Ice Blues: A Donald Strachey Mystery (Stonewall Inn Mysteries) [Paperback]

Richard Stevenson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Stonewall Inn Mysteries | Publication Date: November 15, 1995

Shocked to discover the body of the grandson of the godfather of Albany's political machine in his car, P.I. Donald Strachey knows he is in for trouble. But when he learns that the murder victim left a $2.5 million legacy with instructions that it be used to destroy that machine, along with a personal letter to Strachey asking for his help, his suspicions are confirmed. Faced with power-brokers at all levels, Albany's only gay P.I. tries to fulfill the dead man's mission-with his own survival at stake.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Don Strachey is the gay private eye who scored a hit in Stevenson's thriller, On the Other Hand, Death. A case of murder keeps Strachey and his lover, Timmy Callahan, at home in Albany during a fierce winter because the victim was planted in the detective's car. The dead man, Jack Lenihan, had left a letter in which he asked Strachey to deliver 2.5 million in laundered money to the city's reform political party. But the money has vanished, sending Strachey on a dangerous errand to recover it from merciless killers. Suspecting that Lenihan had stolen the fortune from the drug dealers who were his former associates, Strachey flies to Los Angeles to question Lenihan's mother and friends, a mission with stunning results. Back in Albany, the detective hijacks the millions but the thieves kidnap and hold Timmy for ransom, a situation Strachey resolves in an act daring to the point of foolhardiness. This scene, as well as the disposition of Lenihan's legacy, form the climax of an entirely unpredictable, witty and raunchy adventure.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"If you've never read a Strachey mystery before, you're in for a wonderful time." --Michael Nava

"Stevenson's gay private eye, Donald Strachey, hasn't capered in quite a while, and this little sleuther makes one rue the wait." --Booklist

"This is a lively book...Skillful plotting carries the reader straight along. Highly recommended." --The New York Times Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Rep Sub edition (November 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312135173
• ISBN-13: 978-0312135171
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,468,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ICE, ICE, BABY...., September 8, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Ice Blues: A Donald Strachey Mystery (Stonewall Inn Mysteries) (Paperback)

Albany's only gay P.I. takes on that city's political machine when he finds a murdered man planted in his car.

Smooth and funny, but with a definite kick, the third Strachey mystery never fails to entertain although the plot leans more toward the zany than suspenseful. As with fine scotch, you can soak up this book in one sitting and be giggling outloud before you know it.

The relationship between Strachey and his lover Timmy is featured more prominently here than in any of the other six novels, making this one of my favorites. The Timmy and Donald partnership is (for my money) the most intelligent, believable and entertaining in gay mysterydom. In almost any mysterydom, for that matter. By book three I feel I know these two, and I like them very much. Enough to keep coming back for more

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Icy Treat, July 3, 2007

By 

Neil S. Plakcy "Neil Plakcy" (Hollywood, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ice Blues: A Donald Strachey Mystery (Donald Strachey Mysteries) (Paperback)

A good book to read when it's hot outside, as the "chilly scenes of winter" can really cool you down. Somebody leaves a dead body in Don Strachey's trunk, and he has to clear himself.

I wonder, though, why Detective Bowman has to be quite so homophobic. Sure, it makes him a good foil for our buddy Don, but it stretches the credibility of their relationship a little too much for me.

Neil Plakcy, author of Mahu Surfer: A Hawaiian Mystery (An Alyson Mystery)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ice Blues, November 20, 2008

By 

M. Nix - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ice Blues (Paperback)

Private detective Donald Strachey isn't expecting to stumble into a murder case when he goes to pick up his car from a towing lot. When he finds a dead man in it, however, that's just what happens. He quickly discovers there's a bit more to the murder than he initially suspected. Political intrigue, death threats, and money to the tune of 2.5 million dollars are only a few of the issues Strachey finds himself confronted with. Can he and his lover Timothy Callahan find out whodunit before they become victims as well?

Ice Blues is another entertaining installment of the Donald Strachey Mystery series. The ever-evolving Strachey really shows his multifaceted personality in this book. He's managed to come to terms--albeit somewhat unwillingly-- with few of the relationship issues from On the Other Hand, Death, which helps to settle him a bit. The nasty Albany winter counteracts that, however. Like a lot of people, he's exceedingly grumpy in the winter, which makes his sarcastic sense of humor even more biting. His ethics get a major workout in the story, with moral and professional dilemmas popping up all over the place. Watching him struggle with difficult decisions was fascinating. Lucky for him, he had Timmy to keep him (sort of) on the straight and narrow. The plot in Ice Blues was slightly less complex than that of the other Strachey mysteries I've read, with fewer secondary characters to keep track of, but in this case that was a good thing. I had an easier time following the political, criminal, and financial machinations that made up the tangled web of the mystery. Some of the dialogue was a bit stilted, but I liked seeing more of Timmy, and Strachey's cool combination of snarky humor and devious ingenuity. While Ice Blues isn't my favorite Strachey mystery so far, it's a great way to while away a cold afternoon.

Cassie
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed