BookList - Charles Harmon
The intrigue of Chicago politics, a top-notch detective who's also a wonderfully warm and caring single father, and the murder of a popular alderman (who's also a University of Chicago professor) make for a mystery that's perfect for summer beach reading. Detective Paul Turner is openly gay and works with no hassle on the Chicago police force. In fact, he and "Buck," his partner, use some of Paul's gay friends as sources to solve crimes. The novel is also distinguished in its secondary characters, especially the one of Turner's two sons who has spina bifida and his next-door neighbor, an elderly Italian widow who's earned several graduate degrees and who helps solve cases through people she knows in the Mob. A first-rate little mystery that's well written to boot.