Dorien Grey (1933–2015)
Author of The Butcher's Son
About the Author
Series
Works by Dorien Grey
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Roger Margason
- Birthdate
- 1933-11-14
- Date of death
- 2015-11-01
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Northern Illinois University
- Short biography
- Roger Margason, who used the pseudonym of Dorien Grey, was an openly gay American author, (born in Northern Illinois). Margason served in the U.S. Navy and graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BA in English. He died on November 1, 2015.
Margason was the author of the fourteen-book Dick Hardesty mystery series, which received a WordWeaving Series of Excellence award, and four of which have been finalists for the Lambda Literary Award. He was also the author of the four-book Elliott Smith Paranormal Mystery series. In addition to his two series, he had a stand-alone gay western/romance/adventure novel, Calico, aimed at young adults and traditional western buffs; Short Circuits: A Life in Blogs; Dreams of a Calico Mouse, a book of poetry; and A World Ago: a Navy Man's Letters Home, 1954-1956. - Nationality
- USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
I’m too lazy too read all the Dick Hardesty Mystery and so I asked for the books where the relationship between Dick and Jonathan first started and then developed into a family with the addition of Joshua, Jonathan’s little nephew.
At the beginning of this novel, Dick and Jonathan are having a pretty good “bachelor” life together: they travel, they work, they have enough money to spare and enjoy the life; nothing apparently bad, if not that Dick is not really still convinced this is show more the life he really wants. You can understand his indecision in the way he ogles all the pretty boys he comes upon to, even if he has a good fine boy, Jonathan, at home all for himself. Dick in a way would like to play the field, and the “ifs” are still plenty in his day-to-day routing, even if he doesn’t actually follow any of them.
Then suddenly Jonathan is appointed guardian for his nephew Joshua, a four years old baby; to Jonathan, aside for the pain of losing his brother, is like the realization of his dream: he has always wanted kids, but he was not expecting for his dream to come true, and above all not so soon. But Jonathan also knows that, even if he was joking with Dirk on building a 2.5 kids family in the suburbs, Dirk is not ready, or willing, to be the other half of that dreams.
Dick in a way surprised me: I was not expecting for him to put his feelings for Jonathan in front of his own personal desire. Actually both of them do that, Jonathan not wanting to force Dick, and Dick realizing that Jonathan and Joshua are an item and that if he wants one he has to take also the other. But Dick was even more surprising in “really” accepting Joshua: for Dick is not only doing a favour to Jonathan, he really likes the kid and while it’s clear that Joshua is Jonathan’s responsibility, it’s also clear that Dick is more than willing to share the burden.
In the end, I think that Joshua, instead of destabilizing Dick and Jonathan’s relationship like the most common plot would have implied, helped on the contrary to make it stronger, giving it a chance to last that without Joshua was probably less likely; as in an old fashioned romance, the kid in question worked as cement to the relationship.
Again, the personal subplot for me was more interesting than the mystery main theme; and again I’m not really able to summarize it without spoiling the fun for the mystery lovers. Enough to say that Dorien Grey put together a good numbers of possible suspects and that me, like him, until the end were not sure of who really was the one who killed Jonathan and Dick’s single mom neighbour.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1879194554/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less
At the beginning of this novel, Dick and Jonathan are having a pretty good “bachelor” life together: they travel, they work, they have enough money to spare and enjoy the life; nothing apparently bad, if not that Dick is not really still convinced this is show more the life he really wants. You can understand his indecision in the way he ogles all the pretty boys he comes upon to, even if he has a good fine boy, Jonathan, at home all for himself. Dick in a way would like to play the field, and the “ifs” are still plenty in his day-to-day routing, even if he doesn’t actually follow any of them.
Then suddenly Jonathan is appointed guardian for his nephew Joshua, a four years old baby; to Jonathan, aside for the pain of losing his brother, is like the realization of his dream: he has always wanted kids, but he was not expecting for his dream to come true, and above all not so soon. But Jonathan also knows that, even if he was joking with Dirk on building a 2.5 kids family in the suburbs, Dirk is not ready, or willing, to be the other half of that dreams.
Dick in a way surprised me: I was not expecting for him to put his feelings for Jonathan in front of his own personal desire. Actually both of them do that, Jonathan not wanting to force Dick, and Dick realizing that Jonathan and Joshua are an item and that if he wants one he has to take also the other. But Dick was even more surprising in “really” accepting Joshua: for Dick is not only doing a favour to Jonathan, he really likes the kid and while it’s clear that Joshua is Jonathan’s responsibility, it’s also clear that Dick is more than willing to share the burden.
In the end, I think that Joshua, instead of destabilizing Dick and Jonathan’s relationship like the most common plot would have implied, helped on the contrary to make it stronger, giving it a chance to last that without Joshua was probably less likely; as in an old fashioned romance, the kid in question worked as cement to the relationship.
Again, the personal subplot for me was more interesting than the mystery main theme; and again I’m not really able to summarize it without spoiling the fun for the mystery lovers. Enough to say that Dorien Grey put together a good numbers of possible suspects and that me, like him, until the end were not sure of who really was the one who killed Jonathan and Dick’s single mom neighbour.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1879194554/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less
3-1/2 stars
Though a good read in the end, this one is a bit of a slog with a slow build/set up, but the characters are realistic and solid people. Unfortunately, I didn't find the main characters, Elliot and his companion ghost, John, compelling enough to keep my attention for long, which is why it took so long to read. I am, however, willing to read another Dorien Grey book in the future.
Though a good read in the end, this one is a bit of a slog with a slow build/set up, but the characters are realistic and solid people. Unfortunately, I didn't find the main characters, Elliot and his companion ghost, John, compelling enough to keep my attention for long, which is why it took so long to read. I am, however, willing to read another Dorien Grey book in the future.
Not having the time to read much lately, I read the first book in this series, and so I know who Elliott Smith is and his background, and who is Steve, Elliott's partner, the whys and whens of their relationship. At book 4, Elliott and Steve are a steady couple, and I have to say I enjoyed reading about their "ordinary" relationship; they were extraordinary in being an ordinary couple in a romance thriller setting. Elliott, playing PI, isn't ultra-charming, uber-hot or any other superlative show more adjective. Maybe Steve, from what I gather, is on the handsome side of beauty, but even him, althought an artist, is struggling with a day job and with an uncertain future as newby gallery owner.
Another interesting plot device was having the victim, still alive for a good part of the book; that gave the reader the chance to know him, and in a way hating and loving him at the same time. Dante is very handsome, very talented and a total prissy diva. He is unpolite, egoist, a liar... but in the end, when he is killed, I felt pity for him, like he didn't have a chance to prove he was better than what he appeared. And then, it was a waste of talent and beauty.
Beside, all the possible culprits were nice characters, and I didn't want for anyone of them to be the murderer. And yes, when I found out who they were, again, I was sad for them, till the end I wanted a turn of the tables telling me I was wrong, but that didn't happen.
How it was possible to like both the victim than the murder? to want for both of them an impossible happy ending? that is probably the best achievement of this book and author.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1612710654/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less
Another interesting plot device was having the victim, still alive for a good part of the book; that gave the reader the chance to know him, and in a way hating and loving him at the same time. Dante is very handsome, very talented and a total prissy diva. He is unpolite, egoist, a liar... but in the end, when he is killed, I felt pity for him, like he didn't have a chance to prove he was better than what he appeared. And then, it was a waste of talent and beauty.
Beside, all the possible culprits were nice characters, and I didn't want for anyone of them to be the murderer. And yes, when I found out who they were, again, I was sad for them, till the end I wanted a turn of the tables telling me I was wrong, but that didn't happen.
How it was possible to like both the victim than the murder? to want for both of them an impossible happy ending? that is probably the best achievement of this book and author.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1612710654/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less
I know I shouldn’t read these books since I feel too much for the people in them when I know they are real life men; but, if you think at it, that of Roger Margason, alias Dorien Grey, is a life that is worthy to be told and worthy to be read. Born in 1933, Dorien/Roger is today one of those gay novelists who quietly, but steadily, navigated the turbulent sea of the Gay Fiction market. As often when something is “trendy”, the waters are dangerous, and the chance to sink very high, but show more apparently Dorien doesn’t care: he writes his books, he blogs with an elegance that is rare and a bit old fashioned, and he is the perfect epitome of a gentleman.
Short Circuits: A Writer’s Life in Blogs is a collection of some of the blogs he posted in these years, and what I loved of them is that they are not in chronological order, but grouped by theme. Through them you can learn of a young boy who came out to his family without much drama, who was a naval cadet, who visited Europe, who loved and left but managed to remain a friend. You read of the deep pain of losing parents, relatives, friends and lovers. Roger tells about two men, Norm and Ray; even if he says that Ray was the love of his life, this man is not as present as Norm in the blogs. Norm was the one who managed to “enter” in Roger’s family, and Roger in his. Norm was the one, like Ray, who died, but Roger was with Norm and he lived and recorded the aftermath, with precise dates, while instead Roger is not able to remember neither the year in which Ray died. You will think, well, this proves Ray wasn’t Roger’s true love, Norm was… I don’t think so, I think losing Norm was for Roger like losing a brother, someone you will always associate with most part of your life; for this reason, you remember those moments, and almost welcome the sudden pain in the heart you feel each time. Losing Ray was so heartbreaking that Roger simply erased the memory to be able to go on.
Roger also journals about his day-to-day life, his jobs, even his career in the porn-magazine industry, straight-porn, and when he managed to convince his editors to publish a gay magazine, something that was unheard of at the time. Roger also tells what it means being gay and shy in a society where appearance seems to be the must; it was bittersweet to read about it, since, more or less, Roger’s youth was utopia for most gay boys his same age, even today, but nevertheless he grew up like any other ordinary guy, with his insecurity but also with his strong personality, strong because it’s clear and defined, but never imposing in a negative way.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00584R12S/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less
Short Circuits: A Writer’s Life in Blogs is a collection of some of the blogs he posted in these years, and what I loved of them is that they are not in chronological order, but grouped by theme. Through them you can learn of a young boy who came out to his family without much drama, who was a naval cadet, who visited Europe, who loved and left but managed to remain a friend. You read of the deep pain of losing parents, relatives, friends and lovers. Roger tells about two men, Norm and Ray; even if he says that Ray was the love of his life, this man is not as present as Norm in the blogs. Norm was the one who managed to “enter” in Roger’s family, and Roger in his. Norm was the one, like Ray, who died, but Roger was with Norm and he lived and recorded the aftermath, with precise dates, while instead Roger is not able to remember neither the year in which Ray died. You will think, well, this proves Ray wasn’t Roger’s true love, Norm was… I don’t think so, I think losing Norm was for Roger like losing a brother, someone you will always associate with most part of your life; for this reason, you remember those moments, and almost welcome the sudden pain in the heart you feel each time. Losing Ray was so heartbreaking that Roger simply erased the memory to be able to go on.
Roger also journals about his day-to-day life, his jobs, even his career in the porn-magazine industry, straight-porn, and when he managed to convince his editors to publish a gay magazine, something that was unheard of at the time. Roger also tells what it means being gay and shy in a society where appearance seems to be the must; it was bittersweet to read about it, since, more or less, Roger’s youth was utopia for most gay boys his same age, even today, but nevertheless he grew up like any other ordinary guy, with his insecurity but also with his strong personality, strong because it’s clear and defined, but never imposing in a negative way.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00584R12S/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 22
- Members
- 757
- Popularity
- #33,605
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 29
- ISBNs
- 90
- Favorited
- 2