Tag: LGBTQIA murder mystery

Review: Dark Water : A Gay Mystery (Daniel Owen Welsh Mysteries Book 2) by Ripley Hayes

Rating: 3🌈

Dark Water is a mystery novel that , upon reading it, engenders as many conflicting feelings as it has elements to its story.

I like the author, Hayes’ ability to bury ,within the narrative, a deep understanding of the Welsh language, culture, and the issues that have arisen throughout the towns and villages.

Tragically, with a dark presence that’s almost poetic, Hayes incorporates the damage that industry and climate change has wrought upon the landscape and the lives. It’s in the near constant rains, flooding that pours over everything, seeping wetly in every section of their lives. You can feel the dampness, and mold, and decay coming off the pages and imagine the despair that some of the people might feel.

The descriptions, the verbiage, the backgrounds, the locations, the mysteries, and the perfection that is the town’s policeman Daniel Owen’s, for which English is his second language, that’s the strengths of the series and this story.

Unfortunately it’s paired with some other aspects that , imo, work against the most connectable and well written parts of this story.

First would be the multiple points of view here that the author has chosen to use . Sometimes this works well for a novel, especially when the voices are incredibly distinct. But here? They tend to muddle the forward momentum of the storytelling, when the reader has to struggle to understand or remember who exactly a narrator is.

There’s too many people talking. They aren’t either defined clearly enough to care about them that they’re memorable, if they’re a sort of main character like Raven, then they’re so chatty in a bad way that instead of making them interesting, they come across as self indulgent drug dealing narcissists. Teenager or not, that’s not a voice I want to spend time with. Raven is a not.

And then we have Veronica. Who’s Veronica? Oh right , after some back reading. That’s not a good thing.

Then there’s Maldwyn Kent . He was the DCI in the last story where he and Daniel started a relationship I didn’t believe in. Then they left to return to their respective careers.

Now in a act that defied every Mal had told Daniel in the past, he arrives In Daniel’s home town, where Daniel’s been acting DCI, takes Daniel’s long awaited promotion for himself, without prior notice to Daniel who he ghosted after the events of the last book. Kent’s been vocal about his dislike of the Welsh language which is the default language of the village he’s now the DCI of. Mal Kent is also been outspoken about his desire to return to London, getting away from Wales as quickly as possible.

Now in this story, he is quick to initiate a push/pull attitude or relationship with Daniel that raises huge flags.

Kent’s dismisses Daniel’s ideas, tells him to speak English (what a clear message to the village and Daniel that amounts to bigotry), then insists Damien not call him “Sir” as though they were still intimate. Flag, flag, flag.

This clear disrespect of Daniel’s police acumen, even though he’s been a police officer a long time and knows this village intimately, is remarkable. Especially in the the author seems to think we should disregard this attitude when it comes to their romance.

We get little in the way of a romantic journey here. Anything that might bring us over is done “off page “. They had lunches or dinners together, that had happy conversations. Oh joy.

Does that help the reader understand what Daniel sees in a non communicative, dismissive, high handed guy whose suits is papered over with flags? No, it does not. Other than how good looking Mal is.

How small is the dating pool over there ? Plus there’s the moment Daniel sleeps with a good friend. That felt more real than anything with Mal, to be honest.

Then there’s his sister who’s all you’re so adorable together. Really? When. Because it’s not here on the page. It makes zero sense.

Most won’t like the mystery either. It wasn’t fully formed, and resolved. Too many holes, too many gaps in the plot threads surrounding this element.

And the ending is a mess.

Dark Water is totally different from Undermined. Different style, different number of personalities and perspectives, muddy plotting. And the relationship between Daniel and Mal just went from mediocre to why is a great guy having a relationship with the man buried under a mountain of red flags.

I’ll continue on if only for Daniel and the locals in his village. Mal Kent? No.

Daniel Owen Welsh Mysteries:

✓ Undermined #1

✓ Dark Water #2

◦ Leavings #3

◦ A Man #4

◦ Too Many Fires #5

◦ An Allotment of Time #6

◦ A Teachable Moment #7

Buy Link:

Dark Water: A Gay Mystery (Daniel Owen Welsh Mysteries Book 2)

Description:

It’s not a good Monday for DI Daniel Owen.

A body in a wheelie bin. Missing teenagers. His ex turning up as his new boss.

A secretive teenager, a nosy secretary, an idealistic social worker, and a dodgy fruit and veg salesman all have pieces of the jigsaw. If Daniel and Maldwyn can trust each other again, they can put the pieces together.

But time is running out, and at least one child’s life is in danger. It’s been raining for weeks, and the flood waters are rising, threatening to engulf them all.

Review: Ghostly Envy (Ghostly Book 3) by E.M. Leya

Rating: 4.5🌈

Ghostly Envy see big changes in the interpersonal relationships of some of the main characters of the Ghostly series.

Detective Angus Young reveals to Franks that he’s been getting his information from the ghosts of the victims of the crimes he and his partner have been investigating. It’s a huge deal because it could upset their friendship as well as their professional partnership.

It has the effect of bringing Franks more throughly into the inner circle, a mixed bag of real and ghostly found family members that’s been accumulating over each story. Angus’s ghost seeing mother, her ghost friends, his father, ME Lance, his ghostly friends like the hundred plus years Ray, Cele the celebrated cook, and more. This book will certainly bring new additions to the group.

It all starts innocently enough with Angus and Lance having talked Franks into looking at buying a house. It’s while house shopping that Franks becomes a part of his friend’s paranormal life and we meet a lovely poignant ghost.

Ghostly Envy might be my favorite to date. Not because it’s lacks the horrific crime scenes of the prior stories but because we get to know this ghost and her story so intimately. She makes a real impact on us, just as she does on Franks and the rest.

The crime, its resolution, even the criminal, it all makes sense, in a very sad human way.

On the paranormal side, we see that even ghosts, at least according to E.M. Leya, have a shot at love, albeit in a different aspect. That’s a delightful thought.

I absolutely enjoyed this story and the growth it demonstrates in terms of characters, relationships, and world building.

There’s another story coming, just no date as yet. I’m waiting with great anticipation!

Definitely recommending the Ghostly series for all lovers of the paranormal romance trope with the elements of mystery and murder thrown in.

Ghostly series:

✓ Ghostly Awakening #1

✓ Ghostly Findings #2

✓ Ghostly Envy #3

◦ Ghostly Claus #4 – TBD

Buy Link :

Ghostly Envy

Description:

The last thing Lance expected to find while helping Franks look for a new house was a ghost. Shelia just wanted to graduate and get on to college, but that never happened. The last thing she remembers is being at home on the couch, then waking up in a deep hole in the middle of nowhere. She wants answers. How did she get there and why?

Who wanted her dead?

Lance and Angus can’t ignore the plea for help and get to work, piecing together the evidence and talking to those who knew the victim. Nothing makes any sense. There is no reason this girl had to die. As they work the case, they also welcome a new member to the team, one who is fighting Angus for his side of Lance’s bed.

E.L. Publishing

Review: Ghostly Findings (Ghostly Book 2) by E.M. Leya

Rating: 4.5🌈

Ghostly Findings finds ME Lance and his boyfriend, Detective Angus Young, soon involved in a horrific case of murder and a hunt for a serial killer who might have victims waiting to be found.

I thought this was a great case, one which added quite a few new ghosts to the paranormal family existing at Lance’s house, and maybe even more interesting tidbits about the life after each passes. Author Laya is building out to their already established ghostly foundation as well as the earthly one with each new book.

The crimes are heinous but have happened off page. The ghosts are no longer traumatized by the crimes and events they’ve endured.

Lance and Angus are trying to find time to work on their own relationship and romance but their jobs and workload realistically interferes. Plus we get a better look at Angus and Lance’s work situations and coworkers. This includes Angus’ partner Franks, a character we get to know well and become invested in too.

The determination, the investigation, the manner in which the ghostly details must be shared or threaded into their reports feels about right. Even the ending. Did I wish for more high drama? Yes. But was the way it unfolded probably more in keeping with the story? Yes.

I’m absolutely enjoying these stories and characters. The mysteries and the relationships are amazing.

So it’s onto Ghostly Envy and new murders, and obviously new ghosts. Can’t wait.

Definitely recommending the Ghostly series for all lovers of the paranormal romance trope with the elements of mystery and murder thrown in.

Ghostly series:

✓ Ghostly Awakening #1

✓ Ghostly Findings #2

✓ Ghostly Envy #3

◦ Ghostly Claus #4 – TBD

Buy Link :

Ghostly Findings

Description:

As a medical examiner, seeing ghosts has its advantages. After being informed by a ghost that there is a mass grave in the area, Lance and Detective Angus Young feel the fallout. As one investigates the murders, the other investigates the bodies, both trying to piece together what happened. Luckily, the dead aren’t all silent. As ghosts of the victims appear, clues to what happened start to come together. The only problem now is figuring out who the killer is and catching him before he strikes again.

Review: Survival Is An Art (an Angus Green Book 3) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 4🌈

Nothing more chilling than the phrase “Until the Nazis came.” Evocative, haunting, instantly terrifying and filling a person’s mind with images and emotions.

That’s how Angus becomes involved in a labyrinthine case with its roots in WW2, Italy, and the confiscation of personal property, including artwork of European Jews by the Nazis.

It’s begins with Tom Laughlin, the retired lawyer who helped with the last case, inviting Angus to dine with his book club of older gay men who live in Ft. Lauderdale. One of the men, Frank Sena, needs Angus’ assistance.

Plakcy builds historical layers within his stories by elements such as the book club members and the topics under discussion among them. The need for discretion or complete secrecy, those among the group that married as “straight” men, the barriers the homosexual community has overcome and those obstacles that still exist. As well as those that got so many killed if they were not only openly homosexual but Jewish and living in Europe before the war.

That’s the group Frank’s uncle fell into. Italian, gay and Jewish. He owned a wonderful art collection that was stolen by the Nazis when he was taken into custody and sent to Auschwitz where he died.

Frank’s been contacted about one of the paintings and he wants to know if the seller is legit.

From this base of questioning, the story expands into a cornucopia of history and knowledge on a mass of topics. Through the mind and eyes of Angus, we learn about the influx of illegal imitation merchandise of high end brands and how and where they originate, ties to the illegal refugees, The Macchiaioli movement of Italian painters, and so much more. It’s a feast of information, lovingly gifted to the reader in bits and pieces, through scenes and nicely written conversations that bring all of this to life memorably.

I can remember every single detail, as it’s threaded through the mystery and , several murders, here, to wonderful impact.

Angus is still that straight forward, ambitious young agent. I don’t see much of a connection still with his boyfriend, Lester. No sparks or chemistry. There’s more with the older book group than with Lester. His brother Danny looks to figure more in his life and Danny is a lively presence in the story.

At times, Angus seems a bit too “stereotypical “ or less layered than some of the characters he meets. Maybe the next story resolves some of that.

Survival Is An Art (an Angus Green Book 3) by Neil S. Plakcy was a fantastic read. Full of mystery, historical references, and a whopping great time.

I’m looking forward to the next, and recommending this!

Angus Green series:

✓ The Next One Will Kill You #1

✓ Nobody Rides For Free #2

✓ Survival Is A Dying Art #3

◦ Brackish Water #4

Buy Link:

Survival is a Dying Art: An Angus Green Novel

Description:

Special Agent Angus Green is still in his twenties, and his red hair and good looks often make people underestimate him, but he’s a smart, fearless cop who believes in the FBI motto: Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. Fort Lauderdale retiree Frank Sena is working with pawn shop owner Jesse Venable to retrieve a painting stolen from Frank’s uncle, a gay Venetian killed during the Holocaust. Angus volunteers to help Frank, and discovers Venable is the subject of a task force looking into smuggling immigrants out of war-torn countries in the Middle East. Angus, who knows nothing about art and speaks no Italian, may be in over his head as he is assigned to befriend, and ultimately betray, Venable. But with the help of his Italian-speaking brother and his art-loving boyfriend, he may be able not only to retrieve the painting, but solve a smuggling case and potentially save thousands of lives. The investigation will take him from the sun-drenched rooftops of Venice to a private yacht speeding down Fort Lauderdale’s New River. Along the way, he’ll learn the true meaning of survival.

Review: Never Stay Gone (Big Bend Texas Rangers #1) by Tal Bauer

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I’ve been so busy with fantasy and contemporary romances that I’ve neglected one really great action suspense author. Tal Bauer.

