Biceps Of Death

Rating:
Summary: Biceps Of Death - A fun read
Review: I just finished David Stukas' latest novel "Biceps of Death." It falls into my recent kick of reading gay amature sleuth novels. If you have read any of Stukas' other work you know he has no grip on reality and a very campy sense of humor. If you like the combination of a clueless gay man, a six foot amazon lesbian mystery novel buff with bright red hair, and a sexually compulsive rich leather queen, then you will enjoy all of the books in this series.

With a title like "Someone Killed His Boyfriend" (David's first book in the series), how could I not want to read that book. The title and cover promised a very entertaining and goofy look at the lives of three gay friends that find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. This book has sex, drag queens, revenge, and very unrealistic look at gay life on the East Coast. Who knows, maybe people really do live like that?

In "Biceps of Death," Stukas has his beloved (except for Michael) characters at it again caught up in another murder. Robert Wilsop, the main character, cannot seem to catch a break when someone slips a mysterious CD into his bag at the local gay gym in Chelsea. His friend Michael, the air apparent to a pharmaceuticals company that makes creams to treat a variety of venereal infections, is helping Robert buff up for his new boyfriend. Robert and Michael unwittingly pulled into an insane murder investigation that includes some of New York City's most powerful men. Poor Robert becomes the main target in an absurd murder plot. His only help is to rely on his best friend Monnette to use here armature detective skills to save Roberts life.

Even though I enjoyed Stukas' last book, "Wearing Black to the White Party," I was not sure what else could he do with the characters. I mean how many murders can someone be involved in without being on the FBI's most wanted list? Well, I must admit he pulled it off in the new book. Stukas manages to get his main characters into trouble, and what make it work are the absurdity of the situations and the sheer dumb luck of his unlucky protagonist Robert. Although this is not the strongest book in the series, Stukas does some good character development of Robert Wilsop as well as some really great one-liners that any drag queen would die to use during her show.

I was a bit disappointed that Monette and Michael remain very one dementiial, because they really do have a lot to offer in terms of the potential richness of their characters. If Stukas puts out another book using these the same three unlucky souls, that he utilizes Monette and Michael to their fullest or he my have to retire them all together.

By the way, not everyone from the Midwest is that neurotic.