I don’t ordinarily look for gay fiction but in at the urging of Teddy Pig I picked up the Adrien English Mysteries which is a two novella* collection featuring the titular character, Adrien English, a gay bookstore owner and mystery writer with a bad heart, whose situation forces him into sleuthing.

These stories are told in the first person and English is a great narrator. He’s self deprecating with a dry sense of humor, a good sense of self, and a general appreciation for his particular lot in life. Like many titular characters, his personal relationships have been unsuccessful.

The first novella is Fatal Shadows which introduces Adrien to the reading audience. An employee and old acquaintance of his is murdered and Adrien looks to be the prime suspect. The Los Angeles detectives, Chan and Riordan, seem to be closing in on Adrien. To prevent going to prison, Adrien is forced to do some investigating of his own and in doing so, puts his own life in danger.

The best part of this book is Adrien’s narration. He’s observations are concise, yet descriptive.

The Finches are writing partners, which seems like a surefire way to destroy a healthy marriage, but what do I know? My social life was pronounced DOA many moons ago. She’s small and slim and dark, and so is he; a matched pair, like bookends. They met at one of the Bouchercon mystery conferences. Love among the midlist.

and

I murmured noncommittally and picked up the gold-edged pink tea cup. The handle was too small to actually get my fingers through. I always felt like I was playing house at these brunches. All that was missing was a giant imaginary friend. I could have used a friend here.

and

I tried to think of someone who might send me flowers. Anyone. I couldn’t think of a single person I was on flowery terms with — let alone flowers with cryptic notes.

The mysteries themselves, both in Fatal Shadows and A Dangerous Thing, the second novella, are interesting but not innovative. What makes this book, or collection of stories sparkle, is Adrien himself. Because the first person presents only one point of view it takes a particularly insightful narrator to expose the reader to the full complement of the narrator’s surroundings and provide insight as to the thoughts and behaviors of other characters. This works well because it not only shows the reader a more fulsome view of things, but it also shows the reader that the Adrien is truly sharp enough to be a good detective.

The added benefit is the emotionally moving relationship that develops between Adrien and detective Riordan. Riordan isn’t just a closeted gay. He is someone who hasn’t been able to come to grips with his own sexuality. He still sleeps with women and wants to live what he deems a normal life. His attraction to Adrien is one of great reluctance. Adrien’s also has little desire to embrace the feelings, both emotional and sexual he begins to feel toward Riordan:

Riordan was not remotely my type. Even without the whips and canes and butt plugs. I don’t understand the wish — let alone the need — to be dominated, controlled. Not presuming to judge, just not something I wanted for myself.

And yet.

And yet there was something about his strength, his arrogance, his sheer size that got under my skin. He probably didn’t couldn’t even spell vanilla. He was probably selfish in the sack. Probably selfish and greedy and … unsophisticated. And hung like a horse.

Interestingly when I told one of my gay friends about the book and urged him to read it, he claimed that he had no interest in reading about any closeted characters. He was done with them and waved his hands in a cutting gesture. I thought that the conflict was a great one but, of course, I don’t have to deal with the trauma that those types of relationships create.

Adrien and Riordan are familiar characters within the romance trope only I found Adrien to be a bit smarter and more emotionally adjusted than the average heroine. Adrien does veer toward TSTL territory toward the end of Fatal Shadows in an effort to heighten Adrien’s personal jeopardy. Riordan was a standard alpha male whose issue was his own sexuality rather than that of commitment. There are only a few sex scenes in the stories but the full encounter between Riordan and Adrien toward the end of Fatal Shadows is quite beautiful. The relationship is more fully fleshed out in A Dangerous Thing. As a whole, I would give the collection a B+.

Best regards,

Jane

You can purchase the trade paperbacks of Fatal Shadows and A Dangerous Thing from Amazon or both stories in ebook format from Loose Id at a much reduced cost.

*These are longer than a traditional novella but not as long as a regular mass market. The two books come in under 50,000 words per story so I wasn’t quite sure what to categorize them as.

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Of course I’d heard of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. And I’d even read romance books that featured Pinkerton detective heroes and heroines before. But I didn’t know much about the real man behind the formation of one of the most famous American law enforcement businesses or of the cases he and his agents worked on.

First of all, since this is not a romance, though there is a bittersweet ‘might have been,’ I won’t review it as one. It’s a first person POV of the life of a fascinating man. This is the beginning of the age of titans in America – men who knew what they wanted and who had the guts, brains, ruthlessness and foresight to go out and get it. What Pinkerton did was create the first modern detective agency and in so doing he set the standard for how it still is today. I didn’t realize just how many innovations he pioneered nor precedents he set. Even the term “private eye” is thought to be derived from the symbol he devised for the agency. “Pinkerton’s Secret” has an ‘in your face’ style – very intense and abrupt. Is this mimicking Pinkerton’s personality? From what I’ve read about him, I would think so.

He seems the kind of man one can admire for what he accomplished though it would have been hell to work with him or, even worse, live with him. He suffered fools not at all, was outspoken, opinionated, crass, demanding of others but more so of himself. He was a man of his times – ie visiting whores and not worrying about what his wife thinks – and yet ahead of his times in regard to employment of minorities including women (though starting them at half pay) and African Americans. He had a relentless drive to accomplish his goals and never let up on himself to achieve them. You don’t depict him as a kind man but he acts as I would expect a 19th man to act. But the way you wrote the story, he seems to be almost trying to persuade himself – as well as his son Willie for whom you have him say he wrote the biography — that what he did was right. You certainly have him use a lot of !!! And he has that masculine ability to convince himself that what he wants to do is the right thing for everyone.

You seem to have taken the available historical information about him and used it well. The exploits of the agents and the agency are fascinating. Several of the incidents and subplots you include in the book made for interesting and entertaining reading. But how much of what you add to the behind the scenes urgency of the agents’ personal interactions is true? It’s probable that we’ll never know for sure exactly what was going on between Pinkerton and his first female detective Kate Warne. Pinkerton might also have had problems with his two sons and their actions as detectives and members of the agency. The tale you tell could very well be the hidden story of Pinkerton’s life though it contradicts some of the facts in a few of the online sources I checked.

Unlike Pinkerton, I’m not one who believes that the ends always justify the means and I wonder how he would operate under or what he would think of the Miranda Warning and other fourth amendment protections now in place. The cover letter sent with the arc of the book states “The unbelievable facts of Pinkerton’s exciting life are brought together in this romantic adventure that will leave astonished readers thinking: “Can this really be true? Did this really happen?” Well, I’m not sure I believed everything but it was a fun read. B

~Jayne

Available in hardcover

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