There must be dozens [Ed. note: There are 26 – see below] by now...

Alex Delaware, of the over-arcing series title, is a psychologist who gets involved in far too many criminal investigations for his own good or the good of his long on-again, off-again partnership (with a woman). He is frequently called upon or aided by Milo, a homicide detective whose longterm homosexual partner is a surgeon in one of the city hospitals.

Milo is by no means the traditional ‘queer’ of some crime fiction. He is very macho, quite uninterested in fashion, and extremely interested in his career which is often adversely affected by his known sexual preferences. We see very little of his lover but Milo's attitudes are coloured by his experiences as a gay policeman and the reader is encouraged to scorn a society which assesses someone's worth according to what he does in bed.

The series viewed solely as crime novels has its ups and downs. Some of the books are tense and gripping thrillers; others are acceptable but nothing special. The pleasure lies in the relationship between the main characters, and between them and their respective partners, and in the psychological explorations that underpin the solution to each crime. Perhaps not worth buying in quantity but well worth asking your library to stock them! It is good to have a gay detective as part of a mainstream and very popular series.

Titles in the Alex Delaware series:

1. When The Bough Breaks (1985) (Edgar Award, Best First Novel, 1986)

2. Blood Test (1986)

3. Over The Edge (1987)

4. Silent Partner (1989)

5. Time Bomb (1990)

6. Private Eyes (1992)

7. Devil's Waltz (1993)

8. Bad Love (1994)

9. Self-Defense (1995)

10. The Web (1996)

11. The Clinic (1997)

12. Survival Of The Fittest (1997)

13. Monster (1999)

14. Dr. Death (2000)

15. Flesh and Blood (2001)

16. The Murder Book (2002)

17. A Cold Heart (2003)

18. Therapy (2004)

19. Rage (2005)

20. Gone (2006)

21. Obsession (2007)

22. Compulsion (March 2008)

23. Bones (October 2008)

24. Evidence (October 2009)

25. Deception (March 2010)

26. Mystery (March 2011)

Many of these titles are available from The Book Depository which offers free world-wide airmail delivery

 

Liz Nicholson is a retired English teacher with a strong interest in writing; mainly fantasy, erotic fiction and poetry. She is married with a grown-up daughter who also writes. Liz lives in a country house in Portugal. When not reading or writing Liz enjoys travel, history, music and art. She originally trained as a lawyer and a strong desire for equality and justice led to a lifelong involvement in anti-racism, immigration issues, feminism and gay rights. Whilst these beliefs colour her own work she is just as likely to enjoy others’ apolitical writing.

Author contact  | Liz Nicholson's Wilde Oats Page

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Milo is by no means the traditional ‘queer’ of some crime fiction. He is very macho, quite uninterested in fashion, and extremely interested in his career which is often adversely affected by his known sexual preferences. We see very little of his lover but Milo's attitudes are coloured by his experiences as a gay policeman and the reader is encouraged to scorn a society which assesses someone's worth according to what he does in bed.