Death Goes Overboard

Detective Heath Barrington Mystery #2

by David S. Pederson

Gregor Slavinsky went overboard. Or did he? He was murdered. Or was he? It’s up to Detective Heath Barrington and his partner, police officer Alan Keyes, to find out as they search for clues and a missing twenty-five thousand dollars aboard an old lake steamer and throughout 1947 Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

They are up against gangsters, con artists, and a very seductive Grant Riker, a fellow policeman who could come between Heath and Alan, upsetting their romance.

The three of them race the clock to find the truth amidst lies, secrets, and possible scandal, while riding the waves of a potential love triangle.

Genres: Historical, Mystery, M M Romance, LGBT, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Murder Mystery

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2017

About the author

David S. Pederson has written multiple mysteries, all featuring LGBTQ+ characters. He’s a two-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mysteries. His second book, Death Goes Overboard, was selected by the GLBT Round Table of the American Library Association for the 2018 Over the Rainbow book list. Two of his poems, “My Candle” and “I Never Knew” were used in the 2024 OCTC stage production of “Love Notes Cabaret of Words & Music.”
In 2024 he was invited by a local bookstore to conduct a workshop on writing mysteries, with twelve students in attendance.
In 2025 he was asked to write a short mystery to be included in an anthology, “Crime Ink: Iconic — Where Queer Icons Meet Killer Stories”, a collection of crime stories inspired by queer icons.

He’s passionate about mysteries, old movies, ocean liners, and reading.
He, his husband, and their sweet rescue cats reside in the sunny Southwest.
Website: http://www.davidspederson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidSPeders...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dave.pederson/

Reviews

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my second Pederson this month, I had read the first in this series recently. Like the first book Pederson keeps his style of writing which is very 'tell', visual and uncomplicated.

Here we have a case which starts out across the water and continues in the city so we have two different type of scenarios with their relative detecting techniques. Great for readers who are armchair detectives and enjoy guessing (correctly) where the author is going with the story. Those who enjoy the twisty turns and the path taken, rather than the unknown rabbit pulled out of a hat we did not even know about.

This time round in addition to the case, we have our Heath dealing with serious life questions, how he is going to combine what he needs with what he wishes for in terms of career and the kind of life he wants to live. Is he going to bow down to society's pressure or is he going to make a path for himself. I guess this is a struggle he will have to battle long and hard well into the future.

An ARC gently given by publisher/author via Netgalley in return for a review."

Great BR with Lena & Ije - always good to cackle with friends rather than snigger alone

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first Heath Barrington mystery, Death Comes Darkly, then I couldn’t resist picking up the second book when it came out. I’m delighted to say that all the things I enjoyed in the first book can be found in the second. A solid murder-mystery plot with all the sleuthing that any fan of such books needs. As with the first book what I like about the author’s style is the story has all the ingredients of a traditional Agatha Christie / Columbo style murder-mystery. Heath Barrington has to rely on his skills of deduction and sharp observation to find out who the murderer of Gregor Slavinsky is. I like this kind of plot as it is like a breathe of fresh air to find such books amongst all the high-tech, high-speed, high-adrenalin, style thrillers that we’re more used to today.

Heath has to go undercover, his job is to just keep tracks on Gregor Slavinsky, a small time con-artist who has got himself into trouble by trying to play with the big boys. All well and good, easy job until he goes overboard. So what was a simple surveillance job now becomes murder. So if you’re someone who likes trying to solve the crime as you go then you need to pay attention to all the details as all the clues are there. If you’re like me and prefer to let Heath do his job and go along for the ride, then bit-by-bit everything is revealed and you’ll be having several, “Uh huh!” or “Well, of course!” moments to say the least.

Heath and Alan are head over heels in love but always live in fear of being caught out. This is not a period in history where showing any kind of affection to another man would be looked upon kindly. So a constant battle of being careful in public, not to do anything that might cause suspicion. But rumours start and in this case, why is it that a perfectly good looking guy like Heath isn’t married with at least two children? Here Heath has to deal with the traditions and values of the day. Yes, getting married and having a family would solve all his image problems but he knows he would be living a lie. I found it totally admirable that he is a man of principle and finds it wrong to marry a girl when he knows that he would never be able to love her as she deserves. However, the job always messes up plans and as Heath needs to cancel his weekend away with Alan due to the new assignment this means that they don’t part on a happy note. Alan upset that Heath’s work always comes first and Heath feeling guilty that he has disappointed Alan. Heath also doesn’t reckon with Riker. Riker is on board and undercover too but will put Heath’s resolve to the test as Riker tries to lure him into some casual “no strings attached” fun while on board. Doesn’t help that Riker is an extremely attractive man.

As you know I love my books where the “gay theme” takes a back seat and the plot is in the foreground. However, the human factor of managing relationships is there and compliments the main murder-mystery story. A thoroughly enjoyable read and will return again when the next Heath Barrington mystery is published.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Despite the seriousness of this story, it was a jolly good romp! I’m not normally a fan of first-person narration, but I became so invested in the case, I barely even noticed. The plot unfolds through the eyes and ears of Detective Heath Barrington, and he truly is a delightful character.

While we’re on characters, Alan’s snippy behavior hardly endeared him to me. However, once the mystery was solved, along with Alan’s help, I found myself warming to him.

Riker, while initially charming, is nothing short of a prick. I won’t go into the reasons I despised him for risk of spoilers.

The mystery kept me guessing right up to the very end, and even though I had my suspicions, I never could’ve guessed the outcome.

Even though this is book 2 in a series I feel it can be read as a standalone. I hadn’t read book 1 prior to picking it up and had no trouble following along. With that said, I am now about to back track and get my hands on a copy of the first in the series.

Verdict – highly recommended.

Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Stroke Books, via NetGalley

[LenaRibka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

It is a classical mystery that you don't come across too often lately. I enjoyed an old-fashioned style David S. Pederson chosen for his Heath Barrington Mystery.

In Death Goes Overboard the author gives us more insights into a private internal world of his main character, or better to say in his personal emotional chaos. I can imagine that many readers who focus on the romance rather than on the mystery can consider this as a positive gain. For my part, I'd say, it would have been a good decision if the mystery part had remained on the same level as in the book 1. Unfortunately, being too busy with Heath's personal fight, the author slightly neglected the mystery development. It wasn't difficult to guess who did it, aside from tiny deviations. But the fact that cop Alan, Heath's secret lover and his professional partner, wasn't very helpful in solving the crime, contradicted with my picture of him from the first book.


All in all, it was an enjoyable read. I'd recommend it to all fans of a classic mystery.

**Copy provided by Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**


Reading Challenge 2017:
38. A book set around a holiday other than Christmas - Memorial Day

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book from NetGalley, and Bold Strokes Books in return for a fair review.*

Like the prior book in this series, and as expected, this book here stars Detective Heath Barrington of the Milwaukee Police Department. Unlike the prior book in this series, some part of the police work in this book actually occurs in Milwaukee. Though, despite jurisdiction issues, some of it also occurs outside Milwaukee’s city borders – like on a boat on one of the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan).

There are several plot lines but two main ones of importance: 1) Everyone, including literally an aunt, let Heath know that being a single man of his age is super risky and leads to talk of a certain nature (like, say, ‘it’s obvious that he is gay’; there’s an additional ‘especially the way he is so neat and how he dresses’ but I’ll let that pass) – as in: being a gay man in post WWII America is difficult and certain things are needed to be done to cover that up which can lead to a bunch of lying, deception, and the like (to be fair – without some level of lying, a gay man will find themselves out of work (at least with the police, and possibly in a mental institution somewhere getting electric shocks to their balls); 2) police work occurs.

Heath continues to date Officer Alan Keyes, though is having two issues in regards to that – 1) both are men and it is 1947; 2) does he actually want a steady relationship with anyone? That plot-line is followed throughout the book. Of major importance in the book. Regarding that ‘gay issue’, I have two things that came to mind while reading this book – 1) Heath seemed a lot more naïve than I would have expected for a man of his ‘advanced’ age (his exact age might have been given at some point, though he is somewhere in his 30s, and some comments would lead one to suspect him to be in the latter half of his thirties; the concept of a beard, of marrying a woman and having fun with men – with or without the wives knowledge, was something Heath never realized could happen; also something he had never heard of was a lavender marriage – gay man, lesbian woman, marry as each other’s ‘cover’ – granted, the first time I saw reference to that type of arrangement was in Ann Bannon’s book of the 1950s/60s – and I doubt she came up with the idea completely on her own (Bannon had both types of marriages in her series) and yes, I know 1959 is not 1947, and Heath seemed so naïve regarding gay issues, that I doubt he read gay fiction, much less lesbian pulp); 2) he and another gay man in the book seem to fall into a particular gay stereotype I didn’t expect to see – both him and Riker (another police officer in the book, more on him later), seem to be rather ‘causal’ about sex – more so Riker (Heath is more tempted by the idea and keeps being inches from falling into that type of lifestyle) – as in, all the sex they can get, with men, as much as they can get, regardless of the man or the circumstances (it was so much of a gay stereotype that I actually began to believe that Riker was actually bait – either from some higher ups in the police force trying to trick/trap Heath; or someone Alan Keyes got to ‘check on’ Heath since Heath was acting a little ‘pulling-away-ish’). So that story line flows through the book as well – that ‘should Heath, while eyeballing every man around him as a sexual object, decide that Alan is really ‘his’? Should Heath get a ‘beard’, get himself into a marriage? *proceeds to eyeball every woman around him as a means to an end – marriage cover*.

The other major plot being followed is a different type of mystery (what, there’s a kind of mystery involved in ‘will Heath chose some woman to marry? Stay with Alan? Stray?’). Gregor Slavinsky is taking a great lake cruise – and he is being followed by a man named Ballentine and his lackey George. Slavinsky has been in and out of prison – and has just recently gotten out. And has secured $25,000 of Ballentine’s money as a loan. And Slavinsky is beginning to miss payments. Not something criminals like to hear.

The police have wanted to ‘get’ Ballentine for a while now and believe that this is a perfect opportunity to catch him doing something illegal. So Heath is sent undercover on the Great Lake voyage as an insurance man. A new-to-the-series officer also is undercover as a steward – that would be the previously mentioned Riker.

There is a mystery, and plot A does lead to b, c, d, and the police are shown to use their brains to follow along. With the introduction of certain elements, I immediately knew ‘something’ was occurring, though it took a body going over the side of the boat for me to ‘know’ what was going on. And, while it took the rest of the book for the characters to catch up, I was correct. Mind you, despite that last sentence, the cops weren’t made to look too inexperienced/naïve/stupid – they followed logically along, including a few wrong guesses (real life isn’t ‘Cop: x occurred, didn’t it? Criminal: how did you know!!!’). I did have a problem with one element, maybe minor, maybe not important, but . . . well. As can occur in mystery novels – there comes the time when the brilliant detective reveals the plot points, or I mean, how he figured it out. One slight issue I had here is that the author went one step too far. He had his detective ‘know’ and ‘reveal’ why that whiskey bottle was in the cabin. But, while there is a logical explanation, and while he can logically come to the conclusion that ‘this’ is the reason for the whiskey bottle, he can’t ‘know’ that this is the reason – for everyone who could confirm the matter is dead – died before he put the facts together. Hence my ‘one step too far’ – one step too far in trying to make the police detective look brilliant. Now, all that needs to happen is a few word changes. Something like ‘it is likely that’ instead of ‘it was there because’. Semantics. Logically the steps, pieces, were laid for that specific clue to be found – except for the part where it had to remain speculation (’I also thought the bottle of whiskey in Gregor’s cabin was strange, as he drank martinis. [X] was the one who liked whiskey, but of course [x] didn’t’ want to risk [y] finding [x]’s bottle and getting smashed, so [x] kept it in Gregor’s cabin and used the connecting door . . . .’ - lot of speculation going on in that ‘reveal everything’ being treated as fact .

The time on the ship was quite interesting, the mystery, despite several things I’ve stated, was also well enough crafted (a little heavy handed, but well enough crafted). The wandering eye is a character issue, not exactly one I wished to read, but feasible. As is those several talks about marriage (lavender or not). Overall a good book. I liked the first book more than the second, but second was good enough.

Rating: 3.65 to 3.85

March 6 2017

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small-time thug Gregory Slavinsky borrows $25,000 from shady businessman / gangster Ballantine and after missing a loan payment, books a weekend cruise on a four-cabin Lake Michigan steamer, which leaves Milwaukee with stops in Chicago, Mackinac Island and Ontario Canada. That cruise books up very quickly, with Ballantine and his bodyguard George going along to make sure Slavinsky doesn't escape into Canada along with the money, Mr. Alex Whitaker and Mrs. Vivian Woodfork (his elderly aunt in full mourning gear) plus Detective Heath Barrington and undercover policeman Grant Riker on board to monitor the "criminal element." And when a body goes overboard and the $25K is missing, is it suicide or murder? And where's the money?

The murder/mystery is front and center here, but what interests me most about Death Goes Overboard is the relationship between Barrington and Alan Keyes. It's 1947, homosexuality is still considered a mental defect with the distinct possibility of losing your job, getting arrested or "put in an institution and diagnosed as diseased with little potential for being cured" if you are found out. Do you hide in plain sight by marrying and raising a family while seeing men on the side (as one of our cast of characters does), do you claim to be too busy with your career to marry, or do you live discretely and hope one day things will change? Pedersen really captures the feel of the era while giving us two men navigating their way through all the possibilities.

Death Goes Overboard is primarily a murder/mystery with gay characters rather than a M/M romance. The mystery holds your interest throughout and does a good job at giving readers a view into life as a gay man in post WWII America. I'm looking forward to the next Heath Barrington mystery and give Death Goes Overboard 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..
Review also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Book two in the Heath Barrington series sees Detective Heath going under cover on a passenger steamer, trying to capture a criminal who appears to be getting ready to commit murder. When the murder actually takes place Detective Heath realises there is much more to the man overboard than meets the eye.

As Heath and the dashing Alan Keyes follow the clues, they are gradually led through a number of improbable twists and turns, seeking to untangle what seems to be a straight forward death but which is far more complex than they could have first imagined.

It is a good murder story with a steady pace, but I liked book one much more than this one. Having said that this story is good and it is great to be back with Detective Heath.

The story is has a few key characters which makes it easy to follow and kind of heightens the anticipation of the reader because you know that there must be some hard to unravel plot and there is.

We also get to see Heath and Alan as they deal with societal pressures, evaluating their relationship and wondering whether it would be better to find wives and settle down even though they love each other. As usual they pursue the clues to the end and along the way discover the courage and determination which their own relationship needs.

For me the best character was George, the gentle ox of a criminal who does exactly what his crooked boss tells him to and who is deeply devoted to him. I couldn't help but wonder whether there were unrequited feelings there.

I liked the setting of the story and the supporting characters. I also appreciated the way in which we got to see both Heath and Alan working through the incredibly difficult issues confronting them and they way they emerged from this mystery even more committed to each other.

A good murder mystery although not my favourite in the series.

Copy provided by Bold Stroke Books via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Gillian]

3.5 stars

Reviewed for Just Love

So, this was my first book by David S. Pederson and the second book in the Detective Heath Barrington series. While I wouldn’t describe this as a standalone, I think you can go into this one without having read the first book, as it seems each mystery is resolved by the end of the book – or at least this one was anyway.

Written in first person, the author relies on telling, rather than showing, the motivations of our MC, Heath Barrington. In a way, this actually lends itself to the time period in which the story takes place (1947, Milwaukee), because it reminded me of movies from that time where people – especially men – seemed to spend far less time navel-gazing and more time on practical matters and just getting shit done. And if Heath is nothing else, he’s very practical.

Death Goes Overboard is pretty much a straightforward mystery with a solid plot and good pacing. And if that’s all you’re looking for in this book, you won’t be disappointed. But if you’re hoping there will be a little romance thrown in, you may end being disappointed. Aside from a little footsie under the table at a cafeteria, there’s barely more than look shared between Detective Barrington and his new lover officer, Alan Keyes. Mind you, this is 1947 and even being seen sharing a significant look could cause a world of hurt for the men, both personally and professionally.

And that, it seems, is a big focal point in this book. Everyone from Heath’s aunt to his boss seem to be telling Heath the same thing – it just isn’t normal for a man in his 30’s to be unmarried. In fact, it’s starting to become a cause for discussion, a fact that’s confirmed when Heath is propositioned by another officer he meets during the course of the investigation.

“Surely you’ve been around the block a time or two, at least from what I’ve heard.”

“Where did you hear that?” I asked, bristling

“Does it matter?”

“It does to me. The same fellows you mentioned earlier?”

“Just around. What’s the big deal? I’m discrete, and I know you are.”

Amid all this is a pretty good mystery that had me guessing, at least until the end of the boat trip, about who the murderer was and how they were going to get caught. There’s some insight into police investigations of the day, and while this could have been slightly plodding, the author made it quite interesting with the addition of some great side characters. In fact, I thought the author did a great job here with almost all of the characters, including George, the enforcer with the heart of a poet. The interaction between him and Heath on the boat trip was kind of a lovely interlude in a book that doesn’t really have many overtly emotional moments.

I think if you’re looking for more of a classical mystery novel, you’ll quite enjoy this book and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. I would suggest reading the first one too, although what order you decide to read this series in is entirely up to you. However, if you enjoy a healthy dose of romance with your mysteries (a la Josh Lanyon, for example) this probably isn’t the book for you.

I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for giving me this book.

This is the second book to feature Heath Barrington and Alan Keyes. I did not feel that I needed to have read the first in order to follow this story set in post-WW2 USA.

The detection theme seemed to me to be quite straightforward and I had most of the solution worked out just after halfway through.Without spoiling the plot, a swindler disappears overboard during the night while Barrington is nearby.The man he has swindled is on the boat as well as a heavy, a middle-aged man and his elderly aunt.There is also an undercover policeman-Riker- acting as steward.Whodunnit?

The second theme I found interesting.What was it like to be a homosexual man in late 1940's America? I thought this was handled reasonably well and mostly rang true (although it would be good to have someone who lived through this time review the book).Barrington is caught between the need to preserve a straight public persona and his desire for a private relationship with another man.He faces double jeopardy-he is a law officer breaking the law and he is homosexual.He loves Keyes but is very attracted to Riker. He is taken with the idea of a marriage of convenience but is repulsed by Riker's easy attitude to deceiving his wife.All of this seems entirely plausible.

What I did not get from the book was a feeling that the author had captured the flavour of the period despite references to the war and the disruption it caused to personal lives.A minor point, perhaps.
Overall very enjoyable and I look forward to more.

[Kristy Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in a mystery series and while you can read it stand-alone, I do recommend that you read Death Comes Darkly first for an introduction to the main character, his family and love interest. This story finds Heath must cancel his weekend away with Alan for a secret undercover operation in which he must pose as an insurance salesman on a steamship taking a tour of the Great Lakes. Heath is purposed with shadowing a small-time thug who has borrowed money from a bigger fish that also seems to be tailing him as he makes a possible run for Canada.

I enjoyed the setting since it had a great Death on the Nile-style set up only with less characters. I enjoyed the addition of the flirty Riker character as I think that it prompted Heath to make some decisions about where he sees his life going. Unfortunately, I guessed what was going on at the halfway point and felt like I was just spinning my wheels for the rest of the book waiting for Heath to catch up to my thought process. The clues might have been a little heavy handed for an experienced mystery reader. Still, it was an enjoyable installment and I look forward to the next story in the series.

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still enjoying the trip into the recent past with this series.
In some ways simpler times but for Heath and Alan, and Riker too more difficult times.
The police procedures and dialogues still feel of the time, though to our more keen minds the crux of the crime is relatively easy to spot. The bad guys are suitably inept in their own way.
Alan and Heath didn’t seem to progress this time (beyond their 70yr engagement!)
The lake cruise on the old boat was a nice blast from the past (as an older child I enjoyed a book my Dad had about wrecks on the Great Lakes).

[Ian B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in the Heath Barrington series of mysteries, set in late forties Wisconsin, in which a gay detective solves murders with the assistance of his policeman lover, Alan Keyes. There are signs of improvement from the first (which I did enjoy): although the killing occurs in the traditional closed environment – here, a boat on Lake Michigan – the action subsequently expands and we get evocative scenes in diners, boarding houses, motels, drug stores and so on. This instalment is probably at its best in conjuring up the oppressive atmosphere under which gay men then had to live, an oppression wielded not just by society but well-meaning family and friends: should the men marry for the sake of appearances, as another policeman chooses to do, or try to tough it out with integrity whilst constantly anxious of discovery?

One problem that does carry over from Pederson’s debut is the dialogue: I just wish it could have been looser, more natural and idiosyncratic, more expressive of individual character. Research applied in the interests of period flavour works best touched in lightly, for example when Barrington and Keyes treat themselves to a more expensive lunch ($1.40 as opposed to $0.15) because the department is paying; or their poignant daydream that two men might be able to marry sixty of seventy years into the future. There are a couple of occasions when the research sits like a stone on the dialogue; by far the worst comes at the end of the novel when Alan wonders whether a Chinese restaurant, Lucky Liu’s, has closed:

“They did for a while. The war was hard on them, definitely not lucky. People had difficulty discerning between the Chinese and the Japanese. Anyone who looked Oriental was treated as an enemy by some ignorant people, and sadly there are a lot of ignorant people in the world. In actuality, over thirteen thousand Chinese served in all branches of the U.S. Army during the war, and many lost their lives.”

‘In actuality…’ Nothing wrong with the sentiment of course, but does anyone speak like this? Not only is it horribly clunky, but it makes Heath seem like a boring know-it-all, and a much less attractive personality.

Past a certain point, the mystery is a little guessable (not enough suspects in the closed environment perhaps) and the central couple’s relationship a bit stilted. I think the next book – which I shall definitely read – needs an intimate scene between them, one where they are safely on their own, and don’t have to camouflage themselves from curious eyes. I don’t necessarily mean a sex scene: not everyone wants to write or even read those, but a scene of convincing connection; Barrington and Keyes are terribly polite with one another at the moment.

[Noel Roach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well after the first book in the series this one was a disappointment. Very little happens in the first half of the book. It was, to me, a long, drawn out, implausible setup for the second half: I found it rather boring. So you are halfway through a (murder) mystery book with a neatly tied up suicide: clearly that is not what happened. The event happened on a boat, so we have already met all the characters involved: the four other passengers on the boat. Only one scenario came to my mind, and indeed detective Heath Barrington quickly follows the clues to the inevitable conclusion between lunch and dinner. The second half of the story is competently executed by the protagonist and the author but in no way makes up for the first half.

———

2-stars: Below Average
3-stars: Average
4-stars: Above Average

1-star: I am disgusted (or other strong negative emotion) by the choices the author has made / (or occasionally) exceptionally horrible writing.
5-stars: I felt a strong connection to the story or characters and/or exceptionally good writing.

[William Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book in the series with four more books to go to be caught up. A great M/M murder mystery series so far. Set in the 40’s in Milwaukee, it’s a great overarching story about a closeted gay police detective and the closeted gay beat cop that he wants to date. They sort of are dating but never actually get to the date because murders happen and they must solve them because it’s what they do. No sex scenes and only one kiss in the first book, none in the second but there is some romance. As for the mysteries, I figured out who did it in both the first and second books but I had such a fun time getting there that I didn’t mind that I figured things out. Will keep going with the series.

[David Loy Frishkorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun, educational, interesting romp for Detective Heath Barrington and his partner of many talents, Office Alan Keyes. This book, and series, gives great insight into daily life in Milwaukee in the 1940's...the simplicity, the joys, the openness, but also the need for the gay protagonist and his friends to be cautious and keep a key part of their lives invisible.

[Sam M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid read and an improvement on the first book. There is actual character development in this one and while the mystery side of things is pretty obvious it’s likely to please if you are into old timey whodunnits
3.5 stars

[Drianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this better than the first one. Mystery was a little better (still obvious, but less so), and the characters felt a little less silly. Could still do without the love interest/boyfriend, though.

[Maryann Kafka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good mystery to this series. Heath has a lot to think about in this one. He has to decide what type of relationship he want's for himself and Alan. Well done!

[emily curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, enjoyable post war mystery, with likable characters.

[Elizabeth Judd Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m enjoying these mysteries set in late-1940’s Milwaukee. This one has a lot of good twists—I thought I’d figured it out, but not quite!

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun book in a fun, entertaining mystery series.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

** 4.5 Stars **

What a GREAT addition to the Detective Heath Barrington Mystery. I loved Death Comes Darkly and I've got to say that M. Pederson didn't disappoint with Death Goes Overboard! The series has a particular atmosphere, a "je ne sais quoi", that pleases me immensely! It is above all a murder-mystery but this also gives us a pretty good idea of how homosexuals survived in the post–World War II period. More please!

[Library-Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite the enjoyable read! Mr. Pederson kept me guessing throughout the book. Just when I thought I had figured out who the killer was, a plot twist would send things in a whole new direction. Mr. Pederson also has some fun with refreshing and unique takes on some of your typical murder mystery characters. I highly recommend this mystery.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 *
Well worth a read. I hadn't read the first in the series. This didn't affect my enjoyment at all.
Pros: Good sense of period.
Interesting sparse style which fitted the story and the noir style.
Cons: I figured out what had happened at the half way marker, about 40% before the narrator. For a crack detective he wasn't so hot.
The will he/won't he marry a woman to divert attention made up a big part of Heath's thoughts for the first part of the book, but it then seemed to just get dropped.
Heath and Alan have a lot of their 'private' conversations in public places. And Heath cries when Riker is shot. No wonder people speculate about his predilections.
There was little to no passion between Heath and Alan (in fact the only scene where Heath seems tempted is with Riker). I had trouble believing in their relationship. Just one scene behind closed doors could have changed that.
All in all I enjoyed this as a historical mystery with gay characters. I wasnt sold on the romance though.
I am interested enough to buy the first book.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The second in David Pederson's M / m mystery series. Heath is still honing his detective skills. ..and still trying to solidify his relationship with Alan. A light mystery that wasn't hard to figure out, but still enjoyable.