Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
A seaside village, an English country house, a family of wealthy eccentrics and their equally peculiar servants, a determined detective ~ all the ingredients are here for a cozy Agatha Christie-style whodunit. But wait ~ Edward "Mitch" Mitchell is no Hercule Poirot, and The Back Passage is no Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Mitch is a handsome, insatiable 22-year-old hunk who never lets a clue stand in the way of a steamy encounter, whether it's with the local constabulary, the house secretary, or his schoolchum and fellow athlete Boy Morgan, who becomes his Watson when they're not busy boffing each other. When Reg Walworth is found dead in a cabinet, Sir James Eagle has his servant Meeks immediately arrested as the killer. But Mitch's observant eye pegs more plausible possibilities: polysexual chauffeur Hibbert, queenly pervert Leonard Eagle, missing scion Rex, sadistic copper Kennington, even Sir James Eagle himself. Blackmail, police corruption, a dizzying network of spyholes and secret passages, watersports, and a nonstop queer orgy backstairs and everywhere else mark this hilariously hardcore mystery by a major new talent.

BOOK REVIEW:
The Back Passage is a historical mystery set in 1925 Norfolk, England. The period feel is refreshing and the mystery aspect plays into it well. The comedy and sex were extremely entertaining. At the risk of sounding trite, I thought it was very heart-warming.

Mitch's character is easy to relate to and easy to love. He's just a Yankee in Britain. He is always optimistic, very sexually driven, and curious of everything. Mitch is a wannabe detective, but often thinks with his cock instead of his head. The reader's ability to suspend disbelief will be tested repeatedly because Mitch has sex with almost all the people he questions; he even plays exhibitionist at one point.

That's not to say that there wasn't any mystery in the book. There are a few shocks near the end and the murderer was unexpected enough. I have the niggling feeling that mystery wasn't the focus of the book.

However, as is typical of mysteries, pieces of the puzzle get solved and hidden relationships are revealed. Although Mitch hitches up with almost everyone he meets, he comes to realize that he wants to share the experience of love with another person. The ending was satisfying and I was glad that characters who had been alone in the past were able to find new love.

The Back Passage flows smoothly and I was able to finish it quickly. It's a real page-turner and would be an enjoyable experience for most, even those that don't usually read mystery.

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