Down River, [by] Lona Rae. New York City: Tower Books, [1981.] 256p.

Travel on the Ohio River in 1805 is treacherous at best, and Andrew McLeish encouters his share of thrills and adventures as he makes his first trip from Pittsburgh to Natchez as captain of his own keelboat, the Miranda, carrying a valuable load of rye whiskey. With his fortune and reputation at stake, Andy boldly faces both natural and man-made obstacles, but the one problem that confounds him and changes the entire course of his life is a woman that he and his crew rescue from the river after her escape from pirates at Cave-In-Rock. Love and adventure mingle, but love wins out in this frontier novel with views of early Shawneetown, Cave-In-Rock, and Fort Massac, Illinois.

A Body in Belmont Harbor, [by] Michael Raleigh. New York: St. Martin's Press, [1993.] 277p.

Chicago private investigator Paul Whelan is busy looking into the business affairs of High Pair Enterprises for the wife of a High Pair CEO who has recently died in a fire on his yacht in Chicago's Belmont Harbor. The death of a small-time drug dealer and bookie near the same spot seems to hold no relevance for investigating police, but Whelan can't seem to get it off his mind. When all the pieces finally fit, it takes some fancy footwork on Whelan's part to resolve the case and avoid going down with the ship. This is Raleigh's second Paul Whelan mystery.

Booklist, 3/15/1993, p. 1300. Kirkus, 1/1/1993, p. 27. Publishers Weekly, 1/18/1993, p. 452.

Death in Uptown, [by] Michael Raleigh. New York: St. Martin's Press, [1991.] 247p.

Raleigh's first Paul Whelan mystery introduces Paul as a native of Chicago's Uptown area, a neighborhood in transition, where drink and drugs and other social ills are common to the streets, and murder can occur in a back alley without attracting much attention. The murder of Whelan's best friend from high school days proves to be such a case, until Whelan decides to investigate it on his own. A private investigator, whose specialty is finding people who have disappeared, Whelan quickly discovers he is in over his head, as police investigators harass him for meddling, while the street people distrust him for the same reason.

Booklist, 8/1991, p. 2106. Booklist, 8/1991, p. 2112. Kirkus, 7/1/1991, p. 828. Publishers Weekly, 6/21/1991, p. 54.

Killer on Argyle Street, [by] Michael Raleigh. New York: St. Martin's Press, [1995.] 248p.

Chicago's ethnically mixed Uptown neighborhood is the most likely place for private investigator Paul Whelan to start when he is hired to find a missing teenager known to be involved with an auto theft ring and chop shop. The kid proves illusive and the police less than helpful; meanwhile, a stabbing here, a shooting there encourage Whelan to escalate his investigation.

Booklist, 9/15/1995, p. 144. Chicago Tribune Books, 10/1/1995, p. 4. Kirkus, 9/1/1995, p. 1227. N. Y. Times Book Review, 10/22/1995, p. 35. Publishers Weekly, 8/14/1995, p. 74.

The Maxwell Street Blues; A Chicago Mystery Featuring Paul Whelan, [by] Michael Raleigh. New York: St. Martin's Press, [1994] 280p.

Chicago P. I. Paul Whelan knows the city intimately, and uses his street smarts to track down an elderly black man and his murderer in Chicago's Maxwell Street open-air flea market area.

Armchair Detective, Fall/1995, p. 383. Booklist, 9/1/1994, p. 27. Chicago Tribune Books, 9/4/1994, p. 5. Library Journal, 6/1/1995, p. 522. N. Y. Times Book Review, 11/6/1994, p. 41.

Girls in High Places, A Novel by Sugar Rautbord and Elizabeth Nickles. New York and Scarborough, Ontario: NAL Books; New American Library, [1986.] 437p.

Catherine McBride is hired by Intercon Corporation of Chicago to be executive assistant to Graham Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of the company, and begins her steady and well orchestrated climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Previous experience and a natural proclivity for business speed her ascent, until she decides to conquer the boss as well as his company. An affair with Donaldson proves less than satisfactory, however, for he plays willingly, but cleaves steadfastly to Eve, his wife of thirty years. An interesting collaboration between a business woman and a Chicago socialite, Girls in High Places, is chock full of business savvy and tidbits about the Chicago social scene, with more than a little violence and intrigue thrown in for spice.

Booklist, 1/13/1987, p. 684. Kirkus, 11/15/1986, p. 1682. Library Journal, 12/1986, p. 140. Publishers Weekly, 11/14/1986, p. 53.

Bury It Deep, [by] Sam Reaves. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1993.] 272p.

Part-time Chicago cabby, Cooper MacLeish, becomes the target for a former mob hit-man as he attempts to help a journalist friend get a story in this, his third novel. Determined to free himself from the fear of being killed, Cooper sets out to solve the case, and in so doing uncovers past political chicanery with the potential for influencing an upcoming election.

Kirkus, 6/15/1993, p. 755. Library Journal, 8/1993, p. 158. Publishers Weekly, 7/26/1993, p. 61.

Fear Will Do It, [by] Sam Reaves. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1992.] 269p.

Life seems pretty good to Cooper MacLeish. He has a home, a job, stability, and a woman who loves him. Then a specter from Diana's past drags her into a plot involving blackmail, revenge, and murder. How they deal with their problem and their future promises additional adventures from Reaves pen. This is Reaves' second novel featuring Cooper MacLeish.

Booklist, 2/15/1992, p. 1091. Kirkus, 2/15/1992, p. 80. Library Journal, 3/1/1992, p. 123. Publishers Weekly, 1/27/1992, p. 91.

A Long Cold Fall, [by] Sam Reaves. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1991.] 255p.

Chicago cabby, Cooper MacLeish, reads of a suicide in the Chicago Tribune and realizes that the victim is a woman whom he had loved during his college years. Attending the funeral leads to involvement in a search for the dead woman's missing son, the revelation that he is probably the boy's father, and a suggestion that her death may have been murder rather than suicide.

Booklist, 1/15/1991, p. 1010. Kirkus, 12/1/1990, p. 1643. L. A. Times Book Review, 2/10/1991, p. 9. N. Y. Times Book Review, 2/24/1991, p. 31. Publishers Weekly, 11/30/1990, p. 60.

Sex With Strangers, [by] Geoffrey Rees. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux: [1983.] 245p.

Thomas Hobart's college years provide a time for him to grow emotionally and begin to experience variances of love. On his journey to Chicago where he will attend the University, Thomas meets Dennis, the train conductor, and begins a sexual relationship that lasts for a full year, until Dennis decides to take it beyond the sex-only bounds that have defined it up to that time. Moving to New York City, Thomas meets Stuart and falls desperately in love, emerging himself totally into Stuart's bohemian lifestyle, to the point of desperation.

The Branch, by Mike Resnick. [New York:] New American Library; A Signet Book, [1984.] 191p.

Solomon Moody Moore, Chicago rackets boss in 2047, discovers and becomes obsessed with a seemingly insignificant drifter known as Jeremiah. As conflict and animosity grow between the two, a deadly game of cat and mouse develops, which convinces Moore of Jeremiah's indestructible nature. It is Moore who first recognizes Jeremiah for what he is--the Messiah, returned to fulfill the prophecies of the Jewish and Christian religions. If Jeremiah is the Messiah, then Moore is his Elijah, reluctant though he may be to play the role. What begins as a rather typical science fiction novel assumes a deeper philosophical meaning as churches, governments, and individuals form unlikely alliances to maintain the integrity of the established organization. What results is a gripping but disturbing tale of a God playing a deadly practical joke on an already troubled world.

Analog, 6/1984, p. 164. Fantasy Review, 8/1984, p. 22. Kliatt, Spring/1984, p. 12.Publishers Weekly, 12/23/1983, p 55. Science Fiction Review, 5/1994, p. 22.

But the Doctor Died, [by] Craig Rice. New York: Lancer Books, [1967.] 158p.

Chicago criminal lawyer, John J. Malone, often works with husband and wife team, Jake and Helene Justice, in tracking down evidence for building courtroom cases. In the process, crimes often get solved. This posthumously published novel takes on a slightly different twist, for Helene becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a noted psychiatrist, and refuses to cooperate with Malone in solving the crime.

Something in Common, by Robert Robin. New York: Simon and Schuster, [1985.] 252p.

Joel Stern had participated fully in a homosexual relationship during law school, but abandoned his lover just prior to graduation in order to marry a young woman who had been a friend of the two men during their college years. Fifteen years later, he and Catherine have two children, a home in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe, and a perfect marriage, from all appearances. The sudden death of Ted, Joel's former lover, revives many feelings from the past and precipitates a crisis in the marriage, forcing Joel and Catherine to seek a compromise, if not a reconciliation of differences, to keep the marriage intact. Robin presents a thoughtful and intuitive analysis of the conflicting feelings of love, lust, revulsion, and guilt that drive the bisexual man, and the frustrations that are inherent to the woman who loves him.

Booklist, 6/15/1985, p. 1437. Kirkus, 4/15/1985, p. 345. L. A. Times Book Review, 9/29/1985, p. 6. Library Journal, 7/1985, p. 96. N. Y. Times Book Review, 7/14/1985, p. 22 Publishers Weekly, 4/26/1985, p. 70.

Closet Case, A Novel by Robert Rodi. [New York:] A Dutton Book, [1993.] 330p.

A young Chicago executive fears for his job because of his gay sexual orientation until an hilarious chain of events shows him how he can have both the job and the man.

Advocate, 6/1/1993, p. 75. Booklist, 5/1/1993, p. 1572. Kirkus, 3/1/1993, p. 254. Lambda Book Report, 5/1993, p. 36. Library Journal, 4/15/1993, p. 127. Publishers Weekly, 4/5/1993, p. 67.

Drag Queen, [by] Robert Rodi. [New York: ] A Dutton Book, [1995.] 259p.

Gay attorney Mitchel Sayer is an associate in a prestigious Chicago law firm, and very up tight about the conflict between his private and professional lives. His twin brother Donald performs at a Chicago drag bar as the infamous Kitten Kaboodle, and seems to have no inhibitions. How the two brothers, separated in infancy and reared by different families, find each other and resolve their opposing life styles will elicit numerous chuckles.

Booklist, 11/15/1995, p. 536. Kirkus, 9/15/1995, p. 1304. L. A. Times Book Review, 12/24/1995, p. 8. Library Journal, 10/1/1995, p. 121. Publishers Weekly, 9/18/1995, p. 110.

Fag Hag, [by] Robert Rodi. [New York:] A Dutton Book, [1992.] 296p.

Natalie Stathis loves Peter Leland, and will do anything to keep him--a point she proves when Peter falls in love with another man. Set in contemporary Chicago.

Advocate, 1/28/1992, p. 72. Lambda Book Report, 5/1992, p. 45. Publishers Weekly, 12/13/1991, p. 46.

Kept Boy, [by] Robert Rodi. [New York:] A Dutton Book, [1996.] 323p.

For more than ten years Dennis Racine has lived with no visible means of support as the kept lover of brilliant, obscenely rich Chicago theater producer, Farleigh Nock. When Farleigh becomes enamored with Jasper Batton, his recently hired pool boy, Dennis determines to insure his position at whatever cost. The result is a fun-filled romp through Chicago and Greece, as Dennis and Jasper compete in dead earnest for the affections of the one man who can provide the life style each has come to take for granted.

Booklist, 11/1/1996, p. 482. Library Journal, 11/1/1996, p. 108. Publishers Weekly, 10/21/1996, p. 71.

What They Did to Princess Paragon, [by] Robert Rodi. [New York:] A Dutton Book, [1994.] 281p.

When comic book creator Brian Parrish turns comic super heroine Princess Paragon into a lesbian, an incensed fan takes matters into his own hands. The showdown comes at a Chicago comic book conference.

Booklist, 3/15/1994 p. 1328. Kirkus, 3/15/1994, p. 332. Lambda Book Report, 5/1994, p. 26. Library Journal, 4/15/1994, p. 114. Publishers Weekly, 3/7/1994, p. 52.

At the Shores, [by] Thomas Rogers. New York: Simon and Schuster, [1980.] 284p.

Jerry Engles comes of age in the turbulent 1940s, when war is ravaging Europe, and America is suffering through rationing and the war effort. To Jerry, far greater turmoil exists within himself as he struggles through adolescence. Laughter and tears both seem always ready to surface as he deals with the passions of his first real love, adjusts to the marriage of his older sister, visits his first prostitute, and plans hesitantly for a future with which he is not certain he can cope. The author has drawn a poignant and engaging picture of adolescence, set in Chicago and the Indiana dunes.

Kirkus, 9/1/1980, p. 1183. N. Y. Review of Books, 12/18/1980, p. 63. N. Y. Times Book Review, 11/23/1980, p. 15. Publishers Weekly, 9/26/1980, p. 117.

The Satyr Candidate; A Novel by Richard M. Rose. Hicksville, New York: Exposition Press, [1979.] 196p.

Jim Bannister, a state legislator from Chicago, is campaigning for reelection when a scandal breaks over an undeclared campaign contribution. Although an obvious frame, the senator does nothing to clear the record. When Bannister is murdered, Steve Redman, lawyer, former cop, and personal friend, combines law enforcement and legal skills with intuition, brazenness, and sheer determination in a one-man attempt at clearing his friend's name. What surfaces is dirty business and even dirtier politics.

Illinois! [by] Dana Fuller Ross [pseud.] Toronto, New York, London, Sydney [and] Aukland: Bantam Books, [1986.] 304p. (Wagons West, Eighteenth in a Series)

The eighteenth in a series of historical novels set primarily in the Midwest and West, Illinois! focuses on Toby Holt, of Oregon, who returns to Chicago and the southern Wisconsin area during the 1870s to investigate the possibilities of a lumbering project. During his stay in Chicago a major portion of the city burns to the ground, leaving thousands homeless and threatening a large area of the Wisconsin forest Holt had hoped to harvest. Obviously the Chicago fire has been well researched, and the introduction of historical characters such as Roswell Mason, mayor of Chicago, add credence to the story. However, the character of Toby Holt is larger than life and overshadows many of the real heroes of the tragedy.

A Little Ignorance, by Penelope Scambly Schott. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., Publishers; Distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc., [1986.] 232p.

At eight years old, Alison Walters is a little ignorant of the ways of the world, but at eight years old it doesn't matter. At age fourteen she wants to know the circumstances of her mother's death and the reasons for her father's persistent preoccupation. She is curious about Cousin Hanna's past and the baby clothes locked away in the attic across the hall from her room. She wonders about the shame that the family speaks of but never explains. She longs to meet her maternal grandparents, and wonders why they avoid her. On her fourteenth birthday her grandfather is buried, and in the confusion of grief and mourning, defenses are let down, and pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. Alison's reaction is extreme, but the crisis she precipitates serves to bring the family closer together and open doors that have been closed to her throughout her childhood. A Little Ignorance is set in New York and a Chicago suburb during the 1950s. Schott has recreated the era beautifully, and Alison's coming of age reveals a charm and dignity that is very appropriate to the era.

Best Sellers, 9/1986, p. 238. Booklist, 5/15/1986, p. 1359. Kirkus, 4/1/1986, p. 502. Ms, 8/1986, p. 77. N. Y. Times Book Review, 7/16/1986, p. 14. Publishers Weekly, 4/25/1986, p. 64. West Coast Review of Books, 9/1986, p. 34.

The Finding of David, A Novel by Robert Scott. [New York:] The Gay Presses of New York, 1984. 193p.

Ron Hardt is a state senator from Chicago, representing his district in the Illinois Legislature. David Oslo is his Administrative Assistant and homosexual lover. When David is arrested on a morals charge, jeopardizing the careers of both men and forcing them to consider priorities, some hard decisions are required. The author focuses on David, whose low self image and feelings of guilt have hampered his social development and kept him from entering into meaningful relationships with others. Set in Chicago during the early 1970s, the novel points up the lack of understanding among both gay and straight societies, and the prejudices against homosexuals which were common during those years.

Library Journal, 11/1/1984, p. 2081.

The Dastardly Dashing of Wee Expectations, by Dan Seiters. First Edition. Cover by Mark Grosskopf. Huntington, West Virginia: University Editions; Inc.; 59 Oak Lane, Spring Valley, [1995.] 169p.

Graduate School at Southern Illinois University is an ideal setting for Howard McBride, whose life revolves around drinking, writing, and waxing philosophic with faculty and friends. Then Brill Whitlaw comes onto the scene, giving McBride a sense of competition and purpose the likes of which he never has experienced. Doing in Whitlaw takes its toll on the formerly carefree McBride, who analyzes his actions and notes the change in his own personality.

Drummer of Vincennes; A Story of the George Rogers Clark Expedition, by George Armor Sentman. Illustrated by John Gretzer. Cecile Matschat, Editor; Carl Carmer, Consulting Editor. Philadelphia [and] Toronto: The John C. Winston Company, [1952.] 181p. (Winston Adventure Books)

This bland retelling of the George Rogers Clark expedition focuses on Malcolm Carter, who joins the Clark expedition as a drummer after his family is killed during their passage through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky in 1777. The highlights of the expedition down the Ohio, across southern Illinois to capture Kaskaskia, then east during mid-winter to take Vincennes are faithfully presented; however, the effort never sparkles.

Book Review Digest, 1952, p. 802.

A Place of Light, [by] Rhonda Shapiro-Rieser. New York: Poseidon Press, [1983.] 286p.

Madeleine Blumfeld and Lynda Jacobs each seeks more for herself than is permitted by Jewish tradition. In the 1940s Madeleine rebels against family and church by joining the Communist Party. In the 1960s Lynda breaks tradition by studying Talmud and seeking installation as a rabbi. The stories of the two make inspiring reading as they seek new opportunities for women in the face of thousands of years of tradition. The reconciliation of ideals with reality and the compromises of professional and private lives are interesting and reasonable. Set in New York, Israel, and northern Illinois between 1948 and 1979, this novel provides views of the pressures on orthodox Jewry, the beginnings of the Jewish state, and changes in Jewish tradition during one of the tumultuous periods in modern Jewish history.

Booklist, 9/15/1983, p. 136. Kirkus, 7/1/1983, p. 730. Publishers Weekly, 7/8/1983, p. 58. West Coast Review of Books, 11/1983, p. 38.

Taking Leave, [by] Janet Shaw. [New York:] Viking, [1987.] 294p.

Will Brenner, a Chicago surgeon, marries Laura Hale in spite of her precarious health and her dependent younger sister Jo, who will live with them. As Jo matures, family relationships evolve, but the changes are subtle and manageable until Thomas Trawick invades the family circle and creates a crisis that changes family dynamics forever.

Booklist, 3/1/1987, p. 982. Kirkus, 2/1/1987, p. 169. Library Journal, 4/15/1987, p. 101. N. Y. Times Book Review, 6/14/1987, p. 28. Publishers Weekly, 2/13/1987, p. 82.

Lamplighter, [by] John Simmons. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, [1984.] 244p.

Carla Stinger, a social worker who counsels former prison inmates, is aware of the developing bond between herself and client Jackie Farrell, but is able to deal with the situation professionally until Jackie is murdered. Following Jackie's death Carla assumes Jackie's personality and sets out to finish the hatchet murder of Jackie's former husband, that Jackie had bungled thirty years earlier. Lamplighter is not the simple novel of possession that it may seem at first reading, for the personality of each character is meticulously drawn, the psychology of counter transference between counselor and client is explained, and the development of the relationship between the two women is told, providing a rationale for the events of the story. Chicago and Mississippi settings are well drawn.

Publishers Weekly, 7/27/1984, p. 141.

Coffee Will Make You Black, [by] April Sinclair. [New York:] Hyperion. [1994.] 239p.

Jean "Stevie" Stevenson, a black teenager, comes of age on Chicago's south side during the turbulent 1960s. Questioning both her fate and her identity, Stevie experiences the beginnings of the Civil Right and Black Power movements that escalated with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Wondering how it relates to her, she analyzes her world critically, as she also examines herself. Coffee Will Make You Black is a coming-of-age novel in which normal teenage insecurity causes Stevie to worry unnecessarily, rebel against authority, and question her own sexual identity. It is a beautiful tribute to the times and to youth, which draws striking parallels between the growing pains of the teenage years and the coming-of-age of black America.

Booklist, 12/15/1993, p. 738. Chicago Tribune Books, 2/13/1994, p. 9. Entertainment Weekly, 3/4/1994, p. 61. Essence, 2/1994, p. 56. Kirkus, 11/1/1993, p. 1352. Lambda Book Report, 5/1994, p. 41. Library Journal, 5/1/1994, p. 164. Ms, 1/1994, p. 73. New Yorker, 5/2/1994, p. 109. Publishers Weekly, 11/22/1993, p. 50.

The Mark Twain Murders, [by] Edith Skom. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Council Oak Books, [1989.] 277p.

Professor Beth Austin takes time out from her research at Midwestern University to prove that a student is guilty of perjury, only to find herself being stalked in the library stacks by a very determined killer. Northwestern University is an easily identified model for Midwestern. The time is the 1980s.

Belles Lettres, Summer/1989, p. 33. L. A. Times Book Review, 10/8/1989, p. 10. N. Y. Times Book Review, 7/22/1990, p. 32.

Barn Blind; A Novel by Jane Smiley. New York, Cambridge, Hagerstown, Philadelphia, San Francisco, London, Mexico City, San Paulo [and] Sydney: Harper & Row, Publishers, [1980.] 218p.

Kate Karlson is so obsessed with farming and horses that twenty years of marriage and four children have made only minor alterations in the course of her life. Kate is oblivious to most of the world beyond the gates of the farm in south-central Illinois where she and her family live, just as she is oblivious to the needs of her husband and children. Henry's refusal to ride anything but a bicycle, John's keen competitiveness and anger, Margaret's unexplained tearfulness, and her husband's flirtations are recognized for what they are--reactions against her own single-mindedness--but they are considered only passing irritations as Kate devotes her time to the training of Peter, her eldest son, for international competition. Even John's death in a riding accident fails to soften her resolve, although it exposes her deficiencies to the rest of the family and draws them closer together. Barn Blind projects the image of rural serenity combined with the seething emotions of adolescence and the strenuousness of equestrian competition in a compelling novel of modern Illinois.

Booklist, 7/1/1980, p. 1594. Kirkus, 4/1/1980, p. 470. Library Journal, 6/15/198-, p. 1410. N. Y. Times Book Review, 8/17/1980, p. 10. Publishers Weekly, 4/25/1980, p. 74. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 6/15/1980, p. C4.

Reverend Randollph and the Avenging Angel, [by] Charles Merrill Smith. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1977.] 245p.

Reverend C. P. Randollph, interim pastor of Chicago's Church of the Good Shepherd, officiates at his first wedding and his first funeral during one week. The irony of the situation is that both ceremonies are for the same woman, Lisa Julian, an actress whose past reveals numerous suspects for the gruesome murder which ends her life on her wedding day. Reverend Randollph and the Avenging Angel is the second mystery novel written by a practicing minister and well-know author of theological non-fiction and humor, whose breezy style and intelligent wit make him a welcome member of the league of mystery writers.

Booklist, 1/15/1978, p. 798. Kirkus, 9/1/1977, p. 956. N. Y. Times Book Review, 12/ 11/1977, p. 35. Publishers Weekly, 10/3/1977, p. 94.

Reverend Randollph and the Fall From Grace, Inc., by Charles Merrill Smith. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1978.] 223p.

The Reverend Dr. C. P. Randollph is asked to serve on a committee investigating a local evangelist for ordination, while he is interim minister at Chicago's Church of the Good Shepherd. Administrative tasks seem overwhelming as he balances congregational responsibilities with committee work and a search for a new pastor- in-training for Good Shepherd. Then a murder occurs, followed closely by a second, both with implications for the investigating committee. The third in a series of Reverend Randollph novels, this is an entertaining but undistinguished formula mystery.

Booklist, 1/15/1979, p. 796. Kirkus, 10/15/1978, p. 1155. N. Y. Times Book Review, 2/25/1979, p. 35. Publishers Weekly, 10/30/1978, p. 41. Washington Post Book World, 1/21/1979, p. G5.

Reverend Randollph and the Splendid Samaritan, [by] Charles Merrill Smith. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1986.] 224p.

James Trent, a wealthy TV evangelist known as the Splendid Samaritan, is found murdered in his office, with hands bound together clenching a bloody hundred dollar bill. As Police Lieutenant Mike Casey investigates the case, he is increasingly baffled as all clues lead to dead ends. The Reverend C. P. Randollph, pastor of Chicago's Church of the Good Shepherd, becomes involved through his friendship with Casey and his professional association with the Trent family. How Randollph is instrumental in solving the case and orchestrates the outcome makes fun reading in the G. K. Chesterton tradition.

Booklist, 4/1/1986, p. 1118. Kirkus, 4/1/1986, p. 512. Washington Post Book World, 6/15/1986, p. 8.

Reverend Randollph and the Unholy Bible. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1983.] 221p.

A rare Gutenberg Bible, printed by Gutenberg and passed down through the family for generations, becomes the motive for murder and the object of a search by the Chicago Police Department. Reverend Randollph, reluctant heir to the Bible and unsuspecting kidnap victim, provides the key to the mystery as well as some fascinating information on Gutenberg.

Best Sellers, 5/1983, p. 51. Kirkus, 1/2/1983, p. 34. Library Journal, 2/1/1983, p. 224. N. Y. Times Book Review, 5/1/1983, p. 27. Publishers Weekly, 1/7/1983, p. 65.

The Day the Music Died; A Novel by Joseph C. Smith. New York: Grove Press, Inc.; A Kent Carroll Book, [1981.] 446p.

The development of the American rock music industry during the 1950s and 1960s is expertly chronicled in fictional format by a first-hand participant in the phenomenon. Focusing on recording companies located in Hollywood, Chicago, New York, and Nashville, this is a story of mergers, business take-overs, deals, and gangsters; of artists, promoters, writers and the businessmen who make them great. The story of a Chicago based rhythm and blues company that became a leading rock music label warrants the inclusion of this title in an Illinois bibliography.

Best Sellers, 8/1981, p. 171. Booklist, 5/1/1981, p. 1188. Kirkus, 3/15/1981, p. 383. Library Journal, 5/15/1981, p. 1101. N. Y. Times Book Review, 6/28/1981, p. 14. Publishers Weekly, 4/14/1981, p. 70.

The Looking Glass Murders, [by] Phillips Lore [pseud. New York:] Playboy Press Paperbacks, [1980.] 192p.

Evanston attorney Leo Roi and his wife play games drawing parallels between characters in Alice in Wonderland and the people involved in a murder case he is investigating. They turn deadly-serious when they come face-to-face with the murderer.

Murder Behind Closed Doors, [by] Phillips Lore [pseud. New York:] Playboy Press Paperbacks, [1980.] 182p.

Leo Roi looks to the Chicago and Evanston gay community for clues as he investigates the murder of a wealthy advertising executive and two of his homosexual friends.

The Abu Wahab Caper, [by] Ross H. Spencer. [New York:] Avon; Publishers of Bard, Camelot and Discus Books, [1980.] 144p.

Chance Purdue, tough and bumbling Chicago detective, is hired to protect Bet-A-Bunch Dugan, a compulsive gambler, as he makes his rounds of the neighboring race tracks. Unbeknownst to Purdue, Bet-A-Bunch is the target of the International DADA (Destroy America, Destroy America) Conspirators, who are seeking control of the world's oil market. True to form, Purdue blunders into and out of deadly situations until the scheme runs its course and Brandy Alexander appears on the scene to save his neck, solve the case, and explain everything to him logically. This is number four of the Chance Purdue novels.

The DADA Caper, [by] Ross H. Spencer. [New York:] Avon; Publishers of Bard, Camelot and Discus Books, [1978.] 189p.

Chance Purdue, Chicago's most inept private eye, blunders his way through an international conspiracy and lands square in the vice-like clutches of a conspiring woman in this, the first in a series of hilarious, hard-boiled detective novels designed to poke blatant fun at the genre.

N. Y. Times Book Review, 3/5/1978, p. 22. Publishers Weekly, 3/6/1978, p. 98.

Death Wore Gloves, A Novel by Ross H. Spencer. New York: Donald I. Fine, Inc., [1987.] 246p.

A berserk nun and a hard-drinking detective have a merry romp in this parody of detective genre fiction. The setting is Chicago.

Booklist, 2/15/1988, p. 973. Kirkus, 1/1/1988, p. 22. N. Y. Times Book Review, 4/24/1988, p. 42. Publishers Weekly, 12/18/1987, p. 58.

The Devereaux File; A Novel by Ross H. Spencer. New York: Donald I. Fine, Inc., [1990.] 310p.

Chicago P. I. Lacey Lockington is contacted by his old drinking buddy and CIA agent Rufe Devereaux before Devereaux mysteriously disappears. When Lockington attempts to track him down, he finds himself dodging the CIA, the KGB, the Mafia, and a radical vigilante group called LAON (Law and Order Now). Lockington leads them a merry chase from Chicago to Youngstown, Ohio and back before the truth about the Devereaux File is revealed.

Booklist, 3/1/1990, p. 1267. Kirkus, 4/1/1990, p. 470. N. Y. Times Book Review, 5/27/1990, p. 27. Publishers Weekly, 2/9/1990, p. 48.

Echoes of Zero, [by] Ross H. Spencer. New York: St. Martin's Press, [1981.] 175p.

Rip Deston, former baseball player and World War II veteran turned newspaper reporter, tries his hand at solving the murder of his best friend, but finds the solution to be more than he can handle. Convinced that Martin Bannister was killed by Eloise Henderson, his live-in girlfriend, Rip launches an investigation and newspaper campaign to insure her conviction. When Eloise is acquitted, she turns the tables on Rip, exposes more of his past than he cares to admit, and complicates his present life beyond hope of redemption. Set in Chicago, rural Missouri, and Ohio, the novel, its hero, and its plot are reminiscent of the author's earlier works featuring the irrepressible and irresponsible private detective, Chance Purdue.

Booklist, 9/1/1981, p. 31. Kirkus, 7/1/1981, p. 840. Library Journal, 9/1/1981, p. 1650. N. Y. Times Book Review, 11/15/1981, p. 35.

The Fifth Script; a novel by Ross H. Spencer. New York: Donald I. Fine, Inc., [1989.] 244p.

In a fit of paranoia brought on by the murder of his girlfriend, Lacey Lockington shoots four people who seem to deserve it, before Stella Starbright, columnist, takes him to task in print. Then he meets Stella, then other columnists start dying of unnatural causes. Lacey is prime suspect. The setting is Chicago.

Booklist, 4/1/1989, p. 1348. Chicago Tribune Books, 6/11/1989, p. 6. Kirkus, 3/1/1989, p. 339. Library Journal, 3/1/1989, p. 91. Publishers Weekly, 2/10/1989, p. 57.

Kirby's Last Circus; A Novel [by] Ross H. Spencer. New York: Donald I. Fine, [1987.] 253p.

Birch Kirby is a Chicago private eye whose professional and private lives both rank somewhat below the national average. It seems ironic that the CIA chooses him for a special assignment in Grizzly Gulch, a southern Illinois town where undecodeable secret messages are being transmitted daily to the KGB. Kirby goes to Grizzly Gulch, where he joins the local circus as a cover, blundering through performances in the same manner he blunders through his CIA assignment. The plot is ridiculous and the characters are more than a little off center, butKirby's Last Circus is a delightful spoof of detective fiction.

Booklist, 5/1/1987, p. 1335. Kirkus, 5/1/1987, p. 681. N. Y. Times Book Review, 7/12/1987, p. 29. Publishers Weekly, 4/3/1987, p. 66.

The Missing Bishop, [by] Ross H. Spencer. New York: The Mysterious Press, [1985.] 268p.

Buzz Deckard is an inept private investigator with an eye for beauty, a taste for booze, and a conscience that looks the other way when Deckard sees the opportunity to turn an easy buck. A case that looks like child's play when Deckard is hired to find a missing person turns complex as he discovers that he is the object of his own investigation. A jealous playwright, a schizophrenic hooker, a vengeful cop, a determined landlady, and many another colorful character contribute confusion and zest to this spoof of the detective genre. The setting is Chicago in 1969.

Booklist, 4/1/1985, p. 1103. Kirkus, 4/15/1985, p. 354. Library Journal, 4/1/1985, p. 162. Publishers Weekly, 3/22/1985, p. 56.

Monastery Nightmare, [by] Ross H. Spencer. New York: The Mysterious Press, [1986.] 225p.

Luke Lassiter is a likable and somewhat inept Chicago private detective with a secret ambition to be a writer. When Carl Garvey, a fantasy writer whom Luke has long admired, is reported missing and Luke is approached with a plan to write and publish a final Garvey novel, Luke reluctantly agrees. He should have said no. What begins as a simple publishing scam turns into a full blown murder case, with Luke's nearest and dearest being the victim. Monastery Nightmare is great fun set in modern day Chicago.

Booklist, 3/15/1986, p. 1061. Kirkus, 2/1/1986, p. 169. N. Y. Times Book Review, 6/1/1986, p. 46. Publishers Weekly, 1/31/1986, p. 365. West Coast Review of Books, 9/1986, p. 33. Wilson Library Bulletin, 3/1986, p. 53.

The Radish River Caper, [by] Ross H. Spencer. [New York:] Avon; Publishers of Bard, Camelot and Discus Books, [1981.] 141p.

Chance Purdue and Brandy Alexander are together again in this, the fifth in Spencer's Chance Purdue detective series. This time the action takes place in a small southern Illinois town named Radish River. Although the case continues the CIA's efforts to thwart the DADA (Destroy America, Destroy America) Conspiracy, Chance and Brandy are easily distracted by football playing gorillas, chariot races, booze, and as often as not, each other.

The Reggis Arms Caper, [by] Ross H. Spencer. [New York:] Avon, Publishers of Bard, Camelot and Discus Books, [1979.] 158p.

Chance Purdue, Chicago private eye turned tavern owner, returns to the detection scene in order to protect Princess Sonia of Kaleski, who is reportedly married to one of the members of his former Army battalion. A reunion of a the battalion provides an entertaining setting for detection, but Purdue leaves most of the responsibility to his newly acquired colleague, Brandy Alexander, while he concentrates on entertainment. The case provides more fun than suspense, and its solution is a surprise that complements the rest of the novel nicely. This is Spencer's second Chance Purdue novel.

Library Journal, 10/1/1979, p. 2122. N. Y. Times Book Review, 12/9/1979, p. 18.

The Stranger City Caper, [by] Ross H. Spencer. [New York:] Avon; Publishers of Bard, Camelot, and Discuss Books, [1980.] 159p.

When Cool Lips Chericola, a Chicago gangster, hires Chance Purdue, a Chicago detective, to investigate the Stranger City Strangers, a southern Illinois minor league baseball team, the job seems to be an easy way to make a buck. But Brandy Alexander's appearance in Stranger City at about the same time as Chance tends to complicate matters; and the arrival of the Bobby Crackers' Blitzkrieg for Christ religious crusade causes the situation to disintegrate still further. As usual, Chance blunders about until the case is solved by default, and Brandy explains it to him. Seldom has southern Illinois seen such confusion wrought by such a variety of unlikely characters, but the result is pure fun of the highest variety.

Klatt, Spring/1980, p. 10. Library Journal, 1/1/1980, p. 122.

Endless Love, by Scott Spencer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979. 418p.

David Axelrod's teenage obsession for Jade Butterfield is not diminished by four years of psychotherapy and counseling in a mental hospital. When David is released his passion drives him to find Jade in the hopes of renewing their relationship. The setting is Chicago, New York, and Vermont during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Book Review Digest, 1979, p. 1209.

Waking the Dead, [by] Scott Spencer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986. 396p.

When a sex scandal forces the resignation of Illinois Congressman Jerry Carmichael during his fifth term in the House, Fielding Pierce is chosen to run on the Democratic ticket to fill the unexpired seat. The bright young protégé of an influential Chicago lawyer, the stated preference of the Illinois governor, and the chosen candidate of the Chicago Democratic Machine, Fielding's election seems a sure thing, until the reappearance of Sarah, a long dead lover, shakes his confidence and drives him and others to question his stability and competence to hold elected office. Whether real, a specter, or the imaginings of an obsessed mind, Sarah wreaks havoc with Fielding's life and jeopardizes his chances at the Congressional seat. The excitement of a Congressional race coupled with private relationships demanding reconciliation create a compelling novel of modern politics in a believable Chicago setting.

Book Review Digest, 1987, p. 1773.

Hoopla, by Harry Stein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983. 366p.

The World Series scandal of 1919 is the theme of this entertaining novel told from the perspectives of Luther Pond, a fictional newspaper reporter from New York, and George "Buck" Weaver, real-life third baseman for the Chicago White Sox, and one of the players tried for conspiracy following the games. The result is a rousing story of baseball at its best--and its worst--with realistic portraits of such Chicago greats at "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, "Cocky" Eddie Collins, "Lefty" Williams, Eddie Cicotte, and Charles Comiskey, owner of the White Sox. Cameo sketches of Kenesaw Mountain Landis, first Commissioner of Baseball, Jim Jeffries, Ty Cobb, Jim Thorpe, John L. Sullivan, George M. Cohan, Ring Lardner, and William Randolph Hearst round out the sports scene and add to the authenticity of this thoroughly enjoyable novel.

Chicago Sun-Times Book Week, 10/2/1983, p. 26. Kirkus, 8/1/1983, p. 839. Library Journal, 10/1/1983, p. 1890. Publishers Weekly, 8/12/1983, p. 55.

A Father's Words; A Novel [by] Richard Stern. New York: Arbor House, [1986.] 189p.

Cy Riemer is middle aged, divorced, and wealthy enough through inheritance never to have to work again. Cy's problem is Cy. He loves his family dearly and wants their love in return. What he gives is support with strings, help with controls, and love with qualifications. What he gets in return is love tempered with resentment, rebellion, and distance. Daughter Livy fails to come for Christmas, and Cy tries to analyze the reason. Son Jack needs money that his father can provide, but refuses all help because he won't live by his father's rules. Lover Emma is ready for marriage, but Cy fails to acknowledge it, choosing to delay rather than commit or split up. A Father's Words, is an intriguing character study of a less-than-perfect man coming to grips with his life. The task is not easy; the sight is not always pretty. Anyone who has ever been a father, a son, a daughter, a wife, or a lover can find someone to relate to in this novel of personal growth and family development set in modern Chicago.

Best Sellers, 7/1986, p. 130. Booklist, 4/1/1986, p. 1099. Kirkus, 2/15/1986, p. 246. L. A. Times Book Review, 5/4/1986, p. 1. Library Journal, 4/15/1986, p. 97. Newsweek, 3/24/1986, p. 74. New Yorker, 8/18/1986, p. 72. N. Y. Times Book Review, 6/15/1986, p. 15. Publishers Weekly, 2/21/1986, p. 156.

Noble Rot; Stories 1949-1988, [by] Richard Stern. New York: Grove Press, [1989.] 367p.

Thirty-two stories spanning four decades demonstrate the author's vast range of themes and command of the English language. Stern's favorite topic is the human condition, and he is equally at home with befuddled parents, rebellious teens, struggling politicians, or the working man with a dream. Many of Sterns stories are set in Chicago; most have a Chicago influence.

CONTENTS: Ins and Outs.--The Ideal Address.--Good Morrow, Swine.--Mail.--Wanderers.--Gaps.--Teeth.--The Good European.--East, West. . .Midwest.--In Brief.--Gifts.--Troubles.--Dr. Cahn's Visit.--Dying.--Idylls of Dugan and Strunk.--Gardiner's Legacy.--In the Dock.--A Short History of Love.--Milius and Melanie.--Losing Color.--Lesson for the Day.--A Recital for the Pope.--Arrangements at the Gulf.--The Girl Who Lovers Schubert.--Wissler Remembers.--Orvieto Dominos, Bolsena Eels.--Zhoof.--Double Charley.--Riordan's Fiftieth.--The Sorrows of Captain Schreiber.--La Pourriture Noble.--Packages.

Booklist, 12/1/1988, p. 617. Chicago Tribune Books, 1/22/1989, p. 1. Kirkus, 11/1/1988, p. 1561. New Republic, 2/20/1989, p. 46. Publishers Weekly, 12/2/1988, p. 43. Wall Street Journal, 4/28/1989, p. A12.

Packages; Stories by Richard Stern. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, [1980.] 151p.

Personal relationships are the grist of the eleven stories that make up this small volume. Senility, the death of a parent, a fiftieth birthday, and memories of a retired teacher provide focus for these beautiful glimpses of life, most with Chicago settings or Chicago ties.

CONTENTS: Wissler Remembers.--Mail.--The Ideal Address.--Packages.--Troubles.--Lesson for the Day.--Double Charley.--Riordan's Fiftieth.--The Girl Who Loves Schubert.--A Recital for the Pope.--Dr. Cahn's Visit.

Kirkus, 7/1/1980, p. 869. Library Journal, 10/15/1980, p. 2235. Newsweek, 11/3/1980, p. 89. N. Y. Times Book Review, 9/7/1980, p. 13. New Republic, 11/15/1980, p. 32. Publishers Weekly, 6/27/1980, p. 80. Washington Post Book World, 10/19/1980, p. 4.

Below the Belt & Other Stories, by Phil Andros, [pseud.] San Francisco: A Perieneum Press Book, [1982.] 128p.

Twelve short stories with homosexual themes provide insight into aspects of gay life in Chicago and San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s.

CONTENTS: Family Men.--A Trap for Tigers.--The Peachiest Fuzz.--Love Me Little, Love Me Long.--I (Cupid) and the Gangster.--Pig in a Poke.--Ring of Fire.--Below the Belt.--A Better Samaritan.--In a Pig's Ass.--Babysitter.--Many Happy Returns.

The Innocents; A Woman and Her Child, by G. M. Susky. [Spokane, Washington: Dorris Company, 1979.] 447p.

Tragedy haunts the life of Marilyn Boatman Semmons for nearly two decades as hard liquor, half truths, and uncontrollable fate interact to cause misery for one unsuspecting soul. In order to escape an intolerable marriage, Marilyn deserts her husband and leaves her hometown without telling anyone but her father-in-law. From that point she suffers through a train wreck, a rape, amnesia, the murder of her parents, the loss of her child, the death of two husbands, and untold other hardships before finding piece with a third husband and her nearly grown son. The full and involved plot, which reads like a modern-day version of The Perils of Pauline, is set in various fictional locales in Illinois between 1946 and the 1960s.

Southern Illinoisan, 10/14/1979, p. 4.

Long Lines, A Novel [by] Remar Sutton. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, [1988.] 259p.

An Atlanta telephone interviewer is on the line with a Chicago client when the client is murdered. Alternating between feelings of fear and bravado, she waits in her home for the murderer to seek her out.

Booklist, 11/15/1987, p. 541. Kirkus, 12/15/1987, p. 1703. Library Journal, 1/1988, p. 102. Publishers Weekly, 11/13/1987, p. 62. Washington Post Book World, 3/6/1988, p. 8.