Category: Historical

A MelanieM Review: Three More Nick Nowak Mysteries (Boystown #2) by Marshall Thornton

Rating: 4. 5 stars out of 5

 

The Boystown Mystery series continues as Chicago private investigator Nick Nowak finds himself involved in three new cases. He’s asked to help a young man who murdered his stepfather but refuses to assist in his own defense, hired to find the murderer of a dead porno star, and, in a case that traps him between the two men he loves, must search for a serial killer’s only living victim. Set in the second half of 1981, Nick juggles his deepening relationship with Detective Bert Harker with the return of his ex, Daniel Laverty. Which man will he choose? Or will he be able to choose?

In this second collection of stories, the character of Nick Novak continues to develop, revealing more of himself and the tangled web of emotions and relationships he’s caught up in.  Nick is unable to let go of his past and his first love, Daniel Laverty.  The trauma under which they parted has a great deal to do with that and the fact that Nick has never effectively dealt with it.

Now there’s a man who is demanding his time and attention, Detective Bert Harker, a  police officer he met through a case.  Much like Nick, when he was on the force, Harker is determined to stay in the closet until retirement not only because he saw what happened to Nick but also due to the rampant homophobia daily on display in the Chicago PD. Thornton delivers a wrenching portrait of a man who no longer trusts his own feelings, who isn’t able to recognize his own state of emotions with regard to love, and uses sex to deflect finding any answers within himself.  Anyone who is available for quick sex in any form is used for physical and often emotional release, whether  Nick admits it or not.

That includes friends with their own “boyfriends” and issues, clients, former clients, and odd hookup with a source of information.  Nick sets a new low for lack of professionalism and he knows how dangerously he’s skirting the boundaries.  Nick is still very much a main in pain and very slowly  trying to recover from the loss of his job, family, and lover.

It’s still sex, drugs, murder, and the 80’s surrounding Nick Novak and his cases so in the background you get a roll call of the news of that era, playlists that will still sound familiar, and  many gadgets/electronic devices that thankfully are now consigned to museum status (think typewriters to mimeographs).  Thornton’s stories are both familiar and yet just placed far enough in the past to give us a perspective that will have a chilling impact as certain events and facts start to intrude into these stories and these characters lives.

The murder cases are fascinating. And they will continue to impact Nick in the books future down the road. How they are solved, the step by step process, the grunt work, how Nick work’s it out…the reader is there with him making all the connections.  All the stories are told in first person narrative.  It’s that gritty, wry, dark voice of Nick that drives these stories.  Nick perseveres when no one else will, despite an inner voice telling him not too. He knows when his actions are indulgent or destructive and yet he does them anyway.  And when he finally gives way and acknowledges some small insight into his inner turmoil?  It becomes shockingly brilliant portrait of a man at a crossroads in his life.

Nick and all those you will meet here will leave a lasting impression on you.  That I promise.  The writing is superb, the characterizations phenomenal, and the stories will leave a lasting impact, all the more so when taken as a whole.

This is the last book that includes a collection.  From here each novel goes to complete stories with one case and Nick dealing with his increasingly complicated personal life.

A note about the sex, promiscuity and “cheating”.  This is the 80’s and the gay scene in Chicago.  This is not romance.  This is a time of sex, tons of hookups, where being monogamist was more perhaps “hetexronormive” and less gay. It was a time of bathhouses, swinging, cocaine, and so much more.  It was also when the first small rumors starts of a illness that seemed to hit only gay men, called at first the “gay flu”.

So if you as a reader are looking for a romance or won’t read books with cheating, here’s a couple of things to consider.  One, this isn’t a romance and,. secondly, its hard judging the sexual morality of era like the 80’s from today’s perspective. They were coming off of times where they had been hiding who they were, many fearing for decades for their lives if it was known they were homosexuals.  The 80’s were a veritable floodgates of freedom compared to the past.  And the sex was a reflection of that. So, anyway, still perhaps this might not be the book or series for you but I hope you will give it a try.  Otherwise you’ll be missing out on a incredible series.

I highly recommend this collection. Indeed I say that about the entire Boystown series and its author Marshall Thornton.   More to come.  Stay tuned.

Cover art again is more about the tone and less about the era and theme.  Works for branding but I’m not really a fan.

Sales Links:Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 241 pages
Published January 9th 2015 (first published July 28th 2010)
ASINB00R09EV6I
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesBoystown #2

Series:

Boystown Bundle 1 – 3 – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 A Time For Secrets – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #5 Murder Book – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #6 From The Ashes – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #7 Bloodlines – Amazon US | Amazon UK (ON SALE for 99c)
Book #8 The Lies That Bind – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #9 Lucky Days – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #10 Gifts Given – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #11 Hearts Desire – Amazon US | Amazon UK (PREOR

A MelanieM Review: Three Nick Nowak Mysteries (Boystown #1) by Marshall Thornton

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Finalist for the Lambda Award in Gay Mystery, Boystown: Three Nick Nowak Mysteries takes place in Chicago during the early 1980s. Haunted by his abrupt departure from the Chicago Police Department and the end of his relationship with librarian Daniel Laverty, Nick Nowak is a beat cop-turned-dogged private investigator. In this first book of the series, Nick works through three cases: a seemingly simple missing persons search, an arson investigation, and a suicide that turns out to be anything but. While working the cases, Nick moves through a series of casual relationships until he meets homicide detective Bert Harker and begins a tentative relationship.

Marshall Thornton’s other stories made me a die hard fan but these? Made me  want to go out and plant some sort of narrative equivalent of the gold star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.  How Nick Novak would have hated that.  Probably Marshall Thornton too.

Also I’ve already read far ahead in this magnificent series.  Had I not done that, this story would have rated higher but I have the truly stunning, haunting stories ahead as comparison.  Fair or not, I know that is but a solid, excellent building block for the gritty unforgettable heartbreak to come.

Its is funny thing about historical fiction.  Writing stories too far ahead and authors run the risk of readers who either have little interest or knowledge of those eras in which they are writing.  That can be from ancient Greece all the way through Edwardian times. Hell, I’ll throw the Civil War in there, embarrassingly enough.  Then you have what many call the recent historical fiction, stories written maybe a mere decades away from our current times.   That’s a completely different animal as they say because so many readers still remember those times.   That’s where this series fits in.

Boystowns and this first book which contains three Nick Novak tales takes place in the 1980’s.  For gay men in Chicago (or anywhere), it’s a time of change.  Almost entirely forgotten are those hated days of being called perverts and jailed automatically. Now gay flags are flying. Gay sex means quick anonymous hookups, rampant promiscuity, a sense of freedom after being in the closet and being jailed for your sexuality.  OK, yes, you could still lose your job in places, yes you still need to be circumspect in  some areas of your life but men are out and gay.  There are Pride Parades and PFlag. But still there’s gay bashing. And also the first whispers of a mysterious gay flu spreading through parts of the population of gay men in the United States.

Thornton brings the 80’s back with electric typewriters,  disco music, cars and all the other items of the day that scream that era but nicely folded into the narrative in such a way that it’s a subtle reminder rather than a blaring signpost.  Always at the center is Nick Novak, the ultimate reminder himself.  It’s in his behavior, one hookup after the other, doesn’t matter whether hes’ on the job or not. It’s in his mannerisms and in the way he talks and the way he lives. It also doesn’t matter whether he’s in a relationship or not.  Monogamy is not Nick’s thing here.  Nor was it in the 80’s.  Remember that was more of a heteronormative “thing”.  Plus casual sex, swinging sex?  Sex in the parks, bathhouses, no condoms?  That was the norm of the day and Nick is the king follower.

There will be many readers out there who dismiss books because of what they consider “cheating” elements.  But you have to understand the times.  This is not a romance book, that was not the 80’s.  Don’t go into these complicated, messy emotional stories with those expectations.  But these are stories filled with love of many types.

Nick and his first love were victims of a horrendous gay bashing.  It cost Nick his job as a police office and his lover, who underwent many facial reconstruction surgeries. He left Nick when he felt that Nick didn’t stick up for him. Nick is still working his way through the emotional impact of that event when we meet him here.

The stories are gritty and real.  The people you meet are sometimes ugly, mean, or tired and sad.  Even the sex feels dirty at times.  But it comes across as authentic and haunting, especially as you know the context.  We know the history.  And with each story Nick grapples more with his own recovery and past history, trying to move forward.

I can’t being to tell you how remarkable this series it.  As I said these three stories represent only the beginning building blocks for the truly stunning, heart grabbers to come.

There isn’t a missed step narratively speaking.  It’s perfection.  Marshall Thornton is building a masterpiece.  All ten books.

Start on your journey with him and Nick Novak here.

 

Cover art is simple, evocative of mood of the stories.

Sales Link:Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 241 pages
Published January 9th 2015 (first published November 1st 2009)
ASINB00QXSTXE2
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesBoystown #1 settingChicago, Illinois (United States)
Illinois (United States)

Series:

Boystown Bundle 1 – 3 – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 A Time For Secrets – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #5 Murder Book – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #6 From The Ashes – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #7 Bloodlines – Amazon US | Amazon UK (ON SALE for 99c)
Book #8 The Lies That Bind – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #9 Lucky Days – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #10 Gifts Given – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #11 Hearts Desire – Amazon US | Amazon UK (PREORDER)

A MelanieM Review: Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

 

Being a fugitive in the old west shouldn’t be this much fun.

The year is 1860. Robby Riverton is a rising star on the New York stage. But he witnesses a murder by a famous crime boss and is forced to go on the run–all the way to Santa Fe. When he still hasn’t ditched his pursuers, he disguises himself as a mail order bride he meets on the wagon train. Caught between gangsters that want to kill him, and the crazy, uncouth family of his “intended”, Robby’s only ally is a lazy sheriff who sees exactly who Robby is — and can’t resist him.

Trace Crabtree took the job as sheriff of Flat Bottom because there was never a thing going on. And then Robby Riverton showed up. Disguised as a woman. And betrothed to Trace’s brother. If that wasn’t complication enough, Trace had to find the man as appealing as blueberry pie. He urges Robby to stay undercover until the danger has passed. But a few weeks of having Robby-Rowena at the ranch, and the Crabtree family will never be the same again.

Damn, what a kerfuffle. If only Trace can get rid of the fugitive while hanging on to his own stupid heart.

Do you know how there can be a disconnect between a blurb and the actual story at times?  Well for Eli Easton’s Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride, there was one not only between the synopsis but also between the cover as well.  Both ended up veering far off from the charm and drama that is this m/m historic romance.

From that first line, you might think you are getting a high farce, a comedy, but its hardly that.  Robby Riverston is a serious actor who has finally getting the roles he’s wanted after paying his dues on the stage in New York  for years.  He’s worked hard and he’s a gifted actor about to get his break until he ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time and sees one of the city’s most notorious criminals murder someone.  Unfortunately for Robby, they see him too.

A ticket out of town is his only option and one thing after another leads him to Flat Bottom.  At one point he assumes the “role”  of a woman who was supposed to be a mail order bride but reneged along the way.  As any good actor does, Robby treats “Rowena” as just that, a role he is playing.  From the makeup he wears, to his dress and mannerisms, he becomes this character and a part of the Crabtree family, a situation he feels guilty about because he comes to care about these people. So yes, no high farce to be found here.  Instead, simply a desperate man trying to elude killers and a family like no others adjusting to a Easterner in their midst.

Eli Easton does bring up another element when Trace Crabtree, the oldest son and Sheriff, figures out Robby’s secret.  How the dynamics work between these men is an aspect to this story that also surprised and delighted me.  Trace has his own issues to work through, about his past, his place within the town, and his feelings about Robby.  All while trying to keep him alive as well as his family when the killers come calling.

I  loved the characterizations and the town.  All the Crabtrees absolutely grew on me, even the father.  Easton pulls it all together in a thrilling suspenseful ending and a happy epilogue that will leave you smiling.

I highly recommend Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton to all lovers of romance, even if you arent a complete fan of historic fiction, I think you will love this one too.

Cover art, while cute, is so far off the mark.  Robby would never look like that. “Rowena” was always impeccably dressed with her makeup on at all times.  That cover gives a completely false impression of the story.  Fail.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published April 26th 2018 by Pinkerton Road (first published April 24th 2018)
Original TitleRobby Riverton: Mail Order Bride
Edition LanguageEnglishsettingNew Mexico (United States)

Spotlight on Pack Up Your Troubles Series by Charlie Cochrane (special guest post)

Pack Up Your Troubles

by

Charlie Cochrane

Published May 9th 2018 by Williams & Whiting

Available at Amazon | Goodreads

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host  Charlie Cochrane here today talking about her new collection of stories, Pack Up Your Troubles.  Welcome, Charlie!

♦︎

 

My interest in World War One – and more specifically, the service men and women whose lives and deaths were intertwined with the conflict – goes back to school days. The war poetry of Wilfred Owen was part of the syllabus for English secondary schools (it still is) and it really got to me. The power in the words was stunning and the sad, almost romantic story of a poet who died within weeks of the war ended was enthralling.  I’ll admit that I have almost no interest in the details of the action, which regiment fought where and when; it’s the people and their stories that continue to fascinate me.

That sense of the pity of war (and the ‘poetry in the pity’*) heavily influenced the first of the three stories in this anthology. I suspect This Ground which was Secured at Great Expense is one of the most sombre stories I’ve ever written, although I promise it has a happy ending. You could say that the story arc itself mirrors that of war – a sudden call to action, mistakes made and wrong strategies employed, times of inaction and false dawns, a move made at a venture that brings success. And – this is a really big confession – it’s the only story I’ve ever written that I planned out in advance and then wrote against that plan. (I’ll never do it again. Agony for a pantser like me.)

Hallowed Ground is much less intense in style, if no less serious in subject. It was inspired by the Museum of Army Chaplaincy just outside Amport. I have no idea why I hadn’t come across the place before, because it’s relatively local, to me but as soon as I found out about it I made an appointment to visit (you have to make an appointment because it’s on army land.) I spent a lovely hour there, having a private tour from the curator. Not long afterwards the words for Hallowed Ground just started to flow, as though my sub-conscious had been crafting the tale all the time. The story ends with the promise of a happy ending to come, even if that isn’t outworked in this tale: the two characters reappear as minor players in Lessons in Loving thy Murderous Neighbour.

The third story in Pack up Your Troubles is the joker in the pack. I’ve amalgamated my interest in the war poetry of one hundred years ago with my interest in modern war poetry (check out the work of Danny Martin) to create the two leading characters. So how can a WWI soldier and a modern one be thrown together? When they’ve both died in combat and are sent back to earth to be part of terrestrial special opps. It was fun to play with the boundaries between this life and the next, and even more so to explore the tension between obeying orders and being true to one’s heart. True love wins in the end, of course, but the path is a tricky one to tread.

Footnote:  my fascination with poetry appears in the three story titles. They’re all taken from WWI poems. The “pity” quote comes from Wilfred Owen himself.  “”My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity.”

About Pack Up Your Troubles

Pack up Your Troubles features three stories of love – won, lost and regained – against a backdrop of war.

THIS GROUND WHICH WAS SECURED AT GREAT EXPENSE

An officer thinks he finds love in the trenches, but is it really waiting for him on the home front?

HALLOWED GROUND

A doctor and an army chaplain spend the night in a foxhole and discover there’s hope even in the darkest situations.

MUSIC IN THE MIDST OF DESOLATION

And an old soldier discovers that there are romantic problems to solve even after you’ve cashed in your chips.

Info:

http://williamsandwhiting.com/books/pack-up-your-troubles-by-charlie-cochrane/

About the Author

Because Charlie Cochrane couldn’t be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes. Her mystery novels include the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, and the contemporary Lindenshaw Mysteries. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Riptide, Endeavour and Bold Strokes, among others.

A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie regularly appears at literary festivals and at reader and author conferences with The Deadly Dames.

Biog and links:

Website: http://www.charliecochrane.co.uk

Blog http://charliecochrane.livejournal.com/ and https://charliecochrane.wordpress.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/charlie.cochrane.18

Twitter: https://twitter.com/charliecochrane

GR: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2727135.Charlie_Cochrane

June Continues Romance Month and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

June Continues Romance Month

With a break for Memorial Weekend, we are back at the topic of Romance, Royal Weddings, and stories! Yep, we didn’t forget! Often June is the month that kicks of the rush of wedding season and if its LGBT, it makes no difference, because it’s the weather driving the date as well as the timing.  So it’s back to romance, weddings, and stories!

So first of all  let’s go right to those wonderful recommendations for Royal Wedding Stories.  Here they are:

Royal Wedding Story Recommendations:

From ChaosMoon:

Tere Michaels Faith, Love, and Devotion series and Groomzilla
L.B. Gregg’s How I Met Your Father
E.M. Lynley’s Sex, Lies, and Wedding Bells
Legally Wed by Rick R. Reed
The Best Man by LA Witt
Until You  by T.J. Klune
First Comes Marriage by Shira Anthony
Wedlocked by Ella Fank
Wedding Favors by Anne Tenino

Megan Derr A Suitable Replacement
Megan Derr The Stable Boy
Megan Derr The High King’s Golden Tongue
Amber Kell Orlin’s Fall

Josh Lanyon Other People’s Weddings

 

From H.B.:

Hellion Club series by Aiden Bates (Book 2 and 3 come to mind)
Omega Society Auction by Eileen Glass
Dragon’s Hoard by M.A. Church
The Harvest series by M.A. Church
Wed to the Omega by Ashe Moon
The Pretend Husband by Declan Rhodes
Married for a Month by Cate Ashwood
Married for the Millions by Parker Avrile
Marriage of Inconvenience by M.J. O’Shea
A Marriage of Convenience by Devyn Morgan
Red River by Cardeno C.
Signed and Sealed by B.A. Stretke
Groom of Convenience by by Vicktor Alexander
King’s Conquest by by Valentina Heart

From Jeri:

What Binds Us by Larry Benjamin
Kitto (Tyack & Frayne #4) by Harper Fox
Betrothed: A Faery Tale by Therese Woodson
The King’s Courage (North Pole City Tales #6) by Charlie Cochet
Dear Mona Lisa… by Claire Davis & Al Stewart
Wedlocked (Preslocke #3) by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine

 

Right now, I’m feeling gobsmacked as the British would say because I have only listed  half of the recommendations! These are wonderful.  I have so many more to give you, and that will come next week because of the length of the list.  And that we will announce 2 winners.

Winner Announcement!

The first winner?  That would be  ChaosMoon.   Congratulations. Please contact Stella at scatteredthoughtsandroguewords@gmail.com to receive your gift card.  Another winner will be announced next week along with the remainder of your recommendations!

Now about romance stories. I’ve read several this week that I just adored and they are all over the place genre wise.  Several I’m reviewing this week.  One, His Leading Man by Ashlyn Kane, is pure romance.  No angst, just lovely sweet road to love and HEA.  It left a happiness in my heart and a perfect way to fall into June.  Another?  A scary, rollercoaster A ride action story and total romance that ends Rhys Ford’s Sinners series, Sin and Tonic.  Angst galore, murder and suspense!  Totally at the other end of the contemporary spectrum.

Coming up I swung from the M/M historical romances straight from the WWI front and pages of Charlie Cochrane’s stories,Pack Up Your Troubles, which broke my heart before putting it back together again to the fantasy of Life Itself by Elizabeth Bones and the magnificent weirdness and horror of Bourbon and Bones by Dorian Graves.  All those are to come.  Be on the look out for them next week and the week after.

Romance across the ages, romance across the genres…even across the species!  Love in every form possible is what we celebrate in our stories we hold close to our hearts.  Vampire or were, WWI soldier or that of a warrior on a world far far away, we are captivated by  love and relationships, personalities and the path to HFN or HEA.

That’s our theme this month.  Chime in, give us more stories, favorite books.  LIstopia!  Here we come!

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, June 3:

  • Cover Reveal Magic or Die (Inner Demons, Book One) by JP Jackson
  • June Continues Romance Month
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, June 4:

  • Ashlyn Kane on His Leading Man (Author Guest Blog)
  • Release Blitz – Out, Proud, and Prejudiced – Megan Reddaway
  • In the Spotlight:  Cash Plays by Cordelia Kingsbridge
  • A Lucy Review: Whatever Comes First by MK Lee
  • An Alisa Review: What It Seems by Sydney Blackburn
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Hush by Tal Bauer and Joel Leslie (Narrator)
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: All the Way to Shore (Stories from the Shore #1) by CJane Elliott and Tim McKiernan (Narrator)

Tuesday, June 5:

  • BLOG TOUR  Blood Bathory: Absence Of The Sun by Ari McKay – excerpt and giveaway
  • DSP Promo Charlie David
  • Release Blitz – Made In Portugal by Ana Newfolk
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: BFF by K.C. Wells
  • A Lucy Review: Detour by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: His Leading Man by Ashlyn Kane
  • A Stella Review: Out, Proud, and Prejudiced by Megan Reddaway

Wednesday, June 6:

  • Tour: Jaqui the Cat Mysteries by Alexis Duran
  • KICKSTARTER BLOG TOUR for Themensha by MxKnowitall
  • Tour for Mercs by Dorian Dawes
  •  Release Blitz, Tour – Ari McKay – Blood Bathory: Absence of the Sun
  • A Caryn Review:  A Tiny Piece of Something Greater by Jude Sierra
  • A MelanieM Review:  Demon Familiar (Wanted #1) by Bellora Quinn and Sadie Rose Bermingham

Thursday, June 7:

  • BLOG TOUR – Under Five by Michael War
  • JL Merrow on Wight Mischief
  • Series Recap Blitz Marshall Thornton – Boystown Series
  • A Stella Review: Plummet to Soar by  Z.A. Maxfield
  • A VVivacious Review: Military Emancipation, by David O. Sullivan
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review: The Foxling Soldati (Soldati Hearts #2) by Charlie Cochet and Manuel Pombo (Narrator)

Friday, June 8:

  • DSP Publications Promo Alan Chin
  • Release Blitz  – Annabelle Jacobs – Butterfly Assassin
  • Spotlight on Pack Up Your Troubles Series by Charlie Cochrane
  • A Lucy Review: Face the Music (Replay #1) by K.M. Neuhold
  • A Stella Review: His Wildest Dream (Portville Omegaverse #3)  by Xander Collins
  • An Alisa Review: Under Five by Michael War

Saturday, June 9:

  • Release Blitz – Behind The Lights by TL Travis
  • A MelanieM Review:  Sin and Tonic (Sinners #6)  by Rhys Ford

 

 

 

 

Release Blitz – Murder in New York (The Pinkerton Man Series) by C.J. Baty (excerpt)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Murder in New York, The Pinkerton Man Series

Author: C.J. Baty

Cover Artist: Select-O-Grafix, LLC

Genre/s: M/M Mystery

Release Date: May 27, 2018

Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Blurb

Coming back to New York to see her ailing father, Lizzie Ferguson did not expect to find him healthy and newly married to a much younger woman. She, also, didn’t expect to connect with an old lover and childhood friend or be accused of killing her father. But, life has a way of knocking you to your knees when you least expect it.

Stiles Long had always regretted that the killer, from his first case as a Pinkerton Agent, had got away. Now, in New York it was happening again. The Hotel Astor Bar was a meeting place for men who enjoyed the company of men. And, some of them were being brutally murdered. When one of the suspects from the original case appears at the hotel, Stiles is torn between his desire to stop a killer and kiss the man senseless.

Two different cases, but some of the faces overlap from one to the other. Stiles and Lizzie are in a race to discover who the killers are before another body gets added to the count.

Trailer video

Excerpt

Michael O’Leary’s presence at the bar brought Stiles back to the present. He was dressed in a charcoal suit. His slim body moved with strong determination. As he approached the left end of the bar, he glanced across the room until his eyes saw Stiles. The sweet smile that spread across Michael’s face did funny things to Stiles insides. He quivered for a moment then smiled back, the reaction impossible to stop.

There were several younger men at the bar. One with dark curls framing an oval face. He wore a velvet evening coat the color of the night sky. Stiles had noticed him earlier but Gershon had distracted him with his departure.

“Michael,” the young man called out. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in ages. Why did you run out of here the other night?” He entwined his arm through Michael’s and led him to an empty space at the bar. He ordered them drinks and leaned in close to Michael to speak to him.

Stiles watched as the night wore on. Several men came and met with another man and left together. One young man stood out to Stiles. He appeared to be very nervous. His movements were stiff and not at all comfortable. Whenever someone would speak to him, he would jump and look around watching for something or possibly someone. A man several years older than Stiles approached the jumpy man and spoke to him. He noticeably relaxed as he accepted the drink he was offered, and a smile finally appeared on his face. He was very handsome and very young. Stiles estimated he was in his early twenties if that old. His face was angular and trim, not a hint of an evening beard appeared on his chin even at this late time of the day. The two were standing next to Michael and the man with the dark curls who wouldn’t let Michael out of his sight.

“Davis, I’m sorry but I am meeting someone tonight,” Stiles heard Michael say.

“What? I’m hurt Michael,” Davis answered. “How can you throw me aside like that?” He wiped at his eyes, though Stiles could see no tears.

“You’ll be just fine,” Michael said as he turned away from Davis. “Look, isn’t that Mr. Rupert over there.”

Davis looked across the room in the direction of a gray-haired man in a black suit with an emerald green tie. The pout disappeared from his face and he left Michael to join the man.

Michael approached Stiles table and bowed slightly.

“Is this seat taken?”

“No. Please sit.” Stiles motioned to the empty chair beside him.

A steward appeared asking for their drink orders and left as quickly as he had appeared.

“Davis seems quite a catch,” Stiles teased.

Michael looked down at his folded hands. There was a flush to his cheeks when he faced Stiles.

“We’ve met a few times. He’s not really interested in anything but having fun.”

The statement was leading but the steward arrived with their drinks and Stiles waited until he departed again to continue.

“What are you interested in?”

Michael circled his glass on the table with his index finger, making the ice clink. He lifted the glass and drank. Stiles watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. His cock stiffened while he watched. Suddenly the room felt very warm.

“I know men like us aren’t supposed to want more than a dalliance to keep our urges at bay,” Michael sighed. “But what is wrong with wanting more.”

“More?”

“Why is it that only men who marry women have the right to a life time of companionship? Someone to celebrate with when things are good or someone to cling to when the day has been awful, is it really too much to want that?”

Stiles wasn’t sure what Michael was getting at and he really didn’t understand the idea. Was he talking about men being together as in marriage? That was impossible. Society would never accept an arrangement such as that. There were laws, even in America that would forbid it.

“I know what you are thinking, it’s against the law. But why? Why is it so wrong to want a permanent relationship? I know what I want—what I need— is against nature and God, but why is it wrong to want to be loved? Just because it’s a man’s body that I crave, a man’s touch to start my blood boiling, a man’s look of desire…” He quieted as he looked at Stiles.

Stiles could see it in Michael’s eyes. Desire burned there. Need so strong, his pupils had darkened to a forest green. He’d never seen another man look at him that way. It was more than lust and Stiles had no name for it.

He’d been half hard since the man had walked into the room, now his painfully erect cock was straining to break free from his trousers. Stiles didn’t know what Michael was talking about, but he did know that his own lust was going to overpower him soon.

This evening had not gone as planned. Now, all he could think of was getting Michael into bed and taking what he needed and what the other man clearly wanted.

“My room?” Michael choked out quietly.

They rose without taking their eyes off each other. Neither said a word as they walked from the lounge through the lobby to the elevator.  Only their shoulders touched as they walked. Michael told the operator his floor and they rose slowly.

On the third floor, they walked side by side to a room half way down the right side of the hall. Michael withdrew a key from his trouser pocket and Stiles saw the bulge protruding at the front placket when Michael pushed his jacket aside. Lust raced through Stiles, hot and needy.

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About the Author

CJ Baty lives in southwest Ohio with her very patient husband and two encouraging children. Her heart however, lives in the mountains of Tennessee where she hopes to retire some day. The mountains have always provided her with inspiration and a soothing balm to the stresses of everyday life.

The dream of writing her own stories started in high school but was left on the back burner of life until her son introduced her to Fan Fiction and encouraged her to give it a try. She found that her passion for telling a story was still there and writing them down to share with others was much more thrilling than she had ever expected.

One thing she has learned from life and she is often heard to say is, “You are never too old to follow your dream!”

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COVER REVEAL for Murder in New York (The Pinkerton Man Series #2) by C.J. Baty

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Murder in New York, The Pinkerton Man Series

Author: C.J. Baty

Cover Artist: Select-O-Grafix, LLC

Genre/s: M/M Mystery

Blurb

Coming back to New York to see her ailing father, Lizzie Ferguson did not expect to find him healthy and newly married to a much younger woman. She, also, didn’t expect to connect with an old lover and childhood friend or be accused of killing her father. But, life has a way of knocking you to your knees when you least expect it.

Stiles Long had always regretted that the killer, from his first case as a Pinkerton Agent, had got away. Now, in New York it was happening again. The Hotel Astor Bar was a meeting place for men who enjoyed the company of men. And, some of them were being brutally murdered. When one of the suspects from the original case appears at the hotel, Stiles is torn between his desire to stop a killer and kiss the man senseless.

Two different cases, but some of the faces overlap from one to the other. Stiles and Lizzie are in a race to discover who the killers are before another body gets added to the count.

About the Author

CJ Baty lives in southwest Ohio with her very patient husband and two encouraging children. Her heart however, lives in the mountains of Tennessee where she hopes to retire some day. The mountains have always provided her with inspiration and a soothing balm to the stresses of everyday life.

The dream of writing her own stories started in high school but was left on the back burner of life until her son introduced her to Fan Fiction and encouraged her to give it a try. She found that her passion for telling a story was still there and writing them down to share with others was much more thrilling than she had ever expected.

One thing she has learned from life and she is often heard to say is, “You are never too old to follow your dream!”

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  

Facebook

Twitter  

Google+

Pinterest 

MeWe (C.J. Baty)  

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions