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(More customer reviews)"Glad Hand Saloon," Steve Scott's second Palm Springs novel, primarily concerns gay men with diverse attitudes about sexuality. In this case the former heavy hitters from Cafe Respect have moved on to a new venue, "Glad Hand Saloon," a gay bar and restaurant. Not to worry, mystery fans, where author Steve Scott goes, murder and mayhem are sure to follow. This book involves a naked body found dead under a pickup truck in the parking lot -- well, not entirely naked; the corpse was wearing a single, highly decorative boot, footwear that was two sizes too large.
Solving the problem of whodunnit in Scott's "Glad Hand Saloon" takes place amidst a swirl of subplots. Although a tour de force in "Glad Hand Saloon," the complex subplots and backstories sometimes threaten the main event -- the unidentified cadaver in the parking lot, e.g., almost all the major characters fall in love or at least in lust at one time or another, but they also kiss and tell which gets in the way of the real story.
"Glad Hand Saloon" introduces a dizzying array of unusual characters made memorable by their differences. In this book you meet a gay couple's response to monogamy -- and the lack of it -- and a bartender who seems to prefer chubbies and bears, but looks for love wherever he can find it; a Mexican American who struggles with his sexuality; a mystic-witch-clairvoyant whose predictions are invariably dark or deadly; and a bald co-owner who compensates for his hair loss by collecting hats.
For as many reasons as there are for "extended families," the Glad Hand has become the social center binding this diverse collection of older gay men together. Being an older crowd attracted to "country" or western attire, boots and levis are the clone uniform. And, sterotypically gay males, there's no discussion of major league sports in this bar. A strong point in author Scott's writing lies in his dialogue, crackling exchanges which can be coarse, sexually charged, and gender bending, a style that might have once been labeled "high camp." And in this western setting, the reader who hears the word "cowboy" used over and over, need only to close his eyes to hear Patsy Kline, Reba, and Dolly Parton crooning from the jukebox.
Another of Scott's many talents are his love of language. His use of extraordinary metaphor causes one to see things in new ways, perhaps creating indelible images the reader will never forget, e.g., "the crinkly sounds of breaking glass"; (coming out) "headed down the road to queersville"; "heard a hedge trimmer start its stutter"; "his black eyes stabbed then jerked away"; (his eyes) "scattering around the patio".
Finally, a contribution "Glad Hand Saloon" makes to the canon of gay literature is its expositions of major gay issues, e.g., AIDS, Hepatitis C, Separation from family and children, coming out, and suicide. Scott's new novel is recommended reading whether kept on your night stand, your beach blanket, or in your carry-on luggage.
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When a mutilated body is discovered in the alley behind a Palm Springs gay bar, known for its genuine rodeo posters and imitation cowboys, the Glad Hand Saloon becomes the epicenter of an investigation by a detective whose name-Kind-hardly matches his ambition to nail the killer. The dead body is wearing only one very fancy boot. In the detective's crosshairs are five gay men and a woman named Roper.
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