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Mystery & Crime
Tropic of Murder: A Nick Hoffman Mystery by Lev Raphael β€” book cover

Tropic of Murder: A Nick Hoffman Mystery

by Lev Raphael
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Overview

It's winter, but academic madness is in full bloom at the State University of Michigan. Untenured English professor Nick Hoffman is just trying to keep out of the line of fire. In an intense atmosphere of mounting crisis, he is desperate for a quick getaway, so his partner, Stefan, suggests an idyllic week at a Caribbean Club Med. The island of Serenity, however, proves to be anything but serene. Once again, Edith Wharton scholar Nick Hoffman, who grew up in New York City without even being mugged, finds himself face-to-face with murder.

Synopsis

It's winter, but academic madness is in full bloom at the State University of Michigan. Untenured English professor Nick Hoffman is just trying to keep out of the line of fire. In an intense atmosphere of mounting crisis, he is desperate for a quick getaway, so his partner, Stefan, suggests an idyllic week at a Caribbean Club Med. The island of Serenity, however, proves to be anything but serene. Once again, Edith Wharton scholar Nick Hoffman, who grew up in New York City without even being mugged, finds himself face-to-face with murder.

Library Journal

Untenured professor Nick Hoffman (The Edith Wharton Murders) and partner Stefan vacation in the Caribbean to escape chaos at the State University of Michigan, where the provost has assigned an unpopular choice to be department chair. Their problems, however, follow them to Serenity Island: some important people whom Nick needs to investigate are there and not by coincidence. The murder of the resort's manager takes priority, though. Once again, academic politics are set off by memorable characters, salient observations, and extremes of temperature/location. For series fans and gay mystery collections. Raphael, a Lambda Literary Award winner, lives in Okemos, MI. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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Editorials

Library Journal

Untenured professor Nick Hoffman (The Edith Wharton Murders) and partner Stefan vacation in the Caribbean to escape chaos at the State University of Michigan, where the provost has assigned an unpopular choice to be department chair. Their problems, however, follow them to Serenity Island: some important people whom Nick needs to investigate are there and not by coincidence. The murder of the resort's manager takes priority, though. Once again, academic politics are set off by memorable characters, salient observations, and extremes of temperature/location. For series fans and gay mystery collections. Raphael, a Lambda Literary Award winner, lives in Okemos, MI. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

English prof Nick Hoffman takes a break from his academic woes-but not from sleuthing-when a Club Med getaway turns lethal. As if threats and a mugging (Burning Down the House, 2001) weren't trouble enough, now Hoffman is faced with State University of Michigan's provost Merry Glinka's peremptory appointment of Byron Summerscale to chair English, American Studies, and Rhetoric (EAR). Summerscale makes it clear that he doesn't consider Nick a team player, preferring wannabe jocks like Larry Rick, Les Peterman, and Martin Wardell. So Nick's longtime lover, Stefan Borowski, suggests moving up their Caribbean vacation, and the two depart for the tropical paradise of Serenity. What Nick wants is a week of fun in the sun without department politics or nagging doubts brought on by his hetero crush on Canadian Studies dreamboat Juno Dromgoole. What he gets is an unexpected appearance by Peter de Jonge-the grad student who hassled him back home about investigating a conspiracy involving Nick's assault, Juno's not-so-accidental car crash, SUM's Whiteness Studies Program, the appointment of departmental liaisons to spy on each other on behalf of the administration-and of course the inevitable corpse. Another trip into crime-solving and his growing discomfort at SUM leave Nick wondering whether he's really in the right line of work. Raphael's wit is sharp as ever, though his complicated plot yields a solution far too pedestrian for its build-up.

Book Details

Published
September 1, 2004
Publisher
Daniel, John & Company, Publishers
Pages
216
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781880284681

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