Stoner McTavish

Stoner McTavish Mysteries #1

by Sarah Dreher

Meet lesbian travel agent turned reluctant detective, Stoner McTavish and her friends, on their first adventure to Grand Teton National Park, where she falls in love with her dream lover, Gwen, whom she must rescue from almost certain death.

Genres: Mystery, Lesbian, LGBT, Fiction, Queer, Crime, Lesbian Romance

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Born March 26, 1937, in Hanover, Pa., Sarah Dreher attended Wellesley College and went on to earn her doctorate in clinical psychology from Purdue University. She moved in 1965 to Amherst, MA where she established her private practice. She was the co-founder of Sunrise-Amanecer Inc., a nonprofit organization, serving as president and clinical director for seven years. She was a member of the Welsh Society of Western New England and an activist during the women's movement.

Dreher was the author of the Stoner McTavish lesbian detective series. The seventh in the series, Shaman's Moon, won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery for 1998. Dreher was also the author of several plays and a romance novel Solitaire and Brahms. She was the recipient of the 2005 Alice B. Readers' Award.

Reviews

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fall back Friday read is the first of the Stoner McTavish Mystery Series by Sarah Dreher, first published in 1985.

Stoner McTavish (after Lucy B. Stone) and her best friend Marylou run a small travel agency in Boston. She’s been living with her colorful aunt Hermione ever since she ran away from home as a teen. The adventure really sets off when Stoner travels to Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. She goes there to partly do some reconnaissance for work and partly to keep an eye out for Mrs. Burton’s granddaughter Gwen, who married a certain Bryan Oxnard who it seems has nefarious plans concerning his new wife. Something about an altered will. One look at Gwen and Stoner is in love. But Gwen is honeymooning and understandably only has eyes for her husband. Can Stoner get to the truth about Bryan’s motives, keep a lid on her feelings for Gwen and survive the unforgiving wilderness?

As another reviewer stated, Stoner is a hot mess (her psychotherapist Dr. Kesselbaum would agree) and so is Gwen. Dreher’s writing style takes a bit of getting used to as her dialogue tends to be on the messy side. But overall it has humor and the characters are very likeable. I want to get to know Stoner better and lucky for me, there are 7 more books in the series to make that happen!

f/f

Themes: Boston, Blue Runner Beans, the rugged beauty of Wyoming, a secret mission to save Gwen, Stoner and horses don’t go together, Stell and Stoner had a great dynamic, I hope Stoner gets her dream girl, the book is 35 years old, so pretty much still a paper world out there.

3.5 Stars

[Elske · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars
I remember reading this book in paperback in 1985, back in the time when there were very few WLW books in the Netherlands. I enjoyed it then and I enjoyed it again. It’s strange to read a book that can’t yet be considered a historical romance /mystery/ thriller, but it felt a little bit like that. There were no mobile phones, internet or google earth. It still was a very funny book and I loved Stoner and Marylou. Gwen also of course. Nice side characters too, except for Bryan who really was nasty. Stoner and Gwen each have a lot of issues and a long way to go to resolve them, but I believed in their friendship and Stoner falling for Gwen.
This title was mentioned on a list for Jae’s 2021 reading challenge and spurred me on to read it again.

[AnnMaree Of Oz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually some older lesfic original published in 1985 by an author who was prolific but sadly has now passed on. I found them accidently on Kindle Unlimited, and also through GoodReads Reviews, and I am so very glad I did.

I honestly did not notice the time period at all. The wording, humour and especially the banter the characters have with eachother is so modern and relatable to me as a 34 year old, it could have easily been here and now. Although maybe it's because I am a child of the late 80's and 90's. Ah Nostalgia.

Stoner is a doll and I related to her entirely too much. She neurotic and self conscious, but very sweet and friendly.
She learns a bit about environmental issues affecting the national park she visits, like the land grabs, over developing and shady political deals with developers, despite government protections - also the effect of the mass tourism and the general disrespect people have on the area and nature. It's not done in a heavy handed or even moralizing way. It's very much seen through the lens of Stoner as something new she starts to understand during her time there and in talking to people who live and work there. She feels very deeply. But it's not all doom and gloom. The conversations she has with Ranger Smokey Flanagan and Stell the lodge owner are great, and uplifting and informative too. I really respected how these parts were handled.

Also the light sexism was also done in realistic ways. Which sounds weird to say. Like as we know sexism isn't usually so overt and menacing and dramatic. It's the little stereotypical digs that if you were to point them out, make you seem like you're over-reacting, while the lads tell you to chill and stop PMSing.
There's a character whose a real good ole boy, and he's constantly making little comments with generalisations like "Ah, women, you care too much! - You're such worriers!" and other references to them being too highly emotional or high-strung and deep feeling in passive aggressive ways, not being aggressive or taking chances enough in business. Then other references to 'secret womens business'. This was very relatable, to me. Again maybe it's a generational thing, but it's absolutely stuff I've come encountered and relate to, entirely too much!.

Stoner's reaction to them is measured, sometimes she points it out, some stuff she lets slide. Again that is realistic. We cant all go off on woke rants every time something patriarchal is said. We'd never get anything done. lol. I liked it when Stoner corrected people when they called her or any other women 'girl', she'd say woman very pointedly, which I respected the inference. The same when anyone would call her Miss, she would correct it to Ms.

The main plot of the story is sort of a cosy mystery. Stoner is to look out for one of her Aunt's friends daughters that is her age and just got married unexpectedly to an awful man who they think is trying to do her harm for her money. Stoner is attracted to the delightful Gwen, who is in turn seemingly quite taken with Stoner, but thinks she is in love with the wheedling Bryan.

I really enjoyed the mystery and villainy of Bryan, and also Gwen and Stoner's interactions. I also enjoyed the host of side characters, and their backstories. Such as Stoner's Aunt Hermione, and her best friend and business partner MaryLou. They are so eccentric and fun. This really is a full story, full of wonderful characters that I really look forward to reading more about in the series.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? It’s a hot mess. Stoner McTavish is a hot mess, the book and the character, but I liked her. She’s neurotic and full of self-doubt. She’s very sweet and loves the people in her life very much even though they drive her up the wall, seemingly all the time.
Things I liked about it: It’s funny, very funny at times. I loved the family dynamics between Stoner and the women in her life, especially Stell. It’s filled with quirky and interesting secondary characters that made it a lot of fun to read. Stover’s best friend MaryLou was really outrageous but I loved that she wanted to stay in touch when Stover was going out of town for a week and asked her to write her a letter every day. It reminded me that sometimes family is who and what you choose rather than what you’re born into. I did like the mystery/bad guy angle. Bryan was pretty despicable and scary and it’s frightening how normal he seemed in the beginning.
Things I didn’t like about it: it’s quite wordy and switches between 1st person point of view and 3rd person point of view throughout the story to differentiate her internal thoughts from the action. And she has a lot of thoughts…a lot. It goes with the whole wordy issue. I found myself skimming quite a bit and never felt like I was missing anything. I also didn’t really get the romance aspect. I know this is the first in the series but I honestly didn’t see how they had developed more than an attraction and maybe a crush on one another.
In the end, it’s weird and I don’t think it’s for everyone and I’m not sure I’d recommend it to a lot of people. But if you like a little romance and mystery and weird, quirky characters then you’ll probably like this.
TW for a forced kiss on Stoner and homophobia.

[Wayne Spiceland · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books you want don't want to check out from the library; you want your own copy to keep, as you'll want to read it again and again. Sadly, Sarah Dreher died this spring -- Author Andi Marquette has a very nice "In memoriam" piece online -- but, happily, she left us with some wonderful stories, peopled with loveable, warmly quirky characters. Dreher's wit, humor, warmth, compassion and intelligence shine from every page. In a genre teeming with brooding, driven, often cold, characters, Dreher's works are a welcome alternative. There are few books than can justifiably be called "delightful." The Stoner McTavish novels are firmly among them.(less)

[Flowerscat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't really get into this book. The characters of Stoner and Gwen are lovable, and the dialogue between the two is really funny in places, but the plot is predictable and the supporting cast weak. The prose kept switching randomly between first person and third person, which really got on my nerves after a while. Good for a light read if you go in without too much expectations. I am giving this a 3 instead of a 2 as the book was published in 1985, and lesfic has come a long way since then.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

When the protagonist of Stoner McTavish was only a week old, her aunt won her in a card game with her mother, who was a straight-laced, anti-feminist. A compromise was reached and the mother got to keep the baby as long as the aunt could name it. So she did: Stoner, after Lucy B. Stone. In other words, before we get into the meat of the novel we are hit by a fatal flaw—a tale so implausible—ridiculous even—that it becomes impossible to trust the author. And generally, when I find a fatal flaw, I drop the book and go on to another. But because I strive to do as good a job as I can in my chosen endeavor, I finished the book anyway. Was it good? No, not really. But it certainly deserves to be discussed because it is one of the first dozen lesbian mysteries ever published.

Storner McTavish is a travel agent in Boston. When a friend of her aunt fears that her granddaughter—Gwen Owens—has married a man who plans to off her for her money, Stoner agrees to travel to Wyoming to keep an eye on the young bride. Why? Who knows, maybe because of a blurry picture she was given by Gwen’s grandmother. Maybe for no reason; Stoner often seems . . . well, stoned.

The truth is, Stoner is as nice a person as you could want to meet. We know this through her inner dialogue and the plans she makes. But she is not particularly lovable. When she talks to Gwen—and to most of the other characters in the book—she is either squeaking, stammering, or apologizing. At one point, the bad guy—Gwen’s husband—tells Stoner that he is trying to understand why his wife is so fascinated with her. Well, join the club, Bryan. Although it is not hard for anyone to believe that Stoner falls in love with Gwen at first sight, it is not so easy to see why Gwen comes to like Stoner in the sane way. In fact, lack of realistic motivation is the main problem that this book suffers from. Why does Stoner follow the couple to Wyoming? Why does Gwen marry Bryan in the first place—he is a decided asshole from start to finish? Why does Gwen fall in love with Stoner? Why does Gwen change her will? Why does Bryan want to kill her? None of it really makes sense.

On the other hand, Stoner can be seen as an interesting character—an antihero, gauche and shy. She is more than a bit butch (is that why Gwen likes her? Is that why Dreher has fans?) but way socially defective. If Dreher meant to portray Stoner thus, she did it pretty well. Stoner has a more interesting backstory than most protagonists in lesbian mysteries, and some of the scenes near the end of the book are almost Zane Grey-like in their excitement. Yet there is nothing in the book that comes unexpected. The story, the dialog, the descriptions, everything. The reader knows exactly what is going to happen almost from page one. Every. Single. Thing. Although the writing is professional—especially the descriptions—it often comes off as either banal or clichéd. Juvenile is maybe a good word. Nevertheless, lots of us wish that we could overcome our fears and our shyness and get the girl of our dreams—that she could see through our rough outer shell to the pearl we have within us. Maybe this is the appeal.

I would rate this book somewhere around a 2.3—closer to a 2 than a 3. The other books in this series may delve into fantasy or the paranormal so I will probably avoid them. That doesn't mean you should.

Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.

[Tamara-Jo Schaapherder · Rating 4 out of 5]

!!!!! Lesbian murder mystery book club won’t know what hit ‘em!!!!!!

[Hilo · Rating 1 out of 5]

ACH JA. Cool in a "Wow Lesben in 1 Buch" way, aber es mangelt schon hart. #spoiler Basically besteht die Story aus der "Ich muss die Frau meines Begehrens von ihrem Mörder-Ehemann retten", und kaum ist der Typ tot, hat man kurze Zeit später Sex mit ihr, trotz Trauma und bindet sich ebenso schnell fürs Leben wie zuvor der so gruselige Ehemann die Heirat wollte. Schön waren die Naturbeschreibungen ... darf man das überhaupt in 1 Review schreiben? Am Besten noch gefiel mir, dass die Protagonistin mit Anfang 30 immernoch nicht so auf ihr Leben klarkam ...

Schlimm ist die wirklich schlechte Übersetzung. Wer übersetzt denn bitte "Quarter Horse" (mit "Viertelpferd"????) O.O

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

toner McTavish is just your average lesbian, neurotic travel agent. But she is surrounded by characters who are far more eccentric. Stoner ends up going to Wyoming to find out if her grandmother's friend's granddaughter (is that enough layers of connection for you?) is OK. The person in question, Gwen, has gotten married to a man that Gwen's grandmother thinks is not a nice man. And would Stoner be nice enough to go spy on them to make sure she's OK?

Of course, she does and while Stoner is a bit neurotic, at times more than a bit, she's an engaging and endearing character. And character seems to be author Sarah Dreher's greatest strength. Almost all the characters are interesting. Only the antagonist really seems a bit two dimensional.

I'll not get into further description for fear of spoilers, but this is a fun little book that kept me occupied and turning the pages.

[Pogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book alot. I think for me the biggest thing that I liked about the book was that not all the characters were gay. There are straight ones in there too. That is a problem that I have with alot of LGTB books (ok mostly the lesbian ones) and that is that all or most all of the women are gay. I am so glad that this book had a well rounded cast.

I did have to keep remindind myself that the book was written in the 1980's and not in the 1940's. Much of that was language, and the "strange" way the westeners dressed.

I liked the use of phycology, and the use of the phycic as well in the book.

As for characters I love the Aunt, Stell, and Smokey. MaryLou if I knew her in real life I would kill her, Stoner grew on my, and as for Gwen she needs to grow a pair. Talk about someone with the need to be rescued syndome.

Now, I have to read the next one.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars just because it took me a while to get into the book but once I was in, I couldn't set it down and I finished the last half in an evening! Otherwise I'd have given 5 stars. So don't give up at the beginning of the book if you're tempted, because you'll regret it!
The story is really captivating and the setting is awesome. It made me want to visit the Tetons again!
The crazy characters are funny and Stoner's innocence is touching.
Even though I'm not into psychic things, this one wasn't too much of supernatural.
Well, see you soon Stoner!

[Indigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I love the most about Sarah Dreher's Stoner McTavish series is that she doesn't focus on the "required lesbian love/sex scene" that so many lesbian authors seem to fall into. Not that it doesn't occasionally pop up...but it always flows naturally, as part of the plot. Not sex scene because it's required. When I want that, I can read erotica. I read this series for the mystery, the spiritual explorations. Kudos to the author.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hallariously uproarously LOL! It has Heart! it has adventure! it has first love! Stoner is the kind of Lesbian we can all identify with whether we're gay or straight. This author might not be well known, but she should be!

[Lacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terribly silly almost murder mystery with a shy lesbian travel agent on the case.
I didn't finish it.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, a 4 1/2 in my book of stars. I really liked this story of Stoner McTavish and her unassuming, almost bumbling fashion who goes to the Grand Tetons from her safety of Boston and Beacon Hill. Stoner is a Lesbian and tries to live a "normal" life but with an Aunt who is a mystic of sorts, parents from whom she has run away and a best friend who is outrageous, she can almost hide in the world. Until Mrs. Beacon comes to dinner and then her life is turned upside down. This pseudo travel agent (and soon to be detective) heads for the Grand Tetons and meets a host of new likable characters, a new love interest and a potential murderer. My only negative of the book is that Stoner talks too much in her head and it is sometimes hard to distinguish spoken word from thought. The author writes with knowledge of the beautiful landscapes and clearly loves her characterizations. Can't wait to read some more. One of the classic Lesbian fiction stories on my list.

[honor · Rating 5 out of 5]

dissertation reading, #3

oh my god i LOVED this. the fact that this is my favourite book read so far and yet i’m not even sure if i’ll use it in my diss says it all really.

every single character in this book is expertly crafted - i could see each and every one in my head. the sweetest of sweet characters to honestly the most hateable suspect i’ve encountered in my crime reading. but of course, stoner was my favourite. i honestly didn’t expect her to be… such a useless lesbian? with a name like stoner mctavish i thought she would be wining and dining women, but i absolutely loved how shy and nervous she was - it was new for me and really refreshing!

the setting is also just beautiful - regardless of the events of the book i now want to go to timberline lodge, or somewhere similar, to see the things described. i was just completely immersed in this story for the entire time i was reading it and i LOVED it!

[Fiona Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chance conversation with a group of friends and acquaintances at a street choir festival drew me back into my own reading history with the mention of lesbian detective and travel agent, Stoner McTavish...so I bought the book and settled down for a good read. I can remember very little of the books, which I read in the 1980s as they were published, but this one remains a very good read. It is also a step back in time to when lesbian and gay rights were being forcefully fought for and where coming out was still a risky business (and still can be). Although set in America, it captures a very specific time in our history where parental support may be lacking and/or hostile, a time we still live with, despite so many things being much much better.

It's a good story, although she's a very clumsy detective in many ways and I can only hope she improves! As an introduction to the characters, it is a great start to the rest of the series as I do want to know what happens to Gwen!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was... interesting. I definitely liked it, and yet as I think about what I want to say about it it's mostly complaining. It's a weird book with weird characters, a completely implausible plot, no sense of whether it wants to talk about social issues or just make people deal with them in strange ways, and a surprise romance novel ending. It's kind of a hot mess, but so is Stoner, and I kind of love her so I feel compelled to give the rest of this book a pass. I'm probably not going to read any further into this series because it looks like they only get more completely implausible, but I have a feeling I will remember this experience fondly in the future.

[J H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for a reread of a favorite novel

I have the whole series in paperback, but it's been a while since I've read them. They've also been in storage, so I was thrilled to find them in the Kindle Unlimited election. I love this series, the characters, the mysteries, and the paranormal aspects. Stoner is quirky and awkward, she has a kind and generous heart, and she's quite witty. Her ensemble of family and friends provide plenty of entertainment along every adventure. I highly recommend this book, as well as the entire series.

[CK529 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in the 80s, this book is a blast from the past. I enjoyed remembering what life was like with no cell phones or internet; intrigued at the glimpse of environmentalism and anti-development of natural areas; and appreciated being reminded of the difficulty and fear of coming out or being visible in the mid 80s. Fun, witty dialogue (that I occasionally got lost in), and a nice blend of mystery and romance.

[Fleppy85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, it took me some time to finish this book. The story is exciting and interesting, but all these endless thoughts of Stoner got me a little bit bored. At some points it was hard not to skip these parts and just continue with the dialogue.
But I'll read the next book and hope there is less rigmarole and more action.

[Bev Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Stoner McTavish way back in 1984 when it first came out. I loved it then and really enjoyed it this time around. The dialogue and humour is superbly done. Sarah Dreher is an exceptional author and it should never be forgotten, her and her contemporaries paved the way for the Authors of today.
Stoner McTavish ( and the follow up books in the series) is / are a must read.

[Laney Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

An older series, but I go back to it again and again. The dialogue in this book is fantastic. I think they might be available on ebook now which is great. A whole new audience can find Stoner.

[Lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shy, perpetually anxious lesbians for the win!

*

I've decided to finally address my inability to articulate what I like about a book in order to review what is possibly my favourite book ever. Like Wayne's review said, Stoner McTavish is not a book you want to borrow from a library, it's a book you want to have in your house. In fact, I broke my 3 month long book buying ban to order a physical copy of this so that I could have it for myself and keep going back to it over and over again.

The main characters are all unique, and I didn't find myself getting confused about who was saying what (like I sometimes do with other books) because they all have distinctive voices and styles of communication. By the end, Stoner seemed like a real person to me, and she is undoubtedly one of the most memorable characters I've read about.

