McKain's Dilemma

by Chet Williamson

Carlton Runnells is gay and has profited mightily from a marriage of convenience... he's become one of the richest men in his rural Pennsylvania area. Now his lover has disappeared and Runnells is afraid that something might have happened to him. McKain has dealt with domestic cases before; the sexes may be different, but the procedures remain the same. Until the lover turns up dead...

247 pages

First published August 15, 2012

About the author

Chet Williamson has written horror, science fiction, and suspense since 1981. Among his novels are Second Chance, Hunters, Defenders of the Faith, Ash Wednesday, Reign, Dreamthorp, and the forthcoming Psycho Sanitarium, an authorized sequel to Robert Bloch's classic Psycho. Over a hundred of his short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Playboy, Esquire, The Magazine of F&SF, and many other magazines and anthologies.

He has won the International Horror Guild Award, and has been shortlisted twice for the World Fantasy Award, six times for the HWA Stoker, and once for the MWA's Edgar. Nearly all of his works are available in ebook format.

A stage and film actor, he has recorded over 40 unabridged audiobooks, both of his own work and that of many other writers, available at www.audible.com. Follow him on Twitter (@chetwill) or at www.chetwilliamson.com.

Reviews

[David Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chet Williamson walks a fine line in many ways with this late 1980s hard-boiled detective story. He never allows the plot to overtake the characterization or vice versa. Those looking for a fun mystery that slowly adds layers to the narrative through flashbacks and alternate perspectives will be pleased, but so will those who want a little more from the characters. Robert McKain, the private eye at the heart of the story is tough when he needs to be, but he carries with him a vulnerability than Sam Spade or the Continental Op could never manage. The character goes through some real hardships in the novel, and his thoughts on death and how people's priorities change when their situation in life worsens felt very believable to me.

The novel also portrays several gay characters. I'll admit I don't know much about the history of LGBT+ characters in literature so I could be totally wrong about this, but it strikes me that the inclusion of such characters in a genre book from this decade may have been pretty advanced. Of course, there are characters who exhibit real homophobia, but there are others who show genuine inclusion. More importantly, the gay characters are just as fleshed out as McKain himself, which allows them to be more than bad stereotypes or one-dimensional villains.

If Williamson falters anywhere it is in maintaining a steady tone. Once the story dives into some of its heavier issues, the writing evens out. But Williamson begins the book with a tone that borders on cartoonish, not only with the snappy one-liners veteran readers would expect from a world-weary private eye, but also with his references to B-movies and The Three Stooges. What felt like it could be a fun, self-referential thriller suddenly turns into a more serious contemplation on death. Writers can make switches like this, but here, the transition is just too jarring.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was between a 3.5 and a 4. I gave it a 4 because it was totally different. Page turner; enjoyed.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably closer to 3.5 for my tastes, but I really enjoy Williamson's easy but solid style. I could have easily finished this sooner, but missed a couple of days reading. An engaging story with enough action, mystery, and emotion to meet my daily recommended allowance of each.