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katieinca's review against another edition
4.0
I recommend these to all my mystery reading friends (and fans of CA books with a strong sense of place, and anyone looking for an introspective gay Latino POV). In The Hidden Law we sit more with Henry's memories of his father and we see different ways cycles of abuse play out in different families.
Like the other Henry Rios books, this one is at least as much about the inner life of the protagonist as it about the case - not so much a psychological mystery as a mystery with a side of psychology (or vice versa?). In this one not only do we have a therapist as a character relevant to the mystery, but also Henry himself goes to therapy! Good job, Henry.
Like the other Henry Rios books, this one is at least as much about the inner life of the protagonist as it about the case - not so much a psychological mystery as a mystery with a side of psychology (or vice versa?). In this one not only do we have a therapist as a character relevant to the mystery, but also Henry himself goes to therapy! Good job, Henry.
lilyrooke's review
2.0
A politician is gunned down, and Henry Rios steps up to defend the young man accused of his murder. I wasn't especially invested in this instalment. I think it's because a) I think the books work best when they are somewhat longer (even at 250-ish pages max, these are short books, so for The Hidden Law to be only about 160 pages, there just wasn't enough of a story to reach its full potential in my opinion), plus b) my personal preference is a mystery plot woven in with a strong emotional subplot, whether that's Henry's romance or whatever else. As Josh drifts away from Henry, there was capacity in the book for far more exploration of the grief of losing a loved one to AIDS well before his death even occurs, but all this was kept at arm's length. In my opinion the story suffered somewhat for that reason, because I know full well from Lay Your Sleeping Head and Carved in Bone that the author has immense capacity to do this well.
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
emtur007's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Terminal illness
Minor: Death of parent
shile87's review
5.0
The best one in this series. GAAAAAH!!!
As I started up the steps to City Hall I wondered whether my father would have hated me more because I was homosexual or a lawyer. Then I reminded myself that he had never needed a reason to hate me. It was enough that I was not him.
This one hit all my buttons. I don't even know how to do it justice.
In this one we get to know Henry more. His character has grown so much and it is so refreshing. The series continues to improve. Henry's mind is the best place to set up shop. He is raw, honest, in your face, funny and everything in between.
It was the mystery of my sexual nature that a body which was the mirror image of mine could be so compelling and feel so unfamiliar, as if it belonged to a separate gender. When I was younger, it had seemed urgent to unravel this mystery because I believed that if it could be explained, the haters would stop hating us.
The case as usual, was interesting. The courtroom drama is so much entertaining and real. I believe it is because Michael Nava is a lawyer, so writing about court proceedings comes naturally to him.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic is so well documented, It is heartbreaking, the activism on the other hand is just GAAAAH! The stigma is still there, but we have come a long way.
Josh! Josh! Josh.....I still don't know how to feel about him.
Everything in this series is just so real and brilliant.
As I started up the steps to City Hall I wondered whether my father would have hated me more because I was homosexual or a lawyer. Then I reminded myself that he had never needed a reason to hate me. It was enough that I was not him.
This one hit all my buttons. I don't even know how to do it justice.
In this one we get to know Henry more. His character has grown so much and it is so refreshing. The series continues to improve. Henry's mind is the best place to set up shop. He is raw, honest, in your face, funny and everything in between.
It was the mystery of my sexual nature that a body which was the mirror image of mine could be so compelling and feel so unfamiliar, as if it belonged to a separate gender. When I was younger, it had seemed urgent to unravel this mystery because I believed that if it could be explained, the haters would stop hating us.
The case as usual, was interesting. The courtroom drama is so much entertaining and real. I believe it is because Michael Nava is a lawyer, so writing about court proceedings comes naturally to him.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic is so well documented, It is heartbreaking, the activism on the other hand is just GAAAAH! The stigma is still there, but we have come a long way.
Josh! Josh! Josh.....I still don't know how to feel about him.
Everything in this series is just so real and brilliant.
mattsitstill's review
4.0
Nava’s books keep getting stronger and stronger. This is especially true when he’s writing about the world that Rios grew up in and how he’s trying to manages that with his modern life. The exploration of identity and heritage and community is deep and thoughtful. Also, the exploration of AIDS is prescient and true.
(This one’s also steamier than some of the previous.)
I’m still not sure if he’s hitting the mystery elements here. The final reveal is more consistent and fair than it has been in the other books, but there’s still a left field curtain pull. Maybe if I went back and read the series over I’d see more clues or whatnot about who did it.
Ultimate, that’s not what Nava wants to explore. And his skills in exploring the rest of the world are getting richer and deeper.
(This one’s also steamier than some of the previous.)
I’m still not sure if he’s hitting the mystery elements here. The final reveal is more consistent and fair than it has been in the other books, but there’s still a left field curtain pull. Maybe if I went back and read the series over I’d see more clues or whatnot about who did it.
Ultimate, that’s not what Nava wants to explore. And his skills in exploring the rest of the world are getting richer and deeper.
writerlibrarian's review
3.0
Life goes on for Henry Rios, it involves saying goodbye to his lover Josh and trying to make sense of his own life. At 40, Henry faces inner demons when he takes the case that mirrors his personal history. A more introspective novel where the mystery is an accessory to the inner journey Henry embarks on.
Good for the characters and the journey.
Good for the characters and the journey.
claudia_is_reading's review
5.0
This is a book about fathers and sons, about how we are imprinted with our cultural roots from the moment in which we are born and how difficult is to escape from what it seems to be our destiny.
Henry is defending a Latino boy, accused of killing a Latino congressman, and this case (alongside with his break-up with Josh) forces him to look deeper into his own childhood and to his relationship with his father. The story is raw and gritty and powerful, and the portrait of the era, amazing.
What can I say that I haven't said before? This series is a must-read.
As always, Thom Rivera does an awesome job with the narration
Henry is defending a Latino boy, accused of killing a Latino congressman, and this case (alongside with his break-up with Josh) forces him to look deeper into his own childhood and to his relationship with his father. The story is raw and gritty and powerful, and the portrait of the era, amazing.
What can I say that I haven't said before? This series is a must-read.
As always, Thom Rivera does an awesome job with the narration
beasley's review
4.0
This is the fourth in a terrific mystery series set in Los Angeles featuring a gay Latino civil rights attorney. Wondering how I missed this series previously.
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