Saturday 10 August 2019

#BlogTour Careless Whisper by T.S. Hunter


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Careless Whisper by T.S. Hunter. It's book 3 of the Soho Noir series.

About the Author
Claiming to be only half-Welsh, T.S. Hunter lived in South Wales for much of his latter teens, moving to London as soon as confidence and finances allowed. He never looked back.

He has variously been a teacher, a cocktail waiter, a podium dancer and a removal man, but his passion for writing has been the only constant.

He's a confident and engaging speaker and guest, who is as passionate about writing and storytelling as he is about promoting mainstream LGBT fiction.

He now lives with his husband in the country, and is active on social media as @TSHunter5.

Follow @TSHunter5 @RedDogTweets on Twitter, on Goodreads,
Buy Careless Whisper
About the book
LOOSE LIPS COST LIVES.

It’s 1986, and Adam Cave, lead singer of sensational pop group Loose Lips, is struggling to stay in the closet, especially as his group is going through a messy split, and media speculation about the reasons behind it are rife.

Joe Stone is assigned to Adam as a runner for the behind-the-scenes, warts and all expose of the recording of the bands last album, and an unlikely friendship begins to form.

But when Adam’s manager, Jack Eddy, is found dead in Adam’s hotel room, in what looks like a sex game gone wrong, Joe turns to his flatmate, Russell, to help him clear the pop star’s name, and keep his secret.

Russell, meanwhile, has a secret of his own. He’s just been for a test, the results of which may change his life forever.

Review
This is the third book in the Soho Noir series, novella length murder mysteries set in the 80's in the LGBT community.

What I really love about this series, aside from the excellent covers, the great read, the fantastic song book titles, is the fact they are quick pocket reads. Not everyone wants to spend hours or days with one story. This is exactly the right length to inspire new readers and for readers who like some of their reads to be like a tasty foot-long sub over the lunch hour.

During the 80s the word homosexuality was synonymous with HIV and AIDS. It was very much a decade of ignorance, blame and misinformation. The gay community took the brunt of that misinformation, the fear and sadly also a high death toll.

In this book Russell faces his own fear about HIV when he goes to get tested. His journey from coming out to living his best life as an openly gay man has only just begun. The contrast between Russell and Joe is an interesting one. Both with similar stories and yet completely different circumstances.

Of course it wouldn't be a Soho Noir if a dead body didn't pop up somewhere in the story. A crime for the two of them to solve, whilst they navigate the complex structure of their lives and those who love them and the ones who oppose them.

Each of the books can be read as a standalone book, despite recurring main characters. There are certain storylines that develop  and grow with each book, but not in a way that necessitates reading the prior ones. Saying that, I would definitely recommend reading the others in the series.

It's a murder mystery set in hub of a pulsing LGBT community in the flashy 80s. Hunter combines the atmosphere of individuality, freedom and the leftovers of the burnt-out 70s with homophobia and the acidic fear of HIV and AIDS. Mystery meets life and is humbled by its sincerity in this brash noirish series.

Buy Careless Whisper (Soho Noir #3) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Red Dog Press; pub date 5 Aug. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my reviews of Tainted Love (Soho Noir #1) and Who's That Girl (Soho Noir #2) by T.S. Hunter.


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