I consumed this mystery in very short time. Like all good mysteries, the murder is revealed in the first chapter (in this book on page 4!). The past is fast and furious, leading the reader through a maze of character relationships held together with drug dealing, jealousies and suspicions, and of course murder. This was the third Zubro book I've read (Political Poison, and Another Dead Teenager being the other two) and it has renewed my faith in the author as a competent crafter of murder mysteries. Characterization remains a weakness for Zubro, however. His characters at times are difficult to differentiate: primarily they speak the same. He shrewdly and effectively uses how they dress and what their home environments look like to establish their character, as well as creates interesting set pieces for them to move and act within, but as soon as they open their mouths, they sound like everyone else.

But his strength remains crafting plausible plot lines that hold you and tease you enough to wonder if you really know who did it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will continue to acquire and read his others.

Like potato chips, the Tom and Scott mysteries are easy to consume and (as brain food goes) nutritionally valueless. I WANT to like these books. I keep hoping...

The problem with Tom and Scott is that I can't tell Tom from Scott. Oh, I know one of them (narrator Tom) is a Viet Nam vet who now teaches highschool, and one of them (guess who) is a highly paid professional athlete. Scott is Southern-born, starts out a little closeted (a potentially interesting conflict never explored), and Tom is...not. Unlike in Joseph Hansen's Brandstetter series, or Richard Stevenson's Strachey novels, I'm never lured into believing Tom and Scott are real people. They are a gay fantasy--not even an interesting gay fantasy. They are too perfect, too plastic. Barbie's Ken without Barbie.

Another thing. No sense of humor. Scott and Tom have the most painful repartee I've heard outside of a kung fu movie.

But as serious a handicap as having cartoons for lead characters is, Zubro does have his strengths. He concocts a crafty, clever mystery here about murder and drug rings in highschool, and he paints a realistic picture of highschool (minus the drugs and murder), as well as unflattering portraits of administrators, fellow teachers and students.

It wouldn't take a lot to turn this series into something delicious and satisfying. Until then I'll keep munching away, knowing I should be doing something better with my brain.

My father told me that most of the old Sam Spade-type of books were of the same ilk as this one. They're certainly not bad, but they leave something to be desired. "Death" seems to be written with great care and attention as the murder happens and the mystery begins, but then it just ends. It seems to me that the author was given a page limit and once he reached it, he simply "solved" the crime. The criminal isn't necessarily someone we've ever met before, it isn't someone integral to the plot, it doesn't make sense - it just is.

Zubro made me feel cheated. I was teased with an engaging read, only to be left unfulfilled by the outcome. When you read a mystery there should at least be enough clues for the reader to make some viable guesses at who the murderer is: that just isn't the case here.

This is my favorite in the Tom and Scott series. For one thing the picture perfect (think Monette not Monet) couple actually QUARREL. Not just once, but intermittently. There are hints of jealousy, problems with communication--they almost seem human.

For another thing, the action never stops, the pace never flags. True, the gun battle with Mexican drug lords is a bit much, but it's entertaining. Imagination is not Zubro's weak point. He shows plenty of invention in the fifth excursion of his very own Hardy Boys.

But familiar problems weigh down this novel. Tom and Scott still do not have strong, distinct personalities (Adam Niklewicz's cover says it all), and their relationship continues to seem shallow and unreal. Although they frequently have sex they rarely exchange meaningful dialogue or simple gestures of tenderness. In his effort to stress the manly-man aspects of Tom and Scott, Zubro robs them of personality. They have no interesting flaws or weaknesses. They have no distinguishing marks or characteristics. But to be fair, in ECHO OF DEATH Tom and Scott are their most real. They cry, they bleed, they argue--and I don't remember them working out once. I could get to like these guys

This is a book written as an introductory text, and thus, it contains many words in bold. If you are looking for more than bold words like "Home page", "Frame", "Icon", or "Applet", then you may wish to consider a different text.

Most importantly, the examples of good site design given by this text are bad... which makes it hard to take some of its design principles seriously. This book is for those who want to talk about web design, not do it.

This book does provide a good start for someone totally new to the "I-way" (It hurts me to type that...) as it dose deal with the basics. However, I just couldn't help but feel that most of the text was giving new, bold names (I'm talking typeface here), to concepts with which most are already familiar.

The authors of this book lead you progressively through the development of a commercially successful e-sales site that they themselves were involved in. During this, you progress methodically through the general theory and development that justify their web design.

The strength of this book lies in its range of topics and the chapters on cross-linking pages using 'information domains'. However, their documentation of a genuine commercial web site for small-medium companies has not been matched for conciseness (in my experience, please inform if wrong).

I read this book in an afternoon. This doesn't mean that the book is lightweight, just that it is well-written and gets to the point. Another bonus: this book is refreshingly free of padding; i.e. old NewYorker/Dilbert cartoons, references, glossaries, psycho-babble and large margins 'for your own notes'.

There's a bombing downtown and Tom is one of the victims. His lover Scott is frantic and begins his own investigation into the catastrophe. Was it random, or aimed at the clinic where Tom was volunteering, or was it aimed at Tom himself? After Tom wakes from a coma, the duo find even more clues pointing in many directions. And when a drag queen friend of Tom's is killed, they know they're targets themselves. The plot is action-packed and hardly gives the reader time to breathe, and yet I never felt involved in the story. Of course, this is the first Zubro I've read, so that's part of it, but each book in a series ought to bring the reader into the series and entice. The solving of the bombings and murder was well crafted and believable, and Zubro certainly is a great writer. This just may not be his best overall, so.

I liked the idea that Zubro shifted the focus of this novel from Tom, ex-marine superman, to Scott, the "sidekick". Unfortunately the plot in which Zubro involves Scott on his first outing (no pun intended) is rather weak when compared to previous novels ("Why Isn't Becky Twitchell Dead?" is one of my favorites). A good read for fans of the series, but it needed more meat. I am not sure if the subject (the bombing) was thought to be too sensitive for a real murder mystery; if that was the advice given to Zubro, he shouldn't have heeded it, because it provides a sub-par novel.

They have been a happily married, faithful couple for years. Scott Carpenter is a well-known professional baseball pitcher while his spouse Tom Mason is an English teacher. They hid their sexual preference and their relationship out of fear for their careers, especially the athletic Scott. However, unable to hide any longer, they reveal their relationship to the world and to their sock and joy, most everyone supports them.

Tom and Scott begin to openly support gay rights, but soon become symbols and targets of the opponents. Things begin to turn ugly forcing Scott to hire bodyguards. Scott assumed that he, being the more public figure, would be the target if tragedy struck. Instead, while Tom is at the Human Services Clinic, a series of bombs go off destroying a whole block, killing many people. Tom is lucky to survive, but is badly injured. Scott wonders if Tom ultimately was the target. He begins his own investigation that will lead to a dangerous person with a deadly goal who will do anything to attain it.

ONE DEAD DRAG QUEEN is as much a relationship drama as it is an amateur sleuth mystery. The tale stars two heroic, realistic males trying to make the world a better place. Mark Richard Zubro has written a mystery inside the mystery. The technique can slow down a story line, but works extremely well in this plot because the author never loses sight of the main theme and ties the subplot back to it. By providing color and insight, the secondary characters are vital to the beat of the tale and lead to a special treat for readers.

Harriet Klausner

I must admit that The Drowning People has some redeeming qualities. Mason writes well and presents a thought-provoking criticism of British upper class society. He creates various characters whom I found very interesting. None of them is even remotely likeable, and the central tragedy of the story made me hate the characters even more. I was intrigued by the idea of whether or not insanity is genetic in the Harcourt family.

However, I found several problems with the novel. The plot is trite, unoriginal, and predictable. The Drowning People is celebrated as a thrilling murder mystery, yet I failed to see the suspense in it. Once the murder occurs, it becomes all too obvious who the true killer is. In addition, I was annoyed by Mason's extreme long-windedness. At times I felt that I was the one who was drowning, having to make my way through so much excess writing. Mason easily could have written the same story in half as many pages. Finally, I felt the entire drowning metaphor was overused.

Nevertheless, The Drowning People is, for the most part, entertaining to read, although the reader shouldn't attempt to take it too seriously. To me, the most impressive aspect of the novel is that Mason was only eighteen when he wrote it. He has much time for improvement, and his future novels will probably be better.

I still can't believe this is Richard Mason's first novel. What a delight to read! I found his prose very pleasing, especially his vivid descriptions of people, places, and sensual stimuli (like smells). I also thought his story very engaging, his characters well developed, and the plot well done (though I got tired of his clues teasing since it reminded me of watching a made-for-tv drama). I was a bit disappointed that I figured out the entire plot way too early (when Ella confides to James that she stole Sarah's love away for fun), but I did enjoy the way the remorseful old James allows us to tour his varigated feelings and thoughts as he remembers the details. What worried me most about the book was its ending: James get's away with murder. It left me uneasy that the author left us with James feeling somehow heroic in his taking justice into his own hands (like too many people are doing in the news today), in meating out Sarah's punishment (even though it may have been well-deserved), without himself (his actions, his morals, his accountability) being subjected to anything more than his own private, face-saving, self-inflicted trial where he is both prosecuting and defending attorney for himself, juror of one, and judge of one. No one (other than the reader) ever finds out what he did to anyone! I prefer more the P.D. James sort of justice like in her recent A Perfect Justice. I also wonder at the irony of Sarah's death in terms of the Harcourt curse that now passes--with the title and castle--to her daughter, whom I assume also has daughters. Perhaps Mr. Mason has a sequel in mind? All in all I would recommend this book highly and everyone in my bookclub (The Routy Readers in Belmont, MA, USA) thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Mason's first work and hope he continues to write many more.

Richard Mason should be proud. It is hard to believe that a 20 year old university student can produce such sumptious prose in his first novel ('The Drowning People'). The words flow beautifully. Not only is it an effortless read, the prose is on par with the best of today's fiction writers. So yes, I loved this book. However the story itself isn't exactly flawless.

The story is a about a love triangle (actually, a quadrangle) set in modern London. A talented violinist falls in love with a troubled young woman with a bizarre past. The bane of this woman's existence is her identical cousin (..hmmm, sounds like 'The Patty Duke Show'). Further complicating matters is the relationship of a (very close) male friend. Sounds like a soap opera? Well, it actually works better than it sounds. A bit contrived, but thanks to the prose it is all compulsive reading.

Bottom line: a fantastic debut of a promising writer. Recommended.

One morning in 1989 gay school teacher Tom Mason unlocked his Chicago classroom and opened the door to one of the most successful mystery franchises in gay fiction--the real mystery being the apparent popularity of this implacably mediocre series.

And yet there is much to be said for Zubro's work. His plotting, though predictable, is crisp and clean, a balance of action and analysis, with all loose ends tidily knotted. Through the (currently) eight books of the series--not even counting the Paul Turner series--Zubro worked out a formula which has served him well, although his characters, ex-Viet Nam vet and high school teacher Tom Mason, and southern baseball star Scott Carpenter, never evolve. When we first meet them they have already been a couple for eight years. Scott, we are given to understand, is initially closeted, but it never puts much strain on their relationship. The differences in their personalities are never explored--possibly because there aren't any. The books are written in a passionless, simplistic style ideal for teaching English in ESL courses.

In ARE YOU NUTS?, the seventh book of the series, Tom echoes his 1989 entrance by finding a body in the school library. (No wonder the PTA is in an uproar; it probably has less to do with Tom's orientation than the fact the man is a walking health hazard, an academic Jessica Fletcher trailing death and disgrace in his wake). As usual one of Tom's closest friends and allies (there's still some alive?) is arrested for the murder, and Tom and Scott (Scott, suffering mild depression--and who could blame the guy) set off in flat-footed pursuit, following the blueprint so successfully laid down eleven years earlier.

That, eleven years after Tom Mason stumbles on his first body, there are still very few gay mystery series' probably explains the relative popularity of Zubro's books. It's interesting that this series is published by the Stonewall Inn imprint and Keith Kahla, who recently asked in "Having Our Say" why so many gays seem to have abandoned the written word? Just a clue, Keith, but possibly if publishers offered something a little more substantial in the way of genre fiction, readers might be more interested.

The value of the book as a mystery is pretty average. However, I found, as usual, the portrayal of gay characters very affirming and supportive. Especially good for gay teens or people just coming out.

They have been a happily married, faithful couple for years. Scott Carpenter is a well-known professional baseball pitcher while his spouse Tom Mason is an English teacher. They hid their sexual preference and their relationship out of fear for their careers, especially the athletic Scott. However, unable to hide any longer, they reveal their relationship to the world and to their sock and joy, most everyone supports them.

Tom and Scott begin to openly support gay rights, but soon become symbols and targets of the opponents. Things begin to turn ugly forcing Scott to hire bodyguards. Scott assumed that he, being the more public figure, would be the target if tragedy struck. Instead, while Tom is at the Human Services Clinic, a series of bombs go off destroying a whole block, killing many people. Tom is lucky to survive, but is badly injured. Scott wonders if Tom ultimately was the target. He begins his own investigation that will lead to a dangerous person with a deadly goal who will do anything to attain it.

ONE DEAD DRAG QUEEN is as much a relationship drama as it is an amateur sleuth mystery. The tale stars two heroic, realistic males trying to make the world a better place. Mark Richard Zubro has written a mystery inside the mystery. The technique can slow down a story line, but works extremely well in this plot because the author never loses sight of the main theme and ties the subplot back to it. By providing color and insight, the secondary characters are vital to the beat of the tale and lead to a special treat for readers.

As a professional geologist, I use this reference often but I have found numerous errors. An example is that the mineral Pentlandite, an important ore of nickel, is not listed in the index. A German website is compiling an errata list on this book and it is many pages long of spelling, locality, formulae and indices errors. Other complaints are: The information concerning the economic use of the minerals is too sketchy and incomplete; and the page paper is too thin and fragile.

I can't believe that John Wiley & Sons (the publisher) actually tries to sell this book as "compact". It's 1100 pages! The Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals is a much better "compact" guide. This thing should really be on CD-ROM.

I use the book almost daily while working on a large mineral collection. It is up to date and comprehensive with valuable references to localities. The book is fragile with thin pages so must be used with care. It should be published as a CD ROM.

This book is hampered by stilted dialogue, one dimensional characterization, lack of humor, and a cloying adherence to political correctness. One longs for Donald Strachey's wit or Henry Rios's empathetic angst, something that would these characters more believable and identifiable. As it is, they're deadly dull. On top of that, the writing reminds one of a creative writing class reject in need of proofreading (early on, for instance, "homicide" is spelled "homocide" - an unintentional glitch or some copy editor's idea of a joke?) Stick with Nava, Hansen, and Stevenson.

I found this book to be a bit better than a lot of the books which pigeon-hole themselves into the "gay fiction" genre. One of the other reviewers for this book noted the weakness of the main characters. I totally agree. I was not inspired or engaged in any way by the main character or his lover. That was rather odd considering that I did quite like some of the more minor characters (especially Daphne). One of my main complaints about mysteries is that so very often the plot unfolds by clues and leads simply jumping into the characters' laps. A Simple Suburban Murder is no exception, although I've read books which have been much more unrealistic. I found the plot interesting enough to pull me through the book but the over-the-top political correctness put me off. I liked the ending ok but at this point it's a total toss-up as to whether I will ever read another book by this author or in this series.

I've read each and every one of Mark Richard Zubro's Tom and Scott novels, but that says more about the shortage of gay mysteries than it does the talents of the unnervingly prolific Zubro.

In the first of the series we meet highschool teacher Tom Mason and his celebrity ball player lover Scott Carpenter. When these two gorgeous hunks are not working out or having sex, they are solving mysteries--call them The Thin Men. Now I give Zubro this, he can construct a decent, fast-paced mystery. In fact, he is better at plotting a mystery than, for example, the much-revered Michael Nava (whose Henry Rios mysteries wouldn't challenge an eleven-year old Nancy Drew fan). But the writing is awkward, often stiff, and Tom and Scott are as lifeless as the mannequins they so resemble. And that's odd, seeing that Zubro is reasonably deft at sketching minor characters.

A SIMPLE SUBURBAN MURDER is for me one of the strongest entries in the Tom and Scott franchise. The mystery is tightly written, the Chicago local realistically drawn, and it's an appealing premise: gay lovers and partners in crime-solving. A sort of Nick and Nick Charles. If we are grading on the Pass/Fail system, than Zubro easily passes

This is better than your average gay murder mystery. Parts are funny, and nothing sticks out as being particularly bad. Not the best Zubro, but one to read after you've finished all the others. Good beach reading material.

When I read the first five pages I knew I was in trouble. The writing throughout the book was very flat. Keeping track of all the characters was a monumental feat that left you wondering WHY they were actually written into this novel. About the only completely "fleshed" out character was Scott - The main character's lover who happened to be a Baseball athlete. Sprinkled adorations of this character created many stalls to the story line that I began to NOT care for Tom or Scott. I also found myself cringing at all the location descriptions given to the reader about Chicago. Again, this intricate location detail created a stall to my reading. Hasn't this writer figured out that less is more? Yet, I continued through the 182 pages HOPING to get some real writing style that would drive me to the entertainment value I get when reading a Joseph Hansen novel. How sad I was to see this book finish flat. Time to cleanse my brain with a Dave Brandstetter detective read. Oy....

This has to be one of the dullest mysteries I have read. I felt like the whole book was a mere excuse for the author to express his venom against the Catholic Church. Characters have less personality than dry bread, they are nothing but extreme stereotypes with name labels. The events are almost non-events; things seem to happen but no real progress is made. When the murderer is finally revealed, a reader couldn't care less because it is difficult to remember who is who! And the writing style - after a while, I began to wonder if it was that flat and mundane on purpose!

I liked one thing about this book, though. My copy was only 182 pages long.

I knew this book had to be good when I read the two reviews prior to mine on amazon.com. As a member of the gay community and a recovering Roman Catholic (who thoroughly enjoys the spiritually fulfilling practice of Catholicism I find in the Episcopal Church), not only was I not offended by anything in this book, I actually enjoyed it.

Like the movie "Priest," there are a number of Roman zealots of the "one true church" ilk who are out to write negative reviews of anything that tells it like it is where the Roman Church is concerned whether they've read it or not.

Mr. Zubro is to be congratulated for an engrossing mystery that will surprise its gay and lesbian readers in a positive way, a respectable entry in his "Tom and Scott" series of whodunits.

More power to him!