For Richer For Poorer by Pelaam

October 28, 2021 By Leave a Comment


For Richer For Poorer by Pelaam
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

To successfully close a business deal, business tycoon Scott is horrified to discover he will need to find a husband in a hurry.

Having been once bitten, Scott is twice shy. But he finds a reluctant groom in his firm’s accountant, Connor, a young man who is dealing with inherited debts.

Connor is alarmed by the proposition, afraid his true feelings for the sexy older man will be discovered.
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For the sake of his younger brother, he agrees to Scott’s proposal: to be Scott’s short-term husband in return for their debts to be paid off in full.

Can there be a happy ever after for either man?

Connor enjoys his work – and his delectable boss, Scott – but with a pile of debt left to him from his dead, gambling addicted father, Connor has no desire to rock the boat. He needs his job and the steady income it provides until he and his brother are debt free. Scott is desperate to close a deal, and very unwilling to let any minor inconvenience hamper his way. When Scott discovers he needs a groom and there’s no way around it, Scott and Connor find themselves in a marriage of convenience. But will the two men find remaining married is what they both end up wanting?

I enjoyed this modern and fresh story. While the plotline is at a first glance pretty well used – rich business man finds for reasons beyond his control he needs a spouse and allows himself to marry the employee who secretly loves him – I found the modern setting and very contemporary feel really added a freshness to the story as a whole. I also really enjoyed the fact that Scott, while rich and powerful and owner of the business, wasn’t arrogant or dislikable with his power and prestige. This really helped me enjoy both his character and the story as a whole. Enjoying the characters and really hoping they fall in love and come to see that in each other was a delicious way to spend some time.

With the obligatory jealous ex and a bunch of interesting and varied secondary characters I found this to be a fun and quick read that delighted me at a number of turns. While the plot is well-worn enough to be comfortable it was absolutely freshened up and felt really fun and modern to me. I also thoroughly enjoyed Scott and Connor’s slow fall for each other. I thought there was plenty of chemistry and sizzle between the two men but feel readers expecting a strongly erotic and heavily explicit story might not find this quite hot enough for their tastes.

Fun and refreshing I enjoyed this quick read.

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A Heart Back Home by Andrew Grey

October 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment


A Heart Back Home by Andrew Grey
Publisher: Self published
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Clay Kartwell loses his job and gets a call from his estranged father asking for his help back on the family farm, all on the same day. Clay knows he has to return home, even though it’s the last thing he wants to do. Some things back home are best left unremembered.

Dell Warrington was Clay’s unrequited high school crush and the man he least wants to see. He’s everything Clay remembered and more, including the father of four-year-old Archie. But Dell hasn’t had it easy either, and not everything is as it seems.

Clay sets out to save the farm and bring in the crops with Dell’s help. Old assumptions fall to the side as the two men reconnect, and the second chance that Clay never knew he wanted seems within his grasp. But Clay left the farm for a reason, and reconciliation with his stoic father won’t be easy. When his city life offers a new opportunity, he must decide whether to accept what he knows, or follow his heart.

Clay had known he was gay since he was a teenager with the biggest crush ever on school hunk Dell. But then Clay’s mother died, his relationship with his father grew beyond surly and Dell blew hot and cold, confusing the hell out of Clay. When school finished, Clay had had enough and left for the bright lights of the town, determined not to return. Five years later, however, Clay finds himself between jobs and his father calls, urgently needing Clay’s help on the farm for a few weeks. When Clay returns, Dell is one of the first people he bumps into and Clay discovers he isn’t the only one who has grown up since school finished.

I really enjoyed this emotional and well written small town romance. I absolutely loved that while Clay had left and grown into a young man during his stint in the city, he didn’t pretend to know everything or act like being in the city had made him better or more worldly or anything like that. At heart Clay was just a more mature version of the small-town boy he had always been. I also really like the fact that even though Dell has a small son and had been confused about his sexuality during their high school years, he didn’t let his popularity with the ladies get to his head or his ego. Basically, while there were understandable small problems with both Clay and Dell – and the fact there was a massive amount of baggage to be fixed between them – they were both good, solid, reliable men and characters who I could root for from pretty much the beginning. This made the book a lot more palatable to me.

I admit that I felt the conflict and tension between Clay and his father was just a little overdrawn. I was pleased that this was where much of the plot tension resided and in general felt it was well handled, but at times it felt like there was just a little too much mis-communication and mis-understandings between Clay and his dad. I can totally appreciate the older gent was a stubborn farmer and well set in his ways – and communication is often not a strong suit with these types of men, so it was logical and realistic. I also appreciated how in this singular instance Clay didn’t shine brightly – he was expecting the worst in many respects from his dad and made his own assumptions and generalizations, so it was nice to see that Clay was not perfect. I just couldn’t help but feel this side of the plot was a little overdrawn for my personal tastes.

I was thrilled with the depth to both Clay and Dell’s characters, these were interesting and layered men who I enjoyed getting to know and in particular who I enjoyed watching them re-learn each other both personally and physically. I thoroughly enjoyed there was a small but important cast of secondary characters – Dell’s son Archie, Clay’s dad and Clay’s best friend Alan. The characters and the emotion of Clay and Dell reconnecting and learning to trust and love each other was delightful to read and I was so pleased the author didn’t rush through this part of the process between them. While there is some deliciously hot sex between them, I found this to be a deeply emotional book and one that focused on the relationship and connections between the men – not just their sizzle in the bedroom.

Hot and wonderful, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am eager to read the next in the series.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wolf In Heat by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

October 20, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Wolf In Heat by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

What male would be interested in a vegan werewolf?

Heather resigned herself to life without a mate. She’s always been a freak, unable to fit into either the human or shifter world. When her broken family joins a new pack, she’s suspicious and reluctant to accept her new fate. When David starts showing interest in her, it’s hard for her to believe his feelings are genuine. She tries to give him the cold shoulder … until she goes into heat.

David strikes out time and time again with Heather. The new female in their pack refuses to acknowledge they are meant to be together. He’s not one to give up hope, determined to win over the curvy vegan wolf at any cost. When the mating heat takes hold of Heather, he’s the only one who can satisfy her. He’s ready to give her exactly what she craves, but he wants more than just her body.

When Heather runs into danger, will she accept David’s help or sacrifice her own life?

It hadn’t been that long ago Heather lost her parents and even though she was grateful she, her sister and Uncle had been accepted into Caleb and Bethany’s pack it didn’t ease her sense of loss and loneliness much. Heather hated change and the new pack, new home, new surroundings had pushed her as far as she could bear. Accepting David might be her mate was not an option Heather was willing to give time or thought to. Only now she feels she might be entering her heat phase and the full moon is drawing close. Can Heather and David find a way to make this work?

I found this to be a very emotional and highly sexual story. Readers looking for an intense and character driven story should find this really appealing. For the first part of the book, I was at times a little confused with Heather, who really seemed to blow hot and cold to me. I felt a deep empathy for David trying to work out where he stood with Heather. At first he went slow, trying to get to know this shy and timid woman, but then when the heat hit her Heather became this sex-starved she-wolf, but who then once again turned timid and tried to push David away when the heat passed. I thought he clearly showed his love and compassion for her and (particularly at the start of the book) I felt Heather acted a little bit unreasonably toward him. The authors did a good job of explaining what Heather’s feelings were and how/why she was so confused and changeable, but for the first part of the book I struggled to like or connect with her. Pushing someone away while knowing you were mated to them just because you were confused felt pretty silly and childish to me.

I was pretty relieved when Heather finally got her head screwed on right and accepted she was bonded with David. I could appreciate the fact that even though she was scared, she had made her decisions and stuck with it and tried to hold up her end of the relationship and not simply run, avoid or stick her head in the sand about it all.

After this the story moved a lot smoother and better to my mind. There was also a fairly interesting sub-plot revolving around some bear shifters and a rogue. I can totally understand why the authors made this subplot secondary to Heather and David – this is a steamy erotic romance and they’re the main mating pair, but I was pretty pleased that the werebear and other shifters subplot wasn’t just half-baked or added in as a sort of side note. I felt that got plenty of time and was a solid addition to the story. While not overly gory or descriptive there are some captive animals and blood-sport style of humans in the plotline that might not suit the taste of all readers wanting a more romantic/erotic style of story and less intensity to the non-romantic aspects of the plotline.

With a solid cast of interesting and varied secondary characters, a decent plot revolving outside shifters and others around the pack and a steamy mating relationship growing between Heather and David this is a good and solid story that I feel most readers should find something to enjoy within it.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Heavy Lifting by Andrew Grey

October 13, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Heavy Lifting by Andrew Grey
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Would-be journalist Reg Applewhite is a slight, geeky guy who knows from high school experience that he’s the perfect size to be shoved into a locker. He writes for his sister’s fashion and gossip blogs and is very understandably reluctant when assigned to cover a local bodybuilding competition for material.

Jack Ponte is a physical god, with a perfect body, poise, and intense eyes. But it’s his grace that captures Reg’s attention, and when Reg asks for an interview, Jack agrees. After all, he’s looking for a life after bodybuilding, and Reg’s blogs offer a chance at something less fleeting.

During the interview, they discover mutual interests in fashion and video games that lead to friendship and deeper feelings neither expects. Reg finds it hard to believe that a god-man like Jack would see anything in him, and Jack is just as shocked when Reg seems to see beyond his looks to the person inside. But there is a price to pay for everything, and Jack draws the kind of unwanted attention that could threaten to pull them apart… or worse. Together they need to figure out a way to lift each other up and push through the challenges.

Reg might have been a geek, skinny and into video games, but he was also an excellent journalist and blogger. He enjoyed working for his sister’s fashion magazine and although his heart wasn’t in a lot of the more gossipy articles that the blog ran, he felt it was balanced out enough with the more real articles he had the freedom to go for. Covering a body building contest wasn’t his idea of a good time, but after a quick initial chat with Jack and finding a sharp brain beneath the magnificent muscles Reg is quickly swayed by the handsome man.

I found this a delightful and fun story. I was super impressed that while at a first glance Reg and Jack’s characters had a few strokes of their “jock and geek” stereotype, both characters were far deeper and infinitely more interesting than I had previously given them credit for. I adored how they didn’t simply glance at each other and jump into bed, and that the two men really learned about each other before becoming intimate. This helped me as a reader see their relationship as far more than just a quick sexy interlude and the building of a far more lasting and interesting emotional relationship between them.

Another thing I really enjoyed with this story was how many of the stereotypes and tropes didn’t unwind how I expected them to. Things like the subplots around a creepy stalker and an over-ambitious sister/editor, both of these are quite well-worn plotlines to my mind and all too frequently fall into a similar pattern to each other. When I could see them beginning I was tempted to skim ahead, not overly interesting in something I have read in other books numerous times before. Both times I was quickly proven extremely wrong – the plots unfolding in ways I had not expected and I was relieved to have not jumped ahead.

The communication and slowly building trust between Reg and Jack – as well as their friendship and connection, I feel – was the real sticking point for this story. I absolutely loved them and loved how neither man was as cookie-cutter as I was expecting. This really appealed to me and made the whole story feel lighter and fresher than I had worried about. While there isn’t anything earth-shatteringly new or different in this story, between the interesting plots, the vivid characters and the really fresh voice of the author I absolutely enjoyed this story and fully expect to purchase the second in the series.

Readers looking for a fun, sexy and steamy story should not be disappointed by this book. I found Reg and Jack’s characters to be interesting and vibrant and their connection and friendship to be believable and relatable. These are two men I felt empathy and interest for and I am intrigued to read more by this author.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Rediscovering Family by Sean Michael

October 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Rediscovering Family by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sometimes life gives you a second chance.

Bruce Dawson and Todd Greene had it all. A happy marriage, fulfilling careers and a brand new baby girl. When their nanny of three days kidnaps their daughter Olive, their world falls apart.
Two years later, divorced and working himself to death, Bruce gets a call that will change the downward trajectory of his life forever. Just three words: they found her.

Now Bruce and Todd must work together to provide the home their daughter deserves, and not only their own daughter, but the little girl found with her as well. To make matters even more complicated, Todd has a son on the way.

Join Bruce and Todd as they reconnect and rediscover what it means to be a family.

Bruce and Todd had a happy marriage, jobs they enjoyed and a brand new baby girl they adored. Their lives – and marriage – fell apart though when the nanny disappeared with their baby girl and although Bruce and Todd still loved each other, they couldn’t find a way to make things work. Two years later Bruce receives a call from Todd, one he never expected to receive with the fateful words “they’ve found her”. Can these two men patch up not just their trust and relationship once again, but build a family with their two new girls and each other?

I often find I’m a bit hit and miss with such deeply emotional storylines as this one portrayed. I often feel like it’s difficult to believe a committed couple who had been driven to the point of divorce could come back together and renew their relationship again. I was delighted that for the most part the author balanced these concerns of mine and the story managed to be both optimistic and emotional while still not negating the very deep and complicated issues Bruce and Todd faced. I found this to be an emotional read, yes, but not drowning in angst or recriminations which was lovely. The characters of Olive and Delilah also lightened the tone and feel of the story significantly and created an amazing balance I feel between the issues lying between Bruce and Todd.

Readers looking for a mostly sweet, second-chance style of story should find this ticks a number of the good boxes. I was pleased that from the very beginning both Todd and Bruce were committed to the two girls and determined to make their non-traditional family work. There was a strong cast of secondary characters – with both sets of Todd and Bruce’s parents as well as Todd’s sister and brother in law being fairly closely involved with the newly recreated family. There was a lot of emotion and a lot of rushing to get everything settled for the two girls but I felt the author really did a good job of balancing the hectic side of getting organized with the two men trying to wade their way through to what would become their new normal. I was particularly pleased that while their past issued weren’t ignored neither was it drawn out or made overly angsty. I thought it was a realistic and sensible balance that I enjoyed reading.

With some exceptional characters, a lot of realism and no shying away from the emotional aspect of the situation, I thought this was a lovely and interesting full length story. While there are a number of explicit scenes between Todd and Bruce this isn’t a full-on erotic romance story – more of a reconnecting and rebuilding a family style of story with plenty of craziness and antics from the children and a solid “feel good” sort of atmosphere. A lovely family story and one I enjoyed.

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Nowhere To Ride by Andrew Grey

October 6, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Nowhere To Ride by Andrew Grey
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Unjustly accused of a crime, Ky Archer is trying to keep his ranch together, with fierce tenacity and minimal help. With his nefarious accuser the lead wolf at the door, Ky is resolved to do whatever he has to in order to keep the final link with his family intact.

Brodie Tyler is down on his luck–way down. Down enough to camp with his baby sister in a tent to get away from relatives he’d hoped would help him. His parents are gone and he’s got nowhere to go, but he’s determined to keep his sister safe with him, no matter what.

Ky finds Brodie and Emily on his property and takes them in out of the storm… literally. Neither expects the heat that ignites between them to be as hot as the western sun. The men find they fit together well, both at work and in the bedroom. They also find they have a common enemy who tries to tear them apart. Working together, they might discover that each holds the key for the other’s desire.

Ky is struggling to keep his ranch afloat. With an enemy in town determined to smear his name and try to purchase his land and more work than Ky can handle things are looking dire. When he finds Brodie and toddler Emily on his land though, Ky can’t turn them away and offers the only help he can, a safe place to stay warm and dry. The sizzling attraction between the two men burns hotly between them, but when they find they share the wrath of a common enemy can these two men stick together and make things work?

I really enjoyed this well plotted and slow paced cowboy romance. I was pleased with the individuality of the main characters and enjoyed the strong supporting secondary characters as well. The author did an excellent job to my mind in making the two men relatable and believable, but still unique enough they stuck in my head and held my interest long after I’d finished this book. I also found this an emotional read and loved how Ky and Brodie formed a strong and believable connection before jumping into bed and becoming intimate.

The day to day problems and obstacles Ky – and Brodie – experienced also really resonated with me and felt both believable and relatable. Things like the hard manual work needed just to keep the ranch working in the searing Texas heat, the isolation of living outside the small township and how a precious resource like water could make or break the success of a farm. And while the villain could appear to be a little overdrawn I honestly feel that it wouldn’t be at all over the top for people to act so ruthlessly and mean-spiritedly – willing to destroy a man’s reputation and drive him out of town with hatred and lies – simply to steal land and resources. As despicable as those actions were, and hard to read, even this struck me as realistic and probably all too common out in real life.

I feel the author did an amazing job writing a realistic and emotional story with a decent and gripping plot. This was a lovely story and I’ve eagerly bought a number of his other works. This could easily become one of my new favourite authors. The fact the relationship and connection between Ky and Brodie was intense, believable and smoking hot was just icing on the cake.

A lovely read and a new to me author who I will enjoy reading more of.

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The Reluctant Virgin’s Daddy by Sean Michael

October 4, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Reluctant Virgin’s Daddy by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Robert Venus made a lot of money in tech, and when he sold his business for millions, he was set for life, which suits him to the bone as he never leaves the house, ever, and never interacts with anyone except his personal assistant. With his former assistant leaving to have kids, he’s forced to hire someone new and turns to the Master Temp Agency.

Ignatius Callahan has no idea what to expect as he starts his new temp job as personal assistant to Mr. Venus. When he pulls up in front of solid, ugly gates, he has a hunch this isn’t going to be a job like any of his others.

From their first meeting, Iggy is drawn to Bobby. In fact, the urge to call Bobby his boy is almost overwhelming, but the reclusive young man seems to want to hide away and disappear from the world, including Iggy. As Iggy works to draw Bobby out, he feels more and more sure that Bobby needs him as much as he needs Bobby, and he slowly breaks down Bobby’s walls.

Will Iggy and Bobby be able to find their happy ending together?

The temp agency Ignatius works for has sometimes simply placed him without any pre-interview before, so when he’s assigned to be Robert Venus’ personal assistant Ignatius has no idea what he’s heading into. Right from the moment they met Iggy is drawn to Bobby and those initial feelings only grow. Ignatius is desperate to draw Bobby out, and as they begin to get to know each other better Iggy is more certain than ever they are perfectly suited and really do need each other. As the urge to call Bobby his boy feels overwhelming, can Iggy and Bobby find what they’re really looking for?

I enjoyed this steamy full length story. I was particularly pleased that Iggy didn’t immediately start trying to be intimate with Bobby. It was pretty clear Robert had some emotional baggage and was hiding away from the world for his own reasons and so I feel it would have been inappropriate for Iggy to just blaze in and assume he could make everything fine and fix it all with sensuality and intimacy. The time they took getting to know each other and bonding emotionally and forging that friendship was really critical to my mind and not only made the story more believable but helped me as a reader to see why they connected and how this could work between them in the longer term. I felt that was really well handled and it helped make the intimacy when the men got there feel a lot more special and important.

The intimacy was hot and very very mildly kinky. I was really pleased that there wasn’t an enormous drama or dwelling on the fact that Robert is a virgin and while this is acknowledged there wasn’t some major past hurt or heavy plot revolved around that aspect. The very mild kink comes from the fact Iggy enjoys being a “Daddy” and I was pleased this aspect wasn’t the main focus of the story either, more just one of the many plot points. While Robert doesn’t have any experience with this I was pleased Iggy introduced the style and thoughts behind it slowly and gradually and Robert definitely appeared curious and receptive. Readers looking for a heavily BDSM lifestyle story might find that aspect of this story a bit light for their tastes, but personally I felt it had a good balance and was portrayed in what I could believe is a realistic and sensitive matter.

My only real problem with the story was that at times the story felt a little too unrealistic and rose-tinted-glasses. The romance and blossoming intimacy between Iggy and Bobby pretty much overshadowed everything else at times and in a number of places I found myself pausing mid-sentence and wondering at the amount of time Iggy and Robert had spent together either eating, exploring each other sexually or otherwise not doing their work or answering emails etc., which was portrayed as the whole reason Robert hired Iggy to be his PA. I feel a little more balance – even just a few more casual references to “after Iggy had caught up on the work emails and handled a few call-backs etc.” just to highlight the fact that the “real life” aspect to Iggy’s job and Robert’s business were being handled in the downtime off-screen in between the two men learning about each other and establishing their romantic relationship. I couldn’t help but feel this side to the story was left lagging just a little, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the romance and relationship that grew between Iggy and Bobby.

With two interesting and relatable characters that I felt were well fleshed out and not just cookie-cutter, and a lovely slow moving sensual pace to the story this was a delicious and satisfying read. I enjoyed the slower-than-usual pace to the romance and feel overall this should appeal to a wide range of readers.

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A Firing Offense by George Pelecanos

September 30, 2021 By Leave a Comment


A Firing Offense by George Pelecanos
Publisher: Orion Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

As the advertising director of Nutty Nathan’s, Nick Stefanos knows all the tricks of the electronics business. Blow-out sales and shady deals were his life. When one of the stockboys disappears, it’s not news: just another metalhead who went off chasing some dream of big money and easy living. But the kid reminded Nick of himself twelve years ago: an angry punk hooked on speed metal and the fast life. So when the boy’s grandfather begs Nick to find the kid, Nick says he’ll try.

Nick Stefanos works in advertising but has climbed his way up to his comfortable office position the long way – through the sales floor ranks and up through every level. He is perfectly happy to coast along until the grandfather of one of the stockboys Nick is friendly with approaches him. Nick isn’t too worried to hear the young man has gone missing, but as Nick casually looks into it what he uncovers is far darker and way more violent than he could have ever expected.

I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this very noir style of mystery. On the surface it’s quite simple, Nick reluctantly agrees to ask a few questions from people he knows and doesn’t plan to step too far out of his own path or stretch much at all. But what he thought was just a kid out having a good time is very much not that and so much more complicated everything – including Nick’s comfortable life – spirals out of control. This in itself could have easily been a gritty, older-style of noir hard boiled story, but the author does an amazing job of balancing this with a very seedy sort of underlife to the city and edges that really darkens the story significantly to my mind.

With frequent and very casual use of drugs and alcohol – sometimes to a level where I had to pause and wonder how the characters could have got away with their antics, I realized that while certainly fiction, the scenarios for all their craziness were so very plausible and realistic. This, more than the plot of the missing young man, really lent a weight and heaviness to the whole story I felt. It was simultaneously the thing I enjoyed most about the book, but equally the thing that disquieted me the entire read through.

This will not be every readers cup of tea, for sure. Different and envelope pushing this is a gritty and realistic read that while filled with violence and drug/alcohol abuse is also a story firmly about Nick and how when it comes to the crunch he – like all of us – has decisions to make. Decisions about which path to follow, what choices he can live with and where he draws the line between right and wrong, acceptable and not. It’s not often a book makes me really stop reading mid-sentence, sit back, think and mull over these sorts of things. And as uncomfortable as that was, I found it refreshing and brilliant though it took a while for me to get through it as there were a number of things I personally needed to dwell on and unpack as I trailed along after Nick.

Readers who can handle a darker and gritter style of writing and background and particularly those who like to occasionally delve deeper into life and our choices really should check this out. There are two more books featuring Nick Stefanos and after my heart rate has calmed down a bit I fully expect I’ll be purchasing them both.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

September 29, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Forensic archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is in her late thirties. She lives happily alone with her two cats in a bleak, remote area near Norfolk, land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants—not quite earth, not quite sea. But her routine days of digging up bones and other ancient objects are harshly upended when a child’s bones are found on a desolate beach. Detective Chief Inspector Nelson calls Galloway for help, believing they are the remains of Lucy Downey, a little girl who went missing a decade ago and whose abductor continues to taunt him with bizarre letters containing references to ritual sacrifice, Shakespeare, and the Bible. Then a second girl goes missing and Nelson receives a new letter—exactly like the ones about Lucy.

Is it the same killer? Or a copycat murderer, linked in some way to the site near Ruth’s remote home?

DCI Harry Nelson refuses to give up the hunt for a missing young girl, even though she was kidnapped just over ten years ago now. When bones are found in the Saltmarshes he calls in Dr Ruth Galloway, a local archaeologist with the University, to help uncover the site and help his investigations into the ancient henge.
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I really enjoyed this full length novel – the first in a series between DCI Nelson and Dr Galloway. While at times I found it off-putting that the book is written in the present tense this overall didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment. There is a strong cast of characters, about a half dozen well fleshed out main characters and a roughly equal number of smaller secondary characters. This, coupled with the interesting clashes and slow building connection between Nelson and Ruth really wove well with the various sub-plots. I thoroughly enjoyed how the two missing girls, the henge and holy sites around the salt marshland and the shifting friendships and complications of the various relationships between the characters all intermingled and wove around. I changed my mind about what was really going on underneath it all a few times as the characters and their relationships shifted and altered and this really kept me on my toes, along with the central plotline itself of the missing girls.

I feel readers looking for a more traditional style of mystery might struggle a bit with this book. There are definitely changing alliances and shifts in the various characters – from good to bad and back again – as the plot unfurls. Nothing is particularly linear here and while I found it not traditional, I was surprisingly fine with this. The excellent plotting, good writing and reality that life isn’t black or white, good or bad, really helped me connect a bit with the shifts in the plot and characters.

I also enjoyed how the site itself – both the desolate marshland of Norfolk as well as the henge site itself was practically a character in this story. The scenery and landscape, the danger of the changing tides and the easy comparisons with the loneliness and beauty of the harsh nature was a lovely addition I feel the author really added well into the story.

While I admit some of the characters actions won’t be every readers cup of tea, and the present tense writing style likely will rub some people the wrong way, I strongly feel this story (both the characters and the exceptional plot) is well worth the effort of sticking with the book. At numerous points I was pleased to have kept going and even though I’m still not sold on the book being written in the present tense, this was a minor blip as the action really amped up around the middle of the book and I found myself racing through the final half in almost one sitting.

An excellent first book in the series. I’ve already purchased the second and am eagerly awaiting it’s arrival so I can jump right in.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

To The Center Of The Earth by Grieg Beck

September 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment


To The Center Of The Earth by Grieg Beck
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

An old woman locked away in a Russian asylum has a secret—knowledge of a 500-year-old manuscript written by a long-dead alchemist that will show a passage to the mythical center of the Earth.

She knows it’s real because 50 years ago, she and a team traveled there. And only she made it back.

Today, caving specialist Mike Monroe leads a crew into the world’s deepest cave in the former Soviet Union. He’s following the path of a mad woman, and the words of an ancient Russian alchemist, that were the basis of the fantastical tale by Jules Verne.

But what horrifying things he finds will tear at his sanity and change everything we know about evolution and the world, forever.

In the tradition of Primordia, Greig Beck delivers another epic retelling of a classic story in an electrifying and terrifying adventure that transcends the imagination.

“Down there, beyond the deepest caves, below the crust and the mantle, there is another world.”

When a million dollar prize – as well as some serious bragging rights – are put up for grabs for the caving team who can travel the deepest under the earth the race is on. Two separate teams decide independently to try their luck with a long closed down cave in Russia, one that’s rumored not only the be the deepest anywhere on earth, but also possibly far more than anyone realizes. What the two teams discover is a whole new world – equal parts paradise and hell.

I really enjoyed this new adventure story from Mr Beck. His stories are always really really well balanced with both thriller, monsters, discovery of the unknown and adventure and this one certainly delivers in spades. I was quickly drawn in both by the characters, but also the caving adventure itself. Readers who enjoy a good “let’s discover something new” story should certainly find this suits their tastes, and readers who also enjoy “monsters eat most of the party” will find this book ticks a lot of those sorts of boxes as well. I’d hesitate to label this story as horror though – while there are certainly “monsters come and eat the characters” moments and there’s absolutely a few chilling scenes with alien creatures found deep deep under the earth – I’m not sure it really fits the “horror” genre in the sense of gore or serial killers or a more typical sense of a horror novel. Readers who are squeamish or not interested in monsters going bump in the dark style of books probably should shy away or be prepared to skim a few scenes – but I feel aside from that it’s not really horror at all but more adventure/thriller in style.

I also really appreciated the variation in the characters and how none of them were cartoonish or overdrawn. Even the antagonist was – while still not hero material – practical and willing to work with the team when the chips were down and it was very much an “us verses the monsters” mentality. I really really enjoyed this, partly because it would have been very easy (and far less satisfying I feel) if the antagonist had been an overblown villain character, but I could well believe how tempting that might have been. Indeed I found Mr Beck taking the harder road and notching down the characters arrogance and bravado and having the two teams come together and work in tandem as one merged team really satisfying and I was so pleased about this it really stuck with me.

As a longtime fan of this author I was amused at a few Easter Egg like tidbits where I recognized the author cleverly sneaking in subtle pointers to some of his other books where fans will notice this cheeky nod but others shouldn’t feel anything too amiss by the seemingly casual comments. It gave me a chuckle and flush of pride for each one I caught and it made reading this book all the sweeter to know I’d not only caught the reference but read and own the book as well.

Overall this was an amazing book and one I am pleased to have in print as I definitely expect to enjoy it a number more times in the future. I am also impressed with my own foresight – I have the sequel already purchased and ready to go. I’m thrilled I can move right onto it and not have to wait!

Readers who enjoy adventure stories, caving stories and monsters eating everyone should be as deeply satisfied with this story as I was. Mr Beck is a masterful storyteller and I feel this tale is well balanced, engrossing and sure to have you up reading half the night. A brilliant read and one I shall enjoy again in the near future.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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