"This study of gay and lesbian detective fiction examines mystery series and historically significant stand-alone novels published since the early 1960s. Part I describes how these novels make gay and lesbian life visible and forge new, powerful images. It also examines how they fit into the larger history of mystery fiction. Part II groups series according to the type of main character (police officer, private investigator, amateur sleuth, etc. ). Each section discusses characters of that type and analyzes the series in which they appear. Comments from authors interviewed for this book play a central role in those analyses. Part III lists series-spanning themes (e. g. , homophobia, the closet, gay marriage) and the novels and series that address each of those themes. "--Jacket.