Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Chief of Police John Dakota keeps two secrets close to his bulletproof vest. One is the truth about Seaside, Oregon—that it’s a safe haven for shifters. Including himself.

The second is the nine-year-old mystery of why a series of brutal murders that rocked the sleepy tourist town simply…stopped. No one can know, especially not Trevor English. The local reporter who occasionally shares John’s bed.

When they’re skin to exceptionally hairy skin, Trevor’s too distracted to ask questions. But when bodies start turning up in a disturbingly familiar pattern, keeping Trevor’s nose for news at arm’s length is just one addition to John’s exponentially growing list of problems.

If the wrong people connect the dots, the killer could blow the secret of Seaside wide open. A thousand shifters living in peace could lose their sanctuary. And John could lose the one man who’s come to mean more to him than an occasional itch to scratch.

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, September 2016.

Book Review

Seaside, Oregon, sounds like an idyllic little place – but, in this story, it turns out to be the setting for a series of gruesome murders, shifters trying to hide their existence, and an increasingly passionate affair between shifter chief of police, John, and an extremely curious and persistent human reporter by the name of Trevor. Both men have had the occasional encounter before this newest appearance of what looks like a shifter serial killer, but solving the latest crimes brings them closer together than ever. With John fearful of giving away his true nature and Trevor determined to find out everything he can – about everything, the tension soon grows in line with the body count.

John tells the story in first person, so I found myself at the forefront of his enquiry into the current murders as well as his resurfacing memories of the first series of killings nine years earlier. He is a bear shifter but being the chief of police is more important to him, so he spends most of his time as a human. He remembers the serial killer from nine years ago well, though he was not in charge of the investigation back then. John has no idea who it could be this time around, and since there is more than one possible suspect, sorting out what’s what takes him a while.

While John races to find the serial killer, he also has to deal with Trevor. Keeping him at a distance professionally, despite the curiosity Trevor displays as a journalist, turns out to be easier than fending off his advances on a personal level. Even though John doesn’t want to admit it, the connection to Trevor is quite strong and staying away is tough. Trevor definitely wants a relationship and does his level best to get closer.

As the cases get more gruesome, John and Trevor become closer and begin to work together in a professional capacity, putting to rest one of John’s two main reasons for being reluctant. The other, of course, is the fact that John is a shifter and has to be careful which humans he reveals himself to. It takes a lot more trust between the men for John to feel completely at ease – and they have a lot of fun getting there.

If you like murder mysteries with a paranormal slant, if serial killers and those who go after them are your thing, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful read with lots of clues, a few surprises, and a hot romance on top of the various discoveries, then you will probably like this novella.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 241 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	06-November-2020
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MY964WZ