Another Dead Teenager (Paul Turner Mysteries) [Paperback]

Mark Richard Zubro (Author)

Book Description

Series: Paul Turner Mysteries | Publication Date: April 15, 1996

When two suburban high-school students are found murdered--both boys who were well respected and liked, with solid family lives and no apparent enemies--Detected Paul Turner is assigned the case. However as a gay father with two teenage sons and a new lover in his life, Paul Turner has trouble bringing his full attention to bear on the case. But as details slowly emergy, he begins to suspect that he is investigating something more deadly and horrifying than a pair of senseless killings, something that could threaten the lives of the people he holds most dear.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like the mystery it tracks, Zubro's latest Paul Turner opus (after Political Poison) is a decidedly mixed bag. When the teenage sons of two prominent Chicago families are murdered, gay CPD detective Turner and his longtime (straight) partner, Buck Fenwick, are under pressure to solve the case pronto. Their solution, however, proves both obvious and disappointing and features an excess of red herrings and a heavy dose of copspeak ("You always looked not only at what the suspects did do, but at what they didn't do"). Zubro undermines his setting's authenticity by inventing the North Shore suburb of Kenitkamette?as if Kenilworth, Winnetka and Wilmette had merged. But there's also good news. Both in the station house and on Turner's home front, the personal notes ring refreshingly true to life. Fenwick's good-natured teasing about his partner's sexual orientation; Turner's relationships with his two sons and new boyfriend; and the wonderfully stubborn Rose Talucci, the Turner family's next-door earth mother, all make Zubro's offering something zippier than Another Limp Mystery.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Zubro's style and pacing keep getting better. Consequently, his third mystery featuring Chicago police detective Paul Turner is the best yet. This time, openly gay Turner (who, interestingly, has two sons, one of them with spina bifida) and his straight partner, Buck Fenwick, are on the trail of a serial killer who brutally murders high-school athletes. (Part of Zubro's charm is how naturally he works the unexpected into his mysteries; in addition to Turner's gayness, which Zubro fits into the story without it intruding upon the plot, here he has a female suburban police chief.) When Turner and Fenwick close in on the killer, the killer goes after Turner's elder son and then his lover. The third Turner is a real treat for both fans of detective stories and fans of gay fiction. Charles Harmon --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312142773
• ISBN-13: 978-0312142773
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,626,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than average gay murder mystery, May 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Another Dead Teenager (Paul Turner Mysteries) (Paperback)

This is a step up from your average gay murder mystery. Most of the characters are regular guys who just happen to be gay -- no hairdressers or drag queens here. Parts are funny, and nothing sticks out as being particularly bad. Perfect beach reading material.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm going to read all of Zubro's, May 22, 2000

By 

Richard Harrold (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Another Dead Teenager (Paul Turner Mysteries) (Paperback)

This was the first "gay" mystery I've read, and I now want to eventually obtain and read all of Zubro's mysteries. The pace is fast and smooth for the most part in this book, but at times becomes choppy. Nonetheless, Zubro's intimate knowledge of police procedure and activity is plain, as well as his knowledge of the streets of Chicago. Zubro also weaves well into the story Paul Turner's (he's the protagonist) personal life in a meaningful way that in this book is actually part of the main plot. The characters become three dimentional, taking on lives of their own. The only criticism I have for Zubro is he spends too much time telling things to the reader, rather than letting the plot reveal what is going on. Such as little asides to explain why a character did something. These asides slow down the pace and can be condescending to readers already familiar with how police work. The best aspect of this book is how Zubro portray's a gay character as a human being rather than an icon. It is my hope that Mr. Zubro will provide us with many such mysteries in the future, and I look forward to reading those he has already published.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great gay mystery, October 11, 2007

By 

Mark A. Fields "Mr. Dominique" (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Another Dead Teenager (Paul Turner Mysteries) (Paperback)

Zubro has a way of pushing your right to the edge, then pulling you back. The graphic description of the one corpse is most uncomfortable - but not dwelt on so long as to make me put the book down.

Did I see the ending coming? I selected the killer early on, then dismissed them, only to have them return in a blaze of glory right at the end of the book.

The ending was good - though a bit overdone. Once it was set in motion, you didn't have any surprises.