What do you think?
Rate this book
Stoner McTavish Mysteries #6
Bad Company
Nasty Notes, scrambled scripts and faulty fixtures plague a women's theater company. Are their lives in danger from a malicious outsider or is one of the audacious women in the troupe the villain? The producer begs Stoner to investigate.
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
52 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Dreher
13 books23 followersBorn 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 10, 2020
Not my favourite Stoner McTavish Novel, which is disappointing actually since I love these characters so much and thoroughly enjoyed all the previous installments and mysteries they solved before.
It's the Nineties! As the characters keeps saying, and Gwen and Stoner have been together for four years now. The overall story is a mystery involving a women's theatre group at an old inn, invited by the odd owner of the place and producer of the play. Things get strange and right from the get-go both Gwen and Stoner have weird feelings about the place and it's host, and the wild and wacky participants involved.
Stoner and Gwen are still the same as ever, though. Both loving and committed to one another in their swoon worthy way. Stoner is still a bit neurotic as always, but I love that about her. Stoner just captures something special and unique (and relatable!). I sometimes get sick of the swaggering, confident lesbians with perfect lives - it's good to see some realistic neuroses to relate to! lol.
I loved that again no matter where they go, they manage to make friends and we get insights into other people's lives through them getting to know others with different experiences . Yknow, just like real life!. Stoner meets an old retired lesbian couple, Clara and Esther. Esther was a lounge singer after the war (I assume WWII) and Clara was a lady cop at a time when there was very few female cops. Both loved each other during times where it wasn't necessarily safe for them to do so, and are still together in their aging, which Stoner admires greatly and asks them about their experiences.
Stoner is also lamenting the shift in feminism and female-only spaces and the change in lesbian culture and language during this time of the 90's. She feels like the world is moving on, and forgetting a lot of valuable lessons learned. Which I have to admit as even only a 34 year old baby in the community, I often feel the same now - over 25 years later. So I can only imagine what it would have been like for someone nearing 40 in the 90's having grown up with a lot of differences in feminism and lesbianism, seeing those changes and feeling a twinge of sadness, yet also joy at the progress... It's bitter sweet! I appreciated the monologues in there, that I put in the highlights.
The mystery is frustrating it it's obviousness, especially when it comes between Gwen and Stoners relationship, and brings out paranoia and hurt for them both, but thankfully they both cotton on quickly to what is going on. There's some wiccan elements, too. But mostly it's pretty average and unsatisfactory overall for the Stoner McTavish series I've come to love.
It's the Nineties! As the characters keeps saying, and Gwen and Stoner have been together for four years now. The overall story is a mystery involving a women's theatre group at an old inn, invited by the odd owner of the place and producer of the play. Things get strange and right from the get-go both Gwen and Stoner have weird feelings about the place and it's host, and the wild and wacky participants involved.
Stoner and Gwen are still the same as ever, though. Both loving and committed to one another in their swoon worthy way. Stoner is still a bit neurotic as always, but I love that about her. Stoner just captures something special and unique (and relatable!). I sometimes get sick of the swaggering, confident lesbians with perfect lives - it's good to see some realistic neuroses to relate to! lol.
I loved that again no matter where they go, they manage to make friends and we get insights into other people's lives through them getting to know others with different experiences . Yknow, just like real life!. Stoner meets an old retired lesbian couple, Clara and Esther. Esther was a lounge singer after the war (I assume WWII) and Clara was a lady cop at a time when there was very few female cops. Both loved each other during times where it wasn't necessarily safe for them to do so, and are still together in their aging, which Stoner admires greatly and asks them about their experiences.
Stoner is also lamenting the shift in feminism and female-only spaces and the change in lesbian culture and language during this time of the 90's. She feels like the world is moving on, and forgetting a lot of valuable lessons learned. Which I have to admit as even only a 34 year old baby in the community, I often feel the same now - over 25 years later. So I can only imagine what it would have been like for someone nearing 40 in the 90's having grown up with a lot of differences in feminism and lesbianism, seeing those changes and feeling a twinge of sadness, yet also joy at the progress... It's bitter sweet! I appreciated the monologues in there, that I put in the highlights.
The mystery is frustrating it it's obviousness, especially when it comes between Gwen and Stoners relationship, and brings out paranoia and hurt for them both, but thankfully they both cotton on quickly to what is going on. There's some wiccan elements, too. But mostly it's pretty average and unsatisfactory overall for the Stoner McTavish series I've come to love.
November 5, 2007
his is my least favorite of the Stoner McTavnish series so far mostly because I found many of the characters irritating. This isn't to say the book is bad. It's a decent story but I found myself gritting my teeth with the behavior of some of the characters.
This book is more of a traditional mystery compared to the last few but for me he weakest point was that it felt too contrived, too artificial. Strangely, it was easier to accept the extaordinary events in the earlier books than it was that Stoner and Gwen wouldn't just pick up and leave after a day in that environment.
Even with those difficulties, Dreher's flair for character still engages. In this book, the antics of an older couple that decide to help Stoner solve this mystery almost make up for the rest.
So, f you're a big fan of the series, then it's worth reading but if you've been indifferent to the others then you can safely skip this one.
This book is more of a traditional mystery compared to the last few but for me he weakest point was that it felt too contrived, too artificial. Strangely, it was easier to accept the extaordinary events in the earlier books than it was that Stoner and Gwen wouldn't just pick up and leave after a day in that environment.
Even with those difficulties, Dreher's flair for character still engages. In this book, the antics of an older couple that decide to help Stoner solve this mystery almost make up for the rest.
So, f you're a big fan of the series, then it's worth reading but if you've been indifferent to the others then you can safely skip this one.
October 11, 2020
It is my preference not to have the criminal in the face so explicitly for most of the novel, but Sarah Dreher is one of the very few authors who made it interesting, in the first book of the series.
In this one? Not really. And let me tell you why: flat characterisation.
The only way I like explicit criminals is if the psychology side of the narrative is well-rounded and gripping. Here it is not, unfortunately.
I'm also sorry to note that this novel is prevalently mundane mystery stuff and less focused on psychic intrigue, which is what I came to enjoy the most in Sarah Dreher's writing.
The major highlight for me is the strong presence of Wiccan elements. Every scrap of my favourite religion I read eagerly and gratefully. Thank you Sarah Dreher.
In this one? Not really. And let me tell you why: flat characterisation.
The only way I like explicit criminals is if the psychology side of the narrative is well-rounded and gripping. Here it is not, unfortunately.
I'm also sorry to note that this novel is prevalently mundane mystery stuff and less focused on psychic intrigue, which is what I came to enjoy the most in Sarah Dreher's writing.
The major highlight for me is the strong presence of Wiccan elements. Every scrap of my favourite religion I read eagerly and gratefully. Thank you Sarah Dreher.
October 19, 2021
Thespian lesbians and feminists
Book six wasn't the typical mystery story for Stoner and Gwen. This was a chaotic whodunit blended with more metaphysical and Wicca secondary character involvement. A theater production goes awry during rehearsals and set production, and Stoner and Gwen go undercover to solve the puzzle. It was a great read with a little bit different feel than we're used to getting from the Stoner mysteries.
Book six wasn't the typical mystery story for Stoner and Gwen. This was a chaotic whodunit blended with more metaphysical and Wicca secondary character involvement. A theater production goes awry during rehearsals and set production, and Stoner and Gwen go undercover to solve the puzzle. It was a great read with a little bit different feel than we're used to getting from the Stoner mysteries.
January 31, 2026
(4.5)
*
'“Mugging, killing. Sounds like men give you a rough time,” Divi Divi said.
Gwen nodded solemnly. “I never had much luck.”
Divi Divi slipped an arm around Gwen’s shoulders. “For what it’s worth, doll, I give men a hard time.”'
*
'“Mugging, killing. Sounds like men give you a rough time,” Divi Divi said.
Gwen nodded solemnly. “I never had much luck.”
Divi Divi slipped an arm around Gwen’s shoulders. “For what it’s worth, doll, I give men a hard time.”'
June 2, 2011
love this series. They are keepers and I re-read them every couple of years.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews