A Body to Dye For

by Grant Michaels

Overview

A Stan Kraychik Mystery, Book 1 - Stan "Vannos" Kraychik isn't your everyday Boston hairdresser. Manager of Snips Salon, which is owned by best bud (and occasional nemesis) Nicole, Stan thought this day was an ordinary one. A delivery van backed into the salon's rear driveway and accidentally spilled gallons of conditioner, leaving Stan and hunky Roger) embracing in a gooey mess trying to staunch the flow, with little success as they slid and slipped with Nicole watching on with rolling eyes. Later Roger is found murdered.

Stan's client, Calvin Redding, who owns the apartment where Roger's body was found, can't explain why the body is dressed in little more than bowties. Enter Lieutenant Branco, dark, muscular, Italian, (straight) of Boston PD Homicide who immediately suspects everyone, especially Stan. In an attempt to clear his name, Stan travels to California, takes up mountain climbing, eavesdropping, spying, schmoozing, and a little bit of schtupping, all in an attempt to find the truth.

Grant Michaels' zany series of adventures starring Stan Kraychik garnered multiple Lambda Literary Awards including a 1991 nomination for Best Gay Men's Mystery. For this new edition, Carl Mesrobian reminisces about his brother Grant in an exclusive foreword, and Neil S. Plakcy provides an introduction of appreciation.

"A delightful debut with a gay hairdresser-investigator who gets his fingers into a lot more things than hair. It's a promising start to what looks to be a successful series." - George Baxt, The Dorothy Parker Murder Case

"What a pleasure to come across a new kind of amateur sleuth to tickle the jaded reader! Here is a genuinely original book - a breathless read with no side trips or rest stops, filled with intriguing complexities and an excellently satisfying conclusion. I like Stan Kraychik a lot better than Dave Brandstetter, and would willingly be arrested by Lieutenant Branco ..." - Samuel M. Steward/Phil Andros, Murder Is Murder Is Murder

"Surprisingly light-hearted, A Body to Dye For is full to overflowing with threatening phone calls, possible suspects and most of all ... titillation. Michaels cleverly escorts his readers on a merry spin through straight and gay Boston, an overnight stay in San Francisco, and several days journey through Yosemite National Park. So kick back and escape from your all-too-real world with some kooky characters, feats of bravery and a happy ending." - San Francisco Bay Times

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951092511
Publisher:	Requeered Tales
Publication date:	04/19/2022
Series:	Stan Kraychik Mystery , #1
Pages:	298
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

Grant Michaels, the pen name of Michael Mesrobian (1947-2009), wrote six mystery novels centering on Stan Kraychik, a gay hairdresser turned amateur detective. "I wanted to do something that would really entertain readers. What could be more outlandish than a gay hairdresser who solves crimes?" said Mesrobian concerning the 1981 debut of A Body to Dye For.Boston was home for the author. He studied at Boston University then settled in San Francisco. Returning to Boston in his mid-30s, he began writing novels, landing a deal with St Martin's Press' Stonewall Inn imprint. His friends loved him for his incredible sense of fun, wit and giggles. He had a great love of music, good food, gin martinis and sometimes great scotch. An independent spirit, his conversation was filled with truth, beauty, an artistic bent touching on dance, piano, drama, writing, art, ballet, and opera.He made an ideal travel companion, as one friend relates, who shared a 3-week tour of France and Spain taking in the beautiful European male eye candy. Another friend recalled taking ballet classes with him where he invented the "rescue pas de deux". This involved showing up next to his friend at a difficult moment, providing someone to grab on to for support. The ballet teacher was not amused, particularly by the giggling it produced.All six novels were shortlisted as Lambda Literary Award finalists in the Gay Men's Mystery category.