 |
The Paul Turner Series by Mark Richard Zubro |
Political Poison
Another Dead Teenager
The Truth Can Get You Killed
Drop Dead
Rating: ****
Note: It is best to read these books in order, but not absolutely necessary.
Reviewer: Meg
The Paul Turner novels are detailed police procedurals. The reader follows Paul and his heterosexual partner, Fenwick, through all the aspects of the process of each homicide investigation. Turner and Fenwick often catch the murderer through careful examination of evidence and by interviewing everyone involved sometimes more than once.
Chicago is the background of Zubro's novels and we get to cover a good deal of the city as the stories progress. Turner and Fenwick are known for their ability to work with crimes that are are politically sensitive, so are often chosen for cases which receive a great deal of pressure from the ranks above. They are often working against time to solve a homicide because of events going on in the city around them.
The two characters contrast well. Fenwick is blunt, messy, shrewd, impatient, but insightful. Turner is quiet, logical, careful, meticulous, persitent and impervious to the attentions of the press. They work through the requirements of their cases carefully but politely (at least Turner is polite) disregarding the calls from the mayor or the governor or the commissioner.
Although the investigations are interesting, it is the personal side of Turner's character that often captures and holds this reader. Paul is a single parent with two sons, one an lively, athletic, social heterosexual teenager named Brian, and the other, Jeff, a sensitive ten year old who has spinal bifida and uses a wheelchair and crutches to get around. Jeff sometimes has medical emergencies that require Paul to be an adept family manager. Paul's wife is deceased and he is out as a gay man to his colleagues and close circle of friends. The writer frequently illustrates the difficulties of being a gay parent, such as explaining his sexual preference when his sons come home from school unhappy because other kids have made remarks. Turner has an excellent relationship with the two boys, both of whom are treated with a good deal of respect by the author. In fact it is interesting to see how Paul handles some of the issues of parenting in general--weekends away, using the car, peer pressure, etc. The two boys are intelligent and thoughtful and very close to their dad.
Zubro also raises the issue of the homophobic work environment. In one book, Paul's lover Ben calls the station because he has heard that a detective was injured. He is rebuffed by the officer who takes the call because he is calling about "that faggot". If Ben had been a mother or wife, he would have gotten through. As it was he was forced to wait several hours to find out that Paul was all right. Ben's fear that he would not be able to get to Paul if Paul were hurt has a temporarily negative effect on their relationship and they to do some work in order to get their partnership back on track.
There is some good sex in these books. When Paul and Ben manage to steal a few moments from Paul's long hours and family responsibilities and Ben's car repair business, their lovemaking is intense and arousing. They grow closer as the series goes on and we wonder whether or not they will be able to get together permanently as a couple.
I find these books interesting because they explore the family side of being a single gay parent as well as being solid police procedurals. No other books that I have read on this list attend to fatherhood. This makes them unique because the problems Turner faces are often different from those of other fictional detectives due to his love for and responsibility to his two sons.
