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Murder on Camac (Marco Fontana Mystery)

by Joseph R.G. DeMarco (Goodreads Author)

3.47 of 5 stars 3.47 · rating details · 30 ratings · 11 reviews

Gunned down in the street, author Helmut Brandt's life ebbs away and puts a chain of events in motion placing P.I. Marco Fontana on a collision course with the Church and local community. Brandt's research into the decades old death of Pope John Paul the First made him serious enemies within the Catholic Church. As Fontana digs into the case, he finds Brandt also had rival...more

Paperback, 396 pages

Published September 1st 2009 by Lethe Press (first published 2009)

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Jul 08, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Mar 17, 2011 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Christian historian and author Helmut Brandt uncovers shocking evidence he believes proves that the decades-old death of Pope John Paul the First was not due to natural causes, but rather, the result of a murder plot that links several high-ranking members of the Church. In this day and age, wielding such damning accusations like that could get a fellow dead, and of course, it does just that. Brandt is gunned down in a gay neighborhood of Philadelphia. When the police choose to push the case to...more Christian historian and author Helmut Brandt uncovers shocking evidence he believes proves that the decades-old death of Pope John Paul the First was not due to natural causes, but rather, the result of a murder plot that links several high-ranking members of the Church. In this day and age, wielding such damning accusations like that could get a fellow dead, and of course, it does just that. Brandt is gunned down in a gay neighborhood of Philadelphia. When the police choose to push the case to a back burner, calling it a typical mugging gone bad, Brandt’s lover, Timothy Hollister, calls Marco Fontana onto the case.

Marco has his hands full managing a bevy of male strippers called Strip-Guyz, who perform at the local gay watering hole. He doesn’t have time for the case, but a suspicious chain of events pulls Marco into combing through the local Catholic hierarchy as well as crawling through the seedy gay hangouts in the sleazy parts of Philly. Marco brings in a colorful cast of characters to help with his investigation, and goes up against an even more imaginative lineup of suspects. Things seem to be going nowhere until Marco’s life is threatened. Dangerous people and powerful forces are intent on stopping Marco’s investigation. Slowly, clue by clue, Marco uncovers a fascinating knot of intrigue, deceit and murder.

In many ways this is a typical murder mystery. It starts with a murder, and evolves to the point where there is perplexing evidence and suspects lurking in every direction you look. Then the list is narrowed until you think you know who and why, but of course, you don’t.

There are, however, a number of elements that make this story stand well above the typical. The foremost is the entire cast of unusual characters. These people are interesting and fun, with characteristics that challenge the reader. Marco in particular is well drawn and as believable as any protagonist you’ll come across. One of the more interesting things about Marco was revealed by the nature of the case; he was forced to examine his own Catholic upbringing and his feelings about the Church. The author uses this to bring added depth to the character in an interesting and intelligent approach.

Another shining element is the dizzying number of subplots that are constantly evolving throughout the story, most notably, the entire managing-the-strippers subplot. It skillfully adds a playful sexiness to an otherwise dark storyline. Normally when I read a story with this many subplots, it becomes confusing and things tend to drop through the cracks, but not here. The author skillfully develops each subplot and then ties them together for a satisfying ending.

I did note two minor issues with this read. The first, I ran across multiple situations that were a roll-my-eyes coincidence that couldn’t have really happened, but was needed to make the plot work. I normally ignore one or two of these in a story, but it makes an impression after three or four.

My second issue was a bit more serious. Through much of the story, Marco interviewed one character, after another, after another. Many of the clues were revealed through long sessions of dialog, which is not necessarily bad, unless it is over done. I felt the author could have introduced more action scenes to break up the dialog and reduce the monotony of all these long interviews.

These two issues, I assure you, are minor. I feel this is a well-written, interesting, fun story that kept me guessing until the last ten pages. I can highly recommend Murder on Camac to all lovers of the mystery genre.(less)

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Jan 08, 2010 Kassa rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Murder on Camac offers a refreshing spin on the hard boiled PI theme in a well paced, well written mystery. A must read for fans of a well crafted whodunit, the characters come alive within the pages and although the book is packed from every angle, the deft writing keeps the story interesting and entertaining to the very end. If there are any qualms it’d be there are almost too many characters introduced and possibilities offered to fit within one novel. Marco Fontana is a PI I’d love...more 4.5 stars

Murder on Camac offers a refreshing spin on the hard boiled PI theme in a well paced, well written mystery. A must read for fans of a well crafted whodunit, the characters come alive within the pages and although the book is packed from every angle, the deft writing keeps the story interesting and entertaining to the very end. If there are any qualms it’d be there are almost too many characters introduced and possibilities offered to fit within one novel. Marco Fontana is a PI I’d love to see more of in the future.

The plot is rather intricate and revolves around one main plot with several interconnecting side plots. Fontana is hired to look into the mugging death of a local well-known author. The dead man’s partner believes the author’s research into the Catholic Church got him killed and wants the truth known. While Fontana is investigating the murder, his second business ~ a group of high class strippers known as StripGuyz ~ is having its own problems from broken hearts to missing strippers. Together Fontana and his friends and associates try to find answers to his case while keeping StripGuyz running smoothly.

The two seemingly opposite businesses actually connect rather well in the storyline and this helps keep the action interesting and well paced. Whenever Fontana hits a roadblock in his investigation, there is always something going on at the local StripGuyz hang out, Bubbles, to demand Fontana’s attention. Additionally, the two elements seamlessly weave together in many places connecting the murder investigation to customers or even employees. Even the various side plots about missing strippers, broken hearts, and lost love are well crafted and interesting. Each of these plots ~ the murder investigation and the StripGuyz business ~ could have sustained its own book, but being woven together creates a rich, textured story that entices from start to finish.

There is a large cast of characters in the book and almost all are well developed. If anything there are almost too many people introduced and often the names and circumstances ran together at first. Eventually each character teased out their own identifying elements but some still were easily confused. A few could have been left out entirely without altering the story (such as Tony, Niko) but most are delightful and entertaining. From the broken English of Fontana’s secretary to his sometimes lover Luke and business manager Anton, Fontana’s unique world of friends, clients, and lovers is full of intriguing detail and wonderful antics. Fontana develops slightly within the span of the novel, mostly in the form of slowly dealing with his commitment phobia. It’s certainly not gone by the end of the novel, but there is more hope for a happy future than there was at the beginning. This keeps the character fresh with so much potential for future stories.

Another great aspect of the book is the setting of Philadelphia. Clearly a long time resident, the author is able to imbue the very feel and essence of the neighborhood, or gayborhood, into the novel. The details from streets to businesses to landmarks keep the reader very present and clearly in the city’s heartbeat. The taste and texture of the city is yet another layer that adds to the story as a whole and shows a reverence and care for the good and bad elements of the city. Too often mysteries are set in a random city but lack the bite of intimate knowledge, and not only does this particular novel offer that and more, but in such a way that the reader has visited the city themselves through reading.

Overall this is a wonderful mystery kept tight through solid prose and good writing. The even pace and witty dialogue draws readers in from the beginning and carries through the twists and turns of an intricate mystery and heart breaking discoveries. I’m sure I won’t be the only one who hopes Marco Fontana makes another appearance, g-string optional.
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Apr 26, 2011 Jimmy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jimmy by: InsightOut Book Club.com

Shelves: ebook

I’m hopeful and looking forward to more books from Joseph R.G. DeMarco about Marco Fontana. Once the story got going, it was fun, interesting, entertaining, with a touch of tasteful sexy romance, and hard to put down while trying to figure out who the killer is. Marco is hired by an ex-priest Hollister, to find out who murdered his partner Helmut. The media and detective Gina Giuliani only see it as just another mugging, involving another homosexual. So, who cares, right? They have more importan...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Snowtulip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Snowtulip by: Perpetua

Shelves: m-m

This is a book for mystery lovers. As I started reading, I wasn't sure how I was going to like it because there was a lot of information being given to the reader (history, background, location, characters). I was on the verge of information overload, but then it all started clicking together and I really started enjoying this straight forward old school mystery.

I really enjoyed the character development for the primary and secondary characters, I had a great feel for them and could sense their...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Elisa Ramblings added it

Murder on Camac was not an easy book to start reading since it’s almost 400 pages long, and I was there thinking, well, it’s a mystery, not exactly the genre of book I like, and it’s soo long… will I have the patience to finish it? So I waited and waited, till the moment I was at home, quiet and with a lot of time, and gathering all the patience I have, starting reading and… it was fast and easy and light… it was light, something that I have almost never found in a mystery. And there was also a...more Murder on Camac was not an easy book to start reading since it’s almost 400 pages long, and I was there thinking, well, it’s a mystery, not exactly the genre of book I like, and it’s soo long… will I have the patience to finish it? So I waited and waited, till the moment I was at home, quiet and with a lot of time, and gathering all the patience I have, starting reading and… it was fast and easy and light… it was light, something that I have almost never found in a mystery. And there was also a romance, or maybe two, or three, or… I lost the count and all the romances have the same man, Marco Fontana.

P.I. Marco is a mix of Philip Marlowe and Don Juan, with the added spicy that he is gay. You can’t turn a page that Marco is eyeing once man more, and adding this to the fact that he is the owner of a male stripper group called StripGuyz, there are a lot of young, hot and willing boys around Marco. Plus he is in two possible relationships: Anton, stripper and manager of StripGuyz who is waiting for Marco to that THE decision, to commit for a long term relationship, and till the moment Marco will not say the magic two little words, “I do”, he is not putting out; and then there is Luke, willing to put out and willing to wait for Marco, and in the meantime helping out him with his P.I. job, and there is also the little detail that Marco’s mom likes Luke. But even if Marco should have his hands plenty occupied, he is not unaffected by all the pretty boys he sees around, I think that practically every men he met was subjected to a check over and weighted as possible fling or maybe something more. And if they didn’t pass the test as applicants for possible lovers, they were offered a job as strippers, if they are in the age range; but Marco didn’t test only the young one, in this novel there are also a lot of older guys, even an 80 years old guy, and all of them received a special look from Marco.

But the pretty boys are not the only thing to make this novel a special one, there is another important and wonderful main character, Philadelphia. All the novel is set in the gayborhood of Philadelphia and around there. Since I visited the city this last September, I recognized some places, and some of the shops, like Giovanni’s Room, I know they are real. I don’t know if all the others are, like the gay themed videostore or Bubbles, the stripper club, but even if they are not, I bet there are similar one, since the city felt too real to not be.

Ok, ok, I know what you are thinking, this is a mystery, when you are starting to talk of the mystery. Never! Since you can’t talk about the mystery without giving out the mystery itself. What I can say you is that, I would have bet the culprit was one person that in the end was not, but I had to arrive to the last chapter to understand it.

Murder on Camac will bring you hand in hand inside the old cobbled paved street of Philadelphia, searching the evidences to resolve the mystery while “window shopping” men candy: all the best (at least for me) in one book.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1590212134/?...(less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Edgar rated it 5 of 5 stars

Joseph DeMarco's novel following Private Investigator Fontana is a mystery novel for the non-mystery novel reader. The multiple personalities found in this will let your mind try to piece together who killed Helmut Brandt and why. Though your suspicions will continue to change all throughout, up to the last chapter. Unlike most books with a gay male protagonist this story had depth and a complex plot and not solely centered around sex. Though yes there were moments that were sensual but it was n...more

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May 18, 2013 Kyle Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Seriously think this is my favorite read ever. It's very dynamic. Has enough gay Philadelphian cliches to stay lighthearted, but has a depth to it that can be a bit shocking by book's end, if you give it some serious thought.

PI/nightclub stripper talent manager, Marco Fontana, runs into a case within a case. He has to resort to every trick he knows, and all the luck fortune bestows him to pull this one off. A willful gay male led story that actually focuses on a grand scheming plot that unfolds...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Lady*M rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: to mystery fans

Shelves: glbt, mystery, contemporary, detectives

Almost, but not quite 4 stars.

Solid mystery with strong Philly setting and numerous characters - in fact, there are so many of them, it occasionally took me a moment or two to remember who was who. The writing was clean and, besides the constant use of "gayborhood", there was nothing I could really complain about. Well, maybe I found the fact that pretty much everyone wanted in Marco's pants a bit annoying after a while. I had my suspicions about whodunnit, so I wasn't really surprised. In fact,...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, gay, ebook, 2012, done

Good gay mystery about a PI who also runs a troupe of male strippers and is hired by a grieving man to find out whether his boyfriend died in a mugging gone wrong, or was murdered because of a book he was writing exposing wrongdoing in the Catholic church.

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Mar 22, 2013 Jon added it

Shelves: favorite-murder-mysteries, favorite-series

A very good, well-plotted mystery, though thick reading at times. I was introduced to P.I. Marco Fontana in the second book, A Body on Pine in the series, which I enjoyed greatly. In fact, I may have enjoyed the sub-plot more than the main plot because author DeMarco has created such an interesting cast of characters, you want to know more about their lives. Mystery lovers will enjoy reading this novel, not to mention fall in love with Marco Fontana!

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Jun 16, 2013 Rick marked it as to-read

Shelves: a-wish-list, queer-fiction

May 14, 2013 Andy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

May 10, 2013 Sebastian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 27, 2013 Araliya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Apr 19, 2013 Shannon marked it as maybe

Apr 17, 2013 Sharon Cox rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 16, 2013 Hank Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 14, 2013 David marked it as to-read

Feb 23, 2013 jules0623 marked it as to-read

Jan 09, 2013 Sam marked it as maybe-maybe-not

Jan 06, 2013 Helle marked it as to-read

Dec 01, 2012 LR rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nov 16, 2012 K rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sep 24, 2012 Kim marked it as to-read

Sep 01, 2012 Holly marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Aug 08, 2012 David is currently reading it

Jul 28, 2012 Rellik marked it as to-read

Jul 12, 2012 Jake marked it as to-read

Jul 10, 2012 John Amory rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Murder on Camac (Marco Fontana Mystery)

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