Jackson Square Jazz
After a somewhat slow opening, the thrills stack up Hollywood-style with car chases, a kidnapping, a home invasion and a funny, daring escape in Herren's steamy second gay mystery (after 2003'sBourbon Street Blues) set in a lovingly evoked New Orleans. Self-described boy-toy, ex-exotic dancer and fledgling gumshoe Scotty Bradley works to earn his PI's license researching cases for his straight-laced older lawyer brother, Storm. Too briefly, the author entices us into a well-rendered world of professional ice skating as the brothers pursue answers to clear an upcoming young champion of a murder rap. Later, a scintilla of clairvoyance and some dog-eared tarot cards give Scotty the insight necessary to crack a long unsolved crime. The reader can forgive a few stereotypical characters when Scotty has such unusual pals as hunky hottie Colin, a cat burglar, and can turn for support to his petrified-hippie parents, who fully accept his lifestyle. In the end, faced with the dire prospect of monogamy with either a bawdy bandit or a G-man stud, Scotty gets to have his beefcake and eat it too.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.