The Principal Cause of Death (Tom and Scott Mystery) [Hardcover]

Mark Richard Zubro (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tom and Scott Mystery | Publication Date: May 1992

When the high school principal turns up dead, teacher Tom Mason is a prime suspect, but Tom suspects that someone else, possibly another teacher or a student, is responsible. By the author of A Simple Suburban Murder.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Grover Cleveland High School teacher Tom Mason and his lover, superstar pitcher Scott Carpenter (Sorry Now?, The Only Good Priest, etc.), the gay counterparts of Mr. and Mrs. North, delve into the murder of school principal Robert Jones, who may have been silenced by Dan Bluefield, the school bully, or by any one of a number of faculty members whom Jones had reprimanded--including the guidance counselor, who kept seducing students; an old-timer who's been coasting along until retirement; an ineffectual student teacher; the drama coach, who's got shady talent-agency ties; even an alcoholic custodian who was going to be fired. Whodunit? Tom and Scott are almost incinerated before they trap the killer, but not before one more dies and they're subjected to numerous episodes of verbal and physical gay-bashing. Undemanding fare, but the school politics are dead-on, and Tom and Scott have become the sort of interesting couple one might like to have over for dinner. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

"The plot moves at a fast enough pace to satisfy even the most impatient murder-mystery fan. A delightful book that'll bring readers back, wanting other Zubro sleuthers."--Booklist

"Zubro deserves praise across the board. His characters are believable, the plotting is intricate and taut, the Chicago-land locations and personalities are very convincing. We look forward to future works by Mr. Zubro."--Gay Chicago Magazine

"Zubro is certainly one of the best, perhaps comparable only to Joseph Hansen in his appeal."--The Purloined Letter

"Chicago itself comes alive...Zubro takes the mystery genre farther than you might expect."--Lambda Rising Book Report

"Zubro's blend of personal and political concerns makes this story compelling and even urgent."--Publishers Weekly, on Sorry Now?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 182 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (May 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031207767X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312077679
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,243,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A rotten kid, August 8, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: The Principal Cause of Death (Tom and Scott Mystery) (Paperback)

Dan Bluefield is one rotten kid. He's angry, dumb, disruptive and homophobic. But is he a killer? And if he didn't kill the principal at River's Edge High, then who did? Tom and Scott are on the case, to clear Tom's name. It's clear from this effort that Zubro really knows his way around a high school, and he should, as he was a teacher for many years.

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

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than most gay mysteries, but not the best Zubro, May 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Principal Cause of Death (Tom and Scott Mystery) (Paperback)

This is better than your average gay murder mystery. Parts are funny, and nothing sticks out as being particularly bad. Not the best Zubro, but one to read after you've finished all the others. Good beach reading material.