Out in the Mountains Golden Boy: A Review. Michael Nava, Alyson Publications Fred Pond Michael Nava’s Golden Boy packs a nice amount of action with a spattering of gay culture that feels comfortable and believ- able, though not forcing or categorically touching all areas of gay/lesbian lifestyles. This is Nava’s newest book since The Little Death. Forconfidenfial AIDS Information Call Q -800-882-AIDSJ Here’s the plot: Henry, an activist gay lawyer in the bay area, is summoned to los Angeles to take on an impossible murder case that seems to be all but decreed before his arrival. A young busboy has been slain, and a co- worker has been found passed out next to the body with bloody hands and a knife. Sounds pretty conclusive, doesn’t it? The defendant is also gay, natch, and the mur- dered guy is straight(?), and Henry soon finds that even the public defender can’t believe the accused when he insists he didn’t do it, as he can’t remember or ex- plain what he was doing next to the corpse. The author weaves humor and romance while exploring clues of the minder. For example, Henry, and the African- American detective he hires play off one another with jabs about their respective races and sexual orientations. Henry meets a future lover when investigating the scene of the crime. This comfortable weaving plus social commentary keeps the reading easy and interesting—I particularly en- joyed this description of a bar scene where Henry is stalking the killer. This bar, The Keep, was on a Hollywood side street that had disappeared from the maps around 1930. There wasn’t much to Where to Find OITM _ Project EXCEL, Lyndon State College Lyndonville Ber-ufington Free Bennington Northshire B00kSt01'C MflnCheStCl' Center Brattleboro Food Coop Brattleboro Middlebnry Natural Food Coop Middlebury cahoots Brmleboro Bear Pond Books Montpelier Common Ground Brattleboro Hm“ 0f the M0011 Cafe M°mP°1i¢f Everyone's Books Brattleboro Woman Centered Montpelier Burlington College Burlington Morristown Centennial Library Morrisville chassrmm gr Bern Burlington Moore Free Library Newfane Fletcher Free Library Burlington Northeast Kingdom AIDS Coalition Newport Partners in Recovery & Growth Burlington Broyvn Pubhe Library . Northfield peace & Justice Center Burljnggorl Social Alternatives for Gay Men Norwich pearls Burlington Woman's Study Program Plainfield Planned Parenthood Burlington Pumey Library Pntney STEP Learning Center Castleton Kimball Public Libmry Randolph Craftsbury Public Library Craftsbury PFLAG _ Rutland Rutland Area Gay/Lesbian Comrection Center Rutland Ruflafld Free Library Rllflimd lrmwood Manor East Bamet LUNA/NEVGALR c/o Umbrella St. Johnsbury Greenhope Farm East Hardwick Nan" 11 P1’°‘’i5i°1'15 SL J°h1'!Sb111'3’ Fair Haven Free Library Fair Haven Regional Library St. Johnsbnry Buffalo Moimtain Coop Hardwick St Johnsbury Athenaenrn St Johnsbury Galaxy Books Hardwick Food for Thought Stowe Jon's Automofive Lyndonville White Junction Upper Valley Coop White River Junction the place: a bar lined with stools where 1 customers could sit and watch their re- flections blur in the mirror as the night * wore on, a small dance floor bathed in blue light, a few tables lit by orange can- . dles. Posters of beefy naked men covered . the walls. Many of the patrons were mid- dle-aged or older, and the level of shriek- ing was pretty high. Definitely a pre- _ Stonewall scene. Golden Boy reflects a realistic world. Hen- . ry has his cha1lenges——he’s a recovering ~ alcoholic. The law school friend who ‘k called him to solve this mystery is dying of L AIDS. Positive modeling of safer sex is in- cluded in the text. This captivating, fast—paced mystery will I keep you turning the pages faster and fast- er, and then leave you hungering for more ‘ when the book is frriished. The book pro- vides a positive framework for being gay in the real world. . This two hundred page winner of two Lambda Literary Awards compares to the ~ popular Brandstetter mystery series which I understand are ending this year. I hope Michael Nava continues to write such cap- tivating works. V