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Boystown #4
A Time For Secrets
In the first full-length novel of the Boystown series, it's late summer 1982 and private detective Nick Nowak is asked to find a retired gentleman's long lost lover. Instead, he finds himself embroiled in a decades old murder connected to the man who wants to be Chicago's next mayor. Meanwhile, an ambitious young reporter develops a friendship with Nick's lover Bert, making Nick wonder exactly where their relationship may be heading.
6 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 30, 2012
58 people are currently reading
277 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 99 reviews
April 19, 2019
5++++++ You're Mine stars
It is 1982, Police brutality, Police corruption, Politicians corruption is high in Chicago.
The freedom of having unprotected sex with strangers is still a thing and GRID got a new name.
“By the way, they’ve changed the name. They’re not calling it GRID anymore. They’re calling it AIDS. It stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.”
Because:
-Nick, Harker, Daniel, Mrs. Harker, Ross, Brian, Sugar and Christian have become family.
-The mystery in this one was the best. Secrets and more secrets kept me guessing until the end. Nick is the best PI ever.
-Nick is so much fun and funny, you can't help but LOL every time he opens his mouth. Marshall has the best sense of humor, It is dry, sarcastic and hits you just right.
-Jealous Nick! OMG! another great part of this book.
-Nick can't keep a secret for shit! But then he goes and says something like this! And you can't help but love him even more.
But, you’re mine, and if that’s what’s happening to you then that’s mine too.”
-It was emotional.
-It was fun.
-The writing is sooooooooo goooood and engaging. Looks like i will be spending most of my time in the 80's in Chicago with the residents of Boystown.
It is 1982, Police brutality, Police corruption, Politicians corruption is high in Chicago.
The freedom of having unprotected sex with strangers is still a thing and GRID got a new name.
“By the way, they’ve changed the name. They’re not calling it GRID anymore. They’re calling it AIDS. It stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.”
Because:
-Nick, Harker, Daniel, Mrs. Harker, Ross, Brian, Sugar and Christian have become family.
-The mystery in this one was the best. Secrets and more secrets kept me guessing until the end. Nick is the best PI ever.
-Nick is so much fun and funny, you can't help but LOL every time he opens his mouth. Marshall has the best sense of humor, It is dry, sarcastic and hits you just right.
-Jealous Nick! OMG! another great part of this book.
-Nick can't keep a secret for shit! But then he goes and says something like this! And you can't help but love him even more.
But, you’re mine, and if that’s what’s happening to you then that’s mine too.”
-It was emotional.
-It was fun.
-The writing is sooooooooo goooood and engaging. Looks like i will be spending most of my time in the 80's in Chicago with the residents of Boystown.
April 13, 2017
Nick, Nick, Nick.
At first I think I gave you too much credit from the last book, because over and over in this installment you should have known better.
You should have known better than to tell Harker's secret.
You should have known better than to continue feeding your huge libido.
You should have known better than to interfere with a police investigation.
Most of the time things work out for you because you're part lucky bastard and part quite good at your job. But I have to say that I've never been so mad at a person for blatant stupidity and neglect of other's feelings. I just wanted to reach through my kindle and throttle you many, many times!!
Having said that, your luck did persevere and your risk taking did pay off. Harker is right. You're a stubborn shit and that character flaw (or you can call it a trait) redeems you. Despite the fact that I disagree with your personal decision making skills, you do have morals most of the people you encounter do not. And yes, that's what counts.
So I guess I'm giving you back your "credit", and keeping my fingers crossed. You're not making this easy on me at all, but that won't stop me from seeing what else is in store for you in the future. I only want the best for you but sometimes you make it very hard to like you. Am I going to end up telling myself I should have known better??
At first I think I gave you too much credit from the last book, because over and over in this installment you should have known better.
You should have known better than to tell Harker's secret.
You should have known better than to continue feeding your huge libido.
You should have known better than to interfere with a police investigation.
Most of the time things work out for you because you're part lucky bastard and part quite good at your job. But I have to say that I've never been so mad at a person for blatant stupidity and neglect of other's feelings. I just wanted to reach through my kindle and throttle you many, many times!!
Having said that, your luck did persevere and your risk taking did pay off. Harker is right. You're a stubborn shit and that character flaw (or you can call it a trait) redeems you. Despite the fact that I disagree with your personal decision making skills, you do have morals most of the people you encounter do not. And yes, that's what counts.
