The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch

While I am a huge fan of lgbt romances, I longed for genre books that had lgbt characters but little to no romance subplots, just queers living their lives. This book delivers in spades.

Henry Milch is a 20 something that acts like a teenager, and doesn't really believe in things like personal responsibilities. He also likes the pills. After an unfortunate accident, he is sent to live with his very conservative grandmother. When he uncovers a dead body, and the dead body comes with a reward attached, he realises he's got a way out of this sleepy little, judgemental town. In the search for the killer, Henry finds himself drawn into the town's history, gay community, and churches.

Henry is not the most likable of protagonists, and I liked that just fine. You don't always need to have a likable protagonist to root for them. And despite Henry being exasperatingly naive and in denial, I found myself hoping that by the end of the book he's progressed as a character. And he does.

The mystery was solid, the side characters fascinating, and Thornton has that claustrophobic small town feel down pat.

Henry Milch is AMAZING the character is at first arrogant and drove me insane, but overtime I was able to fall over heels for him and understood him and why he was the way he was. The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch is a summer must read! A great book totally driven by intense intriguing suspense.

4 stars

I’ve currently been on a LGBTQIA book binge recently and I absolutely loved this one!

I totally connected with Henry and even though at first, his character needed liking. He eventually grew on me because we all, one time or another, have done something that we could have ended up as Henry ;)

I really enjoyed this book, I managed to read this in two sittings - in the current global situation, it was nice to be somewhere else. It was an easy read that had believable characters and an excellent plot! I loved the character of Henry and found myself rooting for him throughout the book and that his life would be changed completely for the better.

An excellent 5 star read! Thank you!

This book is about a teenager, Henry who thinks he is free from responsibilities. He also has a party life where he is addicted to pills. After a scary incident he is sent to live with his Grandma in a small judge mental town. While working he finds a dead body and is sent all around this town on a search to find the killer. I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I’m big into mysteries, however I wasn’t big on this one. I was not a fan of Henry because of how he acted early on in the book - so ignorant and free of responsibilities. By the end of the book he had progressed which was good. I’m giving this book a 4 stars because the mystery was ok, and the author did have solid details when it came to the town.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I won't lie, to start with I thought the character of Henry was really arrogant and I didn't like him one bit. But as the book went on he grew on me more and more.
This book was absolutely wonderful! I love an LGBTQ+ subplot and this was perfect!
Sometimes with a YA Mystery it could be a little predictable and cliche, however The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch kept me guessing with every page. Brilliant.
This book has to be this summers must read, and the most enjoyable book I have read in a long time.
LOVED IT,

Twenty-four-year-old druggie-in-denial Henry “Mooch” Milch finds himself whisked from a life he loved as an out gay man in West Hollywood to the insular Wyandot County just south of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. His Rush Limbaugh-loving granny (herself in denial over her grandson’s sexuality) arranges for a part-time gig with the local nature conservancy. Needless today, all that Mooch can think about is how to get back to Cali as quickly as possible.

A corpse found in the snow gives Mooch his chance. If he can just come up with some information that leads to an arrest, he’ll have a whopping $15,000 in reward money to use to make his escape. And so the sleuthing begins.

Marshall Thornton has developed a humorous novel that’s a great window back into 2003, when the crazies were just beginning to lose their minds, and the middle of the country was 20 years — or more — behind the Coasts. I loved the mystery, I loved Thornton’s deft touch, and I love, love, love Mooch Milch. I can’t wait for the next book!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review.

Marshall Thornton is the award-winning author of the Boystown (Chicago in the early 1980's) and Pinx Mystery (L.A. in the 1990's) series and his newest series is set in small-town Michigan in 2003.

20-something Henry Milch was working as a barista and partying nightly with his best friend Vinnie in West Hollywood, when his overdose (and subsequent 5150 initiated by his mother) results in Henry being banished to Wyandot County in the care of his fesity gun-toting conservative grandmother Nana Cole, who prays he will settle down with a nice girl (which is definitely NOT going to happen.)

Henry has a part-time job with the Wyandot County Land Conservancy (something to do with easements - he's not quite sure) and when he finds a dead body and learns there is a $15,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the killer, Henry decides to solve the murder, collect the money and get back to California.

There is an interesting cast of characters here as Henry works to solve the mystery and the plot will hold your interest as Henry delves into clues and examines relationships that might lead to the solution. But the best part of this book, IMHO, is getting to know Henry in all his early 20's irresponsibility.

Henry coasts along partying with Vinnie, secure in the knowledge that he is hot stuff in West Hollywood on a Saturday night, not really tuned into the fact that yeah, he does have a bit of a drug problem, and not quite getting it that his nickname ("Yeah, People call me Mooch") is never going to happen .... ever. His credo for dealing with his grandmother and all parental types is:

"The thing about parents - or in this case grandparents - is that if you don't make their controlling your life as agonizing as humanly possible they'll just do it more and more. [...] The wisest court of action is terrorizing them to the point where they barely want to speak to you."

Thornton gives us an abundantly screwed up MC who is finally growing up, without making his slow awakening seems like an afterschool special. Henry has still got a lot of work to do, but I find myself cheering for him and hoping that we'll have many more books in this series to watch his progress. 4 stars.

The less than specular times of Henry Milch by Marshall Thornton is a LGBT murder mystery set in the early 2000’s. Following Henry Milch (Mooch) who in an attempt to collect a cash reward tries to find a murderer in his new home town.
With the easy writing and burning mystery i managed to read in one day, unable to put it down without finding out the next clue that would help Mooch figure out the puzzle. Delving into Henry’s past with drugs and former life in LA was an extra story i enjoyed unfolding as his character progressed throughout giving an extra depth to the narrative.
I believe we were supposed to dislike Mooch too a certain extent and I found I had a burning hatred for him for all of five minutes before falling in love with his quirks and frankly dysfunctional character and rooting for him to get out of his downward spiral. His development seemed slow at points, which is expected as for most of the book he was in denial about his problem saying several times he was just ‘having a good time’ and not an addict.
The prominent gay rights themes were well developed and explored accurately for a small town in 2003. Even if the homophobia and slurs made my skin crawl I appreciate books that don’t dance around these important issues as it helps to understand how things used to be to see how far we still have left to go. The HIV clinic that murder victim Sammy set up was an addition I hadn’t been expecting but proud to see as characters tried to battle the stigma attached to the disease.
The ending tied the mystery up perfectly connecting all the dots between the clues we watched him find throughout. Although this is true it felt a little bit rushed especially after the slow paced story up until that point. I also think the relationship resolution with his grandma felt rushed, pushing them for a connection in the very end. I would love to see more of Henry and look forward to seeing if we will in the future.
Overall it was a super easy read and I recommend it to anyone who wants an amazing mystery or to anyone who enjoys LGBT books. Thank you to Netgally for sending me a copy I can’t wait to check out more Marshall Thornton titles.

When 24 year old club kid, Henry, leaves LA and is sent to live with his Nana in conservative northern lower Michigan, he realizes that the only way to get back to his West Hollywood life is to solve a murder and collect the reward. The dichotomy of the LA club scene and the rural life of small town conservative Michigan is exposed. The mystery is well developed. But the joy of this novel is the characters. Henry, as well as the characters he meets in Wyandot, are fully developed and the narrative is played for all the humor this dichotomy reveals.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for this electronic version.

I'm intrigued...Will there be another? I hope so. I feel like we are just scratching the surface of these characters. The setting in West Hollywood has so much potential in this book. I also enjoyed the LGBT perspective and it was done really well. The writing was really descent and I enjoyed how easy and quick of a read this was.

The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch by Marshall Thornton is set in Wyandot County in Michgan. There used to be a Wyandot County but it became Cheboygan County in 1853. It seems funny to hear the author refer to the area as the Northern Lower Michigan. It’s accurate. People always forget about the Upper Peninsula.

Henry Milch has recently moved to Michigan from Hollywood, California in order to live with his grandma. Henry had a choice between living with Nana Cole or going to rehab after an overdose. He’s still a drug addict and not always completely honest with anyone. He wants everyone to call him “Mooch” but it doesn’t stick. It’s a horrible nickname. Who really wants to be called “Mooch?”

Henry finds the body of Sammy Hart while working for a local land conservancy. There’s a reward offered for information about Sammy’s death. Henry’s motivation for finding Sammy’s killer is greed. He wants the money so he can move back to Hollywood.

Sammy was an interesting person while he was alive. He was an openly gay man living in a conservative area of Michigan. Unfortunately for Henry, the first gay person in the area that he meets is also deceased. Henry is also gay. He has only told a handful of people in Michigan.

Henry finds out everything he can about Sammy. Who would want to kill him? Was it because he was gay or was there another reason? Henry is really hoping that he solves the case before anyone else. Nothing is more important to Henry than getting out of Michigan.

If you are looking for an interesting LGBTQIA murder mystery, then The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch is a good match.

If you’re close-minded about everything LGBTQIA, then you should start reading articles or books about how to not be a bigot. Come back to the book at a later time.

Links for Tolerance articles:

https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/59nz5z/how-to-deal-with-friends-family-who-are-racist-sexist-or-bigoted

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/publications/speak-up/six-steps-to-speak-up

https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/07/how-not-to-be-a-bigot/

I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

I'd call this a cozy mystery with more grit. Its enjoyable, Charaters are interesting and the mystery is satisfying. I am guessing readers will find Henry Milch to have more depth than we expect. I saw more under the surface in this book than I had expected.

This book was super interesting. The cover dragged me in and I wasn't expcting something so much fun and so enjoyable but I was surprised to find I liked this book more than I was expecting!

I loved reading The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch .

Marshall Thornton well constructed plotline is tight , beguiling and entertaining. His characters are three-dimensional , believable and engaging.

Re-read: Probably not
Recommend: Yes

I just reviewed The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch by Marshall Thornton. #TheLessThanSpectacularTimesofHenryMilch #NetGalley

What I really enjoyed about this story was the characters. Sometimes in murder mysteries the person solving the crime is very virtuous. Not so with Henry Milch (Mooch) the main character here.

Henry has difficulties with his mother, his grandmother is homophobic and he is stuck in a 'back of beyond' small town on her farm because he overdosed on prescription pills. As far as he is concerned he doesn't have a drug problem. It was all just a mistake. When he discovers a dead body he decides that he will solve the crime so that he can get the reward money and return to LA. Obviously this is easier said than done.

The supporting characters are a complex group of people. They have secrets, resentments, and a range of personal issues. I have to say that they really made the story great. When Henry starts to investigate he eventually realises that that life in this small town is as stressful and unpredictable as life in LA, just with less traffic.

The actual murder and the reasons for it didnt really grab me, but Henry and his sleuthing certainly did!

life should come with a manual
It definitely should for Henry "Mooch" Milch. Or at the very least, it should give him a how to get people to call you by your ridiculous nickname.

Mooch is exiled to Wyandot County after he finds himself in a rather precarious position. See, Mooch insists it was an accident but everyone else, including his neglectful mother thinks he has a death wish. And so Mooch is sentenced to a few months to Wyandot County where nearly everyone worships George Dubya. The place gave me the creeps to be honest. Especially his mild animal cruelty enthusiast of a grandmother.

The story is set in the early 2000s. The Iraq war, apple bottom jeans, Britney Spears and K Fed times. It felt like a time capsule before the advent of Facebook and my favourite online hellhole, Twitter. There is a lot of commentary of social political commentary of that era. I appreciated the nuanced discussions of HIV. And the way the author trusts you to infer things. None of that wink wink nudge nudge preachiness modern media feels the need to shove down our throats. I'm already woke Hollywood I don't need you to convince me. This book reminded me of Knives Out in that sense which too had a dynamic cast of characters who are flawed as it gets and the subtle commentary on immigration.

I won't lie, I enjoyed Knives Out a lot more than this book. Primarily because, while it is darkly humorous, there is not one likeable character except the murder victim and perhaps Mooch's dog. And a side character named Bev who makes the briefest of cameos as an obvious red herring. Mooch himself... grows on you? He's one of the most frustrating characters I've read this year. He makes you want to be a cheerleader for him. Figure it out Mooch, we're rooting for ya!

When Mooch discovers a body, he wants to investigate the murder himself for interesting reasons. He makes a horrible sleuth. I love an amateur sleuth as much as the next girl but you shouldn't take the amateur part a little too seriously.

This book is a neat little mystery that is often times hilarious with fleshed out characters and a Mooch in denial. There is no romance in it whatsoever. Perhaps one will pop up in the next books. I don't know if I am enthused to read the next books in the series but I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I'm curious to see Mooch's next misadventure.