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.

I recently returned from a 3 month tour of Europe and took this book with me. While it did have a number of major European cities in it the actual information about them was definetly lacking. I found my self usually better off with out a book at all as opposed to only having this one. Several other travelers we met felt the same way and some were lucky enough to have Lonely Planet guides. For the money spent I'll stick to them or Rick Steves in the future. i.e. This book would take you to the train station/ subway but then fall short on what the heck to do to get a ticket!!! Which is important information stranded in 20 different stations/ subways a month each with different customs. Frommer's did do an excellent job of pointing out all of the gay and lesbian districs and bars in each city and the gay friendly hotels and shops... but they also have a strickly gay guide to Europe as well. The amount of space used for this information could have been better allocated for more pertinent information. I'll have to give a thumbs down on this book. Take something else with you or take nothing at all.

Frommer's does a good job with the general hints on travelling cheaper, but unless you plan on visiting only the major cities and capitals only, look for another book. There are 24 major cities and surrounding areas covered from Ireland to Budapest, but that's not many cities in comparison with all of Europe. I only will have a short time in Europe and that means that I will only be able to visit two of the cities listed and have to use another book for everything in between. Lonely Planet is much more inclusive and definitely covers the lower price scale.

Just returned from a 2 month trip using the 2002 guide. I found the recommendations for the restaurants to be excellent. After realizing that the Frommer's writers and I had the same tastes, I made it a point of seeking out all of their 'starred' recommendations for restaurants. The sightseeing descriptions and recommendations were also quite good. The hotel recommendations were not as good. A few of the hotels we stayed in that were not 'starred' or listed as a 'Find' were not as comfortable as hotels in other books.

We traveled with this Frommer's, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides through France, Belguim, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Italy. We liked Rick Steves' recommendations for lodging, Frommer's for restaurants and both for sightseeing. Lonely Planet and Rough Guides were not used if in a Frommer's city. If in a Rick Steve's city (but not Frommer's) we used Lonely Planet for restaurant recommendations (not as good a Frommer's but better than Rick Steves).

Background: Two travelers, professional, early 30s with enough money to stay out of the hostels, but did not want to blow the bank of 5 star lodging. Rick Steve's packing philosophy. Both traveler's love to eat!!

Before i took my ACT last june, i studied with this book, it was awfully inaccurate, with the practice tests, my average scores ranged from 17-21 and on the real test my scores came out 25-26! This October I am taking my ACT again and obtained a real ACT sample test - which i scored very high on ranging f rom 25-34. With this book, my scores are still around 17-21.... i wonder about that! The sample tests are extremely inaccurate, they do not portray the ACT accurately or even resemble the test. Plus, i've found many mistakes in every section. It's nonsense and not worth buying!

I used 4 ACT Preps and this one was by far my favorite! It did lack in some capacities as compared to the other texts but it definitely filled a lot of holes that other test preps didn't even approach which is what I think ultimately led me to score a 35!

The book and CD were very great but the ACT is too hyped up. You can receive a great score without ever buying a book to help you study.

I did not relish in Zubro's gay mystery, nor did I of any of his novels. I wanted to share this novel with my eldest son who is gay; I thought it would be helpful and comforting for him to see that gays or any groups in which society deems and stereotypes "different". He was quite upset with the entire book, claiming "Gays don't act like that!" I had no idea how affended he was until he burned the book in the fireplace. I, myself, felt that the book was quite choppy too often. I can comprehend the extra information was pertinent to the story at times, but he completely "over did it" with the whole "gay plot". I am also offended by the book and I'm not gay! I am sorry for wasting my money on buying that senseless book.

This was the first "gay" mystery I've read, and I now want to eventually obtain and read all of Zubro's mysteries. The pace is fast and smooth for the most part in this book, but at times becomes choppy. Nonetheless, Zubro's intimate knowledge of police procedure and activity is plain, as well as his knowledge of the streets of Chicago. Zubro also weaves well into the story Paul Turner's (he's the protagonist) personal life in a meaningful way that in this book is actually part of the main plot. The characters become three dimentional, taking on lives of their own. The only criticism I have for Zubro is he spends too much time telling things to the reader, rather than letting the plot reveal what is going on. Such as little asides to explain why a character did something. These asides slow down the pace and can be condescending to readers already familiar with how police work. The best aspect of this book is how Zubro portray's a gay character as a human being rather than an icon. It is my hope that Mr. Zubro will provide us with many such mysteries in the future, and I look forward to reading those he has already published.

This is a step up from your average gay murder mystery. Most of the characters are regular guys who just happen to be gay -- no hairdressers or drag queens here. Parts are funny, and nothing sticks out as being particularly bad. Perfect beach reading material.

The dialogue was trite and repetitive, and the relationship between Paul Turner and his partner not very believable. I was looking for strong characterisations of the main characters. Instead, what I got were many detailed descriptions of what each successive character wore, the different fabrics, etc.

I'm a fan of the detective/whodunit genre, and have read many and occasionally indiscriminately, but this book left me wondering if the author did any research into police procedures and lingo at all, because if he did, it did not reflect in the story. Seemed a little amateurish to me. By the time I reached the middle of the story - with so many red herrings tossed left right and centre arbitrarily and without follow-up - I stopped caring who the murderer was. Truth be told, I was really rather disappointed.

I did enjoy the interaction between Paul and his kids though, but they were few and far between. If you're looking for strong characterisations and solid plot, this may not be the book for you. But if you're looking for some light reading before bed after a long day at work, pick this one up.

I have read many detective, mystery, and police procedurals from classics to trash. This is in the middle of the spectrum. It's OK, mildly entertaining, contains no real procedural suspense. The subject is the death of a male model and focuses on the fashion world. The only detail concerns what everyone is wearing. Makes a point of being blase at a raft of gay characters. I bought it because of past success from St. Martin's press. They should have left this one for the trade/genre paperbacks. I would have liked it better [on a] ... sale table.

I live in Europe but grew up in the States and go back from time to time to visit family. In Chicago, I always stop by Unabridged Books to pick up some gay literature, and this time "Drop Dead" dropped into my hands. It won't be a cat's whisker of a minute before I pick up the other Paul Turner mysteries, 'cause this one was great. The relationship between gay Paul Turner and his distinctly not gay partner Buck Fenwick is drawn hilariously, the relationship between gay Paul Turner and his two children from a previous relationship is touching, the story is interesting, the fashion world is drawn perfectly ... in other words, this was what for me passes as a "couldn't put it down" (I can put books down because I spend most of my time working at the computer, but when I'm free for a bit, I keep on reading). Even if you're not gay, pick this one up ... it's a hoot.

Tom and his lover, Scott, return to the South when Scott's father has serious heart problems. Scott, who is a pro ball player, has just come out professionally, and the couple is still reeling from the repurcussions. Needless to say, the trip South doesn't make it any easier. After just a short time, Tom finds the local sheriff dead in the back of his car. And he's the main suspect, for the most part because he's gay.

The first half of the book was quite enjoyable actually, if not a little slow. I easily began to sympathize with Tom when he faced hate and disdain at every turn. Zubro often managed to turn these confrontations into a display of quick wit and strength of character by Tom. His strength and resolve during this time really made it easier to place myself on his side throughout the story.

However, at one point I had to put the book down because I became physically ill. Usually, violence (whether it be a western gunfight, aftermath of a war, or a SciFi alien gobbling humans a piece at a time) doesn't affect me. But the sequence describing the torture of one of Tom's friends was just too much. I didn't see any point of that gruesome scene at all. It added nothing, and caused me to drop several stars in this review.

By the end I did manage to repress that aspect and get back to the main point of the story - Tom redeeming himself. And I did enjoy the low-key transformation of Tom's when he realized that he had prejudices as well. The South wasn't all toothless hillbillies in overalls and bigots out to kill him. Whether or not that's true, at least he began to reflect on himself as well - which made me like him even better.

The whole series of Tom and Scott mysteries read like a campaign to scare tourists away from the US. This one leaves you amazed that anyone's left alive in Georgia at all. Everyone is either a mass murderer, homophobe or lunatic and most characters fit more than one category. The events escalate rapidly, are dramatic and at times pretty ugly, but remain at a complete mismatch with any emotional response from the main characters. Tom and Scott are great- they're so emotionally incompetant you feel compelled to keep reading just to see what they'll go into denial over next. The narrator keeps telling you how much they love each other but these guys need help from Relate- either that or they're Vulcans. My favourite bit is where one of them nearly drowns and his lover who has taken no part in search or rescue, just pays attention long enough to get him a change of clothes. End of problem. By the end I was rooting for events to escalate just to see what it took to get one of them upset, or shocky or even to show some sort of human concern for each other! Having reached the end of the book, I suspect there is nothing Tom and Scott cannot solve with a work out and a plate of muffins. This is the most passionless Tom and Scott of them all- however, like the others it's addictive. Sooner or later one of those two will have to manage some sort of believable emotional reaction.

Chicago high school teacher Tom Mason and his longtime lover Scott Carpenter already had enough of a crisis to deal with. Scott, a very highly paid baseball player, has just publicly come out. Immediately afterwards, a lucrative endorsement deal is cancelled because of his revelation. However, they must forget about Scott's career problems and rush home to Georgia. Scott's father has suffered a serious heart attack.When they arrive in the rural South, it really is like entering a different world. The pace of life is much slower and the small town alternately feels charming or intolerant of outsiders. Tom quickly learns that gay people are deeply closeted in Scott's hometown. While they are visiting Scott's father in the hospital, Tom is accused of murder. This time, their lawyer back in Chicago can't save them and they are sure no local one will take the case. They have no choice but to investigate the murder in order to clear Tom's name.By this point, author Mark Richard Zubro has again demonstrated his mastery of both murder mysteries and characterization. Tom and Scott are again shown as a warm, caring, interesting couple. Since they consider themselves to be married, their lives do not revolve around sex. I especially loved the scenes where Tom's gentle sense of humor is shown. His playful teasing and affection for Scott are far more interesting to read than a sex scene. Remember, Zubro's gay detectives aren't merely boyfriends, they're married. And the richly detailed, satisfying relationship they enjoy proves it.As it happens, Tom and Scott discover that Scott's hometown is not as simple as it first appeared. Their probing deeper and deeper into the town's secrets reveals intrigues that are just as complicated as anything they would encounter in Chicago. While Tom forges on ahead to clear his name, Scott must come to terms with what this all means to him. In order to find the real killer, he will need to learn to see the people he grew up with in a new light.I found one of the best parts of the story to be when Tom and Scott are in the thick of things. They are starting to put the clues together and the suspects are getting nervous. I really liked how no one character is the obviously guilty party. Zubro always keeps me guessing right up until the very end. I think it's great that you can see that the murder takes days to solve. The solution doesn't occur to Tom in a flash. Instead, he slowly pieces together the clues and realizes who the killer is. By the time he knows, Tom has also discovered why the people involved did what they did; not merely who pulled the trigger. That's far more satisfying to me.Finally, I highly recommend this mystery to anyone who likes suspenseful, exciting mysteries that keep you guessing until the very end. Zubro has repeatedly proved that he is a master at telling a great story with realistic, well rounded characters. This mystery shows that his wonderful detectives, Tom and Scott, can solve cases anywhere they go, not just Chicago.

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 a good example of a real master at work. I connect more with his black and white portraits more than anything else in the book. He's the best at what he does and it's a damn shame that he's fallen off the radar screen. This is a reprint edition. Most of the photos look very dated. That's why I don't connect with much of it. The pictures lack a timelessness which takes them beyond commerce and into art.

Hiro seems to have dropped off the map which is too bad. His portrait work is great. It seems that he got a little looser in the 80's which works for me. Still, his work never strays from the spare design style which made him the hot ticket. This book does not make me want to run out and take pictures. I wonder about his lighting more than anything. These photos are paradigms of design and composition but not much beyond that. This is a great textbook for the advertising photographer. What worked then can work now. I would be very interested seeing what Hiro is producing now. Hiro, Hiro where are you?

Fortunately, the Paul Turner series gets better as does Zubro's crafting of enjoyable cop mystery stories. With this one, the debut of Paul Turner, Zubro tackles an interesting premise: are gay activist orgnizations behind the murder of an anti-gay televangelist's daughter? It's a question Paul Turner, a gay Chicago homicide detective, doesn't like having to look at, but one he realizes he must if he is to solve this case. The reader gets taken in a lot of different directions and one has to wonder if the poor cop will ever solve this case. Maybe Zubro hadn't made up his mind "who done it" until the final chapter because there are no really good clues, but plenty of motive to go around. All in all it was an enjoyable read, but it's not among my top 25 murder mysteries, regardless of genre (gay or straight or whatever)or author.

This is the first of Zubro's many books that I have read, and sorry to say it will be the last also. I love gay mystery as a genre, but this book disappointed on many levels. The plot, about the murder of a bigotted televangelist's daughter, and the gay community's possible involvement as a means of revenge undoubtedly has potential, but isn't developed, with the result that I didn't really care how the book ended. Undoubtedly the biggest let down is the quality of the writing. It's pedestrian and leaden, making the promising idea of the central character, a gay cop and father a crashing bore.

I placed this order on January 2, 2003, and as of this date, March 26, 2003, have not received the book. I have contacted the seller numerous times by e-mail and after saying that he had shipped it but would not give me the date or method of shipment, he said he would ship it again. I ordered 3 items for Destinos and received one, one was out of stock (for which I received credit), and have not received this one. Am sorely disappointed since Destinos is a magnificent program for learning Spanish.

Destinos is the best thing to happen to foreign language learning since the invention of the language laboratory.

The handbook will greatly improve a student's ability to retain and utilize the Spanish he/she learns in the video series. There are many exercises relating to each episode and the Mas Alla del episodio readings add extra information to the story which is not in the videos themselves.

I teach Spanish at community college and have used the manual and videos for a number of years with excellent results.