So I guess I'm giving you back your "credit", and keeping my fingers crossed. You're not making this easy on me at all, but that won't stop me from seeing what else is in store for you in the future. I only want the best for you but sometimes you make it very hard to like you. Am I going to end up telling myself I should have known better??
June 21, 2017
Audible
I want this series to be a movie.
It'll be great, I'm sure, but it'll never be as great as the book itself.
Boystown is my all time favourite series, Nick Nowak is my all time favourite PI, Marshall Thornton is one of my favourite mystery writers, and Brad Langer is one of my favourite narrator.
That's all I really want to say.
If you have not read it yet, you can chose between an audible, print or an ebook version. Doesn't matter what you chose, you won't be disappointed.
September 9, 2015
Written June 28, 2014
4.7 Stars - heartbreaking on all fronts; the love-life, the investigations and the awful reality. Shudder good!
Book #4
It isn't much to say; I adore these books. I'm a Nick Nowak addict. ...and I just love to listening to great narrated audiobooks.
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 - I more than like..
*************************
The Boystown series by Marshall Thornton:
#1 (3.8 stars), #2 (4 stars) and #3 (4.5 stars)
+ 
4.7 Stars - heartbreaking on all fronts; the love-life, the investigations and the awful reality. Shudder good!
Book #4
It isn't much to say; I adore these books. I'm a Nick Nowak addict. ...and I just love to listening to great narrated audiobooks.
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 - I more than like..
*************************
The Boystown series by Marshall Thornton:
#1 (3.8 stars), #2 (4 stars) and #3 (4.5 stars)
+ 
August 11, 2016
”I caught his eye, and we looked at each other. This was going to be good, I could tell.”
Politics, murder, secrets and more. So much more!
Book 4 in Marshall Thornton’s Boystown series hits hard. A “find-this person” case that appeared simple enough on the surface quickly turns to BIG time trouble for Nick. The it-can-get-you-killed-in-a-hurry kind of trouble! A case with a world of hurt attached to it and a strangle hold on witnesses, history, and the truth. Can Nick reveal the truth without getting hurt? You’re going to have to hop on the El train to find out. :)
I really can’t say much more about the mystery or Nick’s personal life without spoiling the shocks, twists, and jabs of emotions. But I will say that I learned and loved so much more about Nick Nowak in this visit. Readers really get to see what makes Nick tick. Old flames, new friends, and family all come into play with power and pain. We discover a new jealous side to Nick, which was hilariously infantile and fun at times. Haha….And Nick’s fierce sense of justice shines in this book. Shines! This story held my full attention and heart from the first click til the last. A story filled with history, fear, sex and secrets. So many secrets. Secrets that needed to come out.
You won’t be able to stop reading once you hear Nick's voice and see Marshall Thornton’s way with words on the page. Terse, gritty, honest words that pack a punch. Quick jabs of regret, humor and love.
Come on! Come meet Nick and Chicago in the 80s. See, feel, and listen to it all.
My favorite line:
January 21, 2015
The real treasures don't lie on the surface.
You have to dig deeper to find them.
Have patience and you'll be rewarded.
Amen.
October 15, 2022
Corruption central!
Let’s try for a review Amazon won’t reject.
There is an old muerden
There is a new double murder
Nick’s boyfriend is getting sicker
Nick works his case and has random sex
Best enjoyed in order.
Let’s try for a review Amazon won’t reject.
There is an old muerden
There is a new double murder
Nick’s boyfriend is getting sicker
Nick works his case and has random sex
Best enjoyed in order.
September 29, 2019
Darn Nick.
You made me really like you!
And I have no idea how that happened. Well, mostly.
I certainly know it has a lot to do with the unflappable integrity Nick shows in this instalment of the series. Nothing, not even the thing he craves most, can blow him off course when he has set his eyes on getting justice for an unthinkable crime.
It also has a lot to do with the way Nick deals with Harker’s situation. He is supportive and thoughtful, and not only Harker’s eyes moistened when Nick makes it crystal clear that he will not abandon his lover, no matter what.
Finally, I’m pretty sure it has to do with the very slow unraveling of Nick’s self-awareness. He seems to be more willing to reflect on his life and his actions.
“Everything about my life, everything about my work told me that secrets were like knives. But they didn’t just cut both ways, they cut any way they could.”
“In any way, I missed being in the closet. I knew it was plain stupid, but I had loved being a police officer, being on the job. And I had loved going home to Daniel. I knew I’d been foolish to think that I could keep them separate, that I could hold on to both of them. But that’s what I’d thought, what I’d believed. I believed anything was possible. I didn’t believe that anymore, and I missed believing it.”
“Since I’d spent a good amount of my life pretending things were other than they actually were, I was on familiar ground. Denial and I were old buddies.”
And even better, for the first time I remember he wants to talk about something in his relationship.
I gradually might understand his boom and bang attitude (doing practically every willing guy he comes across). After Nick’s revelation to himself (about how he feels about a certain guy) I wondered if he would stop sleeping around. It hasn’t happened.
But hooooooold there! And don’t run off in disgust!
I am gradually starting to see why he does it. The main reason seems to be that for him, it means absolutely nothing other than sexual gratification which in itself is totally separate from his real emotions. I know, I know, I can hear many voices saying that this POV doesn’t make ‘cheating’ okay. I agree, but for Nick this is true:
“..yes, I messed around here and there, and I thought he (his boyfriend) was pretty aware of that. But I would never spend a night with someone else. Sleeping with someone suggested a kind of intimacy that having sex with them did not. Sleeping with someone meant you knew their name and wanted to be close to them neither of which was necessary for sex.”
So, it seems that even a warm handshake and a hug have more meaning to Nick than f***ing a guy over his desk. And his behavior doesn’t cause any upset with his boyfriend for various reasons.
On a different point – Marshall Thornton does an amazing job at letting us relive the early 80s and the onset of AIDS. Again, the ignorance of people (because they simply didn’t know better) struck me with horror and sorrow.
And I can’t imagine how Nick will feel when the full truth about AIDS and the way it spreads is going to come to light.
On to the next!
You made me really like you!
And I have no idea how that happened. Well, mostly.
I certainly know it has a lot to do with the unflappable integrity Nick shows in this instalment of the series. Nothing, not even the thing he craves most, can blow him off course when he has set his eyes on getting justice for an unthinkable crime.
It also has a lot to do with the way Nick deals with Harker’s situation. He is supportive and thoughtful, and not only Harker’s eyes moistened when Nick makes it crystal clear that he will not abandon his lover, no matter what.
Finally, I’m pretty sure it has to do with the very slow unraveling of Nick’s self-awareness. He seems to be more willing to reflect on his life and his actions.
“Everything about my life, everything about my work told me that secrets were like knives. But they didn’t just cut both ways, they cut any way they could.”
“In any way, I missed being in the closet. I knew it was plain stupid, but I had loved being a police officer, being on the job. And I had loved going home to Daniel. I knew I’d been foolish to think that I could keep them separate, that I could hold on to both of them. But that’s what I’d thought, what I’d believed. I believed anything was possible. I didn’t believe that anymore, and I missed believing it.”
“Since I’d spent a good amount of my life pretending things were other than they actually were, I was on familiar ground. Denial and I were old buddies.”
And even better, for the first time I remember he wants to talk about something in his relationship.
I gradually might understand his boom and bang attitude (doing practically every willing guy he comes across). After Nick’s revelation to himself (about how he feels about a certain guy) I wondered if he would stop sleeping around. It hasn’t happened.
But hooooooold there! And don’t run off in disgust!
I am gradually starting to see why he does it. The main reason seems to be that for him, it means absolutely nothing other than sexual gratification which in itself is totally separate from his real emotions. I know, I know, I can hear many voices saying that this POV doesn’t make ‘cheating’ okay. I agree, but for Nick this is true:
“..yes, I messed around here and there, and I thought he (his boyfriend) was pretty aware of that. But I would never spend a night with someone else. Sleeping with someone suggested a kind of intimacy that having sex with them did not. Sleeping with someone meant you knew their name and wanted to be close to them neither of which was necessary for sex.”
So, it seems that even a warm handshake and a hug have more meaning to Nick than f***ing a guy over his desk. And his behavior doesn’t cause any upset with his boyfriend for various reasons.
On a different point – Marshall Thornton does an amazing job at letting us relive the early 80s and the onset of AIDS. Again, the ignorance of people (because they simply didn’t know better) struck me with horror and sorrow.
And I can’t imagine how Nick will feel when the full truth about AIDS and the way it spreads is going to come to light.
On to the next!
