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Robert Wilsop and Friends Mystery #3
Wearing Black to the White Party
Fasten your seat belts because David Stukas, author of the riotously fun Someone Killed His Boyfriend and Going Down for the Count, is back with another wickedly entertaining outing featuring accidental sleuths Michael, Robert, and Monette. This time, the trio are off to Palm Springs, where a rivalry between the world-famous White Party and the upstart Red Party is sizzling, turning the hottest circuit in town into a festival of murder.
Mama said there'd be days like this. That's the refrain running through Robert's modest, Midwestern mind as he and Michael are driven to the home of party promoter Rex Gifford by the mogul's naked manservant, Vince. Never mind that the guy is sporting enough hardware in his not-so-software to be a human wind chime. Or that Michael's managed to join the mile-high club on the way down. Or that Rex's plan for a Red Party to rival the celebrated White Party has started an all-out war among the gay mafia controlling the circuit party world. At least the pool is heated, the d
240 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
David Stukas
6 books20 followersaka David James, Dave Stukas
Also writes as David James http://www.authordavidjames.blogspot....
Dave Stukas is the author of six published comedy mysteries from Kensington Books. In 2018, he published his long-awaited sci-fi comedy on Amazon Kindle ebooks: Excuse Me, Is This Planet Taken? He can be found on his personal blog, davestukas.com, and if he’s not there, you can usually find him cycling around the countryside, reading books or engaging in high-altitude hiking. Continuing to breathe is a top priority of his.
Also writes as David James http://www.authordavidjames.blogspot....
Dave Stukas is the author of six published comedy mysteries from Kensington Books. In 2018, he published his long-awaited sci-fi comedy on Amazon Kindle ebooks: Excuse Me, Is This Planet Taken? He can be found on his personal blog, davestukas.com, and if he’s not there, you can usually find him cycling around the countryside, reading books or engaging in high-altitude hiking. Continuing to breathe is a top priority of his.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 1, 2015
Rating: 3.75* of five
The Publisher Says: Fasten your seat belts because David Stukas, author of the riotously fun Someone Killed His Boyfriend and Going Down for the Count, is back with another wickedly entertaining outing featuring accidental sleuths Michael, Robert, and Monette. This time, the trio are off to Palm Springs, where a rivalry between the world-famous White Party and the upstart Red Party is sizzling, turning the hottest circuit in town into a festival of murder.
Mama said there'd be days like this. That's the refrain running through Robert's modest, Midwestern mind as he and Michael are driven to the home of party promoter Rex Gifford by the mogul's naked manservant, Vince. Never mind that the guy is sporting enough hardware in his not-so-software to be a human wind chime. Or that Michael's managed to join the mile-high club on the way down. Or that Rex's plan for a Red Party to rival the celebrated White Party has started an all-out war among the gay mafia controlling the circuit party world. At least the pool is heated, the décor is gorgeous, and they can hang out with Monette, who's in town for the Dinah Shore classic.
But things aren't absolutely fabulous in paradise.
Someone's moved up from sending threatening letters to T-Rex Productions to actualy trying to kill him, and since Michael's joined at the, er, hip with this ambitious mastermind, things are getting pretty personal. It isn't long before Rex is found face-down in his lap pool, and the trio's vacation turns into a working one. With milions of dollars and exclusive party contracts at stake, anyone could be a suspect, including gay mob mini-boss Jimmy Garboni, bitchy interior designer Colorado Jackson, sexy soap star David McLeish and possibly even gorgeous T-Rex partner Marc Baldwin, who's showing more than passing interest in Robert's non-investigative skills. But when another buff bod goes stiff, it's obvious that someone is determined to keep the Red Party from ever getting off the ground. As the DJs start spinning, the world's cattiest sleuths are going to have to seriously work every bit of the nightlife just to stay one step ahead of a ruthless killer....
In this third outrageous mystery from David Stukas, the bodies are bronzed, the one-liners are fast and furious, the tension is high, and the circuit life will never be the same again.
My Review: Well, yeah...the action's as described above...but this book's pace isn't up to the speed set in the first two entries in the series. It's very hard (!) to pull off (!!) a slamming-doors sex farce in this world of casual nudity and random sexual encounters. The story seems to sag a bit, a nipple ring that's no longer new or a Prince Albert that's a wee bit too loose for safety.
What's kept me going on this series is that there are only four in total, and I'm busily directing a movie of each book inside the megastudio of my imagination. As soon as I find [Biceps of Death], fourth and last published book, I will dive in head first and hang on as the chlorination works its lovely, wrinkly magic.
If you're on the fence about the series because it's sold as a sex-drenched bed-hopping kerfuffle with dead nastys mixed liberally in, rest assured that the sex acts take place behind discreetly closed doors. They talk about sex a lot, but they have it under control, where I think it belongs. I mean, if you want one-handed reading, it's everywhere; let us have *some* grown-up stories with sex in its proper place as a part of life and not the ONLY THING we talk about.
Whatcha say to that, bookie people?
