For some reason, there seems to be an escalating amount of gay satirical crime fiction…coming out…at present. Witness James Lear’s mixture of smut and sleuthing.

What lies in the back passage of a stately English manor house in 1925? Initially, Edward (Mitch) Mitchell is far more interested in other sorts of back passages, primarily the one that belongs to “Boy” Morgan, a cute twenty-something rower. However, one of the servants is murdered, and no, this time the butler didn’t do it- he’s an eightysomething voyeur who likes spying on younger male servants. And what is the secret of the stern and sinister housekeeper?

Whodunnit, and why? Mitch explores sundry back passages of both sorts in his quest for the truth, such as the decadent aristocrat Leonard Eagle; slutty chauffeur Hibbert; “Boy” Mason, a rowing chum (who isn’t, any more…); Barrett, a (…) probing (…) investigative journalist; and PC Bill Shipton, a very fair cop. Pity the same can’t be said for the sadistic PC Kennington, whose interest in police interrogation and uniforms is more than professional.

Blackmail, police corruption, voyeurism, exhibitionism, spyholes and secret (…) passages abound in this little volume. If you’ve ever wondered about what Agatha Christie would be like on Ecstacy, this is your chance to find out!

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James Lear: The Back Passage: San Francisco: Cleis Press: 2007