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Donald Strachey #3
Ice Blues
Someone's left a man's body in Donald Strachey's car -- the grandson of Albany's most connected political fixer. A letter from the deceased asks Strachey to dismantle his grandfather's party machine. Like a chess master, Strachey moves ten suitcases, an army of colorful pawns (all of whom think they're king), and $2.5 million across the continent and around Albany. One of the funniest in the series.
(Filmed for release by HereTV in 2008; originally published 1986.)
(Filmed for release by HereTV in 2008; originally published 1986.)
195 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2006
18 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Richard Stevenson
81 books142 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Richard Stevenson is the pseudonym of Richard Lipez, the author of nine books, including the Don Strachey private eye series. The Strachey books are being filmed by here!, the first gay television network. Lipez also co-wrote Grand Scam with Peter Stein, and contributed to Crimes of the Scene: A Mystery Novel Guide for the International Traveler. He is a mystery columnist for The Washington Post and a former editorial writer at The Berkshire Eagle. His reporting, reviews and fiction have appeared in The Boston Globe, Newsday, The Progressive, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's and many other publications. He grew up and went to college in Pennsylvania and served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1962-64. Lipez lives in Becket, Massachusetts and is married to sculptor Joe Wheaton.
Richard Stevenson is the pseudonym of Richard Lipez, the author of nine books, including the Don Strachey private eye series. The Strachey books are being filmed by here!, the first gay television network. Lipez also co-wrote Grand Scam with Peter Stein, and contributed to Crimes of the Scene: A Mystery Novel Guide for the International Traveler. He is a mystery columnist for The Washington Post and a former editorial writer at The Berkshire Eagle. His reporting, reviews and fiction have appeared in The Boston Globe, Newsday, The Progressive, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's and many other publications. He grew up and went to college in Pennsylvania and served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1962-64. Lipez lives in Becket, Massachusetts and is married to sculptor Joe Wheaton.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
October 24, 2020
“One of the funniest in the series,” the blurb says. I hope that’s not true, because the humor fell flat for me in this book.
I recognize that I was a difficult reader, my mood seriously impacted my reading experience of this installment and I struggled to finish it, but I doubt I would’ve loved it even under better circumstances.
I didn’t like the investigation and the way it was completely focused on the money. It seemed like all everybody, including and especially Don, cared about was the money,
I liked how it was finally used, but I’m frankly a little disgusted by the whole process. Don seemed to have gold fever, so much so that it felt out of character after a while, and he was so completely focused on the money he didn’t even raise any objections when
Add that to the fact that Don was a pain in the butt about the weather for the entire book and I can’t say I was his biggest fan. Timmy deserves an award for his patience, I really don’t know how he puts up with Don sometimes. Hopefully, by the fourth book, Summer will be back in Albany and Don will be back to his usual self. That’s still enough to test anybody’s patience, but at least it’s more entertaining than this version.
I recognize that I was a difficult reader, my mood seriously impacted my reading experience of this installment and I struggled to finish it, but I doubt I would’ve loved it even under better circumstances.
I didn’t like the investigation and the way it was completely focused on the money. It seemed like all everybody, including and especially Don, cared about was the money,
I liked how it was finally used, but I’m frankly a little disgusted by the whole process. Don seemed to have gold fever, so much so that it felt out of character after a while, and he was so completely focused on the money he didn’t even raise any objections when
Add that to the fact that Don was a pain in the butt about the weather for the entire book and I can’t say I was his biggest fan. Timmy deserves an award for his patience, I really don’t know how he puts up with Don sometimes. Hopefully, by the fourth book, Summer will be back in Albany and Don will be back to his usual self. That’s still enough to test anybody’s patience, but at least it’s more entertaining than this version.
January 7, 2019
I do love a snarky bastard, and Don Strachey is up there with the best of them. <3 He's not always easy to love - like when he's bemoaning his forced monogamy due to the AIDS crisis - but he keeps Detective Newman and the bad guys on their toes. Even when they think they have him where they want him, he's always one step ahead, if only just. Timmy is way too good for Donald. I honestly don't know why he puts up with half the stunts Don pulls in this one. He has way more patience than I would.
The case is kookier than ever, as Don finds himself unexpectedly neck deep in political intrigue, possible dope dealers and millions gone missing - all thanks to some dude he met once at a party. Which really is all the more reason not to go to parties and stay home with a good book, if you ask me. Poor Timmy is put through the wringer in this one, but I think I felt most sorry for the anonymous men and women at Don's call service. You know they gossip about him during their lunch hour! Watching Don scrambling to stay ahead of the game, and the ease with which he lies and schemes and snarks his way through one scene after another was a treat.
There were a bit more typos than I could put up with, especially in the last third of the book where "he" and "be" were constantly mixed up. There was also some punctuation misuse and so on.
The case is kookier than ever, as Don finds himself unexpectedly neck deep in political intrigue, possible dope dealers and millions gone missing - all thanks to some dude he met once at a party. Which really is all the more reason not to go to parties and stay home with a good book, if you ask me. Poor Timmy is put through the wringer in this one, but I think I felt most sorry for the anonymous men and women at Don's call service. You know they gossip about him during their lunch hour! Watching Don scrambling to stay ahead of the game, and the ease with which he lies and schemes and snarks his way through one scene after another was a treat.
There were a bit more typos than I could put up with, especially in the last third of the book where "he" and "be" were constantly mixed up. There was also some punctuation misuse and so on.
October 27, 2014
The third instalment of Donald Strachey Mystery was-considering the mystery probably the most
There were more suspects and persons who were not necessarily suspected but who were directly or indirectly involved in that case and that made a whole story a bit overcrowded for me.
The fact that I couldn't read it in one sitting -RL interruptions- in combination with a lot of participants made me scroll back to the previous pages to remind myself of WHO was WHO more often than normally.
It is the reason that prevented me from enjoying the third book in all its glory. That's a bit pity. But I swear, at 96% I still had no idea what was going on.
In spite of a frozen body hidden in a Dan's car + 5 mysterious suitcases with a lot of money + a thrilling plot with unexpected turns and twists, there were still a lot of hilarious moments that all included Donald, of course. His sense of humour, besides the good structured mystery, is the most important aspect of the series. And what exactly makes the first person's POV to a great read for me.
"Don is a loyal friend, a stimulating social companion, and a great fuck. It's just that he's sloppy around the house and unable to abide sloppiness outside it. As you can see, this makes life complicated for him—and for just about everybody who crosses his path."
(Timmy, Don's lover)
I have though to warn all romance junkies- if you want a tender love story with a smart badass PI in the main role, you should probably skip this series. Not that Don not a smart badass, he could win this title without a big effort. But it is not a romance. And there is almost as good as no sex in it. IT IS GAY MYSTERY. REALLY GOOD ONE.
Again, I can't believe that the book was already published in 1986!
It's so fresh, so modern, so up-to-date.
Highly recommended!
October 22, 2020
I enjoyed this one but not at the same level than the first two. Don't gloomy attitude about winter is funny just to a point... Then, we have that ending... really, Don, really?? You call yourself detective? ¬__¬ But despite everything, I had a good time, even better because BReadings makes everything better...
July 1, 2016
Richard Stevenson does not disappoint. This is one tightly packed mystery with my favorite gay private detective. Stevenson keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire way, tossing bits of new information here and there, along with excellent sleuthing to keep serious mystery lovers guessing. As usually, I love the banter between Strachey and his partner, who are so opposite each other - yet their relationship works and is wonderful; so real - and not the main feature of the story.
Though the book written two decades ago (and recently re-released), I'm so glad I picked up reading where I left off with book three. I'll certainly be looking forward to reading the #5 book in the series, as he's up to #9!
Though the book written two decades ago (and recently re-released), I'm so glad I picked up reading where I left off with book three. I'll certainly be looking forward to reading the #5 book in the series, as he's up to #9!
March 2, 2012
Solid entry in the Strachey series. It's pretty much got the same strengths and weaknesses as the previous two books; if you liked them you'll like this one, if you didn't, this isn't going to win you over.
Strengths-Strachey is as solid a character as ever, and his dry, acrebic wit keeps the story entertaining. Timmy has more to do here and is less of a piece of set decoration, but he's still a bit too Mary Sue. I get that he's meant to be Strachey's moral compass and the yin to his yang, but I still don't understand what holds the relationship of these polar opposites together. His antagonistic, prickly relationship with Detective Bowman is far more interesting than his romantic one.
Stevenson's idea to set the story against the background of an Albany winter, making winter almost a character in itself, works wonderfully and brings out the best one liners from Strachey. THe great use of setting lifts the writing here a notch or two above the previous books. Less witty is the double entendre of the title-referring to the winter timeline but also referring clichely to an evil character's ice blue eyes in the book.
Weaknesses-The plot is once again melodramatic and contrived, though not as much as the first two books. There are too many background characters which gets confusing. But-perhaps it's a waste to criticize a private eye novel for melodrama. Also, the story is terribly dated-this takes place at the start of the AIDS epidemic, and the way that has affected the characters, particularly Strachey's formally less than rigid views on monogamy, is interesting. There is also one hilarious reference to a character dreaming of owning a $1200 compact disc player.
Finally, what is UP with the cheap, horrible editing job on the Kindle editions of these books? Typos galore, and the text will suddenly turn into italics for pages on end for no reason. Very irritating.
Strengths-Strachey is as solid a character as ever, and his dry, acrebic wit keeps the story entertaining. Timmy has more to do here and is less of a piece of set decoration, but he's still a bit too Mary Sue. I get that he's meant to be Strachey's moral compass and the yin to his yang, but I still don't understand what holds the relationship of these polar opposites together. His antagonistic, prickly relationship with Detective Bowman is far more interesting than his romantic one.
Stevenson's idea to set the story against the background of an Albany winter, making winter almost a character in itself, works wonderfully and brings out the best one liners from Strachey. THe great use of setting lifts the writing here a notch or two above the previous books. Less witty is the double entendre of the title-referring to the winter timeline but also referring clichely to an evil character's ice blue eyes in the book.
Weaknesses-The plot is once again melodramatic and contrived, though not as much as the first two books. There are too many background characters which gets confusing. But-perhaps it's a waste to criticize a private eye novel for melodrama. Also, the story is terribly dated-this takes place at the start of the AIDS epidemic, and the way that has affected the characters, particularly Strachey's formally less than rigid views on monogamy, is interesting. There is also one hilarious reference to a character dreaming of owning a $1200 compact disc player.
Finally, what is UP with the cheap, horrible editing job on the Kindle editions of these books? Typos galore, and the text will suddenly turn into italics for pages on end for no reason. Very irritating.
December 20, 2020
Ice Blues covers not only how Donald Stratchy feels about winter, but life in general, until he goes to pick up his impounded car and finds a body inside. What follows is a fun, but strange, case of finding a murder and trying to complete the dead man's last wish. The mystery gained the 3 stars, but the author had much more fun with Don's relationship with Timmy in this one, which saved the book for me. Add the interesting time capsule element, and you have a solid, but not great book.
April 30, 2016
4.0 of 5 stars – Improved on an Already Entertaining Series.
I love gay mysteries and romances, and Richard Stevenson does a good job of combining both in one of the more entertaining such series. I liked this for the same reasons I liked each in the series. This third entry was even better than its predecessors and continued to build the story. With crisp, witty writing, it’s a good mystery, set in the energized post-Stonewall/early AIDS era, and brought to life by a colorful, hard-boiled yet likable PI, who just happens to be gay.
Stevenson’s style made this a light, entertaining and easy read, with a good plot, pace, tension and just enough details and clues to not slow down the action. I enjoyed the step back in time to the mid-‘80s. This was the kind of historical that, at the time, was written as a contemporary piece, capturing moments of what were then current situations and culture. Among the many time capsule tidbits I enjoyed were the clothes, dated technology, and political, high-spirited post-Stonewall and now early AIDS era. And for those interested, it worked well as a standalone, with its own self-contained mystery, while also further developing Strachey, his lover and other supporting characters in a way that created a storyline spanning across the series.
What engaged me the most with this story was the character of Don Strachey (who gave his first-person POV), and you’d probably have to like him to like this book. I grew to like him for all his skills, heart and humanness; and it was refreshing that he was not in shame of but was open about being gay. He was hard-boiled, cynically humorous with witty banter, and at times a little off-kilter, including some convenient ethics (to some: “arrogant and smugly presumptuous” and a “wise acre”). While Strachey was well drawn, the others were not as much. That might be expected with secondaries, but I wished for a little more with some. Thankfully, his lover was fleshed out a little more than previously, as was the bigoted, begrudging local police detective, who served as a nice foil and seemed more human now than stereotypical.
I appreciated that the main focus was on the mystery, with the gay aspect and any romance as a subplot. As Strachey put it in Book 2, ““I’m a PI, yes, and more or less coincidentally gay.” So, instead of being an m/m romance, there were actually two mysteries – a murder, and a missing $2.5 million. These mysteries were good and intriguing, getting off to a good, fast start and ending in a believable solution. Along the way, the investigation was more complex (but not too much) than the previous two, with some good clues and a plot that had several expected and unexpected twists and turns.
Mixed in with all this was a nice bonus of Strachey’s gay life, and I was pleased to see his relationship continuing with his lover, Timmy. It gave Stevenson the chance to explore (and for me to see) the further development of a relationship for Strachey. It’s an interesting one, reflecting the realities of such things, including working out what kind of a relationship, the struggles, temptations, understanding, and amusing banter between the two. And for those interested, any sex scenes were nicely built but discretely taken offscreen.
I continue to enjoy the stories that Stevenson weaves in this series, and I look forward to the next one.
I love gay mysteries and romances, and Richard Stevenson does a good job of combining both in one of the more entertaining such series. I liked this for the same reasons I liked each in the series. This third entry was even better than its predecessors and continued to build the story. With crisp, witty writing, it’s a good mystery, set in the energized post-Stonewall/early AIDS era, and brought to life by a colorful, hard-boiled yet likable PI, who just happens to be gay.
Stevenson’s style made this a light, entertaining and easy read, with a good plot, pace, tension and just enough details and clues to not slow down the action. I enjoyed the step back in time to the mid-‘80s. This was the kind of historical that, at the time, was written as a contemporary piece, capturing moments of what were then current situations and culture. Among the many time capsule tidbits I enjoyed were the clothes, dated technology, and political, high-spirited post-Stonewall and now early AIDS era. And for those interested, it worked well as a standalone, with its own self-contained mystery, while also further developing Strachey, his lover and other supporting characters in a way that created a storyline spanning across the series.
What engaged me the most with this story was the character of Don Strachey (who gave his first-person POV), and you’d probably have to like him to like this book. I grew to like him for all his skills, heart and humanness; and it was refreshing that he was not in shame of but was open about being gay. He was hard-boiled, cynically humorous with witty banter, and at times a little off-kilter, including some convenient ethics (to some: “arrogant and smugly presumptuous” and a “wise acre”). While Strachey was well drawn, the others were not as much. That might be expected with secondaries, but I wished for a little more with some. Thankfully, his lover was fleshed out a little more than previously, as was the bigoted, begrudging local police detective, who served as a nice foil and seemed more human now than stereotypical.
I appreciated that the main focus was on the mystery, with the gay aspect and any romance as a subplot. As Strachey put it in Book 2, ““I’m a PI, yes, and more or less coincidentally gay.” So, instead of being an m/m romance, there were actually two mysteries – a murder, and a missing $2.5 million. These mysteries were good and intriguing, getting off to a good, fast start and ending in a believable solution. Along the way, the investigation was more complex (but not too much) than the previous two, with some good clues and a plot that had several expected and unexpected twists and turns.
Mixed in with all this was a nice bonus of Strachey’s gay life, and I was pleased to see his relationship continuing with his lover, Timmy. It gave Stevenson the chance to explore (and for me to see) the further development of a relationship for Strachey. It’s an interesting one, reflecting the realities of such things, including working out what kind of a relationship, the struggles, temptations, understanding, and amusing banter between the two. And for those interested, any sex scenes were nicely built but discretely taken offscreen.
I continue to enjoy the stories that Stevenson weaves in this series, and I look forward to the next one.
March 24, 2009
I'm a little disappointed, because Ice Blues is one of the more humorous novels of the series, but it is also has the most outrageous and out-of-character development ever. Ice Blues deals with politic intrigue more heavy-handed than Strachey's Folly and it was sort of impossible for me to suspend belief in order to accept Donald's actions and what drove him - or any of the character's acceptance of them. (So in Ice Blues, I couldn't find Donald's actions and motive believable and in Strachey's Folly I couldn't understand the point of one of the character's motive and actions.)
June 20, 2015
This is the in the Donald Strachey mysteries and we find our intrepid PI trying to stay warm in the cold Albany winter.Donald hates the cold, a complaint that Tim is tired of hearing.If tbat's not enough,Donald car is towed and while paying the fine,Donald goes to check his car he finds a body in the back seat.Checking the pockets of the stiff,he recognizes the name of the man in his wallet.The man was badly beaten and Donald calls the homophobic homicide detective he's dealt with in the past to report the murder.I really dislike Detective Bowman,his homophobic rants are sickening,this is one character that though true in some aspects,becomes trite and foolish once he comes on the scene.Nevertheless,the story is filled with political intrigue,and we find there was more to the murder victim than what we thought.I like this book and there is plenty of Tim (which is always a good thing) and we get confirmation that Donald has finally become monogamous.Possibly his monogamy is because of the AIDS virus,I don't care, I just love Don & Tim! This again is a highly recommended series!
April 4, 2016
Ah, glorious Northeast winters. I understand Don's dismal attitude. He should really follow his daydreams about fleeing south (and stay there).
It's interesting to track Don's progress through the 80s. I'm enjoying his colorful commentary.
I am thoroughly enjoying these books. Assuming they continue on as they have been going--good humor, strong mysteries, fun characters--I feel like they're the kind of books that I'll largely score with 4.25 and 4.5 but the overall series will end up a 5.
And . If only!!
It's interesting to track Don's progress through the 80s. I'm enjoying his colorful commentary.
I am thoroughly enjoying these books. Assuming they continue on as they have been going--good humor, strong mysteries, fun characters--I feel like they're the kind of books that I'll largely score with 4.25 and 4.5 but the overall series will end up a 5.
And . If only!!
January 30, 2008
I've read all of Stevenson's Strachey mysteries and highly recommend them.
May 2, 2018
Hmm, still really liking the series - so interesting spending some fictional time in the early '80s.
June 20, 2018
Another enjoyable read.
But the editing was terrible!
But the editing was terrible!
November 24, 2019
I enjoyed
On the Other Hand, Death
so much that I went on immediately to this, the third book in the Donald Strachey murder mysteries, starring a gay private investigator in early 1980s upstate New York. And it was a very good choice, proving just as compulsively readable as its predecessor. The interesting historical (now; it was originally contemporary) detail also continues: Ice Blues was published in 1987, and unlike the previous two books, here AIDS has begun to have its devastating impact on the gay community. A death caused by AIDS, in fact, becomes a major driver of the plot.
Said plot starts with a bang: one winter evening, Don's car is towed to make way for the snow plows. When he arrives at the city lot a few hours later to pick up his car, there's a dead body in the trunk. It turns out that Don once met the dead guy at a party, and – more shockingly – the dead guy has left him $2.5 million dollars in cash, hidden in a few suitcases currently on their way to Albany from L.A. There's also a letter instructing Don to use the money to clean up the corrupt city government.
Which leads to a lot of questions: who killed him? Are the people who did it now trying to kill Don? (Spoiler: yes.) Why did he leave the money to Don? And most importantly, where did the money even come from – the dead guy's former drug associates? His grandfather, who was a central part of said corrupt government? The unknown and possibly imaginary man in L.A. whose will legitimized the money?
Ice Blues continues the welcome trend of fleshing out the side characters in this series, and I particularly loved the role Timmy got to play here. (The best kind of melodrama!) Brutal winter weather is a constant throughout the book, and I felt a lot of empathy with Don's plans to decamp for somewhere tropical. On the other hand, I'd expected there to be more about what the rise of AIDS meant to this community and these characters, but well... Stevenson is going hard for that hard-boiled style, so I can't expect anyone to talk about their feelings. However much I might want them to.
As a side note: I read this as an ebook, and some editor or publisher or whoever has done a terrible job transferring it from the print edition. Weird breaks in the middle of paragraphs, random italics, and typos on nearly every page. If that kind of thing renders a book unreadable for you, you might want to put in the effort of chasing down the original print books.
Said plot starts with a bang: one winter evening, Don's car is towed to make way for the snow plows. When he arrives at the city lot a few hours later to pick up his car, there's a dead body in the trunk. It turns out that Don once met the dead guy at a party, and – more shockingly – the dead guy has left him $2.5 million dollars in cash, hidden in a few suitcases currently on their way to Albany from L.A. There's also a letter instructing Don to use the money to clean up the corrupt city government.
Which leads to a lot of questions: who killed him? Are the people who did it now trying to kill Don? (Spoiler: yes.) Why did he leave the money to Don? And most importantly, where did the money even come from – the dead guy's former drug associates? His grandfather, who was a central part of said corrupt government? The unknown and possibly imaginary man in L.A. whose will legitimized the money?
Ice Blues continues the welcome trend of fleshing out the side characters in this series, and I particularly loved the role Timmy got to play here. (The best kind of melodrama!) Brutal winter weather is a constant throughout the book, and I felt a lot of empathy with Don's plans to decamp for somewhere tropical. On the other hand, I'd expected there to be more about what the rise of AIDS meant to this community and these characters, but well... Stevenson is going hard for that hard-boiled style, so I can't expect anyone to talk about their feelings. However much I might want them to.
As a side note: I read this as an ebook, and some editor or publisher or whoever has done a terrible job transferring it from the print edition. Weird breaks in the middle of paragraphs, random italics, and typos on nearly every page. If that kind of thing renders a book unreadable for you, you might want to put in the effort of chasing down the original print books.
December 27, 2023
4 stars
This series has murder investigations as its main plot, yet each story ends in a way that is more emotional comforting than depressing. Whether it’s contending with homophobic law enforcers, politicians, or capitalists, you can always trust Don to kick their bigoted asses and come out of it with some gains for his fellow queers. One can only imagine it must have been one hell of a gesture of defiance and resistance when first published in the early 1980s.
The mystery in this episode revolved around the corrupt political system of Albany in the 80s, a topic that I'm not typically interested in reading, but Stevenson still gripped me with his tight and well-paced plot. As for the romance aspect, he once again addressed the other layer of tension in Don and Timmy's relationship—their dispute over whether immoral means can be justified by a moral end. Timmy, ever the principled soul, occasionally felt exasperated but consistently served as Don's moral compass. So we got the 'opposites attract and complete one another' trope here, but it was done deftly without turning the righteous party into a condescending asshole, as is often the case in typical m/m reads.
And do remember this is not a genre romance. While these two do have sex once in a while, they happen almost entirely off-page. However, in this book, Stevenson treated us with a very lovely interpretation of the significance of sexual intimacy in their relationship:
Overall, this is a very entertaining and comforting read. I'm saving the rest of this series as palate cleansers for later.
*The constant misspellings (mistaking h with b) caused by OCR errors in the second half of the book were annoying AF.
This series has murder investigations as its main plot, yet each story ends in a way that is more emotional comforting than depressing. Whether it’s contending with homophobic law enforcers, politicians, or capitalists, you can always trust Don to kick their bigoted asses and come out of it with some gains for his fellow queers. One can only imagine it must have been one hell of a gesture of defiance and resistance when first published in the early 1980s.
The mystery in this episode revolved around the corrupt political system of Albany in the 80s, a topic that I'm not typically interested in reading, but Stevenson still gripped me with his tight and well-paced plot. As for the romance aspect, he once again addressed the other layer of tension in Don and Timmy's relationship—their dispute over whether immoral means can be justified by a moral end. Timmy, ever the principled soul, occasionally felt exasperated but consistently served as Don's moral compass. So we got the 'opposites attract and complete one another' trope here, but it was done deftly without turning the righteous party into a condescending asshole, as is often the case in typical m/m reads.
And do remember this is not a genre romance. While these two do have sex once in a while, they happen almost entirely off-page. However, in this book, Stevenson treated us with a very lovely interpretation of the significance of sexual intimacy in their relationship:
We sometimes went our separate emotional and philosophical ways, but we always remembered one place where the twain met, and this handy and inherently satisfying way of connecting served to remind us of all the other lovely ways we had of connecting, usually.
Stevenson, Richard. Ice Blues (A Donald Strachey Mystery Book 3) (p. 157). ReQueered Tales. Kindle Edition.
Overall, this is a very entertaining and comforting read. I'm saving the rest of this series as palate cleansers for later.
*The constant misspellings (mistaking h with b) caused by OCR errors in the second half of the book were annoying AF.
January 1, 2023
Detective Donald Strachey discovers a dead body in the back seat of his car at the very beginning of Ice Blues. His plan to let the police take care of it is thwarted almost immediately when he gets an anonymous phone call that indicates that he is supposed to know more about this corpse than he really does. So he leaps into PI mode and has to figure out who this man was, how he got into his car, why someone wanted him dead, who killed him, and why Strachey has wound up in the middle of all of this. It's a neat, twisty, suspenseful tale that takes our hero from a very frigid and snowy Albany winter (Albany, NY is his home base) to West Hollywood and back. The supporting cast of characters is compelling as always in a Richard Stevenson novel, and the socio-cultural-political backdrop and commentary is rich and dark, taking aim at the then-new AIDS crisis (Ice Blues was written in 1986), political corruption, and institutionalized homophobia.
The ride is not quite as fun as the two previous Strachey stories; I think the specter of AIDS put a damper on the author's good spirits (rightfully so). I don't quite get the relationship that Don has with his boyfriend Timmy; we don't see in this book much evidence of the deep love that I imagined they share for one another. Curious to see how that develops in the next book, which I am looking forward to reading soon.
So, four stars instead of five, but it's a worthwhile book with a compelling mystery at its center.
The ride is not quite as fun as the two previous Strachey stories; I think the specter of AIDS put a damper on the author's good spirits (rightfully so). I don't quite get the relationship that Don has with his boyfriend Timmy; we don't see in this book much evidence of the deep love that I imagined they share for one another. Curious to see how that develops in the next book, which I am looking forward to reading soon.
So, four stars instead of five, but it's a worthwhile book with a compelling mystery at its center.
January 15, 2023
When we're falling all over ourselves with woke correctness, I loved this book for no other reason than it was crude, rude, and delightful. How cops talk and how the straight/gay world talk to each other was well-worth some of the minor dips in the plot. I can't find most of Stevenson's books used and my library is too proper to have bought them when they came out. Probably because there weren't any gays in the neighborhood - ha!
The whole book is yin/yang in my mind - Don and Timmy, good cops/bad cops, corruption vs idealism, poverty vs wealth, law vs disorder, cultural bias and hypocrisy vs political movements that matter, gay/straight, laughing out loud and quiet considerations. It's all there - the best and worst of human beings, society, and politics. All set in the frozen north - what more can you ask for?
I wish I'd found Richard Stevenson's books sooner. He's some writer!
The whole book is yin/yang in my mind - Don and Timmy, good cops/bad cops, corruption vs idealism, poverty vs wealth, law vs disorder, cultural bias and hypocrisy vs political movements that matter, gay/straight, laughing out loud and quiet considerations. It's all there - the best and worst of human beings, society, and politics. All set in the frozen north - what more can you ask for?
I wish I'd found Richard Stevenson's books sooner. He's some writer!
March 3, 2023
The major strength of this series is its main character, plus his antagonism with the sometime antagonist/sometime ally police detective. It can always be relied on for laughs, which is no small feat, and at times it's very witty. Where it falls down is the uneven plots, which can be incredibly engaging or just unbearably boring. When it's good, it's great. When it's bad, it's terrible. Although character development isn't really "required" in this genre, as a reader I do prefer more than I'm offered here, mostly because there's so much potential with Don and Timmy and so on, but they always seem so static, or as if years have gone by and I've missed out on everything important that's happened to them over that time period. I think I will return to this series, but I don't want to feel like I'm forcing myself to read.
July 19, 2023
Don Strachey is a hard-boiled private detective in the era of the height of aids. You get the feel of a Sam Spade mystery. But there is never a dull moment with his wicked sarcasm and dry wit. It becomes full entertainment just waiting to see what remarks comes next. Yes, he can be a bastard at times, and I still wonder why Timmy still loves him. Total opposites, but it works.
This story is all about the craziness of the mystery. Who killed and placed the body in Don’s car. And then there was all that money, that really drives Don onwards with the mystery. I have to say, my favorite part is when Don and Timmy check into the Golden Grapefruit motel. I was laughing so hard.
Book would have been a five star review, but there is a lot of typos. Where “but” was “hut”, and “be” was “he”. This occurred many times. But overall I loved the story!
This story is all about the craziness of the mystery. Who killed and placed the body in Don’s car. And then there was all that money, that really drives Don onwards with the mystery. I have to say, my favorite part is when Don and Timmy check into the Golden Grapefruit motel. I was laughing so hard.
Book would have been a five star review, but there is a lot of typos. Where “but” was “hut”, and “be” was “he”. This occurred many times. But overall I loved the story!
July 18, 2017
Another great book in the series, it hits you hard in the beginning. There's a dead body in the trunk! And then has you flipping pages quickly until the end.
It seems to be standard in these books, at least in 1, 2 and now 3, that there will be too many sub-characters and the wrap-up won't make a lot of sense. After reading book 2 I watched the movie version and they cleared that up, I expect the same will happen here when I watch this movie.
An extra bonus was reading this in the summer humidity. The book is set in a long cold winter and the many descriptions of freezing cold were nice for me.
Still enjoying the series, immediately started the next one.
It seems to be standard in these books, at least in 1, 2 and now 3, that there will be too many sub-characters and the wrap-up won't make a lot of sense. After reading book 2 I watched the movie version and they cleared that up, I expect the same will happen here when I watch this movie.
An extra bonus was reading this in the summer humidity. The book is set in a long cold winter and the many descriptions of freezing cold were nice for me.
Still enjoying the series, immediately started the next one.
October 20, 2017
** 3.5 Stars **
June 24, 2019
As my first Donald Strachey Mystery and my first LGBT Mystery overall, it is a good read, a worthy re-read.
Read
January 14, 2020Okay book. I read this one many years ago so I don't recall too much about it other than I enjoyed it.
January 16, 2025
Albany, Upstate New York, frostige Januartage Mitte der achtziger Jahre (sowie eine Zwischenlandung im etwas wärmeren Los Angeles). Genre: Privatdetektiv-Krimi, schwuler Schnüffler ermittelt im Interesse eines schwulen Opfers.
Richard Stevenson, der eigentlich Richard Lipez hieß, ist ein weißer, schwuler Mann aus dem Nord-Osten der USA gewesen, dessen Detektivromane um den schwulen Privatdetektiv Donald Strachey in den achtziger Jahren noch so neu und erfolgreich waren, dass fünf von den ersten sechs Fällen sogar als deutsche Taschenbücher gedruckt wurden. Es kamen danach noch viel mehr, aber die und die Fernsehserie um den smarten Detektiv haben Deutschland nie mehr erreicht. Auch die frühen Knaur-Taschenbücher, dies hier ist eines (- und es hieß in Deutschland, es sei extra gesagt, weil die hier aufgelisteten Editions es nicht zeigen, "Winter Blues", also nicht "Ice Blues" -), sind längst vergriffen und nur noch antiquarisch im Internet zu bestellen.
Hier haben wir es mit Stracheys drittem Auftritt zu tun. Es war allerdings das erste Buch, das ich las, sodass mir dieser Schnüffler da noch zu machomäßig unterwegs schien und die Geschichte sehr mit allerlei Figuren, Vorgeschichten und (zumindest scheinbar) unglaublichen Motiven vollgestellt. Inzwischen würde ich den dritten Fall noch immer schwächer als die ersten beiden, den zweiten als den besten Roman der in deutscher Version zugänglichen bezeichnen.
Strachey und sein Freund Tim leben in der Hauptstadt vom Staat New York, die (sicher zur Überraschung vieler deutscher Leser) nicht Sinatra oder Buffalo heißt, sondern Albany. Man hat also ein Parlament, schöne alte Häuser des Bürgertums und schöne Parkanlagen, zum Teil auch für schwule Belange, dennoch, diesen Eindruck erweckt jedenfalls der notorisch links-liberale Stevenson, handelt es sich um ein ziemliches Nest mit einer politisch arg verfilzten, stramm rechten Elite aus Kommunalpolitikern, homophober Kriminalpolizei und mehr oder weniger korrupten Gewerkschaftsführern. In diesem Buch muss sich Strachey auch noch mit dem reaktionären Polizisten Ned Bowman herumärgern, der ihn, wegen seiner sexuellen Polung, am liebsten überführen und inhaftieren würde. Bowman ist in den folgenden Abenteuern ziemlich bald durch kollegialere Bullen ersetzt wurden. (Womit etwas vom Marlowe-Wiedererkennungswert für Chandler-Leser verlustig ging, aber natürlich gibt es da kaum einen Zweifel: Gummischuh Strachey stammt von der kalifornischen Hard-Boiled-Schule ab – und somit auch vom schwulen Versicherungsdetektiv Brandstetter aus der Feder Joseph Hansens. All das hat sich in den nächsten Jahrzehnten so x-fach geclonet und verzweigt, dass man fast vergisst, es zu erwähnen. Aber damals war es frisch!)
Man kann zuschauen, wie dieser Detektiv nicht nur mit seinen Zähnen klappert, weil man ihm im eisigen Winter sein Auto abgeschleppt hat und den erträumten Bermuda-Urlaub verhagelt, sondern auch, wie ein Autor Richard Stevenson, der vor ein paar Jahren seinen hedonistischen Playboy der Spät-Disco-Ära ins Rennen geschickt hatte, sich notgedrungen aufs Thema Aids einzustellen sucht, ohne es gleich zu verbraten. Dons Sexszene steht im ersten Buch, hier gibt es keine. Er muss immer noch so toll sein, dass er allseits angemacht wird, aber er bleibt eisern monogam und mit seinem, lieben, etwas zu lieben und langweiligen, Timmy zusammen. Stevenson selbst brachte es übrigens auf 83 Jahre und 16 Strachey-Romane; er starb an Krebs im Jahr 2022.
Don wird in eine verschmuddelte Familien-Clan-Affäre hineingezogen. Der Mord kommt erst später. Ein Schwuler, den er allenfalls flüchtig und von einer Party im Vorjahr kennt, hat ihn zu einem nächtlichen Treffen gebeten, bei dem er ihm Beweismaterial zuspielen will. Der Mann ist nicht da und dann auch nicht mehr Dons Wagen, weil der Mann tot darin lag und die Polizei schneller kam. Am nächsten Tag trifft ein Brief ein, in dem angedeutet wird, der Ermordete habe irgendwem ein Vermögen abgeluchst, um es einem „Projekt“ zuzuschanzen, das auch in Dons Interesse sei, gewisse Leute aber fertig machen werde. Ist das eine Anspielung auf die Homosexualität oder auf Dons Kleinkrieg mit der Stadtverwaltung und der Polizei?
Mit der Zeit sieht es immer mehr nach unterschlagenen Mafia-Geldern aus und man beginnt sich zu fragen, inwiefern so ein „letzter aufrechter Einzelkämpfer“ gegen die großen Unternehmen des späten 20. Jahrhunderts halbwegs glaubhaft aufkommen soll. Andererseits müssen wir zur Kenntnis nehmen, dass Jack Lenihan, das Mordopfer, nicht die einzige Homo-Person in der Lanihan-Familie war, die ansonsten einen bemerkenswert hohen Anteil an Vorbestraften, Vergewaltigern, Alkoholikern und politischen Dunkelmännern vorzuzeigen hat. Oder geht’s nur um die Alibi-Lesben, die Stevenson von nun an in jeden seiner Bücher aus Gründen der P.C. offenbar drin haben musste?
Richard Stevenson, der eigentlich Richard Lipez hieß, ist ein weißer, schwuler Mann aus dem Nord-Osten der USA gewesen, dessen Detektivromane um den schwulen Privatdetektiv Donald Strachey in den achtziger Jahren noch so neu und erfolgreich waren, dass fünf von den ersten sechs Fällen sogar als deutsche Taschenbücher gedruckt wurden. Es kamen danach noch viel mehr, aber die und die Fernsehserie um den smarten Detektiv haben Deutschland nie mehr erreicht. Auch die frühen Knaur-Taschenbücher, dies hier ist eines (- und es hieß in Deutschland, es sei extra gesagt, weil die hier aufgelisteten Editions es nicht zeigen, "Winter Blues", also nicht "Ice Blues" -), sind längst vergriffen und nur noch antiquarisch im Internet zu bestellen.
Hier haben wir es mit Stracheys drittem Auftritt zu tun. Es war allerdings das erste Buch, das ich las, sodass mir dieser Schnüffler da noch zu machomäßig unterwegs schien und die Geschichte sehr mit allerlei Figuren, Vorgeschichten und (zumindest scheinbar) unglaublichen Motiven vollgestellt. Inzwischen würde ich den dritten Fall noch immer schwächer als die ersten beiden, den zweiten als den besten Roman der in deutscher Version zugänglichen bezeichnen.
Strachey und sein Freund Tim leben in der Hauptstadt vom Staat New York, die (sicher zur Überraschung vieler deutscher Leser) nicht Sinatra oder Buffalo heißt, sondern Albany. Man hat also ein Parlament, schöne alte Häuser des Bürgertums und schöne Parkanlagen, zum Teil auch für schwule Belange, dennoch, diesen Eindruck erweckt jedenfalls der notorisch links-liberale Stevenson, handelt es sich um ein ziemliches Nest mit einer politisch arg verfilzten, stramm rechten Elite aus Kommunalpolitikern, homophober Kriminalpolizei und mehr oder weniger korrupten Gewerkschaftsführern. In diesem Buch muss sich Strachey auch noch mit dem reaktionären Polizisten Ned Bowman herumärgern, der ihn, wegen seiner sexuellen Polung, am liebsten überführen und inhaftieren würde. Bowman ist in den folgenden Abenteuern ziemlich bald durch kollegialere Bullen ersetzt wurden. (Womit etwas vom Marlowe-Wiedererkennungswert für Chandler-Leser verlustig ging, aber natürlich gibt es da kaum einen Zweifel: Gummischuh Strachey stammt von der kalifornischen Hard-Boiled-Schule ab – und somit auch vom schwulen Versicherungsdetektiv Brandstetter aus der Feder Joseph Hansens. All das hat sich in den nächsten Jahrzehnten so x-fach geclonet und verzweigt, dass man fast vergisst, es zu erwähnen. Aber damals war es frisch!)
Man kann zuschauen, wie dieser Detektiv nicht nur mit seinen Zähnen klappert, weil man ihm im eisigen Winter sein Auto abgeschleppt hat und den erträumten Bermuda-Urlaub verhagelt, sondern auch, wie ein Autor Richard Stevenson, der vor ein paar Jahren seinen hedonistischen Playboy der Spät-Disco-Ära ins Rennen geschickt hatte, sich notgedrungen aufs Thema Aids einzustellen sucht, ohne es gleich zu verbraten. Dons Sexszene steht im ersten Buch, hier gibt es keine. Er muss immer noch so toll sein, dass er allseits angemacht wird, aber er bleibt eisern monogam und mit seinem, lieben, etwas zu lieben und langweiligen, Timmy zusammen. Stevenson selbst brachte es übrigens auf 83 Jahre und 16 Strachey-Romane; er starb an Krebs im Jahr 2022.
Don wird in eine verschmuddelte Familien-Clan-Affäre hineingezogen. Der Mord kommt erst später. Ein Schwuler, den er allenfalls flüchtig und von einer Party im Vorjahr kennt, hat ihn zu einem nächtlichen Treffen gebeten, bei dem er ihm Beweismaterial zuspielen will. Der Mann ist nicht da und dann auch nicht mehr Dons Wagen, weil der Mann tot darin lag und die Polizei schneller kam. Am nächsten Tag trifft ein Brief ein, in dem angedeutet wird, der Ermordete habe irgendwem ein Vermögen abgeluchst, um es einem „Projekt“ zuzuschanzen, das auch in Dons Interesse sei, gewisse Leute aber fertig machen werde. Ist das eine Anspielung auf die Homosexualität oder auf Dons Kleinkrieg mit der Stadtverwaltung und der Polizei?
Mit der Zeit sieht es immer mehr nach unterschlagenen Mafia-Geldern aus und man beginnt sich zu fragen, inwiefern so ein „letzter aufrechter Einzelkämpfer“ gegen die großen Unternehmen des späten 20. Jahrhunderts halbwegs glaubhaft aufkommen soll. Andererseits müssen wir zur Kenntnis nehmen, dass Jack Lenihan, das Mordopfer, nicht die einzige Homo-Person in der Lanihan-Familie war, die ansonsten einen bemerkenswert hohen Anteil an Vorbestraften, Vergewaltigern, Alkoholikern und politischen Dunkelmännern vorzuzeigen hat. Oder geht’s nur um die Alibi-Lesben, die Stevenson von nun an in jeden seiner Bücher aus Gründen der P.C. offenbar drin haben musste?
September 6, 2016
Okay, so this is a difficult one to rate.
I accidentally started with this one instead of book #1, but from my experience and from what I read you can pretty much start anywhere in this series.
The mystery was solid and interesting, the detective work nice and old school, so the book did score on this part. It didn't quite grip me though. I wanted to see it solved, but I wasn't in a state where I couldn't put it down.
Now my main problem with this book (and also with another of the series I've started) is the emotionless characters. This is especially true for Donalds personal relationships.
Now - I didn't expect a romance, because I already knew this isn't a romance book which is even part the reason I started reading this. Because I wanted a good mystery with a background relationship instead of a focus on this relationship.
BUT that does not mean I don't the main character to have emotions. And this is what it felt like to me. Donald's relationship with Timmy is described very impersonal and in most situations (also outside this relationship) you barely get a glimpse at what Donald feels.
I mean, come one, when
Maybe that's just how this wrtining style is. Less personal, less focused on the people and all that. But I cannot really get into a book series when I don't care about the characters and I cannot care about the characters when it feels like those characters themselves don't care.
And it's a pity, because the characters seem like they might have interesting personalities. It just feels like this personality is not quite shown to the reader.
But maybe that's just me. Mystery wise it's still a solid book, but I don't think I'll read much more of this series, sadly. :(
I accidentally started with this one instead of book #1, but from my experience and from what I read you can pretty much start anywhere in this series.
The mystery was solid and interesting, the detective work nice and old school, so the book did score on this part. It didn't quite grip me though. I wanted to see it solved, but I wasn't in a state where I couldn't put it down.
Now my main problem with this book (and also with another of the series I've started) is the emotionless characters. This is especially true for Donalds personal relationships.
Now - I didn't expect a romance, because I already knew this isn't a romance book which is even part the reason I started reading this. Because I wanted a good mystery with a background relationship instead of a focus on this relationship.
BUT that does not mean I don't the main character to have emotions. And this is what it felt like to me. Donald's relationship with Timmy is described very impersonal and in most situations (also outside this relationship) you barely get a glimpse at what Donald feels.
I mean, come one, when
Maybe that's just how this wrtining style is. Less personal, less focused on the people and all that. But I cannot really get into a book series when I don't care about the characters and I cannot care about the characters when it feels like those characters themselves don't care.
And it's a pity, because the characters seem like they might have interesting personalities. It just feels like this personality is not quite shown to the reader.
But maybe that's just me. Mystery wise it's still a solid book, but I don't think I'll read much more of this series, sadly. :(
July 17, 2007
After 20 pages I had to concede defeat, but I didn't want to. After 30 pages I was so bored I started reading my crappy old CSS hand-outs instead.
There are 200 pages. And half a dozen books in this series. Unheard of of me, I started with the third, because people agreed it focussed most on the relationship between Donald and Timothy - except what there is is so little, and not written like two distinct voices or anything.
Still hoping though ...
It picked up a bit when boyfriend Timmy and Kyle Toot were around, but to throw in that the female was raped in ONE SINGLE LINE AT THE VERY END was cheapest, trashiest crap writing - one suspest something like that anyway, but after having found enough other reasons for her to run away, and hearing about her hellish life, to add that is just so ... chauvinist? Male?
PS: Don (and Timmy) are closer to 50 than 40, Don looking like an aged Tom Selleck (the author himself sports a moustache/beardie), rather different to the series. There is no actual sex, just a single word here or there alluding to them being a couple, and that's mostly regret about not being able to fuck every single comely man Don sees *shrugs*
There are 200 pages. And half a dozen books in this series. Unheard of of me, I started with the third, because people agreed it focussed most on the relationship between Donald and Timothy - except what there is is so little, and not written like two distinct voices or anything.
Still hoping though ...
It picked up a bit when boyfriend Timmy and Kyle Toot were around, but to throw in that the female was raped in ONE SINGLE LINE AT THE VERY END was cheapest, trashiest crap writing - one suspest something like that anyway, but after having found enough other reasons for her to run away, and hearing about her hellish life, to add that is just so ... chauvinist? Male?
PS: Don (and Timmy) are closer to 50 than 40, Don looking like an aged Tom Selleck (the author himself sports a moustache/beardie), rather different to the series. There is no actual sex, just a single word here or there alluding to them being a couple, and that's mostly regret about not being able to fuck every single comely man Don sees *shrugs*
August 15, 2011
I was watching part of this movie on Logo the other night, and I found the rest of it on Netflix, which I have yet to finish, so when I saw the book was only $5 on Kindle I thought I'd try it (not that I need to explain why I read a book but I already typed this out so whatever). My main complaint was the cheap ebook, huge sections were in italics for no reason, and there were really basic spelling errors from the transition, which was very annoying. Overall, it was a decent story, the atmosphere of corruption in Albany and attitudes of a gay man at the height of the AIDS crisis were more compelling than the mystery, which was fine but not particularly suspenseful. I would read more by this author, the writing is good enough to make these fun summer mysteries. Though this book has been saddled with a horrible erotica cover that in no way expresses the tone of the book, which includes some interesting musing on the role of the private citizen in the corrupt political machine, to overstate the case a little bit, but not a lot.
January 19, 2016
((Read in 2009, reread for a challenge in January 2016))
In the third book of the series the mystery is even more convoluted, the banter between Don and Tim is as good as usual, the writing still excellent. An extra MC is the winter in Albany, which is also the pretext for many caustic puns and some whining from Don.
I feel very melancholic thinking about Jack Lenihan and his plan for . I admit one might need a suspension of disbelief to this regard. But this wasn't a problem for me.
In the third book of the series the mystery is even more convoluted, the banter between Don and Tim is as good as usual, the writing still excellent. An extra MC is the winter in Albany, which is also the pretext for many caustic puns and some whining from Don.
I feel very melancholic thinking about Jack Lenihan and his plan for . I admit one might need a suspension of disbelief to this regard. But this wasn't a problem for me.
July 4, 2007
I'm going thru the series rapidly. Everybody's looking for the money, Jack Lenihan, supposedly wanted to give to the political candidate that would go along his view of change. 2 millions dollars is a lot of money to travel in suitcases. When Lenihan is found murdered in Donald Strachey's car, the chase for the killer, the money and where the money came from starts. Fun, a little slow to get going with the plot but it does pay off in the ends. Third book in the series.
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