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The Henry Rios Mysteries #1
The Little Death
Murder rocks a moneyed San Francisco family in the novel that introduced “a detective unlike any previous protagonist in American noir” (The New Yorker). Henry Rios is a Latino public defender battling alcoholism, dangerously close to burning out. Accustomed to dealing with the minor offenses of the disenfranchised, he’s reached a crossroads in his life. His new client, Hugh Paris, who has been arrested for drug possession, is the black-sheep scion of an important and prosperous San Francisco family—and one of Rios’s former lovers. Rios understands lost souls a little too well and has always stayed loyal to the troubled and wealthy wastrel. But no sooner does a mysterious benefactor bail him out, than Paris shows up on Rios’s door—paranoid, shaken, and terrified that his grandfather wants to murder him. When Paris is found dead of an apparent heroin overdose, Rios is the only one who considers foul play. Determined to find the truth, he knocks on the Bay Area’s most gilded doors, where he discovers a family tainted by jealousy and greed, warped by a fortune someone’s willing to kill—and kill again—to possess. The first novel in the Lambda Literary Award–winning series that Christopher Bram calls “a large-scale moral portrait of one man’s life,” The Little Death is at once an atmospheric noir mystery set in 1980s California and a scathing indictment of the power of old money and a legal system caught in the maws of escalating corruption.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1986
23 people are currently reading
1738 people want to read
About the author
Michael Nava
33 books340 followersMichael Nava is the author of a groundbreaking series of crime novels featuring a gay, Latino criminal defense lawyer Henry Rios. Nava is a six-time recipient of the Lambda Literary Award in the mystery category, as well as the Bill Whitehead Lifetime Achievement Award for gay and lesbian literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
August 17, 2019
3.5 stars
I read the re-written/re-released version first. Review here: Lay Your Sleeping Head
I decided to go back and start from the beginning. This was first published in 1986 and it echos that period very well.
The writing is amazing and bold. The mystery was good too, but i felt there were too characters introduced, which became confusing at times.
Overall it was well written and enjoyable, i am going to continue with these original versions, then hop onto the newer versions.
I read the re-written/re-released version first. Review here: Lay Your Sleeping Head
I decided to go back and start from the beginning. This was first published in 1986 and it echos that period very well.
The writing is amazing and bold. The mystery was good too, but i felt there were too characters introduced, which became confusing at times.
Overall it was well written and enjoyable, i am going to continue with these original versions, then hop onto the newer versions.
October 6, 2019
Lawyer Henry Rios won't stop under he has solved the mystery surrounding the death of Hugh Paris. Hugh was a his lover and also his friend, and he won't be deterred in his quest for justice--even when the bodies begin to pile up, even when the evil seems to be emanating from the wealthiest and most powerful enclave of Old San Francisco Society.
Author Michael Nava has spoken of his debt to Joseph Hansen, and he deserves to be associated with that groundbreaking creator of the first great homosexual detective. As Hansen did with Dave Brandstetter, Nava takes the sexual orientation of his detective Henry Rios as a matter of course, and seems more interested in what kind of man he is--his compassion, his bravery, his somewhat naive view of the world, his problem with alcohol, his co-dependency--than in detailing his sexual experiences. (As should be the case with any detective. Most sex scenes just slow down the plot.) About half way through the novel comes this revealing passage, where our hero Henry speaks to a lady cop who helps him with his case:
"We're both different, Terry. We play against expectation and we are good at what we do. It's our competence that makes us outsiders, not the fact that you're a woman cop or I'm a gay lawyer."
I like Rios and the way Nava writes about him so much that I wish the book were better. It isn't bad: the plot twists are credible and surprising, and the way they hang on certain specifics of estate law make for interesting reading. But the plot doesn't really start moving until the book is about half done, and the conclusion seems rushed.
But this is the only the first Henry Rios novel. My hunch is that book no. 2 will be better. Good writers get better with time.
September 4, 2019
My first of Michael Nava and the first in the Henry Rios Mystery series, with a main character Henry Rios, a gay lawyer, who lives in San Francisco in the 80s.
Being a big fan of a gay mystery genre, I recognize that it is my first gay lawyer as a protagonist.
There were a lot of cops, former cops, active cops, private investigators and detectives, but no lawyer.
I enjoyed the very interesting and well don mystery part.
It was a real page turner! The author kept my attention along the whole story and the ending was surprisingly good resolved.
I hope only to develop more connection with Henry Rios in the next instalments. I found his first person POV a bit reserved.
I couldn't also completely buy a romance part in the book.
The feeling between Henry Rios and Hugh Paris lacked an intensity and their relationship fell flat.
And in regard to sex scenes...I don't know if I can explain it with the fact that the book was first published 1986. Maybe in THAT TIME it was generally thought that sex didn't belong to an important element of a gay mystery genre. If so, I'm very glad to live in the 21th century.
One of the best things in the book was the writing of Michael Nava. He has a very captivating, but flowing and pleasant writing style and I'm eager to read more of his work.
All in all - a gritty, thrilling well written mystery.
A MUST READ for all fans of the genre.
I'm hooked and definitely going to read more about Henry Rios.
December 1, 2014
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A really interesting, and well done mystery. I really liked the atmosphere, and tone of the story. It was dark, gritty, and there was a good balance of motivations, and personalities in the story so it never felt like there were characters that were too good to believed or just plain pure evil either. Sure there are characters that aren't good, but nothing like one that was just evil for the sake of evil.
I did have a hard time buying the "love" Henry supposedly felt for Hugh Paris. I knew they had a connection, but Henry never fully trusted Hugh, and refused to believe many of the things Hugh told him while he was still alive. I wondered if love was almost an excuse, and if guilt was more the driving factor. I like that there is no clear cut romantic relationship, and that this story is very clearly a mystery.
I look forward to reading more of these books. I like the messy feeling to the plot. Too often mystery stories have conclusions that are too simple, and pat. The questions have easy answers, and nothing feels unfinished. This felt much more like real life too me, and I appreciated that.
A really interesting, and well done mystery. I really liked the atmosphere, and tone of the story. It was dark, gritty, and there was a good balance of motivations, and personalities in the story so it never felt like there were characters that were too good to believed or just plain pure evil either. Sure there are characters that aren't good, but nothing like one that was just evil for the sake of evil.
I did have a hard time buying the "love" Henry supposedly felt for Hugh Paris. I knew they had a connection, but Henry never fully trusted Hugh, and refused to believe many of the things Hugh told him while he was still alive. I wondered if love was almost an excuse, and if guilt was more the driving factor. I like that there is no clear cut romantic relationship, and that this story is very clearly a mystery.
I look forward to reading more of these books. I like the messy feeling to the plot. Too often mystery stories have conclusions that are too simple, and pat. The questions have easy answers, and nothing feels unfinished. This felt much more like real life too me, and I appreciated that.
July 7, 2014
Michael Nava’s The Little Death is a murder mystery awash with privilege, power, rumors, and greed. A visit to an elite world where a little death is considered leverage and necessary to get or remain in power and riches.
“Rich people don’t go around planning to kill each other. They use lawyers, instead.”
We meet attorney Henry Rios in a bit of a burnout period and crisis of heart and mind. To practice law or not? On his last day as a public defender, Henry encounters Hugh Paris—a handsome, sad enigma of a man--who draws Henry into love and trouble. Down a path swimming with death, drinks, crooked coroners, cold hearted poets, silence, and sadness. This book has such a quiet voice. A matter of fact, melancholy feel to the action. A tone I couldn’t help following twist by twist and word by word.
Mr. Nava writes beautifully. Breathtaking descriptions and words that formed an intelligent, sophisticated atmosphere filled with politics and law. The language and games here are steeped in legal maneuvers and manners. Henry may feel lost at the moment about his profession, but he is definitely an attorney. In every word and move he makes, you will see and hear the lawyer in him. I still liked the man though. ;)
“From my experience, I did not believe in premeditated murder any more than an agnostic believes in God and for the same reason; there never was any proof. ”
I liked Henry Rios very much actually. BUT I also feel like I don’t know him at all. None of his losses and loves registered with my heart. Yet I can’t seem to shake this atmosphere and mood from my bones. It’s as if, Henry walked in the room, started to say something and left without finishing his thought. I need to follow and find out what he has to say. This book’s energy and power is still trying to work its way through my system. I wish I could explain it better. I just know Michael Nava is under my skin, but just not in the usual hit my heart kind of way.
Looking forward to more time in Henry’s world. More time with Grant too. He intrigues me.
Off to read Goldenboy….
September 16, 2013
This series follows Henry Rios, a gay lawyer in California in the 1980's. Each book contains a mystery, but also gives us a new look at Henry and his life. There is a fair bit of social commentary, and as the books continue, a look at the world of gay men in California as the AIDS epidemic took hold. There is family drama, and personal growth, emotional difficulty, failings and triumphs, and a good mystery in each.
I recommend the whole series, with my favorite being the last book, Rag and Bone. Only the last really qualifies as having a romance, but there are relationships for Henry along the way before that, with joy, complications, and pain. A multiple reread for me.
I recommend the whole series, with my favorite being the last book, Rag and Bone. Only the last really qualifies as having a romance, but there are relationships for Henry along the way before that, with joy, complications, and pain. A multiple reread for me.
July 23, 2021
currently on a true crime kick, so i thought following a gay lawyer around for a little while would be fun. unfortunately, much of the crime-oriented fiction i encounter is great at establishing atmosphere/intrigue and terrible at writing characters + human relationships that don't feel like serialized tv. the concept behind the little death hinges upon a love story that i never saw unfold—because it was not written that way at all! also, the "i just recorded your entire villainous monologue" trope is one of my least favorite book/tv resolutions.
July 3, 2015
3.5
The Little Death is a very good mystery featuring a wonderful protagonist who cannot let the injustice go unpunished as well as a great introduction to Henry Rios Mystery series.
Someone should really pay more attention when they write book summaries. One of the main events of this book happens exactly at a quarter into the story. A quarter is too far gone to write about it in the blurb! If Henry hadn't been so interesting, I would have spent that time being bored and waiting for the thing to happen. Maybe someone changes it later on but at the moment the blurb is not just too revealing. It is incorrect too ('While interviewing his former lover Hugh Paris in jail, Rios goes through the motions') since this is the first time Henry meets Paris.
I liked The Little Death. The mystery is pretty good with lots of unexpected twists and turns. As for the characters, you can see they are just getting started.
What I couldn't really get into was one of Henry's reasons for wanting justice. I couldn't buy the depth of Henry's feelings. That part was a bit rushed.
The Little Death is a very good mystery featuring a wonderful protagonist who cannot let the injustice go unpunished as well as a great introduction to Henry Rios Mystery series.
Someone should really pay more attention when they write book summaries. One of the main events of this book happens exactly at a quarter into the story. A quarter is too far gone to write about it in the blurb! If Henry hadn't been so interesting, I would have spent that time being bored and waiting for the thing to happen. Maybe someone changes it later on but at the moment the blurb is not just too revealing. It is incorrect too ('While interviewing his former lover Hugh Paris in jail, Rios goes through the motions') since this is the first time Henry meets Paris.
I liked The Little Death. The mystery is pretty good with lots of unexpected twists and turns. As for the characters, you can see they are just getting started.
What I couldn't really get into was one of Henry's reasons for wanting justice. I couldn't buy the depth of Henry's feelings. That part was a bit rushed.
April 9, 2013
**Barely 3 stars, I'm being generous**
I am not a mystery lover but I decided to give this one a shot because I was intrigued about the concept of a murder-mystery with a gay main character. The plus side of the this book is that it is well written. The author managed to create a gritty, haunting atmosphere that I admire. However, that is kind of my issue with the book: I recognize that it is well done but I didn't ever get in it. The writing has an almost clinical, detached feeling that I didn't connect with. I also didn't get any sense of chemistry between Henry and Hugh. I didn't buy that they had anything real between them. You can't read this one for the romance aspect- that part of the story is strange and dry. It just wasn't exactly what I had expected. I like my books to be more evocative and this was more bare-bones. I can see why this series has a following but I guess the style wasn't exactly my taste.
Also, and this is more of a minor issue, the book felt very dated to me. I checked when this book was originally released and it was 1986. It felt like that era to me.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I am not a mystery lover but I decided to give this one a shot because I was intrigued about the concept of a murder-mystery with a gay main character. The plus side of the this book is that it is well written. The author managed to create a gritty, haunting atmosphere that I admire. However, that is kind of my issue with the book: I recognize that it is well done but I didn't ever get in it. The writing has an almost clinical, detached feeling that I didn't connect with. I also didn't get any sense of chemistry between Henry and Hugh. I didn't buy that they had anything real between them. You can't read this one for the romance aspect- that part of the story is strange and dry. It just wasn't exactly what I had expected. I like my books to be more evocative and this was more bare-bones. I can see why this series has a following but I guess the style wasn't exactly my taste.
Also, and this is more of a minor issue, the book felt very dated to me. I checked when this book was originally released and it was 1986. It felt like that era to me.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
September 17, 2024
I forgot how good these were! Granted, I was confused the first time I read this trying to keep all the names and relations in the case straight, but this time around it didn't bother me at all. And I have no idea why I thought this had some Agatha Christie drawing room showdown in it, lol. Nowhere near that.
Henry is an interesting character. He's only in his early thirties, but his time as a public defender has drained him and made him a bit cynical. Hugh seems like a terrible person to get involved with, being a drug addict struggling to stay clean and being paranoid about someone being out to get him. But given Henry's place in life when they meet, it makes sense. (And these are NOT Romance(™) which certainly helps. That's not the focus here, or I'd be much more critical with what we get on that front.)
Henry's also got his own honor code, and when he . The rabbit hole is deep and twisty as he starts to unravel the case and dig up old secrets. He is a bit TSTL at times, but he learns from his mistakes and he actually communicates with the people in his circle that he can trust.
I'm very interested to see how Mr. Nava updated this story with Lay Your Sleeping Head. The first cover for this updated version had "contemporary romance" written all over it, which is the furthest thing away from what these stories actually are. But I've been assured he didn't bring these into the current day or turn them into Romance(™), so I'm eager to get to it, hopefully soon.
Henry is an interesting character. He's only in his early thirties, but his time as a public defender has drained him and made him a bit cynical. Hugh seems like a terrible person to get involved with, being a drug addict struggling to stay clean and being paranoid about someone being out to get him. But given Henry's place in life when they meet, it makes sense. (And these are NOT Romance(™) which certainly helps. That's not the focus here, or I'd be much more critical with what we get on that front.)
Henry's also got his own honor code, and when he . The rabbit hole is deep and twisty as he starts to unravel the case and dig up old secrets. He is a bit TSTL at times, but he learns from his mistakes and he actually communicates with the people in his circle that he can trust.
I'm very interested to see how Mr. Nava updated this story with Lay Your Sleeping Head. The first cover for this updated version had "contemporary romance" written all over it, which is the furthest thing away from what these stories actually are. But I've been assured he didn't bring these into the current day or turn them into Romance(™), so I'm eager to get to it, hopefully soon.
May 3, 2019
Listened to the audio of this book. Excellent story, great narrator with good material. I look forward to hearing the rest of the series in audio format now.
May 25, 2015
Great MM crime book. I can't wait to read the others books in this series
March 10, 2022
The little death is the first in the Henry Rios series by American author, Michael Nava. It was published back in 1986 and is a quick, fairly easy read. Set in San Francisco, Henry Rios is a criminal lawyer, setting out in his own practice. Nava has created a genuinely believable character, relatable, authentic and easy to connect with. Nava’s writing is honest and genuine and his characters represent his commitment to authenticating and normalising what may have been controversial back when it was written.
The story documents the family fortune of Hugh Paris, heir apparent of wealth extraordinaire. The greed and intrigue that ultimately sees just about all family members meet their end prematurely, is the tangled web that Rios finds himself caught up in and ultimately unravels.
The little death is definitely a promising debut. I expect the series only gets better from here and I look forward to reading more of this author.
The story documents the family fortune of Hugh Paris, heir apparent of wealth extraordinaire. The greed and intrigue that ultimately sees just about all family members meet their end prematurely, is the tangled web that Rios finds himself caught up in and ultimately unravels.
The little death is definitely a promising debut. I expect the series only gets better from here and I look forward to reading more of this author.
September 27, 2009
I'm a follower of Harry Bosch mystery and I have yet able to find a similar tone of crime/mystery series from other authors (duly noted, I have not tried many). I tried Robert Craise, but Elvis Cole doesn't feel like Harry. So I'm long to find a hero that feels "alone" but at the same time do his job with purpose.
Then, I stumbled into Michael Nava's "The Little Death". The first reason I bought this book was because the main hero was a gay lawyer. I was trying to branch out from the gay erotica after I found out that there was a genre of gay murder/mystery. I found great books on that genre; and I found that Michael Nava's "Henry Rios" mystery was one of the most talked about. I was glad that I bought this book.
Henry Rios felt like Harry in the early days without the vengeance but similar aura of a man of his own. In this book he tried to find what truly happened to Hugh Paris, a man that he had a short relationship with, a man he cared about, when he found Hugh died in a circumstance that felt, well, wrong. Especially because Hugh confessed to Henry prior to his death, that he felt like he was being followed and somebody wanted to kill him. This book is not thick but that doesn't mean that it's less meaty. I'm very drawn into Henry's attempt to find the answers. I think the book is really good and I'm looking forward to read the rest of the series.
Then, I stumbled into Michael Nava's "The Little Death". The first reason I bought this book was because the main hero was a gay lawyer. I was trying to branch out from the gay erotica after I found out that there was a genre of gay murder/mystery. I found great books on that genre; and I found that Michael Nava's "Henry Rios" mystery was one of the most talked about. I was glad that I bought this book.
Henry Rios felt like Harry in the early days without the vengeance but similar aura of a man of his own. In this book he tried to find what truly happened to Hugh Paris, a man that he had a short relationship with, a man he cared about, when he found Hugh died in a circumstance that felt, well, wrong. Especially because Hugh confessed to Henry prior to his death, that he felt like he was being followed and somebody wanted to kill him. This book is not thick but that doesn't mean that it's less meaty. I'm very drawn into Henry's attempt to find the answers. I think the book is really good and I'm looking forward to read the rest of the series.
April 8, 2021
A sad story but a great mystery with interesting characters. Especially the main character, 33 years old lawyer Henry Rios, was very intriguing. I felt with him, his frustration, his sadness, melancholy and grief, his striving for justice, his anger, his loneliness......
I'm definitely going to continue reading this series.
And on a side note, I'm happy to own a second hand bought paperback edition from 1986 of this story and holding this actually in my hands while reading surely emphasised the book's vibes of the eighties.
I'm definitely going to continue reading this series.
And on a side note, I'm happy to own a second hand bought paperback edition from 1986 of this story and holding this actually in my hands while reading surely emphasised the book's vibes of the eighties.
November 23, 2008
This is the first in a detective series with the main character, Henry Rios, a heavy drinking, reflective Latino man, burning out as a public defender and in search of justice for someone close to him, grappling with the forces of evil and corruption that extend throughout all levels of society, in the tradition of Hammett, Chandler, or Robert Towne in his classic screenplay for "Chinatown." One thing I particularly enjoyed about this novel was its setting: it takes place in and around the campus of Stanford and in Palo Alto, down to San Jose or Cupertino sometimes and up the peninsula into varied neighborhoods of San Francisco. Nava's descriptions were never intrusive, but rang true to my sense of place and space here, and their familiarity and believability made the rest of the tale work well for me too.
Rios has a gritty style. He is tough and smart, but also unfulfilled and troubled. Like all good detective heroes, he can be witty and sardonic. He is gay, but that is presented as just one attribute of his complex identity, and though the novel deals some with gay issues and concerns from when it was first published (1986) the main focus is upon a well structured plot. Characters are three-dimensional: there is some good in the bad ones and some bad in the good ones, which makes for a much more interesting story. I appreciated that elements of danger and adventure might take you by surprise as you turn a page, and I liked how the book obliquely spoke not only to issues of sexual orientation, but also of class, race, and gender. I will read more of Nava's work.
There were a few typos and one repetitive spelling error that started to irritate me. At least some of those should have been caught and corrected, given that I read a fourth edition paperback version of this book, but for that I fault the publishing house, not the author, who has won me over as a fan.
Rios has a gritty style. He is tough and smart, but also unfulfilled and troubled. Like all good detective heroes, he can be witty and sardonic. He is gay, but that is presented as just one attribute of his complex identity, and though the novel deals some with gay issues and concerns from when it was first published (1986) the main focus is upon a well structured plot. Characters are three-dimensional: there is some good in the bad ones and some bad in the good ones, which makes for a much more interesting story. I appreciated that elements of danger and adventure might take you by surprise as you turn a page, and I liked how the book obliquely spoke not only to issues of sexual orientation, but also of class, race, and gender. I will read more of Nava's work.
There were a few typos and one repetitive spelling error that started to irritate me. At least some of those should have been caught and corrected, given that I read a fourth edition paperback version of this book, but for that I fault the publishing house, not the author, who has won me over as a fan.
dnf
May 1, 2024DNF@8% WTH is this writing style?
January 5, 2018
I went about this backward. I wasn't acquainted with Michael Nava and when Lay Your Sleeping Head came across my radar I jumped on it and so should you. Having read that I wanted to see the difference with the predecessor and I'm happy I did. While these are the same characters you could say that they are so only in name. That book is a different beast but this is meant to be a review for this book.
As a murder mystery this was very well done but that was the icing on the cake. The draw here is as I'm sure it was in 80's when it was published, that the protagonist is an unabashedly gay man. He's a professional. He's a productive member of society. Yes he falls for the mysterious stranger who comes wrapped in a bow that says trouble but what P.I. since Wilkie Collins has ever gone for the plain Jane. We are firmly in California noir territory complete with powerful and secretive families, mysterious deaths, characters with obscure motives and the tendrils of danger around every corner. At the heart of it all is a tenacious P.I. in this case Henry Rios who is in fact an attorney, but finds himself ineluctably drawn to the mystery of his lover's death. A lover who had awoken him from a long lethargy of going thru the paces. Their meeting was the push to get Henry out of an existential rut. Henry quotes this poem by C. V. Cavafy in the book and it perfectly encapsulates who or what Hugh is to him:
"The setting of houses, cafés, the neighborhood
that I've seen and walked through years on end:
I created you while I was happy, while I was sad,
with so many incidents, so many details.
And, for me, the whole of you is transformed into feeling."
The mystery has twists and turns and if you like Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett you'll like this. There is no explicit sex and I can't say I missed it. You feel it. More importantly we spend time with gay men who are going about normal lives in spite of an unforgiving and harsh society.
I'm going to continue with the series because I want to see were Henry goes from here having the hindsight of now.
As a murder mystery this was very well done but that was the icing on the cake. The draw here is as I'm sure it was in 80's when it was published, that the protagonist is an unabashedly gay man. He's a professional. He's a productive member of society. Yes he falls for the mysterious stranger who comes wrapped in a bow that says trouble but what P.I. since Wilkie Collins has ever gone for the plain Jane. We are firmly in California noir territory complete with powerful and secretive families, mysterious deaths, characters with obscure motives and the tendrils of danger around every corner. At the heart of it all is a tenacious P.I. in this case Henry Rios who is in fact an attorney, but finds himself ineluctably drawn to the mystery of his lover's death. A lover who had awoken him from a long lethargy of going thru the paces. Their meeting was the push to get Henry out of an existential rut. Henry quotes this poem by C. V. Cavafy in the book and it perfectly encapsulates who or what Hugh is to him:
"The setting of houses, cafés, the neighborhood
that I've seen and walked through years on end:
I created you while I was happy, while I was sad,
with so many incidents, so many details.
And, for me, the whole of you is transformed into feeling."
The mystery has twists and turns and if you like Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett you'll like this. There is no explicit sex and I can't say I missed it. You feel it. More importantly we spend time with gay men who are going about normal lives in spite of an unforgiving and harsh society.
I'm going to continue with the series because I want to see were Henry goes from here having the hindsight of now.
July 22, 2015
This is one of the more unique books I've read this summer. If I hadn't been browsing the LGBT Fiction section of my local used bookstore a few weeks ago, I would've never heard of this series or author. The printing press is now defunct and I've never seen this on lists of LGBT genre fiction here on Goodreads, which is surprising. However, this series has been picked up for e-book format by Open Road Media, bringing it back to modern audiences, so I thought I'd give it a try.
The protagonist of the Henry Rios Mysteries is Henry Rios himself, an openly gay Latino San Francisco lawyer in his late twenties who has recently quit his job as a public defender and is hoping to go out on his own. Right as he's leaving his job, he meets with Hugh Paris, a young heroin addict recently incarcerated for PCP possession--a drug he never uses. Rios definitely finds the situation fishy, and after meeting one another again, he and Paris fall in love. The happiness isn't long-lasting, however, when Paris is murdered to make it look like a suicide and Rios is left with a broken heart and a mystery nobody but he and police officer Terry Ormes want to solve. This pulls Rios deep into the dangerous world of old money, family politics, and the power of, well power in the justice system. Along the way, he rekindles a romance with a former flame.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick but intelligent read by an author who obviously knows the justice system--in this case, Michael Nava, who wrote this after graduating from law school. I absolutely loved the title and how it played into the novel's events. The characters are diverse and their interactions are well-written. I can't say I was completely taken with the plot all the way to the end, but I did like the family drama and watching the ties and feuds unfold.
The thing I craved was characterization, especially with Henry. We really don't know anything about him--family, childhood, etc. We know he's a gay lawyer who has a bit of a drinking problem. I did like his vulnerability towards the end, even though the subtext was written into the story--he didn't pursue justice because he's a ruthless lawyer, he pursued it because he was heartbroken over his lover's death and needed to cope with the tools he already had.
I've already purchased the next book, Goldenboy, in hard copy used on Amazon, and I'm definitely hoping to learn more about this protagonist.
The protagonist of the Henry Rios Mysteries is Henry Rios himself, an openly gay Latino San Francisco lawyer in his late twenties who has recently quit his job as a public defender and is hoping to go out on his own. Right as he's leaving his job, he meets with Hugh Paris, a young heroin addict recently incarcerated for PCP possession--a drug he never uses. Rios definitely finds the situation fishy, and after meeting one another again, he and Paris fall in love. The happiness isn't long-lasting, however, when Paris is murdered to make it look like a suicide and Rios is left with a broken heart and a mystery nobody but he and police officer Terry Ormes want to solve. This pulls Rios deep into the dangerous world of old money, family politics, and the power of, well power in the justice system. Along the way, he rekindles a romance with a former flame.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick but intelligent read by an author who obviously knows the justice system--in this case, Michael Nava, who wrote this after graduating from law school. I absolutely loved the title and how it played into the novel's events. The characters are diverse and their interactions are well-written. I can't say I was completely taken with the plot all the way to the end, but I did like the family drama and watching the ties and feuds unfold.
The thing I craved was characterization, especially with Henry. We really don't know anything about him--family, childhood, etc. We know he's a gay lawyer who has a bit of a drinking problem. I did like his vulnerability towards the end, even though the subtext was written into the story--he didn't pursue justice because he's a ruthless lawyer, he pursued it because he was heartbroken over his lover's death and needed to cope with the tools he already had.
I've already purchased the next book, Goldenboy, in hard copy used on Amazon, and I'm definitely hoping to learn more about this protagonist.
June 8, 2014
Although it is somewhat dated by being written in the 80's, this is still a compelling read. The MC is a disillusioned public defender who wants more but doesn't know more of what. He is openly gay, He meets Hugh in jail. He meets Hugh out of jail.
The premise of the book centers around Henry's involvement with Hugh. I did not feel the love there, but definitely felt the attraction. It may have been for Hugh. It may have been for Henry's lost values. It may have been that Hugh reminded Henry of a past love. Whatever the attraction it set Henry on a path of danger and mystery.
It was nothing as trivial as lust. Seeing him had precipitated this crisis because I had not been able to help him, though I wanted to.
I enjoyed the writing. Michael Nava knows how to capture the reader's interest.
There comes a point in the career of every criminal defense lawyer when he realizes that what keeps him in practice are his prejudices not his principles. Suspicion of authority and contempt for the platitudes with which injustice too often cloaks itself can take you a long way but, ultimately, they are no substitute for the simple faith that what you are doing is right. It came to me, as I sat there buried in papers, that I had lost that faith
And:
http://edinburghnapiernews.files.word...
Walking down Castro toward Market, Hugh reached over and took my hand. Self-consciously, I left it there. It perplexed me how sex with other men seemed natural to me but not the small physical gestures of affection and concern. What I remembered most clearly from my first sex with another man was the unepected tenderness. It disturbed me - disoriented me, I guess.
As I said this was written in the 80's so has a different feel than if it had been written today. Remember that as you read.
The mystery was a little convoluted but kept Henry moving. I liked Grant. There is sadness in this story and reality. Not a HEV but a realism that I appreciated.
The premise of the book centers around Henry's involvement with Hugh. I did not feel the love there, but definitely felt the attraction. It may have been for Hugh. It may have been for Henry's lost values. It may have been that Hugh reminded Henry of a past love. Whatever the attraction it set Henry on a path of danger and mystery.
It was nothing as trivial as lust. Seeing him had precipitated this crisis because I had not been able to help him, though I wanted to.
I enjoyed the writing. Michael Nava knows how to capture the reader's interest.
There comes a point in the career of every criminal defense lawyer when he realizes that what keeps him in practice are his prejudices not his principles. Suspicion of authority and contempt for the platitudes with which injustice too often cloaks itself can take you a long way but, ultimately, they are no substitute for the simple faith that what you are doing is right. It came to me, as I sat there buried in papers, that I had lost that faith
And:
http://edinburghnapiernews.files.word...
Walking down Castro toward Market, Hugh reached over and took my hand. Self-consciously, I left it there. It perplexed me how sex with other men seemed natural to me but not the small physical gestures of affection and concern. What I remembered most clearly from my first sex with another man was the unepected tenderness. It disturbed me - disoriented me, I guess.
As I said this was written in the 80's so has a different feel than if it had been written today. Remember that as you read.
The mystery was a little convoluted but kept Henry moving. I liked Grant. There is sadness in this story and reality. Not a HEV but a realism that I appreciated.
February 18, 2016
“The Little Death” is the first of seven books by Michael Nava in his Henry Rios series. They are in a genre of their own, starting here as 1980s San Francisco Peninsula legal noir. Rios is a perhaps burnt-out defense attorney led by circumstances to investigate the death of a candidate lover. The mystery turns on legal maneuvers, which makes it all the more interesting and distinct type of noir. Rios is gay, which is both incidental and central to his quest here for justice. For the squeamish, no need to worry: sex happens only off the page and rarely at that.
The strength of the book is in the legalese (definitely not noted as a criticism here) and the hard-boiled, finely drawn atmospherics--noir indeed.
I had three trivial quibbles: (1) a word is missing at the top of page 88: “...I told him, briefly, what [I] had learned...”; (2) a psychiatric attendant is reading a book, “The Other David,” which does not seem to exist and hard to place as needed here [96]; and (3) the two chances of his case [152] aren’t “fat and slim,” rather they’re “slim and none.” Small potatoes, indeed...
I’m looking forward to reading the next six books in the series.
The strength of the book is in the legalese (definitely not noted as a criticism here) and the hard-boiled, finely drawn atmospherics--noir indeed.
I had three trivial quibbles: (1) a word is missing at the top of page 88: “...I told him, briefly, what [I] had learned...”; (2) a psychiatric attendant is reading a book, “The Other David,” which does not seem to exist and hard to place as needed here [96]; and (3) the two chances of his case [152] aren’t “fat and slim,” rather they’re “slim and none.” Small potatoes, indeed...
I’m looking forward to reading the next six books in the series.
February 22, 2014
New author to me and what a great read and mystery where for 95% of the book I personally could not see how things could possibly work out. It could have been a full five stars but for the "legalese" jargon in the book that I had some difficulty with but as the author is/was a lawyer I can forgive him ;-)
The story concerns a lawyer Henry Rios who meets Hugh Paris and falls for the ex drug addict who believes he is a target to be murdered but of course nobody believes him because of his past. When his body turns up face down in a ditch filled with water the police put it down to drugs and an accidental drowning but Henry has doubts and so begins (for me) an "un-put-downable" read with Henry trying to unravel the reason for Hugh's death.
Excellent read and I look forward to reading more from this author
4.5 stars
The story concerns a lawyer Henry Rios who meets Hugh Paris and falls for the ex drug addict who believes he is a target to be murdered but of course nobody believes him because of his past. When his body turns up face down in a ditch filled with water the police put it down to drugs and an accidental drowning but Henry has doubts and so begins (for me) an "un-put-downable" read with Henry trying to unravel the reason for Hugh's death.
Excellent read and I look forward to reading more from this author
4.5 stars
January 13, 2026
I first discovered Michael Nava when he released the first of the Henry Rios series back in 1986 (I still have the original book!) Nava helped define the gay mystery of the day - but, I believe his Rios novels are timeless; The Little Death is short, but a tightly crafted mystery, haunting yet enjoyable read. Gay mystery readers will not be disappointed and I recommend you read all the Henry Rios novels...
September 25, 2014
Pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. A quick tale, impossible to put down, written very well. A gay lawyer protagonist was a first, it felt a bit like a gay John Grisham. I enjoyed the 1980's feel to the book, everyone smokes at their desk and the internet hasn't been invented. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Read
June 25, 2014Read this a long time ago. Might dig through my shelves (my actual shelves, ha!) and do a re-read someday.
December 21, 2022
I keep trying to remind myself that this was written in 1986 and take that into account, but it's not easy. It feels like we are reminded almost every page in the first third that Henry is gay. I've ready plenty of gay literature from many eras and this got to weird status. There are some questionable descriptions of people; my favorite is "A Chinese boy came flying by, black hair flapping like silk at the back of his head." I'm flummoxed why this sentence was in here at all; he doesn't appear again and has no bearing on anything. There's not quite enough build up of Hugh and Henry's romance, so all of Henry's grief feels empty.
Ugh, at least it completed my Read Harder challenge for 2022.
Ugh, at least it completed my Read Harder challenge for 2022.
April 11, 2025
A noiresque quasi-courtroom mystery (no actual courtroom stuff but the MC sleuth is a DA) in which a Latino lawyer falls for a rich-kid-turned-druggie/almost client, who then dies of an overdose, but the circumstances suggest it was actually murder. What follows is the MC’s search for the truth, which in turn unearths all sorts of secrets in the victim’s influential family and all sorts of cover-ups and betrayals result.
Noir is not my usual jam (I don’t love gritty), but I enjoyed the MC and the idea of Hammett-but-make-it-gay-and-Latino and a gorgeous twink as the femme fatale character.
Noir is not my usual jam (I don’t love gritty), but I enjoyed the MC and the idea of Hammett-but-make-it-gay-and-Latino and a gorgeous twink as the femme fatale character.
March 29, 2017
Superbly crafted and impeccably plotted, this was the first "gay" mystery I read back when I was trying to write my own first, The P'Town Murders. Only Nava's book is not so much a gay mystery as a mystery with gay characters, plenty of credible action and loads of genuine emotion. I made sure to take my cues there. Here, lawyer Henry Rios falls in love with Hugh Paris, an attractive refugee from a wealthy American family who struggles with addiction and claims that his powerful grandfather wants him dead. Along with Joseph Hansen's Dave Brandstetter mysteries, Nava's Henry Rios series is up there with the best in any category.
March 8, 2021
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