Stephen E. Stanley

My mother used to send me to the library with the instruction that I was to bring her home something "light and frivolous." I find that I enjoy such "light and frivolous" books myself, and one of my favorite guilty pleasures is the (semi-comic) mystery, especially if it includes food. Imagine my great pleasure at starting this book, one of several by Stephen Stanley, and finding not only a fun mystery and lots of cooking, but a gay male protagonist who lives and works with his partner. And show more in a a sign that perhaps we're becoming more and more mainstream, while it is obvious that Jesse and Tim love each other and that they are very sexually active men, the sex is visible only by allusion. No hot and steamy porn images here. (Not that I object to hot and steamy porn images, but this is a book I could lend my mother and she would enjoy it and not be shocked.) I found the book hard to put down--so much so that my partner remarked on how I was reading it instead of watching tv with him. Guess it says something that immediately upon finishing the book, I went online and ordered another Stephen Stanley mystery. Oh, and the food? Well at the end of the book is a compendium of recipes that I'm dying to try in my own kitchen. How could life (and light and frivolous books) get any better. show less

Jeremy Dance is a successful private investigator in 1930's Boston. Not only does he always get the job done, but he is also discreet. And that's exactly what the wealthy families of Beacon Hill are looking for. But Jeremy has a few secrets of his own, so it's his own understanding that makes him willing to let people's business be their business.

When a nice dinner among Jeremy, his assistant (Roscoe), and his best friend (Judy) is interrupted by a call to investigate a murder, he gets one show more of his most interesting cases yet. And he soon finds he'll need to tread carefully. Many have something to lose if the circumstances of the case are leaked. And just as many might have something to lose if the case isn't solved quickly.

But as Jeremy knows quite well, some people will do anything to protect their secrets.

This was a fun mystery, reminiscent of a classic detective novel. There were several smaller side cases during the course of the book that provide added context and opportunity to observe the characters in action. It definitely provided for a much richer world, drawing me in as a reader.

While Jeremy and his assistant are gay (not with each other) and Judy is a lesbian, this isn't really a romance. Those are just facts that are a part of their character. And even though it's not really acceptable at their time in history, they make it all work quite well.

Definitely an enjoyable read. Highly recommended to fans of mystery and/or historical fiction. show less

It's an OK murder mystery set in contemporary Montreal. The story held my interest enough to finish the book. I read the Kindle version which had numerous errors that a copy editor could have caught - these were an unnecessary annoyance.

This is a chatty "cozy" murder mystery set in Bath, Maine. The protagonist (Jesse) moves back to Bath after ending a 30 year teaching career in New Hampshire. He buys and fixes up an abandoned house. While digging in the garden he discovers a human skeleton. The rest of the story is about identifying the remains and finding the killer, which he does. Along the way he re-discovers a boyhood romance with the town sheriff, and publishes a cookbook. In the final analysis, it's an OK story with show more interesting characters, but it is not exceptional. There's the basis for a good series here and therefore I'm going to read the sequel.

I read the Kindle version of the book and there are numerous typos --I doubt there was any copy editing done.

There are some recipes at the end of the book which some may find worthwhile. show less