Tal Bauer writes just amazing stories. Ones that might include such elements as government agencies and military spies, secret missions, and any number of inside sub terrorist organizations to deal with. Along with folding in a wonderful romance to boot.

Never Stay Gone is the author’s first story in his new Big Bend Texas Rangers series and it’s great. Jam-packed with so many of my favorite tropes, it’s a fast paced murder mystery and a second chance at a revived passionate relationship as two men race to find a killer. All throughout the unforgettable location of Big Bend Texas.

It’s starts with a terrifying find of a body dump by Deputy Shane Carson out in the desert wilds of Big Bend country Texas. It’s our initial introduction to the murder victims and one of the main characters.

Shane Carson is a small town’s native son who’s never lived up to its and his family’s huge expectations for him. He carries the years of his “failures” heavily. But Bauer’s created a more damaged man then evidenced on the outside.

Only by flashes of his past and glimpses into bits of his relationships with those outside of work does the reader realize Shane’s floundering there too.

It’s a realistic, painful portrait of a man deeply in trouble.

The reason why appears in the form of Texas Ranger Dakota Jennings, who’s been pulled by the Governor herself to handle the investigation into the multiple murders.

One reason? His history with the region and people. Second? One of the bodies worked for the Governor.

Dakota Jennings is as complex a man, albeit in a completely different way then Shane. Each man was damaged by their past with each other. Neither has ever moved forward.

How Shane and Dakota handle their reunion amidst murder, multiple investigations, heartbreak, forgiveness and redemption is a remarkable story.

It’s so compelling from just the personal elements alone as each man grapples with the past and the trauma it’s done to them. Add to that the police work as they track the killer and trace the identities of each victim. So gritty and tough.

This has first/only love, coming out, lovers reunited, second chance at love, hurt/comfort…all set in the dry open spaces of Big Bend country in Texas as a murderer tries to escape justice. It’s thrilling, heartbreaking, and an amazing suspenseful read!

I can’t wait to see where the series takes us!

If you’re not familiar with Tal Bauer, this is a wonderful place to start. I’m highly recommending this!

Big Bend Texas Rangers series:

Never Stay Gone #1

https://www.goodreads.com › showNever Stay Gone (Big Bend Texas Rangers #1) by Tal Bauer – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Six bodies in a single grave… in the same West Texas country where Dakota left everything behind.

Every beat of my heart belongs to you.

Thirteen years ago, Dakota Jennings thought he’d found his forever when he fell in love with Shane Carson. But one afternoon shattered their love story, and both Dakota and Shane left Rustler, Texas, with broken hearts. Even now, Dakota is still feeling the agony of losing Shane. Sure, he’s a Texas Ranger, but that’s not how he wanted to live his life. All he ever wanted was to love Shane.

Loving you is the only time I feel alive.

Shane’s life was supposed to be different than this. There’d been a plan, ever since he was knee-high to his father. But falling for Dakota spun Shane’s world upside down, and for years, Shane has had nothing but the memories of all that he lost: Dakota’s gentle touch, and the sweetness of his lips, and the star-strewn nights they spent wrapped in each other’s arms.

West of the Pecos, there is no law.

When the Rangers get the call about six bodies being pulled out of a mass grave in West Texas, the governor sends Dakota to run the investigation. Dakota heads back to his hometown and comes face-to-face with the last man he ever expected to see again: only now, he’s Deputy Shane Carson… Dakota’s local partner assigned to the case.

There’s nothing Dakota wants more than a second chance with Shane, but so much is stacked against them: six corpses, a murderer on the loose, and history that refuses to stay buried. And the bodies keep piling up as Dakota and Shane try to run the killer down across the West Texas plains.

In a moment, everything changes: the hunters become the hunted, the past fractures, and all Dakota thought he knew comes tumbling down. Secrets break wide open as Dakota remembers–

This is West Texas, and out here, nothing is as it seems.


Big Bend County is a place of beauty and desolation, of secrets and small towns. Where the past and the present collide, and where nothing stays hidden forever.

This MM romantic suspense is the first in the new Big Bend Texas Rangers series. Come along for the West Texas sunsets, the heart-pounding thrills, and the hard-won Happy Ever Afters.