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    Review of WEARING BLACK TO THE WHITE PARTY by David Stukas

    Kensington Books, August 2003

    Robert and Michael head from New York to Palm Springs, California, to attend the gay party of the year. According to its organizer and sometime boyfriend to Michael, Rex, the Red Party will be big--even bigger than the annual White Party which has been the class act of gay America up until then. Of course, throwing such a party creates waves--and these include extortion notes. As Michael and Robert hang out with Rex, the threats become terribly real and Rex is nearly killed. Calling on his lesbian friend Monette, Robert decides to investigate. Michael would investigate too, except he is too caught up in the need to find frequent and kinky sex.

    WEARING BLACK TO THE WHITE PARTY has all of the elements of a fun mystery--odd characters as both suspects and protagonists, a (for most of us) strange but interesting environment in which the action takes place, and plenty of fast dialogue. As a result, I really wanted to love this book. I found, however, that I couldn't get into the characters. I wasn't sure what was motivating Robert to push the investigation, why he stayed friends with Michael who is obviously a complete narcisisst, and what the point of the huge highway dildo is.

    Author David Stukas intended to write a funny book and WEARING BLACK does include some good lines and some cute moments. The huge dildo in the road and some of the dialogue between Michael and Robert stands out as quite good. For me, the humor didn't really seem integral to the story, however. What the dildo had to do with anything I'm not sure.

    WEARING BLACK is interesting and shows a lot of potential. I'll look forward to the next book in this series to see if Stukas can put the potential together and deliver a really funny mystery with really involving characters that I can care about.

    Two Stars

    Reviewed 10/30/03

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