With his review for tenure coming up in the next year, Nick doesn't need any more trouble. He certainly doesn't need to be on the scene when one of his students is murdered in the confusion as a scuffle threatens to become a riot.

Nick doesn't plan on becoming involved in the murder investigation. He has enough going on with departmental in-fighting, a friend who is getting hate mail, and a young Adonis with no scruples who seems to have plans for Nick (though Nick can't quite figure out what he is up to). Stefan, Nick's lover, is worried about his writing career and diminishing sales figures. Nick stays more or less out of the murder investigation (a little curiosity and concern don't really count, do they?) until another student is murdered – and Nick stumbles over the body.

One of the things I love about academic mysteries, and about this one in particular, is the underlying passion for books, for reading, for words. Nick thinks about (and comments on) books and writers, remembering great lines from books he's read; it's a part of everything he does. It's refreshing to be able to enter his world for a few hours.

This third novel in the Nick Hoffman series is another witty look at academic life. Nick is warm, funny, sarcastic, and great fun to hang around with. His strong relationship with Stefan, Stefan's feelings about his writing and his family's past, Nick's connections with his friends – all of these make for real and sympathetic characters. The mystery kept my interest, but it is Nick's humorous narration, a mix of snappy comebacks and deep feeling, that kept me involved and entertained.

--Jeri Wright