Queereaders discussion

Let's discuss our favorite mystery stories. Titles do not have to be exclusively LGBT.

I have not read that much mystery. But I am sure my favorite will always be Sherlock Holmes.

I've been reading books by Nickolas Drake and enjoying them. Most are mysteries with a touch of romance. They are straight and a lot of fun, especially the ones featuring the character Mimi. I just finished Mission Canyon Secrets and enjoyed reading about historical (fictional) Santa Barbara, CA.

I really enjoy Donna Leon's mysteries--They are like candy to me! I confess I have a secret crush on Commisario Brunetti!

With the exception of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, I have to confess I've never tried non-LGBT mysteries (unless Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind counts, which, if I'm remembering it correctly, it kind of does but mostly doesn't). Recently I've been trying a lot of gay mysteries, though, and I love Richard Stevenson's Donald Strachey mysteries -- he's very sarcastic and satirical in dealing with marginalisation and stereotyping, both from outside the gay community and from within. Very tongue-in-cheek, too:

"Would it help if I told you that I'm gay, too?"

"A gay -- detective?" He looked at me as if I'd told him I were a homosexual table lamp.

I've only read the one book by the man, but I also loved Michael Nava's The Burning Plain. It goes well beyond being "just" a mystery into being a serious piece of literary fiction, and it stayed with me long after I'd set the book down. (Being a work of literary fiction, well -- let's just say things don't wrap up quite as nicely as in your standard mystery novel. Don't go into it expecting all the story lines, of which there are many, to get the closure you desire.)

I don't tend to gravitate toward Mysteries, but there have been a couple of series that I have enjoyed and will continue to pick up as time goes on. Linda Kay Silva's "Echo Branson Investigations" are fun because the characters have some sort of supernatural power and the main character - Echo - seems to have a penchant for finding a mystery to be solved, and she's lesbian to boot. :) The other series I like is Elizabeth Peters' "Amelia Peabody Mysteries". They're set in Victorian Egypt and tend to be very witty as well as adventurous.

I agree, the Amelia Peabody series is wonderful- very funny and great characters! I also enjoy Laurie King's "Kate Martinelli" mysteries, especially To Play the Fool.

Hey, everyone - I have a new gay mystery out False Evidence for those who like a little romance with their mystery.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

Don wrote: "I like gay mysteries...one of my favorite authors is is Greg Herren whom writes witty and interesting mysteries that can be a bit far fetched but fun. I just completed a book that isn't one of hi..."

Don - quick question; how do you post the small image of a novel cover in your message? I can't seem to figure this out.

Don wrote: "I like gay mysteries...one of my favorite authors is is Greg Herren whom writes witty and interesting mysteries that can be a bit far fetched but fun. I just completed a book that isn't one of hi..."

I agree with Don, of course. Greg Herren has some awesome, very very witty mysterys; my favorite is the Chanse MacLeod series, which all started with Murder In The Rue Dauphine just re-released in ebook from Bold Strokes Books...

Of course, as far as YA, I loved Sleeping Angel

I wonder what others mean by 'mystery'. Above, I said I really didn't read mystery. By that I mean crime, cops, PI's, lawyers and such. But, I do like a mystery that involves finding a solution to a puzzle. It is a rather common plot device. I especially like scientific 'mysteries' like The Andromeda Strain or Jack McDevitt's Alex Benedict stories.

I always think of a mystery as involving a crime that has happened. Who dunnit and why? A thriller, a subset of mysteries, involves a crime that hasn't happened yet. Will the hero be able to stop the villan, and at what price? And I believe all good mysteries have an element of romance. ;-)

@Joel: Those are the mysteries that don't interest me, especially if romance is involved. I don't mind a bit or romance, but don't like it overshadowing a genre. And I am sick of crime (artificial, man-made or man-defined) and cops. I like mysteries of nature.

A pet peeve of mine is the inevitable romance in movies, almost always straight. Why does every good movie have to have a romance? I still cover my eyes when my hero kisses the girl. Yuk.

I like Richard Stevenson's Donald Strachey books which begin with Death Trick, just like Boy is the android. But normally, I don't think of myself as someone who reads mysteries, but of course I do.

Julia wrote: "I like Richard Stevenson's Donald Strachey books which begin with Death Trick, just like Boy is the android. But normally, I don't think of myself as someone who reads mysteries, but of course I do."

I agree, Julia. All of Richard Stevensons Donald Strachey books are good, especially Ice Blues

Jon wrote: "Julia wrote: "I like Richard Stevenson's Donald Strachey books which begin with Death Trick, just like Boy is the android. But normally, I don't think of myself as someone who reads mysteries, but ..."

Forgot to mention in case you do not know, several of the Donald Strachey, Richard Stevenson novels have been turned into movies, including Third Man Out, Ice Blues, Shock to the System and On the Other Hand, Death. I own them all on DVD..

That's awesome the Donald Strachey mysteries are available as movies now too!

Here are some other mystery series I've read and enjoyed:

Adrien English mysteries, starting with Fatal Shadows (Adrien English Mystery, #1) by Josh Lanyon

Deadly Mysteries, starting with Deadly Nightshade by Victor J. Banis

Kevin Connor mysteries, starting with First You Fall by Scott Sherman (So far these are much more interesting and less titillating than expected of the description)

Russell Quant mysteries, starting with Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka (a Canadian detective mystery series)

Jesse Ashworth Mystery series, starting with A Midcoast Murder by Stephen E. Stanley (in the vein of a domestic mystery series, lots of cooking and recipes)

Here's one I haven't read, but...
Todd Mills Mystery series, starting with Closet by R. D. Zimmerman

I love mark gatiss lucifer box novels - great mystery/ detective stories and a lot of fun!

Kernos wrote: "I have not read that much mystery. But I am sure my favorite will always be Sherlock Holmes."

Am I the only one who thinks Holmes and Watson were a couple? (I love outing fictional characters. Don't even get me started on Nancy Drew and George.) Have you not read any of Joseph Hansen's mysteries, Kernos? I'm shocked. I really think you'd love them. Elegant, graceful prose ... and real depth.

Joseph Hansen

For comic mysteries, I've always had a soft spot for the George Baxt trilogy that starts with A Queer Kind of Death


And, oh yeah, I gotten a lot of pleasure out of Greg Herren over the years. (Something I'm sure thousands of men have said.)

Robert wrote: "Kernos wrote: "I have not read that much mystery. But I am sure my favorite will always be Sherlock Holmes."

Am I the only one who thinks Holmes and Watson were a couple? (I love outing fictional ..."

I agree with you, Robert. Mysteries by Joseph Hansen are awesome, groundbreaking even, featuring a ruggedly handsome insurance private investigator, Dave Brandsetter, who is gay. There are thirteen awesome novels by Hansen that can be enjoyed even today. I also enjoyed these mystery writers whose novels are being re-released in ebook format for a whole new generation; George Baxt, Michael Craft, Mark Richard Zubro, Michael Nava and Richard Stevenson. I'm sure there are so many more, but these were the gay mysteries I grew up with in my late teens/early twenties - some still writing today, like Mark Richard Zubro,s Black And Blue And Pretty Dead Too, which I greatly enjoyed!

Jon Michaelsen

I'm really enjoying author Anthony Bidulka's mysteries, featuring gay p.i. Russell Quant.

Julia wrote: "I like Richard Stevenson's Donald Strachey books which begin with Death Trick, just like Boy is the android. But normally, I don't think of myself as someone who reads mysteries, but of course I do."

Are the Stevenson books American centric? Euro centric? Thanks.

The Donald Strachey mysteries take place in Albany, NY.

http://www.donaldstracheymysteries.com/

I love Laurie R. King's Kate Martinelli series too. It's so sad that she doesn't write more of them, but she said at a book talk that they didn't make enough money (as I remember it), so she started the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series.

I also loved Elizabeth Sims Lillian Byrd series. She wrote only four of them that I know of and won at least one Lambda award. She is now writing the Rita Farmer series which I have basically just started. The female protagonist is a straight single mother who is an actress. When I emailed her about more Byrd novels, she basically said the same thing that King did. She just couldn't make a living writing novels with a lesbian P.I. because she couldn't get them published with a big publisher. She also said that she will have several LGBT characters in the new series. I was thrilled that she took the time to email me back.

A Gay James Bond type of hero is found in The Jesus Injection. Here's what people are saying about it:

“Fast paced and readable, Eric Andrew-Katz The Jesus Injection is a character-driven mystery with familiar political scenery
and a well put together paranoic’s nightmare of a credible story line.”
Felice Picano - author of Like People In History

“…a hilariously irreverent satire.” John Rechy – author of City of Night


“I am, however, going to tell you that this is a fun reading experience with characters that are well drawn…”
Review by Amos Lassen

“Meet the hero for the new century…Agent Buck 98″
NY Times Best Selling Author, Alison Arngrim

“And there is lots of action. Andrews-Katz certainly knows his way around a fight scene, and the climax is nicely terse and well done…”
Out in Print: Review

“Andrews-Katz displays a keen ear for dialogue and a good sense of style and humor. I look forward to more from him”

C.J. Bille – Seattle Gay News

Don wrote: "I like gay mysteries...one of my favorite authors is is Greg Herren whom writes witty and interesting mysteries that can be a bit far fetched but fun. I just completed a book that isn't one of hi..."

Greg Herren is a great writer. He's also a wonderful guy and the editor of my own novel, The Jesus Injection

One writer that is among the old greats like Nava, Zubro, Herren, amoung others, is also re-releasing his Dick Hardesty mysteries in both ebook and audio book;Dorien GreyThe Butcher's Son is an excellent start to the series. The second in the series, The 9th Man (A Dick Hardesty Mystery, #2) was just released in e-book.

Don wrote: "I read Date with a Sheesha a couple of weeks ago and really liked it and liked the protagonist...a gay private eye in Canada. There are several books with this character that I hope to eventually..."

Don, I've actually wanted to read those books; are they mystery or more adventure/thriller? Another in this vein I've wanted to read is The Curse of the Dragon God by Geoffrey Knight, as well as his The Cross of Sins. Anyone read these?

I write a conventional hard-boiled mystery series with cozy overtones. Bruce, a strong gay character, is featured as part of the detective team in the last three entries: The Deadly Dog Show, The Matador Murders, and The Body in the Bed. The most recent entry (today is its 2-week birthday), The Deadly Dog Show will also appeal to the dog lovers here. Twelve 5-star reviews (4.9+ rating). Is anyone up for a canine assistant detective? Roger and Bruce are hired to go undercover impersonating the owner and handler of a Champion German Shorthaired Pointer named Juliet. There’s murder and miscellaneous other crimes occurring at California dog shows, and who better to solve them? The reviewers are enthusiastic about this book, which should appeal to mystery readers, dog lovers, and anyone else looking for an entertaining novel for that hot summer day.

Sounds great Jerold congratulations!

Nathan Grant

I just started reading The Hardest Thing: A Dan Stagg Mystery by James Lear. 30 pages in and already hooked!

Jerold wrote: "I write a conventional hard-boiled mystery series with cozy overtones. Bruce, a strong gay character, is featured as part of the detective team in the last three entries: The Deadly Dog Show, The M..."

Welcome, Jerold and congratulations! Please start a topic to introduce yourself here:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

You may use this topic to discuss your work. This topic is for readers to discuss their favorite mystery stories. I will give you time to copy your post to the correct thread before I remove it.

Please let me know if you need help.

I just found this list of LGBT detectives:

http://www.thrillingdetective.com/tri...

The links in the list go to detailed pages about the books.

The list seems to be limited to actual detectives, and doesn't, for example, include investigative reporters such as Todd Mills in Zimmerman's books.

And hi, I'm Dilo Keith, mystery addict (until I return to my gay erotica phase), Goodreads author, and writer of kinky LGBT erotic fiction.

Thanks for the link Dilo, I'm always looking for new things to read.

Nathan Grant

Readers and writers discuss LGBT mystery-suspense-thriller novels on the Facebook site: Gay Mystery-Thriller-Suspense Fiction group.

Great resource for recommendations from readers who love the genre.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/51850...

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"The publisher categorized it as gay mainstream and I agree. It was written and plotted well enough to stand without shame shoulder to shoulder with its mainstream counterparts..." - Reviews by Jesseewave

Pretty Boy Dead

Curious, how do you define 'mystery'? Many if not books it seems to me have a mystery element.

I just blasted through Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad books. I read them completely out of order, but I think I enjoyed the last two better (Faithful Place and Broken Harbor) than the first two. They're very much character driven and not all the mysteries get wrapped up neatly. Which is kind of frustrating but I kind of like it, too. Very interesting depiction of Dublin neighborhoods.