4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nava is one of the best!, September 10, 2004
The reason why it is such a pity that Micheal Nava stopped writing is because he is basically one of the best mystery writers we had. His plots are closely linked to the growth his characters are going through, which makes his novels not only a very exciting read, but also emotionally a very satisfying one. Anyone of his Henry Rios mysteries is worth reading more then once.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best mystery novels out there, February 18, 2011
How had I not reviewed this? It is one of my all-time favorite mysteries. The pity is that Nava has stopped writing them. If there is a mystery writer whose work I would instantly buy, it's Nava.
Another reviewer said it well with this: "His plots are closely linked to the growth his characters are going through, which makes his novels not only a very exciting read, but also emotionally a very satisfying one. Anyone of his Henry Rios mysteries is worth reading more then once."
To touch on the plot, Nava's long-time lover Josh fears for his life from his HIV-infected status, he and Rios are growing apart to the point that they separate. In the meantime, the homophobic Senator Pena wants Rios to defend him on a charge of vehicular homocide and then is murdered. Is the killer the young addict Michael? There doesn't seem to be another suspect, but the Senator was an easy man to hate with a history of homophobia, of alcoholism and possibly abuse of his family. While Rios tries to deal with his own rage over his abusive past, he tries to save a less-than-lovable client who has been himself abused and come to grips with losing the man he loves.
It can be a painful novel to read because it is so emotionally honest. But one that is worth reading no once but several times.
There is a lot of anger in this novel which comes out, but how could there not be? The anger so many of us have and how we deal with it either destructively or constructively is, after all, the theme of the novel. And unlike so many modern mystery novels, it DOES have a theme.
Darn it, Nava, write some more mysteries!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Well written mystery with developed characters, February 3, 2012
Michael Nava does not settle for the typical uni-dimensional sleuth in mystery stories. His character, Henry Rios, is real flesh and blood, going through an emotional break-up with a boyfriend during the worst times of AIDS in California, confronting issues about his own violent father, facing his own homosexuality as he strives to be tops in his legal defense field (as well as a TOP we learn in one scene). Regular fans will enjoy the cameo appearances of his office staff and investigator, as well as Josh, the sick ex- boyfriend. Anyone familiar with the recovery programs (AA etc) will love the scenes from the rehab center and quotes and references to "The Program". I am always treated by Nava's literary references, this time, a poem of W.H. Auden. Nava always manages to make the court stuff real, as well as the Los Angeles locale of this story. You'll want more when you reach the last page.
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