Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Kensington (2003), Edition: First, 304 pages
Description
During New Orleans' biggest gay celebration, personal trainer and exotic dancer Scotty finds his life taking a deadly turn when one of his best clients is murdered, an old friend returns with a desperate request, and a mysterious FBI agent shadows his every move.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Rob_Dunbar
Good sleazy fun is nothing to be ashamed of. What else could readers require from a gay thriller? Replete with torrid sex, violent conspiracies, male-strippers, murder and still more torrid sex, Bourbon Street Blues may be the perfect beach read for Key West or P-Town. Okay, so maybe it's not for
No, really.
At least, he calls himself that professionally. "Dick" is an exotic dancer and personal trainer in New Orleans. He's also quite the little heartthrob. Possibly "heart" is the wrong word.
Bourbon Street Blues is Greg Herren's second mystery to be set in New Orleans, and here again he demonstrates an eye for the amusing detail and an ear for dialogue. Some authors just have all the equipment working for them. Hopping from bars and circuit parties to assorted other hectic aspects of queer nightlife in the French Quarter, Bourbon Street Blues provides a sense of real danger. Mysterious strangers lurk in the sweltering nights, along with vicious thugs, evil politicians, and the ubiquitous tourists. (As Dick often remarks, "It's not the heat, it's the stupidity.") There's a gorgeous guy who turns out to be a federal agent – or so he claims. There’s even an African-American detective whose name is described as Venus Casanova. (Shades of Pharaoh Love!) The pacing is furious, and the text offers more frequent use of the word "hottie" than may possibly have occurred in one place before.
"Dick," well, Scotty really, or actually Milton (long story), spends a lot of time pumping up, admiring his muscles, shaving his chest and other things. Narcissism may not be the worst sin imaginable, but it's no particular accomplishment. Still, Dick/Scotty/Milton is so good-natured and likeable it's hard to mind much. He drinks, gets stoned, gets laid a lot. Everybody has a summer like this in them. Some lucky bastards make it last. Scotty is still going strong at 29 and having the time of his life … until that fateful evening when he's dancing on a bar and someone slips an "evil" computer disk into his boot. (Maybe it wasn't his boot. With so much going on, it's hard to recall the exact details. It was definitely evil though – Scotty knew at once because he has psychic powers, just like "Bird" in all those John Connolly mysteries, only not so depressing.) From that moment on, the bad guys are after him, and the bloody bodies just keep piling up.
Adroitly crafted, Bourbon Street Blues is a wild ride. Okay, so maybe elegant prose it ain't, but the language stays breezy and funny, descriptions brief, characterizations vivid and quick. Some books are born to travel. This one is bound to turn up on a lot of sandy blankets.
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the more sensitive literary palate. After all, the main character's name is Dick Dansoir. No, really.
At least, he calls himself that professionally. "Dick" is an exotic dancer and personal trainer in New Orleans. He's also quite the little heartthrob. Possibly "heart" is the wrong word.
Bourbon Street Blues is Greg Herren's second mystery to be set in New Orleans, and here again he demonstrates an eye for the amusing detail and an ear for dialogue. Some authors just have all the equipment working for them. Hopping from bars and circuit parties to assorted other hectic aspects of queer nightlife in the French Quarter, Bourbon Street Blues provides a sense of real danger. Mysterious strangers lurk in the sweltering nights, along with vicious thugs, evil politicians, and the ubiquitous tourists. (As Dick often remarks, "It's not the heat, it's the stupidity.") There's a gorgeous guy who turns out to be a federal agent – or so he claims. There’s even an African-American detective whose name is described as Venus Casanova. (Shades of Pharaoh Love!) The pacing is furious, and the text offers more frequent use of the word "hottie" than may possibly have occurred in one place before.
"Dick," well, Scotty really, or actually Milton (long story), spends a lot of time pumping up, admiring his muscles, shaving his chest and other things. Narcissism may not be the worst sin imaginable, but it's no particular accomplishment. Still, Dick/Scotty/Milton is so good-natured and likeable it's hard to mind much. He drinks, gets stoned, gets laid a lot. Everybody has a summer like this in them. Some lucky bastards make it last. Scotty is still going strong at 29 and having the time of his life … until that fateful evening when he's dancing on a bar and someone slips an "evil" computer disk into his boot. (Maybe it wasn't his boot. With so much going on, it's hard to recall the exact details. It was definitely evil though – Scotty knew at once because he has psychic powers, just like "Bird" in all those John Connolly mysteries, only not so depressing.) From that moment on, the bad guys are after him, and the bloody bodies just keep piling up.
Adroitly crafted, Bourbon Street Blues is a wild ride. Okay, so maybe elegant prose it ain't, but the language stays breezy and funny, descriptions brief, characterizations vivid and quick. Some books are born to travel. This one is bound to turn up on a lot of sandy blankets.
Show Less
LibraryThing member GothicGuru13
Not the best mystery ever - Main character was too narcissistic for my taste - the action even when life-threatening never achieved the tension those scenes need - I will keep reading as I have two other books in this series already - and I liked it - just didn't love it - but I am not compelled to
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read the other books with any urgency so it might be awhile before I get back to this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member SerenaYates
What a wild ride! Picture a personal trainer and exotic dancer involuntarily turned detective because a client of his is murdered, an old friend asks for help, and there are suddenly weird goings-on all around him. Well, more weird than usual. All of this is set in the somewhat sleazier part of New
This story had me at "Dick Dansoir", which is the main character's professional name when he dances. Okay, so he does a little more than that, but you get the picture. His real name is Scotty and he may be twenty-nine, but he is not serious about leading an "orderly" life, in fact, he does his best to avoid it. With his parents being hippies and his lesbian aunt and her partner living in the same building, his chances of a "non-normal" life remain good. The story is full of details of his exciting escapades that include somewhat illegal substances, lots of partying and drinking, and maintaining a super hot physique.
The mystery is good, what with a secret computer disk - yes, this feels like a "historical" novel but it's set in 2003, mysterious murders and a "hottie" FBI agent on Scotty's tail. What I likes most was Scotty's slowly revealed psychic powers, which he uses to good effect when solving the mystery of the evil villain's plans.
All in all, this is a mystery with heart and a distinctly gay flavor. I loved every minute of it. Scotty is the narrator, and he became my tour guide into a fascinating world of New Orleans, the more interesting parts of town, and a villain's plan for the city that was as unusual as it was scary. I look forward to Scotty's next adventure!
If you like mysteries with more than a hint of psychic powers - and forget any official police procedures, if you prefer some humor in your stories and a main character who doesn't take himself too seriously, and if you don't mind more than one hot romp between the sheets as he story progresses, then you will probably like this novel.
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Orleans during Pride celebrations. See where this is going?This story had me at "Dick Dansoir", which is the main character's professional name when he dances. Okay, so he does a little more than that, but you get the picture. His real name is Scotty and he may be twenty-nine, but he is not serious about leading an "orderly" life, in fact, he does his best to avoid it. With his parents being hippies and his lesbian aunt and her partner living in the same building, his chances of a "non-normal" life remain good. The story is full of details of his exciting escapades that include somewhat illegal substances, lots of partying and drinking, and maintaining a super hot physique.
The mystery is good, what with a secret computer disk - yes, this feels like a "historical" novel but it's set in 2003, mysterious murders and a "hottie" FBI agent on Scotty's tail. What I likes most was Scotty's slowly revealed psychic powers, which he uses to good effect when solving the mystery of the evil villain's plans.
All in all, this is a mystery with heart and a distinctly gay flavor. I loved every minute of it. Scotty is the narrator, and he became my tour guide into a fascinating world of New Orleans, the more interesting parts of town, and a villain's plan for the city that was as unusual as it was scary. I look forward to Scotty's next adventure!
If you like mysteries with more than a hint of psychic powers - and forget any official police procedures, if you prefer some humor in your stories and a main character who doesn't take himself too seriously, and if you don't mind more than one hot romp between the sheets as he story progresses, then you will probably like this novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member allriledup
This book combines 3 of my favorite things: NOLA, Mystery and glbt characters. It was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the other books in the series.
LibraryThing member ChrisWeir
First in a series. Scott is a go go boy/personal trainer in New Orleans. He comes home one night for find one of his friends dead at the gateway to his apartment. Also a former client mysteriously shows up at the bar he's dancing in after disappearing a year before. Scott also hooks up with another
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dancer who's secretly a cat burglar. There's also a hot leather daddy with a scar on his cheek who says he's FBI. Fast and intriguing read dor the first in the series. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Lambda Literary Award (Nominee — 2003)
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0758202121 / 9780758202123