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The Buck Baxter Mysteries #1
Buck Baxter, Love Detective
Welcome to Wilde City, 1924—a crane on top of every skyscraper, a party in every club, a romance on every dance floor, a shooting every night, a broken heart on every street corner and a dirty secret behind every window with the curtain drawn. It’s the kinda town that keeps Buck Baxter, private detective, in business.
For despite his fondness for a cold gin and a pipe stuffed with cannabis, Buck is the best gumshoe in Wilde City. Why? Because he has rules: never make friends, never make enemies, and never ever fall in love. That is until the day playboy nightclub owner Holden Hart swings into town. He’s suave, he’s charming, he’s chivalrous… and he’s exactly the kinda man that Buck will break all the rules for.
From the romance of the Rainbow Palace atop the Wilde City Tower, to the dazzling debauchery of the gentlemen’s parlor The Velvet Viper—from the history surrounding the sinister convent on the hill better known Hell’s Bells, to the lantern-lit opium barge, The Peking Empress, run by the mystical Madame Chang—could Buck be about to unravel the greatest mystery of them all…
The mystery of love?
For despite his fondness for a cold gin and a pipe stuffed with cannabis, Buck is the best gumshoe in Wilde City. Why? Because he has rules: never make friends, never make enemies, and never ever fall in love. That is until the day playboy nightclub owner Holden Hart swings into town. He’s suave, he’s charming, he’s chivalrous… and he’s exactly the kinda man that Buck will break all the rules for.
From the romance of the Rainbow Palace atop the Wilde City Tower, to the dazzling debauchery of the gentlemen’s parlor The Velvet Viper—from the history surrounding the sinister convent on the hill better known Hell’s Bells, to the lantern-lit opium barge, The Peking Empress, run by the mystical Madame Chang—could Buck be about to unravel the greatest mystery of them all…
The mystery of love?
ebook
First published September 1, 2014
18 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Knight
75 books350 followersGeoffrey Knight is the author of more than 30 gay fiction novels, novellas and short stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense and gay comedies.
The heroes of Geoffrey's books love to spend their time jumping off the page, seeking lost treasures, unraveling mysteries or falling in love.
Geoffrey is the recipient of two Rainbow Awards including Best Mystery Winner and Best Overall Gay Fiction Runner-up. His work has been featured in several anthologies including Best Gay Erotica 2013, and he appeared as Guest of Honor at the inaugural Rainbow Con in Florida, 2014.
Geoffrey has worked in advertising, politics, journalism and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories. He lives with his partner, their young daughter and their small furry family in a rambling old house in North Queensland, Australia, where the paint is fraying and life is good.
You can find everything you need to know about Geoffrey and his books at— https://linktr.ee/authorgeoffreyknight
The heroes of Geoffrey's books love to spend their time jumping off the page, seeking lost treasures, unraveling mysteries or falling in love.
Geoffrey is the recipient of two Rainbow Awards including Best Mystery Winner and Best Overall Gay Fiction Runner-up. His work has been featured in several anthologies including Best Gay Erotica 2013, and he appeared as Guest of Honor at the inaugural Rainbow Con in Florida, 2014.
Geoffrey has worked in advertising, politics, journalism and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories. He lives with his partner, their young daughter and their small furry family in a rambling old house in North Queensland, Australia, where the paint is fraying and life is good.
You can find everything you need to know about Geoffrey and his books at— https://linktr.ee/authorgeoffreyknight
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 14, 2014
My very first date with Jennifer Pher was the cat's meow!
Buck Baxter is a gin-drinking, pot-smoking, rentboy-screwing private dick during the Roaring Twenties. I must perfect my time machine so that I can reach him and join in on the fun times!
Don't listen to Tobey. I will perfect my time machine!
The plot of this is like every pot-boiler detective novel I've ever read, that's why I loved it so much. Geoffrey Knight managed to give this book the feel of a Raymond Chandler novel, while adding humor and a very touching gay romance. Highly recommended!
Buck Baxter is a gin-drinking, pot-smoking, rentboy-screwing private dick during the Roaring Twenties. I must perfect my time machine so that I can reach him and join in on the fun times!
Don't listen to Tobey. I will perfect my time machine!
The plot of this is like every pot-boiler detective novel I've ever read, that's why I loved it so much. Geoffrey Knight managed to give this book the feel of a Raymond Chandler novel, while adding humor and a very touching gay romance. Highly recommended!
September 15, 2014
Buck Baxter is a cynical PI....
I stay low and keep my eyes open. I watch every shadow. I listen for every footstep, every whisper. I don’t make friends, I don’t make enemies, and I sure as hell don’t fall in love. I just get the job done fast, collect my payment, and move on to the next case.Living in a jaded city....
It’s a city crammed with tough guys, dangerous women, loud jazz, and illegal booze; the kinda place where everyone carries a hipflask in their pocket and a spare pistol in their sock....You want a good time, you come to Wilde City; you wanna last a long time, you go someplace else. Because here in Wilde City there’s only three types of people: the lovers, the famous…and the dead.He’s fond of hard alcohol and easy lays....
Sure, I’ve blown more than just rent money on the rent boys at the Velvet Viper; Satan knows there’s more than a few holes to slither down in that sinful snake pit.Can you hear the happy pitter patter of my little heart? As Bacall said to Bogie...
You better believe it, buster!
Or at least I was for the first 25%; then we took a hard right at Lover's Lane and headed straight into Sugar City.
Now, I love a romance. I adore the idea of love breaking Buck's cynical facade. But it happened too suddenly. One minute he's adjusting his hard dick while ogling tight asses and the next he's moping in his bathtub over some dude he has a crush on. I'm a romantic myself so lines like the following are guaranteed to make me teary-eyed:
He never again slipped into my cold and lonely bed at night and held me tight and safe....He never came back. Like he promised he would.But as likely to make me sniffle as that is, when I compare it to the beginning of the book, and the mention of blowing rent boys and going down holes, the change in tone is jarring. Buck suddenly goes from hard jazz to REO Speedwagon: ♫ I can't fight this feeling anymore! I've forgotten what I started fighting for! ♫ If he could've fought it for just a little longer I would've been happier with the book overall.
Also, the sex. There's was one scene with one of the aforementioned rent boys. Of course, Buck had to break my heart and disappoint my loins by STOPPING in the middle of it. Apparently his dick had decided that no ass would do but true love's ass. DUDE! YOU'RE ALREADY IN THERE, JUST FUCKING FINISH.
Other than the wobbly tone, I think the main problem is that the book falls into a subgenre crack. It's neither fully a mystery-romance nor a romance-mystery. So readers like myself, who like to read about PIs with a romance subplot, will think there's too much romance, but romance readers, who are expecting a romance about a PI, will think there's an overload of mystery. Neither reader will be fully satisfied.
However, it is fun and now that I know what to expect I am just a little bit curious to see what happens in the next book, Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas.
**Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
August 30, 2014
If you like film noir and Golden Age, hard-boiled mysteries, like those of the great Dashiell Hammett, you will like this book.
Because Buck Baxter, Love Detective is not a romance. It's a detective novel set in the 1920s filled with atmosphere, slightly farcical plot elements, clues, and red herrings.
The detective in question just happens to be a man, living in Wilde City (like a fictionalized New York with marketing homage paid to the press who published the book), who prefers men.
This novella was amusing, enjoyable even, although the big twist at the end regarding Baxter and the mysterious, wealthy Holden was obvious almost immediately.
There is no steam here, lest you count one solo jerk-off session and one less-than-savory pounding between Baxter and a hooker. The writing is tight, and Knight introduces some charming characters. I do believe Baxter will have a sidekick in the next installment.
I missed the warmth of a traditional romance novel, the dance of tension and passion. While Baxter felt like a real person, the secondary characters, including Holden, did not.
If you like Knight's work and dime-store whodoneits, give this one a go.
Because Buck Baxter, Love Detective is not a romance. It's a detective novel set in the 1920s filled with atmosphere, slightly farcical plot elements, clues, and red herrings.
The detective in question just happens to be a man, living in Wilde City (like a fictionalized New York with marketing homage paid to the press who published the book), who prefers men.
This novella was amusing, enjoyable even, although the big twist at the end regarding Baxter and the mysterious, wealthy Holden was obvious almost immediately.
There is no steam here, lest you count one solo jerk-off session and one less-than-savory pounding between Baxter and a hooker. The writing is tight, and Knight introduces some charming characters. I do believe Baxter will have a sidekick in the next installment.
I missed the warmth of a traditional romance novel, the dance of tension and passion. While Baxter felt like a real person, the secondary characters, including Holden, did not.
If you like Knight's work and dime-store whodoneits, give this one a go.
November 8, 2015
4.5 Gin 'n Tonics on Prism Book Alliance
This is the jazz age, gin joints and trilbies abound, and everyone has their secrets.
This starts out with a classically pulpy tone with names to match: Buck Baxter, Holden Hart and so many more. I was already grinning.
Craftily paired with this is a depth of emotion I was not expecting. It worked well in telling me more about our man Buck, his life, his past… his heart.
Holden Hart. More on him later.
Heat and poignancy, a tricky combo to pull off. Knight does just that, making it look easy. With each passing page, I liked Buck more and more.
I like when a character makes a 180, makes a choice that surprises them. I like it even better when I believe in the surprise they feel at their own actions. That’s good writing, yo.
The mix of flippant and complete descriptions of place and time with complicated emotion is something I very much enjoyed about this story. The physical details made for a concrete place in which to experience that jumbled heart of Buck’s. It’s not jumbled without reason. Life has been tough since day one for him, so the distance he maintains between that heart and others is understandable.
Enter Holden Hart. More on him later. I promise.
I like when the mystery ends up being the characters themselves, trying to find their way, instead of an overarching puzzle to be solved. Buck is that character. He’s struggling and determined, closed off, yet feels like he’s losing the battle to remain the man he believes himself to be, that he has to be.
Ok, so the supporting characters: they rock. Madame Chang, Stella Darling, Mama Marlow, even Dutch. Amusing, engaging, and sporting a few surprises of their own.
So, Holden Hart. A rich son destined to inherit the fortune of his rich father. Someone who has experienced life from breath one in quite different ways than Buck, in every way, really. Except, Holden is attuned to the emotions of others, an observer, just like Buck. Also like Buck, he’s finding it challenging to ignore the pull of desire, the need of connection, the hope of comfort forming between them.
There are a couple of scenes that felt a little heavy handed in delivery and intent but it was probably too tempting to resist in doing that. The subjects, after all, are worthy of direct confrontation and presentation.
Wow. The ending? Wow. More than one wow. I almost thought I should be ashamed for not having seen them, but no way, it’s all too good.
This could (and should!) turn into a series. Buck Baxter has many more stories to tell, many more steps to take along this new road on which he’s found himself to be traversing. And guess what? It is! Next up: “Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas”, and I can’t wait!
I wrote this review quicker than most I’ve ever done. I think it was part adrenaline fueled by that ending and part joy and appreciation for this story and Buck Baxter. :D
ETA: I was right that this became a series, here's my review for book two, Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas
This is the jazz age, gin joints and trilbies abound, and everyone has their secrets.
This starts out with a classically pulpy tone with names to match: Buck Baxter, Holden Hart and so many more. I was already grinning.
Craftily paired with this is a depth of emotion I was not expecting. It worked well in telling me more about our man Buck, his life, his past… his heart.
Holden Hart. More on him later.
Heat and poignancy, a tricky combo to pull off. Knight does just that, making it look easy. With each passing page, I liked Buck more and more.
I like when a character makes a 180, makes a choice that surprises them. I like it even better when I believe in the surprise they feel at their own actions. That’s good writing, yo.
The mix of flippant and complete descriptions of place and time with complicated emotion is something I very much enjoyed about this story. The physical details made for a concrete place in which to experience that jumbled heart of Buck’s. It’s not jumbled without reason. Life has been tough since day one for him, so the distance he maintains between that heart and others is understandable.
Enter Holden Hart. More on him later. I promise.
I like when the mystery ends up being the characters themselves, trying to find their way, instead of an overarching puzzle to be solved. Buck is that character. He’s struggling and determined, closed off, yet feels like he’s losing the battle to remain the man he believes himself to be, that he has to be.
Ok, so the supporting characters: they rock. Madame Chang, Stella Darling, Mama Marlow, even Dutch. Amusing, engaging, and sporting a few surprises of their own.
So, Holden Hart. A rich son destined to inherit the fortune of his rich father. Someone who has experienced life from breath one in quite different ways than Buck, in every way, really. Except, Holden is attuned to the emotions of others, an observer, just like Buck. Also like Buck, he’s finding it challenging to ignore the pull of desire, the need of connection, the hope of comfort forming between them.
There are a couple of scenes that felt a little heavy handed in delivery and intent but it was probably too tempting to resist in doing that. The subjects, after all, are worthy of direct confrontation and presentation.
Wow. The ending? Wow. More than one wow. I almost thought I should be ashamed for not having seen them, but no way, it’s all too good.
This could (and should!) turn into a series. Buck Baxter has many more stories to tell, many more steps to take along this new road on which he’s found himself to be traversing. And guess what? It is! Next up: “Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas”, and I can’t wait!
I wrote this review quicker than most I’ve ever done. I think it was part adrenaline fueled by that ending and part joy and appreciation for this story and Buck Baxter. :D
ETA: I was right that this became a series, here's my review for book two, Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas
January 19, 2020
It's a bit of an odd book but overall really fun to read. I would actually rather call it a pastiche of hard-boiled detective novels than an actual historical novel but that's fine. I found myself reading the book like a graphic novel without pictures if that makes any sense to anyone but me. I basically could see the black-and-white panels with the strong jawed, fedora wearing detective skulking through the night, fending off the dames and battling a murderous nun.
I had a good time reading it.
I had a good time reading it.
November 7, 2015
I'll review the both books of the series at once.
See review to Buck Baxter, Love Detective / Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas
May 5, 2015
**** 4 trilby stars ****
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
“You are not the destroyer of love, Mr. Baxter. You do not create the pain. You free it. You open people’s eyes to what they must abandon and leave behind. You show them the path to a new future.
You do not destroy love . You create new opportunities for it to exist someplace else. You give love hope to live on. Don’t you see?
You are not simply a detective, Mr. Baxter. You are a love detective.”
Madame Chang
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Buck Baxter for me, reminds me of a gay version of Indiana Jones, except he's not an adventurer he is a detective. A detective who answers his phone stark naked only wearing his my "trusty black trilby"! *whimpers* See update at 4%.
Oh, and there's an important difference between a trilby and a fedora, apparently. I found out when Google'ing. Indiana Jones wears a fedora and we all know what he looks like, while Buck Baxter wears a trilby. (you can actually buy your own official licensed Indiana Jones fedora hat here at Indianajoneshats.net. LOL ;)
I really liked the story, the setting and the characters, both MC and secondary characters. Such great names! Buck Baxter, Holden Hart, Stella Sterling, Mama Merlow. :D
However, I would have loved a longer story. It could have been much more. But at the same time, I'm amazed Knight's ability to make such a story in relatively few pages.
I'm a sucker for Geoffrey Knight's work. This was no exception.
I love the way he write stories filled with kind of cliché story, scenes and characters. That cliché comment is a compliment by the way. And I love that he is able to make it work!
In my opinion there's a subtle and undefinable difference between a GOOD adventure/action/mystery movie or book and a BAD one. It's not always easy to pinpoint what it is exactly what makes the difference, but if you're able to make it work, it WORKS. It's like porn you know, you know it when you see it. ;)
Knight's ability to make it work has been a common factor in all Knight's books I've read so far.
And it's the reason I love them!
----
Next Buck Baxter story is out in December.
"Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas"
(external link, it's not on GR yet)
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
“You are not the destroyer of love, Mr. Baxter. You do not create the pain. You free it. You open people’s eyes to what they must abandon and leave behind. You show them the path to a new future.
You do not destroy love . You create new opportunities for it to exist someplace else. You give love hope to live on. Don’t you see?
You are not simply a detective, Mr. Baxter. You are a love detective.”
Madame Chang
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Buck Baxter for me, reminds me of a gay version of Indiana Jones, except he's not an adventurer he is a detective. A detective who answers his phone stark naked only wearing his my "trusty black trilby"! *whimpers* See update at 4%.
Oh, and there's an important difference between a trilby and a fedora, apparently. I found out when Google'ing. Indiana Jones wears a fedora and we all know what he looks like, while Buck Baxter wears a trilby. (you can actually buy your own official licensed Indiana Jones fedora hat here at Indianajoneshats.net. LOL ;)
I really liked the story, the setting and the characters, both MC and secondary characters. Such great names! Buck Baxter, Holden Hart, Stella Sterling, Mama Merlow. :D
However, I would have loved a longer story. It could have been much more. But at the same time, I'm amazed Knight's ability to make such a story in relatively few pages.
I'm a sucker for Geoffrey Knight's work. This was no exception.
I love the way he write stories filled with kind of cliché story, scenes and characters. That cliché comment is a compliment by the way. And I love that he is able to make it work!
In my opinion there's a subtle and undefinable difference between a GOOD adventure/action/mystery movie or book and a BAD one. It's not always easy to pinpoint what it is exactly what makes the difference, but if you're able to make it work, it WORKS. It's like porn you know, you know it when you see it. ;)
Knight's ability to make it work has been a common factor in all Knight's books I've read so far.
And it's the reason I love them!
----
Next Buck Baxter story is out in December.
"Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas"
(external link, it's not on GR yet)
September 14, 2014
Yeah! Date day/night with Nick!
Wow! I loved this! Seriously, I may have a new time period that I need to immediately find books for! The Roaring 20's is a great setting for a book and this was done perfectly. I got to learn a whole new bit of slang that I want to use daily!! The descriptions were exceptional and I just kept googling over and over so I had perfect visuals to along with the brilliant descriptions the author gave. This was an excellent Private Dick novel and I am so happy to see there will be another book and that this will be a series. Was it a romance? Yes. To me it really and truly was a romance. Not your standard type but such a beautiful love story that just had me bursting with happiness. I really don't know what else to say. I think that if you want to read something a bit different with a great setting, humor and love you should give this one a try.
Read.
Thank you Nick for reading this with me! I hope this is just the beginning of a beautiful relationship!!
I'll leave you with one more visual because really, wow, they matter.
Wow! I loved this! Seriously, I may have a new time period that I need to immediately find books for! The Roaring 20's is a great setting for a book and this was done perfectly. I got to learn a whole new bit of slang that I want to use daily!! The descriptions were exceptional and I just kept googling over and over so I had perfect visuals to along with the brilliant descriptions the author gave. This was an excellent Private Dick novel and I am so happy to see there will be another book and that this will be a series. Was it a romance? Yes. To me it really and truly was a romance. Not your standard type but such a beautiful love story that just had me bursting with happiness. I really don't know what else to say. I think that if you want to read something a bit different with a great setting, humor and love you should give this one a try.
Read.
Thank you Nick for reading this with me! I hope this is just the beginning of a beautiful relationship!!
I'll leave you with one more visual because really, wow, they matter.
June 10, 2016
4.25 stars
This was fun! I loved the feel and the time period. Buck was a pretty sweet guy and I also enjoyed the myriad of side characters especially Stella - she was awesome. I wanted to see more of the relationship but maybe we'll get that in book 2?
This was fun! I loved the feel and the time period. Buck was a pretty sweet guy and I also enjoyed the myriad of side characters especially Stella - she was awesome. I wanted to see more of the relationship but maybe we'll get that in book 2?
June 11, 2024
Well written plot heavy detective book. There’s some romance and some spice. And a HFN in the end
July 18, 2020
A light, funny mystery novel set in 1924.
I'm definitely going to read book 2. :)
I'm definitely going to read book 2. :)
September 21, 2014
Buck Baxter, Love Detective…the name says it all! Picture this – It’s 1924 in the fictional city of Wilde City where illegal booze is rampant and there are rent boys aplenty. One lone gumshoe is out to liberate love one mystery at a time. Well, not intentionally.
This was hilarious and witty and a lot fun. I loved Buck’s voice and his quick, internal monologue…like an investigator with ADD who needs pot to calm him down.
Buck is a private detective working out of his office-slash-bedroom who is no stranger to vice. He has been hired to catch a cheating spouse and his investigation leads him on a crazy ride from speakeasies to sex clubs to an opium barge (nothing new to him), all the while dodging propositions, drugs, bullets…and romance. Yeah, it was a crazy few days for Buck Baxter. I have to admit that I was totally surprised at the twists (yes, plural) at the end. Never saw THAT…and THAT coming. So much craziness was going on that it somehow tied all back together at the end! Bravo!
The secondary characters where great and totally over the top. OMG I loved Stella Starling the most! I kept rereading her lines over and over.
I wouldn’t call this a romance, but there is certainly an unwanted love story taking place. Buck has this new found obsession with rich boy and new club owner Holden Hart, leading him to do numerous outrageous things that had me laughing my ass off!! This definitely has a HFN though.
I can’t wait for the next installment: Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas. I can only imagine what kind of trouble Buck is going to get into next.
Reviewed for The Blogger Girls
This was hilarious and witty and a lot fun. I loved Buck’s voice and his quick, internal monologue…like an investigator with ADD who needs pot to calm him down.
Buck is a private detective working out of his office-slash-bedroom who is no stranger to vice. He has been hired to catch a cheating spouse and his investigation leads him on a crazy ride from speakeasies to sex clubs to an opium barge (nothing new to him), all the while dodging propositions, drugs, bullets…and romance. Yeah, it was a crazy few days for Buck Baxter. I have to admit that I was totally surprised at the twists (yes, plural) at the end. Never saw THAT…and THAT coming. So much craziness was going on that it somehow tied all back together at the end! Bravo!
The secondary characters where great and totally over the top. OMG I loved Stella Starling the most! I kept rereading her lines over and over.
I wouldn’t call this a romance, but there is certainly an unwanted love story taking place. Buck has this new found obsession with rich boy and new club owner Holden Hart, leading him to do numerous outrageous things that had me laughing my ass off!! This definitely has a HFN though.
I can’t wait for the next installment: Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas. I can only imagine what kind of trouble Buck is going to get into next.
Reviewed for The Blogger Girls
September 6, 2014
Review also posted on http://www.wodfreview.com/
Buck Baxter, Love Detective is a story that takes place in the 1920s. It’s a time when night clubs were plentiful and almost anything goes, it was also a time when the mob ruled.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! It’s not a love story but there is a story of undying love that plays a small role and even though I saw it coming a mile away it warmed my heart and made me smile. Buck is a great character and perfect for the role of the gumshoe detective, I’m looking forward to more of him in the coming books. There isn’t the heart stopping chemistry between Buck and his love as there is in some M/M romance books but I did feel their connection. Theirs is a deeper love that comes from the history they share. I’m hoping to learn more about both of them in the next installment.
If you’re looking for a lot of sex you won’t find it here but you will find characters that felt real even though they live in a fictional place called Wilde City and yes, that’s the name of the books publishing company, which made me chuckle but it works so well for the era this story takes place in.
Beautifully written Buck Baxter, Love Detective is a great start to a new series by Geoffrey Knight.
November 6, 2025
Buck es un detective privado en Wilde City a mediados de los 1920's, es un hombre solitario, que no cree en el amor, pero que esta acostumbrado a estar en medio de disputas matrimoniales todo el tiempo. Eso al parecer es lo a que se va a enfrentar de nuevo. Un nuevo caso, un nuevo hombre infiel. Pero este caso lo lleva a lugares donde no espera volver a ir, a despertar sentimientos que no quiere volver a tener. Hará todo lo posible para mantener su vida como la conoce, sin cambiar nada mas. Pero será posible? Después de conocerlo, podrá volver a ser el de siempre?
No me esperaba que este libro fuera tan entretenido. Me encanto el personaje de Buck y me sorprendió mucho su interés amoroso. Me gusto el universo, y varios de los secundarios. La forma como el autor maneja los diálogos y la forma como todos los personajes están dentro de la trama de una forma u otra, hace que sea fácil de leer y de disfrutar. Ya veo porque tiene tantas buenas reseñas, y es seguro que seguiré leyendo la serie, quiero ver que mas va a pasar con Buck y su "casos".
No me esperaba que este libro fuera tan entretenido. Me encanto el personaje de Buck y me sorprendió mucho su interés amoroso. Me gusto el universo, y varios de los secundarios. La forma como el autor maneja los diálogos y la forma como todos los personajes están dentro de la trama de una forma u otra, hace que sea fácil de leer y de disfrutar. Ya veo porque tiene tantas buenas reseñas, y es seguro que seguiré leyendo la serie, quiero ver que mas va a pasar con Buck y su "casos".
July 18, 2020
I love the roarin' 1920's alot so I expected Insta-love on my part from the first word. I floundered a bit in the beginning but as I read more, I fell in love with the characters and the story. I plan on reading the next book as well. While the high rollers are in this story, you also read about Buck's friend Stella and others that are bootlegging/on the fringe of society and how they're both needed to make the world go 'round. A very good read. (I loved the Convent's nickname, "Hell's Bells".)
June 7, 2016
This was a fun read from beginning to end. I loved the way Knight stuck to the lingo of the 20s. The characters were wonderfully developed and felt so real. Stella was great. Buck was a mess with no real foundation. He was flawed but was the perfect P.I. Madame Chang was another favorite character of mine. The ending was a surprise in several ways but I won't spoil it. This short gem is a must read.
December 16, 2018
Good read! A touch of tongue-n-cheek humor. Just the names of all the characters had me laughing. Loved the mood, and style of writing for the time setting. It was perfect. Buck is a bit brash and crass, but overall loveable. And Starling is a side character to keep! This book left me wanting more, have to find out what happens next. Great start for a series.
June 22, 2025
A fast fun read. I really enjoyed it.
probably-not-but-freebie
March 1, 2019Freebie at the zon.com right now: https://www.amazon.com/Buck-Baxter-Lo...
September 9, 2014
A take-off on 1930s pulp detective fiction, "Buck Baxter, Love Detective" throws in just about every trope you can expect to find in the genre, from a beautiful dame engaging the detective's services to night clubs to opium dens to mob hits. All of this is crammed into about 90 pages. I happen to love short reads, so I don't mind that at all. Others might find it too short.
Also, I couldn't care less about sex scenes. I mention that because there's only one and it's brief. It's also BEFORE our hero falls in love, so it's not with the love interest.
That suits me fine, because I wasn't looking for that. I was looking for a detective novel with a gay romance thrown in, and that's exactly what I got. The case isn't riveting. I found the characters Buck encountered on his investigation to be more interesting than the information they were giving him.
The romance was a bit over-the-top. I connected the dots about halfway through. But the resolution was exactly what I wanted, so it was still satisfying and made me a little misty-eyed. The strong point of the book is the cast of characters the author creates. I wanted to see more of them. Which is why I was pleased to see at the end that he has a sequel planned.
Also, I couldn't care less about sex scenes. I mention that because there's only one and it's brief. It's also BEFORE our hero falls in love, so it's not with the love interest.
That suits me fine, because I wasn't looking for that. I was looking for a detective novel with a gay romance thrown in, and that's exactly what I got. The case isn't riveting. I found the characters Buck encountered on his investigation to be more interesting than the information they were giving him.
The romance was a bit over-the-top. I connected the dots about halfway through. But the resolution was exactly what I wanted, so it was still satisfying and made me a little misty-eyed. The strong point of the book is the cast of characters the author creates. I wanted to see more of them. Which is why I was pleased to see at the end that he has a sequel planned.
December 5, 2014
Not enough rent boys. I was really liking the set up of a hard living, loner P.I. staying loose and unencumbered and getting his lovin' from rent boys, but that doesn't last for long. Never thought I'd say this, but this is one case where I'm rooting for the main couple to not be monogamous. I would've preferred for Buck to pine after an unavailable/uninterested guy while continuing his bachelor-on-the-prowl ways.
So will I read the next one? Well, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the period details or the absence of any anachronisms, I guessed the twist fairly early on, and the ending relied on events both too convenient and unlikely . But the writing was smooth and this was a quick read so I'll give book 2 a try.
So will I read the next one? Well, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the period details or the absence of any anachronisms, I guessed the twist fairly early on, and the ending relied on events both too convenient and unlikely . But the writing was smooth and this was a quick read so I'll give book 2 a try.
February 27, 2020
Buck Baxter, Love Detective
By Geoffrey Knight
Published by the author, 2017
Five stars
So, why five stars? Simple, because Knight manages to create and maintain a sort of noir camp atmosphere throughout this book, a feat not nearly as simple as one would think. I actually smirked through most of it, as Geoffrey Knight drags out every archetype and eye-rolling trope from classic detective fiction and makes them sly without being openly ironic. The author loves this stuff, and he loves his hard-boiled private eye, Buck Baxter, who tries desperately not to be romantic while failing miserably at it.
Set in a fictional American city in 1924, Buck Baxter’s Wilde City is as baroquely stylized as Batman’s Gotham. Is the name simply a reference to the town’s untrammeled wildness, or is there a reference to Oscar Wilde? Wilde City feels like a mashup of Manhattan, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Maybe I would have found Chicago in there if I hadn’t been giggling. In any case, it’s vivid and operatic in its stage sets and moods, from raucous speakeasies to opulent opium dens.
Buck is unashamedly into guys, but carries the emotional scars of a tortured childhood in an awful orphanage. He specializes in going unnoticed and being discreet. All in all, there’s no room for emotion in his line of work, particularly in a city where discretion is rarer than diamonds. In spite of his pride in his work skills, Baxter doesn’t really think much of himself.
Sent out to find a cheating husband by a weirdly prim young woman, Buck encounters instead Holden Hart, the golden-boy son of Wilde City’s biggest entrepreneur. His quest to find his client’s philandering hubby takes him to unexpected corners of the city’s substantial underworld, and he begins to discover that there is something distinctly “off” about this supposedly simple job.
The title comes from a great little moment in the plot – the lurid details of which I won’t spoil – in which Baxter is dubbed a “love detective.” Thus the book’s camp title is invested with a poignant suggestion – not only is Buck Baxter looking for love, but he in fact has a special gift for it. Surprise, surprise.
In the hands of a less skilled writer, unable to hold onto a comic edge, it all would have collapsed into silliness. Instead, “Buck Baxter” is poised to become a truly endearing member of the gay detective club. A second book is already on my Kindle.
By Geoffrey Knight
Published by the author, 2017
Five stars
So, why five stars? Simple, because Knight manages to create and maintain a sort of noir camp atmosphere throughout this book, a feat not nearly as simple as one would think. I actually smirked through most of it, as Geoffrey Knight drags out every archetype and eye-rolling trope from classic detective fiction and makes them sly without being openly ironic. The author loves this stuff, and he loves his hard-boiled private eye, Buck Baxter, who tries desperately not to be romantic while failing miserably at it.
Set in a fictional American city in 1924, Buck Baxter’s Wilde City is as baroquely stylized as Batman’s Gotham. Is the name simply a reference to the town’s untrammeled wildness, or is there a reference to Oscar Wilde? Wilde City feels like a mashup of Manhattan, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Maybe I would have found Chicago in there if I hadn’t been giggling. In any case, it’s vivid and operatic in its stage sets and moods, from raucous speakeasies to opulent opium dens.
Buck is unashamedly into guys, but carries the emotional scars of a tortured childhood in an awful orphanage. He specializes in going unnoticed and being discreet. All in all, there’s no room for emotion in his line of work, particularly in a city where discretion is rarer than diamonds. In spite of his pride in his work skills, Baxter doesn’t really think much of himself.
Sent out to find a cheating husband by a weirdly prim young woman, Buck encounters instead Holden Hart, the golden-boy son of Wilde City’s biggest entrepreneur. His quest to find his client’s philandering hubby takes him to unexpected corners of the city’s substantial underworld, and he begins to discover that there is something distinctly “off” about this supposedly simple job.
The title comes from a great little moment in the plot – the lurid details of which I won’t spoil – in which Baxter is dubbed a “love detective.” Thus the book’s camp title is invested with a poignant suggestion – not only is Buck Baxter looking for love, but he in fact has a special gift for it. Surprise, surprise.
In the hands of a less skilled writer, unable to hold onto a comic edge, it all would have collapsed into silliness. Instead, “Buck Baxter” is poised to become a truly endearing member of the gay detective club. A second book is already on my Kindle.
April 11, 2019
Wilde City is a great location, and Knight makes the most of it, with wisecracking babes, dark alleys and airship arrivals. Buck is a hard-edged PI with a tragic past that has made him immune to love, though a great sexy guy that everyone seems to want.
Of course a character like this who's so resistant to love is going to fall, and watching that fall is lots of fun.
Of course a character like this who's so resistant to love is going to fall, and watching that fall is lots of fun.
April 12, 2020
I enjoyed this book. I like historicals and this one was set in 1924. Buck Baxter is quite the PI character, hard, tough, honest and surprisingly good heart. I really felt like I was there in all the action. And the mystery or the case that Buck was on was really quite interesting and the ending was fabulous.
September 19, 2020
I actually quite enjoyed this, which is a surprise. It was written rather like an old style 1930/40s detective film.
At one point I did wonder the purpose of having the case as it was out neatly in the background but everything came together in the end.
A quick read with a good set of secondary characters.
March 11, 2018
That was good...
A nice quick mystery. It was funny, too. I loved the writing. An author I’ll keep in my back pocket for a good read.
A nice quick mystery. It was funny, too. I loved the writing. An author I’ll keep in my back pocket for a good read.
September 1, 2014
For everyone that is going to miss the Gin & Jazz series with the final book coming out in just a couple days, we have a respite! And dare I say... Short, Sexy and Steamy... my three favorite colors!!
Picture this... a sex on a stick, pot smoking, gay private dick in 1920’s New York surrounded by glitz, glamour and the Dick Tracy version of an assortment of Speak Easies. Welcome to Wilde City!
Buck Baxter, private eye extraordinaire, doesn’t do friends or commitments. He doesn’t make enemies either and he is good at his job, which is why he stays in business and avoids any hassles. But his latest job is about to turn his fly under the radar life upside down. Just follow a guy whose wife wants to know if he’s cheating, seems easy enough, right? Then why does he end up staring down the barrel of a gun?? But that is a story for later.
Holden Hart is debonair and stunning with his slicked back blonde hair and movie star good looks. Hart is new in town and the owner of the newest night club, the place to be as it were. Buck is enamoured with the man from the first time he lays eyes on him, and Hart seems to not only recognize, but reciprocate the need. He sets about trying to get to know the brash private eye. But Buck is just that, private, he doesn’t date, especially not charming playboys. Too bad the stiffy in his pants didn’t get that memo.
This was a fast, fun, thrill ride of a story. Knight went into great detail setting the stage for this fascinating new world he’s building around Buck Baxter and the other wildly creative characters that were featured. There were a few flashbacks told in the form of memories as Buck remembers his troubled childhood and the friend he lost. There were several twists and turns along the way that kept me on my toes, kept me guessing until the very end. And that scene in the bar with the ‘new Nick’ was damn near toe curling.
You have to grab a copy of this one and get familiar with Buck and Holden and the twins and Stella, and so many more neat characters so you’ll be ready for the next instalment. I’m anxious to see what Knight pulls out next for Buck Baxter, the Love Detective.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Picture this... a sex on a stick, pot smoking, gay private dick in 1920’s New York surrounded by glitz, glamour and the Dick Tracy version of an assortment of Speak Easies. Welcome to Wilde City!
Buck Baxter, private eye extraordinaire, doesn’t do friends or commitments. He doesn’t make enemies either and he is good at his job, which is why he stays in business and avoids any hassles. But his latest job is about to turn his fly under the radar life upside down. Just follow a guy whose wife wants to know if he’s cheating, seems easy enough, right? Then why does he end up staring down the barrel of a gun?? But that is a story for later.
Holden Hart is debonair and stunning with his slicked back blonde hair and movie star good looks. Hart is new in town and the owner of the newest night club, the place to be as it were. Buck is enamoured with the man from the first time he lays eyes on him, and Hart seems to not only recognize, but reciprocate the need. He sets about trying to get to know the brash private eye. But Buck is just that, private, he doesn’t date, especially not charming playboys. Too bad the stiffy in his pants didn’t get that memo.
This was a fast, fun, thrill ride of a story. Knight went into great detail setting the stage for this fascinating new world he’s building around Buck Baxter and the other wildly creative characters that were featured. There were a few flashbacks told in the form of memories as Buck remembers his troubled childhood and the friend he lost. There were several twists and turns along the way that kept me on my toes, kept me guessing until the very end. And that scene in the bar with the ‘new Nick’ was damn near toe curling.
You have to grab a copy of this one and get familiar with Buck and Holden and the twins and Stella, and so many more neat characters so you’ll be ready for the next instalment. I’m anxious to see what Knight pulls out next for Buck Baxter, the Love Detective.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
October 14, 2014
Picture this, a coastal town where almost everything is prohibited, alcohol, drugs, sex in addition to human rights. The residents of Wilde City are divided into three social classes, the rich, the working poor and the criminals. Buck is among the poor while his future lover Holden is among the rich.
Buck Baxter, Love Detective is the first book in The Buck Baxter Mysteries. The theme is an edgy suspense murder plot with a touch of intimacy. Also featured are the pious religious hypocrites. The characters are fascinating as well as attention-grabbing.
Buck’s motto of never make friends, never make enemies and never fall in love is a survival shield he constructed as a child. His shield served him well until he met Holden. At first sight; Buck’s shields began to crumble. Yet Buck is still haunted by his dark past, which restricts emotional involvements. Buck is hired to investigate a cheating spouse case. This is nothing unusual for Buck, or so he thought. Buck has two mysteries working at the same time, the cheating spouse as well as Holden secretly stalking Buck. As Buck digs deeper into the case, he encounters a few twists that lead him to the mob’s doorstep, not the best place to be if you value your life.
Holden is not what he appears to be, it is his methods that cause Buck to question Holden’s motives. Holden is a compassionate man with honorable intentions towards Buck. What’s more, Holden has a secret for Buck’s ears only.
Geoffrey Knight has created an outstanding riveting saga filled with intrigue, Tommy gun shoot outs, booze, prostitutes in addition to a dash of amusing dialog. I enjoyed Buck Baxter, Love Detective immensely.
Buck Baxter, Love Detective is the first book in The Buck Baxter Mysteries. The theme is an edgy suspense murder plot with a touch of intimacy. Also featured are the pious religious hypocrites. The characters are fascinating as well as attention-grabbing.
Buck’s motto of never make friends, never make enemies and never fall in love is a survival shield he constructed as a child. His shield served him well until he met Holden. At first sight; Buck’s shields began to crumble. Yet Buck is still haunted by his dark past, which restricts emotional involvements. Buck is hired to investigate a cheating spouse case. This is nothing unusual for Buck, or so he thought. Buck has two mysteries working at the same time, the cheating spouse as well as Holden secretly stalking Buck. As Buck digs deeper into the case, he encounters a few twists that lead him to the mob’s doorstep, not the best place to be if you value your life.
Holden is not what he appears to be, it is his methods that cause Buck to question Holden’s motives. Holden is a compassionate man with honorable intentions towards Buck. What’s more, Holden has a secret for Buck’s ears only.
Geoffrey Knight has created an outstanding riveting saga filled with intrigue, Tommy gun shoot outs, booze, prostitutes in addition to a dash of amusing dialog. I enjoyed Buck Baxter, Love Detective immensely.
September 17, 2018
From the moment I started reading I was instantly transported back in time. I was hit with so many visually like I had fallen straight into a movie. The dialogue and feel of the book was perfect. I love a good mystery detective book but other than a few old Sherlock Holmes I haven’t ready any thing that wasn’t contemp1052orary and I was a little nervous. But I shouldn’t have been. This book was such a great adventure, so fun and different. The mystery storyline was great and Buck was the ultimate grumpy bachelor with a hidden soft heart. The ending was perfect and I can’t wait to read on and see what comes next!
September 27, 2014
Delicious Pulp Fiction. That's the best way to describe this novella.
This is the first of an upcoming series which has got me hooked, especially with its older cinematic imagery. Yes, you can imagine a very colourful cast of characters and wonderful Art Deco sets and costumes as you read.
To talk too much about this story would be robbing future readers of some of the delightful nail biting situations that pop up. They're best discovered fresh.
All I'll say is that there are tongue-in-cheek detective clichés and entertaining twists and turns on every page.
A light fun read.
This is the first of an upcoming series which has got me hooked, especially with its older cinematic imagery. Yes, you can imagine a very colourful cast of characters and wonderful Art Deco sets and costumes as you read.
To talk too much about this story would be robbing future readers of some of the delightful nail biting situations that pop up. They're best discovered fresh.
All I'll say is that there are tongue-in-cheek detective clichés and entertaining twists and turns on every page.
A light fun read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews