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Archive for the ‘Mystery’ Category

Hit & Run by Cassidy Ryan

Posted in Authors: P-R, B, Contemporary, Mystery, Romance, tagged , on March 12, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

hitTitle: Hit & Run
Author: Cassidy Ryan
Length: 18,800 words (42 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m contemporary mystery
Rating: B

Blurb:

After witnessing a horrific crime, Seth is placed in a safe house until he can testify before a Grand Jury. When the safe house is compromised and the two police officers protecting him are killed, Seth is forced to go on the run. In desperate need of help, Seth turns to Dixon, the adopted son of the man who was shot. Together they try to keep Seth alive long enough to testify, which is not easy when there are two hit men who seem to have an uncanny knack of finding them.

The attraction between Seth and Dixon sizzles, but they agree that they should put their feelings on hold until the timing is better. Avoiding their new feelings for each other is just as tough as keeping Seth safe. Before he and Dixon can be sure of a future together, Seth must fight for his life in a final showdown.

Review:

The strength of this story for me was Seth. He really was an appealing character. He’s working at his job as a bartender when hot guy Dixon seems to come on to him. Seth doesn’t play with customers but there is something here, so when Dixon asks to meet him in the alley he agrees. Then nearly dies of embarrassment when it seems Dixon only wanted to ask him about a missing man, not have a little mutual fun. However after a long night, he falls asleep in the break room, only to wake later to see his boss kill the man Dixon was searching for. When his boss sees him, he makes a run for it, only to find out the man survived and he’s compelled to go and find out if he’s okay. There he sees Dixon and agrees to tell the cops his story. (He had called 911 anonymously.)

He ends up in a safe house, and when the cops protecting him are killed he runs, only this time he turns to Dixon rather than the cops for help and they end up on the run as well when the damn killers seem to keep finding them. Of course underlying all this excitement is the simmering attraction between the two men.

What I enjoyed was the building relationship between Dixon and Seth. Both have baggage from awful childhoods, but both have put it mostly in the past and moved on. They banter back and forth, tease each other, call each other names, and generally have a good time together, when someone’s not trying to blow them away. I thought it was hilarious when Dixon is teasing Seth about looking like a rent boy and he embarrasses him in the diner by pretending he’s negotiating with Dixon, and gains the sympathy of the waitress, and free bacon.

The mystery itself and how the criminals keep finding him was not all that clever or unique, but I was enjoying the relationship between the two so much that I didn’t mind that the mystery was more a reason to bring Seth and Dixon together. There was a nice mix of adventure and being on the run, with lighter banter and budding friendship, with some wicked attraction with hot sex. I quite enjoyed the shot time I spent reading this one.

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Eye of the Beholder by Edward Kendrick

Posted in Authors: J-L, C+, Contemporary, Mystery, Romance, tagged , on January 21, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

eye beholderTitle: Eye of the Beholder
Author: Edward Kendrick
Length: 19,321 words (104 pages)
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre: m/m mystery contemporary
Rating: C+

Blurb:

When Preston is attacked by an unknown assailant, he’s unable to face the future looking as he does. With the help of his new roommate, will he let down his barriers and meet his best friend Cary face to face again?

When porn star Preston is attacked by an unknown assailant who may have been working for his former boss, he goes into seclusion, unable to face the future looking as he now does.

Meanwhile his friend, Cary, and Cary’s boyfriend, give up trying to find Pres and move on with their lives. Then, through his online business, Pres reconnects with his friend, although Cary doesn’t know it is Pres. Will Pres, with the help of the woman with whom he is living, be able to let down his barriers and meet face to face with Cary or will his fears keep them just online friends?

Review:

This format is a bit short for a real mystery, but I do enjoy the author’s style, so enjoyed the story, even though I’d figured out who the bad guy was quite early on. Preston and Cary have been friends for years, and while Preston has been in love with him for some time, Cary shot him down early on fearing ruining their friendship. Preston’s finally finished his contract with sketchy porn studio, and despite threats is happy to be out of it. While Cary is out of town, Preston is attacked in his apartment and badly slashed. His career options go from model to hideous creature (in Preston’s opinion). However before Cary can get back to town, Preston has checked himself out of the hospital and disappeared.

You find out he was taken in by a former friend, now a nurse, and he starts his own web design business allowing him to work without meeting anyone. Of course, by chance, Cary ends up being assigned to work with him on a new company website, and they form a friendship on-line. Finally, Preston admits who he is and they reunite, but within days Preston is shot. Meanwhile it seems Cary’s boyfriend is getting rather paranoid and possessive. Hmmmm.

I really liked Preston’s friend Tabby. She pushed him to get out and be in the world, and she really helped him see that not everyone would view him as horrible. But she wasn’t the interfering friend. Yes, she encouraged both him and Cary to confront their feelings for each other, but I got the impression that if either one had told her to back off, she would have. It wasn’t that eye-rolling interfering female that seems to crop up so often.

As I said, the “mystery” of who attacked Preston was fairly clear, but still, on the whole, I liked Preston and wanted him to find his HEA despite the terrible scarring he had to learn to live with. Those who really want a solid mystery may not enjoy it, but if you like the hurt-comfort theme, combined with friends to lovers, and reunification (wow, lots of tropes covered there), I think you’ll find it a good read to pass the time, if not necessarily one you go back to later.

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The Angel in the Window by Charlie Cochrane

Posted in A, Authors: A-C, Historical, Mystery, Romance, tagged , on December 24, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Angel_in_the_WindowTitle: The Angel in the Window
Author: Charlie Cochrane
Length: 18,000 words
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: m/m historical (early 1800′s) mystery romance
Rating: A

Blurb:
When a traitor walks your deck, who’ll be the one to clear him off it? or What happens when your comrades are more dangerous than your enemies?

Alexander Porterfield may be one of the rising stars of Nelson’s navy, but his relationship with his first lieutenant, Tom Anderson, makes him vulnerable. To blackmail, to the exposure of their relationship—and to losing Tom, either in battle or to another ship. When sudden danger strikes—from the English rather than the French—where should a man turn?

Review:
I have to admit that I’m not usually a great fan of ‘Age of Sail’ books. This is mainly because these types of books are often peppered with confusing nautical jargon and I get all muddled about what’s happening, or where the action of the story is taking place. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case with this story which managed to be authentic without overwhelming me with sailing vocabulary. In fact the sailing terms were given a bit of an amusing twist as our pair of heroes use them teasingly towards each other when being intimate.

The story is in two parts. The first part is set around Christmas and New Year where Alex and Tom are home on leave. Alex is captain and Tom his first lieutenant, but they have been friends and lovers for years, moving up the ranks together and being lucky enough to be posted on the same ships. This first part shows the ease and friendliness they share with Tom’s family, with an undercurrent of nervousness about keeping their true relationship secret. This part managed to be heartwarming but with a thread of sadness that they couldn’t be open about their love.

The second part of the story takes place after the New Year as the men return to their ship and sail to Gibraltar and then onto Malta through dangerous seas. I liked that the story stayed focused on the relationship between the men and although you still get a strong flavour of life at sea – its dangers and its beauties – it didn’t overwhelm the human aspect of the story. It was just the right balance for me. The mystery plot worked well and provided some tension to the story, and I also liked the way that it was resolved. Another aspect of the book which worked for me was the constant tension of hiding their relationship, of being careful and attentive to it all the time. This could have caused a deep strain on both men but whilst they may reflect on a time when they could be open, they know that the need to stay hidden is worth the effort.

The highlight of the story though is the relationship between Alex and Tom. Their love and attraction shines through the dialogue, although they are very much of the British ‘stiff upper lip’ type. There’s no overly sweet declarations of love and devotion, just two men living and working alongside each other who have an obvious regard for one another. Their lives are categorised by hard work and restraint which made it all the more wonderful when they could relax together. I liked them both very much.

Overall, this was a wonderful story with strong characters who fit exactly the time and setting. If you want to read a marvellous historical this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with this one.

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Under the Bridge by Geoff Knight

Posted in Authors: J-L, B, Contemporary, Mystery, tagged , on November 21, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Title: Under the Bridge
Author: Geoff Knight
Length: 7,400 words (30 pdf pages)
Publisher: Storm Moon Press
Genre: m/m contemporary mystery
Rating: B

Blurb: 

Ten years ago, a lone killer murdered Dylan Sanders’ best friend and lover, Kayne Kellerman. It was the third in a series of murders that had taken place across the country, each with the same setting:

A foggy night.

A remote bridge.

A victim unaware of the danger lurking beneath the rickety boards.

Ten years ago the killer known as the Troll was caught and convicted. But tonight he walks free.

Tonight, Dylan Sanders, the only survivor of the Troll’s attacks, will return to the scene of the crime. To confront his demons. To put his nightmares behind him. To wash away the memory of that terrible night once and for all.

Review:

I will first put a notice, that this falls more into the category of gay literature and not romance, as there is no traditional HEA.

The story uses flashbacks, combined with present day action, to let us know how we got to the present point. While out at a party ten years ago, Dylan and Kayne were out in the woods, when a serial murderer known as “The Troll” killed Kayne and nearly killed Dylan. A local police deputy stopped him and rescued Kayne. Eventually it came out that Kayne and Dylan had been lovers and Dylan was shunned by the town, but the deputy took him in and they soon became lovers.

Dylan’s therapist believes that he needs to face the bridge to get over his past, and while his lover is not keen, he agrees. While they are out there, they find out the murderer has been released and skipped out on parole and is near them. Dylan’s worst nightmare comes true, when he is once again attacked by the murderer. I’m not going to reveal what happens next. Dylan is not killed, but he doesn’t get a HEA either. It’s hard to discuss the story without revealing the plot.

I was entirely caught up in Dylan’s story and his stress and the trauma from not only the original attack, but how everyone behaved toward him. He was treated so badly by the town. Even ten years later no one wanted to believe that the football star could have been gay and been the one who was killed rather than Dylan, who was just a guy. The ending surprised me, although I probably should have figured given the amount of TV I watch, but it met its intended result of taking me off guard.

I would like to see the next step for Dylan and how his life changes and if he can move on after this last experience. If you are looking for something rather creepy and suspenseful and don’t mind that it’s not a traditional romance, I would recommend this.

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Unseen Touch by Arvel Amaya

Posted in Authors: A-C, B, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on September 27, 2012 | 6 Comments »

Title: Unseen Touch (Paranormal Crime Unit #1)
Author: Arvel Amara
Length: 19,640 words
Publisher: Self Published (Smashwords, Amazon)
Genre: m/m paranormal mystery romance
Rating: B

Blurb:
For psychic, Henri Abbey, trouble is never far away. It has been nearly two years since Henri resigned from Orlando’s Paranormal Crime Unit, but he can’t manage to leave his detective days behind. When a witch comes into his shop asking for help finding her missing assistant, Henri is suddenly thrown into a case where the victims are found dead inside a locked room. The cause of death? Internal bleeding.

Things just get worse when Henri finds himself drawn to the main crime suspect, Micah James. Micah is the only person Henri has been able to touch in the last two years without being swamped with memories. When Micah shows that he wants Henri just as much as Henri want him, Henri has to figure out how to deal with his intense attraction. But that soon becomes only one of his worries when he discovers he’s the next target on the murderer’s list.

Review:
This is the first in series of paranormal novellas by a new-to-me author. It follows psychic, Henri, who owns a shop selling paranormal paraphernalia as well as offering readings. On the side he helps out the Paranormal Crime Unit, which he used to belong to before he retired after a particularly harrowing case. The story begins as he’s visited by one of the most powerful witches in the country who wants Henri to discover the whereabouts of her missing assistant. At the same time Henri is called in by the PCU to help find out who killed a series of people who were in a locked room.

I was quickly drawn into this story through the first person narrative of Henri. He’s a skilled psychic with a heavy dose of skepticism which keeps his abilities honed and his defences sharp. I liked him a great deal. I also liked the idea that his powers are also a weakness, making him unable to stand being touched as he gets unwillingly drawn into people’s memories. In fact, the paranormal aspect was the strongest part of the story with a lot of thoughtful world-building to Henri, the PCU and the mystery plot.

Henri has an immediate attraction to Micah, the missing assistant. Their compatibility worked well and I could see how this would influence the speed that the pair get together. Micah also complements Henri’s personality in the way that he is a steady presence to Henri’s nervousness, and who is also willing to help save the day when necessary. There’s a lot of secrets about Micah – the most pressing of which is what manner of creature he actually is – and these secrets are not revealed at the end of the story.

There are also lots of questions about Henri’s past that need answering too. In many ways Henri as a character is a little lacking in definition at this stage in the series. We know of his PCU past, his psychic abilities and his new career with the shop, but we don’t know much about his past, his family and how he came into his powers. we also only get hints of the circumstances which led to him retiring from the PCU. I’m hoping I’ll find out more about this intriguing character, and more about Micah, in later books in the series.

Self-published books get a lot of criticism for lack of editing, and I’m afraid there were a noticeable amount of typos in this book – only small things like letters missing from words or the use of ‘too’ instead of ‘to’, but still a little irritating. A good proof-reader would have picked these up.

However, that was my only real niggle in a story which took me on a roller-coaster mystery adventure. The pace didn’t slacken the whole time and there was a good mix of drama, excitement and romance. I read it quickly from cover to cover and enjoyed it a great deal. This author shows great promise and I’ll be certain to pick up the rest in this series. If you like mystery stories with paranormal aspects, then this should be just the ticket and I recommend it.

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Ruffskin by Megan Derr

Posted in Authors: D-F, B+, Mystery, Paranormal, tagged , on June 1, 2012 | 5 Comments »

Title: Ruffskin
Author: Megan Derr
Length: 9k words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: m/m paranormal mystery
Rating: B+

Blurb: An ordinary rainy day at the Bremen is interrupted when a strange courier shows up with a package for Peyton Blue, the Bremen’s much-loved owner and bartender. When the package turns out to be a piece of Peyton’s past and brings that past violently into the present, it is up to Johnnie to resolve a years old problem and put the past where it belongs once and for all.

Review: The Dance with the Devil series has several books that are only loosely related to one another by worldbuilding, so Ruffskin follows immediately after Dance in the Dark and deals with the same characters. It is important to read that novel first, because this short story does not stand on it’s own. All of the character building and relationships are forged in the novel, and I would have been lost if I had not read it first. I was still a bit lost, actually, when I started this. I love this series, but Dance in the Dark was one of my very favorites, and even then I had a hard time remembering which storyline and characters went with which when you compile all of the different plots and characters over the series. But once I was reacquainted, I was so happy to revisit Johnnie and Grim.

Though the blurb makes it seem as if Peyton is the MC in this story, that really isn’t the case. As readers of the series will know, in Dance in the Dark each chapter is set up as a new case for Johnnie, orphaned and raised in an extremely powerful vampire family. In the novel, he was wooed by a secret lover in the dark (Grim) while striking away from his family to do what he really loved and what gave him purpose, solving mysteries in the paranormal world.

Ruffskin could easily have fit into the novel as one of those chapters, which are often separate and slowly tying into the overall plot. In the story, we once again see Johnnie and Grim bickering in the bar Johnnie owns, when a delivery man comes with a package for Peyton, the bartender. In the package is a Rolex with the inscription “To Peyt, Love Ruff,” sending Petyon into a worried frenzy over an old love and revealing the secrets behind his flee from Pack Blue and his current reason for being a lone wolf given sanctuary on vampire territory. Once again, Johnnie sets off to solve the case, with his “babysitter” Grim tagging along.

This is definitely a story for fans of this series, as you really can’t just read this story and understand the characters without the backstory. But it works really well as it is. Johnnie is such a wonderful character. When he could come across as extremely prickly and haughty, having been raised a prince of an empire of vampires who definitely loves his status and all it brings him, he’s also at heart empathetic and passionate about those he cares for. Grimm is a character that no one could hate. He’s laid back even though one of the most powerful and rare creatures in the world. He’s lovable and loyal uses every opportunity to ruffle Johnnie’s feathers. They’re a great couple and revisiting them here was a treat.

For such a short story, I felt the mystery worked well here. It’s not a terribly difficult case for Johnnie to solve, and rightly so at only 9k words. So I wasn’t expecting a huge new adventure, and the mystery worked well for me by serving as the reason for all of the old gang in the novel to come back together.

This is definitely a treat for fans of the series, and if you haven’t read the series yet, I’d encourage you to. These books are some of my favorites by Megan Derr, though they’re all rather different. Reading order will vary by who you talk to, but as long as you read Dance with the Devil and Dance in the Dark in that order, the rest doesn’t matter as much. B+

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Kissing Orion by Amber Kell

Posted in Authors: J-L, B-, Contemporary, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on May 10, 2012 | 4 Comments »

Title: Kissing Orion
Author: Amber Kell
Length: 16,222 words (91 pdf pages)
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre: m/m paranormal (vampires)
Rating: B-

Blurb:

Aaron Bradshaw’s boss told him to acquire the vampire Orion’s cooperation in their police investigation. Little did he know that sweet talking his way into the club was the first step in establishing a long-term relationship with a vampire.

Orion has been alone for a long time. However, one look at the sexy detective and he decides he knows what he wants to keep by his side. Aaron’s insistence on throwing himself into danger drives Orion insane. How is he going to keep his lover safe and still let Aaron do his job while hunting down drug runners in Orion’s club?

Review:

This is definitely the first in a series, although it’s a fairly new release so I’m not sure when the next installment will arrive. It’s not on the author’s coming soon page yet. As well, on Goodreads I saw there was a previous version of this story that is listed as 39 pages. Now it’s hard to say whether there are significant changes to this one, as Silver tends to have high pages counts due to formatting, so if you’ve read the previous version (2009) you might want to investigate further before you pay for the same book again.

This is a rather typical fated vampire mates story (which I enjoy when the mood strikes), with a bit of a mystery of who is selling drugs in the area of Orion’s club and may be trying to run him out of town. The difference is, the relationship is handled with quite a light hand. There is a good dose of humour that makes it not all so very serious. Aaron is a cop whose not afraid to admit he finds Orion hot, but he’s very clear he’s not about to become some mindless bond-mate. He likes being a cop and having his own life, but he’s not against a good time either.

The issues arise when Orion’s posessiveness raises its head. When due to his female partner’s ill husband, he’s forced to partner with an old friend/lover, Orion is not impressed and makes it clear if anyone touches Aaron, they’ll have him to deal with, however Zheng takes it with a bit of an eye-roll.

Occasionally, the vampire would rub his cheek against Aaron marking him with his scent.

“If he decides to pee a circle around you, I’m out of here,” Zheng said, watching the pair.

So while I enjoyed the story, and I do find this author has a very easy style which is fast to read and in this case I found myself snorting a couple of times at the humour, as I said in the first line, it’s definitely the first book. A lot of ideas/issues are introduced that are not resolved at the end. The relationship portion of the book is pretty set, Orion has marked Aaron and really, he’s not going to let him go. However, there is Orion’s daughter and her boyfriend who is selling the drugs, but of whom Daddy disapproves; there is the ultimate death of Zheng by another vamp but the maintaining of his soul in a necklace until Aaron can find another body; and just more details about what being mated to a vamp means, about the whole blood bond which would make him give up his job.

So I’m assuming that more of these themes will be explored in future books. Vampires are not made in these stories, you are born a vamp (hence Orion has a few kids running around), everyone knows vamps exist and while maybe not fans, accept them as a normal part of everyday life. There is no stigma about having a relationship with one. So there are some interesting points as vamps are integrated into society, but despite quite enjoying the banter between Orion and Aaron, and even Zheng, I felt a bit let down that so many new ideas are left languishing until we get the next book. Always leave them wanting more is the saying I suppose. :-)

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A Queer Pattern of Murder by Tom Jemielity

Posted in Authors: J-L, C, Contemporary, Mystery, tagged , on April 24, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Title: A Queer Pattern of Murder
Author: Tom Jemielity
Length: 14,879 words (49 pdf pages)
Publisher: JMS Books
Genre: m/m mystery contemporary
Rating: C

Blurb:

Beaucaploo, Indiana, is rocked by a vicious killing of a middle-aged gay man. Detectives Billy Mack and Ethan Gregory are assigned to the case. Though Billy is married with children and Ethan is a gay ex-Marine, the two share a solid friendship cemented when Ethan saved Billy’s life during a drug bust.

To find the killer, they must narrow the field of suspects. Is the murderer an obnoxious gay activist? A recent boyfriend of the deceased? Or someone new in town? Their inquiry takes them from the campus of the University of the Mother of Mercy where the victim taught, to a gay dating agency whose services he recently used, and to a local bar he didn’t frequent often.

Can Billy and Ethan catch the killer before he strikes again?

Review:

This is less of a romance, than a mystery with a gay cop in a relationship (not with his partner). Ethan is a former marine who keeps his sexuality under-wraps on the job in the small town he moved to. However his partner confronts him with it, and he’s surprised that Billy is alright with it. In fact Billy and his wife love watching Queer As Folk and it turns out Billy uses Ethan as his source of gay humour since QAF went off the air. It was nice to see an open family, as Billy and his wife have kind of adopted as Ethan as extended family.

When a man is brutally murdered, it turns out he was using a gay dating service. However, his current lover is not a suspect, but some fishing around finds that he did go on a few dates with a good-looking guy. Some more digging finds similar murders of gay men in nearby cities and it may be a case of a serial killer on the loose.

As I said, the majority of the story is the mystery. You never even meet Ethan’s live-in boyfriend until the very end of the book. He talks about him and he’s often referred to, but their relationship is not the focus of the book at all. It’s one of the things I would have liked to see, more of their interactions just to get a feel for them as a couple. I was also a bit confused as to the time. They refer to QAF which is recent, and yet the murder used a pay phone? Really? Who uses pay phones anymore? He even found one? There aren’t that many out there anymore.

The mystery was pretty quickly solved with the use of an undercover cop, not Ethan. But as I said, the focus of the book was not on the romantic relationship, but did cover a fair bit about building your own family and family acceptance, as Ethan’s family shunned him when he came out. So there were some underlying themes of acceptance that ran along with the murder mystery.

There was nothing particularly wrong with the story, it was adequately written and I enjoyed it, but it didn’t stick with me. Maybe more of Ethan’s personal life would have helped me feel more connected to him. I knew more about his relationship with Billy and his family, than with the man he lived with. Still, you don’t get many mystery short stories, so it was a nice change of pace and was long enough to have the investigation not be too truncated as can happen in some shorts. Worth reading when you’re in the mood for some police drama.

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Abstract Realism by Edward Kendrick

Posted in Authors: J-L, C-, Contemporary, Mystery, Romance, tagged , on April 5, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Title: Abstract Realism
Author: Edward Kendrick
Length: 16,401 words (82 pdf pages)
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre: m/m crime/mystery
Rating: C-

Blurb:

Tonio, an artist, is in seclusion after being viciously attacked by the lover of a casual acquaintance in an act of jealousy which scarred Tonio inside and out.

Tonio’s only contact with the world is his sister Jessie, who implores him to shed his self-imposed exile. When his paintings go on display at a gallery, Jessie convinces Tonio to attend the opening night and a party to be held in his honor.

Jonam, the handsome owner of a close protection service, offers to come to Tonio’s aid when Tonio’s attacker begins to make new threats. The question then becomes, will Jonam be able to keep Tonio safe, and in the process teach him to accept he is not defined by the scars he carries but by who he is inside? Only if he can, will Tonio be able to live, and love, again.

Review:

This is a readable if rather predictable little story, but I had issues with what I consider common sense factors. Tonio was attacked and cut, as it says, by the lover of a guy he’d just met. However despite knowing it was acquaintance’s lover, he doesn’t tell the police, simply because he doesn’t know the guy’s name. He leads them to believe it was a random attack. So rather than give what information he has, he chooses to give nothing. And then you wonder why the police haven’t found the guy?

He runs into a sexy blond in the park, however spurns him, only to have the guy show up at his gallery show. It later comes to light that he runs a security business and when the attacker shows up again, sure that his lover has run off with Tonio, it’s up to Jonam to come up with a plan to capture the guy because he is able to figure out who he is within hours. However does Tonio follow the instructions of two men trained as professional body guards? No. He insists on getting in the middle of it all and ends up nearly getting killed … again. Why don’t people listen to the professionals?

This also smacks of insta-love. Despite only ever having seen Tonio at the park where he jogs and meeting him once, he is sworn to protect him forever. I get insta-lust, and I liked that while he was physically beautiful, he also had scars due to a fire which made him able to relate to Tonio, but it just seemed a bit much given the length of time they’d known each other. There were just too many behaviours which were illogical, and if I were the police I would have been annoyed at Tonio for withholding information.

So if you can overlook the issues I had, it’s not a bad story. Tonio and his paranoia/fear were well done and I think made sense given his experience, but I just was so frustrated with his behaviour that only served to feed his fear. I’ll have to try a different story by this author because I liked the style, just in this particular case not certain plot elements didn’t work for me.

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