What do you think?
Rate this book
Paul Turner #9
Hook, Line, and Homicide
Since when are vacations ever relaxing? All Chicago police Detective Paul Turner is hoping for on his annual retreat from the city and his job is a little peace and quiet. This time he's headed to the Canadian Great North Woods for a couple of weeks with family and friends -- his two teenaged sons, his lover Ben, neighborhood pals, and his long-term police partner, Detective Buck Fenwick, along with his wife.
But hopes of tranquility are soon crushed when Turner intervenes in a scuffle between a group of First Nations teens and a local bully and his cohorts. In the days following the incident, Turner and company find themselves the object of a series of attacks, break-ins, and sabotage of their equipment. Unable to get the attention of the local police, the events continue to escalate, culminating in the local bully's dead body being found floating in the water near the dock of their houseboat. Making this not only one of the least relaxing vacations ever, but one of the deadliest.
But hopes of tranquility are soon crushed when Turner intervenes in a scuffle between a group of First Nations teens and a local bully and his cohorts. In the days following the incident, Turner and company find themselves the object of a series of attacks, break-ins, and sabotage of their equipment. Unable to get the attention of the local police, the events continue to escalate, culminating in the local bully's dead body being found floating in the water near the dock of their houseboat. Making this not only one of the least relaxing vacations ever, but one of the deadliest.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 2007
1 person is currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Mark Richard Zubro
48 books50 followersAuthor also writes as: Mark Zubro.
Mark Richard Zubro is an American mystery novelist. He lives in Mokena, Illinois and taught 8th grade English at Summit Hill Jr. High in nearby Frankfort Square, Illinois.
Zubro writes bestselling mysteries set in Chicago and the surrounding Cook County area, which are widely praised as fast-paced, with interesting plots and well-rounded, likeable characters. His novels feature gay themes, and Zubro is himself gay.
His longest running series features high school teacher Tom Mason, and Tom's boyfriend, professional baseball player Scott Carpenter. The other series Zubro is known for is the Paul Turner mysteries, which are about a Chicago police detective. The books are a part of the Stonewall Inn Mystery series, published by St. Martin's Press. Zubro won a Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Men's Mystery for his book A Simple Suburban Murder.
Series:
* Tom Mason and Scott Carpenter
* Paul Turner
I am the author of twenty-four mystery novels and five short stories. My book A Simple Suburban Murder won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Men's mystery. I also wrote a thriller, Foolproof, with two other mystery writers, Jeanne Dams and Barb D'Amato. I taught eighth graders English and reading for thirty-four years and was president of the teachers' union in my district from 1985 until 2006. I retired from teaching in 2006 and now spend my time reading, writing, napping, and eating chocolate. My newest book, Another Dead Republican, is my thirteenth book in the Tom and Scott series which features as main characters, a gay school teacher and his lover, a professional baseball player. One of the keys in my mysteries is you do not want to be a person who is racist, sexist, homophobic, or a school administrator. If you are any of those, it is likely you are the corpse, or, at the least, it can be fairly well guaranteed that bad things will happen to you by the end. And if in my books you happen to be a Republican and/or against workers' rights, it would be far better if you did not make a habit of broadcasting this. If you did, you're quite likely to be a suspect, or worse.
Mark Richard Zubro is an American mystery novelist. He lives in Mokena, Illinois and taught 8th grade English at Summit Hill Jr. High in nearby Frankfort Square, Illinois.
Zubro writes bestselling mysteries set in Chicago and the surrounding Cook County area, which are widely praised as fast-paced, with interesting plots and well-rounded, likeable characters. His novels feature gay themes, and Zubro is himself gay.
His longest running series features high school teacher Tom Mason, and Tom's boyfriend, professional baseball player Scott Carpenter. The other series Zubro is known for is the Paul Turner mysteries, which are about a Chicago police detective. The books are a part of the Stonewall Inn Mystery series, published by St. Martin's Press. Zubro won a Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Men's Mystery for his book A Simple Suburban Murder.
Series:
* Tom Mason and Scott Carpenter
* Paul Turner
I am the author of twenty-four mystery novels and five short stories. My book A Simple Suburban Murder won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Men's mystery. I also wrote a thriller, Foolproof, with two other mystery writers, Jeanne Dams and Barb D'Amato. I taught eighth graders English and reading for thirty-four years and was president of the teachers' union in my district from 1985 until 2006. I retired from teaching in 2006 and now spend my time reading, writing, napping, and eating chocolate. My newest book, Another Dead Republican, is my thirteenth book in the Tom and Scott series which features as main characters, a gay school teacher and his lover, a professional baseball player. One of the keys in my mysteries is you do not want to be a person who is racist, sexist, homophobic, or a school administrator. If you are any of those, it is likely you are the corpse, or, at the least, it can be fairly well guaranteed that bad things will happen to you by the end. And if in my books you happen to be a Republican and/or against workers' rights, it would be far better if you did not make a habit of broadcasting this. If you did, you're quite likely to be a suspect, or worse.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 15, 2013
The 9th book in the Paul Turner mysteries is a vast improvement from the last two that I read. In this mystery we find Detectives Turner & Fenwick om much needed R&R with their families and friends in a small town in Canada. The two families go every year to a great fishing spot in Canada rent houseboats and enjoy each others company.Mrs Talucci ( next door. Neighbor and friend) goes every year and disappears mysteriously and Ian ( reporter/ex love of Turner) has decided to accompany them. While out on their first evening there, Turner, Ben, Fenwick, and Marge witness First Nation teens being hassled by a bunch of young white thugs.They report the incident and the ineffective and prejudice police officers seem on the side of white thugs who started it. Also the Turner & Fenwick's encounter the same thugs and fight back as the cowards leave.The group soon find their houseboats almost burglarized, Ian's room trashed and his travel checks and watch stolen and books torn. Ian encounter the youths who run off and the police are called and still do nothing. The Detectives families soon encounter these out in water while fishing playing a game of chicken with these out of control youths.The vacation is anything but restful and the perspective families wonder if they should leave. While fishing Jeff catches something and we soon discover it's not a fish but a body. The corpse is that of the bully and leader of the thugs that have been harassing the two families.The deceased we learn was a sociopath who had an affluent family and athletic prowess to protect him from his many misdeeds. The whole story revolves of the cruelty of this young man, the blatant homophobia of the police department and some in the town.It's a real intense read, and I really was surprised at the outcome. So sit back and enjoy because this is a good read!
July 14, 2008
The action was a little unbelieveable and over the top. I know it moves the action along to have a small town run by a rich bully boy, but it just didn't ring true to me. Plus, I think if I were on vacation with my two kids and I got attacked and burglared and THEN attacked again the next day, I'd be leaving, not investigating. Of course, then it'd be a very short book.
It's okay book, but not great.
It's okay book, but not great.
April 7, 2012
This is probably one of the most solid books in the Paul Turner series. Set in a place called The North Woods in Canada, the story read more like a fun mystery than the more usual police procedural Zubro tends to plod through. The issues of bullying (in a number of forms) and homophobia are handled quite well as well as showing just how blind some parents are to their own faults and those of their children. Well worth reading.
May 16, 2013
This is a great mystery. Turner takes his family on their annual fishing trip when they encounter a slew of unexplained drownings, vandalism from a group of teens, prejudice and hatred from the local police, bullying from a local hero, and murder. Once Turner finds out who the killer is, he has some tough decisions to make on whether or not to turn them in.
March 11, 2015
Full review here:
http://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/2...
In many ways, it's a bit like reading the middle three books in Tales of the City, wherein what was current at the time of the writing isn't so much anymore. While the issues might remain, they're no longer quite as immediate or as strongly opposed as they were at the time.
http://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/2...
In many ways, it's a bit like reading the middle three books in Tales of the City, wherein what was current at the time of the writing isn't so much anymore. While the issues might remain, they're no longer quite as immediate or as strongly opposed as they were at the time.
September 30, 2016
The writing style is kind of flat, and the dialogue is awful. Most of the book drags on and on with us finding out the same information about the dead guy over and over (no one liked him, we get it!). I was going to give it two stars but I did really like the "reveal", and I thought it ended well.
July 25, 2007
this was such a fun book. I am really glad i found this at the library. i like light fluffy murder mysteries every once in a while and I like the twist these offer.
September 27, 2012
Mystery & Thriller that had me reading it in one sitting. A lot of characters to love and to hate.... murder as well!
May 25, 2012
A great read.
February 7, 2015
Fun read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews