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A Luke Tanner Mystery #1
The Case of the Missing Drag Queen
A Luke Tanner Mystery
Broke, saddled with a mountain of debt, and dependent on his Aunt Callie's support, aspiring writer Luke Tanner has returned to Kentucky to put his life back together after a failed five-year relationship.
On his twenty-fifth birthday, Luke meets diminutive Pixie Wilder, a long-time performer at the Gilded Lily. After headliner Ruby Dubonnet doesn’t show up, Pixie takes her place as the star of the show—a motive that makes her a suspect in Ruby’s disappearance.
Luke reluctantly agrees to help his newfound friend clear her name. He and Pixie set out to find the missing drag queen, and in the process, put themselves in danger.
Broke, saddled with a mountain of debt, and dependent on his Aunt Callie's support, aspiring writer Luke Tanner has returned to Kentucky to put his life back together after a failed five-year relationship.
On his twenty-fifth birthday, Luke meets diminutive Pixie Wilder, a long-time performer at the Gilded Lily. After headliner Ruby Dubonnet doesn’t show up, Pixie takes her place as the star of the show—a motive that makes her a suspect in Ruby’s disappearance.
Luke reluctantly agrees to help his newfound friend clear her name. He and Pixie set out to find the missing drag queen, and in the process, put themselves in danger.
- GenresMystery
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2018
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Michael Rupured
10 books23 followersFor as long as he can remember, Michael Rupured has loved to write. Before he learned the alphabet, he filled page after page with rows of tiny little circles he now believes were his first novels and has been writing ever since. He grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, where he came out as a gay man at the age of twenty-one in the late 1970s. He considers it a miracle that he survived his wild and reckless twenties.
By day, Michael is an academic. He develops and evaluates financial literacy programs for youth and adult audiences at the University of Georgia and is Assistant to the Dean for Family and Consumer Sciences Education. He’s received numerous awards and honors over the years and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. Michael is also an avid gardener, a runner, and because he loves it and rarely misses a class, is known locally as the Zumba King.
In 2010, he joined the Athens Writers Workshop, which he credits for helping him transition from writing nonfiction to writing fiction. Michael writes gay romance thrillers that, in addition to entertaining the reader, highlight how far the gay rights movement has come in the last fifty years. A serial monogamist who is currently between relationships, Michael writes with his longhaired Chihuahua, Toodles, in his lap from his home in Athens, Georgia.
To find out what Michael’s up to now, visit his blog: http://rupured.com, follow him on Twitter: @crotchetyman, or send an e-mail to mrupured@gmail.com.
By day, Michael is an academic. He develops and evaluates financial literacy programs for youth and adult audiences at the University of Georgia and is Assistant to the Dean for Family and Consumer Sciences Education. He’s received numerous awards and honors over the years and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. Michael is also an avid gardener, a runner, and because he loves it and rarely misses a class, is known locally as the Zumba King.
In 2010, he joined the Athens Writers Workshop, which he credits for helping him transition from writing nonfiction to writing fiction. Michael writes gay romance thrillers that, in addition to entertaining the reader, highlight how far the gay rights movement has come in the last fifty years. A serial monogamist who is currently between relationships, Michael writes with his longhaired Chihuahua, Toodles, in his lap from his home in Athens, Georgia.
To find out what Michael’s up to now, visit his blog: http://rupured.com, follow him on Twitter: @crotchetyman, or send an e-mail to mrupured@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 6, 2018
Good little mystery! This novel was engaging and I enjoyed the time period and the location. The characters are quirky and at the same time relatable. I'm looking forward to the next one!
June 20, 2018
This story, set in the Lexington, Kentucky, of 1982, feels strange and familiar at the same time: strange because times were so different back then that it is almost a historical, and familiar because I was just a few years younger than the main character when it happened. As a result, I enjoyed the novel for its “nostalgic” sense of what the world was like before laptops, cell phones, and the internet. But I digress - aside from the accurate setting, this mystery has a lot to offer. The characters are varied and well developed, the snarkiness between performers is caught perfectly, and the descriptions of the shows and other goings-on at the Gilded Lily (where the main character and the missing drag queen work) made me laugh. Then there is the suspense as Luke tries to figure out what happened to the vanished Ruby – it certainly kept me on my toes and turning the pages.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
March 22, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet little mystery. I could have throttled Luke a few times for being such a whiner. The queenly banter was fun and the characters were fleshed out well. Mr. Rupured out did himself with this gem.
May 8, 2018
It's October 1982, and Luke Tanner bartends at the Gilded Lily, where the nightly drag show is the big draw, starring Ruby Dubonnet ("Nobody—including Jennifer Holliday—did “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” better than Ruby Dubonnet.") But when Ruby goes missing, Pixie Wilder ("Her look was classic Nashville: big hair, flashy jewelry, a vibrant turquoise dress embellished with ten or fifteen pounds of rhinestones, and high-heeled, rhinestone-studded boots. For a girl, she was short. For a guy, she was tiny.") and Luke team up to finding the missing diva.
Rupured does a good job of dealing with his huge cast of characters (many of whom are suspects at one point or other throughout the story) but as a result, few are fully developed and fleshed out. Please note, there is no sexual relationship or sex scenes in this mystery.
I had a few niggles about the book - primarily, having set the story in the early 1980's, there is little detail about the era (other than Tina Turner and Whitney Houston being played at the Gilded Lily, although Whitney's first album wasn't released until 1985 and Tina's solo career really took off in 1983). Also the mystery isn't particularly compelling, and at times the pace really feels slow.
I'm of two minds about this title - as a standalone, it is interesting, but not a page-turner. However, as the first book in a series, there is a good blend of interesting characters and potential situations that make me want to continue the series. 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!
Rupured does a good job of dealing with his huge cast of characters (many of whom are suspects at one point or other throughout the story) but as a result, few are fully developed and fleshed out. Please note, there is no sexual relationship or sex scenes in this mystery.
I had a few niggles about the book - primarily, having set the story in the early 1980's, there is little detail about the era (other than Tina Turner and Whitney Houston being played at the Gilded Lily, although Whitney's first album wasn't released until 1985 and Tina's solo career really took off in 1983). Also the mystery isn't particularly compelling, and at times the pace really feels slow.
I'm of two minds about this title - as a standalone, it is interesting, but not a page-turner. However, as the first book in a series, there is a good blend of interesting characters and potential situations that make me want to continue the series. 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!
June 18, 2018
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This is the story of a bartender who teams up with a drag queen to find a missing drag legend. It’s a fun story full of quirky characters and references to 80s music.
Despite being published by Dreamspinner Press, this really isn’t a romance. The story opens with a bad case of pubic lice and while there is some saucy dialogue and a few awkward moments, there is no sex and very little heat in this book. I found the characters entertaining and although Luke and Pixie’s investigation is slow at times, it did keep my interest.
I found the weird and wonderful residents of Luke and Ruby’s apartment building more entertaining than the staff and regulars at the Gilded Lily. I get that this is historic fiction set in the early 1980s but I’m still not completely comfortable with the label ‘drag queen’ being applied to non binary characters who would now identify as gender fluid or trans. I’m also not sure the historic setting serves any real purpose in this novel. The 80’s references are a little bit sporadic and I’m pretty sure some of the music mentioned wasn’t released until later in the decade.
For the most part, I enjoyed this irreverent and sometimes funny story. It is a little bit slow and there are probably too many characters vying for our attention. Compared to something contemporary like Brandon Witt’s Mary’s Boys stories, this feels quite dated but there are some great characters and laugh out loud moments in this book.
This is the story of a bartender who teams up with a drag queen to find a missing drag legend. It’s a fun story full of quirky characters and references to 80s music.
Despite being published by Dreamspinner Press, this really isn’t a romance. The story opens with a bad case of pubic lice and while there is some saucy dialogue and a few awkward moments, there is no sex and very little heat in this book. I found the characters entertaining and although Luke and Pixie’s investigation is slow at times, it did keep my interest.
I found the weird and wonderful residents of Luke and Ruby’s apartment building more entertaining than the staff and regulars at the Gilded Lily. I get that this is historic fiction set in the early 1980s but I’m still not completely comfortable with the label ‘drag queen’ being applied to non binary characters who would now identify as gender fluid or trans. I’m also not sure the historic setting serves any real purpose in this novel. The 80’s references are a little bit sporadic and I’m pretty sure some of the music mentioned wasn’t released until later in the decade.
For the most part, I enjoyed this irreverent and sometimes funny story. It is a little bit slow and there are probably too many characters vying for our attention. Compared to something contemporary like Brandon Witt’s Mary’s Boys stories, this feels quite dated but there are some great characters and laugh out loud moments in this book.
June 21, 2018
Enjoyed several of Michael Rupureds novels. This was a good mystery with many colorful characters. It has lot's of potential to grow as a fun mystery series.
June 26, 2018
Reminded me of a Phillip Marlow story. Set in the early 1980's this story is fun, entertaining, full of outrageous characters and over the top drag queens. Perfect!
June 25, 2018
Luke Tanner is a nice guy but just a tad naive about getting his life together. Losing his parents and coming out sent him on a journey, leaving his home and his Aunt Callie behind. Being dependent on Mr. Wrong didn’t help either, when a five-year relationship comes to a screeching halt. Luckily for Luke, his Aunt Callie came to his rescue and saved him from a life on the streets.
Again, lady luck smiled on Luke when Frank Marvin, owner of the Garden, offers him a job as a bartender. The Garden has four bars, and Luke spends his working hours at the Gilded Lily, where a most entertaining drag show takes place. He also lives at the Sinclair Arms, where he is the manager in exchange for half the rent. He tries his best to help the tenants and eventually finds himself having to confront the owner about funds to keep the building’s problems under control.
While tending to an issue at a tenant’s apartment, she brings up a concern to Luke about the tenant in apartment two, Ruby Dubonnet. As Luke recalls who lives at the Sinclair Arms, the name of Garnet D. Bonnet comes to mind. Luke had no idea Ruby lived in the building—he knows her well as the star at the Gilded Lily. A night at the bar becomes worrisome when Miss Pixie Wilder is introduced as the star, and there’s no sign of Ruby.
Luke and Pixie befriend each other and start to investigate the missing Ruby Dubonnet, and there are more than enough suspects that need looking into. Not only do they find themselves caught up in a dangerous investigation, but fans of Ruby’s think Pixie has done something terrible out of bigotry and/or to be the star.
The Case of the Missing Drag Queen looks like the start of a new series from Michael Rupured, and I’m excited, as this has great potential. The storyline has humor, mystery and a wide range of colorful and interesting characters. The setting is the 1980s and does include incidences of bigotry. I also looked at this as a time of growing up for Luke Tanner. He starts to really care about other people, stands up for himself and others, and faces his issues.
I’ve read several of Michael Rupureds novels, and I was not disappointed at all with this one. I look forward to seeing what he has planned for Luke Tanner next.
Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
Again, lady luck smiled on Luke when Frank Marvin, owner of the Garden, offers him a job as a bartender. The Garden has four bars, and Luke spends his working hours at the Gilded Lily, where a most entertaining drag show takes place. He also lives at the Sinclair Arms, where he is the manager in exchange for half the rent. He tries his best to help the tenants and eventually finds himself having to confront the owner about funds to keep the building’s problems under control.
While tending to an issue at a tenant’s apartment, she brings up a concern to Luke about the tenant in apartment two, Ruby Dubonnet. As Luke recalls who lives at the Sinclair Arms, the name of Garnet D. Bonnet comes to mind. Luke had no idea Ruby lived in the building—he knows her well as the star at the Gilded Lily. A night at the bar becomes worrisome when Miss Pixie Wilder is introduced as the star, and there’s no sign of Ruby.
Luke and Pixie befriend each other and start to investigate the missing Ruby Dubonnet, and there are more than enough suspects that need looking into. Not only do they find themselves caught up in a dangerous investigation, but fans of Ruby’s think Pixie has done something terrible out of bigotry and/or to be the star.
The Case of the Missing Drag Queen looks like the start of a new series from Michael Rupured, and I’m excited, as this has great potential. The storyline has humor, mystery and a wide range of colorful and interesting characters. The setting is the 1980s and does include incidences of bigotry. I also looked at this as a time of growing up for Luke Tanner. He starts to really care about other people, stands up for himself and others, and faces his issues.
I’ve read several of Michael Rupureds novels, and I was not disappointed at all with this one. I look forward to seeing what he has planned for Luke Tanner next.
Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
May 6, 2019
this was totally my kind of mystery! set in 1982, the specter of the AIDS pandemic is right around the corner, but the queens, fairies and fruit flies don’t know it yet, or don’t care, since it’s never mentioned. that weirdness aside, it’s definitely a fun mystery with a delightful cast of characters. i can’t wait for the next one!
June 22, 2018
Check out our
The Case of the Missing Drag Queen
post on Wicked Reads.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah – ☆☆☆
This is the story of a bartender who teams up with a drag queen to find a missing drag legend. It’s a fun story full of quirky characters and references to 80s music.
Despite being published by Dreamspinner Press, this really isn’t a romance. The story opens with a bad case of pubic lice. and while there is some saucy dialogue and a few awkward moments, there is no sex and very little heat in this book. I found the characters entertaining and although Luke and Pixie’s investigation is slow at times, it did keep my interest.
I found the weird and wonderful residents of Luke and Ruby’s apartment building more entertaining than the staff and regulars at the Gilded Lily. I get that this is historic fiction set in the early 1980s but I’m still not completely comfortable with the label ‘drag queen’ being applied to non-binary characters who would now identify as gender fluid or trans. I’m also not sure the historic setting serves any real purpose in this novel. The 80’s references are a little bit sporadic and I’m pretty sure some of the music mentioned wasn’t released until later in the decade.
For the most part, I enjoyed this irreverent and sometimes funny story. It is a little bit slow and there are probably too many characters vying for our attention. Compared to something contemporary like Brandon Witt’s Mary’s Boys stories, this feels quite dated but there are some great characters and laugh out loud moments in this book.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Case of the Missing Drag Queen (A Luke Tanner Mystery #1) by Michael Rupured to read and review.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah – ☆☆☆
This is the story of a bartender who teams up with a drag queen to find a missing drag legend. It’s a fun story full of quirky characters and references to 80s music.
Despite being published by Dreamspinner Press, this really isn’t a romance. The story opens with a bad case of pubic lice. and while there is some saucy dialogue and a few awkward moments, there is no sex and very little heat in this book. I found the characters entertaining and although Luke and Pixie’s investigation is slow at times, it did keep my interest.
I found the weird and wonderful residents of Luke and Ruby’s apartment building more entertaining than the staff and regulars at the Gilded Lily. I get that this is historic fiction set in the early 1980s but I’m still not completely comfortable with the label ‘drag queen’ being applied to non-binary characters who would now identify as gender fluid or trans. I’m also not sure the historic setting serves any real purpose in this novel. The 80’s references are a little bit sporadic and I’m pretty sure some of the music mentioned wasn’t released until later in the decade.
For the most part, I enjoyed this irreverent and sometimes funny story. It is a little bit slow and there are probably too many characters vying for our attention. Compared to something contemporary like Brandon Witt’s Mary’s Boys stories, this feels quite dated but there are some great characters and laugh out loud moments in this book.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Case of the Missing Drag Queen (A Luke Tanner Mystery #1) by Michael Rupured to read and review.
May 18, 2020
3.5*
A good look back to 1982, easy to read and flowed along nicely. The author has written other books set in the recent past and all ring true.
Luke, our main protagonist, is pulled into investigating the disappearance of drag queen Ruby Dubonnet by fellow drag queen Pixie.
Pixie certainly is the catalyst amongst a cast of others that help Luke grow up as he is forced into investigating. There are lots of circles within circles as Luke and Pixie find more people who know Ruby, who are related or went to school woth each other or kids do. So the culprits for kidnapping Ruby and the reasons are varied.
I did think I knew who got the suitcase but was wrong on that score.
It was a gentle story in that there wasn’t major drama and the songs the queens perform to are all blasts from the past.
Luke and Pixie become firm friends and odd couple whilst not being romantically involved. The last chapters deal with Luke finding his ‘family’ and a potential date but I don’t get good feels from the possibilities.
A good look back to 1982, easy to read and flowed along nicely. The author has written other books set in the recent past and all ring true.
Luke, our main protagonist, is pulled into investigating the disappearance of drag queen Ruby Dubonnet by fellow drag queen Pixie.
Pixie certainly is the catalyst amongst a cast of others that help Luke grow up as he is forced into investigating. There are lots of circles within circles as Luke and Pixie find more people who know Ruby, who are related or went to school woth each other or kids do. So the culprits for kidnapping Ruby and the reasons are varied.
I did think I knew who got the suitcase but was wrong on that score.
It was a gentle story in that there wasn’t major drama and the songs the queens perform to are all blasts from the past.
Luke and Pixie become firm friends and odd couple whilst not being romantically involved. The last chapters deal with Luke finding his ‘family’ and a potential date but I don’t get good feels from the possibilities.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews