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< The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life with Styx > < The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized True Story of Styx > < Influence > < Styx - Caught In The Act: Live 1984 > < One with Everything > < Damn Yankees - Uprising: Live! > Chuck Panozzo,Michele Skettino

price： 848
AMACOM
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customer 's review
(Chuck Panozzo's Moving Autobiography)

(loved it)

(No wonder he was so quiet!)

(Enjoyable and motivating read)

(a terrific read)

In the mid-1960s, Chuck Panozzo and his twin brother John formed a small band. Joined by neighborhood pal Dennis DeYoung, the seeds were planted for what would eventually become one of the greatest rock bands in history: Styx. However, Chuck was also facing his own personal demons during this time that, over the course of the next several decades, threatened to consume him. Those demons were homosexuality and AIDS. In the course of this moving autobiography, Chuck describes his life as a gay man performing with a rock and roll supergroup while trying to keep his identity a secret.

Chuck and his twin brother John grew up in the Italian-American section of Chicago known as Roseland. Both boys were talented musicians; John on drums and Chuck on rhythm and bass guitar. They were soon joined by Dennis DeYoung on accordion. The boys soon began playing local clubs, weddings, and other events. As the years passed, James Young and eventually Tommy Shaw joined the group. The group was called Styx and, during the late 70s and early 80s, ran off an unprecedented string of four consecutive triple platinum albums. Despite their musical success, the Pannozos were dealing with their own inner secrets; John with acute alcoholism and Chuck with his sexual identity.

As the years passed, John ultimately lost his battle with alcohol, passing away in 1996. Meanwhile, Chuck was diagnosed with HIV which eventually lead to full-blown AIDS. Despite the diagnosis, Chuck managed to keep his secret hidden from everyone, including his band mates. Although he had had several fleeting relationships with other men, Chuck had never had a real relationship, instead preferring to hide behind his music. During this same time, Styx went through changes of its own. The band broke up in 1984 due to philosophical differences between Dennis and Tommy. Chuck went into a state of deep depression due to lack of work.

However, the band re-formed in 1990, minus Tommy Shaw. A relatively successful tour accompanied the release of the Edge of the Century album. But, once again, the band dissolved. Chuck slid deeper into his own shell as well. In 1995, the band re-formed once again, this time with Tommy Shaw. Another tour was planned, but Tommy, Dennis, and JY didn't want John to come along due to his heavy drinking. Chuck was left to break the news to him. The band went on another tour the following year, and a studio album was planned. The album once again brought out the differences between Tommy, JY, and Dennis. This lead to the band replacing Dennis with Lawrence Gowan.

Meanwhile, Chuck had still kept his homosexuality a secret. He was receiving treatment for his HIV and was getting healthier. Chuck came out on July 28, 2001. Today, Chuck lives in a committed relationship in Miami and still tours with the re-vamped Styx line-up.

I've been a huge fan of Styx since I was in high school, and I was pleasantly surprised to find this book. I read it in two settings. I was interested to read a little about the history of the band, but I was also moved by Chuck's story. Just reading about Chuck's struggles and mental fortitude makes it easy to know what kind of person he really is. Chuck is a caring, hard-working individual who takes nothing for granted. His story is very inspirational and motivational.

I give this book my highest recommendation; Styx fans and fans of uplifting biographies will surely enjoy it.
if you are styx fan then this the book for you. not only does this book tell the story of how the band was formed and gone through all the different changes over the years but of how one person can enspire other people through being honest with not only him self but with the people around him. this book also gives the reader the chance to see what is like for a person that is gay to deal with the world around him, and also coming to terms with living with the HIV/AIDS virus. this may help people who are gay to tell their family and friends and to get tested for the hiv virus.
As a huge Styx fan, I adored this book. It's much more a story about Chuck and his personal feelings than about the band, but extremely fascinating nonetheless. Chuck has a way of being very subtle about things, in a very charming way. For instance, he doesn't say bad things about Dennis, per se. He just .... lets you know that things haven't gone well there. And his adoration for Tommy Shaw is obvious, as he respects him as a musician and as a friend. You get a very clear sense of how Chuck thinks, and why he made the choices he did.

While it is refreshing to see someone so willing to take responsibility for his choices, I think Chuck was a tad too harsh with himself for not coming out sooner. The truth is, he did the band a great service by keeping quiet. It's not just a possibility that being gay would have hurt the band, it's a certainty. Only a few years after the height of Styx' popularity, Billy Squier's career was ruined by the mere PERCEPTION he was gay, based on the ill-advised "Rock Me Tonight" video. (Whether he is gay or straight isn't known or even the issue, the perception was there, based on one stupid video. A lot of his fans deserted him overnight.) So if Chuck had come out sooner, he would have ruined the careers of several people in an instant.

It is sad that such conditions existed, and maybe still exist to some degree, but that is the way of it in the macho rock world. Chuck has done amazing things, and this book is a wonderful resource for anyone who wrestles with such secrets. He tells his story in a straightforward, open, and humorous manner. Great, great book.
Yes, I'm a huge Styx fan - didn't really know about Chuck's story, so was great to read a first hand perspective. Great book for Styx fans and non Styx fans alike. Chuck you rock. Best from Australia
just a terrific book. This is essentally two books and will appeal to anyone interested in the history of one of Rocks greatest bands as well as the personal trials of Panozzo. Highly recommended. Most members of Styx come thru as likable and decent. One appears to be self important. (bet you can guess the self important one)
They are still one of the biggest rock bands of the last three decades. With four consecutive triple-platinum albums and 54 million records sold, their tours continue to sell out and classic songs like "Lady," "Renegade," "Come Sail Away," and "The Grand Illusion" have earned them a whole new generation of fans. At the height of their fame, they were living the ultimate rock `n' roll fantasy -- an odyssey of groupies, drugs, and music that most musicians only dream of. As a band, Styx seemed invincible. But their founding member and bass player, Chuck Panozzo, was about to hit rock bottom. His seemingly debauched life as the ultimate rocker was a lie -- and the truth was about to catch up with him.

The Grand Illusionis a no-holds-barred, backstage pass to the journey of one of the world's most revered bands, and the true story of Chuck Panozzo's 50-year struggle to reconcile his public life as a rock star with his private life as a gay man. Beginning with the birth of Styx in Chicago and their meteoric rise,The Grand Illusionis a revealing look at the triumphs and tragedies that surrounded Panozzo's life. He chronicles life on the road, the break-up of the band, his struggle to help his twin brother and bandmate John Panozzo battle addiction, as well as his split with Dennis De Young, and finally coming to terms with his HIV positive status. Illuminating and unflinching,The Grand Illusionwill captivate the band's legions of devoted fans, as well as music lovers everywhere.

They are still one of the biggest rock bands of the last three decades. With four consecutive triple-platinum albums and 54 million records sold, their tours continue to sell out and classic songs like "Lady," "Renegade," "Come Sail Away," and "The Grand Illusion" have earned them a whole new generation of fans. At the height of their fame, they were living the ultimate rock‘n’ roll fantasy -- an odyssey of groupies, drugs, and music that most musicians only dream of. As a band, Styx seemed invincible. But their founding member and bass player, Chuck Panozzo, was about to hit rock bottom. His seemingly debauched life as the ultimate rocker was a lie -- and the truth was about to catch up with him.

The Grand Illusionis a no-holds-barred, backstage pass to the journey of one of the world’s most revered bands, and the true story of Chuck Panozzo’s 50-year struggle to reconcile his public life as a rock star with his private life as a gay man. Beginning with the birth of Styx in Chicago and their meteoric rise,The Grand Illusionis a revealing look at the triumphs and tragedies that surrounded Panozzo’s life. He chronicles life on the road, the break-up of the band, his struggle to help his twin brother and bandmate John Panozzo battle addiction, as well as his split with Dennis De Young, and finally coming to terms with his HIV positive status. Illuminating and unflinching,The Grand Illusionwill captivate the band’s legions of devoted fans, as well as music lovers everywhere.

Rerations
< The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life with Styx > < The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized True Story of Styx > < Influence > < Styx - Caught In The Act: Live 1984 > < One with Everything > freaks

< Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979 > < Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco > < Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey > < Maestro > < "You Better Work!" Underground Dance Music in New York City > < My Life and the Paradise Garage- P > Tim Lawrence,Tim Lawrence

price： 848
Duke University Press
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customer 's review
(I was there...... Billy Smith (NYC))

(The Truth About Disco)

(Historical review of a great era!)

(Fun and informative)

(A must read)

I did it all and loved it all! also got paid for all of it....LOL! - Billy Smith (NYC) still hanging out and traving the world! 3/17/07
Thank you Tim Lawrence. This book is the antedote to all the haters out there who still believe that "Disco Sucks" after the post-Comiskey Park backlash. This book is such an amazing and wonderfully readable document that I would recommend anyone interested in 20th century American musical history, or the [...]/black urban experience of the 1970's, or relatively recent New York history read it. Of course if you're interested in disco music or dance music the book is absolutely essential.

This book goes much deeper than the usual Studio 54 cliches that people associate with the genre (although Studio 54 is included, of course) and discusses the origins of the sound and the largely unhearalded people who made this scene happen. David Mancuso is described as a pivotable person here, and the folks who were there will confirm it. The book begins in his legendary club, The Loft, and lovingly details his obsession with sound and the disco experience. Other innovators from the early 70's are also featured including Francis Grasso, Steve D'Acquisto, Bob Casey, and many more. The scene is chronicaled from humble beginnings through the glory years of the mid 70's and ends the decade with the backlash in full swing in mainstream culture but continuing to thrive in clubs like Paradise Garage and Better Days. Along the way you meet producers like Walter Gibbons and Tom Moulton who made some of the classic recordings of the era, and Lawrence takes the time to explain what is so remarkable about their work. You also get delightfully naughty stories about some of the key players in the scene including DJ's, artists, and of course, the patrons that illustrate some of the excesses of the time . Personally, I think that it's this superb combination of detailed research and bitchy gossip that makes the book so thoroughly readable and fun.

I loved reading this book; the only drawback for me was that I couldn't help pining for the days when New York club culture was this incredible before AIDS and Rudy Guilliani conspired to very nearly kill it off (fortunately they weren't entirely successful).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Lawrence is an academic, and he did not experience the 1970's himself, but he interviewed everyone still alive who did. He concentrates on the DJ's and clubs in New York City, rightly so, but he does branch out to the rest of the U.S. as disco did the same. Of special note are the great discographies in each chapter, presenting the club hits played by the DJ's in each particular year. He proves that disco is not a four letter word!
This is a really fun book to read while also being informative.
Over the years I've read very many articles&books on the 70's disco&underground dance scene,
along with seeing quite a few documentaries&movies in the same vain.
I started DJing in NYC in 1971&this is a subject that I lived&breathed.
"Love Saves The Day" is without a doubt the very first to tell the real story,
&accurately chronicle that entire decade year by year.
I found it easy to read,&without blurring the facts, very entertaining.
When it comes to "The Loft", "Paradise Garage"&the rest of this subject,
I consider this book a 'must read',&highly recommend it!
Danny Krivit
Opening with David Mancuso’s seminal“Love Saves the Day” Valentine’s party, Tim Lawrence tells the definitive story of American dance music culture in the 1970sâfrom its subterranean roots in NoHo and Hell’s Kitchen to its gaudy blossoming in midtown Manhattan to its wildfire transmission through America’s suburbs and urban hotspots such as Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Newark, and Miami.

Tales of nocturnal journeys, radical music making, and polymorphous sexuality flow through the arteries ofLove Saves the Daylike hot liquid vinyl. They are interspersed with a detailed examination of the era’s most powerful djs, the venues in which they played, and the records they loved to spinâas well as the labels, musicians, vocalists, producers, remixers, party promoters, journalists, and dance crowds that fueled dance music’s tireless engine.

Love Saves the Dayincludes material from over three hundred original interviews with the scene's most influential players, including David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Tom Moulton, Loleatta Holloway, Giorgio Moroder, Francis Grasso, Frankie Knuckles, and Earl Young. It incorporates more than twenty special dj discographiesâlisting the favorite records of the most important spinners of the disco decadeâand a more general discography
cataloging some six hundred releases.Love Saves the Dayalso contains a unique collection of more than seventy rare photos.
Rerations
< Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979 > < Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco > < Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey > < Maestro > < "You Better Work!" Underground Dance Music in New York City > freaks

< The Whole Lesbian Sex Book: A Passionate Guide for All of Us > < Same Sex in the City > < The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians: How to Stay Sane and Care for Yourself from Pre-conception Through Birth > Felice Newman

price： 1496
Cleis Press
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Cure for cancer? End to world hunger? What's left to do after the publication of Felice Newman's definitive guide to lesbian sex? Drawing on a wide range of published sources as well as her own notoriously graphic questionnaire circulated by e-mail--stunning mild-mannered office workers as it reeled across their computer screens--Newman has compiled an exhaustively thorough how-to guide for practices as exotic as play piercings and as pedestrian as oral sex. Along the way, she offers a primer in sexual politics and lesbian manners at the turn of the century. The S/M hanky code is laid out once and for all. There is even a (brief, happily brief) section on celibacy.

Highlights include descriptions of sex writer Tristan Taormino's private consultation with Betty Dodson, the author ofSex for Onedescribed as "the mother of masturbation": "I was so excited about this adventure that I nearly peed in my pants," recalled Taormino, "I was going to touch myself for Dr. Betty Dodson!" (In the end, Newman reports, "Tristan earned an A+ in pelvic thrusting, but got a big 'needs improvement' in the breathing department.") Although it sometimes skimps on the details, especially with regard to women's health,The Whole Lesbian Sex Bookis so rich, inclusive, and authoritative that it invites challenge. Now inventive lovers can ask each other: "Is it inWhole Lesbian?"--Regina Marler

The Whole Lesbian Sex Bookwas the first-ever sex guide to offer information and encouragement for all women who desire women— lesbian, bisexual, butch, femme, androgynous, and transgender. First published in 1999, it has been lauded for its thoroughness, enthusiastic tone, and creative, nonjudgmental approach to lesbian sex in all its rich variety. Now, five years later, sex educator Felice Newman has completely updated this classic guide. There is new information throughout, up-to-date research, fresh quotes from women who share their personal experiences, a greatly expanded resource guide, new illustrations, and an entire new chapter on sex and partnership.

Rerations
< The Whole Lesbian Sex Book: A Passionate Guide for All of Us > < Same Sex in the City > freaks

< Pet on Duty > < I Want To Be Naughty > < My Paranoid Next Door Neighbor (Yaoi) > < The Crimson Spell > < Dog Style Volume 2 (Dog Style) > < Delivery Cupid >

price： 240
Boysenberry Books
In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.

customer 's review
(Put your trust in this title...it's a fun read!)

(Cute story!)

(Sooo Cute)

(hmm)

(Nice and sappy sweet)

I like to indulge in yaoi from time-to-time, but usually I find it too campy or bland (or predictable) in plot to digest to the point of annoyance. So when I wanted to get a good boy's love manga into my library I surfed the reviews and decided to place my bet on this one. This was a pleasant surprise and purchase. The main character is extremely 'uke' in some areas and surprisingly NOT in others. I think other readers will find the few personality twists in this book enjoyably addictive. The rest of the cast in this book are funny to read about with Mizuki and Toru being a bittersweet combination. Even the guys from the upper-level dorms are hilarious in the few bits that they're shown involving owning cats in the place.

The story is dramatic, but still keeps a lot of light-hearted moments in it so that the relationship builds up realistically enough (given the fact that it's only one volume long). So you won't be investing a ton of time or money into this read. It's a fast-paced, cute, and hot little manga that's now being passed around to my other friends with "TWO THUMBS UP!!" as the overall response when returned. And my fellow readers are individuals who are into titles with strong character archetypes (Wallflower, Skip Beat, Princess Resurrection, etc...). In short, I think a great deal of individuals looking for a good yaoi manga to indulge in will find themselves satiated by PET ON DUTY.
I really enjoyed Pet on Duty. I've re-read it several times and it has yet to get old. Mizuki (uke) is someone with no luck at jobs who just wants to be independent. Kudou (seme) is a work-a-holic with a secret. When the two meet, there is clear chemistry between the two.

Pet on Duty does have a couple yaoi-type scenes, but for the most part, the manga concentrates more on plot then smut. If you want a manga to read with good characters and good plot, this is the manga for you.
This manga is absolutely adorable with a very cute uke. The story is very funny and will definitely brighten your day!
this wasn't a bad one. if all you want is sex then this isn't the one for you. really nothing happens but it is a cute story nonetheless. if you want to read something cute then you might like this one.
Sometimes you want men who look like men and sometimes you might be in the mood for a cute uke. This one has the cutie uke, cat ears and all. Mizuki needs a place to stay so he lives with his brother in his dorm (seems like an apartment to me though, translation differences). He becomes the "Pet" of the floor with all of the floor mates bringing him gifts of food, one even gets him a cat toy. If you are looking for a sweet story with both parties knowing what they want (sort of) then this is for you. There are a few intimates kissing and groping scenes but nothing really graphic, even the one time near the end isn't really graphic either.

Mizuki just lost his job. Without money or a place to live, he has no choice but to stay with his older brother in his company dorm room. Since non-employees aren't allowed in the dorms, Mizuki must live there in secret like a house cat. At first he’s intimidated by his older brother’s roommate Toru, but seeing a softer side of Toru changes his opinion. Toru treats Mizuki well, but Mizuki wants to become more than a pet companion in this sophisticated homoerotic manga by one of the genre’s superstars.

Rerations
< Pet on Duty > < I Want To Be Naughty > < My Paranoid Next Door Neighbor (Yaoi) > < The Crimson Spell > < Dog Style Volume 2 (Dog Style) > freaks

< Moab Is My Washpot > < The Liar > < The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within > < The Gun Seller > < Making History > < Revenge: A Novel > Stephen Fry

price： 280
Soho Press
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customer 's review
([insert cryptic title here])

(Wildean Fry)

(An insight I was delighted to have)

(Not his best work)

(Like Wodehouse? You'll Like This.)

Stephen Fry recounts his childhood and teenage years with honesty and candor. Whenever I read an autobiography I'm prepared for some bias and self-absorption, but Fry's book seems to be a sincere attempt to be candid and reflect upon his past. The autobiography feels relatively uncensored as he writes about mischief at boarding school, unrequited love, making use of a stolen credit card, and a suicide attempt during his teenage years. It's all presented with humor and little, if any, self-aggrandizement. I finished the book feeling as though I had read his carefully thought-out musings and insights on life and certain topics in general, rather than simply a retelling of the events that had occurred his own life.
I have been a fan of the polymath approaching genius that is Stephen Fry for many years and had enjoyed his acting, columns, and novels before getting my hands on "Moab is My Washpot", the story of a young, pre-fame Stephen Fry.

This volume is, as all of his writings are, a wonderful display of how beautiful language can be. Fry manages to effortlessly and effulgently blend his incredibly sharp wit, his thorough understanding of the English language, and a nice flowing story with the real life problems and challenges of being a thieving, lieing, homosexual, at times suicidal, youth who has all the blessings a boy can have and still become a bastard. It is honest, it is real -if that makes any sense- it is poetic, and it is fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Moab is My Washpot". It is gripping and warming and delightful. It makes you think, that "I can overcome this" or at least give you a sense of slight elation. It is not a "look at my how good and clever and fine and intelligent I am" biography. Not at all. It is simply a very good story told very well.

Highly recommendable.
We all know Stephen Fry as the witty, urbane, polymath of entertainment that he has become. However it is interesting and, in certain ways, reassuring, to see that entertainers such as himself go through the same growing pains as the rest of us.

His autobiography 'Moab is my Washpot', charts his growth from a young schoolboy, through various adolescent crises, on to his successful graduation from school and his eventual path through to Cambridge. His early school years have an almost Enid Blyton feel to them, evoking the beauties of an old fashioned English countryside upbringing, but without any overdone sentimentality.

The book also deals heavily with Fry's homosexuality and how this effected his youth. There doesn't seem to have ever been any real internal struggle for him, but the book still gives a fascinating and often very humourous account of his formative years as a homosexual student in an all male boarding school.

Fry's rapier wit is what often makes this book such a treat. All of the petty squabbles of his youth are brought under the blade of his humour with fantastically amusing consequences. Anyone who has enjoyed the acting or comedic pursuits of Mr. Fry will no doubt find this autobiography an engrossing and hilarious read.
I think Stephen Fry is wonderfully talented-- as an actor and a writer. I very much enjoyed The Liar and Making History, two of his fictional forays. MOAB seemed disjointed, haphazzard... I believe that SF must have a very interesting life&life history, but this book did not express it. Was this written to fufill a contractual obligation? His heart just did not seem to be in it. Quite a shame.
Fry is a Wodehouse-worshipper, and his elegant prose shows it. This discursive, digressive, sometimes profane and endlessly entertaining bio covers Fry's youth (with much reminiscing about Public School days in the manner of Wodehouse's Psmith) and the development of his areligious (anti-religious?) and homosexual tendencies... well, they're more than tendencies, really, as you'll see.

I found this to be greatly amusing-- I'm glad I picked it up.
Stephen Fry is not making this up! Fry started out as a dishonorable schoolboy inclined to lies, pranks, bringing decaying moles to school as a science exhibit, theft, suicide attempts, the illicit pursuit of candy and lads, a genius for mischief, and a neurotic life of crime that sent him straight to Pucklechurch Prison and Cambridge University, where he vaulted to fame along with actress Emma Thompson. He wound up starring as Oscar Wilde in the filmWilde, costarring inA Civil Action, and writing funny, distinguished novels.

This irresistible book, the best-written celebrity memoir of 1999, concentrates on Fry's first two tumultuous decades, but beware! A Fry sentence can lead anywhere, from a ringing defense of beating schoolchildren to a thoughtful comparison of male and female naughty parts. Fry's deepest regrets seem to be the elusiveness of a particular boy's love and the fact that, despite his keen ear for music, Fry's singing voice can make listeners "claw out their inner ears, electrocute their genitals, put on a Jim Reeves record, throw themselves cackling hysterically onto the path of moving buses... anything, anything to take away the pain." A chance mention of Fry's time-travel book about thwarting Hitler,Making History(a finalist for the 1998 Sidewise Award for Best Alternative History), leads to the startling real-life revelation that Fry's own Jewish uncle may have loaned a young, shivering Hitler the coat off his back.

Fry's life is full of school and jailhouse blues overcome by jaunty wit,à laWilde. The title, from Psalm 108:9, refers to King David's triumph over the Philistines. Fry triumphs similarly, and with more style.--Tim Appelo
A number one bestseller in Britain that topped the lists there for months, Stephen Fry's astonishingly frank, funny, wise memoir is the book that his fans everywhere have been waiting for. Since his PBS television debut in the Blackadder series, the American profile of this multitalented writer, actor and comedian has grown steadily, especially in the wake of his title role in the film Wilde, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination, and his supporting role in A Civil Action.

Fry has already given readers a taste of his tumultuous adolescence in his autobiographical first novel,The Liar, and now he reveals the equally tumultuous life that inspired it. Sent to boarding school at the age of seven, he survived beatings, misery, love affairs, carnal violation, expulsion, attempted suicide, criminal conviction and imprisonment to emerge, at the age of eighteen, ready to start over in a world in which he had always felt a stranger. One of very few Cambridge University graduates to have been imprisoned prior to his freshman year, Fry is a brilliantly idiosyncratic character who continues to attract controversy, empathy and real devotion.

This extraordinary and affecting book has "a tragic grandeur that lifts it to classic status," raved theFinancial Timesin one of the many ecstatic British reviews. Stephen Fry's autobiography, in turns funny, shocking, sad, bruisingly frank and always compulsively readable, could well become a classic gay coming-of-age memoir.
Rerations
< Moab Is My Washpot > < The Liar > < The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within > < The Gun Seller > < Making History > freaks

< IM > < When You Don't See Me > < Wicked Gentlemen > < The Tin Star > < The Protector > < Murder in the Rue Chartres: A Chanse MacLeod Mystery (An Alyson Mystery) > Rick R. Reed

price： 574
Quest
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customer 's review
(Gay Murder delivers a great story!)

(Review of "IM")

(Three Dimensional)

(Book should have Nightmare Warnings!)

(Beware The Lure Of Digital Freedom...)

Excellent gay murder mystery that kept the reader guessing for a long time! Measured backstory on the psyche of the killer gave the reader another dimension of the killer. What horrific events lead this man/boy to commit the murder of gays. Where his rage came from and his helpless life that caused him so much misery.
Well-developed characters and great descriptive narratives of places, murder victims, etc.
Thoroughly enjoyed the novel!
From the book's very first murder, Mr. Reed takes the reader on a wild ride where nothing is as it seems. Ed is a cop whose job crumbles from under him as he chases after a madman who may already be dead. Timothy Bright seems heartless and cruel, but as the story progresses, the reader learns what has made him who he is. Throughout the book, the pacing is tight and fast, catapulting you through the twists and turns, leaving you breathless, until you're reading as fast as you can in an effort to find out how it ends.

Beware ~ the violence is graphic and sexual, disturbing images that speak to the dangers of anonymous sex. But Comparetto is the perfect counterpart to the evil Timothy Bright, who haunts the cop's every move throughout the story. I found myself rooting for Ed from the start, and as time seems to run out for him, I was on the edge of my seat, reading furiously, flipping pages to find out what happened next.

In short, this book is riveting. I couldn't put it down. This is a must read for any fans of gay fiction who are looking for a good murder mystery/horror story. Think Stephen King meets Patricia Cornwell, with lots of gay sexual references to satisfy readers. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Mr. Reed's work.
Rick R.Reed has confected a mystery/horror/suspense tale as only an artist could do. Not only is the story a major page-turner, but the reader comes to know the characters as three dimensional human beings -- and one tends to care about them.

I read at least one book of mystery fiction per month. I tend to enjoy the most those works which shed light on a certain culture or role: being Amish, being a guidance counselor, being a maid, being an Irish inn-keeper, being a journalist, etc. In recent years writers such as john Morgan Wilson, Mark Richard Zubro, and RD Zimmerman have invited readers into the gay community with all of its wonderful and intersting attributes, as well as it demonic dimensions. I believe Reed has done the finest work, however, in the cause and effect within human relationships. Also, the reader cares about the characters, and flinches at some of the events which have formed their experiences. Definitely, this is not a "cozy."

A reader does not have to be gay, however, to share in this story, any more than one needs to be Catholic to understand THE DI VINCI CODE. The author develops the meaning of psychosis, displays the technology which is such a great influence in our current culture, and empathetically focuses on the effect of life minus loving relationships. As well he develops a budding relationship which adds an element of hope to the story, as well as an invitation to further stories flowing from this love.

As a Chicagoan I was excited about the use of so many places in the story which are only blocks from my home. He so well describes these settings, however, that one could live in Newcomerstown, Ohio or Rim-of-the-World, California and still share in the adventure with the same high interest. Again, this is an artist who has developed this tome.

I have already recommended this story to my friends. I want to encourage any mystery buff to explore this novel.

Thomas P. Hull, Chicago
IM is one of those rare books that scared the bejeezus out of me, to the point that I had to put the book down. A few days later, I was drawn back to the book "like a moth to a flame."

The story moves quickly, switching seamlessly between several points of view - Ed Comparetto the detective, the victims, the bystanders and the killer. The third person narrative, switching to first person narrative with the murderer was intensely effective. Downright creepy! The mystery unfolds in many layers, shifting in time, twisting and turning to the heart-pounding end. Once everything is revealed, Reed isn't done with us yet; the story continuing through one final confrontation between Comparetto and the killer. At first, when I read the "blurb" on the back of the book I was slightly disappointed that so much was given away, but I soon realized that was only the beginning of something so much more. The blurb was like a plot device in itself. I also felt the ending left something unresolved, but once my heart rate returned to normal, the ending made perfect sense - Comparetto was where he wanted to be.

Detective Ed Comparetto is an appealing character, a dedicated cop that still feels compassion and remorse for the victims. He isn't one of those wise-cracking police detectives, spewing out one-liners like some "has been" stand-up comedian. When Comparetto enters the first murder scene, he's feeling unsettled and apprehensive, oppressed with "what's behind door number one" type of feeling. He hides his true emotions well, slipping into that professional cop-mode, feeling the need to prove himself to those out there that are just waiting for him to "slip-up." His professional life is already threatened after a recent "public" outing. Ed's a humanly portrayed character, with all his human flaws and human weaknesses. In other words, he's not an arrogantly perfect macho man. And this is not meant to be a negative reflection on Ed's sexual orientation. It is wholeheartedly meant as a compliment. I really got into Ed's character, his motivations and toward the end -- his fear.

I loved Ed's lover, Peter. The two meet for the first time in a library where Peter worked, when Ed was researching a lead. Peter's like a breath of fresh air in the story, pursuing Ed with an amusing single-minded determination. He's a lot like Nick's Nora (The Thin Man Series), helping Ed investigate and sort out the conflicting clues. A real partner in and out of bed. I would have loved to see more of Peter. Peter begins to have second doubts about their relationship, when Ed starts to become obsessive about the case. For Ed it's more than just finding the killer, it has become something personal. And that's something Peter needs to figure out.

The book should have Nightmare Warnings, because I sure as heck had 'em! I liked Reed's use of descriptive phrases to set the proper mood like, "the gallery of ghouls," to described the assembled investigation team at the first murder. I thought the plot became a little "out there" with certain elements, but I realized that was just the type of book I was reading. I just suspended my mundane imagination a little and enjoyed the nightmare ... I mean the story.

According to Reed's Amazon Blog, he has signed a contract for a film option. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! And my toes. *grins*
When it rains, it pours...just ask Ed Comparetto...

The Chicago police detective's life is losing its luster: his lover has just left him, and, blamed for his failure to solve a rash of gruesome killings, he is suddenly run off the force. The reason for his dismissal: falsifying a witness at a crime scene. Ed may be losing his touch, but he knows he's not losing his mind, so this reasoning doesn't fly with him. He knows what he saw, and he knows who he talked to...slowly but surely, he gets the feeling that someone, somehow is playing him - little does he know...

Before long, Ed finds himself inextricably caught in the middle of a deadly game being waged by a sadistic killer with a malevolent axe to grind. More bodies are found, more questions go unanswered. As the clues begin to pile up, so does the danger, which Ed can handle as long as he's the only one involved; however, when his newfound love, Peter, gets entangled in the mess, the stakes are raised to a much more urgent level, and Ed knows it's imperative that he solve the case before more innocent blood is shed...

What he doesn't know, though, is that nothing can prepare him for discovering who is truly responsible for the murders - especially considering the fact that all roads actually lead to someone who died in similar fashion just two years before...

The action of IM is unmatched. Reed deftly weaves intriguing characters throughout an intricate plotline of misdirection and manipulative sleight-of-hand. The resulting mosaic is a masterpiece of suspense and nail-biting drama. Many make noble attempts at crafting whodunits, but few pull it off with such convincing realism as Reed.

The backdrop of IM lends much to the enjoyment you experience in putting all the different pieces together along the way, as you truly don't know just who/what the big picture will ultimately reveal. With equal parts action and mystery, Reed's tale is an enjoyable, fast-paced read entertaining to the fullest. Highly recommended for all readers, whether you're fans of the genre or not.
The Internet Is the New Meat Market for Gay Men Now a Killer Is Turning the Meat Market into a Meat Wagon.

One by one, he's killing them. Lurking in the digital underworld of Men4HookUpNow.com, he lures, seduces, charms, reaching out through instant messages to the unwary. He's just another guy.

They invite him over. He's just another trick. Harmless. They're dead wrong.

When the first bloody body surfaces, openly gay Chicago Police Department detective Ed Comparetto is called in to investigate. Sickened by the butchered mess of one of his brothers left on display in a bathtub, he seeks relief outside where the young man who discovered the body waits to tell him the story of how he found his friend. But who is this witness...and did he play a bigger part in the murder than he's letting on?

For Comparetto, this encounter with a witness is the beginning of a nightmare. Because this witness did more than just show up at the scene of the crime; he set the scene. And maybe, he's more than just a killer...maybe he's dead himself.

Comparetto is on a journey to discover the truth, a truth that he needs to discover before he loses his career, his boyfriend, his sanity...his life. Because in this killer's world, IM doesn't stand for instant message...it stands for instant murder.
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