Everyone's Dead But Us

May 15, 2006
Lovebirds Tom Mason, a retired Chicago high school teacher, and Scott Carpenter, a former major league baseball player, find their New Year's vacation on the Aegean island of Korkasi violently interrupted in Zubro's breathless 12th Tom and Scott mystery (after 2004's File Under Dead
). First the owner of the world's "most expensive and exclusive gay resort" turns up dead in the couple's lodgings, then an explosion at the resort's headquarters kills many staff members. A storm cuts off the island from assistance as the body count rises. Suspects include those who reek of supercilious "A-gay disdain" and others of sordid criminal habits and aliases. Smoothly written but extremely talky, this has less crossover appeal to straight readers than, say, The Actor's Guide to Greed
and other titles in Rick Copp's gay-themed mystery series.

May 15, 2006
Zubro's long-running, crowd-pleasing series featuring gay partners Tom and Scott enters Agatha Christie Land in the latest installment, whose action unfolds on a remote Greek island resort catering to a select gay clientele. Now that professional baseball player Scott is officially out of the closet and no longer an active star, safe haven far from the media and other prying eyes is more appreciated than ever. Staying in the least superexpensive accommodations because schoolteacher Tom insists on paying equally despite Scott's mega-income, the two are enjoying their favorite secluded getaway, despite the egos of filthy rich fellow guests and their boy toys, when they discover the owner of the place shot dead. As they run through pelting rain for help, a terrible storm and explosion renders all survivors without power and communication to the outside world. While no vessel can make it past the roiling waves, the corpses pile up amid ugly accusations and uglier I'm-so-rich-you-can't-touch-me attitudes. Finally, the two hot, hunky sleuths don yellow slickers and discover attire in which they don't look good.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)