I’m not a murder mystery sort of gay and don’t like working hard when it comes to my entertainment, please don’t make me figure out who did it. If I’m thinking that hard, I better be getting paid. Hell, even at my job, I only pretend to think that hard. However, “The Disaster Gay Detective Agency” by Lev AC Rosen is the perfect summertime Pride Month read for folks like me who want to get drawn into a story and just enjoy.
The Disaster Gay Detective Agency isn’t an agency at all, it’s just four twenty-something friends, who are each disasters in their own right. They are delusional and broken but loyal. Brandon’s the gay hotel clerk and hopeless romantic who’s quick to fall in love, Ollie is the trans stoner dogwalker and nomad who is down for anything, Nicole is the lesbian workaholic lawyer who tries to be the responsible one, and Ian’s the nonbinary bookstore employee and drag queen who’s snarky and focused on stalking their ex.
They band together to track down Brandon’s one night stand, who he believes he’s destined to be with, and solve a murder they witness along the way. The murder takes a backseat to each friend’s story line and their relationships to each other, which makes it funny and sweet, in my gay opinion. Each chapter is written from different character’s perspectives, sometimes overlapping time lines and events, giving the reader different points of view and I love the hysterical group text chats.
I first became interested in the book because RJ Julia Booksellers had Lev in to talk about it and sign copies. A perfect stalking opportunity, Ian would be proud. From the discussion, I learned Pete the dog is based on a friend’s canine pal, Lev felt the book would have a soundtrack by Zee Machine (who I love), and it’s hopefully going to be the first in a two or four book series. The second one may be out next June and I’m already looking forward to it.
