Genre: Mystery
LGBTQ+ Category: MM Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
There’s a murderer stalking the gay bars of Berlin.
It’s September, the time of Folsom Europe, the city’s annual festival for gay men in leather.
And Berlin’s become a dangerous place for them.
British lawyer, and part-time sleuth, Dominic Delingpole is in town. He’s come to Berlin to visit Matty, the teenage son he first met only a year ago.
When Matty is arrested for the attacks, Dominic teams up with German lawyer Johann Hartmann, a good-looking man with a seductive charm.
As they battle to prove Matty’s innocence, Dominic and Johann discover the attacks are linked to a sinister, Russian-backed experiment.
But whose side is Hartmann really on?
The Review
David C. Dawson surprised me with this new mystery “The Foreign Affair,” the third installment in “A Delingpole Mystery” series. Dawson creates another mystery that brings back Dominic Delingpole’s nemeses: the Natural Family Association, Russians and more horrifying experiments.
Dominic Delingpole’s life has changed, he has gained a son and faced several losses. He returns to Berlin to celebrate two anniversaries that bring back fond memories – An ex-lover’s birthday and the time of celebration with the Folsom Leather festival, adapted from “Folsom Street in San Francisco in 1984.
He’s also spending important time connecting with his son Matthias “Matty” Lange. Matty attends Technische Univeristat, going for an undergraduate degree in mathematics. And he has a budding relationship with a much older man who’s a visiting professor/student. Although it’s only been seven months, Dominic is interested in meeting Professor Alexeyev Krovopuskov, an expert in biomechanics at ITMO University in St. Petersburg.
When Alex Krovopuskov becomes the number one suspect in a series of counter-terrorism acts, Matty is accused and pursued by Kriminalkommissar Schutz of the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), responsible for terrorist investigations. Dominic has nowhere to turn when Matty is arrested but to his friend Miles Torrington. Luckily for Dominic, the better half of the “Park Lane Power Couple,” Penny Torrington, refers him to Johann Hartmann.
Dominic doesn’t waste time getting an appointment with Hartmann or researching his background on-line. The black-and-white photo of Johann is a shock to Dominic, but meeting Johann in person is even more surprising. Johann is not only well-qualified and intelligent, but handsome to, and knows how to wear his leather. Johann does not hesitate to help Dominic under any circumstances, but will they be able to uncover the truth and save Matty?
Dawson takes art, music, the sites of Berlin and a lesson in German and combines them with another complex mystery. “The Foreign Affair” was a suspenseful, intense page-turner for me. Dawson kept a very interesting “spoiler” a secret and I have to say I didn’t see it coming, but it was for the best.
I liked Matty and how the father-son connection was developed throughout the novel. And Johann Hartmann is a breath of fresh air for for Dominic and I hope to see more of him. I also liked that there was more to share about continuing characters: Gillian, for one, who is Dominic trusty assistant and Miles and Penny Torrington, friends of Dominic. As for new ones, Kriminalkommissar Schutz plays a good villain but is he?
Dawson kept this book under wraps, and I don’t know if there’s another book in the works. With how this one ended, I hope he will bring Dominic Delingpole back with another twisted mystery.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
