The 38 Million Dollar Smile (A Donald Strachey Mystery) [Paperback]

Richard Stevenson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2009

Gary Griswold, cheerily dim gadfly scion of Albany old money, late of the Key West artists colony, goes missing, and his ex-wife wants to know what's happened to him - not to mention his 38 million dollars in cash. Turns out that religious dilettante Gary and his money have disappeared into Thailand, where corruption has its own etiquette. Soon, Albany's only gay PI, Don Strachey, is out of his element, and his lover Timmy is way out of his comfort zone as they comb the Land of Smiles for a man with an unerring weakness for the poorest choice possible and a daft plan to buy 38 million dollars worth of good karma. #10 in the award-winning Donald Strachey Mystery Series

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: MLR Press (May 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608200132
• ISBN-13: 978-1608200139
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #819,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great addition to a great series!, October 19, 2009

By 

Timothy Capehart "Review-a-holic" (Dayton, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 38 Million Dollar Smile (A Donald Strachey Mystery) (Paperback)

I don't read a lot of mysteries or as many GLBT fictions as I'd like. I review children's literature & the big boy books I get to read are few and far between. I always make room in my reading schedule for the Don Strachey mysteries (because I grew up--as a gay man--reading them).

I have to admit I had a few misgivings when I saw that Don & Timmy were not going to be in or near Albany (which has been nearly a character in its own right through out the series)...and being a Buddhist further misgivings at the golden Buddha on the cover--but Richard Stevenson (AKA Dick Lipez) came through with an enjoyable mystery...well, more of a thriller with plenty of dry wit & a touch of slapstick.

If you are a fan of the series, this is a must & if you are just a casual reader of gay mysteries (or mysteries in general really) this is a good bet. You don't need to know the characters to enjoy this, but knowing their history deepens the experience. Well worth your time (as are the movies on HERE!) Hopefully there will be more of both books and movies!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, January 4, 2010

By 

rytrguy (Tucson) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 38 Million Dollar Smile (A Donald Strachey Mystery) (Paperback)

When I found out that Richard Stevenson (Richard Lipez) was giving readers a new Donald Strachey mystery, I could hardly wait to read it. Long a fan of the Strachey mysteries, I really wanted to like this book. Although quirky characters abound in Stevenson's new offering (Rufus Pugh was a hoot.), I could never suspend disbelief long enough to step into the tale. Was it the setting? Was it the subject matter? I can't say exactly, but Gary Griswold, the man Strachey is hired to "protect" is either profoundly stupid or extremely naive. As a character, he seemed to lack dimension and believability. The bottom line is that I was disappointed in the characterizations and plot. This is one I won't be keeping on my bookshelf.

3.0 out of 5 stars Half and Half, December 25, 2010

By 

Howard Hadley "Cathedral Singer" (New York City) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 38 Million Dollar Smile (Donald Strachey Mysteries) (Kindle Edition)

Most of the first 50% (kindle edition) does not further the plot and is boring. Around the half mark it gets interesting. At one point I was going to delete the copy, but stuck it out. Tim is barely mentioned. Richard has written better stories.