BURIED ON SUNDAY

by Edward Phillips ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 20, 1988

Phillips' debut Sunday's Child, featuring gay Montreal lawyer Geoffry Chadwick, was more a black-comic suspense novel than a mystery. And this second episode for narrator Geoffry is hardly a thriller of any sort--with other elements (bitchy comedy, bisexual soap-opera) entirely swamping the halfhearted stabs at suspense. Reluctantly accepting a country-weekend invitation from old chum Catherine Bradford, 50-ish Geoffry--along with lovely niece Elizabeth--arrives to discover that Catherine's new husband is. . .gorgeous Mark Crosby, Geoffry's grand passion of some years back! So, while Mark waxes seductive, moist flashbacks begin--giving us the moment-by-moment ups and downs of the Geoffry/Mark affair. Then, about halfway through the book, comes the feeble crime-element: the weekenders (also including a campy alcoholic and an earthy old broad) are taken hostage by three escaping bank robbers. A hackneyed series of confrontations ensues, with Phillips' contrived wrinkle--at least two of the criminals are gay--adding little freshness. And Geoffry is one of those who behave semi-heroically to save the day--while he's also heroic in resisting the temptation of adulterous lust with Mark. Geoffry's narration is occasionally amusing in its elitist sighs and sarcastic put-downs. (A garish office temp comes to work looking ""like the night teller in a sperm bank."") But the gags are more often mechanical, smirky, repetitious--and, without the real peril and macabre wit of Sunday's Child, this sequel is little more than an exercise in one familiar variant of the gay sensibility.

Pub Date: June 20, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1988

Categories: FICTION