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A Nick Williams Mystery #28
The Beloved Bach
Saturday, October 20, 1962
Nick and Carter are on their way to New Orleans to track down a missing father.
When they arrive, Carter is in hog heaven, surrounded by the sights and sounds of New Orleans jazz up and down Bourbon Street. He even gets to sit near the stage as one of his favorite musicians leads the band with his swinging clarinet and impish smile. "Mack the Knife" never sounded so good!
That night, Nick has one of his dreams. He meets his great-grandfather, Griffith Williams, and learns a new word: bach. It's a Welsh term of endearment for a younger person, such as a great-grandson.
Meanwhile, back in San Francisco, one of Nick and Carter's operatives has broken out of the county jail after turning himself in for killing a man.
The district attorney, of course, believes that Nick is behind the escape. As does the mayor, the governor, and, of course, the Examiner.
Before long, Nick is once again seated at the defense table in Superior Court for the County of San Francisco.
This is their third try. Will the prosecution finally be able to lock him up at the state prison down in Soledad?
Or will Nick, with the help of his team of brilliant lawyers, be acquitted a third time?
Find out in the exciting conclusion to this three-book arc that's all about what happens when a father, who has abandoned his family to find his fortune, finally has to come to terms with his past.
The tale starts with The Derelict Dad, followed by The Shifting Scion, and concludes here with The Beloved Bach.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2019
18 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Frank W. Butterfield
123 books106 followersFrank W. Butterfield, not an assumed name, loves old movies, wise-cracking smart guys with hearts of gold, and writing for fun.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 25, 2019
I like this idea of a story line crossing over several books - nice conclusion.
February 14, 2019
The Beloved Bach (Nick and Carter 28)
By Frank W. Butterfield
Published by the author, 2019
Four stars
This volume in the never-ending series of the adventures of two gay men in the bad old days is for us devotees. While full of incident, it is discreet and low key. An outsider might feel lost, in spite of all the background information Frank slips into his narrative. There is a court hearing, involving a bitter, closeted gay man aiding and abetting Nick’s enemies. Nick and Carter are separated for the first time in their years together, and that’s kinda important. But the real thing this book does is threefold:
• It reminds us that Nick wants only to seek justice for his people.
• It reminds us that Nick and Carter have created a family that, quite happily, includes their actual biological families. They are never alone.
• It reminds us that Nick sees dead people, in particular, relatives. Nick’s fascinating dreams, always hosted by his great-uncle Paul Williams, are very clearly more than dreams. Nick and Carter haven’t admitted as much openly, but they both know. This big of magic taps into something very deep inside me.
The year is 1962, and against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis (which I do not remember; I was only seven, and apparently this fear was kept from me by my parents – who, by the way, had voted for Nixon) we see Nick and Carter facing a major family crisis, even as they seek to reunite a long-estranged father and son and face yet more injustice at the hands of conservative politicians.
The most earth-shaking development is, however, the fact that Nick and Carter hire the first straight guy ever for their expanding security firm. It all happens so quietly that you might not notice. The second most earth-shaking thing is the repeated introduction of the word “gay” to Nick’s more traditional vocabulary – introduced by a young Louisiana boy in the context of the gay bar scene in the Big Easy. See? Earth-shaking isn’t necessarily an earthquake in these books. This is Frank Butterfield’s delicate touch.
I can say no more, but that I love these guys and these books. We will grow old together, it seems, and that’s fine (I have a head start but, apparently, I will relive my life through Nick and Carter’s lives). As a side note, I have recently been to the Café Lafitte in Exile in New Orleans – with our straight nephew who, in this modern world, has lots of gay friends. Also, Nick and Carter stay at the Hotel Lowell in New York City. I’ve been there. I learned to love escargots as a teenager at The Passy, an elegant French restaurant in the Lowell. It’s where my father proposed to my mother in 1940.
By Frank W. Butterfield
Published by the author, 2019
Four stars
This volume in the never-ending series of the adventures of two gay men in the bad old days is for us devotees. While full of incident, it is discreet and low key. An outsider might feel lost, in spite of all the background information Frank slips into his narrative. There is a court hearing, involving a bitter, closeted gay man aiding and abetting Nick’s enemies. Nick and Carter are separated for the first time in their years together, and that’s kinda important. But the real thing this book does is threefold:
• It reminds us that Nick wants only to seek justice for his people.
• It reminds us that Nick and Carter have created a family that, quite happily, includes their actual biological families. They are never alone.
• It reminds us that Nick sees dead people, in particular, relatives. Nick’s fascinating dreams, always hosted by his great-uncle Paul Williams, are very clearly more than dreams. Nick and Carter haven’t admitted as much openly, but they both know. This big of magic taps into something very deep inside me.
The year is 1962, and against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis (which I do not remember; I was only seven, and apparently this fear was kept from me by my parents – who, by the way, had voted for Nixon) we see Nick and Carter facing a major family crisis, even as they seek to reunite a long-estranged father and son and face yet more injustice at the hands of conservative politicians.
The most earth-shaking development is, however, the fact that Nick and Carter hire the first straight guy ever for their expanding security firm. It all happens so quietly that you might not notice. The second most earth-shaking thing is the repeated introduction of the word “gay” to Nick’s more traditional vocabulary – introduced by a young Louisiana boy in the context of the gay bar scene in the Big Easy. See? Earth-shaking isn’t necessarily an earthquake in these books. This is Frank Butterfield’s delicate touch.
I can say no more, but that I love these guys and these books. We will grow old together, it seems, and that’s fine (I have a head start but, apparently, I will relive my life through Nick and Carter’s lives). As a side note, I have recently been to the Café Lafitte in Exile in New Orleans – with our straight nephew who, in this modern world, has lots of gay friends. Also, Nick and Carter stay at the Hotel Lowell in New York City. I’ve been there. I learned to love escargots as a teenager at The Passy, an elegant French restaurant in the Lowell. It’s where my father proposed to my mother in 1940.
April 28, 2020
This book wraps up a storyline continued from the last few books and starts out with Nick and Carter reuniting a father and son in New Orleans. Upon their return to San Francisco, Nick is accused of obstruction and aiding/abetting the escape of a criminal. Suddenly Carter is called out of town to be at the side of his critically ill mother. Nick is on his own through the hearings all the while his beloved and him need to lean on each other from afar. My heart broke for them as they comforted one another through tearful phone conversations.
I love Nick and Carter. I love this series. I just can’t get enough of them and their boundless love for each other. There is innuendo and talk, but no sex in this mystery series. If that’s what you prefer in an mm book then this is not the series for you. As for me, I don’t miss the sex at all because the writing is superb.
But there was one small complaint. Republicans bad, Democrats good, is a song and dance that is thrown in my face day after day with all the media saturation and I’d rather not have to read about it in one of my fave series too. But although it is irritating it’s not enough to keep me from reading all this brilliant author has to offer.
I love Nick and Carter. I love this series. I just can’t get enough of them and their boundless love for each other. There is innuendo and talk, but no sex in this mystery series. If that’s what you prefer in an mm book then this is not the series for you. As for me, I don’t miss the sex at all because the writing is superb.
But there was one small complaint. Republicans bad, Democrats good, is a song and dance that is thrown in my face day after day with all the media saturation and I’d rather not have to read about it in one of my fave series too. But although it is irritating it’s not enough to keep me from reading all this brilliant author has to offer.
January 11, 2019
epub on Kobo, from author; 153 pages
At the end of this book, which closes a three volume arc, Nick and Carter are reunited after a rare and brief separation forced by Nick's pending arraignment for abetting a police suspect and having his travel curtailed while Carter's mother is in a New York hospital awaiting surgery for lung cancer. Sam is still at large, having surrendered to police he was missing from the county jail where he was placed after his arrest - and before his trial for murder. There are several plot threads still to be pursued.
We learn more about Nick's psychic ability - and wider events impinge on everyone as the Cuban missile crisis is happening missile (this of course is what caused Bobby Kennedy to cancel the meeting at the beginning of the arc).
At the end of this book, which closes a three volume arc, Nick and Carter are reunited after a rare and brief separation forced by Nick's pending arraignment for abetting a police suspect and having his travel curtailed while Carter's mother is in a New York hospital awaiting surgery for lung cancer. Sam is still at large, having surrendered to police he was missing from the county jail where he was placed after his arrest - and before his trial for murder. There are several plot threads still to be pursued.
We learn more about Nick's psychic ability - and wider events impinge on everyone as the Cuban missile crisis is happening missile (this of course is what caused Bobby Kennedy to cancel the meeting at the beginning of the arc).
January 30, 2019
Tensely Played
This third book in the story arc deftly ties up almost all the story threads. Sam’s remains active, if a bit hidden. And Louise’s outcome has yet to be decided. The courtroom scene was less contentious than I expected, and about right. Looking forward to the next book.
This third book in the story arc deftly ties up almost all the story threads. Sam’s remains active, if a bit hidden. And Louise’s outcome has yet to be decided. The courtroom scene was less contentious than I expected, and about right. Looking forward to the next book.
January 12, 2019
I am still loving this series. Was a little surprised by some grammar error but sometimes these things happen. Well written with well developed characters. I am so looking forward to what comes next.
June 13, 2019
A Wonderful Story
As always this Author, has written a great book. This story has a great storyline, and it was well written.
As always this Author, has written a great book. This story has a great storyline, and it was well written.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews