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

Reviews : Sinner's Gin by Rhys Ford

Sinner's Gin is a mm mystery romance featuring a shattered singer and the Irish cop who falls in love with him as he solves the mystery of the dead body left at his home.

With Grammy in hand, Sinner's Gin had finally achieved their goals and were celebrating the reward for all their hard work. Then, in one moment it was all over. Three of the four members dead, and Miki St John (Sinjun), the lead singer broken and barely able to get out of bed in the morning. Retreating to his converted warehouse in San Francisco, Miki's only companion is Dude, a mutt who just moved in and stayed one day.

When that mutt drags a piece of Koa wood and a cop back to the house, Miki assumes it's just another crappy thing to have happen to him. While the cop is hot, Miki knows better than to trust anyone, especially those in authority. So the former street rat applies his native tongue of snark and sarcasm and makes it clear the cop better never show up again. But their lives are fated to be intertwined by murder and dog, as just a little later the cop chases the dog home again where he discovers a murder victim in the front seat of Miki's car.

Kane Morgan has been thinking about the beautiful man all alone in the cavernous warehouse he stays secluded in. When the dog steals another item from him he uses the excuse to head over and see the lost man again. Miki may have been snarling and sneering and looking like a wraith, but there is something there. Kane can't help feeling that his attitude is hiding a damaged soul that needs him.

The dead body left for Miki could get in the way of getting to know the former singer, but Kane refuses to let it stop him. Instead he decides he will watch over him, especially when he finds out Miki knew the vic, that Miki had been his victim when he was younger and still in foster care. Before he decided the streets were safer than staying to be sexually assaulted by straight, perverted men who like little boys.

With Miki's past coming back to haunt him, the tough, Irish Catholic cop and the entire, huge Morgan family must keep the singer safe. But will this former street rat let them in?

Okay, so this series is pretty awesome. All the books and short stories are about Miki and his attempt to restart a band and the Morgan family, that is mainly made up of cops, solving murders and falling in love. There are four couples and six books, so some of the books feature the couples extending their stories. The general theme stays pretty consistent. Murderer threatens MC, other MC must help keep him safe. There isn't a ton of solving going on, this isn't that type of mystery. It's a bit more realistic; try to keep everyone safe until the killer screws up.

Miki may have been shattered by the tragedies in his life, but he's still a bit too prickly to be handled and too independent to be coddled. He may look delicate and pretty, but he's got a lot of inner strength. He's broken because he's just been strong for too long. And the one person who he had ever fully trusted, the one who saved him, his brother of the heart and former band member, Damien, is gone.

Kane showing up terrifies Miki. How can you trust again when almost every person ever has hurt you? And the one person you ever truly trusted has left you behind? Of course, the former guttersnipe instinctively flinches from any hand that comes near. But Kane knows sometimes you need to stand steady and take a few hits to tame a feral animal. Earning his trust is worth it because you can end up with one who is smart and strong enough to survive every hand life has dealt him.

Kane is the perfect match for Miki. He sees Miki's tender side. It's all wrapped up in barbed wire so it's hard to see, but it's obvious when even completely destroyed, Miki still took in a stray dog and made sure he had something to eat. And he is terrified of the Morgan family, especially the mom, but it's partially because he assumes they won't like him. Kane is a caretaker, a protector, what cops should be. All he wants to do is give Miki a steady presence that he can trust. Oh, and fuck him. Because he thinks Miki is the hottest man he's ever met.

The book can be pretty gritty at times, lots of blood and guts. Miki tends to puke at everything, but wouldn't you if someone left you a dead body or hit you in your injured knee? So, people with weak stomachs should take care.

Also, major trigger warning! Childhood sexual assault is mentioned quite a bit. There are some minor mentions of suicidal thoughts as Miki spends his days alone and in pain, his entire created family / band dead and him left alone. Later books also feature some triggering subjects: abusive parents, hooking while underage, and drug addiction / OD. All the main characters recover as much as possible in the end, but it can be hard to read about how much the boys were hurt before finding true family.

All the warnings make this book seem heavy and oppressive, and while it is hard to read at times because of the subject matter, other parts of the book are pretty funny and sweet. Miki learning to take affection from people is just adorable. Kane wants to love Miki so much and he's a very protective person, but he doesn't know how to get Miki to let him in. The Morgans are kinda crazy. Of course, Dude is the best character. I loved him in this, but it makes it so much better to read Hair of the Dog afterwards and see some scenes from his point of view.

Dude is a scraggly little blond terrier and sort of looks like this cairn terrier, but a lot brattier. I believe he might be partially based on the author's own dog, a cairn terrorist ;-)




In some ways, this book reminds me of ferret legging, with Miki being the ferret and Kane being the one wearing pants. Miki is all teeth and sharpness and a hint of mischievous sneakiness, Kane is the idiot who thinks it's worth going there with him. Talk about letting a feral beast into your pants...




Although, a later book describes Miki's origins and the beginning of Sinner's Gin as:

“One does not nurture Miki. That’s kind of like waltzing with a honey badger. I just tossed him food until it was safe enough to approach and shoved a microphone into his hand.”

So goes the taming of Miki. Be there, be reliable, and give him food. Oh, and encouraging his music, as music is a huge part of his life. He is always singing and writing songs. Kane even finds that he sings in his sleep.

The book series is mostly set in San Francisco. Rhys Ford tends to feature the city with the familiarity of someone who has lived there and learned many of its secrets. I especially like seeing another side of different areas, including Chinatown. It might be helpful to glance at a map while reading as many neighborhoods are mentioned and it will help you get a sense of place. Miki's warehouse is near Russian Hill, the Morgans are near Presidio, and there is a lot of eating to be done in Chinatown.



Miki's GTO does look better without a corpse in it.

 


Books by Rhys Ford tend to make me hungry. Food is very important to people who have had to do without, so there is a lot of relishing going on when characters eat. Also, the Morgans are Irish and feel the need to feed everyone to make sure they know they are loved. The books have actually helped me find some good sounding dishes that I was unfamiliar with as some of the books feature food from Korea, China, and other places in Asia. Another book by Rhys Ford, this one about a former assassin that becomes a ramen chef in LA, Ramen Assassin, is practically drool-worthy. Miki often eats cheap ramen and macaroni and cheese because he has no idea how to cook, but he also appreciates good ramen and fish and chips and Mexican street tacos.

Food, foster care, San Francisco (or in other books, LA and San Diego), hurt and healing. These are all common subjects in Rhys Ford's book and part of the reason they're a favorite author of mine. The stories may come across as unbelievable to those who live middle class or upper class lives, but as someone who has been poor, it is all too familiar. Learning to make due and get by is a required skill.

Miki especially exemplifies the concept of kintsugi or kintsukuroi, the Japanese art form where broken ceramics are fixed, not with hidden glue but with gold or silver to showcase the history and survival of something that might have been disposed of but is instead made glorious. He has been broken, but is only more beautiful for it.

Miki grows throughout the book. He learns to trust at least some others and most of all trust in Kane's love. Kane grows too. He learns that he can't always manage everything, sometimes he just has to go along for the ride.

There is a lot of drama and thrills. Each time the boys start relaxing their guard something else happens. So many close calls and teasing attacks. The scene with the killer is especially sad and brutal, all while making you shout hurray! Definitely grit your teeth and cheer along kind of stuff.

There's also a lot of sadness. Even having read the book several times, I still tear up and want to cuddle Miki until he feels better. It's even sadder to realize things like that happen to kids, especially foster kids. And to have gotten at least partially past his childhood to only be cut down again when he starts achieving greatness...just so sad.

I'm not Miki, but even just reading it makes it clear I would probably never trust rising out of the depths again for fear of once again getting knocked down. The higher you go, the further to fall.

But Miki takes a chance again. A chance on a dog. A chance on a cocky Irish cop. A chance on an overwhelming family who wants him to be a part of them. For someone so alone who has never known his birth family and has lost his adopted family, it take real guts to take a chance one more time.

Miki's backstory is complex, but mysterious. He doesn't know his real name, his age, or even his ethnicity, though he looks some sort of Asian mixed with European. His background is a story arc that it is also addressed in later books as he learns more about where he came from and connects the first and last books in the series. It is well-thought out and little tidbits are scattered throughout the books until the finale features all the unknown parts. It's a hell of a ride.

Kane is a bit simpler, but still good. He's the second son out of a family of eight that immigrated to San Francisco when he was young. His family history is there too; how his mother was a Finnegan and the fiery lass captured the attention of the series Donal Morgan. Kane spent summers in Ireland, his Sundays at the Catholic church, and his school days at a private school. He looks up to his big brother and alternately harasses and cares for his younger siblings.

Kane and Miki are perfect together. Kane describes it as Miki is a kite, flying free in the air, and Kane is string / anchor keeping his from being blown away. Miki gets stability and safety while Kane gets to feel the freedom of the wind. They are opposites, the man with no family, and the man with sometimes too much family, but together they become something better.

And their chemistry is amazing. From the first moment when Miki opens the door, Kane wants him. It's almost like instalove, but more like fate chiming in and saying "this one, this is the one for you". Of course, cops are trained to assess things quickly, so it makes sense that Kane sees what's before him and has the determination to coax his man to his side. Miki wants Kane too, he really really does, but his uncertainty and past abuses make him hesitant. It takes him time before he can be intimate.

As the characters fit, so do the sex scenes. They tend to be less porno and more romance. Some people seem upset they don't just fuck and instead make love, but those also tend to be the people who want to know less about the characters and less about the stories and instead just want them as fuel for sex scenes. Too bad those people don't just go read porn or erotica and save the romance novels for us. The sex scenes in this book don't overpower the story, but later books tend to have more sex scenes. Perhaps the writer listened to the complainers too much.

The plot is at turns complex and simple. Cop sees the man he wants and is determined to have him, no matter what chaos is going on around them. And there is chaos. It's pretty fast-paced at times because a lot happens. But it can also be a bit confusing because so much happens. There are a few slower parts where the guys are just sharing space and getting to know one another. But this is at heart a story of two men finding each other and learning to trust.

The editing of the book is pretty good. There's a few minor issues, but nothing bad enough to put a reader off.

Not all loose ends are tied into bows during this book. The author obviously was intending this to be the start of a series, so there are some mysteries began in this one that won't be solved until the end of the final book. The smaller story arc is solved, the murderer caught and his motive figured out (as much as you can understand what happens in the heads of killers). But, the last bit of this Sinner's Gin reveals a huge secret that is a lead in to the next book. You may want to have the second book handy as you'll probably want to start it as soon as this book is over. It starts some soap opera-level drama in book 2 as we read about a new couple, one of Kane's cousins and a surprise character. Very "surprise m*therf*ckers!"

As a cute touch the lyrics to some of Sinner's Gin songs are listed at the start of each chapter. Music is a huge part of the books as Miki is a singer / songwriter, and he later puts together a band once more. Musicians will especially love a lot about these books, but unlike some music-focused books, knowing about music isn't necessary to reading them. It is just the right amount of music for everyone to enjoy the stories.

There are only six books in the Sinner's series, but there are a host of shorts that add marvelous detail to the world. Here is the Sinner's series reading order:

Sinners 01 - Sinner's Gin
Sinners 1.5 - Hair of the Dog (most from Dude's POV)
Sinners 02 - Whiskey and Wry
Sinners 2.5 - The Devil's Brew (Valentine's Day for the inexperienced)
Sinners 2.6 - Interview with Miki and Damie
Sinners 2.7 - Interview with Kane and Sionn
Sinners 03 - Tequila Mockingbird
Sinners 3.4 - Wild Turkey (Thanksgiving dinner with the family)
Sinners 3.5 - Rotgut Gin (saying goodbye)
Sinners 3.8 - A Touch of Irish (how to celebrate an anniversary)
Sinners 3.75 - Shot Glass Sin (dude, we're getting the band back together!)
Sinners 04 - Sloe Ride
Sinners 4.5 - Applejack Shots and Beer (shall we go touring once again)
Sinners 05 - Absinthe of Malice
Sinners 06 - Sin and Tonic
Sinners 6.1 - Last Call Part 01 - Miki and Damie in the Park
Sinners 6.2 - Last Call Part 02 - Miki and Kane Play Nerf
Sinners 6.3 - Last Call Part 03 - Brigid and Donal in the Kitchen
Sinners 6.4 - Last Call Part 04 - Miki and Donal Making Rice
Sinners 6.5 - Last Call Part 05 - Damie and Sionn at the Beach
Sinners 6.6 - Last Call Part 06 - Quinn and Rafe on the Balcony
Sinners 6.7 - Last Call Part 07 - Con and Forest's Wedding
Sinners 6.8 - Holiday Story with Con and Forest
Sinners 6.9 - Holiday Story with Kane and Miki

Sinners 07 - 'Nother Sip of Gin - Anthology

Really, don't forget to check out the free short stories by this author. They are adorable snapshots that enhance the books. The shorts are on their website.
Click here to go to the Free Shorts section.
The blog is also pretty good and random.

And for those who enjoy Easter eggs, there are other book tie-ins. The Cole McGinnis series and 415 Ink series by Rhys Ford have brief cameos and mentions about the band. And Mary Calmes' Marshals series book 3 Tied up in Knots has Miro meet Kane when he was San Francisco. They aren't needing to be read to enjoy this series, but it's fun to see the whole universe tied together, like where Damie gets his tattoo, where that tattoo artist goes, who listens to Sinner's Gin and is impacted by their music, etc. The Cole McGinnis series precedes the Sinner's series while the 415 Ink series (also set in San Francisco) follows. The 415 Ink series is fairly similar to this series, though it features a tattoo shop and associated found family.

Sinner's Gin can stand alone, but like Miki learns, things are better with more.

So, if you want to at turns cry, be happy, be pissed, and read some sexy bits, you too might want to read Sinner's Gin. After all, a tragically-broken singer, a hot Irish cop, a chaotic huge family, and a murdered victim left in your car, what could go wrong...

Get the entire Sinner's Gin series here

Get Sinner's Gin

(Sinners Series Book 1)

And the rest of the Sinner's series:

Whiskey and Wry

(Sinners Series Book 2)

The Devil's Brew

(Sinners Series Short 2.5)

Tequila Mockingbird

(Sinners Series Book 3)

Sloe Ride

(Sinners Series Book 4)

Absinthe of Malice

(Sinners Series Book 5)

Sin and Tonic

(Sinners Series Book 6)

'Nother Sip of Gin

(Sinners Series Book 7)

And if you want the whole enchilada to really enjoy those Easter eggs, check out:

Dirty Kiss

(Cole McGinnis Mysteries Book 1)

by Rhys Ford


Rebel

(415 Ink Series Book 1)

by Rhys Ford


Tied Up In Knots

(Marshalls Series Book 3)

by Mary Calmes

Review : The 5th Gender by G.L. Carriger

The 5th Gender is a sci fi mystery romance about Tristol, an alien with lavender skin and prehensile noodly hair that has a mind of its own. He has quite a crush on the tall, dark, and handsome detective of the space station who has a crush on him back, but is reluctant to get together with the flirty purple one as Detective Drey can only do monogamy and the Galoi aliens are considered promiscuous. The two may finally be getting somewhere when they are interrupted by an emergency.

A ship from Tristol's home planet has docked at the space station. They are requesting help because there has been a murder on board and they have no idea how to solve the crime as their language doesn't even have a word for murder. Detective Drey is called on to help. Little is known about the Galoi though, so even though he's been exiled and is treated like he doesn't exist by his brethren, Tristol somehow has to help Drey solve the crime. And Tris hopes the detective decides to keep him along the way.

I like an awful lot about this book. The setting is well-thought out and explained well enough that it is easy to picture, but not overly explained where it takes away from the story.

The point-of-view shifts between Tris and Drey's viewpoints. This allows us to see the other one through a different light. They each have unique voices and it is very clear each time the viewpoint shifts. The changing POV really enhances the book. It also backs up the point that how we see someone isn't always how that person is, instead it is colored by our own perceptions.

The 5th Gender uses a higher level of language than most modern novels. This book is not at a 6th grade reading level and someone who reads at that level will quickly become confused and irritated. Of course the opposite is true as well. Those who like the way precise language feels will probably find the way it is written enjoyable. Personally, it was a relief to see words such as "foibles", "sentience", and "I shall be most diligent in his alimentation". Tris tends to use more complicated language when trying to explain things to humans.

We meet just a few alien species, which adds interest to the story without making it too confusing trying to remember which is which. The book is mainly about Galoi and humans, comparing and contrasting the two through interactions.

Tris had learned early on that there was very little humans would not do in pursuit of entertainment. (This also possibly explained all the progeny. ) They were easily entertained, especially, as it turned out, by Tris. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Tris was wildly curious and naturally flirty, and humans were easily flattered by both. Perhaps cats were the same.

The 5th Gender is cute and funny, but also deals with serious subjects. Gender identity, roles in society, even assumptions about who people are that are based on our own experiences and about how those assumptions can be hurtful and not capture who that person really is because we are looking at them through our own lens.

Based on the title of the book I sort of assumed it would feature gender prevalently (which it did), but I was expecting something about how some cultures on Earth consider humans to have five genders. This was not connected to that at all. It is about the Galoi alien race that comes in five genders. They are sexually dimorphic, and have very precise roles for each gender. It made me think a little of honey bees.

Galoi come in five genders. Antigua, which are the inseminators, they take a sort of matriarchal role. Male Isoga and female Isoga are those who nurse and raise the young, and they also are larger and protective. Male and female Loga are those who give birth. Tristol is a male loga, which means if he wanted to he could get pregnant by an antigua, but Tristol was exiled because he didn't want to carry children. Loga are required by Gal law to give birth to three children and choosing to be childfree makes him an outcaste, known as zyga. Tristol is commonly assumed by humans to be a gay male. This could technically be considered an mpreg, but Tristol does not get pregnant and no pregnant characters are shown in the book.

This really is the best kind of story, one that causes you to think about things in a different way. There is still fluffy and cuteness, but tied in are some scenes that make you ponder things and make some good points.

No one knows what someone else is going through or how they feel. We all have our own identities and emotions tied to those identities. Allowing your ego to decide for someone else how they should feel and forcing them into that box can be dangerous. This applies not just to aliens, but people on Earth too. Someone who is not interested in participating in heteronormative behavior or who is transgender have different experiences than people who do and never will the two completely understand each other because their experiences lead them to look at things differently. That is why it important to just accept that not everyone is the same or feels the same way, and how someone feels can be right for them. It may not be something that person even wants to feel, but denying it only makes things worse.

Which leads to a trigger warning. It is a major spoiler though, so all I will put down is that if you are really triggered by gender identity or the associated issues, you may want to be cautious about reading the book. It is worth reading, but you have to judge for yourself if you can handle it.

There is a throwaway comment about how ftm is hot, which comes across as a bit fetish-inclined, and some details can be a little offensive to some people. There is an alien race that comes in three genders but are all similar looking androgynous. They have neutral pronouns. Tris talking to one mentions that he is not attracted to biologically presenting females. Some people may feel a bit offended by that. Gender and sexuality are a bit too complicated to address in a way that makes everyone comfortable or fits everyone just right. It all goes back to seeing things through a different lens. Just be a little wary of reading this if you have gender dysphoria. It is a difficult subject.

But the story isn't all serious and moralistic. It is very lighthearted at turns. It hits just the right balance to make sure it isn't too heavy.

“Mister Montiguous escaped and went to visit ramen and Detective Hastion had to catch him.” 

“Tris, you can just say the cat. You don’t have to call him by name.” 

“But that would be rude!” objected Tris. “It is such a very good name: Mister Montiguous.”

His boss gave him a sly look. “Not Drey Hastion?” 

“That is a good name too. Is Drey Detective Hastion’s preliminary moniker?” Tristol tried it out on his tongue to see if it worked. It did. It suited Detective Hastion and he liked it very much. “Do you think he would let me call him Drey sometime?” 

“I think the good detective would let you call him anything you wanted.

Tris is a little flighty and forgetful. Drey is completely enamored by the little alien and goes all gruff in response. Their romance happens really quickly, definitely instalove, but it makes sense because they have been held back for so long that when they finally get together it happens with a bang. Image pulling a rubber band apart and trying to hold it there. When you finally release it it snaps together super fast. This is sort of like Tris and Drey. Tris wanted Drey immediately, but Drey was held back by his assumptions about the Galoi. When he finds out the truth he is already in love and ready to make a commitment. Though talking about marriage on their first day finally together is a bit much. Then again, who would let either of them get away?

Tris is absolutely adorable. He is bright and cheerful, good-natured and ready for whatever comes. He is also cute with a little small and lithe body, heart-shaped face, pointed teeth, and pointed ears. And he is lavender. One must be precise as appearance matters a lot to Galoi. Purple is far too generic a term. His skin is lavender, his hair is lavender, and his eyes are big, puppy-dog eyes of lavender. He also has hair very unlike humans'. It is made up of thicker tubes, like noodles, and he has a lot of control over it when he is paying attention. But, it also tends to reflect his moods and is prehensile. This means sometimes it is fluffing up in happiness and other times it's trying to sneakily touch his hot crush. A little like Medusa's hair if hers wasn't made up of snakes. Tris' hair is cute and he can be a little kinky with it.

The kinky sex scenes mean this isn't a book appropriate for young adults, although otherwise it would be lovely for that. Maybe mature YAs would be okay, but it would be a case by case basis. The audio story set in the same universe is appropriate for YA. The 5th Gender is part of The Tinkered Stars series, which so far only includes that book and the audio story that is difficult to get ahold of.

Detective Drey is a big, black man who is a little cautious with his size and strength. But his presence and warm, dark brown coloring is comforting. He is quite growly and gruff, especially as he is trying to resist flirty Tris. He has a close beard which Tris loves to rub up against, and a very large penis that tends toward purple when he gets hard. Tris thinks this is great!




And I just have to mention that I really love Tris' quarters. now I kinda want to do something similar with my own home, maybe make a napping spot in a closet. Tris' living room is really his bedroom and it doesn't have furniture. Instead, it is covered in mattresses and pillows to become a nest. The walls are painted to match his skin tone which makes them become a lavender sunset. The paint strokes reflect his emotional state. I like to think that after he adds Drey's personal palette to his walls it will turn out beautiful like the image below. A warm, brown presence adding steadiness to the lavender flow. Tris' nest is a reminder of how good art captures emotions and can convey a mental state.