What do you think?
Rate this book
Donald Strachey #8
Tongue Tied
Under normal circumstances, PI Donald Strachey wouldn't take a job from right-wing radio "shock jock" J-Bird. But Strachey not only needs the money, he's also intrigued that the death threats against the radio DJ are being made in the name of a radical gay rights group that has been defunct for over twenty years. When things escalate past mere threats, Strachey has precious little time to uncover the connection between a group from the past and the violent present.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Richard Stevenson
84 books143 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Richard Stevenson is the pseudonym of Richard Lipez, the author of nine books, including the Don Strachey private eye series. The Strachey books are being filmed by here!, the first gay television network. Lipez also co-wrote Grand Scam with Peter Stein, and contributed to Crimes of the Scene: A Mystery Novel Guide for the International Traveler. He is a mystery columnist for The Washington Post and a former editorial writer at The Berkshire Eagle. His reporting, reviews and fiction have appeared in The Boston Globe, Newsday, The Progressive, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's and many other publications. He grew up and went to college in Pennsylvania and served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1962-64. Lipez lives in Becket, Massachusetts and is married to sculptor Joe Wheaton.
Richard Stevenson is the pseudonym of Richard Lipez, the author of nine books, including the Don Strachey private eye series. The Strachey books are being filmed by here!, the first gay television network. Lipez also co-wrote Grand Scam with Peter Stein, and contributed to Crimes of the Scene: A Mystery Novel Guide for the International Traveler. He is a mystery columnist for The Washington Post and a former editorial writer at The Berkshire Eagle. His reporting, reviews and fiction have appeared in The Boston Globe, Newsday, The Progressive, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's and many other publications. He grew up and went to college in Pennsylvania and served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1962-64. Lipez lives in Becket, Massachusetts and is married to sculptor Joe Wheaton.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 23, 2020
We finally reached the 21st century, and yet has Don learned anything over the last 20+ years? Well, yes, but somehow that never stops him from getting in over his head. At least his snark is in full force in this one.
This time around, Don's roped into working a case for some right-wing shock jocks who are being threatened for their anti-gay slurs and attitudes. Don agrees to figure out who is sending them notes and "gifts" in the mail. Meanwhile, he's got a jealous ex to contend with, an ex-Amish eggplant farmer jonesing for a taste of the good old days (when he used to kidnap gays and lesbians from conversion hospitals) and no Timmy to provide some much-needed levity.
As for the mystery, I figured out the motive pretty early, but I had the wrong whodunit by one degree of separation, and the book even got me doubting the motive briefly for a short while.
This time around, Don's roped into working a case for some right-wing shock jocks who are being threatened for their anti-gay slurs and attitudes. Don agrees to figure out who is sending them notes and "gifts" in the mail. Meanwhile, he's got a jealous ex to contend with, an ex-Amish eggplant farmer jonesing for a taste of the good old days (when he used to kidnap gays and lesbians from conversion hospitals) and no Timmy to provide some much-needed levity.
As for the mystery, I figured out the motive pretty early, but I had the wrong whodunit by one degree of separation, and the book even got me doubting the motive briefly for a short while.
April 5, 2021
3.5 of 5 stars – Entertaining Series Continues w/ a Decent Mystery.
I love gay mysteries and romances, and Richard Stevenson does a good job of combining both in one of the more entertaining such series, even if this entry wasn't a favorite.
I liked this for the same reasons I liked each in the series, but it was just as good as a standalone. With crisp, witty writing, it was a decent mystery, brought to life by a colorful, hard-boiled yet likable PI, who is, as he put it, “more or less coincidentally gay.”
Richard Stevenson’s style made this a light, entertaining and easy read. I enjoyed the NYC setting and step back in time to the turn of the century. This was contemporary when written, and in fact centered again on a topic ripped from the headlines - the shock jock. Adding to that was an interesting mishmash of cosmopolitan and Amish, the world of talk radio, ratings and greed, kidnapping, and an old flame.
Overlaying this throughout was just the right balance between the maturing relationship and the mystery, with the latter getting the spotlight. While it was not as tight and set up as well, with limited clues but plenty of red herrings, maybe because it was too obvious, it was still interesting to see how it all played out, especially with the good detective work to unravel the secrets, and with age, throwing even more shade.
I love gay mysteries and romances, and Richard Stevenson does a good job of combining both in one of the more entertaining such series, even if this entry wasn't a favorite.
I liked this for the same reasons I liked each in the series, but it was just as good as a standalone. With crisp, witty writing, it was a decent mystery, brought to life by a colorful, hard-boiled yet likable PI, who is, as he put it, “more or less coincidentally gay.”
Richard Stevenson’s style made this a light, entertaining and easy read. I enjoyed the NYC setting and step back in time to the turn of the century. This was contemporary when written, and in fact centered again on a topic ripped from the headlines - the shock jock. Adding to that was an interesting mishmash of cosmopolitan and Amish, the world of talk radio, ratings and greed, kidnapping, and an old flame.
Overlaying this throughout was just the right balance between the maturing relationship and the mystery, with the latter getting the spotlight. While it was not as tight and set up as well, with limited clues but plenty of red herrings, maybe because it was too obvious, it was still interesting to see how it all played out, especially with the good detective work to unravel the secrets, and with age, throwing even more shade.
March 27, 2020
This was the last original-run Strachey novel (before they switched over to MLR in 2008) that I got my hands on. It's been about 15 years since I started reading them (so long ago that I got secondhand copies of the series on Half.com - remember that site?), but I could never find a reasonably priced copy of this one one back in the day, so I just never bothered to read it. Then I got a used copy on Amazon this past year, after I bought the newest mystery, Killer Reunion, and realized I'd still never gotten Tongue Tied.
Had I read this over a decade ago, it would have likely paled in comparison to the best entries in this series; but it felt great to go back in time with Don and Timmy and the return of Lyle from On the Other Hand, Death and a new case involving the FFF from Death Trick, that I ignored some of this installment's weaker aspects.
Had I read this over a decade ago, it would have likely paled in comparison to the best entries in this series; but it felt great to go back in time with Don and Timmy and the return of Lyle from On the Other Hand, Death and a new case involving the FFF from Death Trick, that I ignored some of this installment's weaker aspects.
September 23, 2022
Wonderful mystery. Great characters as always. I am trying to read the whole series!
July 19, 2015
This is the 8th book in the Donald Strachey mysteries and our intrepid PI is requested to find a group ( FFF / Forces Of Free Faggotry from a previous mystery) that has been pulling pranks on shock jock Jay Bird and his homophobic, racist, and misogynistic collegues.Don dislikes Jay Bird with a passion, but he considers working the case when a face from another place closeted NYPD Detective Lyle Barner reccommends him to disc jockey. Barner was also first introduced in another mystey and in fact rescued Don when ear was mauled by a suspect and has unrequited lust for the dashing PI.Don decides to work the case for 5 days and the stakes get higher when one Jay Bird's on air homophobic collegues is kidnapped. Detective Barner gets even more jealous when an ex FFF member comes in and decides to help Don in his investigation and rescue the homophobe.There are twists and turns along the way. Lots of smart ass lines by our favorite PI and patience and wisdom by Tim.I love this series and it's indeed a good read!
March 12, 2012
The writing was strong, the characters consistent and believable. There were a couple of moments when I was laughing or at least, chuckling, aloud (Strachey's method of dealing with loud cell phone user during his Amtrak/Metro North ride was priceless). I would recommend it to friends as a good read. But...
- The only place the phrase "shock jock" was used was in the author's note. Was this not a common phrase when the book was being written? Wouldn't Don know it?
- The 'poetic justice' was less than poetic and I'm not sure it was justice, or justified. So the response to homophobic bigots who make fun of gay people is to brand them as gay? Doesn't that just confirm gay as an insult?
- The only place the phrase "shock jock" was used was in the author's note. Was this not a common phrase when the book was being written? Wouldn't Don know it?
- The 'poetic justice' was less than poetic and I'm not sure it was justice, or justified. So the response to homophobic bigots who make fun of gay people is to brand them as gay? Doesn't that just confirm gay as an insult?
March 22, 2009
Strachey's Folly notwithstanding, the issues with which Donald Strachey Mystery deals are very translatable and applicable, even if the technology has advanced so. In this novel, it's the anti-Political Correctness being touted as an excuse to sprout derogatory things.
June 26, 2015
Don Strachey gets asked to come talk to a shock jock in New York City, who is being threatened by a gay group that Don once had ties to. The shock jock and his friends weren’t fun to read about, but Thad Diefendorfer, an out gay middle- aged Amish farmer, who was once part of this group, was fun. I requested this book from interlibrary loan.
January 31, 2008
I enjoyed this one -- I found myself laughing more than usual during this book in the series, so while all of the books are clever and witty, this one seemed to have that extra dose of humor, which I appreciated.
June 16, 2009
The new MLR Press editions, at least the ebook versions, have a disappointing number of typographical problems, both minor and major.
December 25, 2010
Robert Stevenson continues to improve his story lines, and the humor comes right through the narrative. Very good.
September 24, 2015
Okay, so this is obviously finished in 2000, that's when it takes place - why wasn't it published until 2003 - there's a five year gap in this series. I wonder why.
February 1, 2016
4.5
The writing is as good as usual, as the witty remarks are. I loved the «Forces Of Free Faggotry» also in the first book of the series.
The writing is as good as usual, as the witty remarks are. I loved the «Forces Of Free Faggotry» also in the first book of the series.
April 2, 2021
Wildly improbable and big fun!
August 4, 2018
Pretty solid entry in the series. It goes over the top in places, and is very definitely dated. This time Strachey is hired by a 90s era Howard Stern/Rush Limbaughesque talk radio shock jock (like I said, dated). The guy is being harassed, in theory by a long dormant extreme gay liberation group. The stakes ratchet up quickly as harassment leads to death threats and multiple kidnappings.
It's solidly entertaining, if more than a little off the wall in places. It's also maybe a little overladen with red herrings and side characters that ultimately go nowhere. The whodunit reveal at the end is also a letdown. Also-wool cheese? Really? You'll know it when you get there.
Bottom line-it's a fun read getting there, but ultimately this one is snack food-tasty as it's going down but ultimately doesn't fill your hunger for a really good mystery.
It's solidly entertaining, if more than a little off the wall in places. It's also maybe a little overladen with red herrings and side characters that ultimately go nowhere. The whodunit reveal at the end is also a letdown. Also-wool cheese? Really? You'll know it when you get there.
Bottom line-it's a fun read getting there, but ultimately this one is snack food-tasty as it's going down but ultimately doesn't fill your hunger for a really good mystery.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews