Domestic Partners in Crime #4
I’ve enjoyed the first three books in this series, which features writer Peter Penwell and actor JP Broadway adding sleuthing to their busy lives. Somehow, bodies keep turning up, no matter what they do. They also are hosts of a house reno show on “HDTV” – a show that sounds like HGTV’s sadly departed Bargain Block. In this outing, however, the home reno is taking backstage to a drag show, which they’ve agreed to participate in for charity.
The strongest part of this novel is the explication and definition of the drag community, and the reasons why people are a part of it. As Peter and JP join the group they are introduced as drag “sisters” who will learn techniques from the older queens. In loving detail, Polito provides rich descriptions of the makeup and fashion that go into a drag presentation. I loved that this was a universe where these men felt safe and accepted. Like every other bubble in the world, though, bad things sometimes happen.
As Polito sets up the characters of the queens – all of whom have a type of house in their name, tying to the club’s moniker “Haus of Houses” – we are introduced to the women who make up the show, and as Peter and JP are a part of this particular show, they have a front row seat to what follows. One of the queens has just made the cast of Top Drag Superstar and there’s some jealousy among the others as Melody, the one who has made it, is one of the younger members of the group.
When Melody is found – and I must say, wittily, dispatched – the evening of the show, the sleuthing is on, especially as JP and Peter’s buddy, Steven/Harmony House is accused of the crime. Despite the drag trappings, this is really a very traditional cozy, where Peter and JP start investigating despite being told by the police to stay out of it. They go from queen to queen in turn, finding informational nuggets along the way.
In return for some information they also end up agreeing to renovate one of the queen’s houses, a typical two bed one bath Detroit bungalow. (It was incredibly familiar to me as I live in a slightly larger version of the same house.) However, Peter can’t resist snooping when the owner is away, something that really gets him in some trouble.
While Peter attempts to stay safe he still ends up in a dark warehouse in the middle of the night alone (except for JP). Any serious reader of mysteries could have told him that this is a terrible, terrible mistake. Mostly, though, their sleuthing goes pretty well, even though they leave the police, in the form of the cleverly named Detective Paczki, out of their discoveries until the last minute.
These are Detroit reads through and through, even with the slight change of the names of the towns where JP and Peter and their family and friends live and work. The midwestern “chillax” on the parts of both Peter and JP is also regional, as despite some fears and anxieties the two men push onward to a solution. They are a sweet couple who live in a renovated craftsman house with their two dogs (who I must say are really very patient and well behaved). While the reveal of the killer wasn’t a complete shock I still enjoyed this affectionate tour of the drag community, and I really enjoy Peter and JP. Luckily, Polito has left a large hanging thread to explore in the next novel. — Robin Agnew