Rag and Bone

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Summary: Taking chances on youth, family, love, right, and justice
Review: "Rag and Bone" brings to an end this popular series of seven mysteries by San Francisco lawyer/writer Michael Nava. Five of the preceding books have won Lambda awards for best gay mystery of the year. Nava's final Henry Rios novel is a likely contender for this year's best mystery. Fans will look forward to new works by Nava, co-author of "Created Equal: Why Gay Rights Matter in America." Admirers of his fiction hope his decision to end the Henry Rios series will free him from the constraints he might have felt in genre writing and will inspire him to deliver the big novel of psychological realism that we believe him fully capable of writing.

In "Rag and Bone" we see Henry at his most reflective. A heart attack during court in the first chapter makes him face his own mortality, and the continuing grief over the AIDS death of Josh, his young lover introduced in the series' second novel, "Golden Boy," causes Henry-always a sensitive character-to turn more philosophical. But the turning inward does not mean withdrawal.

In this novel Henry discovers whole new dimensions of family as he draws closer to an estranged sister whose long-lost daughter and grandson are caught in a gang homicide case. Henry must defend his niece, whom he dislikes and who is the confessed killer. In his late forties, Henry must not only heal a diseased heart, he must also mend a broken one that never healed from his father's abuse. When he becomes responsible for his ten year old nephew, the image of himself at ten, Henry's independence yields to surrogate fatherhood.

Family takes on additional dimensions as Henry finds himself falling in love with John, a washed up minor leaguer now a contractor in Rios' neighborhood. From their first meeting when John helps Henry home from an overly-ambitious walk, the men are attracted to each other. Both are Mexican American; both are in their forties; both love baseball; and, most importantly, both are disarmingly honest about themselves. John, a divorced bisexual, misses his own children and is only too eager to help "father" young Angel. But John has asked Deanna to marry him, and it is unclear just where the new romance with Henry is going.

Most of the novel concerns the murder case, but the crime, family, and love are intricately entwined. Typical to the genre, things work out as they should, and Henry's career takes a leap: the governor will name him to a judgeship. Enjoy this novel for its surprise twists and turns of plot and its sleuth-like intelligence at mystery solving. But most of all, enjoy it for the character of its characters-the hard decisions, the earnest decency of wounded men and women willing to risk themselves again for youth, for family, for love, for right and justice.

Rating:
Summary: Mas Por Favor....
Review: After waiting for weeks to read the book, I was very happy to get my hands on it. What a shock to read that this was to be the last of the Herny Rios series. I have to admit that it took me a while to warm up to Henry as a character but I am certainly glad that I did. There are not many gay latino characters around and it is a shame to see Henry disappear. Especially when it seemed that things were going well for him. Can't we have a minority character who isn't downtrodden and all messed up? Can't one be successful, even for a little while? I join the rest when I say that I hope Mr Nava changes his mind and decided to let us see what the future holds for Henry. Oh yeah, and I enjoyed the book as well. Mr Nava is a good writer and I hope we decided to keep writing, even if it isn't the Henry Rios series.

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Summary: The Last Of Rios
Review: Can this really be it? Has Michael Nava really brought to an end the Henry Rios mystery series? Has he broken my heart the way Armistead Maupin did when he quit writing THE TALES OF THE CITY(although at least he is still writing other novels). According the the book jacket this will be the last and it does not say he will continue writing fiction(or non-fiction or anything at all). These mysteries have been a great comfort to me over the years and RAG AND BONE, though disappointing compared to the other entries(or is it just because I know it's the last?) is no exception. The character is like a comfortable easy chair and even though he is older and a little weary I would follow him anywhere. The plot concerns the defense of his estranged niece who is accused of shooting her abusive husband and Rios' bonding with his 10 year old nephew. There is also a tentative romance with a middle aged construction foreman that is realistic and believable. Rios is also recovering from a heart attack which adds the element of his mortality to this finale that has not really been present in the other novels. All-in-all a fittingly melancholy end to a series that I think peaked with THE DEATH OF FRIENDS. Still, I wish there were other Rios novels to look forward to.

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Summary: It's over? NO! It can't be!
Review: Henry Rios has his doubts (and hands full) when a young woman shows up claiming to be his niece. When the girl is arrested for murder, Henry does all he can to fight against a conflict of interest-and to protect his ten-year-old great-nephew.

The mystery aspect of this story seems cut-and-dry, but Michael Nava manages to throw a few twists into the kettle while it is still boiling. And as usual, he leaves some doubt in the reader's mind.

The true story here is about family. Henry and his sister remember their hardships, but they now know it is time to learn from them. Henry's niece might ruin that-the only hope is Rios' great-nephew and new love interest.

It is the character of Henry's new boyfriend that leaves me somewhat unconvinced. He is a strong, important character. He helps Henry find the truth-but just feels a little too good to be true. (The problem might be that we are introduced to so many new characters we love, but this is the last novel in the series. Let us hope that Michael Nava changes his mind.)

Please ignore the reviewer who gave this novel "1 star because there is no 0" rating. This person only "wasted" his money for two Henry Rios books--the first and last. Meaning he never had the chance to read 'HOW TOWN'--which introduced us to Elena, a hard but fair woman...who happens to be Henry's older sister--this series cannot be read out of order. And even I notice how Henry is softer than the first book, but he became softer with every story. I think this is because he began learning that he can only do so much. Read the seven books in order:

The Little Death, Golden Boy, How Town, The Hidden Law, The Death of Friends, The Burning Plain, Rag and Bone

Rating:
Summary: Compelling and absorbing!
Review: I am very disappointed that this is the last of a captivating series. Rag and Bone is a wonderful book. It is powerful, emotionally charged, riveting and deeply touching. I am glad that there is a silver lining for Rios. However why must Mr Nava ends there. I hope he will change his mind and continue to develop his amazing protagonist's life.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Ending to A Great Series
Review: I think Michael Nava's Henry Rios books constitute by far the finest gay mystery series extant. I held on to this book for two years before reading it simply because I didn't want the series to end. I began reading with trepidation and sadness but Nava has done a masterful job of wrapping things up by giving Henry so many new beginnings. It's not much of a mystery -- you'll figure it out before Henry does -- but it is well written and believable. As a lawyer who has never done a criminal proceeding, I've appreciated Nava's insights into the law. And he approaches all aspects of his characters in the same methodical way. Thanks Michael for all the joy you've given to so many. Henry Rios is gone and I can accept that but I hope that you will reconsider your decision to not write another mystery.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Ending to A Great Series
Review: I think Michael Nava's Henry Rios books constitute by far the finest gay mystery series extant. I held on to this book for two years before reading it simply because I didn't want the series to end. I began reading with trepidation and sadness but Nava has done a masterful job of wrapping things up by giving Henry so many new beginnings. It's not much of a mystery -- you'll figure it out before Henry does -- but it is well written and believable. As a lawyer who has never done a criminal proceeding, I've appreciated Nava's insights into the law. And he approaches all aspects of his characters in the same methodical way. Thanks Michael for all the joy you've given to so many. Henry Rios is gone and I can accept that but I hope that you will reconsider your decision to not write another mystery.

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Summary: Great Book - where my dictionary! <G>
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Rag and Bone. The plot was well developed and the characters are quite realistic. I could easily relate to the abuse story line, having lived that myself as a child. As a gay father, I can relate VERY well to John and to Henry as they learned more about what being a parent is all about. I did find quite a few words that sent me scurrying for my dictionary - a bit frustrating but liveable. I did have to get some help with the spanish words, very few were written so the reader could figure the meaning of the word based on context. Overall, a great book, and now I need to go find the rest of the Rios series. I'm hooked! Have read Goldenboy also.

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Summary: Goodbye Rico, we're gonna miss you.
Review: Michael Nava may not be a great mystery writer, so what. What is more important is that he is, simply, a great writer. The truth is that I knew "who done it" about a third of the way through, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that I got to spend time with Henry again. I love this character. From "The Little Death" through "The Death of Friends," we've seen Henry weather it all. Indeed, we've weathered it with him. I love that the author has brought John into Henry's life. Their love affair was much more compelling than the mystery surrounding it. Michael Nava is a very emotional writer. His novels touch on all sorts of issues confronting gay people. I hope that straight people are reading his books, there is so much to be learned from them. I understand that this is the last Henry Rios mystery, I only hope that this is not the last Michael Nava novel, that would be a crime.

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Summary: Family drama
Review: Nava's final Henry Rios has a tepid first half, but it does become more involving towards the end. Henry becomes involved in figuring out what happened when his new-found niece is arrested for murdering her husband. His niece's son Angel ends up living with Henry, as Henry also begins dating again. This is a great example of the movement in recent gay fiction toward family- and relationship-oriented stories. It's compelling in its own fashion, but the mystery thread is rather weak.