Capital Queers: An Alex Reynolds Mystery (Alex Reynolds Mysteries) [Paperback]

Fred Hunter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Alex Reynolds Mysteries | Publication Date: May 5, 2000

Alex Reynolds and his lover Peter Livesay discover that a mysterious cult has killed friends of theirs over their friends' accidental possession of a stolen religious artifact. Now, Alex, Peter, and Alex's mother have inherited their friends' annoying dog Muffin as well as the unwanted and deadly attention of the killers.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In Fred Hunter's third Alex Reynolds mystery, Alex and his lover, Peter, join forces to determine why their dear friends Mason and Ryan have been murdered. Mason's doll collection, which he had threatened to bequeath to Alex, was found in shattered pieces surrounding his mutilated body. The attack seemed not only personal, but weirdly ritualistic. Not a week later, Mason's partner, Ryan, was discovered in the same room of their apartment in much the same condition. An impromptu visit from State Department investigators, who seem to think that Alex and Peter have come into possession of a mysterious object at the core of the murder case, inspires them to search out the origins of Mason's latest doll, which he had purchased on a visit to our nation's capital shortly before his death. With the help, as ever, of Alex's intrepid British mum, and about equal portions of help and hindrance from the police and the CIA, Alex and Peter undertake a perilous journey into an Eastern religious subculture, vowing justice for their murdered friends. Capital Queers is slightly spooky and genuinely fun. --Regina Marler

From Publishers Weekly

When Alex Reynolds and lover Peter Livesay volunteer to help liberal Democrat Charlie Clarke run for the U.S. Senate, investigating murder soon takes priority over stuffing envelopes in this witty gay political caper, the author's fourth (after Capital Queers). Given Clarke's support for gay rights, his staff aren't surprised to receive threatening phone calls or a package containing a dead rat, but when a bomb destroys Chicago campaign headquarters early one morning, killing the fiercely loyal lesbian office manager, everyone is badly shaken. Meanwhile, Simon Tivoli, a suave Englishman in town on some rather vague business, has been romancing Alex's mother, whose seeming infatuation with her admirer infuriates her son. Forensics never enters the case as Alex and Peter go undercover, hired by federal agents who've used their services in the past, to try to solve the crime. Though they focus on their fellow campaign workers, they can't rule out the right-wing Republican senatorial candidate or even Simon, who with Alex's mother visited Clarke's headquarters the day before the bombing. Once they get wind of a videotape that's potentially political dynamite, the pair become the next targets for murder. While playing much of the story for laughs (Alex thanks Peter for "keeping me on the gay and narrow"), Hunter has some serious points to make about gay relationships and the ethics of outing, as well as honesty and integrity in politics. The far from easy or predictable denouement leaves the reader with some sobering food for thought. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Stonewall Inn Mysteries; 1st edition (May 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312263015
• ISBN-13: 978-0312263010
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,793,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Hunter yet, November 30, 1999

By 

Avid Mystery Reader (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Capital Queers (Hardcover)

The latest Alex Reynolds book is Hunter's best one yet. The mystery is stronger than in other books, and the lovable main characters are just as strong as in other books. The gang's "part-time gig with the CIA" is less central to the plot -- leaving more room for Alex, Peter and Mother to interact with each other. I laughed outloud at several places in the book, and turned to the web at one point to look up some information on a humor reference that remained just under the surface of my brain. Laughing and thinking in the same book -- a winner by my standards!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Capital Entertainment, June 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Capital Queers (Hardcover)

I am not a Fred Hunter fan. In fact, I can't stand his Alex Reynold's series--with this notable exception. CAPITAL QUEERS is a smart, funny--even sexy book. It's Hunter's best book to date. The plot is sheer classic wacko--I loved it. The characters are actually becoming human. Jean, Alex's uh-dorable, mum has been toned down (thank you, God--or editor), and both Alex and husband Peter are becoming distinct personalities. I usually find Hunter's reparte to be painful; this time I found it occasionally witty. Either I'm being drugged without my knowledge or this really is 100% better book than I ever thought Hunter could write. If you feel like I did about this series, give the guy one more chance. I think you'll be as surprised as I was.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining farcical mystery, April 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Capital Queers (Hardcover)

Alex Reynolds is a gay man who shares a home with his mother and husband Peter Livesay. Their friends Mason and Ryan are a happily married couple, who proudly show off to Alex the latest doll in Mason's fabulous collection. Not too long after that, Mason and Ryan are eviscerated to death. All of Mason's dolls are smashed as if someone was searching for something inside one of them.

Alex inherits the dolls and takes home with him the few still intact. However, his home is vandalized and two men insist he returns their artifact or else. Before long Alex and his housemates find themselves embroiled in international intrigue that has the State Department visiting them.

Fred Hunter is one of the best writers of gay mysteries that have a farcical twist to them. He always tells an interesting tale that includes wit, sarcasm, and slapstick. His characters are warm and accepting, regardless of sexual persuasion. CAPITAL QUEERS exceeds his previous work, as it is clearly an Edgar contender.

Harriet Klausner