Rating: 3 stars out of 5

What do you do when when your lover is out to kill you?

After university, Johnny dated a mysterious and influential man who never disclosed his profession. Now, following a quarrel, Johnny suffers a series of attacks—attempts on his life that his lover has the power and influence to perpetrate.

With nowhere else to turn, he must rely on his childhood best friend. But can Johnny trust him? With time running out and the world against him, Johnny must solve the mystery himself if he wants to survive.

To the Ends of the Earth by Michael Gouda is a novelette that works only in the end as a interesting mystery with a nice twist.  A lover of mysteries and romances I was really looking forward to this story but the narration in which everything is “as told to” which serves to remove any sense of action or liveliness from the characters or situations.  It just leaves this narrative lifeless and well, dry.

Johnny narrates his life history and that of his best friend through their childhood, teenage years and into adulthood.  All very quickly and it feels without much emotion.  Everything that happens to Johnny continues to be voiced in the same sort of even tone narrative.  Whether its finding out that he’s gay or that his life is in danger, there doesn’t seem to be much of a change in intensity in emotion.  How can a reader connect to that?

I certainly didn’t.

I never connected with anyone here.  So reading To The Ends of the Earth ended up being a matter of simply enjoying the mystery.  Who was trying to kill Johnny?  The revolution wasn’t exactly a surprise but still a neat twist that I enjoyed.  I wouldn’t call this a romance because little to no time is spent on one so simply call it a M/M Mystery and read it as that.

Cover art: Aaron Anderson.  Dramatic and eye catching, very nice.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 60 pages
Expected publication: May 31st 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB07NRYG9G7
Edition Language English