On New Year’s Eve Paul is enjoying
an evening out with his lover, Ben, at Au Naturel, a hot hot gay bar, featuring
barely clad young male dancers. More interested in each other Paul and Ben
return home shortly after midnight.
It is bitterly cold the next morning
when Paul and his partner, Buck Fenwick, are assigned to investigate the murder
of a middle aged man whose body has been found in the back alley adjacent to Au
Naturel.
The victim is Federal Court of
Appeal Judge Albert Meade, a staunchly conservative jurist, who has recently
gained attention for a ruling favouring a local anti-gay ordinance.
Initially, Paul is concerned about
being perceptions of bias. He is worried a conviction of the killer might be
jeopardized because he, a gay man, is investigating the murder of a homophobic
judge. It is an interesting twist on how L.A. detective, Mark Fuhrman, was pilloried
as an untrustworthy police officer in the O.J. Simpson murder trial because of
some racist comments unrelated to the case. Paul’s commander sees no reason to
remove him from the case.
Considering the location of the
body, Paul and Buck wonder if the deceased judge was a closeted gay man. As
they go forward they are met by a gay wall of silence. There is a strong
reluctance in the gay community to talk about any man who wants to stay in the
closet, even after death.
Buck has some difficulty
understanding why there are a significant number of gay men in the late 1990’s
who remain in the closet.
Paul, who does not hide his orientation but does not make it overtly public, does his best to explain there are many gay men afraid of the consequences of being out in their families, at work and in the community.
When sources place the judge in Au
Naturel on New Year’s Eve the gaydar of the detectives is tingling. As they
move forward they find perception and reality are not always the same.
The fears of gay men wanting sexual
relationships but afraid to be open are explored throughout the book. Members of
the gay community who are totally out are not always understanding of those
still in the closet. The book explores a challenging gay issue without becoming
a polemic. In my last post, a profile of Zubro, there are comments from Zubro
on introducing gay issues into his mysteries.
Paul and Buck have a deft, sometimes
witty relationship.
Paul becomes the first gay detective
I have read parenting a pair of boys on his own.
Reading the Russell Quant series by
Anthony Bidulka a decade later is to see a far more open gay detective though
the issues of the closet remain very real as explored in Flight of Aquavit.
It is a good book. I appreciated the
author telling his story in 211 pages. I regret to say I would not have read
this book if I was not looking to read “Z” author so I could profile the author
in the 2012 Alphabet in Crime Fiction meme. I am going back to the library to
read another Paul Turner mystery.
This will be my last post in the Alphabet in Crime Fiction meme hosted by Kerrie Smith at her blog, Mysteries in Paradise. Six months have gone swiftly by. Thank you to Kerrie for setting up the meme. Next week I will have posts about my author profiles for the meme.
bill - I'm so glad you liked this novel. I think Zubro has a lot of talent. You make a fascinating and well-taken point too about the difference in perception that just ten years can make. I hadn't thought about that, 'though I've read both Zubro and Bidulka. But the times really are reflected in those novels. Thanks for pointing that out. I too like the relationship between Turner and Fenwick. It's obvious they like and respect each other, as different as they are. I do like their banter. May I also recommend, if you haven't read it, Another Dead Teenager. It gives a bit of backstory on Paul's relationship with Ben Vargas.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the quote and recommendation. I find mysteries often offer insights into the issues of the day. Zubro and Bidulka set out how being gay affects their sleuths in every day life and their professions.
ReplyDelete