Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Brian Kerr is now free of his dangerous boss and his domineering brother. He’s eager to start using his psychic Finding talent to help people, if he can figure out how to do that safely. His dyslexia, and his tendency to act simpleminded under stress, make building his new life a daunting challenge. And while his not-quite-boyfriend, Nick, is willing to support him, in bed and out of it, Brian doesn’t want to lean on Nick. If their relationship is going anywhere, he has to be a full partner and handle his own problems.
Nick Rugo’s walking a tightrope instead of settling into the ordinary cop’s life he’d hoped for. He’s hiding too many things from too many people. He has told professional and unprofessional lies that will come back to haunt him. Now, with Brian determined to start Finding again, he’s not sure he can protect the man he cares for. If all that wasn’t enough to make him start punching walls, he also has a suspicion that Brian’s brother Damon and sister Lori may be out there, lurking, ready to complicate their lives.
Tracefinder: Changes is all about discoveries and relationships. The story starts months after the end of book #1. Brian and Nick have an established routine and are comfortable living in the same house as some sort of roommates. From there, we dive directly into action.
The events in the first Finding set the frame for the rest of the story. We see, not only how much Nick’s invested in Brian’s care, but how far Brian has evolved away from Bry. They still have a complicated relationship at this point, but with every day they spent together, they discovered something new about themselves and the other.
Brian’s dyslexia is front and center in this installment. The reader gets to experience it from Brian’s point of view, but also from other characters’ perspectives. We see how it affects him and what he’s doing to work through it. At the same time, we see Nick’s struggle with his job and his judgment. And how much, taking care of Brian and falling for him changes the way he sees and feels about his job as a cop. Nick’s also caught in police politics and chains of command.
As one of the changes, we get to see more of the effects the Findings have on Brian. This time, he’s the one relaying the information instead of Bry. We get a better understanding of his struggles and the effort he has to put to become more independent. Is almost as if the Bry veil covering starts to move away, letting the reader see the real Brian– the one only Nick saw in the first book.
The cases they worked on were simple but relevant to the story. The author brought back characters we met in the first book and added some other great ones. The settings were pertinent and easy to visualized; as well as the weather. Other than Brian’s Finding abilities everything in this story is part of a contemporary setting very well meshed with the paranormal element.
A lot is happening in this story, and that’s one of the reasons I didn’t give it a perfect five. The beginning is a bit repetitive. I got lost following the action thread during a crucial scene, and the resolution seemed too fast and too perfect. But overall, that was not enough to make a significant impact on my rating. I enjoyed this volume better than the first, and can’t wait for the next one.
Sidney Lowell of Creative Minds helped the author find the perfect picture of Brian. He looks exactly as described in the story, and even his gaze seems up to par. Also, the setup follows the previous book in the series.
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Book Details:
ebook, 469 pages
Published: August 4, 2016, Self-Published
ISBN: 9781370526369
Edition Language: English
Series: Tracefinder
Book #1: Tracefinder: Contact
Book #2: Tracefinder: Changes
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