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Boystown #13
Fade Out
The Lambda Award-winning Boystown Mystery series comes to a close with Boystown 13: Fade Out. When a box containing a woman's corpse shows up at his doorstep, Private Investigator Nick Nowak finds himself accused of murder. The police are convinced it's Rita Lindquist-a woman who once shot Nick. Their case is thin, but they and the state's attorney are determined to prosecute him. Recent events have left Nick emotionally gutted and he's not even sure he wants to fight back. But when he's mysteriously bailed out of jail, he can't help by try to solve the mysteries in front of him. Who posted his bond? Why is the state's attorney trying to railroad him? And what's the real identity of the girl in the box?
210 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2020
50 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Marshall Thornton
56 books629 followersThree-time Lambda Award-winning author, Marshall Thornton is best known for the Boystown and Pinx Video mystery series. Other novels include the erotic comedy The Perils of Praline, or the Amorous Adventures of a Southern Gentleman in Hollywood, Desert Run and Full Release. Marshall has an MFA in screenwriting from UCLA, where he received the Carl David Memorial Fellowship and was recognized in the Samuel Goldwyn Writing awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 9, 2021
Warning! Gushing Ahead and quotes ahead! This is Not MM Romance series.
The restaurant was half-full. Not a single person seemed at all surprised by a thirty-seven-year-old man stumbling around in a dirty tux on a Sunday morning. Welcome to Boystown.
GAAAAHHH!!! I am going to miss this series. I loved it so! so! Much!
Infinity stars for this series.
4.5 stars for book 13
What a totally different finale than the one I had in my head. Mind blown, heartbroken and I feel like I have said goodbye to my best friends.
Nick!
Gaaaahhhh!!! It can't end like that! Nick! Nick! Nick what a journey.
Disconnected. I felt disconnected from the things that were happening. It was as though I were watching myself on TV, as though I’d just tuned in and this was all part of some show I didn’t know the name of and was just as clueless about the plot.
I feel you Nick! I have been feeling disconnected lately.
This whole series is so beautifully written, this book felt like a finale but then again a not so finale. Nick has grown so much as character, talk about one of the best character development ever. 13 books and there were no misses along the way. Marshall!
The whole series is told in Nick's POV. One of the best narrators ever. He is funny, brutal sometimes, compassionate with a heart of gold tucked in between the smokes from gazillion Marlboro.
The series is set in the 80s at the peak of the AIDS epidemic. I loved how Marshall handled this topic, It was so sad to see the characters go through all that but it did happen in RL and he stayed true to all that.
For some reason though my thoughts drifted back to Reagan’s cancer. His own press secretary had been caught on tape laughing about AIDS—and wasn’t fired for it. Not to mention the religious leaders who supported Reagan calling AIDS ‘God’s punishment.’
Growing up Catholic, I was pretty used to that kind of double-gated logic. If someone Christians approved of died—no matter how painfully—that person was called home to God. Everyone else, though, they were being punished for their sins. It didn’t make sense.
The mystery was really interesting but.. but.. It took center stage. I felt like Nick was running from his problems, run Nick, Ruuuuunnnn! one day you will have to face them but for now be a P.I. Nick is so flawed. Gaaahhh!
Nick, Brian, Ross, Terry and all the character we met, loved and lost.
Joseph! You...You.... Ugh!
GAAAAHHH!!! NICK! I love you so much!
The restaurant was half-full. Not a single person seemed at all surprised by a thirty-seven-year-old man stumbling around in a dirty tux on a Sunday morning. Welcome to Boystown.
GAAAAHHH!!! I am going to miss this series. I loved it so! so! Much!
Infinity stars for this series.
4.5 stars for book 13
What a totally different finale than the one I had in my head. Mind blown, heartbroken and I feel like I have said goodbye to my best friends.
Nick!
Gaaaahhhh!!! It can't end like that! Nick! Nick! Nick what a journey.
Disconnected. I felt disconnected from the things that were happening. It was as though I were watching myself on TV, as though I’d just tuned in and this was all part of some show I didn’t know the name of and was just as clueless about the plot.
I feel you Nick! I have been feeling disconnected lately.
This whole series is so beautifully written, this book felt like a finale but then again a not so finale. Nick has grown so much as character, talk about one of the best character development ever. 13 books and there were no misses along the way. Marshall!
The whole series is told in Nick's POV. One of the best narrators ever. He is funny, brutal sometimes, compassionate with a heart of gold tucked in between the smokes from gazillion Marlboro.
The series is set in the 80s at the peak of the AIDS epidemic. I loved how Marshall handled this topic, It was so sad to see the characters go through all that but it did happen in RL and he stayed true to all that.
For some reason though my thoughts drifted back to Reagan’s cancer. His own press secretary had been caught on tape laughing about AIDS—and wasn’t fired for it. Not to mention the religious leaders who supported Reagan calling AIDS ‘God’s punishment.’
Growing up Catholic, I was pretty used to that kind of double-gated logic. If someone Christians approved of died—no matter how painfully—that person was called home to God. Everyone else, though, they were being punished for their sins. It didn’t make sense.
The mystery was really interesting but.. but.. It took center stage. I felt like Nick was running from his problems, run Nick, Ruuuuunnnn! one day you will have to face them but for now be a P.I. Nick is so flawed. Gaaahhh!
Nick, Brian, Ross, Terry and all the character we met, loved and lost.
Joseph! You...You.... Ugh!
GAAAAHHH!!! NICK! I love you so much!
February 6, 2020
Nick,
Fare thee well! and if for ever,
Still for ever, fare thee well...
I think we all (the true fans of Boystown series), since we discovered that the installment #13 was going to be the last sequel, have been guessing about the ending.
I have to admit, I had some scenarios in my head, not all of them were optimistic (how else could you finish something that epic ultimately and irretrievably?!)
It was PERFECT. And this scenario I DIDN'T consider at all. The ending (for me) put a logical end to everything I had read in the series before and drew a final line under my secret hopes to have more of Nick in the future. Marshall knows how to write the endings. And he knows how to surprise his readers.
I just wish US/Nick/Marshall the Boystown series to become a TV series. It has such a big potential to be a VERY good one.
P.S. Thank you, Marshall, for bringing Nick in my life and for all unforgetable moments.
Fare thee well! and if for ever,
Still for ever, fare thee well...
I think we all (the true fans of Boystown series), since we discovered that the installment #13 was going to be the last sequel, have been guessing about the ending.
I have to admit, I had some scenarios in my head, not all of them were optimistic (how else could you finish something that epic ultimately and irretrievably?!)
It was PERFECT. And this scenario I DIDN'T consider at all. The ending (for me) put a logical end to everything I had read in the series before and drew a final line under my secret hopes to have more of Nick in the future. Marshall knows how to write the endings. And he knows how to surprise his readers.
I just wish US/Nick/Marshall the Boystown series to become a TV series. It has such a big potential to be a VERY good one.
P.S. Thank you, Marshall, for bringing Nick in my life and for all unforgetable moments.
November 7, 2022
I’m angry and sad…
I don’t want this series to be over.
I don’t want to say good bye to Nick.
And to everyone else.
I hate this ending.
And I hate the ending in this story.
It makes me so sad because of all the loss Nick has endured. And it makes me angry that I won’t get to see more of him.
Maybe Marshall Thornton will bring Nick back.
I can only hope so because I’m already having major Nick Nowack withdrawals.
My rec? Raw and real—you need to read this series.
I don’t want this series to be over.
I don’t want to say good bye to Nick.
And to everyone else.
I hate this ending.
And I hate the ending in this story.
It makes me so sad because of all the loss Nick has endured. And it makes me angry that I won’t get to see more of him.
Maybe Marshall Thornton will bring Nick back.
I can only hope so because I’m already having major Nick Nowack withdrawals.
My rec? Raw and real—you need to read this series.
February 7, 2020
This story completes the saga of Nick Nowak, ex-cop, private detective, gay man in Chicago as HIV makes its inroads on the community. Nick has come a long, long way from the sex-chasing, not-introspective, somewhat-isolated man he was in the first stories. But that decreased isolation has come at a price - the people he has come to care about have lives circumscribed by illness and death. He's already had more close losses than most men in their thirties, and is bracing for more.
To top it off, Rita is back, holding a major grudge. And Nick is at first too heartsore and tired to really fight back. But the mystery of the dead woman landed on his doorstep tugs at Nick's insatiable quest for truth, and that pulls him back from a deep depression. He may not care enough about clearing himself right now, but that woman deserves justice, and a name. And as Nick investigates, the mire of Chicago's underworld with its shady wealthy players threatens to suck him under.
The ending of this book wasn't any of the ones I expected, and yet it feels right. There is the feeling of a weight lifted, and hope, and that's all we can ask for our favorite book heroes as they move on with their lives. This series joins the ranks of my favorite gay mysteries, and I wish all the best for Nick, wherever that future takes him.
To top it off, Rita is back, holding a major grudge. And Nick is at first too heartsore and tired to really fight back. But the mystery of the dead woman landed on his doorstep tugs at Nick's insatiable quest for truth, and that pulls him back from a deep depression. He may not care enough about clearing himself right now, but that woman deserves justice, and a name. And as Nick investigates, the mire of Chicago's underworld with its shady wealthy players threatens to suck him under.
The ending of this book wasn't any of the ones I expected, and yet it feels right. There is the feeling of a weight lifted, and hope, and that's all we can ask for our favorite book heroes as they move on with their lives. This series joins the ranks of my favorite gay mysteries, and I wish all the best for Nick, wherever that future takes him.
July 20, 2020
If a series held my attention through 13 books, it doesn't matter that all 13 weren't 5-star reads. The series gets 5 stars. And instead of a review, you get the transcript of me and Camille discussing Boystown and the Henry Rios series and why we love them:
Me: One of these days give Book One of the Boystown mysteries a try. Marshall Thornton. Not a lawyer book but a 1980s private eye book. Gritty and dirty and not nice. Cigarettes, booze, meaningless sex and prideful self-loathing.
Camille: I love that you love these masculine noir detective books
Me: I find myself admiring authors who write unredeemable characters. Like in a weird way I dig the disappointment of Nick never straightening up and flying right. The world: “Sigh, Nick just needs someone to love and to love him!” Nick: “Fuck that.”
Camille: The Wire is full of irredeemable good guys. I love it. But also kind of freak out bc I’m such a Pollyanna. I catch myself kind of hoping the bad/good guy will pull it together. And then being delighted when he doesn’t
Me: Henry’s a good boy. It’s going to work out. After a couple books of hell. If you read Boystown, though, I can make no such promises for Nick. First of all, I’m only (only) up to book 8. Second, he makes terrible decisions and ruins everything.
Camille: Book 8 and still no lurve?!??
Me: Oh plenty of LURVE, but he makes terrible decisions and ruins everything. Most of my status updates are, “OK, NICK, DON’T FUCK IT UP!!!!” And 20% later: “GODDAMMIT, NICK, YOU FUCKED IT UP!”
Camille: He sounds delightful!
Me: I’ve decided I only like first person narrative when the narrator is confident. Nick makes bad decisions CONFIDENTLY. Right now he’s getting all moony about a priest. And I’m rooting for it! I’m so here for it! It’s going to be a DISASTER!!!
Me: One of these days give Book One of the Boystown mysteries a try. Marshall Thornton. Not a lawyer book but a 1980s private eye book. Gritty and dirty and not nice. Cigarettes, booze, meaningless sex and prideful self-loathing.
Camille: I love that you love these masculine noir detective books
Me: I find myself admiring authors who write unredeemable characters. Like in a weird way I dig the disappointment of Nick never straightening up and flying right. The world: “Sigh, Nick just needs someone to love and to love him!” Nick: “Fuck that.”
Camille: The Wire is full of irredeemable good guys. I love it. But also kind of freak out bc I’m such a Pollyanna. I catch myself kind of hoping the bad/good guy will pull it together. And then being delighted when he doesn’t
Me: Henry’s a good boy. It’s going to work out. After a couple books of hell. If you read Boystown, though, I can make no such promises for Nick. First of all, I’m only (only) up to book 8. Second, he makes terrible decisions and ruins everything.
Camille: Book 8 and still no lurve?!??
Me: Oh plenty of LURVE, but he makes terrible decisions and ruins everything. Most of my status updates are, “OK, NICK, DON’T FUCK IT UP!!!!” And 20% later: “GODDAMMIT, NICK, YOU FUCKED IT UP!”
Camille: He sounds delightful!
Me: I’ve decided I only like first person narrative when the narrator is confident. Nick makes bad decisions CONFIDENTLY. Right now he’s getting all moony about a priest. And I’m rooting for it! I’m so here for it! It’s going to be a DISASTER!!!
October 11, 2023
No one ever could, until they did. We all woke up each morning, unprepared, unable, the world against us. And then we did; moment by moment, we did. And when the heart of someone we loved was on the line, there was never a question. We did. No matter what.
here we are at the end of the beaten path, the curtains officially closing on Nick’s journey after 13 books that slowly but surely made me their captive. reflecting on Nick’s resilience and compassionate heart in the face of so much fear, uncertainty, and unfairness, i spent the last few pages crying over a bowl of noodles. needless to say, today’s broth was extra flavorful 🤧
gay fiction as a genre is one-of-a-kind, especially when written from a historical perspective. highly recommend checking this series out if you’re not afraid of flawed characters, persistent pain, and catching an insider’s look at the 80s AIDS epidemic.
January 27, 2020
This book really blew my mind. I really hate cliffhangers and between the end of the book and the author’s note, it feels like an ending almost. And the book is definitely a cliffhanger. I don’t know how to feel about that. I’m hoping there’s going to be one more book, at least. This one, I think tore me up more than the rest of them, and that’s saying a lot. But there is just so much happening in this book that just gets to you. And with the way it ended, I feel like I’m hanging. But as always, this series and this book has just been amazing. The way it was written and everything. I’m just so mind blown right now. I’m at such a loss.
I think what gets me with this one out of all of them, is that in all the other books, Nick keeps fighting and fighting. No matter how many times he gets knocked down, shot, stabbed, whatever, he keeps going. He keeps fighting for the people that come to him, fighting for his friends and family. But in this one, he’s just totally dejected and lost. When they come arrest him for a murder he didn’t commit, he just blindly goes. He doesn’t fight it, he doesn’t do much of anything, even give smartass comments. And that’s not Nick. But with all he’s been through lately, I can’t blame him. And now he’s being set up for a murder and he knows immediately who’s behind it. Especially when they are saying who it is that’s been murdered. He knows immediately that that is wrong, who set him up and why. But now he has to find a way to prove it and before more people die. But more people do die and he’s in it up to his eyeballs. Everyone is wanting something from him, everyone is pulling at him from all directions, and trying to hem him in where he doesn’t want to be. And he has to fix it somehow.
Seeing Nick so downtrodden and not fighting for all he’s worth about killed me. I’ve seen him low a lot in this series, but this one was just like he knew there was no hope left whatsoever. In anything. And that killed me. You just want to reach in the book and fix it for him. Smack some people around, shake them, or something. It’s just….I just don’t know even know. I’m still just mind blown by everything in this book. Marshall doesn’t disappoint in this one either. I can’t give it away. You definitely have to read the book. But I’m telling you, you may need a few tissues with this one. It’s a rough one. Things have definitely changed and may never be the same again.
I know this probably isn’t the best review, and I’m sorry if it’s not. I can NOT stress to you enough, if you have not read this series, you need to. You���re missing out if you haven’t. This book has just left me and in shock. I don’t even know where to go next with it. I’m hoping with all that is in me there’s another coming at some point. If not, I may cry even worse.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/
I think what gets me with this one out of all of them, is that in all the other books, Nick keeps fighting and fighting. No matter how many times he gets knocked down, shot, stabbed, whatever, he keeps going. He keeps fighting for the people that come to him, fighting for his friends and family. But in this one, he’s just totally dejected and lost. When they come arrest him for a murder he didn’t commit, he just blindly goes. He doesn’t fight it, he doesn’t do much of anything, even give smartass comments. And that’s not Nick. But with all he’s been through lately, I can’t blame him. And now he’s being set up for a murder and he knows immediately who’s behind it. Especially when they are saying who it is that’s been murdered. He knows immediately that that is wrong, who set him up and why. But now he has to find a way to prove it and before more people die. But more people do die and he’s in it up to his eyeballs. Everyone is wanting something from him, everyone is pulling at him from all directions, and trying to hem him in where he doesn’t want to be. And he has to fix it somehow.
Seeing Nick so downtrodden and not fighting for all he’s worth about killed me. I’ve seen him low a lot in this series, but this one was just like he knew there was no hope left whatsoever. In anything. And that killed me. You just want to reach in the book and fix it for him. Smack some people around, shake them, or something. It’s just….I just don’t know even know. I’m still just mind blown by everything in this book. Marshall doesn’t disappoint in this one either. I can’t give it away. You definitely have to read the book. But I’m telling you, you may need a few tissues with this one. It’s a rough one. Things have definitely changed and may never be the same again.
I know this probably isn’t the best review, and I’m sorry if it’s not. I can NOT stress to you enough, if you have not read this series, you need to. You���re missing out if you haven’t. This book has just left me and in shock. I don’t even know where to go next with it. I’m hoping with all that is in me there’s another coming at some point. If not, I may cry even worse.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/
January 28, 2020
It's bittersweet, knowing that the end of this book marked the end of a brilliant series, but I honestly can't imagine a better way to have wrapped it up.
February 2, 2020
Fade out is the culmination of the Boystown series and I can’t help feeling a bit sad about no longer knowing what will Nick Nowak be up to anymore.
This is a difficult book to review because of the events that happened in here. Thornton long ago foreshadowed Rita Lindquist’s appearance in Nick’s life as his nemesis. We got to see glimpses of her malice since Gifts Given but little did we and Nick knew the lengths she will take to obtain what she wanted. Resulting in Nick’s mission to put Rita in jail for life.
And this book is about that, the final match, it wasn’t going to be easy, Rita is intelligent, bold, and has nothing to lose. In contrast with Nick, who had important people to care about and reputation that didn’t help things. However, it didn’t stop Nick from doing whatever he had to do to come victorious from this battle, even if that meant getting involved with people he no longer wanted to be involved with, and sacrifice his life to make Rita get sloppy enough to finally get caught by the police.
Which makes the ending so unexpected and bittersweet. In short, it was a victory in the shape of a defeat.
You go Nick, hope you find calmness wherever you go. We’ll miss you.
This is a difficult book to review because of the events that happened in here. Thornton long ago foreshadowed Rita Lindquist’s appearance in Nick’s life as his nemesis. We got to see glimpses of her malice since Gifts Given but little did we and Nick knew the lengths she will take to obtain what she wanted. Resulting in Nick’s mission to put Rita in jail for life.
And this book is about that, the final match, it wasn’t going to be easy, Rita is intelligent, bold, and has nothing to lose. In contrast with Nick, who had important people to care about and reputation that didn’t help things. However, it didn’t stop Nick from doing whatever he had to do to come victorious from this battle, even if that meant getting involved with people he no longer wanted to be involved with, and sacrifice his life to make Rita get sloppy enough to finally get caught by the police.
Which makes the ending so unexpected and bittersweet. In short, it was a victory in the shape of a defeat.
You go Nick, hope you find calmness wherever you go. We’ll miss you.
February 1, 2020
1000000 stars.. rtc
January 9, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this series, am rather sad it's over. Loved the setting, the character evolution, the stark ups and downs.
June 2, 2025
Good, but sad, wrap up to the series. I'm glad I finally read these. I'll miss these guys. Though I am pleased with the generally less horny direction of Thornton's newer stuff.
Course, now I'm tempted to reread the Dom Reilly books. ;)
Course, now I'm tempted to reread the Dom Reilly books. ;)
March 23, 2020
Fade Out (Boystown 13)
By Marshall Thornton
Published by Kenmore Books, 2020
Five stars
“I could barely remember the person I was then. He was very different from me.”
How can I not give this book five stars? Thornton’s writing is clean, his humor is wry and low-key, his characters have grown deeply into my mind and heart – Nick most of all. Nick is a remarkable, resilient, big-hearted person – something that was far from evident in the first Boystown stories. The voyage of Nick’s soul has been epic. Watching him evolve has been a pleasure – albeit at times a painful pleasure.
Chicago has its hooks deep into Nick Nowak. It is the place he has always been, where he has found joy and sorrow, love and loss; the place where he has forced justice into an unjust world, and where, it seems, all his efforts simply haven’t been enough.
Oh.
And this is the ultimate twist in Nick’s long strange journey. I did not see this coming, and Thornton’s decision as to the final direction to take his story was not what I expected – nor, honestly, what I wanted. It took me all night, and a lot of stranger-than-usual dreams, to make peace with the author’s ultimate freedom – the right to write what he feels is the truth for his characters.
The right to write. *snort*
It is a brilliant, dark finale. A fair night’s sleep also made me see the hope in it. The freedom. This epic series of thirteen books, a landmark in contemporary gay fiction that I have been privileged to experience, ends not with a bang, but with a fadeout. We can only imagine for ourselves what we want to happen next.
The very first book in Joseph Hansen’s landmark Dave Brandsetter mysteries was also titled “Fadeout.” I am grateful that Marshal Thornton didn’t end his series the way Hansen did. I'll take what comfort I can get.
By Marshall Thornton
Published by Kenmore Books, 2020
Five stars
“I could barely remember the person I was then. He was very different from me.”
How can I not give this book five stars? Thornton’s writing is clean, his humor is wry and low-key, his characters have grown deeply into my mind and heart – Nick most of all. Nick is a remarkable, resilient, big-hearted person – something that was far from evident in the first Boystown stories. The voyage of Nick’s soul has been epic. Watching him evolve has been a pleasure – albeit at times a painful pleasure.
Chicago has its hooks deep into Nick Nowak. It is the place he has always been, where he has found joy and sorrow, love and loss; the place where he has forced justice into an unjust world, and where, it seems, all his efforts simply haven’t been enough.
Oh.
And this is the ultimate twist in Nick’s long strange journey. I did not see this coming, and Thornton’s decision as to the final direction to take his story was not what I expected – nor, honestly, what I wanted. It took me all night, and a lot of stranger-than-usual dreams, to make peace with the author’s ultimate freedom – the right to write what he feels is the truth for his characters.
The right to write. *snort*
It is a brilliant, dark finale. A fair night’s sleep also made me see the hope in it. The freedom. This epic series of thirteen books, a landmark in contemporary gay fiction that I have been privileged to experience, ends not with a bang, but with a fadeout. We can only imagine for ourselves what we want to happen next.
The very first book in Joseph Hansen’s landmark Dave Brandsetter mysteries was also titled “Fadeout.” I am grateful that Marshal Thornton didn’t end his series the way Hansen did. I'll take what comfort I can get.
December 9, 2020
I am conflicted about this book. I didn’t like the ending, but I’m not sure why, so I’m going to talk it out with myself here.
I wanted more for Nick. I didn’t see leaving his chosen family behind as anything other than another loss, and one I didn’t want him to suffer. To me, Nick belongs in Chicago- I can’t imagine him anywhere else. He chose to cut the cord and leave to protect his loved ones, but I don’t believe Nick would have given up on a case. It’s pretty much his defining feature, other than being a lovable asshole.
That said, he gave up before and dropped out of his life after Murder Book, going to work in a seedy bar and losing touch. Does this mean he’s grown? He’s willing to give it up again, but this time for altruistic reasons?
I also don’t love Rita as the Biggest Bad. I hate that she’s the one who breaks Nick.
Are we supposed to see this as Nick being set free? It didn’t feel like that. I know it’s a noir, but the ending felt harder than I wanted. There’s no happy ending with the losses Nick has taken, but maybe this is supposed to be some solace that he can reset without the burdens of his past tied to this specific place.
This is nitpicky, but I was confused about how the case against Nick was handled. Uhh... go to the hearing, man! Don’t be a fugitive.
Summary: I wanted something different for Nick. I feel bad for the author because this is such a beloved series and character that he would get unhappy readers no matter what! Maybe we can revisit a rebuilt Nick in the future, different, but still himself. I’ll hold out for that!
I wanted more for Nick. I didn’t see leaving his chosen family behind as anything other than another loss, and one I didn’t want him to suffer. To me, Nick belongs in Chicago- I can’t imagine him anywhere else. He chose to cut the cord and leave to protect his loved ones, but I don’t believe Nick would have given up on a case. It’s pretty much his defining feature, other than being a lovable asshole.
That said, he gave up before and dropped out of his life after Murder Book, going to work in a seedy bar and losing touch. Does this mean he’s grown? He’s willing to give it up again, but this time for altruistic reasons?
I also don’t love Rita as the Biggest Bad. I hate that she’s the one who breaks Nick.
Are we supposed to see this as Nick being set free? It didn’t feel like that. I know it’s a noir, but the ending felt harder than I wanted. There’s no happy ending with the losses Nick has taken, but maybe this is supposed to be some solace that he can reset without the burdens of his past tied to this specific place.
This is nitpicky, but I was confused about how the case against Nick was handled. Uhh... go to the hearing, man! Don’t be a fugitive.
Summary: I wanted something different for Nick. I feel bad for the author because this is such a beloved series and character that he would get unhappy readers no matter what! Maybe we can revisit a rebuilt Nick in the future, different, but still himself. I’ll hold out for that!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2020
Perfect end of a brilliant series.
November 21, 2023
I love this series and characters so much. I will miss them.
January 30, 2020
Bittersweet ending to this series
This series has been a wonderful experience. A glimpse into the past, true to life relationships, Nick’s loves and losses. I grew to really like Nick and I was sad that this is the final book in the series. I wasn’t sure where the author was taking the story, I admit I teared up at the end. It was a satisfying conclusion.
This series has been a wonderful experience. A glimpse into the past, true to life relationships, Nick’s loves and losses. I grew to really like Nick and I was sad that this is the final book in the series. I wasn’t sure where the author was taking the story, I admit I teared up at the end. It was a satisfying conclusion.
January 31, 2020
Excellent read, as expected.
But...the end felt out of character for Nick 🤷♀️
Think I’ll reread the series.
But...the end felt out of character for Nick 🤷♀️
Think I’ll reread the series.
March 4, 2020
I had no idea this was the final book until I opened my Kindle today and in that "about this book" popup, I caught the words "comes to a close." :O
I'm glad I knew so I could mentally prepare myself. But even if I hadn't, I would have picked up on it. Nick is so introspective (in Nick Nowak–style; don't worry, he doesn't suddenly become a navel-gazer) and things really do feel final as the story goes along. I cried several times! Omg, I'm gonna cry right now. Haha. I really love this series!! I am super sad it's over. D:
One of the things that really struck me about this novel is just how far Nick has come since we met him. He's not an entirely different person by any means, but he's found himself, I think. He's grown. Matured. I think the people he's met and what he's gone through, I think it's all formed him into a much solider version of himself. It's funny, because the first line of my first review for this series is "First, this dude gets laid more than my dinnerware," and it's honestly the fact that Nick KEEPS TURNING DOWN SEX WITH CUTE GUYS that really shows how much he's changed in this book. In the beginning, he'd bang just about any guy who gave him the time of day—that's just who he was. But now...I think after Harker and Joseph and everything else, he's realized...well, he's realized a lot. What an evolution.
I had no idea how the series would end. I pictured all sorts of terrible ends (some that I thought were realistic; some that weren't). The way it all wraps up is not one of the ways I'd imagined!! But I actually really, really like it. I think it's perfect. SAD. But perfect. Oh man, Nick, I'm gonna miss you so much!!
What a great series this is. Solid until the end.
I remember thinking, when I first started reading it, "There's an AIDS story in the middle of my mystery series" and I quickly realized it was the other way around. And that's truly how it shook out: we just happened to have some mysteries in the middle of our 1980s, Chicago-based, AIDS story. I think Marshall did an amazing job with all of his continuity, sense of place, AIDS timeline, historical things, just...all of it. I can't imagine what it must have been like to have lived back then and watched just...everything fall apart—and emerge on the other side when so many people didn't. I think we see at least a little bit of it through Nick Nowak's eyes.
Ah, I'm emotional. I'm sad this is over (in case I didn’t mention it!). It makes me want to both go finish the Brandstetter series (I have three left!) and never touch it again so it'll never be done. (And speaking of that, I love that Marshall called this "Fade Out." Joseph Hansen ♥)
Aaaaaaaah. Bye, Nick!!
)':
I'm glad I knew so I could mentally prepare myself. But even if I hadn't, I would have picked up on it. Nick is so introspective (in Nick Nowak–style; don't worry, he doesn't suddenly become a navel-gazer) and things really do feel final as the story goes along. I cried several times! Omg, I'm gonna cry right now. Haha. I really love this series!! I am super sad it's over. D:
One of the things that really struck me about this novel is just how far Nick has come since we met him. He's not an entirely different person by any means, but he's found himself, I think. He's grown. Matured. I think the people he's met and what he's gone through, I think it's all formed him into a much solider version of himself. It's funny, because the first line of my first review for this series is "First, this dude gets laid more than my dinnerware," and it's honestly the fact that Nick KEEPS TURNING DOWN SEX WITH CUTE GUYS that really shows how much he's changed in this book. In the beginning, he'd bang just about any guy who gave him the time of day—that's just who he was. But now...I think after Harker and Joseph and everything else, he's realized...well, he's realized a lot. What an evolution.
I had no idea how the series would end. I pictured all sorts of terrible ends (some that I thought were realistic; some that weren't). The way it all wraps up is not one of the ways I'd imagined!! But I actually really, really like it. I think it's perfect. SAD. But perfect. Oh man, Nick, I'm gonna miss you so much!!
What a great series this is. Solid until the end.
I remember thinking, when I first started reading it, "There's an AIDS story in the middle of my mystery series" and I quickly realized it was the other way around. And that's truly how it shook out: we just happened to have some mysteries in the middle of our 1980s, Chicago-based, AIDS story. I think Marshall did an amazing job with all of his continuity, sense of place, AIDS timeline, historical things, just...all of it. I can't imagine what it must have been like to have lived back then and watched just...everything fall apart—and emerge on the other side when so many people didn't. I think we see at least a little bit of it through Nick Nowak's eyes.
Ah, I'm emotional. I'm sad this is over (in case I didn’t mention it!). It makes me want to both go finish the Brandstetter series (I have three left!) and never touch it again so it'll never be done. (And speaking of that, I love that Marshall called this "Fade Out." Joseph Hansen ♥)
Aaaaaaaah. Bye, Nick!!
)':
March 24, 2020
Oh boy - I did not expect this longstanding series to end in such a manner; not quite a bang or a whimper ... just what the? Perhaps the author intends to leave things open for some future date whereby Nick Nowak makes a Ta-Dah reappearance. IF so - I approve.
There is a vague attempt to wind up some surviving (i.e. from earlier books) secondary character storylines, but again - very open ended and not too conclusive at all; I'm not sure what to make of where the author leaves Joseph, Terry & Brian. Nick's perennial nemesis Rita makes a centre-stage appearance from the moment the curtain rises and continues till the very end ... but there is little physical engagement between them throughout. Her malevolent presence shadows Nick as he tries to prove his non-involvement in a body-in-a-box murder, and a secondary Machiavellian character makes a surprise reappearance toward the end to throw Nick completely off his center. I was also rather amused by Nick getting assistance from Gloria Silver given her antagonism toward him in previous books.
The ambiguous finale rates this final? Boystown offering 3.5 stars - rounded up to 4.
There is a vague attempt to wind up some surviving (i.e. from earlier books) secondary character storylines, but again - very open ended and not too conclusive at all; I'm not sure what to make of where the author leaves Joseph, Terry & Brian. Nick's perennial nemesis Rita makes a centre-stage appearance from the moment the curtain rises and continues till the very end ... but there is little physical engagement between them throughout. Her malevolent presence shadows Nick as he tries to prove his non-involvement in a body-in-a-box murder, and a secondary Machiavellian character makes a surprise reappearance toward the end to throw Nick completely off his center. I was also rather amused by Nick getting assistance from Gloria Silver given her antagonism toward him in previous books.
The ambiguous finale rates this final? Boystown offering 3.5 stars - rounded up to 4.
October 29, 2022
3.5 / I honestly feel betrayed by this ending after 12 great books. Oh well.
August 30, 2022
I found this quite a disappointing ending to the Boystown series. I found it incredibly surprising that Joseph didn't feature in this instalment at all, whether that's a reconciliation with Nick or just some kind of closure so we and Nick understand his choices to leave and be with/support Alejandro. That feels like a huge emotional plot hole that was left unaddressed. Similarly, I was surprised at how little interaction Nick had with Brian, Terry, Ross, Franklin, and any/all of the people he had come to consider family. Perhaps we're meant to understand that Joseph acted as Nick's key to connecting with others, but I don't believe that's the case. I always read Nick as a character who needed people, but various tragedies and losses kept him determined to keep them at arm's length. My assumption was always that Nick would find a way to work through this disconnect and find some kind of happiness, even if that was happiness alone, it would be on his own terms. I almost feel as though I'd rather have had Nick dying in the line of duty or in some great heroic sacrifice for his friends rather than the ending that seemed to come out of nowhere, and in my opinion doesn't really make sense for his character.
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
13. The Death of Friends 3/5
14. The Burning Plain 3.5/5
15. Rag and Bone 4/5
16. Pretty Pretty Boys 2/5
17. Three Nick Nowak Mysteries 5/5
18. Three More Nick Nowak Mysteries 3/5
19. Two Nick Nowak Novellas 4/5
20. A Time For Secrets 5/5
21. Murder Book 5/5
22. From the Ashes 4/5
23. Bloodlines 4/5
24. Lucky Days 4/5
25. Gifts Given 5/5
26. Heart's Desire 1/5
27. Broken Cord 4/5
28. Fade Out 2/5
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
13. The Death of Friends 3/5
14. The Burning Plain 3.5/5
15. Rag and Bone 4/5
16. Pretty Pretty Boys 2/5
17. Three Nick Nowak Mysteries 5/5
18. Three More Nick Nowak Mysteries 3/5
19. Two Nick Nowak Novellas 4/5
20. A Time For Secrets 5/5
21. Murder Book 5/5
22. From the Ashes 4/5
23. Bloodlines 4/5
24. Lucky Days 4/5
25. Gifts Given 5/5
26. Heart's Desire 1/5
27. Broken Cord 4/5
28. Fade Out 2/5
February 1, 2020
Another great installment, but I can’t say I’m 100% happy with this as a finale. Besides the fact I think this series had more life left in it, this wasn’t a typical end-of-series book with everything tied into a neat little package. And it’s not what I imagined or hoped for Nick. It wasn’t so out of the realm of possibility that it left me angry, but it made me even sadder to be parting ways with him now.
February 15, 2020
Did not want to end!!! Love this series!!!
July 22, 2020
The series is very good but depressing
August 25, 2021
This is last book, but without a denouement. I would like different ending. But who cares about my wishes. But I'm grateful to Marshall Thornton for Nick Novak's universe. And I love Nick so much! I loved to dive into it. It was amazing adventure!
April 23, 2025
I mean, if you make it to #13 then you already know what's up.
I am rather sad that this is the end of the story. I would gladly have keep reading these for another 13 volumes and beyond. We could have followed Nick up to the present day. Still, I greatly enjoyed this book and this series.
I am rather sad that this is the end of the story. I would gladly have keep reading these for another 13 volumes and beyond. We could have followed Nick up to the present day. Still, I greatly enjoyed this book and this series.
June 26, 2021
Enjoyed Nick and friends. Solid ending to series
April 6, 2020
3,5 stars.
I really really liked this series.
And I have to say, this title is very fitting.
This whole story of 13 novels faded out. No big finale. No resolution. No emotional payout.
I really really liked this series.
And I have to say, this title is very fitting.
This whole story of 13 novels faded out. No big finale. No resolution. No emotional payout.
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