Category: MLR Press

An Alisa Review: Night Train To Venice (Night Train #3) by Carolina Valdez

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

night-train-to-veniceDiamonds may be a collector’s best friend, but for Dante Rocco, a courier for precious stones and metals, the next delivery could mean death.

 

Someone is robbing and killing couriers of precious gems and metals in Europe. Global Diamond Couriers in New Orleans assigns their human Italian, Dante, to make a major delivery in Venice. Although pickpocketing is the usual crime there, a wary Alexandros, Dante’s vampire lover, insists he and Malcolm, the other staff immortal, go along as bodyguards.

 

In Rome, they board the Orient Express to Venice, and Malcolm is welcomed by Nick, a human steward whom he’d met years earlier. The hot, younger man seduces him into a whirlwind romance. But when Nick appears unannounced in their secret Venetian hotel, he’s sucked into a maelstrom of danger and deceit none of them may survive.

 

This was a wonderful story.  It is great to see Dante and Alex still together celebrating their one year anniversary while in Italy again.  Malcolm has been envious of Alex and Dante’s relationship and realizes something is missing in his life, when he meets Nick again after so many years he can’t help but grab him and hold on.

 

Dante and Alex are still going strong and Alex even gives Dante a wonderful present on the train.  Dante will do anything for Alex, even suffer through the attentions of the vampire duke, knowing that no matter what Alex will find him and protect him.  Malcolm and Nick are sweet, they had met a party years before but Malcolm thought he was too old for Nick and Nick was never able to find him.  Nick takes the initiative to get them connected again, but once they start Malcolm jumps right in.

 

We see all four of the main characters’ points of view in this story and can see their struggles and feelings.  Dante has to convince Alex that he wants only him no matter what, while Nick has to learn to deal with the reality of a life with vampires.  I’m so happy Malcolm found someone in this story and they have an outlook of a great future together.

 

Cover art is great and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 258 pages

Published: 2nd Edition, October 6, 2016 by MLR Press

ISBN: MLR1020160627

Edition Language: English

Series: Night Train #3

An Alisa Review: French Kissing Vampires for Beginners by L.M. Brown

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

french-kissing-vampires-for-beginners-by-l-m-brownWhen a dentist meets an average suburban vampire, it may just be a match made in heaven.

 

Tom is your typical modern vampire. He lives in a detached house in the suburbs, pays his taxes, and bemoans the price of bottled blood. He doesn’t usually tell people what he is, but sometimes it can’t be helped, like now, when he has toothache and needs the assistance of a dentist.

 

Martyn’s night isn’t going too well at all. He’s working late, his patient is a vampire, and now they’re being mugged. But what sort of a vampire is Tom if he can’t leap to the rescue and use his superpowers to save them?

 

There’s only one way to find out and Martyn, a self-confessed geek with a love for all things vampire, intends to get to know Tom better, despite the bloodsucker’s fear of dentists.

 

This story takes a different view of vampires than usual.  Tom finally gives in and goes to the dentist to have his aching tooth removed.  Martyn has never met a vampire before, but can’t deny that’s what Tom is, despite the fangs, after his tooth immediately grows back when he removes it.

 

Martyn and Tom connect after being mugged on their way to their vehicles after Tom’s appointment.  Martyn is attracted to Tom and the mystery of Tom being a vampire makes him even more appealing.  We see both of the characters points of view which helps us connect with the characters.  Martyn is determined to be the right person for Tom and his family’s easy acceptance of Tom’s nature is wonderful.  Tom is adorable and won’t push Martyn for anything more than he knows he is willing to give.  I can see them together for a long time.

 

The cover art is nice and gives a visual of Tom.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 79 pages

Published: October 26, 2016 by MLR Press

ISBN: 9781634861700

Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: Ghost Ship (Mahu #10) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

ghost-shipNew fathers investigate the death of a young family.

When a sailboat carrying four bodies washes up on the Leeward Coast of O’ahu, openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka, on loan to the FBI, must discover what sent this young family and their deadly cargo on a dangerous trans-Pacific voyage. Leaving behind his partner and their infant twins, Kimo must work with his police cohort Ray Donne to unravel the forces that led this family to their deaths.

From Hawaii’s sunny beaches to a chilly island in Japan to the Pacific Northwest, Kimo and Ray step far out of their comfort zones to confront an evil much greater than any they’ve investigated before.

I have been such a fan of this series and author and that continues with Ghost Ship.  Over the series of nine novels, readers have watched Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka be outed to his family and the HPD, come to terms with that,  meet and date, lose and reunite with Mike, his now life partner.  They’ve fathered twins with their friends a lesbian couple they’re co parenting with, and have a foster son now attending college.  Its been a long and tumultuous ride that eventually saw Kimo and Ray leaving the Honolulu PD for temporary assignment with the FBI.  That’s where we find them now on a  life changing case for both Kimo, his family and Ray, his work partner and friend.

This is one of the worst cases in all the series, a sailboat washes ashore with a dead family on board, father, mother and twin babies.  It immediately hits home for Kimo and Mike with their twins but the emotional impact carries over to the reader through the descriptions and later in the captains diary the father kept.  Its heartbreaking and you quickly understand the drive to solve this case and the web of intrigue behind the cargo and deaths.

Plakcy has woven one of the most involved and layered cases of the series here.  Its threads go from Hawaii to Japan to mainland US and back again and those travels will stretch thin the ties that bind  Kimo to Mike and his family just when they need him the most and  Kimo is aware of it.  The same will go for Ray.  Its the job versus family again and never has it been made more painful or obvious that a choice will have to be made, then here in this story.  Parts of Kimo’s carefully crafted life are falling to pieces and yet he still must pursue this case with Ray because of the deadly consequences if he doesn’t.   Ray also is having similar issues within his own family.  Two men torn by job obligations and family love and loyalty on the most important case of their lives.

This is a thrilling read, and a heartbreaking one.   Plakcy doesn’t deliver all the answers to all the issues and problems he raised here.  And I think that’s about right.  For somethings there aren’t any.  For some personal ones, there are only more questions and things to work out.  That’s what book 11 is for.  Kimo and Mike and family are still on a journey.  I hope Kimo does decide to return to the Honolulu PD, even with all the problems that entails. Its where the series and Kimo started.  And if its winding down, that where he should end up.

If you haven’t found this series yet,  please don’t start here.  You’ve such a treat in store for you.  Run, don’t walk to the beginning Mahu (Mahu #1) and meet Kimo and see how it all starts.  Plakcy is a master of the vernacular, you’ll get a feel for the island culture and people.  Trust me you’ll be addicted in no time.  Then you’ll have so many wonderful books ahead of you.

If you are already a fan like me, then settle in for a wonderful read.  I highly recommend it.

 

Cover art is amazing and works perfectly for the novel and series.

Sales Links

MLR Press

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 205 pages
Published September 30th 2016 by MLR Press
ASINB01LYP0GC2
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesMahu #10