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Lake on the Mountain
(Dan Sharp Mystery #1)
by
2013 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mystery — Winner
When missing persons investigator Dan Sharp attends a wedding, he finds himself investigating more than one murder.
Dan Sharp, a gay father and missing persons investigator, accepts an invitation to a wedding on a yacht in Ontario’s Prince Edward County. It seems just the thing to bring Dan closer to his noncommittal partne ...more
When missing persons investigator Dan Sharp attends a wedding, he finds himself investigating more than one murder.
Dan Sharp, a gay father and missing persons investigator, accepts an invitation to a wedding on a yacht in Ontario’s Prince Edward County. It seems just the thing to bring Dan closer to his noncommittal partne ...more
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Showing 1-30
4.5 stars
Do you know what I am thinking? That Steve Cumyn IS in love with Jeffrey Round. Otherwise I can't explain why Steve Cumyn, a fantastic natural borned narrator (and a handsome man), who made this brilliantly written novel even better (that is what a great narrator normally can do), hasn't narrated more books. He is for sure VERY expensive (I can totally understand why) and not every author could afford his services - actually it seems like NOBODY can, except...😊- (it is why he didn't do ...more
3.5 Stars
Hardcore mystery fans, this is not for you.
This story is really about Dan Sharp much in the way a Stephanie Plum story has a mystery to support an exploration of her life and its tribulations. Yes, there is a missing person's case that Dan is investigating that intersects with his real life. The mystery itself isn't terribly engaging, but it does set that stage for meeting a host of interesting characters. I'd say entertaining since the scenes are set almost like a stage play.
The chara ...more
Hardcore mystery fans, this is not for you.
This story is really about Dan Sharp much in the way a Stephanie Plum story has a mystery to support an exploration of her life and its tribulations. Yes, there is a missing person's case that Dan is investigating that intersects with his real life. The mystery itself isn't terribly engaging, but it does set that stage for meeting a host of interesting characters. I'd say entertaining since the scenes are set almost like a stage play.
The chara ...more
Rating: 3.9* of five
My review is up now at Shelf Inflicted.
Very very dark noir coming out of Canada these days....
My review is up now at Shelf Inflicted.
Very very dark noir coming out of Canada these days....
Well this was simply brilliant and edgy!!
There is just so much in this story:
a complicated and intriguing mystery,
a difficult relationship,
a lovely son,
an interesting job,
an irritating therapist,
a best and truthful buddy,
a difficult childhood and painful past,
a hope of new love,
a dog that keeps pooing in the house!!
Dan Sharp, a private investigator and single parent is invited by his boyfriend to attend a wedding. Dan decides to attend even though his relationship with Bill is not a smooth ...more
There is just so much in this story:
a complicated and intriguing mystery,
a difficult relationship,
a lovely son,
an interesting job,
an irritating therapist,
a best and truthful buddy,
a difficult childhood and painful past,
a hope of new love,
a dog that keeps pooing in the house!!
Dan Sharp, a private investigator and single parent is invited by his boyfriend to attend a wedding. Dan decides to attend even though his relationship with Bill is not a smooth ...more
A good start to a promising mystery series! 4.5 stars!
Drat GR and AMZN! They will not let readers give ratings that include half-stars. I rounded down because the "who-done-it" aspect was not as compelling as I would have liked.
However, I loved the author's writing, characterization, supporting characters, and subplots.
Also the book was well-researched. I'm a bit of a stickler for accurate details.
The MC was an interesting and fun (for me) character. He was a single gay dad. He is possibly depre ...more
Drat GR and AMZN! They will not let readers give ratings that include half-stars. I rounded down because the "who-done-it" aspect was not as compelling as I would have liked.
However, I loved the author's writing, characterization, supporting characters, and subplots.
Also the book was well-researched. I'm a bit of a stickler for accurate details.
The MC was an interesting and fun (for me) character. He was a single gay dad. He is possibly depre ...more
I truly enjoyed it!
It’s hard to really know how to describe this book...
it’s not really a mystery, though there is a good mystery plot here.
It wasn’t a romance either, though there is a relationship story here. And a romantic storyline that is just starting and very promising 🤞🏼
I would say it a great characters driven story, and what characters...
