Donald Strachey Series by Richard Stevenson

A young man has been brutally murdered. The gay son of a wealthy family has disappeared. Now it's up to private dick Don Strachey to get to the bottom of this mess--even if he has to cruise every gay bar in the city to do it Don Strachey isn't exactly the most sought-after private eye in Albany, New York. In fact, this gay P.I. has gotten to the point of having to write checks to pay his tab at the cheapest lunch counter in town... moreA young man has been brutally murdered. The gay son of a wealthy family has disappeared. Now it's up to private dick Don Strachey to get to the bottom of this mess--even if he has to cruise every gay bar in the city to do it Don Strachey isn't exactly the most sought-after private eye in Albany, New York. In fact, this gay P.I. has gotten to the point of having to write checks to pay his tab at the cheapest lunch counter in town. And he isn't sure that the latest one, for the grand total of two dollars and ninety-three cents, is going to clear. Then the phone rings. Billy Blount, the gay heir to one of Saratoga Springs' upper-crust families, has disappeared, and his parents want him back. On top of that, Billy, a young and outspoken gay activist, is wanted for the grisly murder of the man he slept with on his last night in Albany--a man he'd never met before that night Set in the glorious, promiscuous pre-HIV late 1970s, Death Trick: A Murder Mystery is a fast-paced excursion through the seamy underside of gay Albany. From gay discos where the hard-pumping music never stops, to the city's infamous baths, to the dark alley behind the local precinct house, this hard-bitten private dick searches for answers to the questions that plague Billy's parents and the police. With his faithful companion (and unfaithful lover) Timmy, plus a cast of characters that includes drag queens, ex-jock gay bar owners, homophobic cops, male hustlers, and wealthy suburbanites, Strachey begins a chase that leads him to seedy gay bars, posh suburban homes, and pricey mental institutions where they use electric shock to destroy "sick" gay tendencies. less

When the giant Millpond Company finds its plans for a mega-shopping mall stymied by the refusal of an elderly lesbian couple to sell their home, the ladies are subjected to ugly vandalism and frightening death threats. The powerful director of Millpond in turn hires Don Strachey, Albany's only gay detective, to protect the ladies, find the culprits, and clear the corporate name... moreWhen the giant Millpond Company finds its plans for a mega-shopping mall stymied by the refusal of an elderly lesbian couple to sell their home, the ladies are subjected to ugly vandalism and frightening death threats. The powerful director of Millpond in turn hires Don Strachey, Albany's only gay detective, to protect the ladies, find the culprits, and clear the corporate name. Strachey accepts with misgivings that deepen rapidly as kidnapping, extortion, and murder darken the lives of Albany's gay community. Fast-paced, deftly plotted, and superbly written, this is one of the best Strachey novels yet. less

Someone's left a man's body in Donald Strachey's car -- the grandson of Albany's most connected political fixer. A letter from the deceased asks Strachey to dismantle his grandfather's party machine. Like a chess master, Strachey moves ten suitcases, an army of colorful pawns (all of whom think they're king), and $2.5 million across the continent and around Albany. One of the funniest in the series. (Filmed for release by HereTV in 2008; originally published 1986.)

Which powerful mystery man killed the gay activist for outing him? In Third Man Out, tough-as-nails gay private investigator Don Strachey investigates the murder of a self-righteous Queer Nation activist who may have been killed for outing prominent closeted gay homophobes.

Donald Strachey is asked to investigate the suspicious death of Paul Haig by three different people-Haig's homophobic mother, his ex-lover, and the psychiatrist hired to "cure" him of his homosexuality. Just as he gets started, however, all three remove him from the case, leaving Strachey with a brutal murderer that now everyone wants left alone.

Private Investigator Donald Strachey is asked to look into the events surrounding the months-old murder of Eric Osborne. His death, originally believed to be a random attack, takes on new significance when Janet Osborne, Eric's sister, survives an attempt on her life. Skeeter, Eric's lover, believed both attacks were meant to silence them before the sale of their family's newspaper. drawn into a complex family feud, Strachey must unravel the secret behind the attacks before he tries again...

Strachey's visit to a showing of the AIDS quilt in Washington, D.C. turns up a panel for a man ho is not dead...yet.In Washington, D.C. to view the AIDS quilt, gay P.I. Donald Strachey, his lover Timmy, and a friend discover a panel for an ex-lover of their friend. The trouble is that the ex-lover isn't dead. When their friend barely survives a vicious attack, Strachey concludes that someone has a deadly secret -- one that he or she will kill to protect... moreStrachey's visit to a showing of the AIDS quilt in Washington, D.C. turns up a panel for a man ho is not dead...yet.In Washington, D.C. to view the AIDS quilt, gay P.I. Donald Strachey, his lover Timmy, and a friend discover a panel for an ex-lover of their friend. The trouble is that the ex-lover isn't dead. When their friend barely survives a vicious attack, Strachey concludes that someone has a deadly secret -- one that he or she will kill to protect."Stevenson's mysteries are among the wittiest and most politically pointed around today". -- The Washington Post on Chain of Fools less

Under normal circumstances, PI Donald Strachey wouldn't take a job from right-wing radio "shock jock" J-Bird. But Strachey not only needs the money, he's also intrigued that the death threats against the radio DJ are being made in the name of a radical gay rights group that has been defunct for over twenty years. When things escalate past mere threats, Strachey has precious little time to uncover the connection between a group from the past and the violent present.

The ninth book in the Donald Strachey Mystery series. Gay marriage in Massachusetts is a fine institution------except when it leads to murder, as it does in this taut, suspenseful Don Strachey private eye novel, the ninth in the classic series. Strachey and his loving foil, Timothy Callahan, are back in perfect form in this witty, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller.

Gary Griswold, cheerily dim gadfly scion of Albany old money, late of the Key West artists colony, goes missing, and his ex-wife wants to know what's happened to him - not to mention his 38 million dollars in cash. Turns out that religious dilettante Gary and his money have disappeared into Thailand, where corruption has its own etiquette... moreGary Griswold, cheerily dim gadfly scion of Albany old money, late of the Key West artists colony, goes missing, and his ex-wife wants to know what's happened to him - not to mention his 38 million dollars in cash. Turns out that religious dilettante Gary and his money have disappeared into Thailand, where corruption has its own etiquette. Soon, Albany's only gay PI, Don Strachey, is out of his element, and his lover Timmy is way out of his comfort zone as they comb the Land of Smiles for a man with an unerring weakness for the poorest choice possible and a daft plan to buy 38 million dollars worth of good karma. #10 in the award-winning Donald Strachey Mystery Series less

When Hunny 'You go, girl!' Van Horn, Albany's flaming-est flamer, wins the state lottery's first billion-dollar payout, it's PI Don Strachey who's brought in to deal with the skeletons, some of them violent, that come crashing out of Hunny's non-closet. The eleventh Strachey mystery is fast, funny and rather sweet.

In an election year, Don finds himself in the unlikely role of political operative. Rumors about the Tea Party's opportunistic gubernatorial candidate, Kenyon Louderbush, paint him as an unfaithful, callous exploiter of young men...young men that he puts into the hospital...or perhaps the morgue. Don smells truth in those rumors. But, he's confounded by a shadowy conspiracy, witnesses' fear and a grieving family appallingly willing to give up on justice for a brutalized son and brother... moreIn an election year, Don finds himself in the unlikely role of political operative. Rumors about the Tea Party's opportunistic gubernatorial candidate, Kenyon Louderbush, paint him as an unfaithful, callous exploiter of young men...young men that he puts into the hospital...or perhaps the morgue. Don smells truth in those rumors. But, he's confounded by a shadowy conspiracy, witnesses' fear and a grieving family appallingly willing to give up on justice for a brutalized son and brother. In RED WHITE AND BLACK AND BLUE, series creator Stevenson takes witty aim at the polarization, dissembling and double-dealing of American politics. It's a story that leaves even our hero, Don, tarnished and bruised. less

Eddie Wenske has gone missing. A popular investigative reporter renowned for both his gay-coming-out memoir and a frightening book on drug cartels, Wenske vanishes while investigating a gay media conglomerate with a controversial owner and dodgy business practices. Albany PI Don Strachey's perilous search for Wenske takes him to Boston and to New York City, and finally to California and a media world that's as deadly as it is unglamorous... moreEddie Wenske has gone missing. A popular investigative reporter renowned for both his gay-coming-out memoir and a frightening book on drug cartels, Wenske vanishes while investigating a gay media conglomerate with a controversial owner and dodgy business practices. Albany PI Don Strachey's perilous search for Wenske takes him to Boston and to New York City, and finally to California and a media world that's as deadly as it is unglamorous. In The Last Thing I Saw, Strachey fends off hired killers, but can he survive Hey Look Media? less