Men, Murder and Makeup

Drag Queen Detective, Book 1

De: Shane Morton

Narrado por: BJ Whimpey

Murder Is a Drag.

Victor has a secret identity, and she’s being framed for murder.

Murder She Wrote.... If Jessica Fletcher were a Fabulous Drag Queen

The mayors been murdered, and everyone is on edge and reclusive mystery author Vicki Dean is the prime suspect.

Can Victor clear her name without revealing his secret identity?

Will the hunky new sheriff help Victor prove Vicki's innocence, or be a threat to not only his freedom but also his heart?

Victor must let go of his fear and step out of the shadows in his high heels and lipstick to solve this mystery as only a drag queen can.

His life depends on it!

©2021 Shane K Morton (P)2021 Shane K Morton

So fun! More please.

I swear there had to be more than one person narrating this. Bravo to BJ Whimpey and cheers to Shane K. Morton. I was so hooked with how these over the top and in-depth characters were brought to life through the performance and the story was ever so intriguing and charming. A great balance of necessity, humor and flow. Though it was refreshing to see LGBTQ centralized characters, there were no uncomfortably sexual or overly descriptive moments, making this an ideal listen for really anyone who truly enjoys a small town murder mystery where gossip takes over and red herrings have you constantly making whodunit assumptions. But you’ll be wrong! Looking forward to the next book in this series and hope to see a return of this Morton-Whimpey pairing.

This was different!

I really like Victor and enjoyed the book. The camaraderie is great and while I am cool with people’s sexual choices, I have never really thought about a drag queen and their everyday existence. This was really interesting. On to the next!

Narrator BJ Whimpey knocked this out of the park!

A cozy mystery featuring a drag queen? I was SO there! I literally begged the writer for an opportunity to review the audiobook and find myself having one of the best listens, ever! Shane K. Morton gives readers a delightful yet tension-filled experience with 'Men, Murder and Makeup (Drag Queen Detective Book 1)! EVERYTHING in the book is absolutely perfect: the narrator, the protagonists, the world-building, character development--just everything!
At the start of the story, we meet Victor and his friend as they are out having drinks at their favorite bar. Through his monologue, we discover Victor performs drag as Raven at a local venue and can be seen hosting other events in the community. Our writer is quick to let the readers in on the fact that Victor has another persona. When word gets back that the mayor has been killed and that Vicki Dean's car had been seen driving away from the scene, Victor reveals to the audience of readers that HE is Vicki Dean, the best-selling novelist and town recluse who has become a person of interest in the murder. He was out having drinks with his buddy at the time of the murder so clearing his name will mean revealing his secret life to someone in law enforcement.
The town's newly hired sheriff locates Vicki at 'her' writer's cottage and is let in on Victor's secret. Deciding that Vicki is being set up for the murder, the sheriff puts several measures in place to draw the murder out, keep Vicki safe, and keep Victor's secret. In spite of help from law enforcement intervention, other things occur that compromise Vicki's safety. In the end, Vicki's true identity had been known for an entire year and the murder capitalizes on that knowledge to gain access that threatens Victor's life. It is his buddy that saves his life and circumstances surrounding the murder guarantee that Victor's 'Vicki' identity remains safe from all but his friend and the sheriff, who becomes his lover.
The world-building is awesome but most remarkable was that the writer's world was filled with straight characters. That factor contributed greatly to making the book realistic and that much more enjoyable. In addition, the writer takes time to describe the vibe of the town even with characters contrasting it with their living experiences from large cities. We see development in some characters in ways that result from more than the protagonists growing together as romantic partners. Readers see growth in several of the secondary characters, especially Victor's friend. The story checks additional boxes with impeccable pacing and balance, which keeps the narrative interesting and entertaining. I've got to read more from this promising writer!

Fun and fabulous mystery

What’s more fun than a mystery writer sleuthing it up and solving a murder? A drag queen donning a tame ‘other’ identity just to go incognito as a writer…and finding that perfect pan sexual partner who adores all sides of him…her… you know what? Just read the book if you love mystery, drag queens, and romance! The narrator had to voice so many different characters in this story. Most I liked, some were a bit odd, but the overall effect was an easy to listen to fun read!

A solid three Stars

Shane K. Morton's _Men, Murder & Makeup_ receives three stars from me. The story is fine, as are the characters. I guess what bothers me is I wanted more from the mystery.

This was an audio book so first the reader. BJ Whimpey read this novel. I liked his narrator voice the best, but most of the others were a bit annoying. Corey's voice most notably. What he does well is read the text with the right inflections. I enjoyed his interpretation of the text. It was just his voices that were not to my liking--that is completely subjective.

I got this because it was listed as a cozy mystery, and it is. I think it fits that definition (if I understand the definition correctly). I thought it would be a good example for me to listen to to learn about gay cozies. For that purpose it was a good example.

What I liked. I liked the setting, the characters, the interaction between characters.
What I didn't like. I'd like more mystery, by which I mean, more confusion, more twists and turns, more time focused on the mystery. (there were several chapters back to back where the mystery didn't seem to be the focus, rather the relationship between two of the characters.

At times, I asked -- is this a mystery with romance, or a romance with mystery.

Recommended: Yes, sure. It is at moments fun, and interesting. I think mystery readers who don't read gay mysteries might like this one, so I do recommend it.

Will I read another from the same author--maybe. From the same series -- I'm unsure. I need more of the drag queen being the detective.

Men murder and makeup

I loved this audiobook so much! Vic was an amazing character and so were the drag personas he had. I loved the differences in these characters and the way Vic explained them. Victor has a secret and ends up having to trust a new sherif with it since someone is trying to frame him for a murder he couldn’t have committed. I really loved Vic and his hot sherif. The character development was great and so were the relationships between characters. The matter was a lot of fun to figure out and I can’t wait to get more of these characters! I loved them so much!