A complex plot and a well paced story but I just didn’t warm to the characters. This is set in the 1940’s and being gay is something you get blackmailed for. Detective Barrington is being blackmailed and is unsure how to proceed in a way that saves his job, his lover but still stops the criminal. The developments are all credible and the ancillary characters are excellent and the ending is well drawn. I couldn’t put my finger on what I felt was missing but maybe I couldn’t identify with the period or the place. I would certainly give David Pederson another try as his writing is faultless.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Fantastic!!! 

Detective Heath finds himself embroiled in a mysterious case of murder of a man who was blackmailing him. Desperate to uncover the truth, protecting his own secrets, Heath is out to prove he is innocent. Piecing together the clues, with Alan’s help they eventually discover that some of the suspects aren’t all they seem, and that this murder is indeed more mysterious than they could have imagined. 

This was brilliant! The mystery and the thrill of the plot made for a most exciting crime read with lots of clues and all that charm of the 1940s detective mystery scene. I adored the narrative and the air surrounding the story, especially where Health and Alan’s personal lives were concerned. They very much had to hide all they were to one another but the reader caught glimpses and got to intimately experience some of these moments when the two of them were alone. 

Death Overdue is the fifth book in the A Detective Heath Barrington Mystery series and as this was my first. I don’t usually read Male loving Male fictions, so this was also a first for me but I am totally sold on this series. I very much loved it and found myself gripped not only by the exciting plot but also the charming characters. And this also had a little women loving women hint too which was a nice surprise. All of the characters each brought their own unique personality to the story and charmed me in their own way. 

Heath is a lovely character, so charming and charismatic. I believed him every step of the way, and he was smart in uncovering clues and piecing together bits of the mystery. He was tactful, very observant and picked up on hints and theories that I couldn’t have even guessed. It was just little things, but he didn’t disappoint in adding a touch of class to this wonderful story. 

I very much look forward to reading more in this series, and will definitely pick up the previous books to learn more about Heath and Alan. Definitely, a fan! You can really tell that David has put such effort into the character research and profiles, and even the plots, making you feel really personally connected. I really can’t recommend this enough and loved this story so much!

This is a most interesting addition to an enthralling series, featuring a gay detective and his policeman partner in late 1940's Milwaukee. Although this works fine as a standalone, I would urge readers to start with "Death Comes Darkly" and follow the developing story of  Heath Barrington and Alan Keyes. It is good to see that books in the series have been nominated for LAMBDA  Literary Awards and I hope that eventually the author will be a winner.

Here attempted blackmail features in Heaths"s life. This was a common and frightening theme in the lives of gay men. I remember how shocked I felt in the relatively liberated 1970's when it emerged after his death that a family friend who was an eminent legal and political figure, honoured by Queen Elizabeth II, had been blackmailed because of his sexuality. 

When Heath's blackmailer is found murdered there are complicated situations and relationships to be investigated before a solution is found, a solution which many will find surprising.

Do read this thought-provoking novel. The historical setting is well-handled without overpowering the story, and the relationship between the two policemen continues to be sensitively and realistically-portrayed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the digital review copy.

I was so excited when this book came to my attention, given that it takes place in Milwaukee, my hometown.  The story takes place in the 1940s and follows police detective Heath Barrington, who is having a clandestine affair with another police officer, Alan Keyes.  Given that being gay during this time period could lead to arrest, being institutionalized, and certainly fired from one's job (especially if you're a police officer!), it's essential that the two men keep their relationship a secret.  

So when Heath receives a note that says, "I know what you are," his world crumbles.  As it turns out, a low-life named Larry Crowe, a janitor as the police station, is blackmailing him to the tune of $500, or else he will tell everyone about Heath and Alan's secret. After Heath meets with Larry, Heath, after having consumed several double-martinis at a local bar, decides to return to Larry's apartment, perhaps to further negotiate with him. Heath's not sure because he doesn't remember anything after having left the bar —  which is unfortunate because Larry was found murdered later that afternoon.  Heath then becomes the prime suspect in Larry’s murder.  And the kicker is that he's not even certain of his own innocence given that the events of that afternoon for Heath are a complete blank and it’s not inconceivable that in his drunken state, he returned back to Larry’s apartment and killed him given that Larry was threatening him with utter ruin.

So even though it's against the rules and could land Heath in some significant hot water, he, along with Alan, decides to investigate the crime and attempt to discover what really happened that afternoon.  Luckily for Heath, he’s not the only suspect.  We also have Heath's cousin Liz who was married to the blackmailer, a dangerous gangster known as Vinnie the Horse, and Miss Caldwell, the local librarian who seems to be sweet on Larry's current wife, Alice.

I loved the underlying tension throughout the story as we, along with Heath and Alan, journeyed to discover whether Heath did, in fact, kill Larry Crowe.  The suspense is taut, but there is an emotional element at play here, and the story expertly portrayed the difficulties that gay people faced during this time period and how they always had to be extremely careful of what they said or how they acted, lest they find themselves in a whole heap of hot water.  In this way, the author does a phenomenal job of portraying the atmosphere of a 1940s Milwaukee as well as illustrating the danger in being outed and how quickly it could quickly destroy lives, all of which really brought the story to life for me.

Additionally, the book explores some very real concerns about spousal abuse, intolerance, regret, secrets, and discrimination, and my heart broke in so several places as it was quite a traumatic roller coaster of a ride.  I was overwhelmed with the deep impact portions of this story produced on me.

It was still a lot of fun to unravel the mystery of what happened to Larry Crowe, and what we end up with then is a twisted and suspenseful little mystery that entangles secrets, identity, and murder.  Death Overdue is a masterful historical fiction set in the late 1940s that illuminates the very real issues of discrimination and intolerance. Moreover, it's a well-written, lovely, eloquent, and engaging story with a twisty little mystery to solve. I definitely plan on picking up more books by this author.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this novel.

Pederson's latest book, set in Milwaukee in the late 1940's where homosexuality was still illegal, is his best to date. Detective Heath Barrington has a very personal stake in the case as the murder / mystery involves a man attempting to blackmail Heath over his relationship with Office Alan Keyes.

We really get a sense of how difficult it was to be a gay man in this period of time, always on guard and never sure of anyone's motivations. Heath inserts himself in the middle of a murder investigation where he needs to solve the case without making anyone in the department aware of the blackmail and why he is being targeted.

The author, as always, does an exceptional job with the time period and gives us all the little details that make 1948 spring to life. The characters here are nicely fleshed-out and we also get some insight into what life was like for queer women as well. The array of suspects keeps our interest as Heath works through the clues and slowly resolves the case, giving us a bittersweet ending.

This book works for me because we got a more personal view of Heath and Alan's relationship as well as a keen view of societal attitudes. 4.5 stars for "Death Overdue."

Part of the Detective Heath Barrington series set in  Milwaukee 1947.
Heath is being blackmailed by the Police Station janitor Larry Crowe who had been married to Heath’s cousin Liz.
Larry is blackmailing Heath over his relationship with Alan Keyes - this would have been scandalous in the forties. He wants 500 dollars or else he will tell their secret.
Heath meets him on the Saturday afternoon afterwards he gets drunk , only coming round on the Sunday morning feeling awful and not remembering anything about the previous evening.
Alan phones to tell him that Crow is dead.
Heath and Alan set out to find the truth which hopefully means Heath didn’t kill him - luckily there’s are several other potential suspects, including Heath’s cousin Liz. and the local librarian.
Slow paced and old fashioned thriller , in step with the time it is set. The fear that homosexuals had of being discovered and outed is handled well.