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golem's review
4.75
This book is going to stay with me for a long time. It's wonderful to see Nava, now a splendid mature writer, go back to Henry Rios in the 1980s. It's a painful, moving AIDS novel. It captures something that's very difficult to remember now, which is the precarious hope and joy of fledgling queer communities just before the AIDS crisis. This book brings us back there, and forces us to mourn that time--but in many ways it's also a book about now: our current hope and hopelessness, our current epidemic, the violence that young queer people still face. Nava has a great interview about this in LARB. Painful, hopeful. Must-read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Dementia, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction and Racial slurs
theinstantreader's review
5.0
A love letter to San Francisco at the beginning of the AIDS crisis. This novel keeps in mind the many parts of its characters identity as it tells it’s story of heartache and growth. Written in part of the #henryriosmysteryseries this second novel by six time lambda literary award winner #michaelnava is one that will pull at your heart strings, add an allure of mystery and bring hints of eroticism in a moments notice. This novel moved me and is one you won’t want to miss. I give this novel a high five out of five stars on goodreads. ************************************************************
P.s. The audiobook narrated by the talented @armandoact brought Henry Rios to life. I highly recommend as well.
P.s. The audiobook narrated by the talented @armandoact brought Henry Rios to life. I highly recommend as well.
ellesea's review
5.0
When criminal defence lawyer Henry Dios accepts an offer to work as an insurance claims investigator, he does so begrudgingly. Fresh out of rehab with little work available and bills to pay, the job is a necessity, not a choice. However, when he's assigned to investigate the accidental death of Bill Ryan who lived in the heart of the San Francisco gay community, his findings are not only shocking but a reminder to himself of his own predicaments.
The narrative is split between Henry's life in the present, his personal demons and trying to get his life back on track. Then there's Bill Ryan's life history leading up to his tragic death. Similarities between the two men are exposed; their concerns and insecurities during this volatile time in history. Additionally, likeable and fascinating secondary characters playing important roles in both the men's lives are present along with a twisty plot exposing the unexpected.
This novel is so much more than a crime noir novel. The author's ability to convey the setting with sincerity is palpable. He expresses the emotions and concerns of the gay community during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s with raw sensitivity. When I look back at this era, I remember the Rock Hudson scandal and the hysteria in the press. Therefore Mr Nava's detailed account of life in San Francisco at this time is equally fascinating and sobering.
The ending is poignant and thought-provoking leaving me, with a greater understanding and a desire to continue getting to know more about Henry Dios.
***arc received courtesy of Persigo Press via Rachel's Random Resources***
The narrative is split between Henry's life in the present, his personal demons and trying to get his life back on track. Then there's Bill Ryan's life history leading up to his tragic death. Similarities between the two men are exposed; their concerns and insecurities during this volatile time in history. Additionally, likeable and fascinating secondary characters playing important roles in both the men's lives are present along with a twisty plot exposing the unexpected.
This novel is so much more than a crime noir novel. The author's ability to convey the setting with sincerity is palpable. He expresses the emotions and concerns of the gay community during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s with raw sensitivity. When I look back at this era, I remember the Rock Hudson scandal and the hysteria in the press. Therefore Mr Nava's detailed account of life in San Francisco at this time is equally fascinating and sobering.
The ending is poignant and thought-provoking leaving me, with a greater understanding and a desire to continue getting to know more about Henry Dios.
***arc received courtesy of Persigo Press via Rachel's Random Resources***
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