Reviewed by Tidal
TITLE: The Gay Detective
AUTHOR: Kenneth D. Michaels
PUBLISHER: La Mancha Press
LENGTH: 180 Pages
BLURB:
The premier of Nick Scott’s TV talk show, The Gay Detective, appears to be a big hit until his first guest ends up murdered. Nick, also a gay detective with the Chicago Police Department, and his older, straight partner Detective Norm Malone hunt this heinous serial killer tagged The Reaper. This odd couple encounters both personal and professional conflict as this suspenseful noir thriller races to a surprise conclusion that leaves Nick and Norm battling for their lives.
REVIEW:
Nick Scott is a heroic Chicago policeman. He is well respected on the force and he is an out and proud gay man. The opportunity comes his way to host his own TV show called The Gay Detective. He takes up the opportunity, his lover Darren working on the show behind the scenes. The show is well received by viewers but then the first guest is found gruesomely murdered, the killer leaving behind a cryptic clue.
The show continues but the same thing happens again, several times. When it seems things could not get worse Nick’s lover Darren is brutally murdered too. Nick is teamed up with veteran detective Norm Malone and they embark on a hunt to find this killer who is playing cat and mouse with Chicago PD and terrorizing the city.
I really like the action and suspense in this book! It has good character development between Nick and Norm. They are complete opposites, like night and day, but it is not portrayed in a silly fashion, like most of the bad 80s cop movies. It was realistic. I think that feature is what gave the story a resounding feel of authenticity. I like that we get to see everyone have their vulnerable moments but not lose their compass of who they are and what is important to them, or lose sight of the big picture.
My heart was pounding at the end and when the killer is exposed, I was surprised. I like it when a book does that. I also like that the author took the time to let us connect with the other characters in the book. It gives the reader the feeling that we are really a part of their world and not just a voyeuristic reader peeking into their lives.
RATING:
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