I really liked the writing style, possibly because it read a lot like what's going on in my head half the time. I loved Stoner and Gwen's relationship and the way it developed, partly because I love seeing butch-femme representation and partly because I love seeing neurotic, messy, perpetually anxious characters get happy endings. I also liked the friendship between Marylou and Stoner, because it was absolutely heart-warming to see how well they understood each other and how accepting they were of each other's quirks and idiosyncrasies. There were a couple of hateable characters, but even they were fun to read about because they were framed so entertainingly in Stoner's internal monologue.

I laughed out loud a few times whilst reading this, and also grinned like an idiot more than a few times at how adorable Stoner and Gwen are. This is definitely a comfort read, and I will not stop recommending it to people who read lesfic because it should absolutely be more popular.

Also, a disclaimer for those who go in expecting a mystery: this is not a mystery. The answer is quite literally staring you in the face the entire time.

[Akiva ꙮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh, I'm so predictable. Let me quote from the back: "Lesbian mystery/adventure novel"! I've been seeing books by Dreher in every used bookstore I visit, and I finally bought one last weekend. Luckily, it turned out to be the first.

It was good. Not the most fast-paced thing ever, but with loads of great characters, poetic descriptions of the western US landscape, and lots of emotional processing (coming out, homophobia/etc., family issues, abuse, the works---but very well done). It made me miss Colorado, but it doesn't take much to do that. I was slightly surprised to find that I understood almost all the cultural references, considering it was published three years before I was born.

The only real lacks in the book were a more fleshed-out villain and some typesetting errors that made the very clever and fast-paced dialogue difficult to read. (Lots of dropped beginning and ending quotes, speakers not being distinguished so that sometimes I had to reread it and count even and odd lines, and no way to distinguish internal dialogue from third-person-ish description. You know what I mean? When characters talk to themselves in italics? Italics would have been really helpful.)

Not a masterpiece, but it's so cool that books like this exist.

[W. Tinkanesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

In STONER McTAVISH, the then single, but already travel agent, Stoner is sent on a mission by the ever well-meaning Marylou and Aunt Hermione: Eleanor Burton is convinced that her grand-daughter Gwen is in grave danger. Stoner is to ensure her safety. Is Bryan Oxnard truly in love with his newlywed wife, Gwen, or is he simply after her money? Will he kill her in the rockies, or will Stoner come to the rescue? Stoner is a complete anti-hero, strong, but not really confident. Gwen is confident, but good at being wrong about people. Marylou is a good friend and quality food lover. Aunt Hermione reads Tarot and palms, and can play a mean game of cards. A dysfunctional and lovable cast. There is something touching about Stoner's insecurities, and Gwen is very similar in character to Ruth from 'Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe'. There is political correctness in this novel, one that doesn't take itself too seriously, and is treated with intelligence.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just noticed that Sarah Dreher's Stoner McTavish mystery series is available on Kindle Unlimited. I read these books when they were originally published, and I loved them. There is a touch of the supernatural, but mostly they have an outdoors/western setting with a good splash of humor. I will definitely be reading these again on my kindle. It will save me the work of digging through my boxes of books.

[Dayna Ingram · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was both unintentionally and intentionally funny. The banter between all the characters was sometimes like, "Whaaaat?" But mostly enjoyable (when I could figure out what the heck they were talking about). I prefer my amateur sleuths to have a lot more backbone and attitude than Stoner McTavish (she literally quakes when her crush goes in for a hug; she can't lie without going beet red; she just cries when the villain sexually assaults her). There was also a lot of needless inner monologing going on. That said, the descriptions of the back country were really beautiful, and even though the eventual sex scenes were super vanilla, the relationship was really sweet.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in the Stoner McTavish series. Stoner is a lesbian travel agent/reluctant private detective. She's asked to keep an eye on another woman who just got married but her family doesn't trust the new husband. It's a funny detective/love story with a few interesting twists.