The Enumerator (Mask Noir Series)

Rating:
Summary: Decent, but not Thrilling
Review: This thriller takes place in San Francisco in early 1993, a time when AIDS was rampant and uncontrolled. The enumerator of the title is Sean, a public health contractor who does door-to-door sex surveys of gay men as part of an effort to study sexual practices and the spread of AIDS. When a fellow enumerator is murdered, and his interview files go missing, it doesn't take long to figure out that someone had said something in their interview that needed to be covered up. Sean teams up with unemployed and spunky Alexandra (yes, romantic sparks fly) to uncover the mystery. Filled with Queer Nation activists, San Francisco neighborhoods and street life, threats of outing public figures, and Army of God militants, the story is a clever modern take on the thriller genre. Of course, Sean and Alex never get enough treatment to emerge as fully realized characters one cares about, nor does anyone else. It's a little too unlikely to be taken seriously, and the resolution is rather too neat-it's certainly not a noir-but it's not bad for what it is, and a good book to take on a trip to San Francisco.