Back in September 2014, while I enjoyed the Baltimore Book Festival, one of the books I bought was a mystery about
two gay guys who solve murders - somewhat by chance.
It's called "Gay Resort Murder Shock" by Phillip Scott.
(It's G-rated, btw). What's interesting is that it's written by an Australian author named Phillip Scott and it takes place in Brisbane, capital of Queensland,. Brisbane is a big, modern city set on the Brisbane River in northeastern Australia (and it's on the Southern Pacific Ocean).
The book came out in 1998, so the Internet wasn't mentioned and neither were cell phones. It's interesting to read a novel from that time, because the world has changed so much in the last 17 years, but it's also interesting to read how some of the gay stereotypes of old existed in Australia, too. Further, even then and in Australia, right-wing religious zealots were nasty to gay people. Some of that comes through in the story, but the story is more light-hearted than that.
The book "Gay Resort Murder Shock" is about gay two friends, Marc (a 50 year old) and Paul (his ditsy younger dancer friend), find themselves working at a gay resort off the coast of Queensland, run
by Newton Heath, a friend of Marc's. All goes as expected as Marc
continues to drop whatever he hasn't already forgotten and Paul madly
chases the guests, but when Newton is murdered the boys have a new
mystery on their hands!
The book is full of colorful and memorable characters, and written so well that you can picture the settings and the characters. There are some twists and surprises, too.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up, but as a lover of mysteries, I really enjoyed this book, and the characters. I found out that the author wrote several other books with the same characters and once I finished this, went on Amazon.com and ordered the others!
It's great to read a mystery with gay characters and G-rated, so that ALL mystery lovers can enjoy it- gay or straight.
- Rob
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Phillip Scott, a lifelong resident
of Sydney, Australia, has written and -performed in satirical reviews
at the Edinburgh Festival and in London and has also worked as a musical
director for David Campbell, Rowan Atkinson and Lily Savage and even
once accompanied Bea Arthur. He is the author of two other Marc and Paul
mysteries, One Dead Diva and Get Over It!
