Fadeout

When insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter made his first appearance in 1970, looking into the suspicious death claim of a small-town radio personality (whose car plummeted into an arroyo during a torrential rainstorm but whose body was never found), he no doubt took some readers by surprise. A straight-shooting, tough but compassionate sleuth, in the mold of Ross Macdonald's psychologically astute Lew Archer, Brandstetter was cool and confident and happened to be gay. Even more surprising for some readers was how little they cared about his gayness once Hansen's stylish, skillfully constructed mystery took hold, wittily played in a minor key against a vivid Southern California backdrop. It would be the first of a dozen compelling mysteries (all to be reissued by Soho this year) that sensitively delve into the traumas of gay and straight characters alike. VERDICT A pioneering work of gay fiction featuring one of the most appealing and sympathetic sleuths ever. A sure bet for even the smallest of mystery collections.