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Troublemaker: A Dave Brandstetter Mystery

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"Who killed gay bar owner and all-around nice guy Rick Wendell? Was it Larry Johns, the attractive young man found wiping his prints off the still smoking gun mere moments after the murder? If so, why was Johns naked? And what happened to the large sum of money Wendell had just withdrawn from the bar's bank account? Hard-boiled, openly gay insurance claims investigator Dave Brandstetter aims to find out in Troublemaker, the third volume in Joseph Hansen's legendary and critically acclaimed Brandstetter mystery series(...)

In Troublemaker, the third of the Brandstetter mysteries, now familiar insurance claims investigator Dave Brandstetter is looking into the murder of the owner of a gay bar, or is perhaps suicide? As usual there is a long list of likely suspects in addition to the possibility that it is a suicide. To add a little glamour this time, running at the same time is an inter-bar contest with plenty of skimpily clad boy entrants, some of whom might or might not be involved in the case. The possibilities grow with the story right up to the end, when tension finally builds towards the dramatic closing pages as it becomes clear to Dave, and the reader, exactly what is going on.

Dave's personal life, the other familiar and especially appealing aspect of the Brandsetter stories, continues to be developed, with his relationship with Doug seeming to be on a more even keel, although one wonders after the dramatic closing pages of Troublemaker whether things will still be OK between them. It will be interesting to see where that particular relationship is heading in the next story.