Book Review: Boy Toy

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Boy Toy     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Michael Craft
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Gay / Lesbian
Series: Mark Manning
St. Martin's, Jun 2001, $23.95, 272 pp.

He gave up his job as a premier journalist for a top Chicago paper to run the Dumont Daily Register in Wisconsin. His lover, Neil Waite also quit his job as a prominent architect in a thriving firm to open up his own company and remain near Mark Manning. Together they raise Mark's second cousin Thad Quatrain who loves his two dads and in turn they reciprocate his feelings.

When Thad lands the co-lead in a community theatre play, Mark and Neil attend the dress rehearsal to lend him support. Thad's co-lead Jason turns vicious calling him a BOY TOY. Thad diffuses the situation, but the next night Jason fails to appear for the opening of the play. When he is found dead, most of Dumont concludes that Thad killed him. Jason uses his investigative skills to try to uncover the truth before Thad becomes permanently scarred.

BOY TOY is a fantastic who-done-it because of the numerous viable suspects all wanting the seventeen-year-old victim dead. The relationship between Thad and his guardians is a key ingredient because it brings believability to the plot even with this being an alternate family lifestyle situation. Michael Craft is a master craftsman who provides his audience with a fascinating tale.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner