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DEADLY DREAMS
by Victor J. Banis
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Paperback
Publisher: MLR Press
A painful past. A mysterious stranger. Footsteps vanishing in the fog. All Stanley wants is just to hear Tom say, "I love you." All Tom wants is Stanley safe. And the stranger? Ah, there's the rub--what exactly is it that he wants? Be careful what you wish for, fellows. You may get it. Dreams can be deadly. #3 in the Deadly Mystery Series
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| Deadly Dreams - Another 'Deadly' Winner! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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After having read the third book in Banis' 'Deadly' series I am already looking for Deadly Slumber!
I love everything about this series! The murder/mysteries are interesting with always a twist: from drag queens to a long lost brother of Stanley's (don't call me Stan).
Stanley continues to delight me with his quick wit to his tormented love affair with Tom our straight(?) homocide detective.
The ying and yang of their relationship is part of the enjoyment of this series. I love both characters. Tom is so hot that both gays and straight men love him and Stanley is our flamer whom I find completely disarming and totally charming. (matching aprons!?)come on!
Banis continues to weave the right mix of murder and mayhem into his stories. By mayhem - of course - I am talking about Stanley and Tom!
Going back in time to how Stanley lost his brother was a nice surprising twist and I couldn't help feeling sorry for Andrew. Life never gave him a chance. I like that not only is he sick, and twisted......he is hot too! Always a nice touch.
Keep up the good work Mr. Banis! Looking forward to the next book!
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| Great Book in an Excellent Series |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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"Deadly Dreams" is the third novel in Victor J. Banis's Deadly Mystery series featuring Tom Danzel and Stanley Korski, an unlikely pair if there ever was one. Unlike the previous two stories, which were essentially mysteries, this novel is suspense. There is no doubt who the villain is or what his intentions are. Instead, the question is how he is going to impact Stanley and Tom and what kind of carnage he is going to leave in his wake. This story is well-written and involving with an intelligent narrative and almost poetic phrasing that is very typical of Mr. Banis's work
Although "Deadly Dreams" is the third book to feature Tom and Stanley, Mr. Banis keeps the characters fresh and interesting. There is absolutely no taking these two for granted. They are multidimensional characters that have so much going on in their psyches that this series could probably continue indefinitely, and we would still feel as if we are just getting to know them.
Stanley is the philosopher, while Tom is the man of action. Stanley is the butterfly; Tom is the caveman (who else would call their penis "King Kong" in all seriousness?). Their relationship seems so impossible, so doomed from the onset, that we can't help but hope that they somehow make it work. Life and love is not easy for this pair. They seem to take two steps forward just to slide one step back, and that is part of what makes them so fascinating.
Tom is a very conflicted character. Regardless of his intimate involvement with Stanley, he still refuses to believe that he might be gay. He thinks Stanley is adorable, is an eager participant in sex with him, and even acknowledges that he has strong feelings for the man; however, a part of him holds back emotionally and even looks down on Stanley a bit for being queer. And yet another part of him is incredibly possessive of the man and devoted to keeping him free of harm.
Stanley, on the other hand, thinks he knows what he wants. But does he really? He might appear to be the injured party in much of his dealings with Tom, but there is a kernel of selfishness buried within him that causes him to make mistakes that put Tom's to shame. When this is brought to his attention towards the end of the story, he must face some pretty painful facts.
I found "Deadly Dreams" to be dynamic and entertaining, and as soon as I finished it, I was eager for more. This series and these characters are positively addictive. However many novels Mr. Banis has planned (and I hope it is several more), I can't imagine the stories ever getting stale. Granted, Mr. Banis could probably make next week's grocery list sound poetic, because he is just that talented a writer. Book Four of this series can't come soon enough for me; I am very interested to see what is in store next for Tom and Stanley.
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| Truly absorbing thriller! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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As one reviewer noted, the 3rd in the Deadly Series is more a thriller than a mystery as we know the villain from the beginning. But this only serves to inject intensity into the story as we enters the mind of the killer. The writing itself is somber and more wordy but no less effective as it suits the disturbing and dark mood of the story. I could not put Deadly Dreams down once I started but I cannot say this is my favorite among the 3 books. For a thriller it certainly works with its breathtaking suspense. However as a romance it is frustrating as I do not favor stories which focus too much on the villain and seeing how the plot play out from the villain's view point. I want the story to focus solely on Tom and Stanley with the plot unfolding from their view points. All the more significant here as their relationship reaches a new level.
That is not to say Mr Banis fails to deliver from the romance side. Far from it. We get to understand Tom so well here as he struggles with his love for a man, accepts it and commits to it. But at what price, Mr Banis! The last few chapters are excellent and have me holding my breath until the very end. And it is also shockingly sad. And Deadly Slumber cannot come soon enough!
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| Long-lost brother theatens to be deadly diversion. |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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In this third of the crime thriller/mystery series featuring Stanley Korski and his lover, former San Francisco homicide detective Tom Danzel, a death in Stanley's family leads to revelations that Stanley had an older brother he never knew about, but apparently knew about him. As information surfaces about Andrew, bits and pieces start to fall into place, including the fact that the man is a killer being hunted by Homeland Security, and may be there in San Francisco, possibly stalking his younger brother. Tom believes he may have spotted him, unrecognized at the time, at the funeral, which adds Tom to Andrew's list of possible witnesses he intends to eliminate.
This installment in the series marks the first after the duo retired from SFPD and become private investigators, a change that was likely wise in opening up future plotlines. While reading one or both of the earlier novels would be a help in understanding the dynamics of the relationship, it's not a must, as sufficient background is provided to make the story stand on its own. Erotic content is minimal and not distracting. This story is likely the most original and complex to date, and is generally well-written, although I found more typos than I would have liked, and the printing margins varied between paragraphs on the same page. Although other reviewers seemed to be somehow impressed by the numerous literary references in this book, I found them to be tangential, excessive and somewhat distracting to the characters and story. Otherwise, a recommended read, with four brotherly stars out of five.
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| Deadly Mystery Series Number Three |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Victor J. Banis is a prolific writer as well as one of the most versatile and entertaining writers today. In recent years he has given us such gems as Longhorns, Angel Land, as well as the recent Deadly Series of mysteries. Deadly Dreams is the third installment in the series of mystery novels featuring the duo of Stanley Korski and Tom Danzel. In many ways it is the most satisfying book yet of the series. For those who may not be familiar with the series, the two met in the first book, Deadly Nightshade, when the openly gay San Francisco police officer Stanley Korski was teamed with the 'straight' Tom Danzel to solve a series of crimes involving gays.
In Deadly Dreams we find Tom has retired as a San Francisco Police Department detective and he and Stanley have become partners in a private investigation agency. They have also become partners in another way as they are now living together even though Tom is still loathe to openly admit the relationship. Following a prologue that ties the whole book together, Deadly Dreams begins with the death of Stanley's father. Stanley is forced to take a closer look at his past only to discover that things he had always considered to be fact, were not fact at all. His discovery of a family member Stanley never knew existed, takes him on a dark and twisted journey through his childhood in order to unravel not only a past mystery but also a present day mystery. Stanley discovers that little, if anything, from his past was as he had thought it was when growing up. And through this labyrinth of discovery, Tom is right there beside Stanley, protecting him.
Deadly Dreams however should be classified more as a thriller than a mystery as the reader is aware from the first of the book just who the killer is. This does not detract in any way from the book however as there are plenty of tense moments. Banis masterfully keeps the reader on the edge of the seat in this page-turner and even though we may know 'whodunnit' from the start, there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way. But as good as the mysteries are in this series of books, the ever changing relationship between Tom and Stanley is what especially keeps readers coming back for more. Reading Deadly Dreams, one is reminded not only what a wicked wit Banis possesses, as well as what a master of wordplay Banis can be, but one is also reminded just what an urbane writer Victor Banis is in his cultural references, such as the references to the 16th century Italian painter Agnolo Bronzino. Without giving away too many secrets, romance lovers will be highly satisfied with Deadly Dreams, though the destination is not arrived at without some scrapes and bruises to the relationship.
The Deadly series of mysteries started off really good, and each subsequent book has gotten better, so if you like edge-or-the-seat psychological thrillers, or you are a fan of romance, this book should not be missed. And if you are a fan of both you will find Deadly Dreams to be doubly good.
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