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Donald Strachey #9
Death Vows
The ninth book in the Donald Strachey Mystery series. Gay marriage in Massachusetts is a fine institution------except when it leads to murder, as it does in this taut, suspenseful Don Strachey private eye novel, the ninth in the classic series. Strachey and his loving foil, Timothy Callahan, are back in perfect form in this witty, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller.
198 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2008
About the author
Richard Stevenson
83 books143 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Richard Stevenson is the pseudonym of Richard Lipez, the author of nine books, including the Don Strachey private eye series. The Strachey books are being filmed by here!, the first gay television network. Lipez also co-wrote Grand Scam with Peter Stein, and contributed to Crimes of the Scene: A Mystery Novel Guide for the International Traveler. He is a mystery columnist for The Washington Post and a former editorial writer at The Berkshire Eagle. His reporting, reviews and fiction have appeared in The Boston Globe, Newsday, The Progressive, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's and many other publications. He grew up and went to college in Pennsylvania and served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1962-64. Lipez lives in Becket, Massachusetts and is married to sculptor Joe Wheaton.
Richard Stevenson is the pseudonym of Richard Lipez, the author of nine books, including the Don Strachey private eye series. The Strachey books are being filmed by here!, the first gay television network. Lipez also co-wrote Grand Scam with Peter Stein, and contributed to Crimes of the Scene: A Mystery Novel Guide for the International Traveler. He is a mystery columnist for The Washington Post and a former editorial writer at The Berkshire Eagle. His reporting, reviews and fiction have appeared in The Boston Globe, Newsday, The Progressive, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's and many other publications. He grew up and went to college in Pennsylvania and served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1962-64. Lipez lives in Becket, Massachusetts and is married to sculptor Joe Wheaton.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 28, 2020
**** 3.5 stars ****
The mystery here was engaging and complex enough to keep me guessing. I've had so much trouble finishing books lately, but this one never felt like a chore -- and that's not faint praise. My emotional state in 2020 has wreaked havoc on my ability to read, so nowadays I need something that's just right -- not dark but not fluffy, challenging but not demanding, suspenseful but not so much so that it stresses me out -- in order to stay the course. This book struck the sweet spot.
I read the first eight books of the series in the years between about 1990-2010. The opportunity to do a buddy read with a friend lured me back for book 9. Although I took a long break, I certainly hadn't forgotten smartass PI Donald Strachey or his long-time boyfriend Timothy Callahan.
The series has a special place in my heart. Words cannot describe what a find it was back in 1990-ish. I found Ice Blues (which turned out to be the third in the series, published in 1987) in a bookstore, and holy shit, it was a mainstream mystery with a gay MC! Who had a boyfriend! And it was not -- wonder of all wonders -- grim or depressing or tragic. It was fun. Truly this was a new thing in the world. What joy.
(I want to acknowledge that Joseph Hansen was writing mysteries with a gay MC first. I discovered him probably around the same time I discovered Stevenson. But after reading the first three in his Dave Brandstetter series I gave up, because it was just too depressing for me. Sad? Bleak? Whatever. But I intend to give Hansen another try, once Mood 2020 is behind me.)
This was so entertaining that I plan to continue with the series, which is currently up to book 16.
The mystery here was engaging and complex enough to keep me guessing. I've had so much trouble finishing books lately, but this one never felt like a chore -- and that's not faint praise. My emotional state in 2020 has wreaked havoc on my ability to read, so nowadays I need something that's just right -- not dark but not fluffy, challenging but not demanding, suspenseful but not so much so that it stresses me out -- in order to stay the course. This book struck the sweet spot.
I read the first eight books of the series in the years between about 1990-2010. The opportunity to do a buddy read with a friend lured me back for book 9. Although I took a long break, I certainly hadn't forgotten smartass PI Donald Strachey or his long-time boyfriend Timothy Callahan.
The series has a special place in my heart. Words cannot describe what a find it was back in 1990-ish. I found Ice Blues (which turned out to be the third in the series, published in 1987) in a bookstore, and holy shit, it was a mainstream mystery with a gay MC! Who had a boyfriend! And it was not -- wonder of all wonders -- grim or depressing or tragic. It was fun. Truly this was a new thing in the world. What joy.
(I want to acknowledge that Joseph Hansen was writing mysteries with a gay MC first. I discovered him probably around the same time I discovered Stevenson. But after reading the first three in his Dave Brandstetter series I gave up, because it was just too depressing for me. Sad? Bleak? Whatever. But I intend to give Hansen another try, once Mood 2020 is behind me.)
This was so entertaining that I plan to continue with the series, which is currently up to book 16.
June 26, 2020
Oh, boy, Donald really kicked over the hornet's nest this time! Really, it's a miracle this man is still drawing breath and Timmy is a saint to put up with all the hijinks Don brings with him. But I guess Timmy knows what he's gotten himself into by this point.
Don's called by a couple of shady characters wanting a background check into another shady character. Don's wary, but he wants a Kennedy story (one of the characters involved in the investigation claims to be a Kennedy cousin), so he agrees to take the case. Naturally everything goes pear-shaped and just gets worse from there.
The snark is on point in this one. Don's on his A-game for slinging zingers and pissing off the wrong people, and it's entertaining to read as always. Glad Timmy got some page time too, since he was sorely missing in the previous book.
Once again though, Stevenson drops a retcon casually into the text, unless I've forgotten a pretty huge, crucial detail of Don's past. By BR companion didn't remember it either, but they've been away from the series for a long time.
Don's called by a couple of shady characters wanting a background check into another shady character. Don's wary, but he wants a Kennedy story (one of the characters involved in the investigation claims to be a Kennedy cousin), so he agrees to take the case. Naturally everything goes pear-shaped and just gets worse from there.
The snark is on point in this one. Don's on his A-game for slinging zingers and pissing off the wrong people, and it's entertaining to read as always. Glad Timmy got some page time too, since he was sorely missing in the previous book.
Once again though, Stevenson drops a retcon casually into the text, unless I've forgotten a pretty huge, crucial detail of Don's past. By BR companion didn't remember it either, but they've been away from the series for a long time.
September 22, 2008
A little background: this review and my rating of this book are most probably influenced by one or more or all of the following…
1) I’ve been reading and enjoying Donald Strachey mysteries since I was a teen (my Dad bought me “On The Other Hand Death” at my college bookstore—no, he didn’t know it was a gay mystery despite the pink triangle on the cover).
2) I recently finished “Tongue Tied” #8 in the series & was sadly certain that despite the successful-enough series of films on here! TV “Tongue Tied” would be the last of the Strachey stories.
3) The pub date on Barnes & Noble says September 28th & I LOVE to read a book before pub date (which is a big reason I love to review books for Kirkus et al. and go to library conferences to get the Advanced Reader Copies).
4) The bad guys really get it good in the end & though orchestrated by Donald, they get it at the hand of other bad guys—and one set is a thinly disguised real world bad guy. (I read once that boys like books where the bad guys get it & I am most definitely a boy in that respect).
I think this is the best of the series. I have enjoyed them all, and think I might re-read a couple of them since I liked this so much. The mystery was twisty and totally believable. Don and Timmy were happily themselves. I’m just sad it’s over. (So write more RS (or RL)!)
I’m a little confused by the new publisher—why in the heck would St. Martin’s NOT want to publish this with two of the novels in the series in production (to join two others already on DVD)…but maybe it was Stevenson (Lipez)’s choice. I hope he has plans for more with MLR Press. I’ll let you solve the mystery of MLR Press…it made me chuckle. Go buy this. And if you haven’t bought the others—you’re in luck MLR is putting them back out too!
1) I’ve been reading and enjoying Donald Strachey mysteries since I was a teen (my Dad bought me “On The Other Hand Death” at my college bookstore—no, he didn’t know it was a gay mystery despite the pink triangle on the cover).
2) I recently finished “Tongue Tied” #8 in the series & was sadly certain that despite the successful-enough series of films on here! TV “Tongue Tied” would be the last of the Strachey stories.
3) The pub date on Barnes & Noble says September 28th & I LOVE to read a book before pub date (which is a big reason I love to review books for Kirkus et al. and go to library conferences to get the Advanced Reader Copies).
4) The bad guys really get it good in the end & though orchestrated by Donald, they get it at the hand of other bad guys—and one set is a thinly disguised real world bad guy. (I read once that boys like books where the bad guys get it & I am most definitely a boy in that respect).
I think this is the best of the series. I have enjoyed them all, and think I might re-read a couple of them since I liked this so much. The mystery was twisty and totally believable. Don and Timmy were happily themselves. I’m just sad it’s over. (So write more RS (or RL)!)
I’m a little confused by the new publisher—why in the heck would St. Martin’s NOT want to publish this with two of the novels in the series in production (to join two others already on DVD)…but maybe it was Stevenson (Lipez)’s choice. I hope he has plans for more with MLR Press. I’ll let you solve the mystery of MLR Press…it made me chuckle. Go buy this. And if you haven’t bought the others—you’re in luck MLR is putting them back out too!
February 3, 2016
I loved the mystery and I had to stop reading a couple of times because I was jumping forward to check what was happening. There are many secondary characters, all of them well drawn. Tim is more present than usual and I’m a fan of his ;-). Also the usual humor is there.
Homophobia plays a big role, and it was very satisfying to see people similar to the infamous Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) . Their funeral pickets of AIDS/gay bashing victims are one of the most vile things I’ve ever heard of. The fact that according to the US Supreme Court WBC's actions constitute protected free speech is difficult to digest for me.
Notwithstanding the ironic commentary provided by Don also about this issue, it’s nice to see happy married homosexual couples. Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Massachusetts since 2004. The book was written in 2008. Incredible to think the progress made in just a few years.
Homophobia plays a big role, and it was very satisfying to see people similar to the infamous Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) . Their funeral pickets of AIDS/gay bashing victims are one of the most vile things I’ve ever heard of. The fact that according to the US Supreme Court WBC's actions constitute protected free speech is difficult to digest for me.
Notwithstanding the ironic commentary provided by Don also about this issue, it’s nice to see happy married homosexual couples. Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Massachusetts since 2004. The book was written in 2008. Incredible to think the progress made in just a few years.
December 16, 2008
Written by my brother-in-law. How could I not love it? Funny, fast paced, local, political.
April 5, 2021
4.0 of 5 stars – Entertaining Series Continues w/ More Gay Hate & Shade.
I love gay mysteries and romances, and Richard Stevenson does a good job of combining both in one of the more entertaining such series, as confirmed by this entry.
I liked this for the same reasons I liked each in the series, but it was just as good as a standalone. With crisp, witty writing, it was a solid mystery, brought to life by a colorful, hard-boiled yet likable PI, who is, as he put it, “more or less coincidentally gay.”
Richard Stevenson’s style made this a light, entertaining and easy read. I enjoyed the setting of the Berkshires in the recent past. In fact it centered again on another topic ripped from the headlines - gay marriage. Again, homophobia reared its head, along with religion, family secrets, closets, a questionable justice system, and various criminal elements.
Overlaying this throughout was just the right balance between the maturing relationship and the mystery, with the latter getting the spotlight. What started out as one case, took a 180, with everyone harboring secret pasts. But as in any good procedural, it was interesting to see how it all played out, especially with the good detective work to unravel the secrets, and with age throwing even more shade.
I love gay mysteries and romances, and Richard Stevenson does a good job of combining both in one of the more entertaining such series, as confirmed by this entry.
I liked this for the same reasons I liked each in the series, but it was just as good as a standalone. With crisp, witty writing, it was a solid mystery, brought to life by a colorful, hard-boiled yet likable PI, who is, as he put it, “more or less coincidentally gay.”
Richard Stevenson’s style made this a light, entertaining and easy read. I enjoyed the setting of the Berkshires in the recent past. In fact it centered again on another topic ripped from the headlines - gay marriage. Again, homophobia reared its head, along with religion, family secrets, closets, a questionable justice system, and various criminal elements.
Overlaying this throughout was just the right balance between the maturing relationship and the mystery, with the latter getting the spotlight. What started out as one case, took a 180, with everyone harboring secret pasts. But as in any good procedural, it was interesting to see how it all played out, especially with the good detective work to unravel the secrets, and with age throwing even more shade.
March 3, 2010
Albany private investigator Donald Strachey is called to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, by a snooty couple, ostensibly concerned about their dear friend's impending marriage to a young opportunist in a state where same-sex couples can wed. As Stevenson quotes Batman at the beginning, however, "everyone wears a mask" and all is not at all what it seems.
Before long, Strachey wonders which side he is on as he's introduced to the best and worst of Great Barrington gay society. He's going to need to figure it out soon when a bastion of that society is killed, a suspect and a client disappear and few people come clean with him. And that's even before he gets personal warnings to leave well enough alone.
Stevenson, in his latest Donald Strachey outing, provides ample proof he knows how to write a briskly paced whodunit with a full cast of characters that entertains on every page. It's a pleasure to read a mystery that is neither so filled with action that most of it makes little sense and also does not clutter up page after page with endless recaps of what the protagonist knows.
Strachey is a delight to spend time with; he's earned the right to any smart ass remarks he makes as a character who has seen the full strata of gay society and stayed with his long-time partner, the erudite Timmy. He's tough when he needs to be and compassionate when he can. The secondary characters run the gamut from old queens who still haven't admitted to Mommy their sexual orientation to young men who feel the need to re-invent themselves to an elderly theater manager who has greater, um, intestinal fortitude than many men.
To top it all off, the solution to who committed murder has a motive that makes perfect sense within the setup.
This is a book for anyone who enjoys snappy dialogue, a well-plotted mystery and strongly delineated characters.
Before long, Strachey wonders which side he is on as he's introduced to the best and worst of Great Barrington gay society. He's going to need to figure it out soon when a bastion of that society is killed, a suspect and a client disappear and few people come clean with him. And that's even before he gets personal warnings to leave well enough alone.
Stevenson, in his latest Donald Strachey outing, provides ample proof he knows how to write a briskly paced whodunit with a full cast of characters that entertains on every page. It's a pleasure to read a mystery that is neither so filled with action that most of it makes little sense and also does not clutter up page after page with endless recaps of what the protagonist knows.
Strachey is a delight to spend time with; he's earned the right to any smart ass remarks he makes as a character who has seen the full strata of gay society and stayed with his long-time partner, the erudite Timmy. He's tough when he needs to be and compassionate when he can. The secondary characters run the gamut from old queens who still haven't admitted to Mommy their sexual orientation to young men who feel the need to re-invent themselves to an elderly theater manager who has greater, um, intestinal fortitude than many men.
To top it all off, the solution to who committed murder has a motive that makes perfect sense within the setup.
This is a book for anyone who enjoys snappy dialogue, a well-plotted mystery and strongly delineated characters.
July 25, 2015
This the 9th Don Strachey mystery and this one we find our intrepid PI being hired to find information about a young man who is soon to be married.Don is hired by a couple who want a background search of a young man who is to marry one of their dearest friends.Don is hesitant to take the case,he think the two queens are just nosy and interfering.He goes ahead,and discovers the young man didn't seem to exist when he moved to Massachusetts 6 years ago.Also,he discovers the young man's friend is living under alias.The young man finds out that Don has been digging into his pasts and confronts him.Don learns that the "friends" aren't really concerned with their "friend" welfare but are concerned with repayment of a loan made to the young man's fiance.Don learns that the business practices of the two men include loaning money to desirable men at a low interest rate with a percentage off for hopping in their hot tub and having sex with them.Don decides not to take the case.The young man confronts one of the men in a store,assaults him with cheese and makes threats.He is later arrested for assault and let out.Unfortunately,later on one of the men is found shot to death in his home along with his dog.The number one suspect is the young man who is on the run.The fiance hires Don to find out who done it.Don must weave his way through secrets,lies,and homophobia.Tim is there to give sage advice.I love this series and it's a good read!
October 19, 2008
Solid plotting, brisk pacing, intelligent discourse between well-crafted characters -- and funny as hell. What more could you ask from a gay mystery?
August 31, 2020
Solid Strachey-this one was fast paced, well plotted and (unlike some of the more entries in the series) mostly believable.
Strachey is hired to look into the fiance of the "friend" of two rather odious rich closet cases who think that their friend's boyfriend isn't good enough for him. Soon enough, it's discovered that they have other motives, and one of them is dead. By the time Strachey finds the killer he will have pissed off the A Gay assholes, the fiance, the friend, the mob, and . The cast of characters and suspects is almost too big, and it's not much of a whodunit. Agatha Christie, this is not. But it is very entertaining reading even if it's more thriller/suspense than mystery.
The one false note is the whole hot tub angle. The Rich Assholes turn out to offer loans to clients at below market interest rates (HEH that's dated) in exchange for...time in their hot tub. (Read between the lines). Frankly, most gay men I know wouldn't much care about this, certainly not clutch their pearls offended at doing pretty minor sexual favors. It might stimulate some malicious gossip and maybe not win them any friends, but the moral outrage displayed by most of the characters to this is just out of proportion to what most gay men I've met would display.
In any case, the story is a lot of fun, and Strachey as great a character as ever. Very solid entry in the series-it's fun to watch how technology and Strachey and Timmy themselves have changed since the first book was published in the 70s.
Strachey is hired to look into the fiance of the "friend" of two rather odious rich closet cases who think that their friend's boyfriend isn't good enough for him. Soon enough, it's discovered that they have other motives, and one of them is dead. By the time Strachey finds the killer he will have pissed off the A Gay assholes, the fiance, the friend, the mob, and . The cast of characters and suspects is almost too big, and it's not much of a whodunit. Agatha Christie, this is not. But it is very entertaining reading even if it's more thriller/suspense than mystery.
The one false note is the whole hot tub angle. The Rich Assholes turn out to offer loans to clients at below market interest rates (HEH that's dated) in exchange for...time in their hot tub. (Read between the lines). Frankly, most gay men I know wouldn't much care about this, certainly not clutch their pearls offended at doing pretty minor sexual favors. It might stimulate some malicious gossip and maybe not win them any friends, but the moral outrage displayed by most of the characters to this is just out of proportion to what most gay men I've met would display.
In any case, the story is a lot of fun, and Strachey as great a character as ever. Very solid entry in the series-it's fun to watch how technology and Strachey and Timmy themselves have changed since the first book was published in the 70s.
March 20, 2020
Funny and a good read. The author has a clever way with language, and though detective fiction has a tendency to be repetitious, he manages to find original ways to keep the reader engaged. (As someone who used to live in the Albany area, the novel also brings up many warm memories.)
September 23, 2022
Love these mysteries. Great story and characters. I didn't want to put it down!
December 17, 2024
Don Strachey is the best.
April 12, 2021
Ripped from the headlines! But in a fun way.
March 23, 2015
Book 9 in the Donald Strachey Mysteries is the only book in the series currently available on Audible and is narrated by the author. Stevenson reads with clear articulation and almost no attempt to "act" or differentiate the characters' voices, with a couple of exceptions. At first I felt that was an unfortunate error in judgement, but the reading grew on me. I prefer well-acted (not over-acted) audiobooks, but appreciated hearing Stevenson's version of his own work. I like to read along while listening, and this ebook had far fewer formatting errors and typos than the previous MLR ebooks in the series.
I also enjoyed this story more than I expected. The year is 2004, during the Bush-Gore Presidential campaign. So we're only going back a decade into post-9/11 America, and I sometimes find recent history to be the most painful. But some combination of that distance and Strachey's wry commentary made it a rueful, yet palatable read. Like Hansen's Brandstetter series and Nava's Henry Rios books, Stevenson gives readers a recap of late 20th and early 21st century U.S. social/political history, along with some charismatic MCs, oft-cynical insights into human nature, and well-written mysteries. What each of these authors have also done is to vividly provide a record of the impact on homophobia on our lives and times.
Disentangling who-dunnit in this story involves a lot of Strachey's usual hit-and-misanalysis on the way to resolution. Again, there's almost too much going on here to pull off anything likely or feasible, but somehow Stevenson again manages that, at least to my satisfaction. The strength and longevity of Donald and Timmy's partnership, and of course their repartee, is a treasure and a pleasure to read.
I also enjoyed this story more than I expected. The year is 2004, during the Bush-Gore Presidential campaign. So we're only going back a decade into post-9/11 America, and I sometimes find recent history to be the most painful. But some combination of that distance and Strachey's wry commentary made it a rueful, yet palatable read. Like Hansen's Brandstetter series and Nava's Henry Rios books, Stevenson gives readers a recap of late 20th and early 21st century U.S. social/political history, along with some charismatic MCs, oft-cynical insights into human nature, and well-written mysteries. What each of these authors have also done is to vividly provide a record of the impact on homophobia on our lives and times.
Disentangling who-dunnit in this story involves a lot of Strachey's usual hit-and-misanalysis on the way to resolution. Again, there's almost too much going on here to pull off anything likely or feasible, but somehow Stevenson again manages that, at least to my satisfaction. The strength and longevity of Donald and Timmy's partnership, and of course their repartee, is a treasure and a pleasure to read.
December 27, 2010
This is the latest book in the Don Strachey gay detective series. It was by far the best of the series so far. It brought in a lot of new elements and the plot was kicked up a notch from the previous books in the series. I hope there are more novels to come in this series, and that they're at least as good. The author's style of writing is suffused with humor, mostly in the form of the lead character's dry wit, that had me frequently laughing out loud.
For example, one of many characters tends to speak in overly correct, if not absurdly correct, English, taking extra pains to not end a sentence in a preposition.
Gaudios: "I spent years taking grief from the goo-goo types. The Sierra Club, Consumers Union, all the rest. I knew them all, got along splendidly with most of their people, and wined and dined many of them right here in this very room. But in my retirement, these are the types of people up with which I no longer have to put."
Strachey (main character): "Right. Fuck them and the horse in upon which they rode."
I still chuckle when I read it.
For example, one of many characters tends to speak in overly correct, if not absurdly correct, English, taking extra pains to not end a sentence in a preposition.
Gaudios: "I spent years taking grief from the goo-goo types. The Sierra Club, Consumers Union, all the rest. I knew them all, got along splendidly with most of their people, and wined and dined many of them right here in this very room. But in my retirement, these are the types of people up with which I no longer have to put."
Strachey (main character): "Right. Fuck them and the horse in upon which they rode."
I still chuckle when I read it.
March 26, 2009
Death Vows suffers from the same syndrome as Shock to the System, e.g. annoying and/or unsympathetic clients, imo. It's also weird to see this decade's technology integrated in this book when you consider the dated technology in previous books in the series, especially when compared with Death Trick's 1979 technology.
December 4, 2016
Hoping for a more recent Donald Strachey Albany gay PI novel, I settled for this one and an even older one, because they were the ones the library system had.
In this novel, Massachusetts newly has gay marriage, a mysterious couple is about to be married, and a second nosey couple wants Donald to find out who the hot young groom really is. Murder follows. I loved the picture of Great Barrington and Western Massachusetts in this! But my favorite part is
I requested this book from interlibrary loan.
In this novel, Massachusetts newly has gay marriage, a mysterious couple is about to be married, and a second nosey couple wants Donald to find out who the hot young groom really is. Murder follows. I loved the picture of Great Barrington and Western Massachusetts in this! But my favorite part is
I requested this book from interlibrary loan.
February 4, 2012
I've been enjoying the Donald Strachey for a number of years now, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that there were a few books I never knew existed, because I assumed there were no new novels. This novel came out in 2008, and is the 9th in the series!
This deals with Gay marriage around the time when Massachusetts finally legalised it there. A decent plot, with some surprises that keep you guessing make this a fun read. And I can look forward to 2 other books, so I'm one happy camper!
This deals with Gay marriage around the time when Massachusetts finally legalised it there. A decent plot, with some surprises that keep you guessing make this a fun read. And I can look forward to 2 other books, so I'm one happy camper!
December 24, 2015
A hard boiled old fashion mystery...gay mystery. I've always loved Don Strachey's wisecracking humor. No romance in this story, but Timmy does join Don in the story towards the later part. Don's been hired to uncover the background mystery of a soon to be wed gay couple, but the two gentlemen that hired him are even more mysterious...and now one of them is dead.
October 15, 2008
This was another witty mystery featuring Donald Strachey, P.I. Entertaining, presented the issue of gay marriage in a good light, interesting characters, as always. I think this is one of the better ones of the series, although I'm fond of them all.
March 13, 2024
The new MLR Press editions, at least the ebook versions, have a disappointing number of typographical problems, both minor and major.
The case is strong, interesting, and complex, but Strachey's dialogue veers even further than usual into the realm of telling rather than showing.
The case is strong, interesting, and complex, but Strachey's dialogue veers even further than usual into the realm of telling rather than showing.
October 3, 2015
So, another five years passed between books - I wonder why. I like this one - it was updated to the time when it was written. Dealing with same-sex marriage, the Mafia, and Fred Felson - lots of fun.
Read
October 10, 2009Meh
December 29, 2010
All I can say is: that crazy Reverend from Topeka, Kansas is parodied in this novel. Need I say more?
January 4, 2011
Loved this book. Many laugh out loud moments, combined with a tight little mystery.
April 20, 2011
Loved it!
October 24, 2011
Audio-book read by the author. Great book, great narration.
October 26, 2010
Always fun--and a decent mystery.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews