Book Review : Jon's Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case by A.J. Sherwood

What would things be like if psychics solved crimes? This is not an uncommon trope in novels, but Jon's Mysteries series takes it an entirely new way. In this series' alternate universe, one small change in the past has made it so modern psychics are licensed and regulated and often work hand-in-hand with the police.

Jon works for a company with other psychics who often act as consultants to the police and even FBI and CIA. He is a very powerful psychic who reads meridian lines of energy and can see a lot about other people. Everything from whether someone is lying to where they grew up is laid bare to his eyes. But in return for his abilities he can't handle any electronics and even being close to them can fry them. To even be in a car it needs to have EMP shielding. On top of that, he reveals the truth about people, often putting them in jail or just seeing what they want to hide. This means a lot of nasty people want him gone.

Normally Jon would have a partner to back him up and help him deal with the repercussions of being a psychic. But his talent is so powerful that most people get tired of having their electronics destroyed and dealing with his issues. He needs an anchor to keep him from getting lost in the minds of others, but it seems impossible for the preppy-cute and dry-witted guy to find someone he can be with.

Then Donovan shows up. A huge, hulky man most people find terrifying, Donovan is used to being feared. When he was in the military police it wasn't so bad, he was supposed to be scary, but now that he's trying to reintegrate into civilian life he's having a hard time. Even applying for a job at Jon's company is not going well until Jon spots him. And Jon sees the sweet marshmallow inside, not just the scarred exterior. Jon sees a patient, protective man who should be hired right that minute. So Jon's boss hires Donovan to be Jon's partner.

Two hurt men, each scared to believe someone will want them, put together solving crimes and just generally being adorable.

It's too cute. Really, some people might find it too cute. Jon and Donovan both are squishy sweet and need hugs. All the hugs. I adore them, but some people might find them cloying. There's just something about neglected, afraid of taking another chance people finding their perfect match that I love more than anything. Something about at last finding that perfect pairing, that person who sees who someone really is and likes that person. It's hugs all around since reading the sweetness is like that perfect, warm and tight hug that just makes you feel safe and comforted.

And there's murder! Crimes and serial killers, sneaky and crazy criminals, they all are threatened by Jon's psychic sight and Donovan's very big muscles.

At the front of the book:

Trigger Warnings: Your average cop show violence and criminals

Tags: Companionable snark, Flirting, Kissing, Jon needs a hug, Donovan gives the best hugs, Getting together, Self-esteem issues, Explicit content, Anal Sex, Romantic Sex, Random shooting, Which Donovan isn’t happy about, Donovan is a gentleman, Sort of, Jon just makes it REALLY REALLY HARD Okay?, Bisexual character, Public displays of affection, Muscles, Communication, Healthy relationships, The fluff might fucking kill you, Supernatural elements, Modern with Magic, Feels, All the Feels, Mostly accurate medical stuff, Multiple electronics died in the creation of this story, blame Jon

So many levels of humor in this series. Snark and wit and silliness and all-around feel-good fun.

Can you tell I love this series? It's perfection. And you know I'm picky and harsh. I don't give five stars for anything. But this series gets all the stars. Even the connected series about Donovan's brother gets some good stars too. If Jon was Goldilocks, Donovan would be Papa Bear and just right.

So, this is sort of a romantic paranormal mystery. Each book in the series features a different case that Jon and Don have to solve, along with all sorts of stuff on the sides. In Jon's Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case, out of nowhere a crazy young woman suddenly shoots a young college exchange student and accuses him of sending her blackmail letters but never showing up for the drop. Downright ridiculous, right? It gets weirder. And then even weirder.

In book 2 the group has to help a not-friendly police force and solve Jon's Crazy Head-Boppin' Mystery after some strange psychopath goes around sneaking up on random women, hitting them and running away. Donovan has to carry Jon like a damsel in distress and watch over him as Jon ends up recuperating for days after pushing himself too far.

Book 3, Jon's Spooky Corpse Conundrum, a body goes missing in a haunted mansion and among the police who are trying to solve the murder and find the corpse, Jon discovers someone he didn't think he would ever see again. And we find out what seemingly fearless Donovan is afraid of.

Jon's Mysteries series is followed by another series, this one featuring Donovan's brother who becomes an anchor for a medium after accidentally giving Jon a ghost for Christmas. Yep, ghosts are real and Brandon and Mack are soon solving their own cases.

All of the books are cute and funny, affirming and fun. Who knew love language included slamming prisoners down on tables and opening electronic doors?

Jon is preppy looking with his sweater-vests and tidy style. Blond, a little slim and not tall, he tends to be dismissed by those who don't know him or how powerful he is. He's very social and friendly, but rarely does anything with other people because he doesn't want to bother anyone. He radiates cheerfulness when he's happy.

Donovan is mostly Hawaiian and Tongan, so he's super big with lots of muscles and yummy warm skin. His size has always scared people, then acid was thrown on him, so now his scars scare people even more. He's really a gentle giant, a teddy bear, but people only see how intimidating he is. A big, darker-skinned man, even being the sweetest guy ever he still gets hassled.

It's too cute as these two both look at the other one with hearts in their eyes. And the rest of the characters think it's cute too. You can almost feel the subtle humor as the secondary characters silently laugh at how obviously these two like each other. Then again, both have spent their lives feeling uncomfortable and ashamed of their specialness.

Watching these two come together and learn to trust is one of my favorite parts of the series. They need each other so much, it feels so good when they develop and become who they are.

“You listen to me. If you see another serial killer or whatever while you’re out, and I’m not with you, do not follow him. You call me, I will drop everything and come running.”

I didn’t really mean to smile at him, it just sort of happened, a safety release for happiness overflow. “Okay.”

“I mean it, Bane.”

“I believe you,” I assured him, grin broadening. He made me think of that one line from  Sense and Sensibility: he’s the best and kindest of men. “Can I hug you?”

He wrapped both arms around me in response, hugging me tight enough to threaten the seams of my shirt. I didn’t care, hugging him back just as tightly. Such a warm, snuggling teddy bear, if a teddy bear could have these rippling muscles. He smelled really nice, too, like citrus. Not sure if I should say it, because I knew very well he was crushing on someone else, I hesitated. But I’d also gathered that people didn’t normally say stuff like this to him, so I said it anyway: “I’m really glad you’re with me.”

The writing style makes it very easy to picture even the body language of the characters. Sweet smiles, slight blushes, heart eyes, it all comes through even when not noted on the page.

There's a good mix of introspection and action in these books. Lots of police procedure and psychic elements too. They are very engaging. They get even better after reading more than once too as there are nuances and little bits that you might miss on first readings because they are just that layered. Nothing cardboard here, the world and characters and backgrounds are deep and rich.

The backgrounds are so rich and there are so many nuances that I'd absolutely love it if the writer came out with an anthology containing scenes from their lives. We have Jon seeing Donovan for the first time and being astounded by his inner goodness, what was it like for Donovan when the cute, little blond popped in and pulled his boss out for a secret conversation? What happened to lead Jon's old partner to leaving him on the side of the road with a knife in him? What about when Jon and Detective Borrowman first met? When Jon got hired? Defusing a bomb. Meeting his sister's husband. Seeing Skylar as a newborn. Donovan and Jonathan at the grocery store. Going to the movies. Helping the kids Donovan volunteers with. I want to read it all.

I prefer books with alternating POVs, which later books have, but the first book in the series is all from Jon's point of view and it leaves me wondering how Donovan internally felt when the little ray of snarky sunshine fell into his life.

All the books in the series are good about tying up loose ends. There also aren't a ton of errors, just a few minor ones. The depth of the world and even history of using psychics in police work is so well thought out that it impressive. That's one of my favorite parts about reading books by the this writer. She plots out everything better than most writers out there.

The books are pretty understandable. Not hard to follow. Though some aspects are a bit difficult.

They are in Nashville, Tennessee and I'm not familiar with the city. Glancing at a map or city skyline before starting the books might be a little helpful. Not needed, but it's hard to picture a city one hasn't been to.

Another bit unfamiliar is the food. Donovan's mother shows her love by feeding people, mostly traditional foods from Hawaii. If you are one of those people who want a full experience, order in some of the foods listed or just pick up a good Hawaiian or Pacific Rim cookbook. It definitely sounds like good food.

Sometimes I read mysteries to solve them. That isn't going to happen with these books. The crimes and people are just so weird there's no way to guess what happened ahead of time. It makes them even more interesting. No one could solve these crimes.

One of my favorite parts about the books is the stereotype demolishing, especially in their interactions. Big guy and smaller guy, we know who the bottom is, right? Nope, these guys are vers and their first time together Jon takes Donovan's curvy ass. It's really hot too. And later they play with handcuffs and blindfolds. Jon has a thing for being done up against the wall. Really good stuff, but not so much it takes away from the story or is more important than their relationship.

Good chemistry goes a long way. I love their relationship. It doesn't happen instantaneously, but rather a slow build up then a (literal) leap into a relationship. Donovan is decisive and Jon is good at reading people once he gets past his issues. They move quickly once they realize they each have a crush on the other. But their relationship goes in jumps and pauses as Jon's issues make him too afraid to go to the next step. It takes getting to book three before they finally really settle together.

I'd love to see more books with these guys. I like Mack and Brandon's but Jon and Donovan are my favorites. I'd love to see them get married and what the wedding would be like. Maybe looking for someone to perform the ceremony and finding a priest committing crimes between baptisms and weddings? They already have a florist.

It loses a bit of power seeing it through a screen, but to get a good feel for an important part of Tongan culture you should definitely watch this video as a Tonga team performs fierce Sipi tau.

Now imagine that fierceness keeping bad guys away. Tingles, right? Read the books and picture Donovan and enjoy.

Reviews : Variable Onset by Layla Reyne

To catch a serial killer, shy teacher must go undercover and play pretend husbands with the former student he has a crush on in Variable Onset by Layla Reyne.

Special Agent Lincoln Monroe gave up being in the field so he could raise his daughter and train new FBI agents. Some of those students are quite a bit of trouble for this shy, argyle-wearing teacher. The most headache-inducing one was Carter, a student when he first started teaching. A student he had to resist crushing on.

Now, eight years later, Lincoln must return to the field to go undercover and catch a serial killer. When he arrives at the little college town near Roanoke, he finds none other than Carter, his former student and new partner. In all senses of the word, because Carter's plan for their identities is that the two are newlyweds.

Role-playing husbands is all fine and dandy until the pair start getting confused on whether they are still playing pretend and bodies start falling around them. Time is running out and the killer has them in his sights.

Variable Onset is a coworkers, hot for teacher, fake married, forced proximity, opposites attract romantic mystery featuring a shy, introverted teacher and his brash, outgoing former student. It features lots of crushing, a slow burn, and many interesting characters filling up a small town where everyone is a suspect.

Lincoln is very sweet and awkward. The women in his life: his teenage daughter, his ex-wife, and his sister, are all a bit bossy, but he wouldn't have it any other way. He didn't mind getting out of the field as he never felt confident in his people skills, and stepping back out there leaves him nervous even before finding out that Carter is his new partner. He's a bit older, likes argyle and chucks, was a bit of a musical prodigy, and is an expert in forensic genealogy. He's also terrified of fire and being on stage.

Getting called to the principal’s office sucked at forty-two same as it did at fourteen. Sucked even worse when you were the teacher. Standing in front of a room full of agent trainees, Lincoln suppressed his physical reaction to the gray-haired man who’d snuck into the back of his lecture hall. His mind, though, wasn’t so easily wrangled. What had he done now to get on Director Beverley’s shitlist? Missed another useless meeting? Marched in that protest last weekend? Brought his daughter to the crime lab for take-your-kid-to-work day

Carter had a crush on Lincoln when he was in his class, and he's never quite gotten over it. In the years since he's gone undercover more than a few times and is good at following his gut instincts. He was already in the town investigating his own, personal history. Growing up in foster care, Carter has no idea who his parents were, but believes they might have died in a car accident when he was a baby. Carter seems sure of himself as he directs things around him, but underneath he's not quite as confident as he appears, and not knowing who is family was leaves him not knowing who he is.

Why did Lincoln Monroe have to be so fucking hot?

That had been Carter’s first thought the day he’d stepped into the prickly professor’s lecture hall, and eight years later, it had been his first thought opening the front door to him. His next thought... Lincoln Monroe had actually gotten hotter.

The small town Lincoln and Carter must infiltrate is a college town set back from a highway. It's close enough to DC to be a good weekend trip, but far enough away to be more trees and forest than city. It is houses a college, and when school is not in session it is mostly populated by residents who have lived there their entire lives. It's also home to two serial killers, one a longtime murderer, Dr. Fear, and the other a newer copycat who is pissing him off.

The town has a lot of characters, everyone from the HOA welcoming committee / busybody and her wife; to Larry, his brother Barry, and their other brother Harry. The college brings in some oddballs too, and some decide to stay. Carter feels at home in the town, and Lincoln thinks it's fun.

He’d seen his fair share of characters at Quantico, but this town was like the kooky-sitcom gift that kept on giving. Its current present, a suspender-wearing student hipster.

Throughout the story though, Lincoln and Carter must question if everyone is as they appear. There are two different serial killers hidden among the gregarious bunch, so anyone could be hiding a darker side.

Lincoln has been studying Dr. Fear for years. The serial killer kidnaps couples, then tortures and eventually kills them by using their own fears, whether claustrophobia, pyrophobia, or even fear of failure. This new copycat has kidnapped Lincoln's friend and mentor's daughter, and time is running out on finding her before she is killed. They are hoping to also catch Dr. Fear as this is the first time they've ever gotten close to him.

The plot is good, though has some holes. Some things didn't make a lot of sense or were missing logical conclusions. There were also a few leaps of logic; if A, then K, sort of things. Carter knew to look in the town for his parents' accident instead of Texas where he went into the system because someone, somewhere told him to, but where did that person get that idea?

Also, I understand that many of the town's residents have prematurely gray hair and Crohn's Disease because of the small gene pool, so the murder(s) must be descended from town founders, but they made quite a leap when they decided the killer(s) must have gray hair. Why did it have to be a prematurely gray-haired resident, and wouldn't Dr. Fear be old enough to have naturally gray hair by then or did he start killing really early?

“Dr. Fear leaves no evidence, right? So, per your lessons, we have to use archival data and documents, our own observational skills, and the one clue we do have, to identify likely avenues of investigation. All we know at this point is that they’re likely someone who lived or worked in Apex through the span of Dr. Fear’s cycles.”

“Which, one, is too big a suspect pool, and two, Jeremiah’s too young.”

“But maybe not someone from his family. He tell you he was from here?”

Lincoln nodded. “Family goes multiple generations back.”

“Right, so normally it’d be tough to test for genetic relevance in a college town, as a large segment of the population is always turning over due to the university, but the size of the actual permanent population in Apex is relatively small and, from what I gathered talking to folks last night and today, much of it is like Jeremiah’s family. They’ve been here for generations, and many of them have intermarried.”

Lincoln was nodding enthusiastically now. “Multi-generational founding families. That’s a much more manageable suspect pool and someone from one of those families is more likely to be stationary, here in Apex for the span of Dr. Fear’s cycles.” His brow furrowed and he drummed his fingers on the table. “Of course, there’s the possibility it’s someone on staff at Apex who has been here the entire time.”

“Granted,” Carter conceded. “We need to follow that lead as well. Dig deeper into the university records. But for this investigative avenue, if we assume Dr. Fear does belong to a founding family, who has been in this isolated area for multiple generations...” He held up the evidence bags, Jeremiah’s a little higher.

“Those families will have higher incidences of genetic mutations and other hereditary conditions. A founder variant.”

“A variant like premature graying, which would narrow the suspect pool even more. You were probably too nervous to notice, but at the party last night and the café this morning, there were multiple other baby silver foxes. Plus Jeremiah and Lydia—she can’t be that much older than me—and probably more in their families.”

I wondered the entire time if Carter's parents were the first victims of Dr. Fear. They never conclude why they crash and the entire aspect of Carter's family feels a bit tacked on. I wonder if maybe Dr. Fear accidentally crashed into them, killing them, and that was the start of his pattern. Then every ten years he struck again. Kinda makes sense. Though his age is never quite addressed, so I'm not sure how old he actually is and would he be at least 16 then since it was 32 years ago... He definitely murdered people 22 years ago and 12 years ago, so he's probably at least 40, but is he older?

The pacing is very off throughout. The undercover roles are set up within hours, even getting jobs and a house and furniture. In a small town. And no one noticed. The boys talk about hurrying and time running out to save the couple, but they don't actually rush very much, nor do they do more immediate things to solve the crime like look into the paint rub-off before looking into 20 year old records for a picture of a person next to another person. The story speeds up, then mellows out, then speeds up, then mellows out. The pacing on the dramatic capture scene is okay, but the very end scenes are just sort of weird and felt anticlimactic and un-romance novel.

There were a few, fairly suspenseful scenes. Good ones, though they could have been better. There were probably more suspenseful scenes than is normal for a book like this, which is nice if you like more mystery and suspense than the romance sections, though there were a bit of those as well.

The science is interesting and well-done. Forensic genealogy is important and is a cool plot concept. Trying to solve a crime using it would be frustrating but fulfilling. It really was my favorite part.

Lincoln and Carter are good too. Very human characters, without being jerks. Just natural nerves and uncertainty with their crush. The slowburn and lowkey falling for each other fits them. Also, they develop a bit over the story, not letting their fears stop them when it matters. The supporting characters are neat as well, especially the little peaks we get of Lincoln's family.

There is hardly any sex in the book, which to me was a bonus and more pages of story, but I know a lot of readers seem more interested in the sex scenes than the story itself. What there was was good. A lot of on edge, almost kiss scenes too, which is fun. 'I want you, but I shouldn't...'

The couple and the setting and the storyline made up for a lot of issues. They were just so likeable! The book wasn't the greatest, but it was a solid contender and worth reading.

This is a stand-alone novel. Layla Reyne does have other similar FBI suspense books though, including her Agents Irish & Whiskey series and the spinoff Trouble Brewing series