The Spinner of Tales

His first novel, The Butterscotch Prince, was hailed in 1975 as a triumph: an explicitly gay murder mystery story with erotic elements released during the heady days of Gay Liberation. Richard Hall's career, as a writer of short and long fiction, in theatre and as a widely acclaimed book critic, flourished. Seventeen years later, Hall worked feverishly, and lovingly, to complete his second gay mystery novel, The Spinner of Tales, now released for the first time and marking 30 years since his death.

Dr. Bruce Pittman runs a successful music school in New York, nurturing young talent for the concert stage. David Donnenfield has been in his orbit for nearly a decade; he arrived as a fresh-faced, somewhat tentative, 19-year-old with talent, ambition but sorely lacking polish. Now he was touring regularly to great acclaim ... until he's been charged with the bludgeoned murder of Miles Halloran, longtime friend of Bruce, and a great raconteur and world traveler.

But as...