Death, love, guilt, family troubles, deceit, and more face staid history professor Michael Dunn-Barton as he returns to his home in Toronto. But when he encounters the world of the drag queen and her court, performances such as Wilde Nights, and a hidden body, Dunn-Barton learns more of his ex-lover Ronnie’s past than he ever wanted to know. Rather than letting sleeping dogs lie, he continues to dig, to solve the murder of a body found stuffed in a trunk in Ronnie’s apartment. Dunn-Barton also comes to terms with his homophobic sister, his wife whom he’s never divorced, and his need for companionship. Along the way, he also discovers the real truth about his lover Ronnie, traveling back 25 years to unveil secrets better left hidden, and those better opened for airing.
Set mainly in Canada, Sole’s work delves deeply into the lives of hidden and flamboyant gays in the late 1980s and 1990s, demonstrating the acceptance that has been gained, and also the prejudices that still remain. Well-written and researched, this mystery/thriller will engage the reader from the start and not let up until the end. Suitable for any mystery collection, the content is gay only in the sense that the main characters are gay. This is a wonderful addition to any collection where there is a wish to demonstrate that mainstream LGBT mysteries can be as good as “traditional” ones.
Reviewed by, [s.n.]
Assistant Professor Electronic Resource/Web Librarian