A Shock to the System: A Donald Strachey Mystery - Hardcover

Stevenson, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312136102 ISBN 13: 9780312136109

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1995

Synopsis

Hired to investigate the death of Paul Haig, whom his mother believes was murdered by his lover, Larry, gay P.I. Donald Strachey learns that Larry also believes that Paul was murdered, but by a controversial psychiatrist.

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Reviews

Three different persons all want to hire gay private detective Donald Strachey to prove that somebody other than they killed Paul Haig, the son of a rich, politically connected lush. The real fun begins when Strachey discovers that the common thread linking Haig to all his potential employers is "reparative" therapist (i.e., one of the kind that "cures" homosexuals) Vernon Crockwell, whose hatred of homosexuals is exceeded only by that of Haig's mother. Stevenson's dialogue grows increasingly hilarious as his hero deals with these two characters whose every other word derides the very person they're asking to help save them. As in other Strachey mysteries, the detective's tranquilly domestic relationship with his longtime lover stands in refreshing contrast to affairs in most other gay novels, with their less contented leading characters. Charles Harmon

Edition details

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312136102
• ISBN 13: 9780312136109
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 183