Ambrose and the Waif by Rick R. Reed and Sukie de la Croix

Reviewed by: Whitney at Fallen Angel Reviews, December 2008


In a series of letters that span six months, a young man and his older lover plan the murder of the younger man's overweight partner. Their affair starts out with assertions of love and devotion; however, over time it is apparent that each man has his own motivation for murder. Love turns to hate, joy turns to anger, and madness prevails.

Ambrose and the Waif by Rick R. Reed and Sukie de la Croix is a story of love, greed, madness, and murder that is told in a series of letters. This is a fascinating and suspenseful tale that features two men who are both more and less than they appear. Mark and Ambrose unfold gradually in the eyes of the reader as the story progresses, and as the characters unfold they also morph from something sweet and beautiful to something dark and ugly and frightening. The effect is both startling and stunning. As the two men write back and forth discussing murder and then pointing blame at each other, the reader is compelled to read between the lines of the story to determine what is in actuality happening. Like a puzzle, each piece slips in to place, and it is not until you finish Ambrose and the Waif that you understand the driving force behind the men's murder plot. This story is riveting and horrifying and utterly enjoyable.

http://www.rickrreed.com/

Spine Intact, Some Creases by Victor J. Banis

Reviewed by Mykola (Mick) Dementiuk


“Holding hands in the darkness at the movies could be an intensely erotic experience.”

I was maybe 15 or 16 years old and sneaking into various Times Square movie houses. Did it in through the back doors on 41st or 40th Streets, with someone leaving and me sneaking in; occasionally, I’d meet the brute of a man who simply refused to let me in and slammed the door after he left. But such a prim and proper disciplinarian was rare and I’d get in for free, most of times, with some hurrying-away movie viewer fading out of sight. I’d go in and watch a western or a war-entrenched movie and feel good afterwards. This was years before rampant sex tore through the area…And as I’d sit there, watching some battle with Japanese or Germans or some cowboys fleeing from the sheriff, I’d grow alert when someone sat down in a vacant seat next to mine. Mostly an older man, yet occasionally someone just a little older than I was; who was hoping and looking for some company…or so I thought.

These trysts never did go any further than mere holding hands and looking dreamily at each other, but after an hour or so I’d say, “Be right back…” and hurry off, pretending I was going to the bathroom or concession stand when really I was disappearing into the 42nd Street crowds. I think maybe it was four or five times that happened and I’d leave, still erect, and wander my way home where I masturbated for weeks on end with that cowardly memory…Why did I run? Why was I so horny and hot after?

I often thought of those anonymous faces over the years, those tricked, led-on, abandoned and forgotten so despicably and shamefully, when a single line in Victor Banis’ book brought it all back, “holding hands in the darkness at the movies could be an intensely erotic experience…”

How many times did I pass by the theaters in my later years and remember holding hands, feeling myself protected and cared for when all of a sudden that old fear came back to and I so stupidly faded off in to the crowds? Too many, too many…way too many…

Victor J. Banis, whose bibliography at the end of the book is amazing, --and boy, the wealth of material he has produced under various names and guises is truly remarkable--has produced such a book, a book of memories and lost times gone forever with just a flicker of remembrance. And gratefully Victor Banis has done it all and tells us just how he came to do these things while playing a truly rich and rewarding life experience.

Banis explores the “loneliest of all minorities,” --being gay in the straight world-- in the 1950s and 1960s when such tumultuous change loomed on the horizon. Back in the 1920s and 30s he notes, one didn’t give much mind about one’s sex yet in the 40s one paid attention since everyone was horny and hungry for it. But by the 50s it was frowned upon and put down, with yellow journalist Walter Winchell calling “a vote for Adlai Stevenson is a vote for Christine Jorgenson” until it exploded in the 60s coming out all decorated in vibrant drag, so to speak, --in 1968 it erupted in a tirade of protest-full celebration that was to become Stonewall, never to be the same again.

Banis begins his biography by becoming a writer of gay stories that were published in Switzerland and then under various names in America. His fame, or ill-fame, grew until it exploded in a suit brought against him and his publisher by the US Post Office for obscene material, and this at a time when the government was after Henry Miller and Barney Rosset and others. The suit against Banis was gratefully dismissed, after they dragged it as long as they could and Banis, in need of a break from the stupidity that has always been a part of American history, got that break by traveling across Europe, and seeing and experiencing Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Franco’s Spain.

Once back home, he did a book tour that took him across the country, meeting with Hugh Hefner and other stars in Beverly Hills, --Nina Foch, Elizabeth Montgomery, Natalie Wood, Linda Ronstadt amongst others. His neighbor at the time was Sal Mineo, who eventually was slain in a botched homosexual robbery.

But most of all was Banis’ writing; as did it each and every day for 365 days a year then just started all over the next year and did it all over again…as he’s still doing it. Among the many books he has written (under his name) The Why Not, Longhorns, Angel Land, Lola Dances among others, and under various nom de plumes a wealth of titles, for male and female readers alike.

As a writer he is truly amazing! Plus for other writers who are still undergoing the process of slow learning he recommends “On Becoming a Novelist” and “Art of Fiction” by John Gardner as required reading (I would add William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well” also, it helped me.)

But most of all, Banis advises, write to suit yourself, in this way you’ll be able to write what you want and sleep well at night…and the hell with what they have to say against you…

A well-worthy book, instructive and filled with memories of people, from Hollywood stars and starlets, to those who wrote for them like Victor Banis, writer extraordinaire…

Read it, ponder it, learn and write…write…write…

http://www.vjbanis.com/

The Angel Singers by Dorien Grey

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Reviewed By Alan Chin

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This who-done-it tale is set in Chicago, within the close nit community of the local Gay Men’s Chorus. Soon after Dick Hardesty’s lover, Jonathan Quinlan, joins the chorus, he realizes that the chores has a dark side, that for some members, it’s a cauldron of battling egos, backbiting. . . and possibly murder.
When one of the solo singers is the victim of a mysterious hit-and-run car accident, and another turns up dead, Detective Dick Hardesty is called onto the case to find out if anyone within the chorus was involved with either incident. The tension rises as Dick is sucked into a world of power struggles, gossip, and finger pointing. But as the fog begins to lift, another body clouds the air, and the violence seems to be creeping closer to home.

Although I am, admittedly, not a fan of detective stories, I found The Angle Singers to be a satisfying read. Beyond the normal mystery plot twists, is the convincing story of a community in turmoil. At first it seems that these queens will do anything for a solo number, but as layers of the onion are peeled away, one finds something much more sinister is afoot. This story kept me turning pages, even though I had figured out who was involved early on, I was kept interested to see how the story reveled itself. My only complaint is that the ending seemed a tad abrupt, but that did not diminish the enjoyment I found throughout this story.

Dorien Grey paints rather pleasant prose that is spiked with wit. He gives detailed descriptions of gay relationships, gay parenting, and the hectic life of a private investigator juggling family and career responsibilities. Interesting characters, life style details and suspense, make The Angle Singers an interesting read.

This is the twelfth book in the Dick Hardesty Mystery series. I’ve heard some people call it Dorien’s best work, but I can’t say since this is only the second of this series that I have read. I can say that, having not read the first ten did in no way diminished my enjoyment of this one.

www.doriengrey.com

Island Song by Alan Chin

Reviewed by Josh Aterovis

It's been two years since the death of Garrett Davidson's lover, but for Garrett, the pain is still just as fresh as if it had been only yesterday. His pain is so overwhelming he feels he won't be able to move on until he's exorcised his lost lover from his life. He'll do that by keeping his promise to write their story.

Garrett quits his successful job in San Francisco, packs up, and indefinitely rents a secluded beach house in a small Hawaiian town. The house comes with its own caretaker, a handsome young islander named Songoree.

Songoree's grandfather is the local shaman, a revered and feared figure in the village. He's been training Song to take over for him, teaching him to carry on his vision of a world living in peace instead of war. Grandfather is convinced that Garrett is the Chosen One he has been promised, but Song isn't so sure. Still, there's something about the man that intrigues Songoree.

Much to his surprise, Garrett is finding himself attracted to Songoree as well. As the two face their growing attraction, they must also face the disapproval of the conservative islanders, as well the expectations of Song's grandfather.

Island Song is a beautiful novel. Technically, this book would probably be categorized as a romance novel, but it's really so much more. Island Song is about loss, healing, finding love in unexpected places, leaving the world a better place when we're gone... and the sacrifices we sometimes have to make to achieve that.

First-time-author Alan Chin writes characters that are richly drawn. Garrett's pain is revealed slowly through flashbacks and dreams. He's a broken man haunted by the love of his life, but he has to let go in order to move on. Songoree is a sensitive, sweet soul. While he doesn't quite fit in with his rough-and-tumble surfer buddies, he's accepted as one of the gang as long as he sticks to the straight and narrow.

Even the secondary characters are vivid: Grandfather, Audrey, Mother Kamamalu, Hap. Each stands on their own as fully realized personalities, adding depth and dimension to an already strong story. Just as important as the human characters is the island upon which the story is set, Hawaii. While Chin does a fantastic job of recreating the lush, exotic feel of the island, he goes beyond a mere travelogue and really captures the spirit of the island.

The book is written in the present tense, an unusual approach these days. It took me a while to get into the rhythm, but once I did, the style really works. It creates a sense of urgency and immediacy that serves the story well. I was completely enchanted by this novel, and I look forward to more from Alan Chin.

http://alanchin.net/

His Name is John by Dorien Grey

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Reviewed by Richard Labonte, Book Marks (http://www.qsyndicate.com/)

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Grey, author of a dozen well-plotted and comfortingly formulaic Dick Hardesty mysteries, breaks entertaining new ground with the enigmatic debut of a different series. This time around, his sleuth isn't, like Hardesty, a professional PI. Elliott Smith is the scion of a wealthy family who, rather than living off his trust funds, works for a living as an architecturally sensitive real estate speculator. The mystery is decidedly different, too: though Smith does in the course of the story figure out who the killer is, his real focus is on identifying who was killed - because he's being haunted by the unsettled ghost of a man who died beside him in a hospital's emergency room, and who has lost his identity. Grey's mysteries are relatively placid affairs, as gay whodunits (or, in this instance, who-it-was-dun-tos) go: there's very little blood and the man-on-man sex is more romantic than explicit. But Grey's writing is simultaneously sinewy and seductive, always appealingly lean and emotionally precise - the perfect formula for solid storytelling.

http://www.doriengrey.com

Angel Land by Victor Banis

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Reviewed by Robert Buck

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It takes a very talented author to pen over 150 diverse and very entertaining books over the course of a career spanning more than 50 years, but it takes an exceptionally talented writer to write a sci-fi adventure book that both keeps the reader on the edge of the seat and at the same time is very unsettling and dark and is a tale that one day could be closer to fact than fiction. With his latest novel, Angel Land, this is exactly what the prolific Victor Banis has done.

Angel Land is a dark and cautionary tale of what can happen when a state sponsored religion is wielded as a cudgel of power and retribution over the populace. Set in the late 21st Century, much of the United States has been cordoned off, by the state sponsored church, into the Fundamental Christian Territories such as the area called Angel Land - nothing more than a ghetto for gays, who are blamed for bringing the Sept virus into the world – the latest strain of the HIV virus. It is a land where Jews, Catholics and even Baptists are branded heretics and are kept in line through terror applied under the guise of religion. Inevitably parallels must be drawn to such travesties of a recent century as Hitler's Warsaw ghetto as Banis weaves a plausible and chilling tale of what can happen when the true Church and other good people turn their backs and allow those who wield power for evil to take charge. Banis draws the line between religion and spirituality sharply and distinctly.

The story follows one Harvey Milk Walton, who is one of the most likable and interesting protagonists I have encountered in some time, as he enters Angel Land and through his actions and interactions with the residents of an section of Angel Land called the Casa, completely and irrevocably brings changes to the Zone of Perversion. Along the way Harvey meets many well fleshed out and memorable characters and even finds love, for the first time in his life, with someone who would seem to be the last person he would ever choose. In the broadest scope, Harvey Milk Walton represents mans indomitable spirit to overcome all adversity.

The book also contains quite interesting exploration of 20th Century San Francisco and many of it's icons, including the Casto district and the Golden Gate Bridge as well as other points of interest. Though the subject matter is on one hand dark and disturbing and is a warning of what might come to be if we allow our civil liberties to slip away, on the other hand the author has always demonstrates his rare gift of being able to leaven even the darkest story with humor and with eternal hope. More than once I found myself chuckling out loud upon encountering one of Banis' witticisms, such as the reference to one of Henry David Thoreau's famous works.

It can scarcely be said of most writers that their work over an extended period of time just keeps getting better and better, but it is certainly true of Victor Banis in the opinion of this reviewer. I recommend Angel Land as highly as I have ever recommended a book. Angel Land is a crackling good, edge-of-the-seat adventure that is also an object lesson of what can happen if we as people don't vigilantly guard our civil liberties, and should not be missed.

http://www.vjbanis.com/

Dead End Street By Rick R. Reed

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Reviewed by Janie Franz for http://www.myshelf.com/

Rick R. Reed is a prolific horror writer whose body of work has chilled many an adult reader. Dead End Street is his first horror fiction for younger readers. In this one, Reed hangs a horror story around several eerie offerings by five middle school kids in a small Pennsylvania town on the Ohio River called Summitville. Peter, Marlene, David, Roy, and Erin have created a number of short-term clubs in the past, but this particular Halloween, they launch a brand new club: The Halloween Horror Club. They pick the spookiest, vacant house in town on a dead end street to tell their stories in, one tale a week for the five weeks leading up to Halloween. The house is the site of a gruesome murder fifteen years before, and it adds ghoulish atmosphere for their storytelling. As the tales unfold, the kids soon realize that they are not alone in the house.

Reed is able to create just the perfect amount of icy fingers up the reader's spine without the gore of some horror novels or movies. The characters are well-drawn and believable, and the plot and subplots are good and scary. Move over, R. L. Stine. It looks like Rick R. Reed may be the next new horror writer for young readers for this century. (Because I enjoyed this book so much, I'm going to track down his adult horror fiction and dip into some of those.)

Dead End Street is available as an ebook in a variety of formats [HTML, PDF, LIT, RB, and Mobi (PRC) ] from the Amber Quill Press or as a trade paperback from Amazon.

http://www.rickrreed.com