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A Nick Williams Mystery #15
The Childish Churl
Tuesday, October 11, 1955
The Lipstick, Nick's high-rise office building on Market Street, finally has a restaurant on the twentieth floor. The Sky-Brau offers freshly-sliced meats, white linens, and luncheon with a view. It's the new hot-spot in town and, who knows, you might end up sharing a table with the mayor.
While trying to get in for some carved roast beef, Nick and Carter run into a daughter with a missing father who's been at work in Africa and hasn't been heard from in a while. Her mother isn't concerned, however. He's been out in the field for months at a time before. But, for the daughter's sake, Nick agrees to look into things.
Meanwhile, a real English lord shows up at the office with some disconcerting news and a favor to ask. Nick isn't sure who the man really is but decides to take him at his word. For the time being, at least.
Over on Nob Hill, wedding bells are ringing for Carter's mother, the soon-to-be Mrs. Louise Richardson, and Nick and Carter's big pile of rocks is where the celebration will take place. The food, as always, will be delicious. The florist has brought a small army of helpers to deck out the house in the gayest way. The dining table is loaded with gifts for the bride and groom. And, there are a few unexpected guests who show up and bring some surprises of their own.
It will be a day that none of the guests will soon forget.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2017
21 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Frank W. Butterfield
123 books107 followersFrank W. Butterfield, not an assumed name, loves old movies, wise-cracking smart guys with hearts of gold, and writing for fun.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 3, 2020
There's a few deaths here, as well as the wedding of Carter's mother Louise and Ed (the man who was all-but-married to Nick's mother) and the blending of their families. As prickly as Louise has been throughout the series, she definitely deserves a happy ending and she's found it with Ed. But Ed's son Bobby is having difficulties accepting Nick and Carter and I can't help but hope Butterfield revisits Bobby in later books to see if his feelings change.
Nick learns that his community of queer men and women has somehow grown to over 100 employees, an iconic office building, a fleet of aircraft and lots of real estate holdings. It seems Carter has a much firmer grasp of the possibilities and the way things need to change, and Nick is the one who has to wrap his head around the power that he holds for improving the lives of those around him.
This may be my favorite book of the series so far with the mix of a happy wedding, a bittersweet situation with the children, family issues and this amazing love story between Carter and Nick. 4. 5 stars.
Visit my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Nick learns that his community of queer men and women has somehow grown to over 100 employees, an iconic office building, a fleet of aircraft and lots of real estate holdings. It seems Carter has a much firmer grasp of the possibilities and the way things need to change, and Nick is the one who has to wrap his head around the power that he holds for improving the lives of those around him.
This may be my favorite book of the series so far with the mix of a happy wedding, a bittersweet situation with the children, family issues and this amazing love story between Carter and Nick. 4. 5 stars.
Visit my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
October 9, 2017
okay, so i've never read anything by Frank W. Butterfield prior to this book, and I feel like I've been missing out! Gah!!! I loved this book and all of its unique characters. Nick and Carter are so lovable as are their family and friends. You don't need to read the first 14 books in this series to enjoy this book, but I would recommend it, I'm gonna to go to the beginning myself! It was a fun fast read and I felt like I was in 1950's San Francisco!
February 17, 2018
The Childish Churl (Nick Williams #15)
By Frank W. Butterfield
Published by the author, 2017
Four stars
Frank Butterfield is so darn prolific that it’s hard to know what to say about his Nick Williams novels any more. They’re simply a part of my life, amusing me, moving me, and piquing my curiosity as I delve into Butterfield’s largely successful attempts at probing the past and shedding light on gay history with his reluctant gay superheroes. I just read the last two (#15 and #16) and will review them individually. But I’ll start with the fact that I actually exist in the moment these novels are set. Born in July, 1955, I am an adorable infant out East while Nick and Carter and their motley crew are trying to save the world, one rejected queer boy at a time. I say this because I want to indicate the perspective I bring to reading these books as a gay man who grew up in the 1960s, came of age in the 1970s, survived the plague of the 1980s, and has watched with amazement the developments of the last quarter century.
The story nominally focuses on the wedding of Carter’s mother with Ed, a man who is closely tied to Nick, but in a very circuitous way. The wedding takes place in the “big pile of rocks” on Nob Hill, the Victorian mansion from which Nick was exiled as a teenager, and where Nick and Carter now make their home. However, by the time the wedding occurs so much else has happened that it seems like a near afterthought—and for all Butterfield’s breezy assertions that these stories just come to him, I imagine there’s rather a lot of thoughtful calculation behind these complicated plots.
Two things seem central to this novel: the structure of Nick’s friendship network and the structure of his company, Consolidated Investigations. First, there’s an emotional confrontation among Mike, Nick and Carter at the company HQ in downtown San Francisco. Frankly, I’m not sure I entirely tracked the deep emotion that Butterfield sees here, but I understand the facts. Nick, for all his insouciance as a hugely rich gay man who throws money around in order to help people and thwart the homophobic powers of the world, is not superman. He’s a young man who still feels the shame and pain of rejection by his family (and his entire class). He’s undereducated, and emotionally a lot more fragile than he appears. He is arrogant and short-tempered, and dismissive of anyone who disagrees with him. Except for Carter Jones, the man he calls husband. Carter, a laconic country boy turned fireman, has become increasingly educated and sophisticated through his own efforts, even as Nick relishes his personal cultural ignorance and lack of “high hat” manners. Carter understands Nick’s financial affairs better than Nick does, because Carter sees why understanding his power matters. It is Carter who created the rapprochement between Nick and his father—something nigh unto miraculous, if one remembers the first books. It is, ultimately, Carter who is the psychological glue that binds Nick to all the people who love him. He forces Nick to look inward, and to finally understand himself in ways he has hitherto refused to do.
The whole restructuring of Consolidated Investigations seemed a little odd—like technical details that had no real purpose. And yet, I was fascinated, because this is Butterfield pointing out to us that, for all of Nick’s careless spending, what he has created is a gay-friendly corporate empire with over a hundred employees, a fleet of modern transportation, and a notorious office building in a major western city. Nick has made something important, almost against his own instincts, and he has to face up to what it means, which will influence what he’ll do next.
Oh, and there are two murders, which happen without any real significant impact on the plot, except to amplify the ongoing story of how people think about and treat Nick and Carter. And there are four children who enter and disappear from the story, leaving a huge wake of undisguised emotional impact, the long-term purpose of which I can only wonder at. One of the purposes of the children in the story is to bring up the issue of an odd paranormal thread which winds its way through several of these books, relating to Nick’s long-dead mother. I don’t object, but I wonder at what Butterfield is up to with this.
Nick and Carter and everyone else are old friends of mine now. I will read every book, and I will continue to love them and the fantasy they represent. But I grow increasingly interested in the darker, real-life history that Butterfield brings into these stories. Looking back at 1955 from my 63rd year on earth, I understand all too well how lucky I am to be in 2018, for all its strangeness.
By Frank W. Butterfield
Published by the author, 2017
Four stars
Frank Butterfield is so darn prolific that it’s hard to know what to say about his Nick Williams novels any more. They’re simply a part of my life, amusing me, moving me, and piquing my curiosity as I delve into Butterfield’s largely successful attempts at probing the past and shedding light on gay history with his reluctant gay superheroes. I just read the last two (#15 and #16) and will review them individually. But I’ll start with the fact that I actually exist in the moment these novels are set. Born in July, 1955, I am an adorable infant out East while Nick and Carter and their motley crew are trying to save the world, one rejected queer boy at a time. I say this because I want to indicate the perspective I bring to reading these books as a gay man who grew up in the 1960s, came of age in the 1970s, survived the plague of the 1980s, and has watched with amazement the developments of the last quarter century.
The story nominally focuses on the wedding of Carter’s mother with Ed, a man who is closely tied to Nick, but in a very circuitous way. The wedding takes place in the “big pile of rocks” on Nob Hill, the Victorian mansion from which Nick was exiled as a teenager, and where Nick and Carter now make their home. However, by the time the wedding occurs so much else has happened that it seems like a near afterthought—and for all Butterfield’s breezy assertions that these stories just come to him, I imagine there’s rather a lot of thoughtful calculation behind these complicated plots.
Two things seem central to this novel: the structure of Nick’s friendship network and the structure of his company, Consolidated Investigations. First, there’s an emotional confrontation among Mike, Nick and Carter at the company HQ in downtown San Francisco. Frankly, I’m not sure I entirely tracked the deep emotion that Butterfield sees here, but I understand the facts. Nick, for all his insouciance as a hugely rich gay man who throws money around in order to help people and thwart the homophobic powers of the world, is not superman. He’s a young man who still feels the shame and pain of rejection by his family (and his entire class). He’s undereducated, and emotionally a lot more fragile than he appears. He is arrogant and short-tempered, and dismissive of anyone who disagrees with him. Except for Carter Jones, the man he calls husband. Carter, a laconic country boy turned fireman, has become increasingly educated and sophisticated through his own efforts, even as Nick relishes his personal cultural ignorance and lack of “high hat” manners. Carter understands Nick’s financial affairs better than Nick does, because Carter sees why understanding his power matters. It is Carter who created the rapprochement between Nick and his father—something nigh unto miraculous, if one remembers the first books. It is, ultimately, Carter who is the psychological glue that binds Nick to all the people who love him. He forces Nick to look inward, and to finally understand himself in ways he has hitherto refused to do.
The whole restructuring of Consolidated Investigations seemed a little odd—like technical details that had no real purpose. And yet, I was fascinated, because this is Butterfield pointing out to us that, for all of Nick’s careless spending, what he has created is a gay-friendly corporate empire with over a hundred employees, a fleet of modern transportation, and a notorious office building in a major western city. Nick has made something important, almost against his own instincts, and he has to face up to what it means, which will influence what he’ll do next.
Oh, and there are two murders, which happen without any real significant impact on the plot, except to amplify the ongoing story of how people think about and treat Nick and Carter. And there are four children who enter and disappear from the story, leaving a huge wake of undisguised emotional impact, the long-term purpose of which I can only wonder at. One of the purposes of the children in the story is to bring up the issue of an odd paranormal thread which winds its way through several of these books, relating to Nick’s long-dead mother. I don’t object, but I wonder at what Butterfield is up to with this.
Nick and Carter and everyone else are old friends of mine now. I will read every book, and I will continue to love them and the fantasy they represent. But I grow increasingly interested in the darker, real-life history that Butterfield brings into these stories. Looking back at 1955 from my 63rd year on earth, I understand all too well how lucky I am to be in 2018, for all its strangeness.
October 14, 2017
As usual - love notes about the series..... however this one felt different from the past 14 books. So different that initially I put the book down several times.
To me, the first couple of pages really felt..... just different.
Still in love with the series - please write at least a 100 more stories!! 💕
To me, the first couple of pages really felt..... just different.
Still in love with the series - please write at least a 100 more stories!! 💕
October 9, 2017
Another mystery for our PI Nick Williams and his friends to solve. Exactly who did kill Mr Grossman and why?
An excellent addition to the series. I especially loved how the ends were left so tangled right until the very end and then neatly tied off.
An excellent addition to the series. I especially loved how the ends were left so tangled right until the very end and then neatly tied off.
November 23, 2017
I like that the books are getting longer, and this one had a wedding in it that I really liked.
September 27, 2020
Another Great Read
The series keeps getting better and better. Nick and Carter are engaging protagonists living openly against the backdrop of the prejudice so much a part of LGBTQ history. In this volume their relationship evolves and grows. At the same time we are provided insights into gay culture of the 40’s and ‘50’s. I find it difficult to stop reading as the storylines take unexpected and interesting and exciting turns. With each book in the series we find the roster of characters expanding exponentially. They are all appropriately fleshed out but with this volume I finally had trouble keeping track of them all.
The series keeps getting better and better. Nick and Carter are engaging protagonists living openly against the backdrop of the prejudice so much a part of LGBTQ history. In this volume their relationship evolves and grows. At the same time we are provided insights into gay culture of the 40’s and ‘50’s. I find it difficult to stop reading as the storylines take unexpected and interesting and exciting turns. With each book in the series we find the roster of characters expanding exponentially. They are all appropriately fleshed out but with this volume I finally had trouble keeping track of them all.
January 25, 2020
Another home run
Man o’man these books just get better and better. Nick and Carter continue to rock my boat. Their relationship continues to get stronger and stronger but that doesn’t mean it’s all smooth sailing on the home front. We get another mystery laid out before us and new characters to meet, some I believe we’ll see again. I loved how Mike, Greg, and Marnie were tied into the epilogue. This whole book had me reaching for my box of Kleenex as tears overflowed. Sometimes in sadness, sometimes in anger, but mostly in joy. I can’t get enough of Nick and Carter.
Man o’man these books just get better and better. Nick and Carter continue to rock my boat. Their relationship continues to get stronger and stronger but that doesn’t mean it’s all smooth sailing on the home front. We get another mystery laid out before us and new characters to meet, some I believe we’ll see again. I loved how Mike, Greg, and Marnie were tied into the epilogue. This whole book had me reaching for my box of Kleenex as tears overflowed. Sometimes in sadness, sometimes in anger, but mostly in joy. I can’t get enough of Nick and Carter.
April 17, 2026
This book focused more on family dynamics - Carter's Mom gets married to Nick's mother's former partner. The mystery took a back seat. But that's ok, because it's Nick and Carter and I am in it until the very end. 3.5 if I could.
August 23, 2018
Awesome as always.
February 15, 2020
Excellent!
This series gets better with each book. I like how all the characters have real life issues to deal with.
This series gets better with each book. I like how all the characters have real life issues to deal with.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews