As someone who would love to read noir detective stories but never loved any of the them due to inherent racism, misogyny, homophobia, and bleak alienation that can crop up in otherwise interesting noir books, the Evander Mills series has been exactly what I've needed this whole time. What a blessing to have stories that feature a private detective who is a genuinely kind and compassionate man.

Andy is a great protagonist for this series and each of the books has mysteries connected to different aspects of queer culture in an often-overlooked period in history. While the stories have him, his clients and those he cares for at constant risk due to who they are and whom they love, the bonds Andy forms with his community keeps the reader hopeful even at times when things seem bleak.

I could go into the plot for this mystery, but I won't. If you've reached book 4 of this series, then you know what you are in for and I don't want to spoil the fun. I will assure you that it is all of your favorite aspects of this series -- Andy, his found family, both new friends and old, doing their best in a world set against them -- as well as a well-crafted mystery that dives into the queer experience. I hope there are more Evander Mills mysteries because I can never seem to get enough of them.

I listened the the audiobooks for this series and I cannot recommend them strong enough. Vikas Adam makes Andy sound like a classic radio detective and does such a great job with the narration.