The Butcher's Son

ok I love mysteries and this had me hooked. I thought I had it all figured out and I pretty much did until the very end with a fantastic twist.have to say I didn't see this coming.excellent read.

If you are up on mysteries and trying to figure out who done it by the time you are half way through you my be able to on this but there are enough false leads to probably keep you guessing until the last few chapters. If you are a mystery lover you will have fun with this.

The second in the Dick Hardesty series, though describing events prior to those in book one, this most gripping story held my attention throughout. Grey (through Hardesty) continues with his delightfully acidic pen portraits of the other characters. The boss of the public relations firm is described as the "rear end of a horse with a monumental ego." While the chief's politics are said to run "considerably to the right of Atilla the Hun." The book has several beautifully interwoven strands: The slow collapse of Dick's five year relationship with his boyfriend Chris is especially poignant. The gay bar scene gets several mentions, complete with delightful asides about drag shows and their begowned performers. A series of arson attacks befall the bars, I defy anyone, gay or straight not to be moved by the plight of the victim's friends. homophobia and intolerance are major themes throughout the story, set as it is in the immediate post-Stonewall era. The mystery centers around a set of identical twins. One twin is gay and dead, the other is supposedly straight and very religious. Despite himself, Dick finds he is drawn to the reverend Kevin Rourke, often feeling sorry for the inner mental struggles Dick is sure Kevin is facing. While I guessed fairly early on who the likely arsonist would be, I still wasn't totally sure until the most satisfying conclusion. Although it doesn't really matter, I would advise any reader new to the series to read this book first, then follow it with The 9th Man.

Grey combines deft characterization and good, crisp writing in this whodunnit in the long running Dick Hardesty series. The plot twists just keep coming, and keep the reader guessing till the very satisfying end. Victor J. Banis, author of TALES FROM C.A.M.P., JACKIE'S BACK

There aren't many books I can truthfully say I couldn't put down, but Dorien Grey's "The Butcher's Son" is one of them. The story of identical twins, a homophobic tyrant of a police chief, a series of arson fires in gay bars, and protagonist Dick Hardesty's attempts to put all the pieces of the puzzle together grabs you from the first page and doesn't let you go until the final sentence. It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, if you like to be kept on the edge of your seat by a good mystery, this is it!