June 6, 2014
I really enjoyed this first full novel of the series. Nick is asked to locate a client's long-missing acquaintance, and is drawn into murder and corruption within the city. As someone who lived in Chicago in the early eighties, I love the period feel of this series, and am taken by (although not charmed to remember) the level of political machinations and corruption that marked the city in that era. Nick battles to see justice done, against the influence of those with wealth and power. We meet a couple of his closer family members, and are reminded that blood may be thicker than water, but it's sometimes thinner than money. And we're reminded that one of Nick's finer qualities is his desire for justice.
Harker, Nick's lover, is not declining fast, but he's also not getting better. His mother is hanging around Nick's house, cooking, insulting him, and wishing her son wasn't gay (perhaps even more vehemently because it distracts her from fearing that he may be dying.) She's a great, prickly, quirky yet believable character. Harker is subdued, dealing with the restrictions on his life and handling his fears quietly, for the most part. He gives Nick more patience and more leeway than Nick deserves, sometimes. And the affection and connection between them sweetens and strengthens as the book moves on.
Although GRID has now been renamed AIDS, at this point in the story the method of transmission is not known. So unprotected sex is still the norm, between Nick and various strangers, and between Nick and his clearly-positive lover. There is a poignancy watching that from the distance of the future that adds emotional weight to the story. This book has a slightly darker over-all tone, as Harker's situation becomes all too real to the main characters. But Nick's narrative tone and dry humor keep it from wallowing in angst. The lines of character and plot are skillfully and lightly drawn in, and the reader's own emotions color between those lines.
Harker, Nick's lover, is not declining fast, but he's also not getting better. His mother is hanging around Nick's house, cooking, insulting him, and wishing her son wasn't gay (perhaps even more vehemently because it distracts her from fearing that he may be dying.) She's a great, prickly, quirky yet believable character. Harker is subdued, dealing with the restrictions on his life and handling his fears quietly, for the most part. He gives Nick more patience and more leeway than Nick deserves, sometimes. And the affection and connection between them sweetens and strengthens as the book moves on.
Although GRID has now been renamed AIDS, at this point in the story the method of transmission is not known. So unprotected sex is still the norm, between Nick and various strangers, and between Nick and his clearly-positive lover. There is a poignancy watching that from the distance of the future that adds emotional weight to the story. This book has a slightly darker over-all tone, as Harker's situation becomes all too real to the main characters. But Nick's narrative tone and dry humor keep it from wallowing in angst. The lines of character and plot are skillfully and lightly drawn in, and the reader's own emotions color between those lines.
May 1, 2014
4.4 stars
This review might be spoilerish to those who have not read Book 1 to 3 which I strongly urge you to read before reading this book.
Thornton interweaves the cold case Nick is asked to investigate with Nick’s own story masterfully. The cold case definitely starts to warm up again and things spiral out of control both on a personal level and in the story.
At last Nick starts to acknowledge that his sexual shenanigans are leading him to trouble. This reminds me a bit of the film ‘Shame’, were sex had become an addiction not a pleasure, a means of escape or hiding, a temporary release leaving the protagonist empty.
Feelings/love for Harker crept up on Nick unawares. I think Nick needed the steadier, older Harker in his life, he proved to be a bulwark Nick could steady himself against. So I begin to understand a bit the difficult position Nick has found himself in, loving both Daniel and Harker, not an easy road this. In a way Nick has come to depend on his home life which includes Mrs Harker. As usual for Nick he does not seem to realise this until he is jolted into awareness by the arrival of jealousy. His standing up to be counted in his dealing with Harker's illness and his need to save others are I think his deep rooted reactions to his perceived inactions in the past.
Considering everything I liked this book best from the series up to know.
October 7, 2014
"Everything works out for the best." It always irked me when people said shit like that. I didn't believe it for a minute. Things did not work out for the best unless you bent logic into a pretzel."
This review contains spoilers for books 1-3.
First of all the mystery in this one was the best so far. This being the first full length novel, instead of a series of novellas, we get a much more complicated case. When Nick is hired to find a man's long lost lover, he stumbles across a decades old murder. While trying to find the murderer and later bring him to justice, he is confronted with the corruption of Chicago politics and just how deep it reaches into the Chicago PD.
This book also shows us more of Nick's relationship with Harker than in the previous books. I really sensed Nick's deep love for Harker here. It's shown through Nick's jelousy over the young reporter flirting with Harker. But mostly seen through Nick's desperation at not knowing how to handle the fact that it's more than likely that he will lose the man he loves.
This series has always had this sense of impending doom just looming below the surface. Well it's in your face now. Harker is diagnosed with what they called GRID at the time and he and Nick have to deal with the fact that most of these cases end in death. Harker seems to be dealing with it better than Nick. Nick tries to bury his feelings and problems in work and anonymous sex. Then there's the Bughouse Slasher case that Harker is apparently still obsessing over. It makes you think that Nick will eventually have to confront the killer again.
This series is gritty and real and Mr. Thornton gives us a character that you can't help but love, eventually, despite all his flaws.
This review contains spoilers for books 1-3.
First of all the mystery in this one was the best so far. This being the first full length novel, instead of a series of novellas, we get a much more complicated case. When Nick is hired to find a man's long lost lover, he stumbles across a decades old murder. While trying to find the murderer and later bring him to justice, he is confronted with the corruption of Chicago politics and just how deep it reaches into the Chicago PD.
This book also shows us more of Nick's relationship with Harker than in the previous books. I really sensed Nick's deep love for Harker here. It's shown through Nick's jelousy over the young reporter flirting with Harker. But mostly seen through Nick's desperation at not knowing how to handle the fact that it's more than likely that he will lose the man he loves.
This series has always had this sense of impending doom just looming below the surface. Well it's in your face now. Harker is diagnosed with what they called GRID at the time and he and Nick have to deal with the fact that most of these cases end in death. Harker seems to be dealing with it better than Nick. Nick tries to bury his feelings and problems in work and anonymous sex. Then there's the Bughouse Slasher case that Harker is apparently still obsessing over. It makes you think that Nick will eventually have to confront the killer again.
This series is gritty and real and Mr. Thornton gives us a character that you can't help but love, eventually, despite all his flaws.
March 6, 2016
I've realized with series books there is a part of you that is always forward thinking. Moments within your current read that aren't acted on but your brain says, oh, that will come up later. It's like a bus that you know just keeps moving when there are more books in the series. Sometimes it is your only focus.
This series is just like that but oh so different.
Yes, my brain is thinking forward and trying to figure things out, within the current read and what is going to come but never, never, ever am I ready for the next book. My brain and my heart are invested in the now.
I look forward but live within.
Shit. This is good fucking shit.
Oh and I forgot to mention. On to the next one.
This series is just like that but oh so different.
Yes, my brain is thinking forward and trying to figure things out, within the current read and what is going to come but never, never, ever am I ready for the next book. My brain and my heart are invested in the now.
I look forward but live within.
Shit. This is good fucking shit.
Oh and I forgot to mention. On to the next one.
June 30, 2015
A Time For Secrets is the first Boystown book that isn't a story collection. You quickly understand why when you realize just how powerful this latest threat is. It is almost untouchable. Still, someone innocent had been murdered and whether you like Nick Nowak's lifestyle, his decisions, his choices or his mistakes, you know one thing is certain - he will not let it be.
In addition to the self-appointed case Nick has to face the thing that's been looming above him for quite some time. It finally got its dreaded name in this book.
In addition to the self-appointed case Nick has to face the thing that's been looming above him for quite some time. It finally got its dreaded name in this book.
November 12, 2014
I really like the longer format story. Cracking a cold case isn't easy, even when the case becomes red hot again, but Nick is up to the task. We also get to see a bit on the home front, where he is dealing with Harker's health issues and his mother. Oh, and Harker makes a new friend causing Nick to deal with new emotions.
January 19, 2017
You can notice the switch to a novel, compared to the grouped little stories before. Everything feels more intense. And there are so many things happening:
I can only imagine what is planned next for this unlikely hero with growing morals.
I can only imagine what is planned next for this unlikely hero with growing morals.
August 3, 2014
'He looked about one meatball sub away from a major coronary'
I love this series.
First of all the mysteries are really great, very gripping and keep me guessing. I don't like reading stories where I solve the mystery early on in the story and these stories have so many satisfying twists and turns.
Then I like the context. I like the fact that these stories are rooted in real history - Chicago in the eighties just as the Aids Pandemic begins its relentless devastation. For me as an Aids activist from the global South this history is enriching my own story and helping me to understand the devastation the pandemic caused in the global North, but these stories are also showing the very early days of HIV activism.
I also love these stories because Nic Nowak is human. He is real and kind of grimy at the edges. He loves his partner but is quite realistic about his own sexual needs and it isn't pretty because he doesn't miss an opportunity with anyone. His life isn't what he wants it to be but he knows how to work the angles. He is estranged from his family and doing his best to make a living as a PI even though he only ever wanted to be a cop. He has a wounded past. He is flawed and somewhat vulnerable, and very realistic. He has moments of heroism and altruism, and moments of selfishness. Gritty, strangely attractive and real.
The setting in Chicago makes the city and its beauty and ugliness come alive. The clubs, restaurants, the lake, shops, the El, the seedy areas and the wealthy areas are all brought to life as the backdrop for these mysteries. The corruption in the City Govt, police and political structures are all clearly seen as Nick chases down murderers.
And then there are Nick's friends, acquaintances and estranged family.
All these different factors come together for me and make the series a must read.
This book finds Nick in the middle of the mystery. Having helped someone find an old estranged friend Nick realises that there is more than meets the eye when the two friends are murdered. Nick delves into the past to see why the murders have been committed and to find justice for the two friends.
I love mystery stories and every now and again I come across a series that grabs me and become part of my reading life.
This series is one of them.
I love this series.
First of all the mysteries are really great, very gripping and keep me guessing. I don't like reading stories where I solve the mystery early on in the story and these stories have so many satisfying twists and turns.
Then I like the context. I like the fact that these stories are rooted in real history - Chicago in the eighties just as the Aids Pandemic begins its relentless devastation. For me as an Aids activist from the global South this history is enriching my own story and helping me to understand the devastation the pandemic caused in the global North, but these stories are also showing the very early days of HIV activism.
I also love these stories because Nic Nowak is human. He is real and kind of grimy at the edges. He loves his partner but is quite realistic about his own sexual needs and it isn't pretty because he doesn't miss an opportunity with anyone. His life isn't what he wants it to be but he knows how to work the angles. He is estranged from his family and doing his best to make a living as a PI even though he only ever wanted to be a cop. He has a wounded past. He is flawed and somewhat vulnerable, and very realistic. He has moments of heroism and altruism, and moments of selfishness. Gritty, strangely attractive and real.
The setting in Chicago makes the city and its beauty and ugliness come alive. The clubs, restaurants, the lake, shops, the El, the seedy areas and the wealthy areas are all brought to life as the backdrop for these mysteries. The corruption in the City Govt, police and political structures are all clearly seen as Nick chases down murderers.
And then there are Nick's friends, acquaintances and estranged family.
All these different factors come together for me and make the series a must read.
This book finds Nick in the middle of the mystery. Having helped someone find an old estranged friend Nick realises that there is more than meets the eye when the two friends are murdered. Nick delves into the past to see why the murders have been committed and to find justice for the two friends.
I love mystery stories and every now and again I come across a series that grabs me and become part of my reading life.
This series is one of them.
June 23, 2014
"Everything about my life, everything about my work told me that secrets were like knives. But they didn't just cut both ways; they cut any way they could. I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit. But I understood it."
Boystown 4: A Time for Secrets--such excellent writing--everything about this story feels real--the city, the mystery, Nick--
So damn good
Boystown 4: A Time for Secrets--such excellent writing--everything about this story feels real--the city, the mystery, Nick--
So damn good
August 21, 2021
Re-read in 2021: As I'm rereading the series, it becoming more and more poignant. Harker has moved into Nick's little apartment on Roscoe, Mrs. Harker is spending her days in the apartment cooking strange sauerkraut-based dishes, and Nick is solving a heartbreaking murder involving a beating death in the good old days of CPD brutality and cover-ups. MORE TO COME ....
March 7, 2016
Well-written, excellent/complex mystery. This series is gritty and real... Nick isn't a perfect guy nor are any of the characters. In some ways it's almost too real, so much that I found myself pulling away from it to save my heart at times.
August 31, 2022
Nick's character has changed for the better and worse. This author is really amazing in his narration of Nick's incsecurities and struggles. I am definitely out of words for this series. Every new story just brings more of Nick's character and I feel a bit more in love with him. It is also getting harder for me to put down the series.
May 2, 2023
The general story was good but I think that it got a little bogged down and wordy in the middle. I can definitely see too many truthful parallels to our political system. I'm loving this series.
November 8, 2024
Oh Nick.
Another great addition to the series.
I'm setting myself up for heartache in the future reading these...but I just can't stop.
I adore Nick. I love that he is completely unapologetic about everything.
He's a man slut....but he owns it. He doesn't go out trying to bang half of Chicago, but they are lining up and begging him to.
He owns up to
I liked Harker much better this book. Oh, I was rooting for him in all the other books, but I got a better feel for him this book.
I cringed when Nick
I sounded like a kid yelling at my kindle, BUSTED when Harker found out Nick had spilled the beans.
Nick's no longer doubting his love for Harker. He even gets jealous.
I wanted to say he's little more aware of how some of his actions could get him in trouble....but mostly he only noticed that he has sex in public to often, and could be arrested.
Hindsight is 20/20...and keep hoping Nick will discover condoms....but I don't they have even started a safe sex campaign at this point, so it's not likely to happen for a while.
There is no way I can wait until next month to read the next one...I'll be lucky to wait until the end of the week.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Reread 3/6/19
GAH! I love Nick.
Better enjoy Nick's slutty ways while you can, they are about to start slowing down.
I feel like this is the end of a chapter, and things start to shift next book.
This is the final stages of the Old Nick, before he starts to evolve.
~~~~~~~~
It's been a long time since I've reread this one. Idk why, but I love Harker more after this re-read.
Another great addition to the series.
I'm setting myself up for heartache in the future reading these...but I just can't stop.
I adore Nick. I love that he is completely unapologetic about everything.
He's a man slut....but he owns it. He doesn't go out trying to bang half of Chicago, but they are lining up and begging him to.
He owns up to
I liked Harker much better this book. Oh, I was rooting for him in all the other books, but I got a better feel for him this book.
I cringed when Nick
I sounded like a kid yelling at my kindle, BUSTED when Harker found out Nick had spilled the beans.
Nick's no longer doubting his love for Harker. He even gets jealous.
I wanted to say he's little more aware of how some of his actions could get him in trouble....but mostly he only noticed that he has sex in public to often, and could be arrested.
Hindsight is 20/20...and keep hoping Nick will discover condoms....but I don't they have even started a safe sex campaign at this point, so it's not likely to happen for a while.
There is no way I can wait until next month to read the next one...I'll be lucky to wait until the end of the week.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Reread 3/6/19
GAH! I love Nick.
Better enjoy Nick's slutty ways while you can, they are about to start slowing down.
I feel like this is the end of a chapter, and things start to shift next book.
This is the final stages of the Old Nick, before he starts to evolve.
~~~~~~~~
It's been a long time since I've reread this one. Idk why, but I love Harker more after this re-read.
July 1, 2016
BOYSTOWN 4: A TIME FOR SECRETS – Audio Version
Written by Marshall Thornton – Narration by Brad Langer
Review by Jon Michaelsen
In Boystown 4: A Time For Secrets, Marshall Thornton has penned the first full-length novel featuring tough, rough around the edges, at times jaded, former Chicago cop turned private detective, Nick Nowak, which is perhaps my favorite of the series thus far. A Time For Secrets contains a stunning mystery that reveals an older gentleman’s longing to learn whatever happened to his long lost lover, a decades old murder and a mix of Chicago politics; the novel is first rate and deftly written with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep a reader flying through the pages to find out what happens.
Read the rest of my review:
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1800
Written by Marshall Thornton – Narration by Brad Langer
Review by Jon Michaelsen
In Boystown 4: A Time For Secrets, Marshall Thornton has penned the first full-length novel featuring tough, rough around the edges, at times jaded, former Chicago cop turned private detective, Nick Nowak, which is perhaps my favorite of the series thus far. A Time For Secrets contains a stunning mystery that reveals an older gentleman’s longing to learn whatever happened to his long lost lover, a decades old murder and a mix of Chicago politics; the novel is first rate and deftly written with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep a reader flying through the pages to find out what happens.
Read the rest of my review:
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1800
January 7, 2015
All I can say is that I love this series. Okay, I can say more than that. The mystery again was just as riveting as his earlier stories, and I just love how Nick handled it in the end.
What is surprising and after living through the AIDS scare, I'm finding how hard it is for me to see how casual Nick is to sexual encounters. And I didn't realize that it wasn't clear that it was sexually transmitted. I'm so scared for Nick and his friends and encounters because we know that Bert is sick from this and that Ross' boyfriend has also probably already died from GRID / AIDS.
Now I'm going to have to wait months to find out how things are going to go for them all.
RECOMMENDED!!!!
Dec 31 - still waiting for Amazon to get books #5 and #6 via Kindle.
==================================
1st read - Apr 10, 2012
2nd read - Dec 31, 2014
What is surprising and after living through the AIDS scare, I'm finding how hard it is for me to see how casual Nick is to sexual encounters. And I didn't realize that it wasn't clear that it was sexually transmitted. I'm so scared for Nick and his friends and encounters because we know that Bert is sick from this and that Ross' boyfriend has also probably already died from GRID / AIDS.
Now I'm going to have to wait months to find out how things are going to go for them all.
RECOMMENDED!!!!
Dec 31 - still waiting for Amazon to get books #5 and #6 via Kindle.
==================================
1st read - Apr 10, 2012
2nd read - Dec 31, 2014
January 3, 2020
This book is awesome.
Now we see how Nick struggles with his now confirmed sick lover, Harker, along his mother. Then this case, with a lot of history underneath and things Nick find difficult to cope and change but that's the way politics work, right? For someone with such strong need to save others and make justice is a hard wall to break.
I always feel angst when Nick screws around with strangers but in this book it rose dangerous levels for my nerves, but here you don't see a Nick willing to screw because is good, you see him doing so because he can't help it and finds on it a way to forget about his problems at least for little minutes but afterwards he feels even worse.
Even though this book feels a little more dark, Nick's dry humor enlighten our path.
This is at the moment one of the best books of the series.
Now we see how Nick struggles with his now confirmed sick lover, Harker, along his mother. Then this case, with a lot of history underneath and things Nick find difficult to cope and change but that's the way politics work, right? For someone with such strong need to save others and make justice is a hard wall to break.
I always feel angst when Nick screws around with strangers but in this book it rose dangerous levels for my nerves, but here you don't see a Nick willing to screw because is good, you see him doing so because he can't help it and finds on it a way to forget about his problems at least for little minutes but afterwards he feels even worse.
Even though this book feels a little more dark, Nick's dry humor enlighten our path.
This is at the moment one of the best books of the series.
February 9, 2016
I wasn't initially sure how I felt about a full-length novel popping up in this series after all of the novellas. Novellas work well with my (poor) attention span. But this easily held my attention start to finish. I really liked the mystery; it was as compelling (maybe more so) as all the others, and it was appropriate that it was novel-length.
Thornton puts together good mysteries. "Good" not just in the sense of interesting, but also relevant to the times and what life was like in the early 80s. The books make me feel like I'm right back there with Nick, traveling all around Chicago.
Nick's family is quite a piece of work, huh? >.< I wouldn't mind seeing them interact with Mrs. Harker. Ha!
And my heart, it continues to slowly break. :\
Thornton puts together good mysteries. "Good" not just in the sense of interesting, but also relevant to the times and what life was like in the early 80s. The books make me feel like I'm right back there with Nick, traveling all around Chicago.
Nick's family is quite a piece of work, huh? >.< I wouldn't mind seeing them interact with Mrs. Harker. Ha!
And my heart, it continues to slowly break. :\
December 27, 2012
This fourth book in the series is the only one of novel-length. It is a gripping story about a more or less cold case of gay-bashing and murder that spins into the present (here beginning of the 80ies).
This one was the best as there was more room for the more personal history of Nick and his boyfriend - most of it was told also very matter-of-factly, but it evoked strong emotions though.
It was not a funny or light-hearted read, altough it has some humor in it, the overall tone is a bit darker. It sounds realistic, but some naive part of me hopes, that it really really is too pessimistic a description.
A great read.
This one was the best as there was more room for the more personal history of Nick and his boyfriend - most of it was told also very matter-of-factly, but it evoked strong emotions though.
It was not a funny or light-hearted read, altough it has some humor in it, the overall tone is a bit darker. It sounds realistic, but some naive part of me hopes, that it really really is too pessimistic a description.
A great read.
November 13, 2014
Wonderful complex mystery, solved by the master Nick Nowak, Private Detective. Just love Nick who's like a hound dog, always on the scent even when the Chicago police make up reasons for him to spend a night in jail and shoot at his car just for the fun of it. They can't keep a good man down though.
Love this series!
Love this series!
May 24, 2014
This installment wasn't as amazing as his previous, mainly because it didn't pushed the plot much foreword and the murders weren't that fascinating, still it's my beloved Nick and Marshall great writing so it's deserves four stars .
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