Richard Stevenson

Don Strachey isn't exactly the most sought-after private eye in Albany, New York. In fact, this gay P.I. has gotten to the point of having to write checks to pay his tab at the cheapest lunch counter in town. And he isn't sure that the latest one, for the grand total of two dollars and ninety-three cents, is going to clear. Surprisingly he's hired to locate Billy Blount, the gay heir to one of Saratoga Springs' upper-crust families. On top of that, Billy, a young and outspoken gay activist, is wanted for the grisly murder of the man he slept with on his last night in Albany - a man he'd never met before that night.Written just before the onslaught of AIDS, Death Trick is a time capsule of gay life as it existed in smaller towns in America. A foreword for this new edition by Michael Nava (Henry Rios series) is included."This murder mystery, recounted with sassiness and wit, is full of true-to-life details about contemporary gay existence. Stevenson uses the yarn to poke fun at straitlaced parents, homophobic cops and greedy gay bar owners ... This is a great lazy-day read - and politically correct, yet " - The Advocate"Stevenson holds his own with the top novelists of the clever mystery genre. He writes wittily and knowingly about his subjects, both the gay world and the world of politics, and draws telling portraits of the bitter, clever amusing men who inhabit both." - West Coast Review of Books"Sassy and sexy ... Don Strachey is a private dick who really earns his title." - Armistead Maupin"Mystery fans had better grab hold of this and keep an eye out for Richard Stevenson." - Bay Area Reporter

A Donald Strachey Mystery, Book 6 - Private Investigator Donald Strachey is asked to look into the events surrounding the months-old murder of Eric Osborne. His death, originally believed to be a random attack, takes on new significance when Janet Osborne, Eric's sister, survives an attempt on her life. Skeeter, Eric's lover, believed both attacks were meant to silence them before the sale of their family's newspaper. Drawn into a complex family feud, Strachey must unravel the secret behind the attacks before the killer tries again.Written over a period of three decades, the Donald Strachey series authentically chronicles gay life as it unfolded in upstate New York. An author's note is included."Literate and skillfully plotted ... Stevenson keeps the action on an even keel and the characters believable. Throughout it all, the author imbues his characters with a keen sense of humor." - Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel"Richard Stevenson's mysteries are among the wittiest and most politically pointed around today." - Washington Post"Stevenson makes his way deftly through Chain of Fools, with a strong sense of plot and a good ear for dialogue." - Boston Globe

Robbers wreak havoc, smashing the glass covers protecting masterpieces and slicing paintings out of their frames. They make off with 13 works, including three Rembrandts and a Vermeer, worth more than half a billion dollars and beloved in the world of art. It is arguably the greatest property theft in human history.In his final mystery, Donald Strachey is hired to find the missing art in a cold case from over 30 years ago with a $10 million reward Hired by a local woman in a small Western Massachusetts town of Lenox who may have discovered the disposition of the artwork but needs Strachey to track down the culprits, question them, and convince them to hand the art over so that she and Strachey can collect the reward.Chasing Rembrandt leads him all over Boston, New York, and the east coast in this thrilling masterpiece of its own. Published posthumously, the author signed off on the final edits a few weeks before his death, at 80, in 2022. A foreword is included by Zachary Lipez, the author's son."Strachey departs from the classic noir protagonist in two crucial respects. First, he's an openly gay man firmly embedded in Albany's late 70s gay scene. Second, he's funny and sane, not broody and neurotic - the anti-Philip Marlowe. The first aspect gives this series] its historical and cultural value and the second is what makes it a pleasure, a joy, to read." - Michael Nava"Richard Stevenson's mysteries are among the wittiest and most politically pointed around today." - Washington Post

Robbers wreak havoc, smashing the glass covers protecting masterpieces and slicing paintings out of their frames. They make off with 13 works, including three Rembrandts and a Vermeer, worth more than half a billion dollars and beloved in the world of art. It is arguably the greatest property theft in human history.In his final mystery, Donald Strachey is hired to find the missing art in a cold case from over 30 years ago with a $10 million reward Hired by a local woman in a small Western Massachusetts town of Lenox who may have discovered the disposition of the artwork but needs Strachey to track down the culprits, question them, and convince them to hand the art over so that she and Strachey can collect the reward.Chasing Rembrandt leads him all over Boston, New York, and the east coast in this thrilling masterpiece of its own. Published posthumously, the author signed off on the final edits a few weeks before his death, at 80, in 2022. A foreword is included by Zachary Lipez, the author's son."Strachey departs from the classic noir protagonist in two crucial respects. First, he's an openly gay man firmly embedded in Albany's late 70s gay scene. Second, he's funny and sane, not broody and neurotic - the anti-Philip Marlowe. The first aspect gives this series] its historical and cultural value and the second is what makes it a pleasure, a joy, to read." - Michael Nava"Richard Stevenson's mysteries are among the wittiest and most politically pointed around today." - Washington Post

The poems included in the poetry collection are marked by precise observation. These poems are quite impressive in originality and variety. Due to emotional depth, the intensity and richness of these poems is beyond question. The poems are remarkable in their immediacy and powerful imaginative power. The delight of these poems proceeds from spontaneous feelings. The poems reveal the depths of human nature. These poems are full of a sweet and majestic rhythm, which satisfies the sense.

We notice in these poems quite impressive imaginative leap that will certainly appeal to all readers. The poems show the riches and vigor of conversational style and everyday vocabulary. Due to melody of diction in these poems, the sound of the words and phrases lingers in the mind for a long time. BIORichard Stevenson retired from a thirty-year gig teaching English and Creative Writing for Lethbridge College in 2015. During that time, he published thirty books, most recently a long poem sequence on the Clifford Olson serial murders case, Rock, Scissors, Paper (2016) and a collection of haikai poetry, A Gaggle of Geese (2017). Forthcoming titles include a trilogy of sci fi, fantasy, and horror poems for middle grade children and adults on cryptid, ET, and Fortean lore, Cryptid Shindig: A Big Book of Creeps and Critters, two standalone sequels, An Abominable Swamp Slob Named Bob and Hairy Hullabaloo, and a haikai and lyric collection of poems for younger children, Action Dachshund and an adult collection, Bature West African Haikai. He currently lives in Nanaimo, BC.

A Donald Strachey Mystery, Book 4 - After an attempt is made on his life, Queer Nation activist John Rutka asks tough-as-nails gay private detective Don Strachey to provide him with protection. Why does someone want to kill him? The activist's efforts at outing closeted gay homophobes have earned him a multitude of enraged enemies who would just as soon see him dead. After Strachey refuses to help, the man's body is found savagely murdered in apparent retribution for his deeds. Now, because of this, the reluctant Strachey feels obligated to investigate.Written over a period of three decades, the Donald Strachey series authentically chronicles gay life as it unfolded in upstate New York. An author's note is included."Stevenson has deftly picked up where he left off ... A tightly plotted, fast-paced, entertaining mystery full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end." - Lambda Rising Book Report"Richard Stevenson takes a familiar whodunit formula and infuses it with new life. The action is lively, the plotting is honest and non-exploitative." - Chicago Tribune"A warm welcome back to Donald Strachey - who's returned to us just in time to walk into a minefield of issues affecting our besieged and contentious community. This admirable, absorbing new mystery has all the immediacy and realism of a telegram from the front." - Katherine V. Forrest"Sassy and sexy ... Don Strachey is a private dick who really earns his title." - Armistead Maupin

A Donald Strachey Mystery, Book 3 - Shocked to discover the body of the grandson of the godfather of Albany's political machine in his car, P.I. Donald Strachey knows he is in for trouble. But when he learns that the murder victim left a $2.5 million legacy with instructions that it be used to destroy that machine, along with a personal letter to Strachey asking for his help, his suspicions are confirmed. Faced with power-brokers at all levels, Albany's only gay P.I. tries to fulfill the dead man's mission-with his own survival at stake.Written over a period of three decades, the Donald Strachey series authentically chronicles gay life as it unfolded in upstate New York. An author's note is included."As a mystery novel this is thoroughly satisfactory. Mr. Stevenson plots well, makes sharp observations about people, and has a literate, sophisticated writing style that is often spiked with humor." - New York Times Book Review"An entirely unpredictable, witty, and raunchy adventure." - Publishers Weekly"Stevenson is also a good writer of fine wit, and his asides are as good as his story." - Philadelphia Gay News"Sassy and sexy ... Don Strachey is a private dick who really earns his title." - Armistead Maupin

A Donald Strachey Mystery, Book 1 - Don Strachey isn't exactly the most sought-after private eye in Albany, New York. In fact, this gay P.I. has gotten to the point of having to write checks to pay his tab at the cheapest lunch counter in town. And he isn't sure that the latest one, for the grand total of two dollars and ninety-three cents, is going to clear.Surprisingly he's hired to locate Billy Blount, the gay heir to one of Saratoga Springs' upper-crust families. On top of that, Billy, a young and outspoken gay activist, is wanted for the grizzly murder of the man he slept with on his last night in Albany - a man he'd never met before that night.Written just before the onslaught of AIDS, Death Trick is a time capsule of gay life as it existed in smaller towns in America. A foreword for the 2022 edition by Michael Nava (Henry Rios series) is included."This murder mystery, recounted with sassiness and wit, is full of true-to-life details about contemporary gay existence. Stevenson uses the yarn to poke fun at straitlaced parents, homophobic cops and greedy gay bar owners ... This is a great lazy-day read - and politically correct, yet " - The Advocate"Stevenson holds his own with the top novelists of the clever mystery genre. He writes wittily and knowingly about his subjects, both the gay world and the world of politics, and draws telling portraits of the bitter, clever amusing men who inhabit both." - West Coast Review of Books"Sassy and sexy ... Don Strachey is a private dick who really earns his title." - Armistead Maupin"Mystery fans had better grab hold of this and keep an eye out for Richard Stevenson." - Bay Area Reporter

A Donald Strachey Mystery, Book 2 - When the giant Millpond Company finds its plans for a mega-shopping mall stymied by the refusal of an elderly lesbian couple to sell their home, the ladies are subjected to ugly vandalism and frightening death threats.The powerful director of Millpond in turn hires Don Strachey, Albany's only gay detective, to protect the ladies, find the culprits, and clear the corporate name. Strachey accepts with misgivings that deepen rapidly as kidnapping, extortion, and murder darken the lives of Albany's gay community.Written at the beginning of AIDS activism, On the Other Hand, Death is a time capsule of gay life as it existed in smaller towns in America. An author's note is included."This is a lively book. Don Strachey is a more ebullient character than Joseph Hansen's Dave Brandstetter, and Mr. Stevenson has the skill to make him and the other characters in the novel thoroughly realized characters. Nor has the author forgotten that this is a private eye mystery. Skillful plotting carries the reader straight along. Highly recommended." - New York Times Book Review"The plotting is fast and clever; the gay background works; and the lesbians are engaging characters." - Publishers Weekly"Stevenson is also a good writer of fine wit, and his asides are as good as his story." - Philadelphia Gay News

For almost a decade, the zine, Noise Receptor Journal, has been documenting the international post-industrial music underground. Each issue has featured reviews and exclusive interviews on dark ambient, death industrial, heavy electronics, power electronics, and other largely ignored forms of music. Noise Receptor Journal remains a labour of love in the true spirit of the underground. Self-published (out of Melbourne, Australia) it documents a cultural landscape from a unique vantage point, being at once an established and respected voice on that landscape. This book is the first in a series that compiles the long out-of-print, much sought-after early issues, and contains in their entirety Noise Receptor Journal numbers 1, 2 and 3, as well as new material. Featured artists include: Alfarmania / Aischrolatreia / Aural Hypnox / Blitzkreig Baby / Fieldwork / Genocide Organ / Grunt / Halo Manash / Puce Mary / Survival Unit / Trepaneringsritualen / Wertham

Spectrum: Ambient/ Industrial/ Experimental Music Culture Magazine was one of the most well respected underground zines dealing with post-industrial music in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Although produced and published in Melbourne Australia, Spectrum focused on the global scene, with a particular focus on the dark ambient, death industrial, heavy electronics, power electronics, neo-classical, martial industrial and neo-folk genres of music. Spectrum covered a very active period internationally which can now be considered as one of the critical eras for the development and evolution of the post-industrial movement. During its years of activity, the five issues of Spectrum were distributed through an extensive underground network of artists, labels and mail-orders, but have long since been sold out, and remain unavailable other than as rare collectables. Twenty years on from the release of the first issue of Spectrum in 1998, Spectrum Compendium brings together reprints of all five issues, along with a wealth of interviews and reviews originally intended for the planned but ultimately abandoned sixth issue of Spectrum. Spectrum Compendium functions as a critical publication to shine a light on the often obscured post-industrial underground. It is also a celebration of, and an archival document charting, the activities of key artists and labels during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Featured interviews: Bad Sector / Black Lung / Brighter Death Now / Caul / Cold Spring / Crowd Control Activities / C17H19No3 / Death In June / Der Blutharsch / Desiderii Marginis / Deutsch Nepal / Dream Into Dust / Endvra / Folkstorm / Genocide Organ / Gruntsplatter / Hazard / House Of Low Culture / I-Burn / Ildfrost / Imminent Starvation / Inade / IRM / Iron Halo Device / Isomer / John Murphy / Kerovnian / Knifeladder / LAW / Malignant Records / Megaptera / Middle Pillar / Militia / MZ.412 / Navicon Torture Technologies / Nov Svĕt / Ordo Equilibrio / The Protagonist / Raison D' tre / Sanctum / Schloss Tegal / Shining Vril / Shinjuku Thief / Skincage / Slaughter Productions / Spectre / StateArt / Stone Glass Steel / Stratvm Terror / Terra Sancta / Tertium Non Data / Toroidh / Tribe Of Circle / Warren Mead / Vox Barbara / Yen Pox.

Over a long and varied career, Major-General William Beatson earned a fine reputation as a leader of irregular cavalry in the nineteenth century. He trained many future commanders of the Victorian army, saw action in Spain and British India, and rode with the Heavy Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava. But tasked with disciplining the Turkish Bashi-Bazouks during the Crimean War, his character flaws led him into conflict with politicians and diplomats running the war, who accused him of inciting mutiny. Parliament, newspapers and the law courts then became his chosen battlefields as he fought to clear his name and return to duty. By bringing Beatson s life and career into sharper focus, Richard Stevenson connects wide-ranging themes in Victorian military and imperial history in a fresh and accessible way."