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Mason Adler Mystery #1
Murder on Monte Vista
It’s 1946, and on a hot spring night in Phoenix, Arizona, things are only beginning to heat up at the Monte Vista Road home of flamboyant decorator Walter Waverly Wingate.
Private detective Mason T. Adler isn’t thrilled to be turning fifty, and the party Walter throws him makes him even more uncomfortable. Walter has arranged a special birthday present for Mason: a private hour with the handsome, young Henry Bowtrickle in Walter’s upstairs bedroom. But the night turns deadly when his birthday gift turns up murdered.
The room was locked, no way in or out, and only Henry and Mason were inside. Mason Adler is on the case, but he is also a suspect, along with the other assorted party guests who were all downstairs at the time of the stabbing. Or were they?
Private detective Mason T. Adler isn’t thrilled to be turning fifty, and the party Walter throws him makes him even more uncomfortable. Walter has arranged a special birthday present for Mason: a private hour with the handsome, young Henry Bowtrickle in Walter’s upstairs bedroom. But the night turns deadly when his birthday gift turns up murdered.
The room was locked, no way in or out, and only Henry and Mason were inside. Mason Adler is on the case, but he is also a suspect, along with the other assorted party guests who were all downstairs at the time of the stabbing. Or were they?
226 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2022
9 people are currently reading
1264 people want to read
About the author
David S. Pederson
14 books35 followersDavid S. Pederson has written multiple mysteries, all featuring LGBTQ+ characters. He’s a two-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mysteries. His second book, Death Goes Overboard, was selected by the GLBT Round Table of the American Library Association for the 2018 Over the Rainbow book list. Two of his poems, “My Candle” and “I Never Knew” were used in the 2024 OCTC stage production of “Love Notes Cabaret of Words & Music.”
In 2024 he was invited by a local bookstore to conduct a workshop on writing mysteries, with twelve students in attendance.
In 2025 he was asked to write a short mystery to be included in an anthology, “Crime Ink: Iconic — Where Queer Icons Meet Killer Stories”, a collection of crime stories inspired by queer icons.
He’s passionate about mysteries, old movies, ocean liners, and reading.
He, his husband, and their sweet rescue cats reside in the sunny Southwest.
Website: http://www.davidspederson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidSPeders...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dave.pederson/
In 2024 he was invited by a local bookstore to conduct a workshop on writing mysteries, with twelve students in attendance.
In 2025 he was asked to write a short mystery to be included in an anthology, “Crime Ink: Iconic — Where Queer Icons Meet Killer Stories”, a collection of crime stories inspired by queer icons.
He’s passionate about mysteries, old movies, ocean liners, and reading.
He, his husband, and their sweet rescue cats reside in the sunny Southwest.
Website: http://www.davidspederson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidSPeders...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dave.pederson/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 18, 2022
Real Rating: 3.75* of five, rounded down for a tone problem
The Publisher Says: It’s 1946, and on a hot spring night in Phoenix, Arizona, things are only beginning to heat up at the Monte Vista Road home of flamboyant decorator Walter Waverly Wingate.
Private detective Mason T. Adler isn’t thrilled to be turning fifty, and the party Walter throws him makes him even more uncomfortable. Walter has arranged a special birthday present for Mason: a private hour with the handsome, young Henry Bowtrickle in Walter’s upstairs bedroom. But the night turns deadly when his birthday gift turns up murdered.
The room was locked, no way in or out, and only Henry and Mason were inside. Mason Adler is on the case, but he is also a suspect, along with the other assorted party guests who were all downstairs at the time of the stabbing. Or were they?
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: What I expect from a first-in-series mystery is simple: Let me know what this world is about; let me in to the characters' interrelatedness; and tell me what kind of crimes we're going to be dealing with.
Can't say I didn't get all those things...a little bit too much of 'em.
The story is of Mason Adler, newly fifty gay man, and his social circle: gal-pal Lydia, long-term frenemy Walter, and cop Emil. Various peripheral people step a measure before us, but no one else really matters. The main thing about a series mystery is the series, not the mystery, and that very much comes true here. By the halfway mark there's no body worth mentioning. Things are slowly unfolding, and the tensions of Mason Adler's life are lying before us prior to a murder accelerating the plot.
Possibly one of the most mean-spirited murders I've ever encountered, spite and envy fueling the circumstances that enable the murder to take place, and then the dead body comes in for a lot of muffled amusement because of how the whole plot evolved. There wasn't much to recommend the dead one, but there was little enough to recommend a lot of these people.
Phoenix, Arizona, is a place I've never, ever wanted to be the few times I've been there. I dislike deserts. I was transported to Phoenix circa 1946 with the author's major characters. It was darn near told in real-time vignettes. I got the sense of the oppressive, horrifying heat, the blasting, battering sunshine, the dreadful helplessness of life in this kind of nightmare before home air conditioning was ubiquitous in the US. (Even with air conditioning I don't want to be in Phoenix or any other desert city. Or town. Or hamlet. Or structure. Or outdoor space.)
So there was that going against the read. The pluses were the economy of the author's characterization. He needn't linger over loving descriptions because he chooses the details that actually matter and doesn't linger on them. He also doesn't clutter up my mental landscape, choosing instead to focus on the telling details. It was a way of bringing me a vivid, textured experience without using a lot of words to do it.
But at the end of the read, I was just...repelled...by the murder's cruel, appalling conception. (Murder will never not be cruel! I'm going on about the *circumstances* not the act.) The person whose life was taken didn't get, in life or after, near enough sympathy. Then there's the person whose idea erected the framework for the murder...I truly do not ever want to see that person in this series again.
I'll certainly move on to the next entry in the series. I won't be likely to revisit this one, though.
The Publisher Says: It’s 1946, and on a hot spring night in Phoenix, Arizona, things are only beginning to heat up at the Monte Vista Road home of flamboyant decorator Walter Waverly Wingate.
Private detective Mason T. Adler isn’t thrilled to be turning fifty, and the party Walter throws him makes him even more uncomfortable. Walter has arranged a special birthday present for Mason: a private hour with the handsome, young Henry Bowtrickle in Walter’s upstairs bedroom. But the night turns deadly when his birthday gift turns up murdered.
The room was locked, no way in or out, and only Henry and Mason were inside. Mason Adler is on the case, but he is also a suspect, along with the other assorted party guests who were all downstairs at the time of the stabbing. Or were they?
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: What I expect from a first-in-series mystery is simple: Let me know what this world is about; let me in to the characters' interrelatedness; and tell me what kind of crimes we're going to be dealing with.
Can't say I didn't get all those things...a little bit too much of 'em.
The story is of Mason Adler, newly fifty gay man, and his social circle: gal-pal Lydia, long-term frenemy Walter, and cop Emil. Various peripheral people step a measure before us, but no one else really matters. The main thing about a series mystery is the series, not the mystery, and that very much comes true here. By the halfway mark there's no body worth mentioning. Things are slowly unfolding, and the tensions of Mason Adler's life are lying before us prior to a murder accelerating the plot.
Possibly one of the most mean-spirited murders I've ever encountered, spite and envy fueling the circumstances that enable the murder to take place, and then the dead body comes in for a lot of muffled amusement because of how the whole plot evolved. There wasn't much to recommend the dead one, but there was little enough to recommend a lot of these people.
Phoenix, Arizona, is a place I've never, ever wanted to be the few times I've been there. I dislike deserts. I was transported to Phoenix circa 1946 with the author's major characters. It was darn near told in real-time vignettes. I got the sense of the oppressive, horrifying heat, the blasting, battering sunshine, the dreadful helplessness of life in this kind of nightmare before home air conditioning was ubiquitous in the US. (Even with air conditioning I don't want to be in Phoenix or any other desert city. Or town. Or hamlet. Or structure. Or outdoor space.)
So there was that going against the read. The pluses were the economy of the author's characterization. He needn't linger over loving descriptions because he chooses the details that actually matter and doesn't linger on them. He also doesn't clutter up my mental landscape, choosing instead to focus on the telling details. It was a way of bringing me a vivid, textured experience without using a lot of words to do it.
But at the end of the read, I was just...repelled...by the murder's cruel, appalling conception. (Murder will never not be cruel! I'm going on about the *circumstances* not the act.) The person whose life was taken didn't get, in life or after, near enough sympathy. Then there's the person whose idea erected the framework for the murder...I truly do not ever want to see that person in this series again.
I'll certainly move on to the next entry in the series. I won't be likely to revisit this one, though.
February 15, 2022
[2.5] i wish i could rate this higher as i could see the potential, but as a huge mystery buff, i place a lot of emphasis on the mystery & investigation itself, and that’s where the story fell short for me.
as the first book of a new series (by the looks of it on GR, apologies if i’m mistaken!), this served as more of an intro to the cast of characters and time period than anything. the beginning was a prolonged stay in Exposition City, introducing side characters left and right and their dynamics, but it was also a bit on the repetitive side—police friend Emil slightly jealous of our main character Mason’s investigational prowess, egotistical decorator Walter acting like the world revolved around him and its inhabitants were his pawns, prudent and careful Mason as the object of many crushes, etc.
while i appreciated the time taken to meticulously build the world and characters, i think a mix of the main mystery amongst these conversations would’ve made for a more engaging narrative as >2/3 of the story was spent building up to the events described in the blurb. only at the ~70% mark (keep in mind the book ended at 91% on my Kindle) do we finally reach the big climax event of Mason celebrating his 50th birthday as the main suspect of a murder, but the subsequent scenes tying up the case in a neat bow felt rushed and low-stakes given the prompt shutdown of any sense of urgency.
i could understand that the crime occurred on a smaller scale, so investigations were brief and the number of clues weren’t exactly extravagant, but i did wish we could’ve witnessed some face-to-face showdowns/interrogations with the list of suspects and other investigative shenanigans. by the time the case was solved in a light-bulb moment, i found myself unable to bask in that sense of satisfaction that usually springs from the unraveling of the why and how of a crime when it seemed to come so easily.
it didn’t help that i wasn’t a fan of his not-really-friend-but-more-a-habit companion Walter either. he’s that toxic “friend” who is constantly pointing out your flaws, thinks he knows what’s best for everyone, and is wildly self-centered—i honestly wanted to skip scenes with him in it, but of course, he somehow managed to insert himself into practically every single one 🤣 not even a murder in his own home could stop his narcissistic streak, and i think that alone speaks volumes. i just hope if he remains a main pillar of Mason’s friend group, the author finds a purposeful way to allow readers to sympathize with him beyond a list of his adolescent woes.
Lydia was by far my favorite side character, and i found myself partly hoping she would become Mason’s partner in solving crime. it didn’t come true this time around, but who knows, maybe one day? 😆
that all being said, i can at least partially attribute this to a case of misplaced expectations and would still recommend others to give this a go for themselves!
*note: this features a gay protagonist/side characters, but there is no romance (at least at this juncture).
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review :)
as the first book of a new series (by the looks of it on GR, apologies if i’m mistaken!), this served as more of an intro to the cast of characters and time period than anything. the beginning was a prolonged stay in Exposition City, introducing side characters left and right and their dynamics, but it was also a bit on the repetitive side—police friend Emil slightly jealous of our main character Mason’s investigational prowess, egotistical decorator Walter acting like the world revolved around him and its inhabitants were his pawns, prudent and careful Mason as the object of many crushes, etc.
while i appreciated the time taken to meticulously build the world and characters, i think a mix of the main mystery amongst these conversations would’ve made for a more engaging narrative as >2/3 of the story was spent building up to the events described in the blurb. only at the ~70% mark (keep in mind the book ended at 91% on my Kindle) do we finally reach the big climax event of Mason celebrating his 50th birthday as the main suspect of a murder, but the subsequent scenes tying up the case in a neat bow felt rushed and low-stakes given the prompt shutdown of any sense of urgency.
i could understand that the crime occurred on a smaller scale, so investigations were brief and the number of clues weren’t exactly extravagant, but i did wish we could’ve witnessed some face-to-face showdowns/interrogations with the list of suspects and other investigative shenanigans. by the time the case was solved in a light-bulb moment, i found myself unable to bask in that sense of satisfaction that usually springs from the unraveling of the why and how of a crime when it seemed to come so easily.
it didn’t help that i wasn’t a fan of his not-really-friend-but-more-a-habit companion Walter either. he’s that toxic “friend” who is constantly pointing out your flaws, thinks he knows what’s best for everyone, and is wildly self-centered—i honestly wanted to skip scenes with him in it, but of course, he somehow managed to insert himself into practically every single one 🤣 not even a murder in his own home could stop his narcissistic streak, and i think that alone speaks volumes. i just hope if he remains a main pillar of Mason’s friend group, the author finds a purposeful way to allow readers to sympathize with him beyond a list of his adolescent woes.
Lydia was by far my favorite side character, and i found myself partly hoping she would become Mason’s partner in solving crime. it didn’t come true this time around, but who knows, maybe one day? 😆
that all being said, i can at least partially attribute this to a case of misplaced expectations and would still recommend others to give this a go for themselves!
*note: this features a gay protagonist/side characters, but there is no romance (at least at this juncture).
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review :)
February 25, 2022
David Pederson's first series, the Heath Barrington Mysteries set in Milwaukee in the 1950s, introduced us to his detective protagonist and and placed Heath in a number of situations where he was directly involved in the case - in a secluded private home with a host of suspects, on a boat on Lake Michigan where a murder takes place, at a large hotel in Chicago, etc.
In contrast, this first book in his new Mason Adler Mystery series reads as if it were a stage play, with most of the action happening off-stage. We learn of cases that Mason has solved in the past, including a very recent case of a "was it murder or suicide" and the murder (in an ornately decorated home on Monte Vista in post WWII-Phoenix) doesn't kick in until around 65% through the book.
Even when Adler solves this intriguing "locked room" mystery, it doesn't occur at the scene, but rather in a discussion with his acquaintance Walter Wingate, the interior decorator in whose home the murder occurred.
As far as the cast of characters, Mason's friend Lydia is nicely fleshed-out, but most of the secondary characters are very lightly developed. One exception is Walter Wingate, but personally I found him very mean-spirited (or completely unaware of anything other than his own interests).
I did like the way Pederson gives us a feel for the era and the manner in which one had to live their life at a time when homosexuality was still illegal. Mason is a character I'd like to learn more about, and I'd like to see him more actively involved in investigating for his clients. 3 stars for Murder on Monte Vista and I look forward to seeing how the series develops.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
In contrast, this first book in his new Mason Adler Mystery series reads as if it were a stage play, with most of the action happening off-stage. We learn of cases that Mason has solved in the past, including a very recent case of a "was it murder or suicide" and the murder (in an ornately decorated home on Monte Vista in post WWII-Phoenix) doesn't kick in until around 65% through the book.
Even when Adler solves this intriguing "locked room" mystery, it doesn't occur at the scene, but rather in a discussion with his acquaintance Walter Wingate, the interior decorator in whose home the murder occurred.
As far as the cast of characters, Mason's friend Lydia is nicely fleshed-out, but most of the secondary characters are very lightly developed. One exception is Walter Wingate, but personally I found him very mean-spirited (or completely unaware of anything other than his own interests).
I did like the way Pederson gives us a feel for the era and the manner in which one had to live their life at a time when homosexuality was still illegal. Mason is a character I'd like to learn more about, and I'd like to see him more actively involved in investigating for his clients. 3 stars for Murder on Monte Vista and I look forward to seeing how the series develops.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
October 3, 2022
Fun first look at a new series from David S. Pederson. Mason T. Adler's a private eye in the mid-1940's who successfully solves cases often showing up the police. His 50th birthday's right around the corner and of course there's a party thrown by his frenemy Walter Waverly Wingate who's more interested in gathering potential clients for his interior decorating business than he is in actually celebrating Mason's big day. Of course there's a murder and it looks as if Mason might even be the prime suspect. Yikes! This story's light and frothy and I imagine it might make a great retro indie film done in black and white. Looking forward to book 2.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC on this one. Releasing in March.
I recommended Murder on Monte Vista for my monthly spot on the podcast, Queer Writers of Crime:
https://www.queerwritersofcrime.com/p...
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC on this one. Releasing in March.
I recommended Murder on Monte Vista for my monthly spot on the podcast, Queer Writers of Crime:
https://www.queerwritersofcrime.com/p...
March 19, 2022
Murder on Monte Vista is a story set in 1946, and it's about a private investigator Mason Adler, who ends up investigating a murder that takes place at his 50th birthday party. I was expecting to love this story, as I was just in the right mood for a murder mystery, and I am so sad I'm rating this only 2 stars. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.
The synopsis of the book promises a locked-room mystery, a murder investigation, and a lot more intrigue than the book actually ended up having. My main complaint about the book, and the reason why my rating is so low, is that the murder and everything that follows happens well after 60% of the book (67% on my NetGalley Shelf app, if I'm not mistaken). The investigation that follows also leaves a lot to be desired - Mason goes to the crime scene once and then solves the entire case sitting on his couch, talking to his friend. Unfortunately, while the mystery itself was interesting, the way it was revealed just felt anticlimactic. I expected more.
All that being said, I did enjoy the writing style, and I thought the book had a lot of potential. It just read too much like a slice-of-life story rather than a murder mystery. I enjoyed the characters, I thought they were well-rounded, interesting people, even if I didn't like some of them. Mason Adler is the main character, and he is a gay man living in the 40s, which is sort of the main focus of the first half of the book. There are other queer characters in the book, like Mason's friend Walter, who throws him the fateful birthday party. I enjoyed him as a character, he was annoying at times but very interesting. I also enjoyed Lydia, Mason's neighbor and friend - she was lovely and I enjoyed the scenes she was in. The rest of the side characters had less of a presence in the book, and therefore were less fleshed out, but they had lesser roles so I don't mean that to be necessarily negative.
On goodreads, this is marked as the first book in the series and that seems to be its downfall - it reads like an intro to a bigger story, rather than a book that can stand on its own. There was way too much exposition and worldbuilding so t0 speak, and what was marketed as the main focus of the book, seemed like an afterthought. However, I did like the writing style, so come the next book I might pick it up - I have high hopes that the mystery part of it we'll be the main focus then.
All in all, this had good writing, interesting characters but the mystery was lackluster and barely existent. If you've read the author's previous books and enjoy his writing - or you don't mind that this is just an introduction to the forthcoming series, I would still recommend it.
I received the arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of the book promises a locked-room mystery, a murder investigation, and a lot more intrigue than the book actually ended up having. My main complaint about the book, and the reason why my rating is so low, is that the murder and everything that follows happens well after 60% of the book (67% on my NetGalley Shelf app, if I'm not mistaken). The investigation that follows also leaves a lot to be desired - Mason goes to the crime scene once and then solves the entire case sitting on his couch, talking to his friend. Unfortunately, while the mystery itself was interesting, the way it was revealed just felt anticlimactic. I expected more.
All that being said, I did enjoy the writing style, and I thought the book had a lot of potential. It just read too much like a slice-of-life story rather than a murder mystery. I enjoyed the characters, I thought they were well-rounded, interesting people, even if I didn't like some of them. Mason Adler is the main character, and he is a gay man living in the 40s, which is sort of the main focus of the first half of the book. There are other queer characters in the book, like Mason's friend Walter, who throws him the fateful birthday party. I enjoyed him as a character, he was annoying at times but very interesting. I also enjoyed Lydia, Mason's neighbor and friend - she was lovely and I enjoyed the scenes she was in. The rest of the side characters had less of a presence in the book, and therefore were less fleshed out, but they had lesser roles so I don't mean that to be necessarily negative.
On goodreads, this is marked as the first book in the series and that seems to be its downfall - it reads like an intro to a bigger story, rather than a book that can stand on its own. There was way too much exposition and worldbuilding so t0 speak, and what was marketed as the main focus of the book, seemed like an afterthought. However, I did like the writing style, so come the next book I might pick it up - I have high hopes that the mystery part of it we'll be the main focus then.
All in all, this had good writing, interesting characters but the mystery was lackluster and barely existent. If you've read the author's previous books and enjoy his writing - or you don't mind that this is just an introduction to the forthcoming series, I would still recommend it.
I received the arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2022
This crime novel is mainly written as dialogue, but unfortunately in his efforts to get most of the exposition through conversations, it results in really unnatural speech.
Then there's the murder: after 300 pages of the protagonists chatting about mostly irrelevant detail, yet somehow failing to develop any depth to their characters, the murder actually happens. It was immediately obvious how it was done, but the supposedly genius detective is initially perplexed. Fortunately there is more lengthy dialogue with his friend where he quickly works it out. Then there's a bizarre ending where he explains what happened to the only female character in the book, just in case we missed anything when it was explained to the friend earlier.
I do love a terrible crime novel as sheer escapism, but this was close to being too terrible even for me. I feel the first 300 pages needed much tighter editing.
Then there's the murder: after 300 pages of the protagonists chatting about mostly irrelevant detail, yet somehow failing to develop any depth to their characters, the murder actually happens. It was immediately obvious how it was done, but the supposedly genius detective is initially perplexed. Fortunately there is more lengthy dialogue with his friend where he quickly works it out. Then there's a bizarre ending where he explains what happened to the only female character in the book, just in case we missed anything when it was explained to the friend earlier.
I do love a terrible crime novel as sheer escapism, but this was close to being too terrible even for me. I feel the first 300 pages needed much tighter editing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2023
The author is an autobuy for me since I consistently enjoyed his Heath Barrington books. I get that a first book of a series should naturally devote more space/time to establishing the MCs (Mason Adler in this instance) and their milieu (post 2WW era, Phoenix AZ) but it got a little wearing when we passed the mid-way point of the read with no hint of a 'murder mystery' on the horizon ... lots of snarky banter between Mason and his mostly gay pals over meals, with his female bestie / beard over meals, and a couple of fleeting consults showing Mason's detecting 'nous'. Cozy mystery aside (or not), I will be discontinuing the series if I don't get more 'action' and less 'talk' in the next couple of books. Just 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
March 18, 2022
Pederson is back, and he strikes out on a new path with Mason T. Adler, a 1946 PI, and his friend, the interior decorator Walter Waverly Wingate (and you've gotta love the names. So very noir! They went to the same boarding school and everything, too. It's just perfect).
Wingate is throwing Adler a birthday party (well, kind of), but the guest of honor finds himself alone, in a room, with the young waiter Wingate has paid to sleep with him stabbed in the chest. The door and windows are locked, and only he and Adler are in the room.
Now, not only will Adler never get any use out of his birthday gift, he also needs to figure out who did it, and how.
And this time, it's not only his reputation as a genius sleuth who constantly gets the answer ahead of the police that's on the line.
Both Adler and Wingate start off pretty easy to like. It's a smoothly written beginning. The descriptions of the characters flow nicely, and Pederson uses it to make their relationship clear with some mostly good natured ribbing.
The first scene description comes quickly afterwards, showing Pederson's great eye for detail. Adler picks scents out of the air to add to the scene as the two go for a meal, and Pederson is a step ahead of them all the way, showing what's there, and letting their actions and responses invite us to know them better.
What follows is a conversation that warmed my heart, honestly. Two gay men, talking about other gay men. We see Wingate's easy attitude to offering help to those in his community that need it. It's something the LGBTQ community has always done (and something I believe will continue until the day it's no longer needed). I love seeing this conversation because it's so comfortable, so natural. Neither the characters, nor writer, have anything to prove. There's no awkwardness on the subject, or any fear of the opinions of homophobes, they just banter happily with each other and I love to see it!
Anyway, we get some more chat and another friend arrives, offering our first look at some building tension - and the gold standard in "tolerant" homophobia of the time.
The "tolerant" friend is, of course, only tolerant as long as he never has to see, hear, or acknowledge in any way that they are "musical". And Adler is almost pathetically grateful about his self-proclaimed tolerance. Having experienced it personally more than once, that hits hard.
Meanwhile Adler and Wingate have their own differences of opinion on keeping a low profile (a stroll down to the canal?) and what constitutes living a lie (occasionally going places with a female friend?)
It's full of the pain and life of needing to be yourself, but knowing that the wrong people finding out could lead to arrest, ostracism, death.
I really liked that Adler had a female friend who knows of his sexuality, and had a genuine connection with him. They both had someone to escort them to places (a requirement for avoiding the people who would otherwise be trying to marry them off), and to spend time with. And they really did loved each other as friends. Lydia almost broke that a couple of times, but fortunately in the end she didn't.
Onwards! After half a book or so of setup, eventually we get to the party, and then to the murder.
But don't mistake the shortness of my above paragraph. That's just me not wanting to deprive you of the very enjoyable time spent introducing us to the main players and showing us how they move through the world around them. That last is something important for us to understand in the case of our gay characters in particular. We get to know them, so we feel for them in the dangerous world they live in, and then when everything goes horribly wrong, we fear for them even more. It's very well built up and executed.
In Adler, we get a depiction of a gay man growing old - which is something we don't see enough. Especially in the gay community, where focus tends to fall on the young and ripped. An older gay gentleman, worrying about the stranger in the mirror, is an excellent touch. It adds layers to Adler that I have to really appreciate.
Also, keep an eye out for the moments that made me snigger like a 12yr old. Like the cishet guy calling Adler a one-of-a-kind dick. I had to stop reading for a minute after that one!
There's one main issue, really, and that's the speech. First, it feels like it's been learned by rote and rattled off at high speed. There's a lot of conversation which goes directly from speaker to speaker with little in the way of motion from the speakers. It strikes oddly, given Pederson's expertise with environmental details. Second, something about the speech itself feels unnatural, as if it's been written by someone unfamiliar with informal English. It doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment, but it's jarring at times, and it took me out of the flow a lot.
The plot plodded along, sometimes a little slowly, but generally enjoyably; even guessing some of what was about to come did little to lessen my enjoyment of seeing how the characters acted and reacted when it did, which was nice.
As to the solution to the mystery (it's a crime story so an important detail): it was reasonably sneakily done. We probably didn't need to have it explained twice within 5 pages of each other, but that's a minor point really.
It was a fun read, and I'd recommend it for sure. It's my first time reading a book from Pederson, and I'd happily pick up another.
Murder On Monte Vista was released on 15th March 2022.
Wingate is throwing Adler a birthday party (well, kind of), but the guest of honor finds himself alone, in a room, with the young waiter Wingate has paid to sleep with him stabbed in the chest. The door and windows are locked, and only he and Adler are in the room.
Now, not only will Adler never get any use out of his birthday gift, he also needs to figure out who did it, and how.
And this time, it's not only his reputation as a genius sleuth who constantly gets the answer ahead of the police that's on the line.
Both Adler and Wingate start off pretty easy to like. It's a smoothly written beginning. The descriptions of the characters flow nicely, and Pederson uses it to make their relationship clear with some mostly good natured ribbing.
The first scene description comes quickly afterwards, showing Pederson's great eye for detail. Adler picks scents out of the air to add to the scene as the two go for a meal, and Pederson is a step ahead of them all the way, showing what's there, and letting their actions and responses invite us to know them better.
What follows is a conversation that warmed my heart, honestly. Two gay men, talking about other gay men. We see Wingate's easy attitude to offering help to those in his community that need it. It's something the LGBTQ community has always done (and something I believe will continue until the day it's no longer needed). I love seeing this conversation because it's so comfortable, so natural. Neither the characters, nor writer, have anything to prove. There's no awkwardness on the subject, or any fear of the opinions of homophobes, they just banter happily with each other and I love to see it!
Anyway, we get some more chat and another friend arrives, offering our first look at some building tension - and the gold standard in "tolerant" homophobia of the time.
The "tolerant" friend is, of course, only tolerant as long as he never has to see, hear, or acknowledge in any way that they are "musical". And Adler is almost pathetically grateful about his self-proclaimed tolerance. Having experienced it personally more than once, that hits hard.
Meanwhile Adler and Wingate have their own differences of opinion on keeping a low profile (a stroll down to the canal?) and what constitutes living a lie (occasionally going places with a female friend?)
It's full of the pain and life of needing to be yourself, but knowing that the wrong people finding out could lead to arrest, ostracism, death.
I really liked that Adler had a female friend who knows of his sexuality, and had a genuine connection with him. They both had someone to escort them to places (a requirement for avoiding the people who would otherwise be trying to marry them off), and to spend time with. And they really did loved each other as friends. Lydia almost broke that a couple of times, but fortunately in the end she didn't.
Onwards! After half a book or so of setup, eventually we get to the party, and then to the murder.
But don't mistake the shortness of my above paragraph. That's just me not wanting to deprive you of the very enjoyable time spent introducing us to the main players and showing us how they move through the world around them. That last is something important for us to understand in the case of our gay characters in particular. We get to know them, so we feel for them in the dangerous world they live in, and then when everything goes horribly wrong, we fear for them even more. It's very well built up and executed.
In Adler, we get a depiction of a gay man growing old - which is something we don't see enough. Especially in the gay community, where focus tends to fall on the young and ripped. An older gay gentleman, worrying about the stranger in the mirror, is an excellent touch. It adds layers to Adler that I have to really appreciate.
Also, keep an eye out for the moments that made me snigger like a 12yr old. Like the cishet guy calling Adler a one-of-a-kind dick. I had to stop reading for a minute after that one!
There's one main issue, really, and that's the speech. First, it feels like it's been learned by rote and rattled off at high speed. There's a lot of conversation which goes directly from speaker to speaker with little in the way of motion from the speakers. It strikes oddly, given Pederson's expertise with environmental details. Second, something about the speech itself feels unnatural, as if it's been written by someone unfamiliar with informal English. It doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment, but it's jarring at times, and it took me out of the flow a lot.
The plot plodded along, sometimes a little slowly, but generally enjoyably; even guessing some of what was about to come did little to lessen my enjoyment of seeing how the characters acted and reacted when it did, which was nice.
As to the solution to the mystery (it's a crime story so an important detail): it was reasonably sneakily done. We probably didn't need to have it explained twice within 5 pages of each other, but that's a minor point really.
It was a fun read, and I'd recommend it for sure. It's my first time reading a book from Pederson, and I'd happily pick up another.
Murder On Monte Vista was released on 15th March 2022.
November 23, 2022
Разочарование если не года, то месяца точно. Описание соблазняло: исторический детектив (действие происходит в 1946 году), ГГ - гей средних лет, убийство в закрытой комнате. На самом деле заглавное убийство происходит на 214-й странице из 290, главный герой разгадывает его за главу, а потом еще главу практически теми же словами пересказывает разгадку, которую мы уже знаем, своей лучшей подруге. Все остальное - это бесконечные диалоги-диалоги-диалоги, очень много разговоров, очень мало действия, зачем это все было, непонятно. Продолжать серию точно не буду.
March 8, 2022
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Murder on Monte Vista is an offbeat noir PI mystery and the first book in a new series by David S. Pederson. Due out 15th March 2022 from Bold Strokes Books, it's 226 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This book has quite an offbeat pacing and plot development. I was impressed at the verisimilitude of the writing. It's set in 1946 and it really reads like a novel written contemporaneously. It's pitch perfect with regard to pacing and dialogue. It definitely could have been written in the years after the second world war and decades before Stonewall. Most of the characters are gay, and in or out of their respective closets in a time when there were real risks involved in living as a gay man in the USA. Main protagonist Mason is a successful PI and something of a loner in his private life, although he has a circle of friends and a steady platonic relationship with a female friend with whom he enjoys outings to films and the occasional dinner date.
The plotting is, as stated, quirky and unexpected. The main crime occurs as a locked room mystery where the protagonist himself has insured that the door and windows into the room are firmly locked and bolted. The investigation and resolution are cleared up relatively quickly and cleverly by Mason himself after learning some new and vital information. The presentation of the clues necessary to solving the mystery are not always according to "fair play" rules... but I found the main character and the atmosphere compelling and well done.
It reminds me in a lot of complimentary ways of other golden age "gotcha" mysteries by E.C.R. Lorac and Cornell Woolrich. Fans of offbeat noir American PI mysteries who don't mind the more sordid aspects (sex for hire, lots of smoking and drinking, anti-homosexuality laws and threatened violence, etc) will possibly enjoy this one.
Four stars. Intriguing. There is no explicit sexual content here and only mild cursing.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Murder on Monte Vista is an offbeat noir PI mystery and the first book in a new series by David S. Pederson. Due out 15th March 2022 from Bold Strokes Books, it's 226 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This book has quite an offbeat pacing and plot development. I was impressed at the verisimilitude of the writing. It's set in 1946 and it really reads like a novel written contemporaneously. It's pitch perfect with regard to pacing and dialogue. It definitely could have been written in the years after the second world war and decades before Stonewall. Most of the characters are gay, and in or out of their respective closets in a time when there were real risks involved in living as a gay man in the USA. Main protagonist Mason is a successful PI and something of a loner in his private life, although he has a circle of friends and a steady platonic relationship with a female friend with whom he enjoys outings to films and the occasional dinner date.
The plotting is, as stated, quirky and unexpected. The main crime occurs as a locked room mystery where the protagonist himself has insured that the door and windows into the room are firmly locked and bolted. The investigation and resolution are cleared up relatively quickly and cleverly by Mason himself after learning some new and vital information. The presentation of the clues necessary to solving the mystery are not always according to "fair play" rules... but I found the main character and the atmosphere compelling and well done.
It reminds me in a lot of complimentary ways of other golden age "gotcha" mysteries by E.C.R. Lorac and Cornell Woolrich. Fans of offbeat noir American PI mysteries who don't mind the more sordid aspects (sex for hire, lots of smoking and drinking, anti-homosexuality laws and threatened violence, etc) will possibly enjoy this one.
Four stars. Intriguing. There is no explicit sexual content here and only mild cursing.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
March 23, 2022
A great new mystery!
Mason’s fiftieth birthday party has been arranged by his friends, of which Walter has arranged a very special present for him. Mason is nervous about the gift but when the young man, Henry, a part of his surprise is murdered, the night takes on a very different turn. As a private detective, Mason must work out how Henry was murdered in a locked room where they were alone, while clearing his name as number one suspect.
I was so excited to find out that David S. Pederson had a new Mystery series coming out and to find out all about Mason, as I had read a couple of his Heath Barrington Mysteries and loved them! Definitely love the new Mason Adler Mystery series and it is off to a fantastic start with Murder On Monte Vista. I was so shocked by the outcome of the story, and applaud how simply, but masterfully, David weave these mysteries. Each one lulls me into a false sense of security, then leaves me suspecting literally everyone, and even though I doubted it could be true, I was taken in with the clues that meant it could have been Mason himself.
The whole story was just amazing, with a brilliant new cast of quirky characters who I am really hoping we get to learn more about throughout the series as we get to know Mason better. He was very charming, and the way he worked was logical but genius in a way that had me excited by his investigations. When he figured out what had happened, I was truly surprised and then wondering how I hadn’t figured it out, all the signs of a fantastic mystery.
I just love the imagery and the way everything is described really puts me in the moment. You feel a part of the story and the way it is written, even though you know Mason is talking to another character, it’s as if he is talking to you personally too, so it is so easy to become emerged in the story and really be a part of it.
Most enjoyable, super exciting, and a series I cannot wait for more of! What a fantastic mystery!
Mason’s fiftieth birthday party has been arranged by his friends, of which Walter has arranged a very special present for him. Mason is nervous about the gift but when the young man, Henry, a part of his surprise is murdered, the night takes on a very different turn. As a private detective, Mason must work out how Henry was murdered in a locked room where they were alone, while clearing his name as number one suspect.
I was so excited to find out that David S. Pederson had a new Mystery series coming out and to find out all about Mason, as I had read a couple of his Heath Barrington Mysteries and loved them! Definitely love the new Mason Adler Mystery series and it is off to a fantastic start with Murder On Monte Vista. I was so shocked by the outcome of the story, and applaud how simply, but masterfully, David weave these mysteries. Each one lulls me into a false sense of security, then leaves me suspecting literally everyone, and even though I doubted it could be true, I was taken in with the clues that meant it could have been Mason himself.
The whole story was just amazing, with a brilliant new cast of quirky characters who I am really hoping we get to learn more about throughout the series as we get to know Mason better. He was very charming, and the way he worked was logical but genius in a way that had me excited by his investigations. When he figured out what had happened, I was truly surprised and then wondering how I hadn’t figured it out, all the signs of a fantastic mystery.
I just love the imagery and the way everything is described really puts me in the moment. You feel a part of the story and the way it is written, even though you know Mason is talking to another character, it’s as if he is talking to you personally too, so it is so easy to become emerged in the story and really be a part of it.
Most enjoyable, super exciting, and a series I cannot wait for more of! What a fantastic mystery!
March 29, 2022
What a great start to a fun new murder mystery series! Mr. Pederson has done an incredible job of weaving together all the suspects and clues into an enjoyable and puzzling read. Since this is a new series, the first part of the book starts out a little slower as the new characters and new settings are being introduced. I’m fine with this, as I like to become familiar with everything and everyone before the actual murder takes place.
We first meet private detective Mason Adler and his decorator friend Walter Wingate. Clearly there is a lot of history between these two. Their dialog is sharp and witty. The character of Walter, who initially comes across as a bit pushy and overbearing, is just navigating life in the 1940s in a different way. Rather than remain closeted like most of Mr. Pederson’s other gay characters, Walter revels in being flamboyantly different and doesn’t seem bothered by what others think. Flaunting how different they were was another way that gay men survived in the heterosexual world of the 20th century. Truman Capote, Paul Lynde, and other ‘closeted’ gay celebrities often exaggerated their appearances, their speech and/or their behaviors to stand out as different. I found that the contrast in the way that Mason and Walter live their lives differently as gay men in the 1940s gives their relationship much more depth and interest. I’ll be curious to see if any backstory they might have is explored in future novels.
The mystery itself is deliciously puzzling. Walter has secured a handsome waiter to spend an hour alone with Mason as a 50th birthday present. When the waiter is murdered in the locked bedroom with only Mason present, Mason becomes the prime suspect. From there the plot twists and turns as Mason must figure out who the actual murderer is and prove his innocence. The clues and list of suspects kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this new mystery.
We first meet private detective Mason Adler and his decorator friend Walter Wingate. Clearly there is a lot of history between these two. Their dialog is sharp and witty. The character of Walter, who initially comes across as a bit pushy and overbearing, is just navigating life in the 1940s in a different way. Rather than remain closeted like most of Mr. Pederson’s other gay characters, Walter revels in being flamboyantly different and doesn’t seem bothered by what others think. Flaunting how different they were was another way that gay men survived in the heterosexual world of the 20th century. Truman Capote, Paul Lynde, and other ‘closeted’ gay celebrities often exaggerated their appearances, their speech and/or their behaviors to stand out as different. I found that the contrast in the way that Mason and Walter live their lives differently as gay men in the 1940s gives their relationship much more depth and interest. I’ll be curious to see if any backstory they might have is explored in future novels.
The mystery itself is deliciously puzzling. Walter has secured a handsome waiter to spend an hour alone with Mason as a 50th birthday present. When the waiter is murdered in the locked bedroom with only Mason present, Mason becomes the prime suspect. From there the plot twists and turns as Mason must figure out who the actual murderer is and prove his innocence. The clues and list of suspects kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this new mystery.
April 10, 2022
When David Pederson moved to Phoenix, AZ, he left the characters he had developed in his previous seven books back in Milwaukee. While I missed Heath, Alan, and Aunt Verbina, getting acquainted with detective Mason Adler in his new book was most interesting. The delicious repartee in chapter 1 between Mason and his friend, interior decorator Walter Wingate, sets the tone for the entire book. Chapter 2 introduces us to Lydia as she and Mason are returning from a movie. I don't recall Heath having a significant female relationship in David's previous books, so this is a nice new touch. While Walter accuses Mason using Lydia as a cover-up for his sexuality, the friendship/relationship appears to be real. But on to the main plot. In succeeding chapters. we are introduced to a variety of characters, all of whom are invited to Mason's 50th birthday party, hosted by Walter in his home. It is there that the "Murder on Monte Vista" takes place. With his usual attention to detail, David describes the locale as well as a detailed description of Walter's home. It's the birthday present which Walter plans for Mason which results in the murder. In the closing chapters, we follow Mason as he analyzes the clues which lead to the murderer and the motive. I'm looking forward to getting better acquainted with Mason Adler in a future mystery by the talented David S. Pederson.
March 24, 2022
This book is the first of a new series for Pederson and introduces us to a whole new cast of characters. Like previous books from his Heath Barrington series, this one is set in the 1940’s and features several key gay characters. Pederson puts tremendous research into ensuring period details are meticulously accurate, which for me is a fun way to learn more about key locations, words, behavioral norms, etc. from a different era. He blends these in with ease along with the key plot details, so by the end of the book not only have you read a great mystery, but you’re also a little smarter about life in 1940’s America!
Murder on Monte Vista is set in Phoenix and introduces us to private detective Mason Adler. It’s a classic locked-room mystery that’s full of surprises and will keep you guessing until the very end. Of course, all the necessary clues are included, but several are quite subtle – along with a healthy amount of red herrings as well – and I was unable to figure out the mystery until Adler revealed it through dialogue to his friend.
Pederson’s books are always a fun, quickly paced read with descriptive visuals that will keep you turning the page. Murder on Monte Vista is no exception. Great for a weekend or beach trip read!
Murder on Monte Vista is set in Phoenix and introduces us to private detective Mason Adler. It’s a classic locked-room mystery that’s full of surprises and will keep you guessing until the very end. Of course, all the necessary clues are included, but several are quite subtle – along with a healthy amount of red herrings as well – and I was unable to figure out the mystery until Adler revealed it through dialogue to his friend.
Pederson’s books are always a fun, quickly paced read with descriptive visuals that will keep you turning the page. Murder on Monte Vista is no exception. Great for a weekend or beach trip read!
April 13, 2022
Murder on Monte Vista is another example of the witty and sharp writing by David S. Pederson. Fans of his “Death” series are sure to love this new set of characters living in Phoenix in the 1940’s. Mason T. Adler is an instantly likable character, and Pederson has once again crafted a cast of fascinating characters; some dear friends, some quirky acquaintances, some flawed but endearing “habits,” and possibly some enemies as well! The dialogue Pederson writes is smart and funny, and pulls the reader through the twists and turns of a murder that our new friend Mason Adler may have committed himself! Pederson weaves together the clues and details sprinkled throughout the book to leave readers with a satisfying mystery solved.
April 1, 2022
MURDER ON MONTE VISTA is a mystery set in 1946. Private detective Mason Adler is celebrating his fiftieth birthday in Phoenix, AZ. When a guest turns up murdered in a room that was locked from the inside, it's up to Detective Adler to solve the case.
I enjoyed reading a murder mystery set in the 1940s. The descriptive scenes fit the mood of other books from that era, and I liked that it was a mystery that centered around gay characters written by an LGBTQ author. I look forward to more books in the series.
[Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.]
I enjoyed reading a murder mystery set in the 1940s. The descriptive scenes fit the mood of other books from that era, and I liked that it was a mystery that centered around gay characters written by an LGBTQ author. I look forward to more books in the series.
[Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.]
April 10, 2022
Dave Pederson writes a wonderful murder mystery as he introduces a new detective, Mason Adler, to his collection of novels. As with Dave’s other books, readers find themselves guessing and second-guessing their predictions about who the actual murderer is right up until Mason pulls all the pieces together. Along the journey, the reader experiences what a gay man in the 1940’s went through to survive in the closet, sharing his most private life with just a few close friends. It all makes for a compelling read that I couldn’t put down.
February 19, 2022
Murder on Monte Vista is a mystery story set in the 1940s. It follows a very comforting and classic formula with a detective main character and a few key side characters who all have different motivations and history with each other. The detective, Mason Adler, is gay and so are many of his friends. There is secrecy surrounding some of the characters' sexualities but not all of them. Also, there is flirting and discussion of sex and dating but no romance in the plot of this one.
This book is described with a very intriguing premise for a locked-room murder mystery, which is one of my favorite tropes. However, the first 3/4 of the book (not an exaggeration) is all spent developing characters and listening to them talk to each other. The actual murder occurs when the book is nearly done and then it's solved nearly immediately. I wish this had either been a short story or that the murder had happened much earlier so that the twists in the investigation would have more time to build and be exciting.
Overall, I was interested enough in this book to finish it and I wasn't able to figure out how the victim died until the very end. However, I did feel like the portion before the murder went on way too long and I'm not sure I can recommend this without sharing that disclaimer!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is described with a very intriguing premise for a locked-room murder mystery, which is one of my favorite tropes. However, the first 3/4 of the book (not an exaggeration) is all spent developing characters and listening to them talk to each other. The actual murder occurs when the book is nearly done and then it's solved nearly immediately. I wish this had either been a short story or that the murder had happened much earlier so that the twists in the investigation would have more time to build and be exciting.
Overall, I was interested enough in this book to finish it and I wasn't able to figure out how the victim died until the very end. However, I did feel like the portion before the murder went on way too long and I'm not sure I can recommend this without sharing that disclaimer!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2022
I LOVED this book! The historical setting (1940's), the witty dialog, the well fleshed out characters, and of course the clever mystery. Well done, can't wait to read more in this series. And the character of Walter is a hoot!
May 28, 2023
This was...weird for a Murder Mystery.
Nothing happens til 70% in. Thats the murder! There is no really invesgation besides one page of the main character looking at the scene of the crime, there is no questioning the witness, there is no actual detectiving going on.
If this wasn't a detective novel I would rate it much higher, bc it was nice, the writing even if a bit repetitive wasnt bad at all, and the character work was good too (on the ones who actually got some smidge of characterization at least). Also I can't decide if this was too short or too long (and its only like 220 pages lmao)
First 70% just talk and talk about how old the Main Character (Mason) is, how he doesn't seriously date and kinda passes as a heterosexual by having a really good lady friend. We get to know Walter (his.... friend???????????) who is honestly a horrible person.
There is some other characters that are named and some stuff is told about them, but honestly not much even tho they are kinda the principal characters on the story.
70% Going towards the murder and the murder happen
70% onwards.... nothing much tbh
95% the resolving of the murder in like a page.
Nothing happens til 70% in. Thats the murder! There is no really invesgation besides one page of the main character looking at the scene of the crime, there is no questioning the witness, there is no actual detectiving going on.
If this wasn't a detective novel I would rate it much higher, bc it was nice, the writing even if a bit repetitive wasnt bad at all, and the character work was good too (on the ones who actually got some smidge of characterization at least). Also I can't decide if this was too short or too long (and its only like 220 pages lmao)
First 70% just talk and talk about how old the Main Character (Mason) is, how he doesn't seriously date and kinda passes as a heterosexual by having a really good lady friend. We get to know Walter (his.... friend???????????) who is honestly a horrible person.
There is some other characters that are named and some stuff is told about them, but honestly not much even tho they are kinda the principal characters on the story.
70% Going towards the murder and the murder happen
70% onwards.... nothing much tbh
95% the resolving of the murder in like a page.
May 11, 2022
Dreadful book. Overly arch dialogue. Conversations that go on forever yet say nothing. The whole experience was grating.
February 19, 2022
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Copy provided by Bold Strokes Books.
Murder on Monte Vista is a mystery story set in 1946 and on a hot spring night in Phoenix, Arizona, things are only beginning to heat up at the Monte Vista Road home of flamboyant decorator Walter Waverly Wingate. Private detective Mason T. Adler isn’t thrilled to be turning fifty, and the party Walter throws him makes him even more uncomfortable. Walter has arranged a special birthday present for Mason: a private hour with the handsome, young Henry Bowtrickle in Walter’s upstairs bedroom. But the night turns deadly when his birthday gift turns up murdered. The room was locked, no way in or out, and only Henry and Mason were inside. Mason Adler is on the case, but he is also a suspect, along with the other assorted party guests who were all downstairs at the time of the stabbing. Or were they?
As this is the first book of the series, this is set as an introduction to the setting and characters. Most of the book was developing and getting to know the actors I wished there was more of a mystery then waiting till the end of the book to start the mystery. This was suppose to be a mystery book but it did not feel like it. I wished the book was shorter or the murder happened earlier. It was a quick read, but nothing very intrigued me of the book other then it did not take me long to read. I am still unsure if I will read the next book in the series.
Murder on Monte Vista is a mystery story set in 1946 and on a hot spring night in Phoenix, Arizona, things are only beginning to heat up at the Monte Vista Road home of flamboyant decorator Walter Waverly Wingate. Private detective Mason T. Adler isn’t thrilled to be turning fifty, and the party Walter throws him makes him even more uncomfortable. Walter has arranged a special birthday present for Mason: a private hour with the handsome, young Henry Bowtrickle in Walter’s upstairs bedroom. But the night turns deadly when his birthday gift turns up murdered. The room was locked, no way in or out, and only Henry and Mason were inside. Mason Adler is on the case, but he is also a suspect, along with the other assorted party guests who were all downstairs at the time of the stabbing. Or were they?
As this is the first book of the series, this is set as an introduction to the setting and characters. Most of the book was developing and getting to know the actors I wished there was more of a mystery then waiting till the end of the book to start the mystery. This was suppose to be a mystery book but it did not feel like it. I wished the book was shorter or the murder happened earlier. It was a quick read, but nothing very intrigued me of the book other then it did not take me long to read. I am still unsure if I will read the next book in the series.
March 4, 2022
[Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]
Murder on Monte Vista is supposedly a locked-room mystery... and I use the word "supposedly" because it took a long while to reach the murder in the book’s title. While I know everything else we read before the actual murder was leading up to it with clues of solving it, the amount of description, dialogue and scenes in general was a bit dull at times It took more than half of the book to reach Mason's birthday party and the scene of the crime. Everything was
I read that this book is part of a series, which explains the amount of description. But I do hope for the next installment, there's less explaining in dialogue and more solving mystery "on screen".
I also thought Mason was way too perfect and that Walter was really unlikeable and I can't understand how they are friends after everything tbh
Murder on Monte Vista is supposedly a locked-room mystery... and I use the word "supposedly" because it took a long while to reach the murder in the book’s title. While I know everything else we read before the actual murder was leading up to it with clues of solving it, the amount of description, dialogue and scenes in general was a bit dull at times It took more than half of the book to reach Mason's birthday party and the scene of the crime. Everything was
I read that this book is part of a series, which explains the amount of description. But I do hope for the next installment, there's less explaining in dialogue and more solving mystery "on screen".
I also thought Mason was way too perfect and that Walter was really unlikeable and I can't understand how they are friends after everything tbh
January 27, 2023
A murder mystery set in the 1940s being solved by a gay detective? Sign me up! Since it's the first book in a series a lot of time is spent setting up our detective, Mason, and establishing who he is and his little circle of friends (the sassy best friend, supportive and kind beard, the friend on the police force). He even solves a brief case in one chapter, seemingly just to establish that he's capable. A few smaller chapters are Mason just relaying what we already know to another character and, with how brief the book is, those really weren't necessary.
The main mystery is comparatively brief, happening well past the 50% mark. Despite being the police's main suspect, Mason doesn't suffer a whole lot of anguish about this personally, probably because there isn't time. The list of suspects is small and full of undefined people (two lesbian characters are constantly mentioned but never have dialogue). The "who" and "why" of the murder are sadly the most obvious person, though the "how" was clever enough for the size of the case. Now that introductions are out of the way, I'd be willing to see Mason tackling a meatier case next time.
The main mystery is comparatively brief, happening well past the 50% mark. Despite being the police's main suspect, Mason doesn't suffer a whole lot of anguish about this personally, probably because there isn't time. The list of suspects is small and full of undefined people (two lesbian characters are constantly mentioned but never have dialogue). The "who" and "why" of the murder are sadly the most obvious person, though the "how" was clever enough for the size of the case. Now that introductions are out of the way, I'd be willing to see Mason tackling a meatier case next time.
April 13, 2025
Set in 1946 Phoenix, Murder on Monte Vista opens with a promising setup: a birthday party, a mysterious murder in a locked room, and a private detective who suddenly finds himself both suspect and sleuth.
This book had been sitting on my TBR since I received the ARC back in 2022, so I’m glad to have finally picked it up. While I enjoyed the historical setting and appreciated the introduction to the large cast of characters, the pacing felt uneven. A significant portion of the book focused on character introductions and setup, leaving the murder mystery—arguably the main draw—feeling rushed in the final chapters.
The locked-room concept had great potential, but the resolution came together a little too quickly for my liking. I was hoping for more buildup and suspense surrounding the mystery. That said, the post-WWII setting and the queer representation added depth and uniqueness to the story.
There are two more books in the series, and while I’m curious about where Mason Adler’s journey goes next, I’d probably only continue if audiobook versions were available.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book had been sitting on my TBR since I received the ARC back in 2022, so I’m glad to have finally picked it up. While I enjoyed the historical setting and appreciated the introduction to the large cast of characters, the pacing felt uneven. A significant portion of the book focused on character introductions and setup, leaving the murder mystery—arguably the main draw—feeling rushed in the final chapters.
The locked-room concept had great potential, but the resolution came together a little too quickly for my liking. I was hoping for more buildup and suspense surrounding the mystery. That said, the post-WWII setting and the queer representation added depth and uniqueness to the story.
There are two more books in the series, and while I’m curious about where Mason Adler’s journey goes next, I’d probably only continue if audiobook versions were available.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2022
MURDER ON MONTE VISTA by David S. Pederson is a locked-room murder mystery set in 1946 and starring private detective Mason Adler.
I had high hopes for this one, both because I love a classic locked-room mystery and the LGBTQ+ representation in the story (Mason and most of his friends are gay). Unfortunately it fell very flat for me.
The first ~60% of the story is character build up and backstory, mostly unnecessary, and mostly dialogue. Then the party happens, and the body is found at around 70%. The pacing is very slow and the information is mostly irrelevant to the mystery. I also found the characters generally unlikeable (other than Lydia!).
This is a book that could have strongly benefitted from a developmental editor OR even could have been a short story.
If you don’t mind slow pacing and heavy dialogue, then give it a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this eARC.
I had high hopes for this one, both because I love a classic locked-room mystery and the LGBTQ+ representation in the story (Mason and most of his friends are gay). Unfortunately it fell very flat for me.
The first ~60% of the story is character build up and backstory, mostly unnecessary, and mostly dialogue. Then the party happens, and the body is found at around 70%. The pacing is very slow and the information is mostly irrelevant to the mystery. I also found the characters generally unlikeable (other than Lydia!).
This is a book that could have strongly benefitted from a developmental editor OR even could have been a short story.
If you don’t mind slow pacing and heavy dialogue, then give it a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this eARC.
March 30, 2022
Thought I'd branch out from lesbian crime fiction into gay crime fiction, this book is very description and exposition heavy. It takes a long time to get to the plot which is what I read crime fiction for. The story works well and although the characters aren't the most likeable that's not a deal breaker in crime fiction. If you like lots of scene setting you'll love this book, if you prefer to be straight into the action this mayn't be for you.
With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2023
2.5 stars rounded down to 2
A murder mystery with a host of loathsome gay characters. The first two are such annoying stereotypes I hoped one would either be the victim of the killing or the perpetrator who'd get caught and jailed. Unfortunately neither happened.
The plot and its unravelling landed somewhere between well-constructed and transparent. Probably not bad as a beach read because you can skim and it won't matter if you lose your place.
A murder mystery with a host of loathsome gay characters. The first two are such annoying stereotypes I hoped one would either be the victim of the killing or the perpetrator who'd get caught and jailed. Unfortunately neither happened.
The plot and its unravelling landed somewhere between well-constructed and transparent. Probably not bad as a beach read because you can skim and it won't matter if you lose your place.
January 20, 2024
I LOVED Murder on Monte Vista. Very good character development, the right amount of main and minor characters. Set in 1946, it really felt like that time period was very accurate in how things were then. I currently live in the Phoenix area and that made the novel even more special.
I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed, but had several suspects on the line that kept me guessing.
Looking forward to reading his 2nd novel!!
I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed, but had several suspects on the line that kept me guessing.
Looking forward to reading his 2nd novel!!
April 6, 2025
There was a lot of talking and not a lot of action... which I guess is fine but there was a lot of talking. The murder didn't take place until about 68% of the way through... but because of all of the talking I'd actually figured it out before it had even happened.
Still, it was an enjoyable, easy read.
Still, it was an enjoyable, easy read.
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