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Robert Wilsop and Friends Mystery #2
Going Down for the Count
Blindsided by the fabulously wealthy Count Siegfried Von Schmidt, Robert, longing for old-fashioned romance, finds his dreams shattered when the Count is murdered, forcing Robert, along with his friend Michael and their lesbian sidekick Manette, to wade through Berber, Prada, and a wealth of suspects to catch a killer. Reprint. 10,000 first printing.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
4 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
David Stukas
7 books20 followersaka David James, Dave Stukas
Also writes as David James http://www.authordavidjames.blogspot....
Dave Stukas is the author of six published comedy mysteries from Kensington Books. In 2018, he published his long-awaited sci-fi comedy on Amazon Kindle ebooks: Excuse Me, Is This Planet Taken? He can be found on his personal blog, davestukas.com, and if he’s not there, you can usually find him cycling around the countryside, reading books or engaging in high-altitude hiking. Continuing to breathe is a top priority of his.
Also writes as David James http://www.authordavidjames.blogspot....
Dave Stukas is the author of six published comedy mysteries from Kensington Books. In 2018, he published his long-awaited sci-fi comedy on Amazon Kindle ebooks: Excuse Me, Is This Planet Taken? He can be found on his personal blog, davestukas.com, and if he’s not there, you can usually find him cycling around the countryside, reading books or engaging in high-altitude hiking. Continuing to breathe is a top priority of his.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 28, 2015
Rating: 3.75* of five
The Publisher Says: The unlikely trio of gay sleuths from the critically acclaimed Someone Killed His Boyfriend are back in this fast-paced and delightful romp of a mystery that takes murder to fashionably funny new heights. It ain't easy being green--especially if you're Robert Willsop, a boy from Michigan searching for love in the Prada-filled, Chilean sea bass-eating world of gay New York. While his best friend Michael is perfectly content to detail every bit of his latest hot-wax demo over a plate of fifty dollar pasta, poverty stricken Robert longs for a good, old-fashioned romance. So when a chance meeting with the gorgeous, fabulously wealthy Count Siegfried von Schmidt leads to a whirlwind romance and a marriage proposal, Robert waves goodbye to his dumpy studio apartment and dives in with heart, soul and a brand-new Rolex wristwatch. Instead of being gloriously happy for him--and angling for a spot on the Count's private Lear jet--Michael and Monette are deeply suspicious. After all, Robert's dates aren't usually described as rich, handsome, and cultured. "Psychotic, mentally crippled, and pathetic" is more like it. Robert credits their lack of support to extreme jealously, and leaves for Germany in a huff, or as huffy as Midwesterners can get. For once, everything is going his way. In fact, until the Count is discovered dead--with a rather large knife in his back--life is just lucky. Suddenly trapped in the European vacation from hell and rapidly becoming murder suspect number one, Robert calls in the troops. Soon, Michael, Robert, and Monette are traipsing all over Germany, looking for clues to a killer cold enough to murder a man and leave a man and leave a mess on the Berber carpets. Could ithave been the spiteful ex-lover with the incredible chest? The servants who were tired of polishing the silver? A disgruntled art collector? One thing is becoming painfully certain--the Count was no prince in real life, and everyone had reason to stab him. With the cops closing in, the trio are in a race to find a moneyed murderer who has decided to tie up all loose ends...permanently.
My Review: Stukas found a winning formula in the first book of this series. He uses it again and comes up almost as well-served. The failings of this book center around the Robert-and-Siegfried romantic sub-plot. Its resolution has a strong, cat-boxy odor to it. And the comings-and-goings of the many denizens of the schloss are needlessly complexified for small ornamental bagatelles, which is how they're used. The book is fun to read. But the material is both overused (you can imagine how that can happen) and underexplained (no believable motive is ever given to any potential perpetrator).
What kept me reading along, grumbling about the relatively insignificant problems, was the sudden >BATOING< of inspiration: What a wonderful series of silly Rock-and-Doris movies could come from these light-hearted tales. Even the jacket illustrations are perfect take-off points for a cute era-appropriate opening credits sequence!
But, while the book is amusing, don't break something rushing around to find a copy. Reading these books out of order is not a problem, because they're always freshly sprung from the noggin of our perverse tour operator. Come to enjoy, see if you don't love it enough to move on in!
The Publisher Says: The unlikely trio of gay sleuths from the critically acclaimed Someone Killed His Boyfriend are back in this fast-paced and delightful romp of a mystery that takes murder to fashionably funny new heights. It ain't easy being green--especially if you're Robert Willsop, a boy from Michigan searching for love in the Prada-filled, Chilean sea bass-eating world of gay New York. While his best friend Michael is perfectly content to detail every bit of his latest hot-wax demo over a plate of fifty dollar pasta, poverty stricken Robert longs for a good, old-fashioned romance. So when a chance meeting with the gorgeous, fabulously wealthy Count Siegfried von Schmidt leads to a whirlwind romance and a marriage proposal, Robert waves goodbye to his dumpy studio apartment and dives in with heart, soul and a brand-new Rolex wristwatch. Instead of being gloriously happy for him--and angling for a spot on the Count's private Lear jet--Michael and Monette are deeply suspicious. After all, Robert's dates aren't usually described as rich, handsome, and cultured. "Psychotic, mentally crippled, and pathetic" is more like it. Robert credits their lack of support to extreme jealously, and leaves for Germany in a huff, or as huffy as Midwesterners can get. For once, everything is going his way. In fact, until the Count is discovered dead--with a rather large knife in his back--life is just lucky. Suddenly trapped in the European vacation from hell and rapidly becoming murder suspect number one, Robert calls in the troops. Soon, Michael, Robert, and Monette are traipsing all over Germany, looking for clues to a killer cold enough to murder a man and leave a man and leave a mess on the Berber carpets. Could ithave been the spiteful ex-lover with the incredible chest? The servants who were tired of polishing the silver? A disgruntled art collector? One thing is becoming painfully certain--the Count was no prince in real life, and everyone had reason to stab him. With the cops closing in, the trio are in a race to find a moneyed murderer who has decided to tie up all loose ends...permanently.
My Review: Stukas found a winning formula in the first book of this series. He uses it again and comes up almost as well-served. The failings of this book center around the Robert-and-Siegfried romantic sub-plot. Its resolution has a strong, cat-boxy odor to it. And the comings-and-goings of the many denizens of the schloss are needlessly complexified for small ornamental bagatelles, which is how they're used. The book is fun to read. But the material is both overused (you can imagine how that can happen) and underexplained (no believable motive is ever given to any potential perpetrator).
What kept me reading along, grumbling about the relatively insignificant problems, was the sudden >BATOING< of inspiration: What a wonderful series of silly Rock-and-Doris movies could come from these light-hearted tales. Even the jacket illustrations are perfect take-off points for a cute era-appropriate opening credits sequence!
But, while the book is amusing, don't break something rushing around to find a copy. Reading these books out of order is not a problem, because they're always freshly sprung from the noggin of our perverse tour operator. Come to enjoy, see if you don't love it enough to move on in!
November 4, 2015
Continuing the adventures with Robert and his friends: vain and selfish Michael and best friend Monette.
This story finds Robert in a whirlwind romance with a charming German Count, who whisks him off to a life of love and luxury which unfortunately comes to an abrupt halt when the Count is murdered at a party.
Alas it was all just too good to be true.
And of course we knew that!
Once again Robert, Michael (with his vain and selfish self) and Monette ( the dashing six foot lesbian) find themselves at the centre of another mystery, this time trying to save Robert from jail time and find out who the Count really was AND bring his murderer to justice!
Just like book 1 in the series this second story continues to be really great fun, very ridiculous and hugely entertaining!
And even Michael shows he isn't all that bad.
A great sequel, good mystery, plenty of slapstick humour with very entertaining characters.
Onwards to book three!!
This story finds Robert in a whirlwind romance with a charming German Count, who whisks him off to a life of love and luxury which unfortunately comes to an abrupt halt when the Count is murdered at a party.
Alas it was all just too good to be true.
And of course we knew that!
Once again Robert, Michael (with his vain and selfish self) and Monette ( the dashing six foot lesbian) find themselves at the centre of another mystery, this time trying to save Robert from jail time and find out who the Count really was AND bring his murderer to justice!
Just like book 1 in the series this second story continues to be really great fun, very ridiculous and hugely entertaining!
And even Michael shows he isn't all that bad.
A great sequel, good mystery, plenty of slapstick humour with very entertaining characters.
Onwards to book three!!
November 26, 2019
Book two of four from David Stukas and his three gay sleuths. I think this is my favourite title of all the books as it's such a good double-entendre. I can't fault the story and would happily read this again to reacquaint myself with the world and characters.
December 25, 2021
Robert Willsop is a nice young man from Michigan who has moved to New York. Arriving there he becomes friends with a sex-crazed well-to-do guy that spends his time having fun and lots and lots of sex. His other friend is a 6' 4" lesbian named Monette.
Suddenly one day he meets a court and the two fall in love, and the Court asks him to marry him and move to Berlin and enjoy his many houses in various cities in Europe. But at some point, things start going in a new direction, and at a party put on by a very flamboyant drag queen, the Court ends up dead in the bathroom.
So now they need to solve the mystery of who actually killed the Count, and of course, nothing is as it appears and it is quite a turn of events to discover who killed the count..
It is a very humorous mystery to be sure. Very simply and clearly written and generally a bit of a laugh.
Suddenly one day he meets a court and the two fall in love, and the Court asks him to marry him and move to Berlin and enjoy his many houses in various cities in Europe. But at some point, things start going in a new direction, and at a party put on by a very flamboyant drag queen, the Court ends up dead in the bathroom.
So now they need to solve the mystery of who actually killed the Count, and of course, nothing is as it appears and it is quite a turn of events to discover who killed the count..
It is a very humorous mystery to be sure. Very simply and clearly written and generally a bit of a laugh.
April 28, 2022
it was very funny. probably one of the funniest fictions i’ve read. jokes and funny references on every other page basically. sometimes the author is offensive, not in a good way. It’s also dated in many parts. But it’s an easily consumable, rom-com/murder mystery.. and totally gay. Finished in a few days. Don’t take it so seriously and you’ll enjoy it.
Writing: 3.5
Story: 3.5
Gay:4
Writing: 3.5
Story: 3.5
Gay:4
March 28, 2021
Just finished reading the second book in the series. These are fun books to read, with the same trio of lead characters. Very enjoyable
February 22, 2024
DNF @ 27%. The satire was lost, and with it the humor.
March 6, 2021
Second book of this Four book series was even better and funnier than the first. Moving onto the third book now.
June 3, 2015
I must say it's a fun light read, very much in the style of the first book, 'Someone Killed His Boyfriend.'
Monette is stealing my heart as the best literary fun lesbian ever written (At one point, she's got it all figured out, but won't tell anyone because there's a storm front moving in and she wants to gather all the possible individuals around a dinner table and announce the killer that way - just like in mystery books! You gotta love it).
Poor Robert finally gets himself a lover, and the lover gets stabbed in the back, face-down in a toilet, and Robert is left looking like the gold-digging killer. Alas, his rich Count might have had a few skeletons (or at least rubber priest outfits and riding saddles) in his closet, and obviously, one of them is worth killing him over... So what's a gay man like Robert Wislop to do in a fabulous German Palace, dead lover growing cold, and suspicion growing hotter? Call in his lesbian friend Monette to figure it out (and hope that his infamous gay friend Michael doesn't end up sleeping with every policeman who is supposed to be finding the real killer)...
Monette is stealing my heart as the best literary fun lesbian ever written (At one point, she's got it all figured out, but won't tell anyone because there's a storm front moving in and she wants to gather all the possible individuals around a dinner table and announce the killer that way - just like in mystery books! You gotta love it).
Poor Robert finally gets himself a lover, and the lover gets stabbed in the back, face-down in a toilet, and Robert is left looking like the gold-digging killer. Alas, his rich Count might have had a few skeletons (or at least rubber priest outfits and riding saddles) in his closet, and obviously, one of them is worth killing him over... So what's a gay man like Robert Wislop to do in a fabulous German Palace, dead lover growing cold, and suspicion growing hotter? Call in his lesbian friend Monette to figure it out (and hope that his infamous gay friend Michael doesn't end up sleeping with every policeman who is supposed to be finding the real killer)...
April 22, 2008
These are hilarous quick reads filled with great humor that had me laughing outloud. Over the top but still realistic somehow. The main character who always has stuff happen to him and his best friend who doesn't have much common sense are lovable.
April 5, 2013
The characters are so real! Each so charming and unique and they just come to life. I would read anything of his I could get my hands on! Grocery list! I don't care!
January 5, 2018
These books are so great that I have actually read all of them multiple times.
dnf
November 8, 2014This is just too silly. Going to set it aside for a while and see if I feel like trying another time.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews