Well, since astrangerhere is already using the LGBTQA meaning of rainbow, I think I'll do the same. My nomination is for the first of the Dave Brandstetter mysteries from Joseph Hansen:
Fadeout.
This is an absolute classic, possibly the first modern crossover. I first read it back in the 70's, and as I'm re-reading it now, I'm pleased to find it's held up well. From
Goodreads:
Quote:
Dave Brandstetter stands alongside Philip Marlow, Sam Spade and Lew Archer as one of the best fictional PIs in the business. Like them, he was tough, determined, and ruthless when the case demanded it. Unlike them, he was gay.
Joseph Hansen's groundbreaking novels follow Brandstetter as he investigates cases in which motives are murky, passions run high, and nothing is ever as simple as it looks. Set in 1970s and 80s California, the series is a fascinating portrait of a time and a place, with mysteries to match Chandler and Macdonald.
In Fadeout, Dave is sent to investigate the death of radio personality Fox Olsen. His car is found crashed in a dry river bed. But there is no body - and as Dave looks deeper into his life, it seems as though he had good reasons to disappear.
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Length: 202 pages.
Available from:
AmazonUS: $7.99
AmazonUK: £3.99
KoboUK: £3.99