let you go.
I don't want to babble a lot, it is not the first book in the series, and if you keep on reading after the first book, you can understand what I mean! You'll understand my emotions.
I know I made a mistake when I recommended the first book of the series almost to everybody, I was just too euphoric.
I know, I should have warned you, I should have better explained that it is not a typical candy contemporary romance with a syrup sweet HEA, I should have said that it could possibly push your boundaries, that the thematic could be considered for some people provocative...
I didn't do it and I am so sorry!
Because...
please....don't talk about this series like it is nothing but a collection of uncontrolled senseless sex excesses on crack.
IT IS NOT.
Marshall Thornton is a great storyteller and he would probably shock you more than once along the story but he will also surprise you and reward you with the real great characters, amazing writing and excellent mystery.
Please give the series a chance, please believe me, it's worth it.
I want you to LOVE it...
Please, please, please...LOVE it.
September 30, 2019
*4,5 stars*
That first paragraph.
Ripped. My heart out.
The rest of the book shredded it into tiny pieces and made mush out of it.
It hurt.
And I was devastated for Nick.
If the first three books were scarce on feelings, we are certainly hit by an emotional sledgehammer here. We get to see so much more of Nick and what’s going on inside him, and the fact that so many people care about him speaks volumes!
Not only that, but the case is so much more developed and interesting. And, alas, Nick is turned down a couple of times in the casual sex game. It felt that a big page was turning here… (maybe?)
The best so far!
In a masochistic and painful and very well written way!
That first paragraph.
Ripped. My heart out.
The rest of the book shredded it into tiny pieces and made mush out of it.
It hurt.
And I was devastated for Nick.
If the first three books were scarce on feelings, we are certainly hit by an emotional sledgehammer here. We get to see so much more of Nick and what’s going on inside him, and the fact that so many people care about him speaks volumes!
Not only that, but the case is so much more developed and interesting. And, alas, Nick is turned down a couple of times in the casual sex game. It felt that a big page was turning here… (maybe?)
The best so far!
In a masochistic and painful and very well written way!
September 9, 2015
Written July 3, 2014
5 Stars - the best part so far - gripping, touching and totally a Nick Nowak big shot.
Book #5
I just loved this one... A big warm applause from me!
***********************************************************
Once again, we meet Nick and his by now hard hunting, of a cruel "gay-boys" murderer, has become a personal vendetta. ~ Both so horribly awful and sad but also so heartbreaking nice and touching. Romantic after-wisdom and love always makes me jump on the bandwagon.
I'll not nag a lot about how good this fifth part was but just note that I urgently need to read book the sixth part, Boystown 6: From The Ashes: A Nick Nowak Mystery.
...Sadly, hasn't #6 yet been released as an audio book so I'll have to read the story all by myself again. I'll miss Brad Langer's excellent narrating of these books. His voice for our hero Nick, and his attention to the context and the narrative style, is magical well made.
***********************************************************
A highly recommended series for romance readers which also loves crime stories. The Boystown series is about gay men in the 1980:s Chicago. There is this cool, tough, horny gay MC —the unforgetable— private investigator Nick Nowak.
I LIKE - big applause and tribute-roar!!
*************************
The Boystown series by Marshall Thornton:
#1 (3.8 stars), #2 (4 stars), #3 (4.5 stars) and #4 (4.7 stars)
+ 
5 Stars - the best part so far - gripping, touching and totally a Nick Nowak big shot.
Book #5
I just loved this one... A big warm applause from me!
***********************************************************
Once again, we meet Nick and his by now hard hunting, of a cruel "gay-boys" murderer, has become a personal vendetta. ~ Both so horribly awful and sad but also so heartbreaking nice and touching. Romantic after-wisdom and love always makes me jump on the bandwagon.
I'll not nag a lot about how good this fifth part was but just note that I urgently need to read book the sixth part, Boystown 6: From The Ashes: A Nick Nowak Mystery.
...Sadly, hasn't #6 yet been released as an audio book so I'll have to read the story all by myself again. I'll miss Brad Langer's excellent narrating of these books. His voice for our hero Nick, and his attention to the context and the narrative style, is magical well made.
***********************************************************
A highly recommended series for romance readers which also loves crime stories. The Boystown series is about gay men in the 1980:s Chicago. There is this cool, tough, horny gay MC —the unforgetable— private investigator Nick Nowak.
I LIKE - big applause and tribute-roar!!
*************************
The Boystown series by Marshall Thornton:
#1 (3.8 stars), #2 (4 stars), #3 (4.5 stars) and #4 (4.7 stars)
+ 
June 30, 2015
4.5
It is impossible to write about this book without spoilers, so I'll just keep it short.
The first page, the first paragraph, the first sentence of Murder Book is like a slap in the face. I had to read it more than once to let it sink!
You think you know how it will happen and you get a beginning like this.
Nick Nowak doesn't deal well with pain. He avoids it any way he can. He works through it and if you've read the previous books, he has other ways of avoiding things he'd rather not think about.
You can see from the book description that Murder Book is about the Bughouse Slasher. It made me angry. Why exactly, I am not sure. Nick, most likely.
Don't expect this to be a story with a clean-cut ending. That is one of the most important things to remember here. That kind of ending wouldn't work at all. That and the fact that Nick Nowak is an uncommon character you come to like if you stick to the series. And, to be honest, it would be a real shame if you don't.
For some reason the tropes, weird resolutions and author's decisions I would hate otherwise work well in Boystown books and that is worth a star of its own. You don't have to like everything in a book to appreciate it.
It is impossible to write about this book without spoilers, so I'll just keep it short.
The first page, the first paragraph, the first sentence of Murder Book is like a slap in the face. I had to read it more than once to let it sink!
You think you know how it will happen and you get a beginning like this.
Nick Nowak doesn't deal well with pain. He avoids it any way he can. He works through it and if you've read the previous books, he has other ways of avoiding things he'd rather not think about.
You can see from the book description that Murder Book is about the Bughouse Slasher. It made me angry. Why exactly, I am not sure. Nick, most likely.
Don't expect this to be a story with a clean-cut ending. That is one of the most important things to remember here. That kind of ending wouldn't work at all. That and the fact that Nick Nowak is an uncommon character you come to like if you stick to the series. And, to be honest, it would be a real shame if you don't.
For some reason the tropes, weird resolutions and author's decisions I would hate otherwise work well in Boystown books and that is worth a star of its own. You don't have to like everything in a book to appreciate it.
November 10, 2014
Murder Book, book 5 in Marshall Thornton’s Boystown series, is impossible for me to review and discuss without spoilers. So I have to hang up the Caution Spoilers Ahead sign. Spoilers may be in the text and behind tags.
****Spoiler Alert****Spoilers Ahead****
Marshall Thornton had me at book one. His direct, honest, gritty style and look at the world around him is captivating. And Nick! PI Nick Nowak has become one of my all-time favorite characters. A voice you have to listen to and follow. Gruff and hilarious! The man can go from snide to sexy in a *snap*. Both Thornton and Nick have impressed and charmed me more and more, deeper and deeper with each book and visit to Chicago. All that said though. Even though I already knew and experienced Thornton’s brilliant way with words, tone, and pace. He still managed to bring me to my knees with a stunning, brutal, and heartbreaking move. I was not prepared. I mean I was, but not like that. Not like that! It was bloody brilliant!
This is a huge spoiler. Do NOT click if you plan to read this series.
And Nick being Nick—once again turns to sex and booze to forget. To get lost in. He doesn’t want to think about what happened and what he did or didn’t do. So he goes numb. Sleepless nights in the dark. Drinking. Forgetting. Fucking.
”I wanted to stick my dick into his mouth, but more than that I wanted to be consumed, I wanted to be absorbed.”
This was a powerful punch to the Boystown world. One I will never forget.
Two of my favorite lines:
“I drifted a little. Sleeping some; if you can sleep within a dream.”
And
“Grieving is like being set afire. Except when you try to put out the flames they disappear; when you try to salve your wounds you find your skin unblemished. You take a breath, thinking the worst has passed, and then grief bursts into flame anew. It rages, it roars, it smolders, all its own unfathomable whim. You can’t shake it; you have no choice but to burn.”
May 2, 2014
I wasn't going to write a review for this book. (I was feeling lazy, I suppose, or waiting for some kind of review genius to hit me.)
But then I saw a review on Amazon that stated this book is not as compelling as the previous installments.
What the what?!?
Leaving aside that everyone has a right to their opinion and I am completely against trolls slamming other reviewers for any reviews of their favorite authors that contain any hint of criticism -- that said -- and with all due respect -- I strongly disagree with that reviewer. (I really want to say that that reviewer must be FUCKING HIGH, but I'm trying to be nice. And failing horribly.)
Just when Nick Nowak, our dark hero, our ironic PI, is perhaps starting trust again, at least in one individual, Mr. Thornton rips the GD rug out from under us. From the very first page of Murder Book (and DO NOT look at the first page unless you enjoy MAJOR SPOILERS) he changes the course of Nick's life in a way that hasn't happened since before the series began.
It is shocking.
It is brutal.
It is heartbreaking.
It is necessary.
And it is brilliant.
How does Thornton do it? How does he express so much emotion with such spare language? I want to rip the pages apart word by word and try and glue them back together, just to see if I could do it. (Answer: I can't. It's one of kind.)
Clearly I am biased. I'm not male, I'm not gay, I've never lived in Chicago or any city of that size. I barely remember the early 80s. I hate mustaches. And the fact that Nick owns a three piece tan corduroy suit makes me shiver in horror (luckily it doesn't make an appearance in this book). But I relate to Nick's pain, his humor, his isolation, his need to solve mysteries so perhaps he can solve the mysteries in his own life.
You are seriously missing out if you skip this series.
If you don't get it, I don't get you.
(Ok, that's kind of a strong statement. Normally I'm a nice, understanding person. Kinda. I respect other people opinons. Generally. But, seriously, Goodreads readers, you need to read this series.)
And, yes, it's because I said so.
Other books in this series:
Little Boy Dead: A Boystown Prequel
Boystown: Three Nick Nowak Mysteries
Boystown 2: Three More Nick Nowak Mysteries
Boystown 3: Two Nick Nowak Novellas
Boystown 4: A Time For Secrets
Boystown 5: Murder Book
Boystown 6: From the Ashes
But then I saw a review on Amazon that stated this book is not as compelling as the previous installments.
What the what?!?
Leaving aside that everyone has a right to their opinion and I am completely against trolls slamming other reviewers for any reviews of their favorite authors that contain any hint of criticism -- that said -- and with all due respect -- I strongly disagree with that reviewer. (I really want to say that that reviewer must be FUCKING HIGH, but I'm trying to be nice. And failing horribly.)
Just when Nick Nowak, our dark hero, our ironic PI, is perhaps starting trust again, at least in one individual, Mr. Thornton rips the GD rug out from under us. From the very first page of Murder Book (and DO NOT look at the first page unless you enjoy MAJOR SPOILERS) he changes the course of Nick's life in a way that hasn't happened since before the series began.
It is shocking.
It is brutal.
It is heartbreaking.
It is necessary.
And it is brilliant.
How does Thornton do it? How does he express so much emotion with such spare language? I want to rip the pages apart word by word and try and glue them back together, just to see if I could do it. (Answer: I can't. It's one of kind.)
Clearly I am biased. I'm not male, I'm not gay, I've never lived in Chicago or any city of that size. I barely remember the early 80s. I hate mustaches. And the fact that Nick owns a three piece tan corduroy suit makes me shiver in horror (luckily it doesn't make an appearance in this book). But I relate to Nick's pain, his humor, his isolation, his need to solve mysteries so perhaps he can solve the mysteries in his own life.
You are seriously missing out if you skip this series.
If you don't get it, I don't get you.
(Ok, that's kind of a strong statement. Normally I'm a nice, understanding person. Kinda. I respect other people opinons. Generally. But, seriously, Goodreads readers, you need to read this series.)
And, yes, it's because I said so.
Other books in this series:
Little Boy Dead: A Boystown Prequel
Boystown: Three Nick Nowak Mysteries
Boystown 2: Three More Nick Nowak Mysteries
Boystown 3: Two Nick Nowak Novellas
Boystown 4: A Time For Secrets
Boystown 5: Murder Book
Boystown 6: From the Ashes
June 8, 2014
Leading into this book, the twin threats of the disease newly identified as AIDS, and violence against gay men, including the Bughouse Slasher case that Harker can't let go of, formed a slowly intensifying, predictable arc. Until now. Author Thornton breaks the pattern as this book opens, and the reader and Nick are both left struggling to regain their balance. This is a dark installment, as Nick learns just what Harker actually means to him, and as loss and change hits harder throughout the gay community.
Nick is such a stoic man that he buries what he feels in brief laconic phrases, and in actions that speak louder to the reader than any of his words. He uses sex for distraction, as he always has, and yet finds it doesn't work the way it once did. He learns things about Harker that are at once a betrayal of sorts and yet deepen his understanding. And in the end, Nick has to make choices when his intellect, his conscience and his heart can't agree.
A masterful, if bleak, tale of one more big step in the personal journey of Nick Nowak, PI, amid the gay men and street-level realities of 1980's Chicago.
Nick is such a stoic man that he buries what he feels in brief laconic phrases, and in actions that speak louder to the reader than any of his words. He uses sex for distraction, as he always has, and yet finds it doesn't work the way it once did. He learns things about Harker that are at once a betrayal of sorts and yet deepen his understanding. And in the end, Nick has to make choices when his intellect, his conscience and his heart can't agree.
A masterful, if bleak, tale of one more big step in the personal journey of Nick Nowak, PI, amid the gay men and street-level realities of 1980's Chicago.
September 25, 2019
6 stars!!! Perfection!!! Onto book 6!!! I can't stop...
audio by Brad Langer - 5 ⭐️
audio by Brad Langer - 5 ⭐️
October 16, 2022
A murder book keep away the grief…
Spoiler!!
Barker is dead & Nick picks up where he left off tracking down the serial killer.
All the while he’s doing what Nick does: smoking, drinking, and screwing.
Fabulous mystery & my favorite of the series this far.
Phenomenal narration!
Spoiler!!
Barker is dead & Nick picks up where he left off tracking down the serial killer.
All the while he’s doing what Nick does: smoking, drinking, and screwing.
Fabulous mystery & my favorite of the series this far.
Phenomenal narration!
November 12, 2014
My favorite so far. In addition to being sexy private-eye stories, the Nick Nowak books are historical in a time and place with which I have very a personal connection. Book 5 really hit home for me, I am talking late summer of 1982 and Tylenol. The first death occurred in my home town, a suburb of Chicago and as soon as the Tylenol was implicated, cops were driving up and down the streets in their cruisers shouting in their bullhorns "DO NOT TAKE TYLENOL". It was primitive but effective. Keep in mind, many people didn't even have cable TV or answering machines at the time, and Al Gore was still busy inventing the internet. So while the Bughouse slasher may have been an invented character, Mr. Thornton artfully mixes his this plot with real events and places. The Tylenol crisis of 1892 was shocking and so is Boystown 5. The Tylenol crisis came on fast and was resolved relatively quickly, a microcosm of the AIDS crisis that is playing out in real-time during the stories. As readers, we all know the serious heath risks that Nick and friends are facing, but they don't know this, yet. Hopefully very soon, they will hear the metaphorical cops shouting into their bullhorns "DO NOT HAVE UNPROTECTED SEX".
BTW, I loved how Nick managed to after drinking a bottle of Scotch for lunch. That's why he is all kinds of win for me.
BTW, I loved how Nick managed to after drinking a bottle of Scotch for lunch. That's why he is all kinds of win for me.
January 23, 2017
What a ride!
All the warnings I received before starting this were on the spot.
All the warnings I received before starting this were on the spot.
April 17, 2013
I've read all of Marshall Thornton's "Boystown" series, evolving from the first triad of novellas in book 1 into the latest, single-volume number 5, chillingly titled "Murder Book." It's the best of a strong series; compelling and moving and appalling by turns.
For any aficionado of gritty, urban murder mysteries, Thornton's Nick Nowak is an appealing character. He's a gay Sam Spade, a tough guy who's into guys. His unromantic no-bullshit Polish cop roots serve him well in the context of not-quite-glamorous-yet Chicago of the early 1980s. Nick's ultimate appeal is the side most people don't see: the side that hurts and loves and suffers.
For a gay man of my generation, there is a particular ugly frisson of recognition in the personal narrative that unfolds over the course of the series and comes to a kind of conclusion in the present book. The unpleasant dual narratives that have intertwined in the last three volumes are the appearance of a serial killer known as the Bughouse Slasher; and the even more frightening appearance of a new disease that seems to be affecting mostly gay men - including Nowak's lover, Bert Harker. Those of us who survived this era will ache in sympathy with Nick's position.
Thornton's writing is old school: crisp, descriptive, but unornamented. It perfectly represents Nowak's increasingly bleak view of the world, putting the reader in the place of Nowak's increasingly anxious circle of friends. We want to reach out to him, to try to make things better - but in his bitter anger, he just pushes us away.
This book is not the end of Nick Nowak. Marshall is already at work on book 6. Let's hope it's as good as this one - if maybe a little happier.
For any aficionado of gritty, urban murder mysteries, Thornton's Nick Nowak is an appealing character. He's a gay Sam Spade, a tough guy who's into guys. His unromantic no-bullshit Polish cop roots serve him well in the context of not-quite-glamorous-yet Chicago of the early 1980s. Nick's ultimate appeal is the side most people don't see: the side that hurts and loves and suffers.
For a gay man of my generation, there is a particular ugly frisson of recognition in the personal narrative that unfolds over the course of the series and comes to a kind of conclusion in the present book. The unpleasant dual narratives that have intertwined in the last three volumes are the appearance of a serial killer known as the Bughouse Slasher; and the even more frightening appearance of a new disease that seems to be affecting mostly gay men - including Nowak's lover, Bert Harker. Those of us who survived this era will ache in sympathy with Nick's position.
Thornton's writing is old school: crisp, descriptive, but unornamented. It perfectly represents Nowak's increasingly bleak view of the world, putting the reader in the place of Nowak's increasingly anxious circle of friends. We want to reach out to him, to try to make things better - but in his bitter anger, he just pushes us away.
This book is not the end of Nick Nowak. Marshall is already at work on book 6. Let's hope it's as good as this one - if maybe a little happier.
May 3, 2014
Grabbed me from the first word and hauled me through to the end in a huge ball of emotion. Why this was so when it is just a common tale of loss is witness to the book itself.
Thornton’s spare, no frills, writing appeals to me. He makes me feel without forcing or urging me to and this I appreciate. I also like how Thornton writes women. Unlike some writers who write women terribly, Thornton writes women as they are, just like he writes his men; no embellishments or exclamations. Examples of this being Gloria, Sugar, Carolyn and Mrs Harker.
All else I need to say about the book is spoilerish so
I would recommend this to anyone who does not need to be told to feel to feel.
Thornton’s spare, no frills, writing appeals to me. He makes me feel without forcing or urging me to and this I appreciate. I also like how Thornton writes women. Unlike some writers who write women terribly, Thornton writes women as they are, just like he writes his men; no embellishments or exclamations. Examples of this being Gloria, Sugar, Carolyn and Mrs Harker.
All else I need to say about the book is spoilerish so
I would recommend this to anyone who does not need to be told to feel to feel.
August 13, 2019
This book broke me. I cried from the very first line...
If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.
Because of the feels...
If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.
Because of the feels...
October 30, 2014
First thing I'd like to point out, THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE! Those expecting a love story, may be left disappointed and unfulfilled.
However, even for a romance-junkie like me, it became an all-time favorite series. I don't find myself in such a whirlwind of emotions very often, but here they kept creeping up on me and catching me unaware.
Marshall Thornton is an exceptional writer. With very precise and effortless observations and descriptions he shows rather than tells the story. It's so easy to get transported into Nick's world and see it through his eyes. A truly amazing experience.
I liked that Nick is portrayed as a real person with all his faults, doubts, mistakes and fears. It's easy to dispise his actions but impossible to hold a grudge for long. The guy is simply irresistible. He knows it and he doesn't hesitate to use it, sometimes hurting people in the process. But that only makes him human.
I thought it was quite enlightening to read about the problems gay men faced and dealt with at the early 80s. I'd like to believe the world has evolved considerably since then, and can't help but compare.
The mystery is very intense and expertly thought out. Some time during the last few chapters, I kept holding my breath and felt my hair raising. The case of the book 5 has been slowly built throughout the series and gained a painfully personal twist to it, so it became an obsession for me to find out as soon as possible who did what. I couldn't read fast enough.
Boystown series exceeded my expectations by far. To me, each instalment was better than its predecessor and I was consistently being kept on my toes. I guess, I still am, because I can't wait to start the next book and be a part of Nick's world again.
However, even for a romance-junkie like me, it became an all-time favorite series. I don't find myself in such a whirlwind of emotions very often, but here they kept creeping up on me and catching me unaware.
“Emotions came in waves. But not like the lake, where the waves could be gentle and healing. No, these were shock waves. Electric and jolting.”
Marshall Thornton is an exceptional writer. With very precise and effortless observations and descriptions he shows rather than tells the story. It's so easy to get transported into Nick's world and see it through his eyes. A truly amazing experience.
“I could have gotten on the El and been home in twenty minutes or so. But I couldn’t stand the idea of being that still, that patient, that close to people. So I walked. I walked by a couple of construction sites, by a row of brick townhouses one after another, by a Bible college that promised all the answers and delivered none. I walked and walked and walked. I couldn’t tell you if it was cold or warm. The sky was gray but downright sunny compared to my mood.”
I liked that Nick is portrayed as a real person with all his faults, doubts, mistakes and fears. It's easy to dispise his actions but impossible to hold a grudge for long. The guy is simply irresistible. He knows it and he doesn't hesitate to use it, sometimes hurting people in the process. But that only makes him human.
“You’re young, you don’t get it. So let me explain something to you. When a guy lets you suck him off and he doesn’t return the favor, the way I just didn’t return the favor, that means he doesn’t like you all that much.”Sorry, couldn't resist this quote :)
I thought it was quite enlightening to read about the problems gay men faced and dealt with at the early 80s. I'd like to believe the world has evolved considerably since then, and can't help but compare.
The mystery is very intense and expertly thought out. Some time during the last few chapters, I kept holding my breath and felt my hair raising. The case of the book 5 has been slowly built throughout the series and gained a painfully personal twist to it, so it became an obsession for me to find out as soon as possible who did what. I couldn't read fast enough.
Boystown series exceeded my expectations by far. To me, each instalment was better than its predecessor and I was consistently being kept on my toes. I guess, I still am, because I can't wait to start the next book and be a part of Nick's world again.
July 1, 2014
"Grieving is like being set afire. Except when you try to put out the flames they disappear; when you try to salve your wounds you find your skin unblemished. You take a breath, thinking the worst has passed, and then grief bursts into flames anew. It rages, it roars, it smolders, all at its own unfathomable whim. You can't shake it; you have no choice but to burn."
I was trying so hard not to cry towards the end of the story--- when I read the above quote I lost my battle--this is such a great series--well written--highly recommended
I was trying so hard not to cry towards the end of the story--- when I read the above quote I lost my battle--this is such a great series--well written--highly recommended
March 8, 2015
5++++
If I will find it in me to write something that will be able to transfer what I feel, I will, but I doubt that I will!
Can I just, in a more personal note say:
Thank you mr Thornton for an amazing ride (and -please write faster?)
And, thank you Lena! Can I catch a flight and give you a hug?
If I will find it in me to write something that will be able to transfer what I feel, I will, but I doubt that I will!
Can I just, in a more personal note say:
Thank you mr Thornton for an amazing ride (and -please write faster?)
And, thank you Lena! Can I catch a flight and give you a hug?
November 22, 2013
This series has unexpectedly become a favorite; however, its favor did not evolve until I read/listened (I purchased the first three books in audio and read the remaining two)to the entire series. The first book was incredibly entertaining, full of steamy encounters and barely suggesting an emotional depth to the PI protagonist, Nick Nowak. Honestly, it was borderline porn-erotic fiction. So, that got my attention on a more base level of interest and kept me reading. I was surprised as the character of Nick develops through an ongoing series of short mysteries. Not only does Nick continue his adventures, but characters introduced throughout the series return and intertwine in the successive mysteries. By book three, I was hooked. The stories are very well written; the mood is dark and urban. Nick begins as a callous, shallow, hedonistic man and with amazing subtlety develops into a compassionate and deeply feeling character, connected to each of the new supporting characters encountered throughout the stories. The mysteries are enthralling, but what goes on in the world around Nick makes the series an almost historical depiction of the early AIDS epidemic and the gay experience in Chicago. One mystery takes characters back to 1959, sharing the heart wrenching intolerance of the mid-western city. Be warned, it is not a story of convenient happy endings. The fifth and most recent story is tragically heart breaking, the first line of the first chapter had me near tears. Very explicit in an erotic sense, dark and moody, full of interesting characters, the series was enthralling. For anyone who lived through the 1980's and lost friends to AIDS when so little was known, the story will undoubtedly stir very real heart ache.
I must also add, that the audio books are incredibly well done.
The sixth book is due sometime in April, 2014.
I must also add, that the audio books are incredibly well done.
The sixth book is due sometime in April, 2014.
September 8, 2013
Mr Thornton can do no wrong - I love his books and particularly this series - of course now I want more. The more I read (in general) I realise that I love a flawed MC, maybe it's because I, myself am so flawed, I don't know, it seems far more realistic. Right off to find something to tide me over until the next book comes out!
June 6, 2014
Marshall Thornton- I want my heart back dammit. Cause it's been crushed. Fucking crushed
February 8, 2015
One of Marshall's best in my humble opinion. A roller coaster ride of emotions and angst. The cemetery scene had me on the edge of my seat.
March 6, 2016
Started out by breaking my heart.
Very, very disconcerting.
I of course immediately started book 6 and again can't review properly.
It's like an addiction. A Nick addiction.
Very, very disconcerting.
I of course immediately started book 6 and again can't review properly.
It's like an addiction. A Nick addiction.
February 8, 2015
This book didn't go the way I expected it to go. And it broke my heart right from the very first line of the very first page. But it was a compelling story and I couldn't stop listening. Moving on to Book 6. The last of the books out for now. Hoping for a sliver of peace for Nick.
August 22, 2021
"Any mind that is capable of real sorrow is capable of good." After the absolute devastation of Murder Book, I ache for Nick and his unbearable sorrow.
Reread in 2021:Still a gut-punch and as wrenching to read the second time as the first. 5 stars.
Reread in 2021:Still a gut-punch and as wrenching to read the second time as the first. 5 stars.
November 2, 2016
4.5 Stars
January 5, 2020
Still a fav.
November 11, 2024
I was not expecting that first line. At least not like that, and not so SOON.
I started the book, expecting a fun Nick book. Instead I got stabbed in the gut, from the beginning.
I already loved the Nick Nowak series, and considered it a favorite...but this skyrocketed my opinion. The Nick series has always had substance, but this here was the meat and potatoes to the meal. They have never been pretty little romances. The series are about a Nicks life as a whole, not just a love interest. I think the series is stronger because of this book.
Nick coped pretty well while he had a purpose. He hurt, but he kept going.
Now that his goal has been met, IDK what he'll do. I can't see him going back to his regular scheduled program. I think things are going to get a lot darker for Nick, before they get better.
I can't wait to continue on to the next book. This was an emotional one, and I expect there will be more in the future. This book, just bumped the series from low on my all time favorites, to pretty high up there. As much as I try to spread the books out over a little time, I don't think I'll be able to. I need to know how Nick is doing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re-read 4/29/19
This is the catalyst that started a huge change in Nick's life. Since I've read ahead, I know Nick will never be the same. Don't worry, it causes him to grow, not just curl up in a ball and become boring.
Even knowing what was to come, it still broke my heart to watch Nick's break.
I started the book, expecting a fun Nick book. Instead I got stabbed in the gut, from the beginning.
I already loved the Nick Nowak series, and considered it a favorite...but this skyrocketed my opinion. The Nick series has always had substance, but this here was the meat and potatoes to the meal. They have never been pretty little romances. The series are about a Nicks life as a whole, not just a love interest. I think the series is stronger because of this book.
Nick coped pretty well while he had a purpose. He hurt, but he kept going.
Now that his goal has been met, IDK what he'll do. I can't see him going back to his regular scheduled program. I think things are going to get a lot darker for Nick, before they get better.
I can't wait to continue on to the next book. This was an emotional one, and I expect there will be more in the future. This book, just bumped the series from low on my all time favorites, to pretty high up there. As much as I try to spread the books out over a little time, I don't think I'll be able to. I need to know how Nick is doing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re-read 4/29/19
This is the catalyst that started a huge change in Nick's life. Since I've read ahead, I know Nick will never be the same. Don't worry, it causes him to grow, not just curl up in a ball and become boring.
Even knowing what was to come, it still broke my heart to watch Nick's break.
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