Carved in Bone by Michael Nava
A
new mystery by six-time Lambda Literary award winner, Michael Nava.
Set in San Francisco in 1984, Henry Rios, a gay criminal defense
lawyer, is fresh out of rehab and trying to put his life back
together. He's hired by an insurance company to investigate the
apparently accidental death by carbon monoxide poisoning of Bill Ryan
in the Castro Street apartment he shared with his lover, who
survived. As he delves into Bill Ryan's life, Rios becomes convinced
Ryan’s death was no accident, and that his young lover is
implicated. Meanwhile, the tsunami of AIDS is bearing down on San
Francisco’s gay community.
When
criminal defence lawyer Henry Dios accepts an
offer to work as an insurance claims investigator, he does so
begrudgingly. Fresh out of rehab with little work available and bills
to pay, the job is a necessity, not a choice. However, when he's
assigned to investigate the accidental death of Bill Ryan who lived
in the heart of the San Francisco gay community, his findings are not
only shocking but a reminder to himself of his own predicaments.
The narrative is split between Henry's life in the present, his personal demons and trying to get his life back on track. Then there's Bill Ryan's life history leading up to his tragic death. Similarities between the two men are exposed; their concerns and insecurities during this volatile time in history. Additionally, likeable and fascinating secondary characters playing important roles in both the men's lives are present along with a twisty plot exposing the unexpected.
This novel is so much more than a crime noir novel. The author's ability to convey the setting with sincerity is palpable. He expresses the emotions and concerns of the gay community during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s with raw sensitivity. When I look back at this era, I remember the Rock Hudson scandal and the hysteria in the press. Therefore Mr Nava's detailed account of life in San Francisco at this time is equally fascinating and sobering.
The ending is poignant and thought-provoking leaving me, with a greater understanding and a desire to continue getting to know more about Henry Dios.
***arc received courtesy of Persigo Press via Rachel's Random Resources***
The narrative is split between Henry's life in the present, his personal demons and trying to get his life back on track. Then there's Bill Ryan's life history leading up to his tragic death. Similarities between the two men are exposed; their concerns and insecurities during this volatile time in history. Additionally, likeable and fascinating secondary characters playing important roles in both the men's lives are present along with a twisty plot exposing the unexpected.
This novel is so much more than a crime noir novel. The author's ability to convey the setting with sincerity is palpable. He expresses the emotions and concerns of the gay community during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s with raw sensitivity. When I look back at this era, I remember the Rock Hudson scandal and the hysteria in the press. Therefore Mr Nava's detailed account of life in San Francisco at this time is equally fascinating and sobering.
The ending is poignant and thought-provoking leaving me, with a greater understanding and a desire to continue getting to know more about Henry Dios.
***arc received courtesy of Persigo Press via Rachel's Random Resources***
Michael Nava is the six-time Lambda Literary Award author of the
Henry Rios novels and recipient of the Bill Whitehead Award for
Lifetime Achievement in LGBTQ Literature. The New York Times praised
him as “one of our best” crime fiction writers. The New Yorker
called Henry Rios “a detective unlike any other previous
protagonist in American noir.” Carved In Bone is the first
Henry Rios novel in 20 years. Says novelist David Ebershoff (The
Danish Girl) Carved In Bone is “rich, haunting and
deeply engaged with the world.”
Twitter @micnavawriter
Instagram: @micnavawriter
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/MichaelNavaWriter/
Podcast: The
Henry Rios Mysteries Podcast (I-tune, Spotify, etc.)
