Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 A funny little mystery November 18, 2007
This was a funny and kind of a feel!good who-dun-it book told from the 1st POV of Nick Hoffman, the university professor and lover of Stefan Borowski, also a professor and a reknown writer. When Nick finds out that Stefan helped a former lover to win a position at the University, he's enraged and he wishes that said ex-lover was dead. But then, said ex-lover is truly found dead and suddenly, Nick and Stefan are the main suspects of his murder.
What I loved about this book was the main hero himself. His opinions, his inner voice make you smile and sometimes even laugh out loud. When he finally decides to investigate on his own, he's nervous, he makes mistakes because he's no detective and he never even read mystery novels. It's quite cute :)
Literate & Witty July 3, 2007
On the jacket for this first mystery by Lambda award winner Raphael, Faye Kellerman calls it "literate, witty" and "a delightful romp." I'm always in the mood for a delightful romp, and I liked this one.
Nick Hoffman teaches composition at the State University of Michigan in the capitol, Michiganoloplis, where he lives with his lover, noted writer (and fellow professor) Stefan Borowksi. Trouble begins when Perry Cross, an old lover of Stefan's, comes to SUM and shares an office with Nick. The relationship between Nick and Stefan is particularly strong, and very sweet.
I've read most, if not all, of Raphael's books, and they're clever and addictive.
Neil Plakcy, author of Mahu Surfer: A Hawaiian Mystery (An Alyson Mystery)
 Total Fun December 29, 2006
Take a bumbling writing professor, his author lover, a high strung college department of English, American Studies, and Rhetoric (EAR), a bit of Jewish insight, and a "former lover"; and you have a formula for a murder mystery that is not only fun, but has a social message as well. Nick Hoffman, our protagonist, is a witty, somewhat intense, and sometimes "-itchy" guy, who just by chance is forced into the sleuthing business to save himself and his lover from what appears to be a "case closed" murder investigation that identifies either or both of them of the crime...or was it a crime? You will just have to slip into this delightful murder? romp to find out. Once you read this offering by Mr. Raphael, you will be hooked, and seek out the remainder of his "Nick Hoffman" mysteries.
A credible first mystery August 6, 2004
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The editorial reviewers have summed up the story well, so I'll just say I enjoyed this book. I recommend it. The very first few pages were a tad slow because they deal with university politics, but once I got to know the characters and their conflicts with each other, the story moved along nicely. I read a couple of the other books in this series before this one, and if I could start over, I'd read this one first. The later ones stand alone well enough, but this story presents some background for the later ones. Having read this book, I now have a better understanding of the later ones. I read 4 or 5 mysteries every week, so often figure out "who done it" but this book's ending was clever and I never suspected who the villian was.
 A Huge Disappointment January 18, 2002
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
Having read and enjoyed some of Lev Raphael's short stories, I was curious to see how his themes of gay identity, Jewish identity and academic life would translate to the mystery genre. In a word: UGH! Against the backdrop of this silly and poorly constructed mystery, those themes seem very forced or as if they were mere afterthoughts.
Despite the author's noble attempt to portray a gay couple in a believable state of domestic bliss and strife, (rather than the usual overly glamorized or repulsive caricatures) Nick & Stephan's relationship is barely developed and not at all compelling - if we were not informed that the two were life partners, we might think that they were roommates who simply got on each other's nerves. Raphael's presentation of the couple's flair and love of beautiful, civilized things as a beacon in the otherwise dull college town is a cute premise, but the lavish descriptions of home-cooked gourmet meals served with caviar, fine art on every wall, and extensive world travel are simply ridiculous. These flights of fancy simply make the characters less believable.
Other details and characters are equally preposterous - namely, the hip female cousin who draws on her experiences as a former fashion model to help Nick solve the crime. The dialogue is not realistic and often very trite. Raphael's use of metaphor is particularly painful - when referring to the writing style of a former student who is also on the wrestling team, the author proclaims "His prose was as lean and powerful as he was." Yak! The story moves very slowly and then seems to gloss over important details. The characters are largely incredible and the writing is surprisingly amateurish compared to some of the author's short stories.
One final gripe - without giving anything away, I'll advise readers to keep their eyes open for a wanna-be witty line towards the end of the book that is so obviously lifted from the 1930s movie "The Women". Does Raphael think that no one but he has seen this campy classic adored by so many gay men? This whole story really just falls flat - I think the author is out of his league and should stick to the short-story genre.
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