The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

A Pinchbeck Bride (A Mark Winslow Mystery)
By Stephen Anable
Poisoned Pen Press, 2011
Five stars

I don’t know how I missed these books the first time around. Stephen Anable is a literate, observant writer, who imbues his mystery with a sense of place, and offers up rich characters whose interaction drives the story forward.

Mark Winslow is a stand-up comic (formerly in advertising), who shares an elegant little condo with his husband Roberto overlook the Boston Common. Invited to join the board of a historic house museum in the Back Bay, Mark gets caught up in a gruesome murder that makes headlines all around the world. As he explores the people involved with the old house—which itself has a fairly gruesome back story—Mark begins to wonder about the influence of the house itself on the sinister events that take place there.

Anable brings in a whole slew of quirky characters, and cleverly manipulates the reader’s perception of this colorful and motley crew. He spices his dialogue with wry commentary and forces us to look at the possible motivations each disparate character brings to the drama. The story of the Mingo family, whose house has been preserved in amber, becomes inextricably intertwined with the very contemporary stories of each of the characters.

Plus, Mingo House in this book is surely inspired by an actual Back Bay house museum. As someone who managed a Victorian house museum for my entire career, I loved the way the house becomes a character—or at least a haunting presence—in this tale.