Death Trick

When Donald Strachey is hired to find a couple's missing son, he immediately knows something strange is going on. The son, William "Billy" Blount, is under suspicion for murder, but the parents don't seem as upset about that as they should be. Strachey agrees to take the case because he needs the money and both the alleged murderer and the victim are gay, but he plans to investigate the murder as well as Billy's disappearance. Once he begins investigating the case, Strachey realizes it's much more complicated than even he expected. With the police working against him and a murderer on the loose, can Strachey solve the murder before it's too late? Death Trick is the first Donald Strachey mystery, and while they don't have to be read in order it would probably be nice. I wish I'd had that option, since Death Trick sets up the other books nicely. At any rate, just like all the Strachey mysteries I've read, Death Trick is a twisting, action-packed puzzler of a mystery. The setting, Albany in the late disco era, is fascinating. Strachey, in all his flawed glory, is equally fascinating. He's a mass of contradictions: he wants Timothy, yet monogamy is very difficult for him; he cares about justice but doesn't care how he gets it, and he is ambivalent about his ex-wife. Timothy is his voice of reason, as well as his refuge. The secondary characters are well-written as well. The mystery kept me guessing throughout the entire book. What I really liked about Death Trick is that, like the other books in the series, Richard Stevenson made me care about Donald Strachey and Timothy despite their flaws and their odd relationship (well, it seems odd to me, but maybe not to a lot of other people!). If you like a little mystery with your romance, or infidelity is an absolute no-no to you, then you probably shouldn't pick up Death Trick, or any of the other Strachey Mysteries. If, however, you're like me and like a good old-fashioned mystery with a bit of romance, and you can get past Strachey's often unconventional morality, then Death Trick is well worth a read. Cassie Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Well, I have to say that I enjoyed reading my first Donald Strachey Mystery. Stevenson's writing is exciting and well-planned, funny, sexy, and clever. I loved the characters, and was hooked by Strachey's sarcastic wit from page one! Stevenson's Strachey Mysteries focus on the world from a gay detective's perspective. If you don't mind a few sensual scenes the mystery is well worth the read.

I have been searching for a book series like this one for quite a while. I say this for several reasons. First, as a gay man, I am always looking for literature that connects me to who I am as an indiviual. Secondly, I am also a gay private investigator; an apprentice in college, but an investigator. Finding a fictional mystery series that relates to my human side, and connects me with the career I have chosen has been hard, but I have very quickly found admiration for this series and Mr. Stevenson. In fact, in high school, I wrote my own fictional novel about a gay private investigator. I have yet to get the novel published; which I hoped to turn into a series. Mr. Stevenson's series may give me hope for that. I whole heartedly recommend this series to anyone. The characters are intriguing, with features that attach you to them fairly quickly on; and the plots are sound and thrilling.

The year is 1979 and Don Strachey is hired by a wealthy couple to find their son Billy. Billy is wanted for murder, and since both he and Strachey are gay, the detective must have some ideas as to where the young man has fled. Of course, because all gays know each other, right? Soon Strachey is drawn into a complex puzzle as he becomes determined to prove Billy's innocence. Now if he could just find the young man before it's too late. In this lively mystery, Stevenson introduces his plucky detective and spins a great tale that belies the social commentary contained within. "Death Trick" is not only a great example of the mystery genre, but also a compelling slice of gay literary history.

In the series opener Albany P.I. Donald Strachey takes on a sensational murder case within the gay community--which just happens to be right up his own alley. The underappreciated Stevenson writes a clever mystery made memorable by his portrait of gay life from over a decade ago (remember bath houses?). Appealing, believable characters (Timothy Callahan, Strachey's Jesuit-educated lover, is a creative gem), and a wicked sense of humor lift this novel "straight" out of the genre category