Strachey's Folly

By Richard Stevenson

Book Overview

A Donald Strachey Mystery, Book 7 - In Washington, D.C., to view the AIDS Memorial Quilt, gay P.I. Donald Strachey, his lover, Timmy, and Timmy's old friend Maynard from their Peace Corps days, are startled to discover a quilt panel for an ex-lover of Maynard. The trouble is Jim Suter isn't dead and was spotted in Mexico barely two weeks earlier. Suter is a golden-haired, back-room, right-wing operative. He's also a breaker of gay men's hearts ... with an angry, resentful cast of hundreds left in his dust.

Later in the evening, when Maynard is gunned down in his driveway in a seemingly random attack, a desperate note from Suter is discovered in Maynard's mailbox urging silence and warning of extreme danger. Police are called in but no one seems quite on the level: is there corruption in the local police? An ex-congresswoman, Betty Krumfutz, and subject of a recent messy public divorce, employed Suter and may have vandalized the Suter quilt panel. As Timmy's paranoia of deep cross-connections ratchets up, Strachey finds himself headed for Mexico in search of possible drug cartel involvement.

Written over a period of three decades, the Donald Strachey series authentically chronicles gay life as it unfolded across upstate New York, Washington and elsewhere. An author's note is included.

"A gripping, fast-paced mystery." - Booklist

"Sassy and sexy ... Don Strachey is a private dick who really earns his title." - Armistead Maupin

"Strachey departs from the classic noir protagonist in two crucial respects. First, he's an openly gay man firmly embedded in Albany's late 70s gay scene. Second, he's funny and sane, not broody and neurotic - the anti-Philip Marlowe. The first aspect gives this series] its historical and cultural value and the second is what makes it a pleasure, a joy, to read." - Michael Nava

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1959902105
• ISBN13: 9781959902102
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Requeered Tales
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Gripping, & Remarkable!

Albany P.I. Donald Strachey and his lover, Timmy take a trip to Washington, D.C. to visit their friend Maynard, and to go see the AIDS Memorial Quilt. All goes well until they discover a panel for Maynard's ex-lover, who is alive and well, and whom Maynard had just seen two weeks ago while in Mexico. Now the action has begun. As this fast paced mystery continues, there's a drive-by shooting, and the police even suspect Donald and Timmy are involved. This is a gripping story that is filled with carefully crafted and unexpected turns, which kept me turning the pages as fast as I could read them. This is the reason I look forward to these "Strachey" mysteries. They are intelligently written, and often laced with good-natured humor. If you have never read Stevenson's mysteries, you are missing out on some great writing. I think once you have read one, you will want to read the whole series. They are all connected, but can be read independently. This is another one of Stevenson's master mysteries, and one I really enjoyed. I look forward to every book he publishes. I just wish he would put more than one out a year. Highly recommended, that's for sure!Joe Hanssen

Unique springboard for a mystery

My hobby is reading mysteries. The nice thing about a series is that if you liked the book, you are likely to enjoy the others. Richard Stevenson is my favorite author; His Donald Strachey books are my favorite series. His current, Strachey's Folly, contains all what I have come to expect: It is a real page turner; characters are believable; well crafted mystery; twists and turns keep you guessing. This story begins with the discovery that a memorial panel in the AIDS quilt is dedicated to someone who has been seen alive two weeks ago. The characteristics that really distinguish this book [and this author] from others are many. Humor, often rye, sassy, and ribald, sometimes subtle and ironic, fills the pages. Some times the humor, all in context and original, has me literally rolling on the floor. The author is socially conscious. His detective, Donald Strachey, has an ongoing personal & romantic relationship with his lover that provides foil to the main story l! ine and a secure base for the reader. Their interrelationship is fully developed.