The Publisher Says: Fasten your seat belts because David Stukas, author of the riotously fun Someone Killed His Boyfriend and Going Down for the Count, is back with another wickedly entertaining outing featuring accidental sleuths Michael, Robert, and Monette. This time, the trio are off to Palm Springs, where a rivalry between the world-famous White Party and the upstart Red Party is sizzling, turning the hottest circuit in town into a festival of murder.
Mama said there'd be days like this. That's the refrain running through Robert's modest, Midwestern mind as he and Michael are driven to the home of party promoter Rex Gifford by the mogul's naked manservant, Vince. Never mind that the guy is sporting enough hardware in his not-so-software to be a human wind chime. Or that Michael's managed to join the mile-high club on the way down. Or that Rex's plan for a Red Party to rival the celebrated White Party has started an all-out war among the gay mafia controlling the circuit party world. At least the pool is heated, the décor is gorgeous, and they can hang out with Monette, who's in town for the Dinah Shore classic.
But things aren't absolutely fabulous in paradise.
Someone's moved up from sending threatening letters to T-Rex Productions to actualy trying to kill him, and since Michael's joined at the, er, hip with this ambitious mastermind, things are getting pretty personal. It isn't long before Rex is found face-down in his lap pool, and the trio's vacation turns into a working one. With milions of dollars and exclusive party contracts at stake, anyone could be a suspect, including gay mob mini-boss Jimmy Garboni, bitchy interior designer Colorado Jackson, sexy soap star David McLeish and possibly even gorgeous T-Rex partner Marc Baldwin, who's showing more than passing interest in Robert's non-investigative skills. But when another buff bod goes stiff, it's obvious that someone is determined to keep the Red Party from ever getting off the ground. As the DJs start spinning, the world's cattiest sleuths are going to have to seriously work every bit of the nightlife just to stay one step ahead of a ruthless killer....
In this third outrageous mystery from David Stukas, the bodies are bronzed, the one-liners are fast and furious, the tension is high, and the circuit life will never be the same again.
My Review: Well, yeah...the action's as described above...but this book's pace isn't up to the speed set in the first two entries in the series. It's very hard (!) to pull off (!!) a slamming-doors sex farce in this world of casual nudity and random sexual encounters. The story seems to sag a bit, a nipple ring that's no longer new or a Prince Albert that's a wee bit too loose for safety.
What's kept me going on this series is that there are only four in total, and I'm busily directing a movie of each book inside the megastudio of my imagination. As soon as I find [Biceps of Death], fourth and last published book, I will dive in head first and hang on as the chlorination works its lovely, wrinkly magic.
If you're on the fence about the series because it's sold as a sex-drenched bed-hopping kerfuffle with dead nastys mixed liberally in, rest assured that the sex acts take place behind discreetly closed doors. They talk about sex a lot, but they have it under control, where I think it belongs. I mean, if you want one-handed reading, it's everywhere; let us have *some* grown-up stories with sex in its proper place as a part of life and not the ONLY THING we talk about.
Whatcha say to that, bookie people?
January 30, 2016
Book 3 in the Robert Wilsop mystery series and this book sees Robert and Monette (his six foot four lesbian friend) trying to find out who killed the promoter of the Red Party down in Palm Springs.
Rex Gifford set up the Red Party with the aim of becoming a big event on the party circuit and a rival to the White Party. Rex has run the gamut of all kinds of business rivalries and death threats, but when his luck runs out Robert, Monette and the still - very - vain Michael do their best to find out who dunnit?
Once again this series delivers a good mystery, irreverent humour and engaging and weird characters. I read this one on the tube train and I am sure people were wondering why I was grinning. Well it certainly wasn't because of the delights of London Underground. The comments and quips as Robert and Monette chase down the murderer are hilarious, funnier than the first two books in the series and had me laughing out loud. I managed to restrain myself on the tube train, but only just!
Once again Robert finds love, once again Michael finds piles of men (no surprises there) and once again Monette puts her mind to the task and aided by Robert they save the day, just about.
Another fun book in the series and onwards to the final one! Alas :(
Rex Gifford set up the Red Party with the aim of becoming a big event on the party circuit and a rival to the White Party. Rex has run the gamut of all kinds of business rivalries and death threats, but when his luck runs out Robert, Monette and the still - very - vain Michael do their best to find out who dunnit?
Once again this series delivers a good mystery, irreverent humour and engaging and weird characters. I read this one on the tube train and I am sure people were wondering why I was grinning. Well it certainly wasn't because of the delights of London Underground. The comments and quips as Robert and Monette chase down the murderer are hilarious, funnier than the first two books in the series and had me laughing out loud. I managed to restrain myself on the tube train, but only just!
Once again Robert finds love, once again Michael finds piles of men (no surprises there) and once again Monette puts her mind to the task and aided by Robert they save the day, just about.
Another fun book in the series and onwards to the final one! Alas :(
November 26, 2019
Book three of an amazing series of books. It is worth reading them in order, although they are stand-alone stories with the same characters. Expect more black-comedy gold, more murder and more camp hilarity in one of my favourite book series.
March 29, 2021
Another fun book from David Stukas. These are quick reads but very fun and entertaining.
June 19, 2013
Another hilarious book. If you enjoy quirky gay fiction than this series of mysteries would be right up your alley.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews