Why Isn't Becky Twitchell Dead? (Stonewall Inn Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: A fast and enjoyable read
Review: I consumed this mystery in very short time. Like all good mysteries, the murder is revealed in the first chapter (in this book on page 4!). The past is fast and furious, leading the reader through a maze of character relationships held together with drug dealing, jealousies and suspicions, and of course murder. This was the third Zubro book I've read (Political Poison, and Another Dead Teenager being the other two) and it has renewed my faith in the author as a competent crafter of murder mysteries. Characterization remains a weakness for Zubro, however. His characters at times are difficult to differentiate: primarily they speak the same. He shrewdly and effectively uses how they dress and what their home environments look like to establish their character, as well as creates interesting set pieces for them to move and act within, but as soon as they open their mouths, they sound like everyone else.

But his strength remains crafting plausible plot lines that hold you and tease you enough to wonder if you really know who did it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will continue to acquire and read his others.

Rating:
Summary: A fast and enjoyable read
Review: I consumed this mystery in very short time. Like all good mysteries, the murder is revealed in the first chapter (in this book on page 4!). The past is fast and furious, leading the reader through a maze of character relationships held together with drug dealing, jealousies and suspicions, and of course murder. This was the third Zubro book I've read (Political Poison, and Another Dead Teenager being the other two) and it has renewed my faith in the author as a competent crafter of murder mysteries. Characterization remains a weakness for Zubro, however. His characters at times are difficult to differentiate: primarily they speak the same. He shrewdly and effectively uses how they dress and what their home environments look like to establish their character, as well as creates interesting set pieces for them to move and act within, but as soon as they open their mouths, they sound like everyone else.

But his strength remains crafting plausible plot lines that hold you and tease you enough to wonder if you really know who did it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will continue to acquire and read his others.

Rating:
Summary: ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR SCOTT.
Review: Like potato chips, the Tom and Scott mysteries are easy to consume and (as brain food goes) nutritionally valueless. I WANT to like these books. I keep hoping...

The problem with Tom and Scott is that I can't tell Tom from Scott. Oh, I know one of them (narrator Tom) is a Viet Nam vet who now teaches highschool, and one of them (guess who) is a highly paid professional athlete. Scott is Southern-born, starts out a little closeted (a potentially interesting conflict never explored), and Tom is...not. Unlike in Joseph Hansen's Brandstetter series, or Richard Stevenson's Strachey novels, I'm never lured into believing Tom and Scott are real people. They are a gay fantasy--not even an interesting gay fantasy. They are too perfect, too plastic. Barbie's Ken without Barbie.

Another thing. No sense of humor. Scott and Tom have the most painful repartee I've heard outside of a kung fu movie.

But as serious a handicap as having cartoons for lead characters is, Zubro does have his strengths. He concocts a crafty, clever mystery here about murder and drug rings in highschool, and he paints a realistic picture of highschool (minus the drugs and murder), as well as unflattering portraits of administrators, fellow teachers and students.

It wouldn't take a lot to turn this series into something delicious and satisfying. Until then I'll keep munching away, knowing I should be doing something better with my brain.

Rating:
Summary: Tom & Scott Mystery #2
Review: Tom Mason is a teacher at Grover Cleveland High School. He teaches remedial English and has gotten to know most, if not all, of the slower students in the area. One of the families that he has constantly been trying to help, both inside and outside of the classroom, was the Trasks. Tom had helped Eric Trask avoid a drug charge and get his life back together, a feat for which Mrs. Trask was eternally grateful. Mrs. Trask never forgot Tom's involvement and help, so when her younger son, Jeff, was arrested for murdering his pregnant girlfriend, she immediately came to Tom for help.

Tom was certain that Jeff couldn't have killed Susan. Jeff seemed to have genuinely cared for Susan and was stunned when he discovered that she was pregnant when she died. He spilled his guts to Tom and begged for his help. The last time Susan was seen alive was leaving a party with Jeff, but Jeff had a fight with Susan later on and she left him and headed out on her own. Tom followed his instincts and tried to interview Jeff's friends and fellow students who were at the party. There was Paul Conlan, gorgeous jock, student body president, the perfect son and best friend; Becky Twitchell, the daughter of the school board president, beautiful but vicious, she made life miserable for everyone and always got revenge; Doris Bradford, the junior prom queen who was just happy to go along with everyone else; and Roger Daniels, the consummate class clown who could turn mean when someone got him angry on the football field. As Tom tried to put pressure on the kids to find out who really killed Susan, he soon discovered that there was a major drug ring going on at school, with students both dealing and using, as well as supplying to teachers like Pete Montini and George Windham. However, as Tom tried to push harder with the help of his lover, famous pitcher Scott Carpenter, he quickly discovered that someone was willing to do anything to keep their secrets buried...

This is the second mystery in the Tom & Scott series after A Simple Suburban Murder and I felt that this one was much improved. The characters were more fully realized and the dialogue was not as stiff. I am really starting to like Tom, who just doesn't know when to quit, and thought that the author did a fine job at working in a gay subplot for Scott, who has been agonizing about coming out of the closet for some time now. As far as the storyline goes, I knew who the murderer was very quickly, but there were a lot of subplots that kept my interest. I also enjoyed Zubro's cynical outlook on American high schools, especially those in leadership roles. Well written and engaging, an enjoyable, fast, fun read!

Rating:
Summary: Tom & Scott Mystery #2
Review: Tom Mason is a teacher at Grover Cleveland High School. He teaches remedial English and has gotten to know most, if not all, of the slower students in the area. One of the families that he has constantly been trying to help, both inside and outside of the classroom, was the Trasks. Tom had helped Eric Trask avoid a drug charge and get his life back together, a feat for which Mrs. Trask was eternally grateful. Mrs. Trask never forgot Tom's involvement and help, so when her younger son, Jeff, was arrested for murdering his pregnant girlfriend, she immediately came to Tom for help.

Tom was certain that Jeff couldn't have killed Susan. Jeff seemed to have genuinely cared for Susan and was stunned when he discovered that she was pregnant when she died. He spilled his guts to Tom and begged for his help. The last time Susan was seen alive was leaving a party with Jeff, but Jeff had a fight with Susan later on and she left him and headed out on her own. Tom followed his instincts and tried to interview Jeff's friends and fellow students who were at the party. There was Paul Conlan, gorgeous jock, student body president, the perfect son and best friend; Becky Twitchell, the daughter of the school board president, beautiful but vicious, she made life miserable for everyone and always got revenge; Doris Bradford, the junior prom queen who was just happy to go along with everyone else; and Roger Daniels, the consummate class clown who could turn mean when someone got him angry on the football field. As Tom tried to put pressure on the kids to find out who really killed Susan, he soon discovered that there was a major drug ring going on at school, with students both dealing and using, as well as supplying to teachers like Pete Montini and George Windham. However, as Tom tried to push harder with the help of his lover, famous pitcher Scott Carpenter, he quickly discovered that someone was willing to do anything to keep their secrets buried...

This is the second mystery in the Tom & Scott series after A Simple Suburban Murder and I felt that this one was much improved. The characters were more fully realized and the dialogue was not as stiff. I am really starting to like Tom, who just doesn't know when to quit, and thought that the author did a fine job at working in a gay subplot for Scott, who has been agonizing about coming out of the closet for some time now. As far as the storyline goes, I knew who the murderer was very quickly, but there were a lot of subplots that kept my interest. I also enjoyed Zubro's cynical outlook on American high schools, especially those in leadership roles. Well written and engaging, an enjoyable, fast, fun read!