In Murder Most Gay by John Simpson, someone is raping and killing gay young men in Prince George County, Maryland. With the gay community in an uproar and the police department under a lot of pressure to catch the perpetrator, Private Pat St. James, a young police officer fresh out of the academy and out on his first patrols, is tapped to help investigate the murders. He and his new partner are sent undercover to local gay hangouts as part of the investigation. The gay scene is nothing new to Pat, who is homosexual and has a very active social life. He is stunned when asked to portray the very thing that he has been trying to conceal from the police force, however. He is equally surprised to find out that his partner is gay as well and is likewise attempting to hide his nature. As time passes and the murders continue, the pressure escalates, and Pat must place his life in danger and his trust in his partner in order to bring the killer to justice.

This is an interesting and fast-paced novel that will appeal to lovers of police procedurals. The main character, Patrick St. James, is quite engaging. Readers will appreciate the struggle that he goes through as he tries to portray a gay man for his job while still concealing the fact that he is gay himself. He fears that if his sexuality is discovered, his career with the police force would end before it even begins. While the dialogue in this novel is sometimes a little stilted, the action is fast paced and the story is tightly plotted. Murder Most Gay features a lot of characters and plenty of action, and Mr. Simpson keeps it all neatly under control throughout the novel. This reader hung in suspense until the very end of the story and enjoyed the read very much.

Reviewed by: Whitney