Capital Queers

Rating:
Summary: Dogs, Dykes,, Dolls, and "Disection"
Review: Alex, Peter, and Jean once again find themselves embroiled in another caper, this time with dolls, among other things. The wit remains the same, and Hunter injects little theatrical and tv asides that are sure to delight any 40something reader. We learn more about Jean in this offering, and can pretty much figure out that she is the "brains" of the operation. The "solution" was somewhat predictable, but I was truly surpirsed that "Duffy"/"Muffin", (a new and endearing character) didn't get to keep the "object" of discovery. This is a fun one! Light, but satisfying reading.

Rating:
Summary: A hilarious send-up of 40s style comedy/mystery
Review: As usual, there always seems to be a controversy around Hunter's books -- some love him, some hate him, but nobody seems unaffected (which I always think is the sign of a really vivid writer). Those who love Hunter (as you can see from their reviews) recognize the Alex Reynolds mysteries for the romps they are--light-hearted, hilarious adventures that are near satires on the snappy 40s mystery movies that many of us love--only here it is with a gay couple. Those who hate these books seem to not be in on the joke.

In Capital Queers, Alex Reynolds returns with his lover Peter, and his delightful mother, and embark on a very dangerous quest to find a missing religious artifact that everyone seems to think they have. Along the way the run into the usual unfeeling police, and run afoul of a bizarre religious cult. As usual, the book has a lightening quick plot that is filled with quick wit, pot-shots at movie stereotypes, and a great deal of affection. And also as usual, the book is a joy to read.

Anyone who inspires the passionate responses I've seen of Hunter's books is a must to read!

Rating:
Summary: Capital Entertainment
Review: I am not a Fred Hunter fan. In fact, I can't stand his Alex Reynold's series--with this notable exception. CAPITAL QUEERS is a smart, funny--even sexy book. It's Hunter's best book to date. The plot is sheer classic wacko--I loved it. The characters are actually becoming human. Jean, Alex's uh-dorable, mum has been toned down (thank you, God--or editor), and both Alex and husband Peter are becoming distinct personalities. I usually find Hunter's reparte to be painful; this time I found it occasionally witty. Either I'm being drugged without my knowledge or this really is 100% better book than I ever thought Hunter could write. If you feel like I did about this series, give the guy one more chance. I think you'll be as surprised as I was.

Rating:
Summary: Thank god for libraries....
Review: I know there are many Fred Hunter fans who will say this review is not helpful just because they don't agree with it. Nevertheless.... First of all, "Capital Queers" has an entertaining plot. However, the book is populated with all the requisite stereotypes: the receptionist "doing her nails," the effeminate antique shop owner, the kickass dykes who live upstairs, the inept bumbling police, the overly-solicitous mother of the gay protagonist. My biggest complaint? This writer has so many technique quirks I was distracted from the overall story line. The dialogue (and there's a lot of it) is banal and full of cliches. Must every character roll his or her eyes, "sigh deeply," and raise his or her eyebrows? Any good author knows you must convey emotion by setting, mood, and the character's actions and unique expressions--so why does Hunter feel the need to smother his dialogue with adverbs? After the twentieth "said leerily," said stuffily," "said feebly," "said benignly" I was ready to scream. And I'm suspicious of a writer who overuses exclamation points, sometimes several per page. If I had to read "there was a beat" before someone replied or "I think you've lost your mind" one more time, I think I would have lost my mind. There are too many wonderful writers of gay mysteries to spend time reading this author, although I must admit this is my first (and sadly, last) Fred Hunter mystery. If you want exciting plot, read John Morgan Wilson or R.D. Zimmerman or Michael Craft. If you want nuanced characterization, read Michael Nava. If you just want to laugh, read Zubro or Grant Michaels. If you're a Fred Hunter fan, borrow this one from the library and save yourself 13 bucks.

Rating:
Summary: I can always count on an Alex Reynolds mystery for a laugh!
Review: I read an interview with Hunter where he said he thinks of these books as comedies, and he's right. This is some of the funniest writing I've ever read. Alex Reynolds is a wonderful character who is chronically in over his head, and knows it. His view on his situations, especially in this book, is always delightfully skewed. This is the type of plot (about a religous cult racing to retrieve a stolen icon) that is so outlandish you would find it hard to take if it weren't for the fact that the hero (and the author) acknowledges that the plot is outlandish. At first when confronted with the bad guys, Alex finds the situation so strange he thinks he's losing his mind, and as it escalates, he repeats "then I REALLY thought I was losing my mind!"

The book is full of some of the most colorful dialogue I've seen: as when Alex laments "Suddenly I felt like the only woman in a Japanese prison camp movie." And there are some great supporting characters, like Alex's boyfriend, Peter, who is his rock, and his mother, who is more resourceful than he is. The minor characters are also a lot of fun: most notably, the owner of an antique store who reminds Alex of Miss Havisham in Great Expectations.

Hunter is one of those rare authors who seems capable of satirizing everything at the same time. As with all of these books, there's a lot of fun to be had here.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: If you want light reading which gives you a wonderful time, read this book and of course the series itself. Alex, Peter (Alex's lover), and Jeanne (Alex's mother) are lively and engaging characters whom I just enjoy reading about. Each of their adventure is a delightful romp and Capital Queers is no exception. However I wish Hunter will tone down Jeanne's role in his next effort and give more credit to Peter. After all Peter is Alex's significant other. Looking forward to more from the trio each year.

Rating:
Summary: Don't even try it!
Review: Poor, VERY poor, completely predictably, primitive. Extremely light entertainment. Certainly, not a come back author.

Rating:
Summary: Best Hunter yet
Review: The latest Alex Reynolds book is Hunter's best one yet. The mystery is stronger than in other books, and the lovable main characters are just as strong as in other books. The gang's "part-time gig with the CIA" is less central to the plot -- leaving more room for Alex, Peter and Mother to interact with each other. I laughed outloud at several places in the book, and turned to the web at one point to look up some information on a humor reference that remained just under the surface of my brain. Laughing and thinking in the same book -- a winner by my standards!

Rating:
Summary: sickening
Review: The latest Alex Reynolds book is Hunter's best one yet. The mystery is stronger than in other books, and the lovable main characters are just as strong as in other books. The gang's "part-time gig with the CIA" is less central to the plot -- leaving more room for Alex, Peter and Mother to interact with each other. I laughed outloud at several places in the book, and turned to the web at one point to look up some information on a humor reference that remained just under the surface of my brain. Laughing and thinking in the same book -- a winner by my standards!