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Bradford Fairfax Murder Mystery #1
The P'Town Murders
In a place that's "to die for," no one expects to die for real. So muses undercover detective Bradford Fairfax after an anonymous caller tells him that his ex-boyfriend, party boy Ross Pretty, has died from an accidental overdose of ecstasy in "the gayest place on earth": Provincetown, Massachusetts. Brad becomes convinced that Ross's death is no accident, and his intention to bury his former lover suddenly turns into a full-scale investigation. Brad quickly pins the murder on Ross's ex-employer, the malevolent Hayden Rosengarten, owner of a high-end sex resort catering to a rich and famous clientele for whom discretion is everything. But when Rosengarten also turns up dead, the list of suspects suddenly grows: Could it be Cinder Lindquist, the flamboyant female-impersonator? Or Johnny K., one of Rosengarten's merciless henchmen? What about Big Ruby, the lesbian cafe owner with a big heart, but an even bigger gun? And why does everyone in P-Town seem to be a Buddhist? On top of it all, Brad finds himself falling in love with Zach, a blue-haired twink from his past. Within this colourful cast of characters, it seems everyone has a secret to hide. Jeffrey Round has created a deliciously camp, sexy thriller with an unforgettable new breed of hero--one who always gets his man.
223 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2007
1 person is currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Round
26 books100 followersJeffrey 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." (26/4/19)
BON TON ROULET, fourth in the Bradford Fairfax mystery series, was published in 2017. In 2018, Jeffrey was invited by the William Faulkner Society to read from this book, along with mayor Mitch Landrieu and others, at the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans.
His first novel, A CAGE OF BONES, was published by GMP (UK), topping bestseller lists around the world. The P-TOWN MURDERS, first in the Bradford Fairfax series, was published by the Haworth Press (US). Both titles were listed on AfterElton’s 50 Greatest Gay Books in 2008.
Jeffrey's ENDGAME was called a "brilliant recreation" of Agatha Christie's best-selling mystery AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, giving the original what one critic called a "punk-rock reboot." It was a best-selling e-book in the US in 2016.
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." (26/4/19)
BON TON ROULET, fourth in the Bradford Fairfax mystery series, was published in 2017. In 2018, Jeffrey was invited by the William Faulkner Society to read from this book, along with mayor Mitch Landrieu and others, at the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans.
His first novel, A CAGE OF BONES, was published by GMP (UK), topping bestseller lists around the world. The P-TOWN MURDERS, first in the Bradford Fairfax series, was published by the Haworth Press (US). Both titles were listed on AfterElton’s 50 Greatest Gay Books in 2008.
Jeffrey's ENDGAME was called a "brilliant recreation" of Agatha Christie's best-selling mystery AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, giving the original what one critic called a "punk-rock reboot." It was a best-selling e-book in the US in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 13, 2009
This has the distinction of being one of the worst books I've ever read. Weak plot, irritating characters and not even the local colour which was the reason I picked it up in the first place.
June 25, 2013
I enjoyed this book a lot. It brought back pleasant memories of my trip to P’Town and the plot flowed well.
There seems to be certain sticking points for me in Jeffrey Round books, like in the most recent book Lake on the Mountain: A Dan Sharp Mystery, the character dislikes Toronto so much but hangs out there all the time and it pissed me off. In this book, there was:
“Unlike Justin, however, Brad found himself alone as he entered his thirties, the decade all gay men dread as a threshold to diminishing dates, shrinking hairlines, expanding waistlines, and a time of swapping disco for karaoke.”
I understand the sentiment but the word “all” bothered me, as I didn’t dread being 30. Who wants the insecurity of their 20’s back? These kinds of generalizations, about people in life, not in the book, get me stuck while reading.
There was more:
“Something deep within him made Brad long to share his life with another, even while he realized he might spend his remaining years on his own. Who really wanted to be the partner of a secret agent for a nameless security organization? No one he'd ever met. It demanded too much.”
This is another trick people tell themselves and I would have rather the author framed it as such. Who would want a single mother with three kids? Who would want someone over-weight? Who would want a secret agent? They’re all excuses.
Speaking also of secret agents, I found that aspect of the book, which was brief, thank goodness, a little too far-fetched. I much preferred Dan Sharp’s private investigator to this 007-lite organization.
Also, finally, the book gets a little too in its own head in parts, for example:
“Brad imagined two queens engaging in a fierce battle of style and one-upmanship: "Oh," says the first queen, hand-on-hip Bette Davis-style. "You haven't seen Hairspray—The Musical?" The effect on the rival queen would be as if she'd arrived at cocktail hour smelling like a barnyard, only to have her worst enemy point this out to everyone. "What do you mean, you haven't seen it?" Brad imagined the aggressor hurling at his hapless victim, the submissive M quivering at each harsh syllable. "What are you waiting for—the book?" cries the sadistic S. "Wherever did you get that dress—at a McDonald's jumble sale?" For shame! And comes the coup de grâce: "Who does your hair—Posturpedic?" At which the M would crumble. Coarse? Crude? Devastating? Yes, yes, and yes again. But such tactics, Brad knew, are not designed merely to intimidate and ridicule, crush and destroy. In fact, there are clues for those who will see. One has only to observe the clothing: is the intimidating S any more smartly dressed than his victim, the M? No! In fact, it might even be seen that a Wal-Mart queen is abusing one attired in perfect Bloomingdale's couture. So who is really in charge? Who the victim and who the perpetrator? Who abusing whom and why? The answers might surprise. But far from blaming the victim for the crime being visited upon him, it may even be observed that there is no crime at all. For herein lies the mystery, the subtle interchange of need that exists between the bull and the flag, between the dancer and the dance. For gay S & M, as Bradford knew, is not private play so much as public display. Here is role-playing as formal as anything to be found in Kabuki. It's not that it's fake—it's stylized! It's Über-gay!”
I didn’t really understand any of that and the whole thing could have been cut.
And the sex scene:
“From the moment they shed their clothes it was as if their bodies had become one. Zach played virtuosic first violin to Brad's mellow cello, winding fine lines of fancy around him. Together they were sweet music, Mozart ma non troppo and "The Lark Ascending," while below the earth awaited their rapturous return.”
Really???
If I hadn’t marked these things though, I don’t know that I would remember them. The book moves quickly, and:
“Suddenly the suspects were everywhere.”
From this point on, I was caught up in the charming Ruby and enjoyed all the ten or so suspects, I thought that was original, and didn’t know who it was until the very end.
The book covers loads of P’Town territory, starting with the fast ferry and continuing through Spirtus and even a shoot-out at the Pilgrim Monument. There’s engaging characters, like Ruby and Cinder, and Bradford himself is alright. Even a Rufus Wainwright joke sure to bring down the house.
I can’t wait to read the next one, I’m really glad I picked this up.
There seems to be certain sticking points for me in Jeffrey Round books, like in the most recent book Lake on the Mountain: A Dan Sharp Mystery, the character dislikes Toronto so much but hangs out there all the time and it pissed me off. In this book, there was:
“Unlike Justin, however, Brad found himself alone as he entered his thirties, the decade all gay men dread as a threshold to diminishing dates, shrinking hairlines, expanding waistlines, and a time of swapping disco for karaoke.”
I understand the sentiment but the word “all” bothered me, as I didn’t dread being 30. Who wants the insecurity of their 20’s back? These kinds of generalizations, about people in life, not in the book, get me stuck while reading.
There was more:
“Something deep within him made Brad long to share his life with another, even while he realized he might spend his remaining years on his own. Who really wanted to be the partner of a secret agent for a nameless security organization? No one he'd ever met. It demanded too much.”
This is another trick people tell themselves and I would have rather the author framed it as such. Who would want a single mother with three kids? Who would want someone over-weight? Who would want a secret agent? They’re all excuses.
Speaking also of secret agents, I found that aspect of the book, which was brief, thank goodness, a little too far-fetched. I much preferred Dan Sharp’s private investigator to this 007-lite organization.
Also, finally, the book gets a little too in its own head in parts, for example:
“Brad imagined two queens engaging in a fierce battle of style and one-upmanship: "Oh," says the first queen, hand-on-hip Bette Davis-style. "You haven't seen Hairspray—The Musical?" The effect on the rival queen would be as if she'd arrived at cocktail hour smelling like a barnyard, only to have her worst enemy point this out to everyone. "What do you mean, you haven't seen it?" Brad imagined the aggressor hurling at his hapless victim, the submissive M quivering at each harsh syllable. "What are you waiting for—the book?" cries the sadistic S. "Wherever did you get that dress—at a McDonald's jumble sale?" For shame! And comes the coup de grâce: "Who does your hair—Posturpedic?" At which the M would crumble. Coarse? Crude? Devastating? Yes, yes, and yes again. But such tactics, Brad knew, are not designed merely to intimidate and ridicule, crush and destroy. In fact, there are clues for those who will see. One has only to observe the clothing: is the intimidating S any more smartly dressed than his victim, the M? No! In fact, it might even be seen that a Wal-Mart queen is abusing one attired in perfect Bloomingdale's couture. So who is really in charge? Who the victim and who the perpetrator? Who abusing whom and why? The answers might surprise. But far from blaming the victim for the crime being visited upon him, it may even be observed that there is no crime at all. For herein lies the mystery, the subtle interchange of need that exists between the bull and the flag, between the dancer and the dance. For gay S & M, as Bradford knew, is not private play so much as public display. Here is role-playing as formal as anything to be found in Kabuki. It's not that it's fake—it's stylized! It's Über-gay!”
I didn’t really understand any of that and the whole thing could have been cut.
And the sex scene:
“From the moment they shed their clothes it was as if their bodies had become one. Zach played virtuosic first violin to Brad's mellow cello, winding fine lines of fancy around him. Together they were sweet music, Mozart ma non troppo and "The Lark Ascending," while below the earth awaited their rapturous return.”
Really???
If I hadn’t marked these things though, I don’t know that I would remember them. The book moves quickly, and:
“Suddenly the suspects were everywhere.”
From this point on, I was caught up in the charming Ruby and enjoyed all the ten or so suspects, I thought that was original, and didn’t know who it was until the very end.
The book covers loads of P’Town territory, starting with the fast ferry and continuing through Spirtus and even a shoot-out at the Pilgrim Monument. There’s engaging characters, like Ruby and Cinder, and Bradford himself is alright. Even a Rufus Wainwright joke sure to bring down the house.
I can’t wait to read the next one, I’m really glad I picked this up.
January 19, 2015
I liked this book a lot. Even from the beginning the author always dangles the potential of a great book in front of the reader, and eventually delivers. The reader is forced to wade through some distractions including a lot of angst, but in the end they are well worth the effort. Not a perfect book, but a book that ends up in the “that was fun, I’m glad I read it” pile
What did the author do right? I like his descriptions of his secret agency, and his “boss”. I love the love story between Brad and Zach and to a lesser degree the background story between Brad and Ross. I like the way he brings in some great odd characters and some oddities about P-Town. I love the Buddhist angle.
It is a murder mystery at its heart and to me the author is trying to mimic some of the other great murder mystery writers, and his voice is somewhat lost. Alternatively, the author is writing for two different audiences – a straight one where he feels he must explain gay nuance, and a gay one that he feels he needs to address. Whatever the original intent, the author finally finds his groove about half-way to 2/3 through and the last part of the book is fantastic. To be more specific about the problems with the book it’s the editing. A good book does not describe irrelevant things in detail. Sadly this book adds far more background about things than is needed.
Triggers: As a murder mystery, it has to have murders, one is “on camera”. Plus several attempted murders. Recreational drug use including a murder by recreational drugs. Violence including a male on male rape. A heroic drag queen. Some consensual M/M sex, but this is not an erotic book (sadly).
Short version: fun, gets better, and a great ending.
What did the author do right? I like his descriptions of his secret agency, and his “boss”. I love the love story between Brad and Zach and to a lesser degree the background story between Brad and Ross. I like the way he brings in some great odd characters and some oddities about P-Town. I love the Buddhist angle.
It is a murder mystery at its heart and to me the author is trying to mimic some of the other great murder mystery writers, and his voice is somewhat lost. Alternatively, the author is writing for two different audiences – a straight one where he feels he must explain gay nuance, and a gay one that he feels he needs to address. Whatever the original intent, the author finally finds his groove about half-way to 2/3 through and the last part of the book is fantastic. To be more specific about the problems with the book it’s the editing. A good book does not describe irrelevant things in detail. Sadly this book adds far more background about things than is needed.
Triggers: As a murder mystery, it has to have murders, one is “on camera”. Plus several attempted murders. Recreational drug use including a murder by recreational drugs. Violence including a male on male rape. A heroic drag queen. Some consensual M/M sex, but this is not an erotic book (sadly).
Short version: fun, gets better, and a great ending.
June 26, 2013
Didn't like this book at first. Don't know why I continued to read it. The author kept droning on in diatribe after diatribe of gay and pop culture til I wanted to stick a fork in my eye. By the end I really liked it. Although gotta say how did he NOT know who the killer was? I even knew who Halle was as soon as I heard how she grew up
April 6, 2013
A mildly diverting and forgettably far-fetched whodunnit of Harlequin Romance stature.
March 2, 2021
This was my first read of the Bradford Fairfax murder mystery. Brad works as a "spy" for an undisclosed government agency. Brad is also openly gay. Brad is notified that his ex boyfriend has died from an overdose of Ecstasy in Provincetown, MA. Evidently the gay mecca of the East Coast. Brad was asked to claim the body. After arriving in Ptown and talking to the coroner, Brad is suspicions of the claim cause of death. Brad starts to investigate. Meanwhile, Brad is also investigating a credible plot to assassinate the Dahlia Lama. As Brad investigates his ex boyfriend's death, other murders are occurring in Ptown centering on the infamous Ice House where rich, closeted gay men rendezvous. This mystery reminds me of something Alfred Hitchcock would have made into a movie. By Chapter 11 I realized that the story reminded me of "Vertigo". Then later on I saw similarities of "The Man Who Knew Too Much." Or in this case, Too many people knew too much, for they were all ending up murdered.
June 10, 2017
Even though at the start I wasn't very impressed, the book's short chapter format and constant recapping of the story made it a good on the run (commute), before-bed reading material.
It's a little bit cheesy/corny at times, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end.
I definitely did not like how the main character seemed to be part of this culture of stigmatizing people with HIV. And the big end reveal was a bit of a dud; almost felt like a deus-ex kind of thing, not quite, almost.
Would recommend if you are looking for a fun, different, short-sessions reading material.
It's a little bit cheesy/corny at times, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end.
I definitely did not like how the main character seemed to be part of this culture of stigmatizing people with HIV. And the big end reveal was a bit of a dud; almost felt like a deus-ex kind of thing, not quite, almost.
Would recommend if you are looking for a fun, different, short-sessions reading material.
May 14, 2022
A complex mystery in Provincetown mixed well with the gay community and culture there. Great insight into the gay psyche and interesting that the high end mysterious gay guest house hosts high profile people, politicians, actors, religious and even Buddhists. A great days read.
July 27, 2017
Loved the writing and the characters, the murder plot was thin but I would definitely revisit this author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2021
Good story that is about half mystery and half gay primer. Well written by a guy who knows Provincetown and its quirks.
March 15, 2017
Nothing spectacular, but nevertheless; it was a good murder mystery with plenty of Buddhists around to keep it interesting.
December 12, 2024
I recant everything. I remember the state of gay rom-coms in the early 2000's. We finally had a voice but the quality was…questionable. This novel is completely in line with literally every gay movie I've seen from the time. It's not perfect, and there is definitely room for improvement, but it was a time when "identifying as gay" was still an important statement for the society. I don't usually like the concept of "viewing art as a product of the time it was created in", but this is one that really benefits from the perspective.
Now that I've actually finished this, I can speak more clearly as to what I did not like about this book. Firstly, to address my bias as someone who grew up black and gay in Los Angeles, and is about the age of the main character (although I'm reading this about 2 decades after it was published), while the target audience is presumably the white gays who grew up in small town America and eventually moved to the nearest city.
This book concerns a man who is a spy for an unnamed organization, on a personal trip to retrieve the ashes of a former boyfriend (for whom he conveniently has power of attorney, when the deceased's family refused), when he discovers another murder, and while investigating that murder, two more happen. The plot is pretty boilerplate for the hardboiled genre, so the specifics should be the interesting part. Unfortunately, although the character has all of these incredibly interesting aspects to his life, being gay is the single thing the author can focus on. The only thing that matters to this spy who is investigating a series of murders is the fact that he's in his gay idyll and he lonely because his life as a spy means he can't have a boyfriend, while all around him are displays of happy gay love and attachment. At every turn in the plot, the most important thing to happen to any of the characters is that they have gay relationships.
I guess I'm reading this too late, but I like a character whose entire personality doesn't revolve around their relationship. The main character has no personality, in fact, no one in this book has a personality. The people who are Buddhist are reduced to simply being Buddhist. No one in this book has interests or hobbies outside of the single defining character trait assigned to them. And I'd be okay with that if the book had some humor about the fact that the characters are all one-dimensional, but it doesn't even have that.
Honestly, the book felt like something a junior high school student wrote (and there I betray my age with junior high as opposed to middle school). I could go on about specifics but it's not really worth it.
Wait, I just remembered the non-consensual sex scene that happens in the finale. Because men can't conceptualize villainy unless it includes non-consensual sex.
I wish there were a better option for books you didn’t finish. I realized at 6% that this book is too white for me to be able to read. Not only is it a book that has only white characters, it speaks to a level of _mayonnaise_ that is so particularly white that I can’t resonate with it. The spiciest part of this (at 6%) is that the main character likes bad boys-trade. Which is so vanilla in its trying to be edgy that I absolutely cannot.
Oh, and if bland isn’t enough of a reason to not read it, narrative convenience abounds in the 6% of the book I read. A mysterious phone call informing him that a not very close friend is dead. The caller never identifies themselves or why he is contacted or how his contact information was obtained and he never asks. On his trip into Provincetown, he conveniently is on a ferry with a drag performer who happens to recognize him and knows that he’s there because of his dead friend but has to communicate all of this surreptitiously. Oh. And he works as a spy of some sort. Conveniently. And I didn’t get that far, but if the case that his employer wants him to work on and the private case don’t overlap, I’ve never read a murder mystery.
Now that I've actually finished this, I can speak more clearly as to what I did not like about this book. Firstly, to address my bias as someone who grew up black and gay in Los Angeles, and is about the age of the main character (although I'm reading this about 2 decades after it was published), while the target audience is presumably the white gays who grew up in small town America and eventually moved to the nearest city.
This book concerns a man who is a spy for an unnamed organization, on a personal trip to retrieve the ashes of a former boyfriend (for whom he conveniently has power of attorney, when the deceased's family refused), when he discovers another murder, and while investigating that murder, two more happen. The plot is pretty boilerplate for the hardboiled genre, so the specifics should be the interesting part. Unfortunately, although the character has all of these incredibly interesting aspects to his life, being gay is the single thing the author can focus on. The only thing that matters to this spy who is investigating a series of murders is the fact that he's in his gay idyll and he lonely because his life as a spy means he can't have a boyfriend, while all around him are displays of happy gay love and attachment. At every turn in the plot, the most important thing to happen to any of the characters is that they have gay relationships.
I guess I'm reading this too late, but I like a character whose entire personality doesn't revolve around their relationship. The main character has no personality, in fact, no one in this book has a personality. The people who are Buddhist are reduced to simply being Buddhist. No one in this book has interests or hobbies outside of the single defining character trait assigned to them. And I'd be okay with that if the book had some humor about the fact that the characters are all one-dimensional, but it doesn't even have that.
Honestly, the book felt like something a junior high school student wrote (and there I betray my age with junior high as opposed to middle school). I could go on about specifics but it's not really worth it.
Wait, I just remembered the non-consensual sex scene that happens in the finale. Because men can't conceptualize villainy unless it includes non-consensual sex.
I wish there were a better option for books you didn’t finish. I realized at 6% that this book is too white for me to be able to read. Not only is it a book that has only white characters, it speaks to a level of _mayonnaise_ that is so particularly white that I can’t resonate with it. The spiciest part of this (at 6%) is that the main character likes bad boys-trade. Which is so vanilla in its trying to be edgy that I absolutely cannot.
Oh, and if bland isn’t enough of a reason to not read it, narrative convenience abounds in the 6% of the book I read. A mysterious phone call informing him that a not very close friend is dead. The caller never identifies themselves or why he is contacted or how his contact information was obtained and he never asks. On his trip into Provincetown, he conveniently is on a ferry with a drag performer who happens to recognize him and knows that he’s there because of his dead friend but has to communicate all of this surreptitiously. Oh. And he works as a spy of some sort. Conveniently. And I didn’t get that far, but if the case that his employer wants him to work on and the private case don’t overlap, I’ve never read a murder mystery.
March 14, 2023
great book
I just finished the Dan Sharp books so I thought I would try out this series. Very good choice. I really enjoyed the first book.
I just finished the Dan Sharp books so I thought I would try out this series. Very good choice. I really enjoyed the first book.
February 28, 2010
Time for a trashy, light mystery. P-town is the story of Brad Bradford an undercover detective. When Brad receives an anonymous tip that his former lover has been killed in Province Town, Brad goes to deal with the body. He leaves his assignment of stopping a possible assassination of the Dali Lama in New York. P-Town is portrait as heaven on earth. Especially for gay people. But more people are dieing in P-Town on a daily basis. Brad stays to solve the crime. The book is a campy look as the under world of gay life and death. Fun read
March 13, 2012
Bradford Fairfax is a very intriguing character. He's smart, sexy and sensitive. He is also filled with ansgst, is worrisome and as he tells his new friend Zach, "I'm a whiner and complainer" In a word, he's HOT. I loved the character development and for me it read quickly. I have to agree with another reviewer, that it really did not have a strong sense of P-Town. Overall, a great mystery told by an accomplished author. I plan to find his other Fairfax mysteries.
December 30, 2020
An entertaining bit of fluff. Neither literary fiction nor particularly sexy, just a slightly ridiculous murder mystery. But fun nevertheless!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews