Gertrude Stein called it "the only really modern novel form that has come into existence," yet the mystery genre was a century old before it featured its first gay main character in a novel. Since then, gay and lesbian detective fiction has been one of the fastest growing segments of the genre. It incorporates gay and lesbian cultural elements and offers crossover appeal. Its authors call upon a century of development in the mystery genre, while providing new, more accurate images of lesbians and gay men than generally found in mainstream literature and popular media.
This groundbreaking study of gay and lesbian detective fiction examines mystery series and historically significant stand-alone novels published since the early 1960s. Part I is an overview that describes how these novels make gay and lesbian life visible and forge new, powerful images. It also examines how they fit into the larger history of mystery fiction. The series analyses in Part II are grouped according to the type of main character (police officer, private investigator, amateur sleuth, etc.). Each section discusses main and secondary characters of that type, characteristic themes for the group, and more. The analyses of individual series cover main characters, themes, plot points and other elements. Comments from authors interviewed for this book play a central role in those analyses. Part III lists series-spanning themes (e.g., homophobia, the closet, gay marriage) and the novels and series that address each of those themes.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments     

Foreword by Katherine V. Forrest     

Preface     


I. The Gay and Lesbian Crime-Fiction Scene     

II. The Authors and Their Characters

      Police     

      Private Investigators     

      Professional Sleuths     

      Amateur Sleuths     

      Partners     

III. Themes Across the Series     


Notes     

Bibliography     

Index     

Judith A. Markowitz has run a Chicago consulting firm for forty years. She has published well over one hundred articles and book chapters, numerous technical reports, and six books.