Great mysteries, addictive reading /listening

Read the books years ago and listening to them reminds me what a great series this is. Good murder mysteries, dry humour, love that they're so well set in time and place. Well drawn, complex characters. The narration is perfect. I've binge listened to the series, this is a good start and they get better.

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Digging this author

This is the first book of the Boystown Series by Marshall Thornton and the second book if his that I have read and enjoyed. I would have to say that Mr. Thornton definitely brings something different to his stories.
Based on the storylines and some of the dialogue you can tell these stories are a bit older but it doesn't detract from the stories at all.

The narrator is great at bringing Me Thornton's characters to life. And his stories so far are not your run of the mill gay romances. They are, however, very entertaining.

I was fortunate enough to receive this book for free as well as Boystown 2 and I cannot wait to listen to it.

This book is a great listen and well worth a credit.

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Three gritty and steamy stories

I really enjoyed listening to these gritty PI stories and the introduction to Nick Nowak 's life. The narrator's voice and style seemed to match the main character's personality. His narration is easy to follow.

I liked that these stories are set in the early eighties and that there's an overall romance ARC to the series. We witness the smoking, the homophobia shown by the cops, as well as Nick's frequent unprotected sexual encounters with strangers. You get a snap shot of life in Chicago nearly forty years ago. I have my guesses where this story is leading for one or two secondary characters.

Nick comes across as a likeable and hard-working character, whose heart is in the right place much of the time. I'm rooting for him to get his happy ever after later in the series.

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A 1980s Noir Mystery

The first thing you should know is that Boystown is not a romance. The second thing you should know is that Nick Nowak, the main character, is a hard man with many flaws. And third, this book deals with many issues and subject matters that can also be possibly triggering for some people.

Set in the early 1980s Chicago, Nick Nowak is a former cop who was unofficially kicked off the force when he was outed as gay. Now he works as private investigator, alienated from his former friends and family, and finding brief moments of pleasure in casual one night stands. Nick is a hard man to like at times – he’s self-centered, emotionally constipated, and bullheaded, yet despite his attempts, he’s also unsuspectedly compassionate and tender. This dichotomy makes Nick a fascinating character which only emphasizes the depth of the trauma he experienced in previous years.

This book is composed of three different novellas each featuring one case. The novellas are full of action, thrills, and sex, with a mystery that is solved by the end. However, each novella builds on the series plot. These plots are fascinating and completely enthralling – I was completely captivated. I also loved Marshall Thronton’s writing. He is a new-to-me author, but I can see why he was a finalist for the Lambda Awards.

The audiobook was narrated by Brad Langer who does a wonderful job. Nick Nowak is such a dynamic and complicated character, and Brad was able to bring him to life with all the right nuances and energy. The performance was well done and I found it engaging and thrilling without being over the top. The audiobook production sounded extremely professional and it made for a great listening experience.

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2 people found this helpful

Interesting Story

The concept is interesting and well written. The characters are likeable and the narration is good.

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Soo good

Not my normal sort of book, but it was so good.
A PI working in Chicago, this is 3 stories in one but all linked. Great writing and well narrated. Can't wait for the next lot.

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