The Boystown Mystery series continues as Chicago private investigator Nick Nowak finds himself involved in three new cases. He’s asked to help a young man who murdered his stepfather but refuses to assist in his own defense, hired to find the murderer of a dead porno star, and, in a case that traps him between the two men he loves, must search for a serial killer’s only living victim. Set in the … the second half of 1981, Nick juggles his deepening relationship with Detective Bert Harker with the return of his ex, Daniel Laverty. Which man will he choose? Or will he be able to choose?
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The second book in the Boystown series is just as good and addicting as the first book. Nick Nowak is a private investigator and deeply flawed man who finds himself embroiled with in life or death situations. The three mysteries that this book contains are both fascinating and thrilling, while the overall series plot continues to build and grow. It’s hard to not like Nick despite all his faults – he’s a man who’s experienced a lot of heartache and trauma in his life and his methods of dealing with these hurts are not always healthy or respectable—however, it is understandable. I fell in love with this series unexpectedly and this sequel only made me hungry for the next book.
EYE-OPENING LOOKS INTO THE CHICAGO GAY LIFE OF THE 1980s
I received this audio book for free and am giving my honest and voluntary review
Three stories of Nick Nowak and his Private Eye practice. Introducing the hatred of the eighties toward gays. Jack is beginning to hear about a pneumonia that affects homosexuals. He thinks nothing of it. This is the introduction to AIDS.
There is the case of the beaten to death gay porn star, the case of the gay boy who murdered his stepfather and the case of the gay guy who is attacked by the serial killer, dubbed the Bughouse slasher. Daniel re-enters and Nick is torn between him and Harker, his new lover.
Marshall Thornton’s Boystown Book Two highlights challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in the times (the late 70s to mid-80s) when I was a young adult. I’m saddened that I was unaware, so darn clueless during that time! Book Two contains three novellas that follow one behind the other within the series’ timeline. In the books, we follow the life of Private Investigator Nick Nowak who was outed as a result of a gay-bashing incident, and his professional and personal growth over the course of six years. In the first novella, ‘Little Boy Silent’, Nick is asked to look into the reasons why a young man would poison his stepfather and refuse to provide information to the lawyers defending him in the case. The second novella,’Little Boy Blond’, finds P. I. Nowak looking into the murder of a gay porn star who turns tricks but those close to him claim the guy was straight and just in it for the money. In the last novella, Nick is charged with finding a runaway gay youth that managed to be the only surviving victim of a serial murderer before the killer finishes what he’d started. In addition to being incredibly entertaining, the series highlights how much progress has been made by the LGBTQ+ community and yet it underscores what work has yet to be accomplished.
Loving this series of books. Follow Nick Nowack Private Investigator as he works on various cases, plus we delve deeper into his love life. I think these books are set in the 1980s as I can relate to a lot of things. Great books. Great narration.
I’m reviewing the audio version. I just finished these stories and I would advise this series be read/listened to in order. Each mystery is sort of a standalone but the personal part of the story is ongoing. I’m really enjoying these stories and getting a little impatient when it comes to Nick’s personal life. Nick is a P.I. who appears to me to half know what he is doing and half lucks out. As he goes through his daily life he looses his attention because of his personal life. He does get the job done but its entertaining to me his daily routine. I feel he fits the Mickey Spillane feel. He is still being reckless in his sex life. I didn’t feel he was as bed hopping in this part of the series as the last. He does have a few guilt feelings that he may be sort of cheating on Bert. Nick’s sort of in a relationship with Bert and then his ex Daniel reappears. That makes him ready to break up with Bert. Nick is centered on Daniel no matter what else he does. Where the cliffhanger got to me is I’m waiting to find out where he is going to end up relationship wise. Before he can break up with Bert there is a little twist in the story. Now is there more to the detective than I had thought? There are no answers in the story so I have to get to the next to see where this is going. If you are easily offended with cheating and very descriptive sex don’t read/listen to this series. It is meant to be all of that and more. It reflects life in the 80’s and I think the author does a great job of giving a feel for that era. The narrator Brad Langer, does a perfect job. He gives the feel for this story.
I am so addicted to this series.