The Little Things by Jay Northcote

The Little Things by Jay Nortcote

New Cover Reveal & Review

Book Information:
Title: The Little Things
Author: Jay Northcote
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 76,000 words
Genre: Contemporary gay romance
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh
Release Date: November 22nd 2013
Series info: This book is a standalone
The Little Things is also available in paperback and audiobook

          

The blurb:

There are lots of things that brighten Joel’s life. His three-year-old daughter, Evie, is one. His close relationship with her mother, his best friend from university, is another. Joel’s boyfriend, Dan, adds spice to his child-free nights, and Joel is pretty happy with how things are.

Then one cold and rainy night, everything changes. Joel's life is turned upside down when he becomes a full-time dad to Evie, and his previously carefree relationship with Dan cracks under the strain.

Meeting Liam, who acts as if getting hurt isn’t a foregone conclusion, shakes Joel to the core. Their attraction is mutual, and Liam makes no secret of how serious he is about Joel. But Joel is wary. He tells himself he’s keeping Liam at a distance for Evie’s sake, when really he’s protecting his own heart. Taking a chance on this new relationship with Liam may seem a small step—a little thing—but is it one Joel can take after losing so much already?

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press ׀ Amazon ׀ All Romance ׀ Barnes and Noble

Goodreads link

My thoughts:

Going back to one of the first stories an author ever published after you’ve read and loved (almost) all their later books can be a funny experience. Everything you’ve come to admire in their writing is already there, while it is also very obvious how much the author has grown since then. And that’s exactly what happened when I read The Little Things. Almost from the first sentence this book was recognisable as a Jay Northcote read, and yet there were moments when I thought nowadays the author would probably have done this slightly differently. In the end I decided there was only one criteria I could apply to this book. I asked myself if I would have turned into the fan of Jay Northcote I am, if this had been the first book I’d read by her, and the answer is a resounding ‘abso-fecking-lutely’.

All the elements of Jay’s writing that I’ve come to adore are clearly visible in this first book too: the recognisable, charming and realistic main characters, the easy banter between them, her knack for describing emotions—especially the emotional rollercoaster that is grief—in such a way that you can feel them while still writing a light-on-angst tale, and the steamy interactions between two hot men of course.

This is a different sort of romance. Most of the time a story starts off and ends with the same two characters being together. They may go through their up and downs, but you know X and Y will be the focus of the happy ending. Not so in this book (as the blurb indicates). Initially this pulled me up short, until I thought about it and realised that this is exactly how real life works. Not everybody is equipped to help someone else through their grief or ready to walk into a ready-made family. This doesn’t make Dan a bad person, it just means he’s young and not yet at that point in his life. Once I realised this I appreciated the story so much more. I love when I can picture the story in my book happening in the world around me, and this story was as realistic as they come.

Not for the first time Jay Northcote’s descriptions of what a person goes through after having lost somebody close to them pulled me up short. So much of what Joel goes through mirrored my personal experiences with grief. And because it hit so close to home, I found this story hard to read at times as well as almost impossible to stop thinking about.

All in all this was a charming story I easily lost myself in. I enjoyed getting to know every one of the characters, and adored Joel’s relationship with his little girl, Evie. I may have said this before, but there’s no harm in repeating it: you really can’t go wrong with a Jay Northcote book.

Since I read and reviewed this book because it has been given a new cover, I suppose I should say something about that too. J The new cover is gorgeous, I mean, what’s not to love? Having said that, I had absolutely no issues with the old cover either. I like the old one because it features the two men with the little girl, and cutie-pie Evie is at least as big a part of this particular story as Joel and Liam are. I love the new one because well, like I said, it and the man it features are gorgeous. J

Author Bio:

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

www.jaynorthcote.com ׀ Twitter ׀ Facebook profile ׀ Facebook Author Page

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New Release:What I Would Give to See You Again by Jewel Quinlan

A Reverie Resort Vacation

Blurb:

Visit Reverie Resort, a luxury hotel on a tropical island where vacationers come to enjoy their wildest dreams but get more than they ever expected…

Vampire AhramBahar comes to Reverie Resort to experience his deepest wish; to relive a moment he had with a woman over one hundred years ago. In 1892, he was reunited with Angelica Meitner, his childhood friend and soul mate. It was a moment of deep love, exquisite tenderness, and a horrifying ending that has haunted him ever since. Now, he wants a chance to savor the good without the bad, but did he remember to tell the resort hosts?

Where you can buy it:

Amazon |iTunes  |  Kobo|  Nook

Add it to your shelf on Goodreads

Enjoy this excerpt:

“I have to confess something, Angelica. I’ve never forgotten about you. As a boy, I remembered having feelings for you that were more than friendship, not that I could have said what they were. But seeing you now, I know it was the real thing. I loved you then and I still do now. I was really the one who pushed for this trip, not Serapis. I thought, if we came here, I might be lucky enough to find you. And I was, though in a completely unexpected way.”

She blinked rapidly and lifted the shawl from beside her to blot at the tears squeezing from the corners of her eyes. “This has to be a dream.” She sniffled. “You being here so suddenly…saying all the words I’ve imagined you saying.” She took in a shaky breath and looked up at him. “I never married because of you, you know.”

Ahram felt again the overwhelming surge of love that consumed him. It was twice now what it had been before because of all the longing he’d stored up for her over the past century. It was a tidal wave of emotion. He drew her into his arms and kissed her soft lips, felt her full breasts press against his chest, again memorizing the precious feel of her and the sensation of her lips against his. Unexpectedly, she parted her lips for him and their tongues slid against each other. Ah, she tasted so wonderful…delicious…

He broke the kiss.

About the Author:

Restless by nature, Jewel Quinlan is an avid traveler and has visited sixteen countries so far. Lover of ice cream, dark beer, and red wine she tries to stay fit when she’s not typing madly on her computer concocting another romance novel. In her spare time, she likes to do yoga, hike, learn German, and play with her spoiled Chihuahua, Penny.

For more information about Jewel Quinlan

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Clouded Hell by JR Gray: Release Day Blitz

RELEASE BLITZ

Title: Clouded Hell

Author: JR Gray

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: March 23, 2016

BLURB

I survive on avoidance. Physical pain to avoid the mental. Disposable flesh to avoid relationships. Work to avoid attachment.

My club became my empire of avoidance. Inside the ring millions are won and lost. The fight is confined to breaths, actions and reactions, fists and pain. Rules don’t exist. Only my opponent exists.

I’d been avoiding my needs for far too long when Remi stumbles into the Inferno and I’m hungry. The promise of a submissive with no attachment is far too tempting. I can’t resist him.

He was only supposed to be a distraction, but I know I'll never get over him. There isn't a chance in this clouded hell.

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29146326-clouded-hell

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon US                        Amazon UK

EXCERPTS

Excerpt 1

If I hadn't seen the video of the fight, I wouldn't have believed it. I clicked the button on my laptop to rewind it, to see the way his body moved. I gripped myself through my shorts and glanced over at Kai. He was busy inking a full back piece, and I doubted he'd even take a break for another hour. He couldn't see me from where I sat. It would be so easy.

I trailed my fingers over the places Dante had left marks. I could almost taste them, even if the bruises had faded. I'd looked at them in the mirror over my bed and fucked my hand every night since I'd left. I groaned as I slipped my hand into my shorts.

I squeezed my shaft, digging my nails into the sensitive skin. I had to bite back a hiss of pain. Kai could easily walk out and see me. The rooms in the shop were three-quarter walls to divide the space with wide open doorways. Maybe I wanted to be caught. I kicked my feet out, watching a bead of sweat drip down Dante's neck. When he threw a punch his muscles tightened, and it took me back to him swinging his belt. The sound of his fist hitting flesh was close, so close, to the way the leather sounded against mine.