I loved our main character Dan, with all his complicities.
I loved Ked, his teenager son.
And I most definitely LOVED Donny, Dan’s best friend ❤
I listen ...more
It’s hard to really know how to describe this book...
it’s not really a mystery, though there is a good mystery plot here.
It wasn’t a romance either, though there is a relationship story here. And a romantic storyline that is just starting and very promising 🤞🏼
I would say it a great characters driven story, and what characters...
I loved our main character Dan, with all his complicities.
I loved Ked, his teenager son.
And I most definitely LOVED Donny, Dan’s best friend ❤
I listen ...more
I enjoyed the writing in this book far more than the content. I know this, because even as the plot was getting pretty random, I still had to stop now and then to admire a phrase. It tells the story of Dan, a gay private investigator with a difficult past, a teenaged son and chip on his shoulder. I liked Dan, he was suitably complex. I did, however, have an issue with the 'mystery'. The premise of a mysterious death on a yacht during a gay wedding is kind of awesome. It has that claustrophobic,
...more
Vicious females and learning to come to terms with personal realities and solving mysteries at the same time. What more could you ask for?
Lake on the Mountain introduces us to a very complex character, Dan Sharp. As a missing persons investigator numerous interesting cases cross his desk. Many are routine and do not end well for the families that have requested them. As well as being an investigator Dan is a single father raising a son, Ked, who was conceived in his college years. Dan shares cus ...more
Lake on the Mountain introduces us to a very complex character, Dan Sharp. As a missing persons investigator numerous interesting cases cross his desk. Many are routine and do not end well for the families that have requested them. As well as being an investigator Dan is a single father raising a son, Ked, who was conceived in his college years. Dan shares cus ...more
**Spoilers**
I have rather conflicting feelings about this book - on the one hand, I quite enjoyed the mystery it sets up and plays with throughout; however, on the other hand, I could not stand the grandiose and over the top philosophizing tone it took over and over again. Even more, I found so much in the book that I disliked that I found myself reading purely because I wanted something to redeem the book for more - and I hoped throughout that the resolution of the mystery would do that.
Overal ...more
I have rather conflicting feelings about this book - on the one hand, I quite enjoyed the mystery it sets up and plays with throughout; however, on the other hand, I could not stand the grandiose and over the top philosophizing tone it took over and over again. Even more, I found so much in the book that I disliked that I found myself reading purely because I wanted something to redeem the book for more - and I hoped throughout that the resolution of the mystery would do that.
Overal ...more
More please!
The next book in the series comes out spring 2014. How the hell can I wait that long???? More and faster please!
Loved this book. A good mystery, set in Toronto in places I recognize with a likeable and flawed hero. Fantastic, far reaching story. It maybe even reached a little too far sometimes in scope, it was a lot to tie back together at the end. I was expecting it to be more simple and was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the book.
Another thing I enjoyed is that the author had ...more
The next book in the series comes out spring 2014. How the hell can I wait that long???? More and faster please!
Loved this book. A good mystery, set in Toronto in places I recognize with a likeable and flawed hero. Fantastic, far reaching story. It maybe even reached a little too far sometimes in scope, it was a lot to tie back together at the end. I was expecting it to be more simple and was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the book.
Another thing I enjoyed is that the author had ...more
This is a Dan Sharp mystery, the first one I've read. Dan is a private investigator specializing in missing persons. He has a great track record on finding people. Dan is also gay, and this plays a big role in his book. He's been dating Bill, a doctor, for around a year, but still doesn't feel part of Bill's life. A trip for the two of them to a wedding in Eastern Ontario marks the first real public outing for the two of them. Dan's best friend Donny tries to get him to see that Bill isn't a rea
...more
I'm having difficulty deciding whether I liked this book. It starts out as an interesting crime fiction story with an interesting hook, a suspicious death at a gay wedding. It soon morphs into a too-long life story of Dan Sharp -- a tortured soul if there ever was one. He's not a terribly sympathetic character for much of the book: he's even abusive to a dog. He's got anger management issues, substance abuse issues and the list goes on. His teenage son is the stronger of the two by far!
It would ...more
It would ...more
Nov 18, 2014
Averin
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Averin by:
Nancy from Queereaders
Shelves:
gay-romance,
mysteries
Real strong first entry of a series about a private missing persons detective. Reminiscent of Michael Nava's Henry Rios, in that both men are gay alcoholics, have issues with dead fathers, and made something of themselves from nothing.
Round has a lovely turn of phrase and is a great observer, but sometimes, the reader is left gasping for air. The mystery part was a little clunky but I can live with that because the characters are terrific, especially Dan's son Ked and best friend Donny.
Will defi ...more
Round has a lovely turn of phrase and is a great observer, but sometimes, the reader is left gasping for air. The mystery part was a little clunky but I can live with that because the characters are terrific, especially Dan's son Ked and best friend Donny.
Will defi ...more
I always love a story driven by well-developed, memorable characters. Even more so when they're thrust into a genre novel. Dan Sharp is one of the most engaging protagonists I've encountered in a long time. Engaging, tough and likeable, with just a little bit of a temper to keep him interesting.
Jeffrey Round delivers a cracking mystery, yes. But he also weaves a background complex and real enough to let the reader dive straight in. There's a real sense of knowing Dan and the people in his life, ...more
Jeffrey Round delivers a cracking mystery, yes. But he also weaves a background complex and real enough to let the reader dive straight in. There's a real sense of knowing Dan and the people in his life, ...more
Single dad father with emotional issues and a drinking problem. And with a boyfriend who is completely self-absorbed. That sounds as if it were a bit too much for a detective story, but this is much more than just a detective plot as Round needs more than 500 pages to tell us about Dan, his life, his son, his parents, his friend, his boyfriend and - o yes - about the little detective story that's connected. So, if you're looking for an exciting read, skip this one, but if you want more of a stor
...more
I don’t like Dan, he’s mean to a dog, not once, but everytime they are in the same room. DNF and won’t try next book. Or other books by this author.
I like to shop, eat, and read local. Sometimes I regret these choices.
I'm so torn about this book, because for what it was, it was fairly successful. There was a murder that needed to be solved (though it wasn't), however, it brought up an older missing persons investigation that was ultimately solved (kinda...there wasn't really a great wrap-up scene). I knew going in it wasn't really a romance, though there are relationships. However, I just couldn't get over how self-destructive Dan's character was. He has a stable job, a wonderful son and a great best friend.
...more
I liked the writing here, but the mystery involving the person who went overboard got lost in the shuffle. There was too much going on here and I think Round lost focus. Aside from the main murder you have a missing father who vanished twenty years ago, and a missing teen PI Dan Sharp has been hired to find. And, on top of all of this, Dan is dealing with a bad relationship with a surgeon (which was actually something I would have enjoyed reading more about), problems with his teenage son, a dri
...more
This one tested my usual indifference to unlikable characters - I couldn't really find a single character to give a damn about here, from the protagonist on down. There is a mystery here, I suppose, but it's buried under some meandering and at times clunky character work and a number of subplots that don't really add up to a cohesive novel. The one interesting note - that the protagonist is a gay dad - got too short shrift, but we sure got to learn about how strapping and manly he was multiple t
...more
While I enjoyed the characters, Round's descriptions of the city and the people living within, the mystery felt like a secondary story-line to the everyday drama flooding his detective's complicated life. Again, while a good story with well-rounded characters, it might not scratch your itch if you want a "whodunit" mystery.
Good book. I liked the story, the character development, everything about it. I plan to read the next two in the series.
good even if, sometimes, the writing style was too convoluted
I've finally read this, the first of the Dan Sharp mysteries and I really really liked it. Yes Dan is complex and repressed and struggles with low esteem, anger and substance misuse - but so so real and I felt his deep pain and conflict over his very troubled childhood and his lack of parental love/support etc. I like how this impacts his relating to and raising of a fast growing son (and pet dog) ... not all roses and sweetness there.
The murder components were a little haphazard ... several mis ...more
The murder components were a little haphazard ... several mis ...more
An absolute fabulous read that should not be missed by anyone! A couple of slight errors that I'll expand on later.
One trivial error I noticed was when Dan was wandering around the farm before the wedding he saw swallows flying in and out the broken windows in the old stable. This could not be likely as it was mid September and all the swallows in Southern Ontario would have flown south by mid to late August.
A major error that jumped off the page at me actually occurred a couple of times in the ...more
One trivial error I noticed was when Dan was wandering around the farm before the wedding he saw swallows flying in and out the broken windows in the old stable. This could not be likely as it was mid September and all the swallows in Southern Ontario would have flown south by mid to late August.
A major error that jumped off the page at me actually occurred a couple of times in the ...more
This is a gritty book. The story mostly takes place in Toronto, Canada, and I don't think the author will win any prizes from their Tourist Commission. What a bleak, ugly city it sounds! This is a theme that runs throughout the book. There are some lighter moments, but on the whole, it's a bit of a downer.
However, Dan does fight to overcome his anger issues, his growing reliance on booze, and his dependency on men who are not right for him. The mystery is interesting, and the sub-plot about a mi ...more
However, Dan does fight to overcome his anger issues, his growing reliance on booze, and his dependency on men who are not right for him. The mystery is interesting, and the sub-plot about a mi ...more
Jun 15, 2013
Fiona
marked it as the-book-club
Dan Sharp, a gay father and missing persons investigator, accepts an invitation to a wedding on a yacht in Ontario's Prince Edward County. It seems just the thing to bring Dan closer to his noncommittal partner, Bill, a respected medical professional with a penchant for sleazy after-hours clubs, cheap drugs, and rough sex. But the event doesn't go exactly as planned.
When a member of the wedding party is swept overboard, a case of mistaken identity leads to confusion as the wrong person is report ...more
When a member of the wedding party is swept overboard, a case of mistaken identity leads to confusion as the wrong person is report ...more
A well-written character-driven story, which moves at a slower pace than many mystery books. But the Canadian author is interested in a more literary fiction approach to the genre. Perhaps because this is the first in a projected series, he begins with a lot of background about the personal life of missing persons investigator Dan Sharp. In fact, the whole book is more about finding himself than solving a case. He's an interesting enough character with a slew of issues that one hopes he will ove
...more
I've read and enjoyed several of Mr Round's books now and this book is not an exception.
The mystery is well thought out and the writing is excellent.
Dan Sharp is an expert at finding missing persons and when a guest on a wedding cruise falls overboard he is lead to a case which challenges him on more than one level. As Dan investigates what happened to a father who disappeared more than 20 years before he is forced to look at his relationship with his own father and with his own son.
I am defini ...more
The mystery is well thought out and the writing is excellent.
Dan Sharp is an expert at finding missing persons and when a guest on a wedding cruise falls overboard he is lead to a case which challenges him on more than one level. As Dan investigates what happened to a father who disappeared more than 20 years before he is forced to look at his relationship with his own father and with his own son.
I am defini ...more
A gay noir with private detective Dan Sharp raising a son and trying to solve a mysterious death that occurred in the present as well as solve a mysterious disappearance that occurred some twenty years ago.
In this novel, Dan Sharp has a great deal of personal baggage that I hope he has sufficiently exhumed and reburied in this niovel, so that the next book can concentrate on detecting a mystery and raising a son.
In this novel, Dan Sharp has a great deal of personal baggage that I hope he has sufficiently exhumed and reburied in this niovel, so that the next book can concentrate on detecting a mystery and raising a son.
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Readers also enjoyed
Jeffrey Round is best known as the Lambda Award-winning author of two mystery series, the gritty DAN SHARP books, and the comic BRADFORD FAIRFAX books. He is also an award-winning filmmaker, television producer and song-writer.
SHADOW PUPPET, sixth in the Dan Sharp series, was published in 2019. Margaret Cannon of the Globe and Mail said, "...this is as good a whodunit as we will see this year." (2 ...more
SHADOW PUPPET, sixth in the Dan Sharp series, was published in 2019. Margaret Cannon of the Globe and Mail said, "...this is as good a whodunit as we will see this year." (2 ...more
Other books in the series
Dan Sharp Mystery
(6 books)
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