First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery [Paperback]

Skimming a few reviews posted here on Amazon for this book, I noted that several handled the summary portion quite nicely. I'll skip the summary, then, and speak directly to the merits of the book.

I've read several historical mysteries (medieval mysteries by Sharon Kay Penman, The Alienest by Carr, Deanna Raybourn's excellent Lady Julia Grey mysteries, and others), but rarely a modern mystery or thriller, and never a gay mystery, the reason for the latter being that I simply don't know much about that sub-genre of gay fiction. Given that, I wasn't sure what to expect, so was cautious in setting my expectations.

Within the first few pages, I knew that I was in the hands of an author I could trust. His prose was controlled and solid, and never over the top. That's significant because there were a few improbable situations. One example is that the lead detective on the case is his ex from high school (others have commented on that, so this isn't really a spoiler...I hope!). Good writing, though, almost always makes the improbable, and even implausible, perfectly believable. While I stumbled on that for a moment, Scott Sherman's steady hand kept me grounded.

The main character, Kevin, is immensely likable, and again it is Sherman's handling that makes us adore Kevin. When your main character is a hustler there's always the chance that some readers won't respond to him/her because of the profession. I'd be willing to bet that even those who aren't receptive to his profession would find Kevin agreeable, and perhaps could even see him being a friend. It helps that aside from fussing over his appearance (a necessity for him), he's responsible, thinks of his future and plans on going back to school, has boy-next-door sensibilities, doesn't take himself too seriously, and has a great sense of humor about himself that isn't self-deprecating. I'm excited and anxious to see Kevin grow as a character. Does he go to college eventually? Does he ever find himself at odds with his profession, and how does he handle it? (That question was addressed in this book, but the question is a far-reaching one, and there's quite a bit more to mine from it.)

While it's a cliché to say it, when I finished the book I was immensely sad - I didn't want it to end. I had grown to like Kevin, had felt that rare sense of comfort you find when reading a book and find yourself so drawn into the world that the author has created that it's difficult to reorient yourself when moving on to another book. When I did move on, it almost felt like cheating. Almost.

I'm confident that anyone remotely interested in gay mysteries will find themselves drawn to this one, and, I hope, its many sequels.

Kevin Connor is a 23 year old blonde, twinkish high-priced "call boy"/gay escort who loves his work and friends, but is reluctant to allow himself to fall in love, still smarting from his breakup with Tony, his first love in high school. Kevin also suffers from a touch of Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, and complex emotional situations can sometime overwhelm him to the point he passes out. So, when he goes to visit his friend and mentor, Allen, and finds the man's body on the sidewalk in front of his high-rise NYC apartment building, and is told to step back by the officer on duty - who turns out to be his long-lost ex, Tony - Kevin soon joins his friend lying on the sidewalk. Ultimately, Kevin teams with his flamboyant best friend, Freddy, with some help from his computer-hacker friend/client Marc, and - despite distractions from a myriad of kinky clients and an unexpected visit by his overbearing mother - vows to prove wrong the police's finding that Allen committed suicide. It's a journey that uncovers secrets about the dead man's adult children, a sinister "gay conversion" program, revelations about people you thought you knew well, and agonizing over trying to reconcile with his (now married) ex.

With several major gay mystery series having wrapped in the past five years, there is definitely a need for some fresh ideas in that genre, especially utilizing characters that are likeable, relatable, intelligent and realistic. First time novelist Sherman hits on all four cylinders there, and infuses just enough humor in his book to keep the reader smiling as well as enthralled, making it hard to put the book down even for a minute. Looking forward to his announced sequel, and hopefully much more after that. Absolutely recommended highly, with five hustling stars out of five!

Did you ever start reading a book right before going to bed? And then you couldn't put it down even though you're staying up half the night and know that you're going to be exhausted the next day but it's so good that you keep saying just one more chapter until you realize you've got no choice but to read to the end to find out whodunnit and what happens to the cute main character? Well, I'm happy to report that Scott Sherman had me up half the night . . . and now I can't wait until the next "Kevin Connor Mystery" comes out!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 38 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars