The Fisher Boy (Mark Winslow Mystery) - Stephen Anable

[PaperMoon]

Set in P-Town summertime, Mark Winslow arrives with his troupe of comic-impromptu actor friends hoping to get a regular gig, performance experience and some money to keep going. Also arriving in town is a mysterious shipload of Nordic sailors, a small contingent of right-wing religious fanatics who are seeking to combat the unholy gay scene, a continuous stream of strange vagrant hippy-commune like waifs and shoplifters and of course the expected gay folk (from the cities) spending their summertime holidays at P-Town.

Tensions and fears escalate amongst the queer community as a dead animal is deposited as a warning sign followed by a brutal murder of a gay man one of Mark’s long-time friends and sometimes nemesis. Being one of the last to see the victim alive – Mark has to get involved to clear his name … and of course gets drawn unwittingly into religious fanaticism, oppressive cults, alternative lifestyle communities and the decades old mystery of the disappearance of painter of the Fisher Boy painting which Mark loves.

This debut whodunit by Anable is a very credible effort but suffers a little from too many plot elements and some over the top credibility stretching red herrings and suspects. As the investigating protagonist, Mark Winslow’s character, back-story and internal struggles are well developed systematically throughout the book. Most supportive cast characters (friends, family, male lovers) go beyond merely two dimensional plot figures and the setting and feel of Provincetown is warmly described. Several elements of the story remain unresolved or not well explained for me. This is not as gripping as some of the gay whodunits I’ve read lately but definitely better than mediocre.