Tag: LGBTGIA contemporary mystery

Review: Unstable Connections (Valor and Doyle (Book 3) by Nicky James

Rating: 5🌈

Nicky James has written an extraordinary story with Unstable Connections, the third novel in the amazing Valor and Doyle series.

Usually there’s one element that’s lacking when you have a couple and series with such serious storylines and a myriad of emotional issues. Most of which, like past domestic abuse , alcoholism, and deep loss, thread through the couple’s new shaky relationship and the main mystery that involves both missing children and a presumed kidnapped sister from decades past.

But Unstable Connections has no flaws.

The relationship that slowly being established between MPU Detective Detective Quaid Valor and that of Homicide Detective Aslan Doyle is so beautifully written, full of emotional nuances and realistic complications that it brings the men even more vividly to life as they struggle with every aspect of their lives.

It’s Quaid fighting constantly with the demons and fears and damage the domestic abuse of his last relationship has inflicted on him that continues into his current romance with Aslan.

It’s the now sober Aslan’s past as a out of control drunk that threatens his present day relationships, both work and romantic. It’s the tough lifting he’s with Quaid to counteract the deepest wounds done by Quaid’s ex. And now the stress and pain of the latest information that’s been recovered from the missing girls case that’s got both Quaid and his father riding an emotional edge.

The plotting and narrative is perfection. We are carried along with the characters on a horrifying set of mysteries that twists and turns with a subtle swiftness on its way to a poignant , deeply layered closure to a story element that had its beginnings at the first novel and with issues embedded in our characters at a cellular level.

While the mystery is solved, the relationship between Aslan and Quaid is still moving slowly forward with all the issues the latest events have brought up.

The supporting cast is as outstanding and fully realized as any I’ve read. I’m so in love with them as well.

I can’t wait for the next story to be released.

If you’re not familiar with this series and couple, you’re missing out. Start at the beginning and work your way through as they must be read in the order they are written.

I’m highly recommending one and all.

Valor and Doyle Mysteries:

✓ Department Rivals #0.5

✓ Temporary Partner #1

✓ Elusive Relations #2

✓ Unstable Connections #3

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showUnstable Connections (Valor and Doyle #3) by Nicky James

Description:

Missing children are reappearing, and ties to a thirty-year-old cold case can’t be ignored.

Between his shaky, brand-new relationship with reformed office playboy Detective Aslan Doyle, his sister’s case going from cold to hot overnight, his father insisting on being involved, and his boss breathing down his neck, Detective Quaid Valor is on edge.

The stress of the case is impacting Quaid’s whole life. He isn’t eating or sleeping, and every time he and Aslan are together, he is overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, which threaten to ruin the one good thing he has. Aslan’s patience seems unending until something happens to turn his life upside down too.

Can their relationship survive the personal and professional pressures they’re facing, or will it crash and burn?

Between media rumors and unstable connections, Quaid and his team need to work quickly to piece together a complicated case before more children fall victim to their unknown serial kidnapper. Maybe once everything is solved, Aslan and Quaid will have time to work on their rocky relationship and find stable ground once again.

** Unstable Connections is the third book in the Valor and Doyle Mystery Series. It is a same-couple series that should be read in order. Although each book has a self-contained mystery with no cliff-hangers, the romance is overarching and progressive throughout the series. **

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Hot Pursuit ( The Hot Cannolis #3) by Eli Easton

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Hot Pursuit is the third in The Hot Cannolis series being written by Eli Easton and Tara Lain about a large Italian family made up primarily of firefighters, with a few law enforcement officers scattered throughout.

It’s been about their sexual awakening and how that’s been handled within a highly machismo, heteronormative (and Catholic) family structure. What struggles the family has had to adapt to their son’s newly acknowledged sexuality and their new partners.

It’s had to include the fire department, which ever one the characters works for, as well as that close knit group our characters work within, into the main character’s struggles to define himself and come to terms with their identity as queer men. It’s not always been a easy journey as the Fire Departments are a bastion of straight, white, male hierarchy and to be anything other is often a tough lonely path.

Both authors have included the continuing bigotry and exclusion the out Canalis face in their jobs despite the fact that they were highly regarded for their “firefighter lineage “ and superb abilities before coming out. It makes for a believable story.

Due to illnesses, the authors split the last two stories.

Easton takes up Det. Rick Canali’s story. He’s the uncle to the characters we’ve meet so far and only recently admitted (in Hot Wings), to the two members of the family that he’s gay. It’s not anything new. Almost forty, he’s always known he was gay, but his family’s well known (at that time) bigotry, kept him silent.

A confirmed “batchelor” to the family, Rick’s recent partner has retired. His new one, John Rivera, is out and threatening his determination to stay in the closet.

Rick has always been such a quiet, strong character in the previous books. A bit of a mystery. So it’s a real pleasure to see this character get to show all the depths of his personality. From the love of his family to all aspects of his professional persona.

John Rivera is the troubled new person. So happy to finally get his Detective’s badge but he’s also got a very brutal history following him.

For those people for which domestic violence and/or gaslighting is trigger, just be warned as this is a major element here.

John is a wonderful, engaging character. His story and background just further pulls you into a connection with him, and helps understand his situation more fully.

While Rick and John try to determine the boundaries of their relationship, and learn to trust one another, they are also in the middle of a investigation.

Easton does a terrific job with unfolding the investigation while maintaining the tension between Rick and John. Everything and everyone is so tightly strung you don’t know what is going to pop first.

There’s plenty of charming , heartwarming scenes with the huge Canali family as well as frightening moments that occur within the investigation.

I hugely enjoyed myself and this novel. Rick and Tony rank right up there among my favorite Canali couples.

I believe there’s just one more left to go. Hot Lips from Tara Lain. No release date as yet.

I’m highly recommending Hot Pursuit and The Hot Cannolis series.

The Hot Cannolis series:

◦ Fireman’s Carry (The Hot Cannolis #0.5) by Eli Easton

✓ Hot Seat #1

✓ Hot Wings #2

✓ Hot Pursuit #3 by Eli Easton

◦ Hot Lips #4 by Tara Lain, date TBD

https://www.goodreads.com › showHot Pursuit (The Hot Cannolis #3) by Eli Easton | Goodreads

Synopsis:

Solving the case will be tricky. But keeping their hands off each other will be impossible.

Detective Rick Canali’s life is perfect the way it is. He loves his job with the Chico, CA police. He can get casual sex whenever he wants it, and for family vibes, he has his brother Angelo’s large family of hotheaded firefighters. He’s happy being a “perpetual bachelor.” But when he’s partnered up with a too-attractive newbie detective, all the neat boxes in his life threaten to collapse. Because the one thing this detective never saw coming—falling in love.

John Rivera always wanted to be a detective. He’s determined to succeed despite his ex trying to make his life hell and his new partner—the gorgeous Rick Canali—making it clear he’s not wanted. As a former foster care kid, he’s used to fighting his own battles and depending on no one.

When a firefighter dies under suspicious circumstances, Rick and John’s new partnership is tested. It turns out, they’re a pretty good team. But can they crack the case while dancing around their mutual attraction, dodging John’s ex, and trying to keep the Canali firefighters safe from a potential killer in the Cal Fire ranks?

HOT PURSUIT is a murder mystery wrapped in a romance with a big scoop of suspense, hurt-comfort, evil ex, and more Canali family feels.

EBOOK:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch (The Wyandot County Mysteries #1) by Marshall Thornton

Rating: 4 🌈

Marshall Thornton is a great writer and a favorite author of mine. So I was happy to see a new story in a brand new series just released from him.

The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch has many of the terrific elements I expect from a Marshall Thornton book. It has a well developed sense of era, in this case the 2000’s, right down to the historical political events and the technology , like iPods, which to our jaded eyes is downright old fashioned. There’s Britney, Irag wars, the fashion of the era… and yes, the drugs…including opioids.

Thornton has always been able to make an era and location not only recognizable but believable, pulling a reader into whatever decade he’s locating his series and characters. It works beautifully for Boystown and Pinx Video, and again here for The Wyandot County Mysteries.

The county, the people, and even the mystery, are all extremely well crafted, with that care to detail that this author does so well.

It’s realistic and believable. I just wish I liked the book better. I don’t. I couldn’t wait to finish it and say goodbye to these characters. Well except for the dog maybe.

Why?

Because unlike the other series I mentioned above, I disliked the characters here, especially the main one, Henry “Mooch” Milch. Yes, his nickname is Mooch, that’s a hint. But he’s such an unappealing character, that no one in the book likes him either, except the dog. He’s been sent to his grandmother’s place in Wyandot County, MIchigan because he overdosed on opioids so it was that or rehab. He chose Grandma rather than get straight.

For the rest of the novel he proceeds to rifle through peoples bathroom cabinets and drawers, stealing prescription drugs, to feed a growing habit he’s refusing to recognize. All the while pronouncing judgements on everything. He decided to solve a mystery, because he wanted to money to leave town, not because it’s the thing that actually needed doing.

I could continue but you get my drift. He’s just an unlikable man who stays that way. And he’s surrounded by them, including Grandma, Emma. These characters are realistically crafted, layered and understandable.

Just not people I want to spend time with.

Which they kind of have to be if I want to read a story.

The other series Thornton wrote had characters that broke my heart while making me love them ever so deeply.

This one, however well written , makes me want to say good luck and goodbye.

If this series is something that sounds like it’s something that’s in your wheelhouse, than a Marshall Thornton story and mystery is it for you.

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch by Marshall Thornton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

A new mystery series from the award-winning author of the Boystown and Pinx Mystery series.

Things have not been going well for Henry Milch. After a Saturday night clubbing in his beloved West Hollywood, he took one pill too many and ended up banished to northern lower Michigan to live on a farm with his ultra-conservative grandmother. It was that or rehab. While working a part-time job for the local land conservancy he stumbles across a dead body in the snow—as if things couldn’t get worse. But then things take a turn for the better, there’s a reward for information leading the man’s killer. All Henry has to do is find the murderer, claim the reward and he can go back to his real life in L.A.