Book Review: Going Down for the Count

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Going Down for the Count     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
David Stukas
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Gay / Lesbian
Kensington, Aug 2002, $23.00, 2569 pp.

Could there actually be justice in the universal scheme as Robert Willsop has finally met the man of his dreams? No one since the Brownings is a bigger romantic then Robert, a believer in forever- true love, though he rarely scores a fleeting relationship. Perhaps German Count Siegfried von Schmidt shares that same hopeless feeling. Even when wealthy charismatic Michael Starks tries to steal the boyfriend from his best friend, the count remains true to his beloved Robert.

Siegfried takes Robert back to Berlin where they plan to marry. However, strange happenings in Seigfried’s mansion scare Robert, who calls across the ocean to gain advice from his amazonian lesbian buddy Monette. Michael flies to Europe and Monette follows him as someone has killed Robert’s fiancé. The German police believe the visiting gay American murdered his lover in a domestic rage incident. Thus, once again the trio tries to ferret out the identity of SOMEONE KILLED HIS BOYFRIEND as they once did for Michael.

The second tale in David Stukas’ humorous gay trio of amateur sleuths is a fun story that much like the first novel concentrates on the cross-Atlantic lifestyle of the heroes. The who-done-it is fun to observe, but also as with the debut novel takes a back seat (but not quite as much) to Robert and cohorts as they romp through Germany. Fans of gay amateur sleuths will enjoy GOING DOWN FOR THE COUNT, want to read the first tale SOMEONE KILLED HIS BOYFRIEND and expect David Stukas to tell the story of the murder of Monette’s lover next.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner