24 ° OlTl"l april 2001 ® Rajan Chawla Photography Civil Union and Wedding Photojournalism Call 802.872.9146 or browse http://www.rajchawla.com n , rwedding -A 21 Church Street Open Seven Days oviiovi Rivev Co-op support»: local gromevs... Pvesla " WIFH/\ U\$ '; \ Wsit the Co-op and discover the difference in our fruit and vegetables, herbs, and breads. 2 Notice that the fresh products you i buy at the Co-op are really fresh. Our commitment to quality means ' you enjoy just-picked and just-baked flavor every time. 274 N. Vlfinooski Ave., Burlington, Vermont 802-863-3659 Open 9-9 every day. s'''.,‘ o<‘§c.° wean-lgpiallers I different from Nigel. ore A863-8326 H How l-o get Love’s Last Chance A Krandall Kraus Mystery REVIEWED BY CHUCK FRANKLIN In the first of a new fiction- al series, Krandall Kraus writes a novel about gay love and intrigue that pulls at our heart- strings, gives us plenty to laugh out loud about, and takes us from the Tuscan hills of Italy to the Arizona and Utah deserts in search of a cunning killer._ Nigel lives in San Francisco and is a 45-year-old HIV-posi- tive gay man still mourning the loss of his partner over a year ago. In search of healing and solitude, he takes up his friend He1en’s invitation to go stay for a while at her farm in Castelfranco di Sopra in the hills of Italy. Little does he know that Helen also invites another friend - enter Nicky --to the - farm and likely with some matchmaking intent on her part. Nicky and Nigel meet, where else but in the bathroom of the villa, both naked, and Nigel wondering what the hell this other man is doing there. So much for his solitude. Nicky could not be more Nicky has dark, long hair, an expen- siveflwardrobe made of the finest silks, leathers and wool, but is unpretentious and virtu- ally unflappable. Nigel dresses "as a typical Califomia-casual type of guy, is concerned about being older than Nicky, and is introspective and brooding. Nigel and Nicky spend sev- - eral days cautiously circling each other until Nicky finally breaks through Nigel’s self- pity and isolation. The son of an Italian mother and a father from Guam, Nicky’s charm slghtout ,1. Rag & Bone by Michael Nava and breathtaking honesty work their magic on Nigel. Soon the two are venturing into an unsure but budding relationship and begin to reveal themselves to each other. They go to visit Nicky’s Italian grandmother, known to Nicky simply as Nonna, and Nigel discovers she lives in a world of staggering wealth and influ- ence. Yet Nonna is a wise woman and has the ability to see that Nigel and Nicky were destined to be together. Soon after comes a poignant moment when Nigel and Nicky tell each other that they are both HIV-positive. It is a heart-tugging moment, fol- lowed by anguished emotions that finally start turning into love. After a few weeks, Nigel and Nicky both return to San Francisco, where Nicky also happens to live with a room- mate named Matthew. They then discover the news that the mother of one of Nicky’s friends, Annarita, was found drowned in an Arizona lake shortly after marrying a myste- rious cowboy named Travis Iversen. When Annarita asks for help, Nigel finally relents and agrees to help Nicky look into the death. As the plot turns from romance to mystery, Nigel and Nicky set out togeth- er to find out what really hap- pened to Annarita’s wealthy mother, Evelyn VanDeventer Iversen. But the romance does not end, and Nicky and Nigel end up sharing an experience that brings them even closer togeth- er. As they begin to unravel the truth about Evelyn’s death and 2. The Femme’s Guide to the Universe .1. by Shar Rednour .3. World ‘of Normal Boys by K.M. Soehnlein 4. Dear Friends: American Photographs of ‘ Men Together, 1840-1918 by David Deitcher 5. Sleeping Bones by Katherine V. Forrest 6. Coming Outof Cancer by Victoria Brownworth" '7. Losing Matt Shepard by Beth Loffreda ’ 8. Sir Elton by Philip Norman L ' 9. The Collected Poems of James Merrill 10. The Penis Book by Joseph Cohen her cowboy-husband, Travis, the love that budded in Italy blossoms in the deserts of Arizona and Utah Yet another character, Annarita’s adopted brother_ Vaughn, makes their hunt for the truth unexpectedly compli- cated. And Matthew, Nicky’s quiet roommate, ends up play- ing a surprising role in solving the mystery of what becomes not one, but two murders after Travis’ body is also found dead. Kraus gives us authentic suspense tinged with delightful romance up until the mystery is solved. Nigel and Nicky are characters we grow to love as they somewhat carelessly plunge themselves into danger. The only let down after reading this novel is that one has to ‘wait too long for the next one "to be published. In the meantime, Kraus and his partner Paul Borja, who was raised on Guam (just a coinci- dence?) have co-authored a nonfiction book called Its Never About What Its About: What We Learned About Living While Waiting to Die. Both authors are HIV-posi- tive (just another coincidence?) and write about finding out who they really are. Alyson Books, also the publisher, calls it “a poignant and upbeat exploration of the reasons we do, think and feel the things we do.” Chuck Franklin is a safely" retired Navy public aflairs ofli- cer and former adjunct profes- sor of journalism at Saint Michael is College. He has a Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Oklahoma and currently lives in Colchester with his dog Risa and two cats Misha and Katya, none of whom have even a high school education. _, _.:,._