Customer Reviews

Name Games: A Mark Manning Mystery (Mark Manning Mysteries (Kensington Hardcover))

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After many disappointments in reading mystery/suspense novels by gay writers, I finally discovered Michael Craft. NAME GAMES contains all the criteria of what I consider a good gay novel:

EXCELLENT WRITING. The author's skillful writing is full of wit and fun. And his characterization is great. I got to know and care about the characters in NAME GAMES. They were not flat, stereotyped, two-dimensional characters as one finds in so many gay novels.

GOOD STORY. This novel was a real page-turner. Rarely do I hate to see a book come to an end as I did this one. Even though I had my suspicions quite early as to whom the murderer might be, I had my mind changed several times by clever twists and turns the author created to throw his readers off-track.

NO PREACHING. So many gay writers want to pound the gay message into readers' heads until the sermonizing destroys the story. Craft, without using a sledgehammer to do so, depicts normal gay people doing what they have to do to get along in a less-than-perfect society. The readers can agree or disagree with Mark Manning and his family/friends' lifestyles, but they aren't forced to swallow a lesson with every page as if they were being spoon-fed a big dose of castor oil. If I have one criticism, I think Mr. Craft makes the gay lifestyle a little too easily accepted by the townspeople of Dumont, Wisconsin. Folks outside a major city (from my observations being raised in a small town) are not easy to convince that being gay is not a product of the Devil. The town's number one homophobic, Miriam Westerman (who is such a camp, she should reappear in every Mark Manning mystery!), is a perfect villain, though, and more than compensates for the lack of the usual signs of small-town bigotry.

I have not read his earlier novels, but judging by the reviews of his previous works, Michael Craft's writing gets more skillful with each new book. Michael Craft has captured me as a loyal reader as long as he turns out the quality writing I found in NAME GAMES.

The cover may be hot, but the story within is more old-fashioned and chatty (not a bad thing) in the Agatha Christie/Margery Alligham mode. Although I have to admit that I was hoping for the mystery that would go with the cover, Craft is very good at charting the everday details of the life of newspaper editor Mike Manning who has to be detective, adoptive dad to his sister's teenage son, lover to his long-time architect boy friend and father confessor to the local sherriff as well as dreamer of suggestively haunting dreams (I can say no more). His main characters are engaging, and his gay and lesbian characters are much more than engaging, they are attractive. The requisite number of potentially murderous eccentrics are deftly assembled in small-town Wisconsin and the mayhem is in keeping with the setting: more proof that you can offed anywhere. The satisfaction level of this fast-read feel-good mystery was dampened somewhat for me, though, by the loooooooooooong stretch that I had to make (suspend my disbelief, Scotty!) to accept that so many very separate worlds had to collide (in rural Wisconsin!) to shore up the explanation of the murder (yes, there is a murder! and it's not a murder of a cow!) and the means to perform an almost perfect crime.

While it isn't required to read them in sequence, you get a better appreciation of Mark's and Neil's relationship if you do. I enjoy the way their relationship is fleshed out a little more with each book. That's not meant to detract from the main plotlines. Michael Craft has not failed to deliver believable, logical scenarios.

There was one thing I particularly loved about this book. The reader has all the clues needed to make his/her own theories, theories the characters haven't mentioned yet. Craft doesn't hide clues. The conclusion of his stories doesn't introduce new people/facts as a convenient way to tie up loose ends.

I've enjoyed all the Mark Manning books, but this one in particular was very hard to put down.

Once the fifth book is available, I'll be getting it as well!

This book was a total pleasure to read. This is the first one of the "Mark Manning" series that I've read. The murder story-line was very interesting. The mystery took a 'spin' on what I think would be some of the typical gay male fantasies while keeping you guessing to "who did it?". Michael Craft then takes the story a step further by devoloping the main characters through day to day experiences outside of the mystery. Experiences and emotions that gay males might go through in similiar everyday life situations. Mark and Neil (The 2 partners) may not experiencing what you or I have experienced in our life, but their thoughts and reactions to their personal life is interesting to follow. It made me anticipate what would happen next in the new book. Luckily for me, Michael Craft's new addition to the series is now out, "Boy Toy". And I'm finding out how the characters developed. I'm hooked. I've never been a fan of Mystery novels. Now I am. My first was R.D. Zimmerman's "Innuendo", which I totally enjoyed. That made me search the web for more. I found one I really didn't enjoy. But then I found Michael Craft. "Name Games" has me anticipating for more!

Intrepid journalist Mark Manning returns in a fourth novel of mystery that deals with another celebrated murder among the citizenry of the small town of Dumont, Wisconsin. As was with his last novel, author Craft continues his first-person narrative style that is actually becoming a technique that makes Manning such an interesting character.

Many of the characters from previous novels - the ones who aren't dead, of course - make return appearances in this work: Neil, Mark's lover of three years; Roxanne, a lawyer friend from Chicago; Thad, Mark's newly acquired "son" from the last adventure; Lucy Haring and Glee Savage, employees of the Dumont Register, Mark's newspaper; Doug Pierce, the local sheriff, and Merriam Westerman, radical feminist and Manning's chief adversary.

Along with these, Craft introduces us to several other intriguing characters that make the town of Dumont a haven of deceit and murder. Although only one killing occurs, the list of suspects is long. At one instance, with all the twist and turns that the novel takes, I was beginning to think that our protagonist, Manning, may have been the guilty culprit.

But, in his usual brilliant style, Craft strings us along until a very satisfying end, intermittently throwing in a few glimpses of "domesticity" in Manning's life with Neil and Thad. This touch never distracts from the mystery at hand; it serves to show the less showy aspects of everyone's day-to-day experience. The fact that the household is far-from-traditional is never sensationalized. In fact, with the modern "family" being as diverse as it is, Craft simply is presenting life that is probably more widespread that is commonly known.

Michael Craft deserves a much wider audience. His second novel, "Eye Contact" should have been the one to catapult him to great acclaim. However, the subsequent "maturing" of Manning and company may grasp more fans and propel the author to his rightful place among America's readers.

Maybe, if Craft decides in some future piece to make Thad a little bespeckled adolescent who uses magic to thwart evil...

Name Games is book four in the Mark Manning Series. Mark Manning is a newspaper publisher. He once again had to come to the rescue and solve a murder. This time, there were many suspects, including the Sheriff, the Sheriff's deputy, the DA and a retired physician, just to mention a few. As always, the book read so well, that I felt I was there, and could actually see everything that was described.

The origin of the term Name Games comes out in the story. It is mentioned a couple of times. This book is a winner! You will not regret buying it! Enjoy!

By the way, my name would be Rusty LaRue! Now you will have to read the book to find out what that means!

Name Games is the most recent installment of a very worthwhile series. Mark Manning is the new owner and editor of a small town newspaper while he and his lover Neil are settling into their new role as guardians of his teenage nephew. The character of the nephew was introduced in the last installment, and at the time seemed poised to be a snot-nosed, homophobic punk. It was a pleasant surprise to find the character development of the nephew; Thad, coming around to be an accepting member of this family.

The relationship between Mark and Neil develops more and more with each installment, and is a joy to watch. The addition of Thad makes them seem like a family, which is what a great many gay men aspire to. It's quite nice to see it play out this way.

Kudos to Mr. Craft on the behind the scenes look at the miniatures hobby. As a miniaturist of many years, I have to give high marks to the accuracy and detail portrayed. Many of the scenes evoked a "been there, done that" feeling for both myself and my lover.

I've been following the series since the beginning, and I am anxiously awaiting the next book. I just with it didn't take so long between installments.

One of the things I especially like about Michael Craft is his ability to research his subjects. Whether he's showing the perversity of the religious right's broadcasting empire, detailing the attraction of Abyssinian cats or, as in this novel, explaining the world of miniature roomboxes, when I finish one of his books I feel like I've been more than entertained: I've been educated. Craft also explores issues that are important to me: self-acceptance and tolerance for others, the importance of free speech, the dangers of fanaticism, personal integrity. That said, I'd like to rave about "Name Games." The plot is tight and well-drawn, the characters come to life and the pacing is fast. The dynamics of friends and family (Mark, Neil, Roxanne, and Thad) seem especially believable, although I hope Neil's personality will continue to expand. Craft puts enough characters into his books that even when you think you know who the killer is, there's always a possibility it's someone else. Pay attention: no clue goes to waste. The author does seem enamored of the word "wagged" as in heads wagged, tongues wagged, a hand wags, a bracelet wags, even a penis gets wagged. And I don't know why Craft needs to introduce the same people so often ("Lucille Haring, my managing editor" at least five times)--are readers really that forgetful? If I became tired of reading "flashed a perfect smile, flexed a perfect body" the fifth time I read it (I did), I could forgive Craft because the story itself was so compelling. But don't let these literary idiosyncrasies put you off. Buy the book. Maybe with another sequel or two, I can learn to dream as erotically as Mark Manning.

I've read the previous Manning mysteries and with each one I've learned a littled more about Manning. However, I always wanted a little more insight. In Craft's latest work, Name Games, Manning is finally a full fledged character. A character the reader truly gets to know and understand. The previous Manning was unsure of himself and this left the reader unsure as well. The new Manning is mature, confident, witty (thank God!) and sometimes jaded. My only complaint is to Manning should get a subscription to GQ!

This is the best of Craft. The plot flows and as usual the reader can "guess" the killer, but why bother to strain when Craft's writing keeps you enticed until the end.

Bood job Michael!

Each novel in this series improves upon characterizations, plot lines, and overall suspense. In this installment, Mark Manning, the protagonist, has a much broader and more responsible role in both his personal relationship, his job, friends, and with his nephew Thad. The mystery plotline is stronger as well as Michael Craft incorporates red herrings and less obvious solutions than in some of his previous books. The title of the book was too big a give away to some of us who play "Name games" on a regular basis, but you still look forward to Mark Manning solving the crime. An enjoyable read, with only a few "over the top" characters.