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Desert Run
Palm Springs, 1973. Don Harris is a piano player on the run after killing a Chicago mobster's son in a bar fight. On the lam, he meets a pretty blonde girl in town for a convention. He lets down his guard and spends the night with her only to discover she's the younger sister of his best friend all grown-up. Foolishly, she tips her brother off to Don's location, and he's on the run again, hoping to find a safe place to land.
Out of money and desperate, Don accidentally walks into a gay bar where he allows a kid named Harlan to pick him up so he'll have a place to stay. As the mob chases them, Don begins to fall for the kid, putting them both in harm's way. Harlan has problems of his own, and Don knows he shouldn't get involved but he can't help but step in when Harlan gets in trouble. To save himself, Don's got to save Harlan.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
19 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Marshall Thornton
56 books628 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 61 reviews
February 18, 2015
3 stars. Review posted February 18, 2015
Why I read this book:
A)
COVERLUST.
B)
A second chance for an author who didn't work out for me at my first attempt.
I read the first book in Marshall Thornton's Boystown series and unfortunately it didn't do it for me. It's safe to say that I enjoyed Desert Run more. Although I didn't end up lovin' it either. As it was, somewhere along the way I just lost interest. I'll be giving it 3 stars for the good writing and the entertainment value of the story but I can't say that I liked the characters and a couple TSTL moments soured the whole picture.
Also, I really tried to ignore the editing issues but I came to a (late) point where I started to highlight them. Here are a few for your perusal but keep in mind there are more. It's not a detailed list.
"I've meet a lot guys who where there.(…)"
"Let's o to bed."
The he gave me a very serious look.
I finished both ass cheeks, being careful not to get to intimate around the crack of his ass.
I took at good look at the spot we'd ended in.
"(…)You don't think it will bother me that's you're dead whether it's my fault or not?"
I wasn't sure there was much waiting or me in Chicago.
I'm almost punched him to prove him wrong.
Again, my mother tongue is not English but even my little self can see that someone did a shoddy job editing and/or proofreading this book.
Don, aka…of course I'm not going to tell you his aliases, is suffering from PTSD and anger management issues. While I found his 'Nam flashbacks pretty compelling, his choleric temper and loose fist started to irritate me after a while.
After so many DNFs in a row, I'm glad I could array yet another decent book to my 2015 Reading Challenge.
Warning:
I know that some m-m fans don't like the "f" in their m-m stories. Desert Run contains quite a bit of m-m action but also a little bit of m-f and one m-f-m scene.
Why I read this book:
A)
COVERLUST.
B)
A second chance for an author who didn't work out for me at my first attempt.
I read the first book in Marshall Thornton's Boystown series and unfortunately it didn't do it for me. It's safe to say that I enjoyed Desert Run more. Although I didn't end up lovin' it either. As it was, somewhere along the way I just lost interest. I'll be giving it 3 stars for the good writing and the entertainment value of the story but I can't say that I liked the characters and a couple TSTL moments soured the whole picture.
Also, I really tried to ignore the editing issues but I came to a (late) point where I started to highlight them. Here are a few for your perusal but keep in mind there are more. It's not a detailed list.
"I've meet a lot guys who where there.(…)"
"Let's o to bed."
The he gave me a very serious look.
I finished both ass cheeks, being careful not to get to intimate around the crack of his ass.
I took at good look at the spot we'd ended in.
"(…)You don't think it will bother me that's you're dead whether it's my fault or not?"
I wasn't sure there was much waiting or me in Chicago.
I'm almost punched him to prove him wrong.
Again, my mother tongue is not English but even my little self can see that someone did a shoddy job editing and/or proofreading this book.
Don, aka…of course I'm not going to tell you his aliases, is suffering from PTSD and anger management issues. While I found his 'Nam flashbacks pretty compelling, his choleric temper and loose fist started to irritate me after a while.
After so many DNFs in a row, I'm glad I could array yet another decent book to my 2015 Reading Challenge.
Warning:
I know that some m-m fans don't like the "f" in their m-m stories. Desert Run contains quite a bit of m-m action but also a little bit of m-f and one m-f-m scene.
November 16, 2018
3 Stars
If you want a 70’s vibe with mafia undertones then perhaps you'll feel the inclination to take this little jaunt back in time.
Ricky, aka Don, has been on the lam for years after accidentally killing a low ranking mobster’s son. Misfortune befalls him when he runs into his past, as it sets off an awful chain reaction that he can’t stop.
This didn’t quite work for me regarding the romance , but the suspense and buildup paid off, and I loved the conclusion!
Not my favorite of Thornton’s but good enough.
If you want a 70’s vibe with mafia undertones then perhaps you'll feel the inclination to take this little jaunt back in time.
Ricky, aka Don, has been on the lam for years after accidentally killing a low ranking mobster’s son. Misfortune befalls him when he runs into his past, as it sets off an awful chain reaction that he can’t stop.
This didn’t quite work for me regarding the romance , but the suspense and buildup paid off, and I loved the conclusion!
Not my favorite of Thornton’s but good enough.
June 23, 2017
Lawdy, Marshall Thornton, of course I freakin' reviewed your story on Prism Book Alliance®
Candles, under glass with silly-looking metal hats, provided the lighting. I had to have my own piano light attached to the Steinway. They couldn’t find the real thing, so they used the kind you get for an expensive oil painting. The kind you stuck on top so you could see a painting clear enough to wonder why the hell you ever bought it.
I just like this passage. That’s why I included it. It’s from chapter one and provides hints to our narrator’s personality before much else has been revealed about him this early in the story. It also serves as a way of showing how far from this starting point Don, said narrator, ends up by the time I got to the last page of this book. He’s been going through the emotional ringer most of his life and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. What might be changing? His outlook on it all, and his ability to continue surviving what seem to be constantly appearing pitfalls and no-win situations.
Four chapters in and things are grim. I don’t want to give anything away but I’ll say Don is running, from his past, his mistakes, and even his (former?) best friend. He served in Viet Nam which, of course, is having lasting effects on his life back home. Guns, adrenaline, death, regrets, and hiding from all of those things take up most of his living days, and sometimes his sleeping ones.
It’s fascinating the way the mind works in trying to process shocks to the system. Don isn’t exactly new at this but even he’s surprised at some of his own reactions to the goings on around him. The way Thornton examines someone living a life like this feels all consuming while reading this. Don is feeling like there’s no escape, even while running, and I felt the same way.
Drank water when I was thirsty. Ate when I was hungry. Slept every so often. I even laughed at the TV shows I watched, whether they were funny or not. It surprised me that I did these things. Why not just let the pain swallow me and have done with it? But then, bigger than guilt, bigger than self-hatred, was my will to survive. I kept going.
Now and then, the prose drifts into cut and dry territory, reading more like “just the facts, ma’am, just the fact” instead of Don’s showing us what was going on. This never lasted long, though, because this is Marshall Thornton and he doesn’t do cut and dry anything. His characters are ‘every-person’ people stuck in unusual circumstances and settings that show off just how vulnerable, hopeful, frustrated, dream-driven, and imperfect they are.
This also means he doesn’t shy away from the truth of any situation, and the realistic consequences resulting from them and the decisions the characters make that result in sometimes subtle but no-turning-back-now changes in the path their lives are on. All of this means I feel surrounded by the story, that inability to escape feeling. Specifically, Don had me curious the entire way through, and Harlan sprinkled me with intrigue, oh yeah. About half way through? Things took quite a turn, a quiet but definite turn, and I smiled despite the darkness and danger that still surrounded these two, and probably always would.
This is a story about self-discovery wrapped in a gritty, dangerous, tenuously hopeful, frightening, packed full of surprises package, set in the 1970s with its simultaneously simple and complicated ways. The characters never wander into falsehood for the sake of moving the plot forward, which is especially fantastic since our main guys are “bad” guys who show how ‘bad’ isn’t one-dimensional but instead one dimension among many. The intensity pretty much never lets up and I didn’t really know where things would end up. The ending is a beginning, allowing my own imagination to have its way with what comes next for Don and Harlan.
The experience of reading a Marshall Thornton story is unlike any other.
Book hangover, anyone?
Candles, under glass with silly-looking metal hats, provided the lighting. I had to have my own piano light attached to the Steinway. They couldn’t find the real thing, so they used the kind you get for an expensive oil painting. The kind you stuck on top so you could see a painting clear enough to wonder why the hell you ever bought it.
I just like this passage. That’s why I included it. It’s from chapter one and provides hints to our narrator’s personality before much else has been revealed about him this early in the story. It also serves as a way of showing how far from this starting point Don, said narrator, ends up by the time I got to the last page of this book. He’s been going through the emotional ringer most of his life and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. What might be changing? His outlook on it all, and his ability to continue surviving what seem to be constantly appearing pitfalls and no-win situations.
Four chapters in and things are grim. I don’t want to give anything away but I’ll say Don is running, from his past, his mistakes, and even his (former?) best friend. He served in Viet Nam which, of course, is having lasting effects on his life back home. Guns, adrenaline, death, regrets, and hiding from all of those things take up most of his living days, and sometimes his sleeping ones.
It’s fascinating the way the mind works in trying to process shocks to the system. Don isn’t exactly new at this but even he’s surprised at some of his own reactions to the goings on around him. The way Thornton examines someone living a life like this feels all consuming while reading this. Don is feeling like there’s no escape, even while running, and I felt the same way.
Drank water when I was thirsty. Ate when I was hungry. Slept every so often. I even laughed at the TV shows I watched, whether they were funny or not. It surprised me that I did these things. Why not just let the pain swallow me and have done with it? But then, bigger than guilt, bigger than self-hatred, was my will to survive. I kept going.
Now and then, the prose drifts into cut and dry territory, reading more like “just the facts, ma’am, just the fact” instead of Don’s showing us what was going on. This never lasted long, though, because this is Marshall Thornton and he doesn’t do cut and dry anything. His characters are ‘every-person’ people stuck in unusual circumstances and settings that show off just how vulnerable, hopeful, frustrated, dream-driven, and imperfect they are.
This also means he doesn’t shy away from the truth of any situation, and the realistic consequences resulting from them and the decisions the characters make that result in sometimes subtle but no-turning-back-now changes in the path their lives are on. All of this means I feel surrounded by the story, that inability to escape feeling. Specifically, Don had me curious the entire way through, and Harlan sprinkled me with intrigue, oh yeah. About half way through? Things took quite a turn, a quiet but definite turn, and I smiled despite the darkness and danger that still surrounded these two, and probably always would.
This is a story about self-discovery wrapped in a gritty, dangerous, tenuously hopeful, frightening, packed full of surprises package, set in the 1970s with its simultaneously simple and complicated ways. The characters never wander into falsehood for the sake of moving the plot forward, which is especially fantastic since our main guys are “bad” guys who show how ‘bad’ isn’t one-dimensional but instead one dimension among many. The intensity pretty much never lets up and I didn’t really know where things would end up. The ending is a beginning, allowing my own imagination to have its way with what comes next for Don and Harlan.
The experience of reading a Marshall Thornton story is unlike any other.
Book hangover, anyone?
November 24, 2011
Don is an entertainer in a third rate cocktail bar in Palm Springs circa 1973. He's out of the army, single, and doesn't mind picking up the occasional hot woman and having a good time.
When Shelly walks in to the lounge, she is a hot looking blonde, in town for a convention and hot to trot. That she looks oddly familiar raises his red flags, but not enough to keep him from hooking up. After a brief few days and a lot of fun and sex, Don's past shows back up to cause a LOT of trouble.
Seems Don is really Ricky D'Amico from Chicago, ex-army, and on the run from a terrible situation that has him changing his identity and laying low, unable to contact family or friends. Shelly's revelation of who she is and that she recognizes him stuns and worries him, and then, quickly has him in the run yet again. Then, what starts as Don pool sharking to get money to stay on the run from the troubles chasing him leads to his meeting and falling into a friendship with Harlan, a young man being kept by a middle aged movie start. A male star. And what follows is an action packed, thrill ride of mobsters, movie stars, murder and memories.
This is NOT your average m/m story, and that is a VERY good thing!
This is first and foremost a story about an average guy trapped in a situation anything but average, but out of his control. What happened in Chicago starts a chain of events that has Don constantly looking over his shoulder, reacting and on edge. Shelly's stumbling across him by accident brings all that he has tried to put behind him right back in his face, and drives the action throughout the book.
And this is a great ride of a book. The action fast paced, the fear palpable and Don propelled into reactions designed to keep him safe for one more day. Mr. Thornton has crafted a very believable character in Don - a Vietnam era veteran (this is 1973) who suffers from light PTSD and flashbacks. He is brutally adaptable, able to make quick decisions, but is a man with a conscience. He is used to doing what is necessary to survive, and all of the actions he takes in this well written, excellently paced roller coaster of a book are consistent and believable.
What sets this book apart from merely being a well written action story, however, is the addition of the m/m element to the mix. While on the run, Don is thrown into a situation where he meets Harlan, a young gay man. Don's initial intention is to use him for a place to stay, never intending for anything sexual to occur. Don discovers that he has an initial connection with the guy - or at least to getting off. As he gets to know Harlan, however, he has to question himself as to whether there is something more to his attraction than Harlan's being just an easy way to get off, or if there is an emotional connection.
And that is what makes this such a relevant and exciting book for me. Don is on the run, fighting for his life. And Mr. Thornton works in a nicely told interlude where Don contemplates his sexuality. It fits seamlessly into the tale, and adds texture and depth to the character. I never questioned where Mr. Thornton was taking me or how we were getting there - I just sat back and let this masterful storyteller take me along for a fun, exciting and ultimately satisfying ride.
I wish we had more of this in the genre to choose from - action driven stories where the m/m element was secondary but important. I love me some HEA and hot sex, but there is a place for this type of book in the genre also.
Good work!
Tom
When Shelly walks in to the lounge, she is a hot looking blonde, in town for a convention and hot to trot. That she looks oddly familiar raises his red flags, but not enough to keep him from hooking up. After a brief few days and a lot of fun and sex, Don's past shows back up to cause a LOT of trouble.
Seems Don is really Ricky D'Amico from Chicago, ex-army, and on the run from a terrible situation that has him changing his identity and laying low, unable to contact family or friends. Shelly's revelation of who she is and that she recognizes him stuns and worries him, and then, quickly has him in the run yet again. Then, what starts as Don pool sharking to get money to stay on the run from the troubles chasing him leads to his meeting and falling into a friendship with Harlan, a young man being kept by a middle aged movie start. A male star. And what follows is an action packed, thrill ride of mobsters, movie stars, murder and memories.
This is NOT your average m/m story, and that is a VERY good thing!
This is first and foremost a story about an average guy trapped in a situation anything but average, but out of his control. What happened in Chicago starts a chain of events that has Don constantly looking over his shoulder, reacting and on edge. Shelly's stumbling across him by accident brings all that he has tried to put behind him right back in his face, and drives the action throughout the book.
And this is a great ride of a book. The action fast paced, the fear palpable and Don propelled into reactions designed to keep him safe for one more day. Mr. Thornton has crafted a very believable character in Don - a Vietnam era veteran (this is 1973) who suffers from light PTSD and flashbacks. He is brutally adaptable, able to make quick decisions, but is a man with a conscience. He is used to doing what is necessary to survive, and all of the actions he takes in this well written, excellently paced roller coaster of a book are consistent and believable.
What sets this book apart from merely being a well written action story, however, is the addition of the m/m element to the mix. While on the run, Don is thrown into a situation where he meets Harlan, a young gay man. Don's initial intention is to use him for a place to stay, never intending for anything sexual to occur. Don discovers that he has an initial connection with the guy - or at least to getting off. As he gets to know Harlan, however, he has to question himself as to whether there is something more to his attraction than Harlan's being just an easy way to get off, or if there is an emotional connection.
And that is what makes this such a relevant and exciting book for me. Don is on the run, fighting for his life. And Mr. Thornton works in a nicely told interlude where Don contemplates his sexuality. It fits seamlessly into the tale, and adds texture and depth to the character. I never questioned where Mr. Thornton was taking me or how we were getting there - I just sat back and let this masterful storyteller take me along for a fun, exciting and ultimately satisfying ride.
I wish we had more of this in the genre to choose from - action driven stories where the m/m element was secondary but important. I love me some HEA and hot sex, but there is a place for this type of book in the genre also.
Good work!
Tom
November 4, 2016
3,5 stars
If you don't know that Marshall Thornton is one of my favorite writers...
... then you probably don't know me well enough. If you don't know WHO is Marshall Thornton...
...ARE YOU SURE WE ARE GR FRIENDS?!Because to say that I am a true fan of the author is like to say nothing: EVERYONE in my environment knows/at least heard once this name. Even if they never read or don't plan to read gay mystery. My family, my friends, my GR friends knows WHO Marshall Thornton is.
I read everything he wrote. Desert Run was my LAST UNREAD novel by the author.
There were 2 reasons for this:
This book wasn't available on Amazon, when I was on my Marshall Thornton's mission. It was shortly taken out because of re-editing.
Now, when I'm more wiser than I was when I had started this novel, I can say that in spite of M/F and M/M/F sex scenes at the beginning, I REALLY enjoyed the first third of the book. It was, without any hesitation, a 5 read for me. I enjoyed the second part of the book a bit less, DESPITE of the fact that the novel, along the way, became more gayer, but also more stereotypical and less realistic. And a ROMANCE became more essential and more important than a MYSTERY part. And THAT I NORMALLY don't expect from MT's books.
Still an enjoyable fun read, with typical Marshall Thornton's dialogues - I LOVE THE WRITING!!!- and with a typical Marshall Thornton's sense of humor- I LOVE IT!!!
But I rate Marshall Thornton's books according my personal Marshall Thornton's scale.
I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sad...because...it was my LAST UNREAD WORK by MARSHALL THORNTON...
February 9, 2020
It's a sweltering July day in Palm Springs, circa 1973, and Ricky D'Amico, aka Don Harris, aka Fred, is playing piano at Danny's Hideout. He's on the run from his hometown of Chicago, where he killed Ernie Collata's son Mickey in a bar fight. Accidentally, sure, but Ernie is with The Outfit, and he's gonna kill Ricky once he finds him. "It's a funny feeling when your life ends, and you're still walking around.... Chicago was the only place I'd ever called home, and now by throwing one lousy punch, I wasn't safe in my own home. I needed to be just about anywhere else."
Don has run as far as Palm Springs, where life is treating him okay, until The Outfit finds out where Don has been hiding, and he is once again on the run from thugs driving a Lincoln Mark IV, wearing knit golf shirts and plaid slacks, and carrying BIG guns. Slipping into a dark Cathedral City bar, Don meets Harlan, who has a few secrets of his own - he's living in Hollywood star Rory Winter's palatial Palm Springs get-away as his boy toy. Against a backdrop of mobsters, movie stars and murder, Don comes to realize that he's falling for Harlan and when bad news comes looking for Harlan, Don realizes that he has to step in to save them both.
As always, Thornton's writing is succinct and compact, yet you finish the book feeling you know Harlan, Tony DeStefano, Tucker, Andy, Effie, Dora Van Pelt and any number of characters Don meets along the way. Like Chicago in Thornton's Boystown Murders series, the Palm Springs setting becomes an important facet of the story. You feel that stifling desert heat, hear the swamp coolers kicking in, sense the uneasy combination of the struggling desert town and the tourist Mecca.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Don has run as far as Palm Springs, where life is treating him okay, until The Outfit finds out where Don has been hiding, and he is once again on the run from thugs driving a Lincoln Mark IV, wearing knit golf shirts and plaid slacks, and carrying BIG guns. Slipping into a dark Cathedral City bar, Don meets Harlan, who has a few secrets of his own - he's living in Hollywood star Rory Winter's palatial Palm Springs get-away as his boy toy. Against a backdrop of mobsters, movie stars and murder, Don comes to realize that he's falling for Harlan and when bad news comes looking for Harlan, Don realizes that he has to step in to save them both.
As always, Thornton's writing is succinct and compact, yet you finish the book feeling you know Harlan, Tony DeStefano, Tucker, Andy, Effie, Dora Van Pelt and any number of characters Don meets along the way. Like Chicago in Thornton's Boystown Murders series, the Palm Springs setting becomes an important facet of the story. You feel that stifling desert heat, hear the swamp coolers kicking in, sense the uneasy combination of the struggling desert town and the tourist Mecca.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Want to read
January 31, 2015Price drop to $0.99 right NOW at amazon US, 1/31/15!
dnf-for-good
August 14, 2020DNF!
4 stars audio
No Thank you stars story!
4 stars audio
No Thank you stars story!
July 19, 2018
4/5 stars. I know I’m late to the Marshall Thornton party because his books weren’t available to me until recently. But now I can say I am definitely a fan of MT!!
What can I say? I loved this fun and thrilling read. I loved the Palm Springs desert setting, the characters, the dialogue - and the dark humour, for me, really adds to the believability of a plot that could have veered into heavy handed and outlandish territory.
My only criticism would be that the final third of the book felt rushed. The MC’s fairly low-angst struggle with his sexuality felt believable to me but during the final portion of the book, I felt he was a little too quick to accept that he’d fallen head over heels for Harlen.
That said, I still l loved this book and since finishing it have been languidly daydreaming about DonRickyFred and Harlen’s life like together.
What can I say? I loved this fun and thrilling read. I loved the Palm Springs desert setting, the characters, the dialogue - and the dark humour, for me, really adds to the believability of a plot that could have veered into heavy handed and outlandish territory.
My only criticism would be that the final third of the book felt rushed. The MC’s fairly low-angst struggle with his sexuality felt believable to me but during the final portion of the book, I felt he was a little too quick to accept that he’d fallen head over heels for Harlen.
That said, I still l loved this book and since finishing it have been languidly daydreaming about DonRickyFred and Harlen’s life like together.
August 11, 2015
In a sea of DNFs and duds and WTF am I really reading
This book
I dont know. I love the way Mr Thornton writes
I love his writing style and TBH enjoy his characters, the thought processes and the actions.
Plus I love anything mob related really
Mare~Slitsread
This book
I dont know. I love the way Mr Thornton writes
I love his writing style and TBH enjoy his characters, the thought processes and the actions.
Plus I love anything mob related really
Mare~Slitsread
September 7, 2019
I really don't know what to think about it...
Of all Marshall's book I've read, this one I liked the least.
2.5 stars maybe...
Of all Marshall's book I've read, this one I liked the least.
2.5 stars maybe...
September 26, 2011
Thanks to a Facebook "share" from Kayla Jameth of a blog he wrote on the difference between m/m romance and gay fiction: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_..., I discovered Marshall Thornton's books.
Impressed by things he said, I bought and read "Desert Run" and am glad I did. The book hit all the right notes of the action, suspense genre. It also includes a "gay for you" scenario (or rather an "out for you", taking into account the POV character's reluctant recognition of his attraction to guys in the past). There is also gay sex in it, love and a HEA.
However, it doesn't fit the "Harlequinized" m/m romance agenda. For starters, there is explicit m/f sex at the beginning. This is necessary, because it fits the plot.
The presence of this scene has provoked at least one reaction which exemplifies the problem Marshall discusses in his blog. To quote a reviewer on Amazon:
Once again the expectations of the reader as to what they will find in the genre are seen as being a negative.
From a quick scroll through Goodreads booklists of males who I know are gay, many are not averse to reading books with heterosexual characters, so it's not the guys who might be put off by the straight sex scene. Which only leaves the females. In real life, many men have had sex with women before becoming "out for you" or being happy to be gay, so why shouldn't that be included in books if it fits the plot?
Marshall's writing is fluid with good cadence and flow. All kudos to Torquere for publishing the book as is and not demanding that the sex scene be cut to pander to females who want their m/m girl cootie free. I'll even replace the star I took off for the typos. But, hey, get a copy editor folks...
So how to classify its genre? M/m romance or gay fiction?
In the blog Marshall states: M/M at its core is about the formation of a committed relationship
A committed relationshp develops but this happens rather than being sought after, a by-product of the plot rather than the plot. So this might tend to swing it away from m/m romance.
Furthermore, if m/m romance readers demand emotional reaction to plot developments and insist on no m/f sex being depicted then again it's not an m/m romance.
Are these factors enough to preclude it from being m/m then? Perhaps the problem is that so many readers automatically tag the word "romance" after the initials, whether they are appropriate or not. Are the Adrien English mysteries m/m romance? In fact, the story is reminiscent of Josh Lanyon at times without the emotional angst (although there is some). There is a raw grittiness which I think fits the story and suits the characters. They're certainly not chicks with dicks.
Perhaps it's best to describe Desert Run as action/suspense with gay protagonists who develop a committed relationship and admit they're in love. That's enough of a romantic element for me.
If this makes Desert Run gay fiction rather than m/m romance, then fine, give me more.
Impressed by things he said, I bought and read "Desert Run" and am glad I did. The book hit all the right notes of the action, suspense genre. It also includes a "gay for you" scenario (or rather an "out for you", taking into account the POV character's reluctant recognition of his attraction to guys in the past). There is also gay sex in it, love and a HEA.
However, it doesn't fit the "Harlequinized" m/m romance agenda. For starters, there is explicit m/f sex at the beginning. This is necessary, because it fits the plot.
The presence of this scene has provoked at least one reaction which exemplifies the problem Marshall discusses in his blog. To quote a reviewer on Amazon:
"Heavy on the action, but it also has a pretty sweet romantic element:
The writing is a little wooden at times because it focuses so much on relating the things that happen rather than the character's emotional reactions to them, but the plot is quite good. I'm afraid that the book might have a limited audience, though: those looking for gay fiction might be put off by the straight sex, and others might be put off by the gay scenes."
Once again the expectations of the reader as to what they will find in the genre are seen as being a negative.
From a quick scroll through Goodreads booklists of males who I know are gay, many are not averse to reading books with heterosexual characters, so it's not the guys who might be put off by the straight sex scene. Which only leaves the females. In real life, many men have had sex with women before becoming "out for you" or being happy to be gay, so why shouldn't that be included in books if it fits the plot?
Marshall's writing is fluid with good cadence and flow. All kudos to Torquere for publishing the book as is and not demanding that the sex scene be cut to pander to females who want their m/m girl cootie free. I'll even replace the star I took off for the typos. But, hey, get a copy editor folks...
So how to classify its genre? M/m romance or gay fiction?
In the blog Marshall states: M/M at its core is about the formation of a committed relationship
A committed relationshp develops but this happens rather than being sought after, a by-product of the plot rather than the plot. So this might tend to swing it away from m/m romance.
Furthermore, if m/m romance readers demand emotional reaction to plot developments and insist on no m/f sex being depicted then again it's not an m/m romance.
Are these factors enough to preclude it from being m/m then? Perhaps the problem is that so many readers automatically tag the word "romance" after the initials, whether they are appropriate or not. Are the Adrien English mysteries m/m romance? In fact, the story is reminiscent of Josh Lanyon at times without the emotional angst (although there is some). There is a raw grittiness which I think fits the story and suits the characters. They're certainly not chicks with dicks.
Perhaps it's best to describe Desert Run as action/suspense with gay protagonists who develop a committed relationship and admit they're in love. That's enough of a romantic element for me.
If this makes Desert Run gay fiction rather than m/m romance, then fine, give me more.
February 21, 2023
Wow, it took me some pages, but all of a sudden this book had me captivated and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it!
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
March 14, 2020
3.5 Stars
September 21, 2024
Kinda a convert.
Fantastic voice, sense of place,
structure. Read this book.
Fantastic voice, sense of place,
structure. Read this book.
July 1, 2020
I could have done without the explicit MF scene. I did find that I wasn't expecting it, and it took me a little longer to get into the story because I wasn't site how long Shelly was going to have a starring role. I'm really not into a vagina being referred to as a slit.
But as per usual, once I got into the story Marshall Thornton's writing sucked me right in.
But as per usual, once I got into the story Marshall Thornton's writing sucked me right in.
March 7, 2013
2.5 Stars
Review posted on World of Diversity Fictions!
I looked forward to reading this book. The cover is beautiful, yes I’m one of those that the cover is important it’s what draws me to the story and I thought the blurb was intriguing. I love a good mob story their usually full of suspense and drama by adding in the M/M Romance angle it should be a win win for me.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen with this story. My first uh oh moment was right at the beginning, a good portion was about Don (not his real name) and Shelly a girl he meets in the Bar he works at. They hit it off and they leave together, without going into exactly what happens next I’ll just say for a moment I’m like “Whaaaat?” I thought this was an M/M Romance not M/F Romance, did someone switch my book?” I was put off for a bit but the writing was easy, I liked Don and I figured I would just hang in there I was sure it would come around. It did....sort of.
There is supposed to be drama and suspense, it’s a mob story right? Sadly I didn’t find there was much of either. I’m almost half way into the book and finally I meet Harlan, the character I’m assuming is going to be Don’s love interest. He’s great they are both great but I just couldn’t get myself to believe in the two of them as a couple not the way it was written at least.
My biggest gripe with this book is the GFY storyline, I think that’s a tough one to get to work and the GFY here was totally not working for me not even a little bit.
If you’re a big fan of GFY you may enjoy this book. I didn’t hate it by any means but I also didn’t love it.
July 1, 2016
Little Gem! This is a little gem that's rather deceiving, very complex, but wonderfully thrilling. Extremely addictive, an erotic adventure/thriller you don't see coming until it's too late - wonderful ending!
August 4, 2011
The author did an excellent job setting the scene, even before clear period markers were presented it was obvious when the story took place. The character development was slow and never fully realized. I did end up liking Don but I didn't really believe his attraction or feelings for Harlan. When the book began Don was a womanizer and even picked up a tourist in the bar he worked with and spent a week with her enjoying a no strings romp. So while the author tried to flash back to other instances when Don had felt stirrings of attraction to his own sex, it just didn't seem like it was enough. I also felt the ending was slightly anticlimactic and pat, everything was wrapped up too neatly. I was also struggling with Don settling down with Harlan for the long haul, especially since he didn't seem the type and the two had only recently met. The writing was great and the setting was interesting but plot and the characters just didn't come together to create a cohesive story. With such promise I expected more.
April 16, 2023
The initial strong straight romance made me difficult to really connect to the story for a while. But boy, the ending certainly pays off!
I liked the setting, the mafia vibe and the sense of certain doom that prevails for almost the whole book. Don is a very interesting character, a guy trapped in a situation brought about by a bad decision with an even worst outcome. That leads to some unexpected self-discovery once he meets Harlan, who early on he only sees as a way to get a place to stay safe. Of course, things are never so cut and clear, aren't they?
This is a very atmospheric, gritty story. And I loved it!
I liked the setting, the mafia vibe and the sense of certain doom that prevails for almost the whole book. Don is a very interesting character, a guy trapped in a situation brought about by a bad decision with an even worst outcome. That leads to some unexpected self-discovery once he meets Harlan, who early on he only sees as a way to get a place to stay safe. Of course, things are never so cut and clear, aren't they?
This is a very atmospheric, gritty story. And I loved it!
May 27, 2019
Good Stuff.
Thornton write well.
Read more Thornton.
Thornton write well.
Read more Thornton.
Want to read
August 9, 20198/9/19 $.99 in kindle store.
April 11, 2016
The cover proclaims this to be an "erotic thriller" and I found it to be neither, unless erotic means several woodenly described sex acts and thriller means a trail of dead bodies. Thornton is a competent writer with a serviceable narrative littered with mostly accurate early 70's references and a good ear for dialogue. His first person narrator carried me along, although I myself loosing interest as the plot eventually became so silly it bordered on parody by the end.
The male love interest did not show up until more than a third of the way through the book and frankly I could have done without it. I read a lot of M/M and quite a bit of it is GFY. I have to say though, given the author's credentials I was shocked at how shoddily this portion of the book is done. The straight guy essentially experiences instant lust, rapidly followed by eternal love for no discernible reason. This is strictly bottom of the barrel, GFY romantic dribble at its worst. The pair had no chemistry and no reason to be together.
The male love interest did not show up until more than a third of the way through the book and frankly I could have done without it. I read a lot of M/M and quite a bit of it is GFY. I have to say though, given the author's credentials I was shocked at how shoddily this portion of the book is done. The straight guy essentially experiences instant lust, rapidly followed by eternal love for no discernible reason. This is strictly bottom of the barrel, GFY romantic dribble at its worst. The pair had no chemistry and no reason to be together.
May 12, 2012
I really enjoyed this at the beginning. It was a unique setting, a sort of tough-guy story, with plenty of action and suspense.
However, it got a bit cliche--the bad guy never getting killed because of the mercy of the good guy and then he'd show up time and time again.
Also, I wonder...if I let a girl suck me off, could I be "turned" straight? I don't think so. Therefore, I was put off by the premise that the main character was turned and had never really been attracted to men before. All of a sudden, he was madly in love with a man (who at least sounded pretty sexy).
Finally, the editing was awful. Many grammar errors--the partner's name wavered between Harlan and Harland.
Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile read that might have been improved a bit.
However, it got a bit cliche--the bad guy never getting killed because of the mercy of the good guy and then he'd show up time and time again.
Also, I wonder...if I let a girl suck me off, could I be "turned" straight? I don't think so. Therefore, I was put off by the premise that the main character was turned and had never really been attracted to men before. All of a sudden, he was madly in love with a man (who at least sounded pretty sexy).
Finally, the editing was awful. Many grammar errors--the partner's name wavered between Harlan and Harland.
Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile read that might have been improved a bit.
August 3, 2020
A few warnings:
- on the run from mafia, expect violence and death
- no romance to speak of
- the MC is bi, so - girly bits
- m/f, m/m/f, m/m
On the whole I really liked the book, even the m/f parts.
4 stars. It felt like some issues were left unresolved.
- on the run from mafia, expect violence and death
- no romance to speak of
- the MC is bi, so - girly bits
- m/f, m/m/f, m/m
On the whole I really liked the book, even the m/f parts.
4 stars. It felt like some issues were left unresolved.
February 16, 2015
This is M/M, but be prepared for M/F scenes.
August 26, 2024
Desert Run
By Marshall Thornton
Kenmore Books, 2010 and 2014
Five stars
I was surprised at how much I loved this book, because it has all sorts of thing that are button-pushers for me, and which I tend to avoid. Then again, I’m a huge Marshall Thornton fan, and decided I need to read this—which was published the year before I started reading Marshall Thornton’s “Boys Town” books.
Don Harris is the piano man in a dim, swanky Palm Springs restaurant-cum-cocktail lounge. The year is 1973, and Don is in his twenties. Also, his name is actually Ricky D’Amico, and he’s on the lam. I grew to really like, and even care about, this unfortunate young man as his story unfolded. It’s not a happy or pretty story, and yet the book has surprising wry humor and great, authentic tenderness. In spite of everything we learn, Ricky is a good guy.
The two things going against this book (in my book, that is) are the fact that this is tagged as a “straight to gay” novel; and also the fact that there’s rather a lot of killing going on. I have long since learned to despise the “gay for you” trope that so much gay fiction likes, and I also can’t abide the celebration of killers.
On the other hand, having read every other book Marshall Thornton has written, I have come to expect the complicated nuances of Thornton’s narratives and characters. My anxiety over this book faded away pretty quickly, as I got caught up in the story. The hard part is explaining that without giving any details, because everything would be a spoiler.
The son of a low-level mobster in Chicago, Ricky’s life is a series of unfortunate events, which, quite honestly, are not his fault. Importantly, we know that Ricky served a full tour in country in Viet Nam—and having missed that unfortunate event by the skin of my teeth in 1973 (Nixon rescinded the draft just before my number was called), I realized that Ricky’s military training and service both sets him up with skills, and provides the reader with a moral compass by which to judge everything else that happens in the book.
You can see a lot of what will become Nick Nowak in the Boys Town books in Ricky D’Amico. There is a kind of spare elegance in this novel that keeps all of the emotion at the surface, shimmering within sight, but just out of reach. You keep rooting for Ricky because he deserves better than he’s got. He’s Holden Caulfield from “Catcher in the Rye” but a generation later and from Chicago’s Italian working class. His journey from darkness to light is nothing short of inspirational.
By Marshall Thornton
Kenmore Books, 2010 and 2014
Five stars
I was surprised at how much I loved this book, because it has all sorts of thing that are button-pushers for me, and which I tend to avoid. Then again, I’m a huge Marshall Thornton fan, and decided I need to read this—which was published the year before I started reading Marshall Thornton’s “Boys Town” books.
Don Harris is the piano man in a dim, swanky Palm Springs restaurant-cum-cocktail lounge. The year is 1973, and Don is in his twenties. Also, his name is actually Ricky D’Amico, and he’s on the lam. I grew to really like, and even care about, this unfortunate young man as his story unfolded. It’s not a happy or pretty story, and yet the book has surprising wry humor and great, authentic tenderness. In spite of everything we learn, Ricky is a good guy.
The two things going against this book (in my book, that is) are the fact that this is tagged as a “straight to gay” novel; and also the fact that there’s rather a lot of killing going on. I have long since learned to despise the “gay for you” trope that so much gay fiction likes, and I also can’t abide the celebration of killers.
On the other hand, having read every other book Marshall Thornton has written, I have come to expect the complicated nuances of Thornton’s narratives and characters. My anxiety over this book faded away pretty quickly, as I got caught up in the story. The hard part is explaining that without giving any details, because everything would be a spoiler.
The son of a low-level mobster in Chicago, Ricky’s life is a series of unfortunate events, which, quite honestly, are not his fault. Importantly, we know that Ricky served a full tour in country in Viet Nam—and having missed that unfortunate event by the skin of my teeth in 1973 (Nixon rescinded the draft just before my number was called), I realized that Ricky’s military training and service both sets him up with skills, and provides the reader with a moral compass by which to judge everything else that happens in the book.
You can see a lot of what will become Nick Nowak in the Boys Town books in Ricky D’Amico. There is a kind of spare elegance in this novel that keeps all of the emotion at the surface, shimmering within sight, but just out of reach. You keep rooting for Ricky because he deserves better than he’s got. He’s Holden Caulfield from “Catcher in the Rye” but a generation later and from Chicago’s Italian working class. His journey from darkness to light is nothing short of inspirational.
August 15, 2023
I have enjoyed so many of this author’s books so, even though I wasn’t sure about the blurb, I jumped in and I am really glad I did. Don is freshly back from Vietnam and one punch at a loudmouth idiot turns his life upside down. Being on the run from the mob (the outfit) is not fun and he thinks he found a safe place to hide and then he bumps into someone from his old life and everything is turned upside down again. In desperation he stumbles into a bar hoping to pick someone up so he can have a safe place to hide for a night or two. Well, its a gay bar and he meets and goes home with Harlan. There are lots of twists and turns and I really enjoyed the ending.
June 12, 2020
A Vietnam veteran's untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder get him in major trouble. And on more than one occasion, too! Marshall Thornton creates yet another wonderful character and this one struggles with a past mistake that no man can undo. However, the protagonist maintains a certain charm and optimism that made me smile at several points along with the book. The 'gay for you' romance in this story is endearing - it is definitely great reading but some of the content can be kind of tough, folks. I am so honored to have had an opportunity to review this work.
July 29, 2020
Liked it!
It's not exactly crazy chemistry romance but it's a rather interesting, action packed story. I especially liked MC's thoughts on killing. They felt kind of honest.
Not sure if I would have liked this story without reading Boys town and Pinx Video series. Not that this book is anything like those. For once, the MC here seems way nicer XD anyways, what I mean is I think this author has a special style and it might take time to get used to it. But once you do, you are hooked like I am.
It's not exactly crazy chemistry romance but it's a rather interesting, action packed story. I especially liked MC's thoughts on killing. They felt kind of honest.
Not sure if I would have liked this story without reading Boys town and Pinx Video series. Not that this book is anything like those. For once, the MC here seems way nicer XD anyways, what I mean is I think this author has a special style and it might take time to get used to it. But once you do, you are hooked like I am.
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