| Reviewers' Comments:
THE GOOD COP
by Dorien Grey
October 4 2004
Dorien Grey proved his writing ability with his earlier novels in the Dick
Hardesty series. He has subjected his protagonist to all kinds of horrors
from homophobic threats and fires to the dubious pleasures of frequent, brief
but unmemorable erotic encounters during Hardesty's 'slut phase', which followed
the breakup of his long term relationship.
Hardesty is still pursuing his career of private investigator
after forsaking the steadier, if less fulfilling, one of public relations
officer. Although the (unnamed) midwestern town Dick calls his home has been
freed from the homophobic rule of Chief of Police Rourke, there is still
a faction within the police force that hates and despises gays. Into this
morass plunges a college friend of Dick's, Tom Brady.
Brady is the son of a wealthy father, heir to an hotel
chain. Nonetheless, he has declared his intention of forsaking the family
business in order to become a policeman. Tom has taken pains to mask the
fact that he is a practising homosexual, having married the woman who has
been seen by outsiders to be his childhood sweetheart. Lisa is, in fact,
a lesbian, but husband and wife find their arrangement eminently
convenient.
Tom and Dick reanimate the intimate relationship they
shared throughout college, with the blessing of Tom's wife and her lover,
Carol. Dick introduces Tom to the delights of gay society in the town- a
great pleasure for Brady who is tired of being confined to a closet and welcomes
the opportunity to be accepted by his gay peers. Disaster strikes the law
enforcement officer when he performs an act of bravery, saving the life of
a fellow policeman as well as some gay civilians, but doing so outside a
gay bar.
In the meantime, Tom's father is in discussion with a
union group which has as its head an old enemy, from the time of their
schooldays, of Tom. Joey Giacomino is determined to exhibit his sterling
qualities to his imprisoned father. Joey seems to be the owner of a less
than average IQ and is in danger of destroying his own reputation on more
than one front.
Dick, meanwhile, has befriended a teenage 'hustler' (read
'male prostitute') who has arrived in the big town determined to make good.
Jonathan is an eager, enthusiastic boy who thinks sex-for-sale is an excellent
career choice and a shortcut to wealth. That is, until one of his 'tricks'
turns violent.
Tom Brady finds himself at the centre of a career-destroying
row. He is ostracised by his fellow officers for being gay but the gay
community's wish to hail him as their very own hero threatens to disrupt
the social balance of the town as well as revivifying the old gay-bashing
principles of Rourke's despised ethos.
Grey's writing provides fascinating insights into the
life of the homosexual community, if his books do, in fact, reflect that
lifestyle accurately. His picture of inimical straight society despising
homosexual practitioners is poignant and disturbing. He is a very interesting
writer with an unusual style of writing which is, despite its eccentricities,
clear and easy to follow. One can hope that his mysteries, which should attract
readers of all persuasions, can do something to bridge the gap between seemingly
disparate readerships.
--Dernise Pickles, www.marymartin.com (Australia)
--------------------
Talented author Dorien Gray has taken a slightly divergent
tone in this new addition to his excellent series of PI novels featuring
Dick Hardesty. Although Dick's usual ironic wit and healthy libido are still
in evidence, The Good Cop has a more introspective tone as circumstances
compel the detective to consider things about himself he usually avoids
confronting. The issue of anti-gay prejudice in high places is always an
undercurrent in Mr. Gray's novels, as it should be. In this book, however,
he takes a more in-depth view of the many nuances of the problem by arranging
for Dick to become more than a little unwillingly involved as a go-between.
The situation begins innocently enough when an
old college friend and lover moves into town, at first for the purpose of
managing a landmark hotel his family recently acquired. Outwardly, there's
nothing to indicate Tom Brady is gay. He even married his "childhood sweetheart,"
Lisa. However, the truth is that the marriage is simply to forestall their
families' matchmaking and allow both Tom and Lisa, who is also gay, to pursue
their true lifestyle. Although, as usual, uncomfortable with those who struggle
to conceal their true nature, Dick accepts the situation; and he and Tom
renew their relationship in all its facets. Then, Tom reveals a long-held
secret. He's not really interested in the family business; he wants--has
always wanted--to be a cop. That the city's police force is currently in
turmoil, the gay-hating old guard looking for any opportunity to undermine
the more liberal regime of a new chief, doesn't matter. Tom is certain he
can keep his secret until it's safe to reveal it.
But life, as John Lennon pointed out, is what happens
while you're making other plans. Tom kills a gang member while foiling an
assault outside a gay bar. The community wants to celebrate their hero, but
doing so could give the new chief's opponents just the ammunition they need.
So, it falls to Dick to help the police department persuade the gay community
to maintain the status quo now in hope of achieving greater goals later.
Then Tom Brady is murdered, and the seething kettle of anger and resentment
and prejudice threatens to boil over as more and more people begin to believe
he may have been killed by a member of the police force. The tension grows
as all the leads seem to disappear, and Dick is thrust once again into a
diplomatic position.
The Good Cop offers the kind of complexity that
marks the other Dick Hardesty novels, but in this case that complexity is
more internal than external. The characters, from Tom Brady to the naive
hustler Dick rescues without really knowing what prompts his Good Samaritan
impulse, are wonderfully real and compelling. These are people you wish you
could meet, sit down and share dinner with. Perhaps more important, they
allow Mr. Gray to reveal sides of his main character that might otherwise
never have been known. There is also an indication that the events portrayed
resonate with Hardesty in a way that make him take a close, if reluctant,
look at himself and his cherished ideas of who he is. A sense that the defensive
barriers he has used to protect his deeper emotional self have been dented,
if not breached.
Will the fans who like Dick Hardesty's caustic wit and
in-your-face attitude appreciate this internal journey? That's always difficult
to say. Unquestionably, however, this book adds new and insightful dimensions
to the character, something all too many series mysteries neglect--to their
eventual detriment.
---Elizabeth Burton, The Blue Iris Journal
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Dick Hardesty, our favorite PI, is going along with his
life and things are looking up in his neighborhood. There's a brand new Chief
of Police in place of the old homophobic one, and a much needed new police
substation is going up in the heart of the gay community--which is looked
upon as both hopefully good and possibly bad by the community itself. Then
Tom Brady, with whom Dick had been close while in college, comes back into
Dick's life--but this time with a wife.
The bogus marriage between friends has been set up because
Tom wants to go into law enforcement, where prejudice still runs rampant
against gays. Dick begins seeing Tom socially again, under the protective
coloration of Tom's wife, who is a lesbian, along with her lover, and the
four of them make a great combo in spite of the uneasy situation. Tom's job,
so far, is secure, he's doing all the right things, even heroic things, and
the new Chief of Police likes him, but Tom still has to keep his gay orientation
under wraps for a while in order to forestall any problems because of it.
At the same time, Jonathan, a stray young man who has
been hustling for a living although he's not happy about it, shows up in
Dick's life and is reluctantly taken under Dick's wing after Jonathan is
beaten up by one of his clients. It appears the client is the son of a high
powered man who is in direct competition with Tom's father--who so far has
not acknowledged the fact that Tom is gay. He loves Tom very much, but is
just not yet ready to face that his son is gay, and that his son's marriage,
while stable, is basically a sham. Then the unthinkable happens, two tragedies
so severe that all progress the gay community has made with law enforcement
agencies in the area is threatened. Now Dick, for personal reasons, has to
find the person or persons who perpetuated both crimes.
I've been watching with great interest Grey's progress
since his first book, and I have to tell you, even though all of his books
have been wonderful, this is his best yet. The father-son relationship really
touched my heart, as did the fact that Tom had to live such a secret life
for no reason other than that he was gay, and I was very taken with Jonathan.
I hope Dick's going to keep him around for a long time.
I don't need to tell you, I'm crazy about Dick Hardesty.
I love that man. He's very real to me. All of Grey's people are so real to
me. He truly is a master at characterization. I urge all people, both gay
and heterosexual, to read The Good Cop. Not only is it a fantastic,
impeccably written mystery, as all the books in Grey's Hardesty series have
been, but in addition to that, it's filled with truth and soul-searing humanity,
absolutely the finest endorsement I could ever give regarding any author's
work.
-- Beth Anderson, www/allaboutmurder.com
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The Good Cop is highly recommended. With each
book in the delightful Dick Hardesty series, Dorien Grey enriches a popular
niche in the gay-mystery genre -- that of the hard-boiled, soft-hearted,
sexy-yet-sensitive sleuth, a sure bet to bed the good guys and get the bad
guys. And like Joseph Hansen's classic Dave Brandstetter, Hardesty has a
life of continuing friendships, ongoing self-doubts, and emotional growth
which adds fascinating facets to his likeable character -- just what a fine
series needs.
— Richard Labonte, Editor, Best of Men's Erotica
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A new police chief ends the era of rabid discrimination
as Chief Robertson introduces tolerance for the gay community. Unfortunately,
the old guard does not welcome such change, and a strong line appears within
the police department between hard-core old-schoolers, and the moderates.
Into the mix enters Tom Brady, a married man who marriage offers a shield
for his and his wife's homosexuality. Tom proves himself to be a good cop,
but sometimes good is just not enough.
Private Investigator Dick Hardesty and Tom have been
friends since college. So when Tom moves into the neighborhood and lands
a position on the local force, they gleefully renew their friendship. Tom
graduates number one in his class, and goes on to be labeled as a hero by
the media. But opinions change radically within the department when Tom
interrupts a vicious attack on women exiting a gay bar. Suddenly the gay
community wants to claim him as their own, even as the department intends
to use his sexuality against him and the new police chief. Politics and ugly
personal attacks make life miserable, and only promise to escalate.
Issues of sexuality become the direct point of
conflict in the new Dick Hardesty series. The complexities of sexual preference
and decisions regarding lifestyle and life choices lends THE GOOD COP
extraordinary depth, and will force readers to confront their own prejudices
and assumptions. Further, Grey's unique writing style grows smoother and
richer with each publication as he proves his marvelous skill with each new
book in the series. This book will appeal to gays and straights that demand
hard hitting fiction combined with a bracing mystery. A fast paced read with
richly developed characters, THE GOOD COP comes very highly recommended.
— Cindy Penn, www.wordweaving.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
All the old favorites are back in this eagerly-awaited "next
in the series" PI Dick Hardesty offering by Dorien Grey. Ramon's Bar, Napoleon,
Rasputin- and Calypso eating joints, the Nightingale and Ruthie's Bars all
figure in the tale woven by Writer Grey. Hardesty's friends Bob Allen, Jimmy,
Jared Martinson, Jim Marsh and Cory Lockhart are all here and taking an active
part in the city. Homophobic Chief Rourke is gone and has been replaced by
Kensington Black. Black has instituted a new policy of social awareness for
his officers. Not all of them are completely sold on the idea. Gang turf,
Hardesty's college friend Tom Brady and his wife, Lisa, mobster Joey Giacomino,
the Montero Hotel and arson provide grist for Hardesty as he works with the
police department to keep a lid on roiling feelings within the gay community.
When Tom is found shot dead, everyone has to wonder if
perhaps a fellow officer might have been the perpetrator. Hardesty has his
work cut out for him as he endeavors to uncover the truth, maintain his
integrity, and avenge his friend's death.
Writer Grey's hard-hitting account continues the gritty
dialogue, well-developed plots, twists and turns and nicely advanced situations
we have come to expect from his PI Hardesty tales. This talented, prolific
writer presents another credible tale filled with many of the sights, locales,
and characters we have enjoyed in the earlier works along with a whole new
group of performers for us to enjoy. Chief Black is a refreshing change from
the overwrought, homophobic Rourke. Hardesty's sleuthing skills are becoming
more refined.
The Good Cop may be writer Grey's best effort
to date. Watch those red herrings. Grey will lead you down a merry chase
leading to a dead end and confusion if you are not careful. The Good Cop
is everything I look for in good entertaining mystery writing; Grey presents
winning characters, a well-crafted tale, and just plain good writing. Gripping
read, highly recommended.
— m.j.hollingshead, www.angelfire.com
All Tom Brady ever wanted to do was to be a good cop. When a brave act sets
off a conflict between the city's gay community and its homophobic police
force, Dick finds himself standing between the two factions in an attempt
to head off an open rebellion.
---------------------
Number five in the series sees Tom, an old friend from Dick’s past,
move to the city. Tom has got married to a lesbian friend of his. Grey’s
treatment of gays marrying to stay beneath the radar was excellently handled.
We saw how Dick struggled to understand his friend’s actions, knowing
he’d not be able to do something similar.
As always Grey weaves a most interesting tale, dropping
clues along the way. Small incidents casually related become important factors
later on.
Many old favourites from earlier stories reappear. I
was most gratified to see that Phil and Tim decided to settle down together
and raise tropical fish.
This is the best book of the series so far. The writing
is smoother and tighter. The power struggle in the police department and
Dick’s attempt to keep the peace were excellently described. However,
the most beguiling aspect of the novel was Hardesty’s growing attraction
to an innocent and totally sweet nineteen-year-old he meets in a hustler
bar. Dick tries to tell himself that Jonathan is too young, but the man’s
genuineness and obvious goodness eat at his in-built need to protect and
nurture. However, when Jonathan agrees to put his life on the line in order
to help catch a killer, Dick is forced to raise the white flag in defeat.
I can’t wait to read the next story which will hopefully show the start
of Dick and Jonathan’s togetherness.
---Review by British Bull Dog
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