I shouldn't be imagining him touching me, but it was impossible not to. I wanted his hands on me. I wanted him to mark me with them. I was hit with the sudden realization he'd been acting when he was in the ring with me. He hadn't even gone at half speed. He was a monster when he fought. It took every ounce of self-control I had to keep from getting up and into my Jeep to drive to the airport.

I used my free hand to unbutton my shorts and slide down my zipper, freeing my cock.

Excerpt 2

“It's fucking hell being with you. Has anyone ever told you that?"

His grin broadened. "The whole world is hell, doll. At least with me you get a reprieve from the sun."

"So this is hell at night?"

"I like to think of it as Clouded Hell. One of the rare cool days you've got to hold on to when everything else won't quit."

He lifted his hand again, and instead of smacking me like I expected, he cupped my cheek and brought his forehead to mine. I fucking melted, right there in his inner circle of hell, and I wouldn't have changed it.

AUTHOR BIO

When not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it's half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it's been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn't writing…well, that's not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.

AUTHOR LINKS

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My thoughts

“I like to think of it as Clouded Hell. One of the rare cool days you’ve got to hold on to when everything else won’t quit.” - Dante

This is a story about two tortured souls coming together and almost tearing each other and themselves apart in the process. In fact, it is not overstating the situation when I say that while these two men are torturing each other, they’re putting the reader through the wringer as well. From the moment they meet it is clear that Remi and Dante are perfect for each other. They give and take, demand and grant, order and obey in a brutal yet glorious dance that somehow fails to bring them closer together despite their obvious need for each other.

Dante has lost what he thought was the love of his life and knows, with absolute certainty, that not only will he never get over his loss, he’ll also never love again. He fills his days with the fight club he runs, fighting because he needs the release, and alcohol.

Remi has hidden who and what he is all his life and has managed to lose himself in the process. Being all things to everybody leaves very little room for taking care of himself and by the time Remi meets Dante he is far closer to his breaking point than he’s willing or able to acknowledge.

“I’ve settled my entire fucking life. I’ve settled for what everyone else told me was best for me, and I really started to believe my own lies. I started to believe there wasn’t love, or a connection, there was only mutually beneficial ‘okay’. I didn’t think there was a happily ever after in my cards. That true love was bullshit.” - Remi

When Remi and Dante meet the pull between them is instant, overwhelming and irresistible. These two men were made for each other, even if neither of them is willing to recognise or accept the fact. Past issues cloud both their perspectives and may be an obstacle too vast for them to overcome.

As Remi and Dante come together only to pull apart again time and again, I wanted to knock their heads together in the hope of making them see sense, but, as characters are bound to do, they took their own sweet time. When push came to shove though, and everything was on the line, denying feelings was no longer an option and both men came through; for each other and for themselves. But until they got there they shredded my heart to pieces in the best possible way.

I have to be honest and say that there were moments these two men sounded too similar and I had to check the chapter heading to work out whose mind I was in. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing because I firmly believe that it is because they are so very much alike that they can’t walk away from each other, but it did throw me once or twice. For example, the following thought could just as easily have been Remi’s.

“I felt like I was holding my world together with my bare hands as life tore it to shreds.”  Dante

At one point in the story I thought: THIS. This is how it’s all going to come apart. And I was right. With Remi and Dante being the men they are, I would have expected the same thought to have occurred to either if not both of them, but it didn’t. I apologize for being vague, but it is quite possible that years of reading thrillers has me conditioned to pick up on moments like the one I refer to, and if that’s the case I don’t want this to be a spoiler for anybody else reading the book. Especially since while it was something I noticed it wasn’t something that made me love either the characters or the story any less.

I’m sure I’m not the only reader who is never able to catch up with all the authors they want to read. J.R. Gray has been on my ‘must read asap’ list ever since Legally Bound was published. Or maybe it happened even earlier—when I first started following @TheOriginalGray on Twitter. And yet, here I am, having to shamefully admit that Clouded Hell is the first book by this author I’ve actually read. It is safe to say it won’t be my last and also that I won’t allow as much time to pass before I pick up the next one. After all, at least a few J.R. Gray titles have been patiently waiting on my Kindle for me to get my reading act together. J

The Scrap by Gene Kerrigan

The Scrap by Gene Kerrigan

 

Pages: 384

Date: March 19, 2016

Grade: 4.5

Details: Non Fiction

Paperback / Own

The blurb:

In the last hours of the 1916 Easter Rising, 20-year old Charlie Saurin came face to face with his Commander-in-Chief, Patrick Pearse.

In a final gamble, Pearse had a desperate plan to save the collapsing rebellion.

It required the sacrifice of Saurin and his comrades.

The Scrap is the true story of the rising, from first-hand evidence, as seen by one rebel unit - F Company, 2nd Battalion - following them from the first skirmish in Fairview to the inferno of the GPO.

Told in the context of some of the major events of that week, the story of F Company brings alive the excitement, the humour, the horror and the contradictions of that decisive moment in the creation of the Irish state.

My thoughts:

If I’m perfectly honest, I have to admit that I didn’t really want to read this book. Since I live in Ireland it has been impossible not to be aware of the upcoming commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising. Considering how long the lead up has been, I was fed up with the whole event before it even started. But my reading group was adamant they wanted to read about the rising and that it had to be a non-fiction book. So I took to the catalogue of my library and discovered only one title of which we stock enough copies to make it at least feasible that most if not all members would have the opportunity to read the book before our next meeting: The Scrap by Gene Kerrigan.

Now that I have finished to book I find myself having to admit I was wrong. I’m really happy I was ‘made’ to read this book. Before I started reading The Scrap my knowledge about The Rising was very basic. This book proved itself to be a very enjoyable way to learn more.

What really worked for me is that the author tells the story through the eyes of a whole host of participants in The Rising—from its doomed leaders to several teenagers who were part of the event despite their elders best efforts to keep them out of it and a wide range of characters in between those extremes. Initially the flurry of names and places thrown at the reader confused me, but it wasn’t long at all before I found myself becoming attached to at least a few of the recurring participants. And despite the fact that I (of course) knew how the ‘story’ was going to end, I couldn’t help rooting for those I’d come to care for.

The anecdotal manner in which this story is told—giving us glimpses of moments rather than a grand, overall picture—made this an easy to read book with an almost fictional feel to the narrative.

It was wonderful to read a book in which women were given their rightful place in history. Because women played a huge role in the Easter Rising and not ‘just’ as nurses. They were at the centre of the action, facing as much danger as their male counterparts and unlike so many other commentators and books, Gene Kerrigan acknowledges that.

There were times it read like a comedy rather than a factional description of a doomed uprising. For example: Dublin’s inner city is burning, the GPO has been abandoned and a few of the still remaining Volunteers take shelter in a shop on Moore Street.

“The rebels now had access to Cogan’s grocery shop, at the junction of Henry Place and Moore Street. Inside, John Twamley was barricading the back room window against snipers. Pearse came into the shop, then James Connolly was carried in on a stretcher. A couple of Cumann na mBan women began cooking a large ham.”

I mean, WTF? ‘Cooking a large ham’? I’m sure they were hungry but given the circumstances cooking a ham which depending on its size, takes several hours, feels kinda ridiculous.

In fact, the whole Rising, from (delayed) beginning to end was filled with what for me were WTF moments. And it was exactly those WTF moments which made me realise that even war and unrest are human endeavours and that they almost have to be a combination of the mundane and the breathtaking, the expected and the incredible, dumb luck and even dumber misfortune. With that in mind The Scrap seems to be a very appropriate title for the whole affair.

****

One of the characters to truly fascinate me was Michael ‘The’ O’Rahilly. Sure, in part that may well be due to the fact that I have a friend with the same surname who, when I asked him, confirmed that he is indeed related to The O’Rahilly. What really touched me though was the fact that throughout the whole duration of The Rising he continued to write and send notes to his wife and children and received at least one back from his son. This, to me, is as beautiful as it is surreal and I love it. I was sad when The O’Rahilly died, alone, but not without first having written a final note to his wife, Nancy….Of course J

Finding Love: The Perfect Size for You by Lily G Blunt

Finding Love: The Perfect Size for You

by

Lily G Blunt

Format: ebook and paperback

Language: English

Book Length: Short Story (12K)

Pages: 60

Genres: Contemporary, Gay, Erotic Romance

Heat Rating: Burning

Release Date: 9th March 2016

 

A male escort takes on an inexperienced client and breaks the first rule of rent boys: don’t get attached.

After updating his Rent Boy blog profile, well-endowed porn star Ty receives a text from a sexually inexperienced client. Andy, the client, asks Ty to provide him with the necessary know-how so should he ever get a date with the guy he’s attracted to, he’ll be fully prepared. Little does Ty know that this hookup will lead to a friendship that will subsequently change his life.

This story has been previously published as The Perfect Size for You by Torquere Press in the Take It Like a Man anthology. This second edition has been expanded and reedited.

Add on Goodreads

The door opened, and a skinny geek with specs faced me. Thinking I had the wrong house, and worried that the boy’s father had made the appointment, I floundered. Now, that will be awkward.How’s he planning to get his kid out of the house?
 “Excuse me. I’m looking for Andy. Is he here?” 
The boy flushed bright red and pushed up his black-framed glasses.
“That’s me, I’m Andy Parker. You have the right address.”
  You’ve got to be kidding me. “Okay, son! How old are you?” He didn’t look a day over fifteen.
 His eyes widened, but his gaze didn’t leave mine. He bristled a little, rising to his full height. “I’m eighteen. Nineteen in three months. I can show you my ID, if you like.” He looked beyond my shoulder, then ushered me hastily inside.
 I followed him to the kitchen. “I’m Tyrone, by the way.” He hadn’t even asked my name. I could have been any weirdo coming into his home. I guessed he recognized me from my online photos or my porn videos. Whatever. It looked like he was expecting me anyway.

Amazon | Amazon UK | PayHip | Smashwords

Praise for The Perfect Size for You

on Amazon and Goodreads Reviews

"Such an amazing story and one I was very interested in since I know someone in that business. It was a true fairy tale and I laughed and cried and never wanted it to end. Truly brilliant."

“A big fan and this one did not disappoint! Totally adored it and can't wait for her next book already!”

“I just love this writer... This storyline was well written and I loved each page. I wish it had gone on longer too damn short!”

“I really enjoyed this short story. I'm a sucker for rent boys/porn industry stories and this hit the spot wonderfully! I really loved Andy and Ty together.

The sexy times were sweet and then hot! I'm really anxious to get to this author's other porn industry book!”

“A definite must read!”

“Lily's writing flowed well for me. She combined a nice mix of sweet and hot but neither guy came across as needy or desperate.”

“It’s a good short story you can read while having a cuppa. I'll definitely be reading more from Lily.”

Lily G. Blunt writes contemporary gay romance. She loves to explore the relationship between two men and the intensity of their physical and emotional attraction. Angst often features in her stories as she feels this demonstrates the depth of the men's feelings for each other. Lily is forever writing imaginary scenes and plots in her head, but only a few ever make it to the page--there never seems to be enough hours in the day despite having left the teaching profession to concentrate on her writing!

Lily discovered the wonderful world of m/m romance novels five years ago via fan fiction and went on to write stories in her spare time. With the encouragement of her friends and readers she decided to publish some of her work. Lily subsequently self-published several stories via Amazon. She later published short stories with Torquere Press and Wayward Ink Publishing. Lily is excited about joining Pride Publishing for her latest release, The Handyman Can. Lily is an avid supporter of GLBTQ rights and advocates equality for all. She was recently a steward for Pride in London. She lives in central England with her rather bemused husband and a 'mad as a bag of frogs' Shetland Sheepdog called Barney

.

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My Thoughts:

I do love a story where the characters surprise me and not live up to the stereotype they initially appear to be.

Both the blurb and the start of Finding Love had me convinced I was dealing with a cocky porn star who knows it all and a shy, inexperienced and maybe even submissive student. And both Ty and Andy live up to their stereotype nicely…or do they? Is Ty really as sure of himself and what he wants as he thinks he is? And could Andy possibly have quite a bit of backbone behind his coyness?

I had so much fun with this story. Getting to know Ty and Andy was as exciting as Andy’s enticing introduction to the world of intimacy and sex was. This story is told from Ty’s perspective which, in this case, is exactly right. Watching Ty as he slowly has to admit to himself that Andy is becoming more than a client and, later, more than ‘just’ a friend was as fascinating as getting to know the real Andy was.

This is a short story and yet it is not a case of insta-love. We follow Ty and Andy’s journey from the first time they make what is purely a commercial arrangement to the point where they can no longer pretend to be anything else than boyfriends. And their journey is intriguing and beautiful.

Thank you Lily for yet another well written story and captivating read. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb

Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb

Pages: 388

Date: March 1, 2016

Details: # 42 In Death

Library

The blurb:

Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy...

Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.

Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze. 

As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming. 

My thoughts:

I’ve started many series over the years. Most of them I followed religiously for a long time before losing interest for one reason or another. This has not happened with the In Death books, and I can’t see that changing any time soon either. There are numerous reasons why I love this series and continue to be addicted to it:

-      I like the mysteries in these books. Mrs. Roberts has a vivid and at times scary imagination and her crimes are often shocking. The investigation is always fascinating and thrilling and the finale never fails to take my breath away.

-      I enjoy the setting—New York about thirty odd years from today. I recognise the place and yet enough has changed, advanced, to make it obvious the story is set in the future. Having said that, now that we are actually getting closer to the timeframe in which this series is set I have to acknowledge that the author may have been somewhat optimistic when she decided how far we would have advanced by then.

-      I love how these books always manage to feel both familiar and original at the same time. Picking up a new In Death book is like revisiting a favourite place, recognisable and comfortable. And yet, the stories and characters always feel fresh and never, ever, repetitive.

-      I’ve come to adore the recurring characters in these books. I look forward to meeting them again, finding out how their lives are progressing and spending some time in their company.

-      And Eve and Roarke have to be one of the ultimate romantic couples ever written. 42 books into a series featuring one main couple and I’m yet to get bored or fed up with them. Sure there are moments when I want to slap either of them for misjudging a situation or each other, but that’s just because I get so very caught up in their story. For me, Eve and Roarke are as alive as it is possible to be for fictional characters. And my love for this couple brings me to my final reason.

-      I love the humour in the dialogue. I’ll give two examples:

“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

“Why?” They’re idle when you’re sleeping—does he set up shop then? Are we all supposed to stay awake using our hands so the devil doesn’t make stuff? What if you broke your hand? Is he doing his workshop thing while you’re waiting to have it fixed?”

Roarke contemplated the pale gold ceiling. “Such a simple, if moralistic, phrase now thoroughly destroyed.”

“Thanks,” she said as she rose.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You were Satan’s mouthpiece.”

“Devil’s advocate.”

“That is the same thing.”

In fact, that is what JD Robb (Nora Roberts) does so very well—portray characters, emotions and dialogue that feel real. I’ll always find myself with tears in my eyes at least once or twice when reading one of her books just as I regularly laugh out loud. If anything, Brotherhood in Death was a more emotional read than previous In Death books have been. The case Eve Dallas has to investigate is ugly and brings back memories of her own traumatic childhood. I don’t want to say more about it than you can find in the blurb except to say that what you read there is only the tip of the iceberg. The crimes in this book were such that I could almost excuse the murderers and had no sympathy for their victims. And that made this a harder, more heart wrenching, book to read. It also means this story will stay with me for some time to come.

I have to take my hat off and salute J.D. Robb. She found the perfect balance between an enchanting, consistently exciting romance and a thrilling, at times heartbreaking mystery. I laughed, I cried, I got angry and grinned—in other words, I loved this book.