To get us in the mood for tonight's ghosts and goblins comes A Witness's Submission the latest installment in the Jessica Frost's Sexy Men of Mystery series. Keep reading to learn about Jessica's brush with the paranormal as well as getting a taste of each book in the series, along with my impressions of them.
My Own Paranormal Experience........
Since it is All Hallow’s Eve and a lot of people are in the Halloween spirit today (pun very much intended), I thought I’d share a paranormal experience I had when I was a kid. Even though it happened more than thirty-eight years ago when I was only eight, the memory of it is still crisp and vivid in my mind’s eye. Nowadays remembering what I ate for lunch a week ago is a harrowing feat, so being able to remember something so precisely and in intricate detail from way back then is quite extraordinary for me.
It was the first night we had moved into our new home. Before then, we lived in a small 5 ½ apartment close to my elementary school. The house we bought was a few blocks awayand the perfect size and fit for our budget and for us. Money was pretty tight back then even though both my parents worked. But my dad was a great saver. He knew where and how much to spend and when. Recycling, repairing, and reusing were an everyday philosophy we followed like a religion. And it went a long way to making us lead fulfilling and happy lives whileallowing us to pay bills on time and making ends meet on our low income.
Our new home was in fact an old attached bungalow, withthree bedrooms upstairs and a large finished basement with an extra bedroom in the back, near the garage, which we used for storage. I had my own bedroom upstairs. Even though it was small, 10’ X 10’, it was cozy and all mine. We had painted it pink a few weeks before we actually moved into the house. Back then pink was my favorite color. Now I cringe and squint at it.It’s way too girly and bright a color.
Anyway, I was in my newly painted, bright pink room, sitting on my bed, right near the open bedroom door. I wasadmiring the color on the walls and calculating where I’d put some of my still packed toys, when out of the corner of my eye… (Food for thought: Why do almost all paranormal, unexplained things seem to always be seen from the corner of witnesses’ eyes? An interesting question to ponder later, but for now let me continue with this true story. J). Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something eerie move from the kitchen to my brothers’ room at the end of the hall. A tall, foggy formation,meshed in a Swiss cheese texture, and in the form of an oldhunched man’s outline. The mysterious, haunting silhouette seemed to be holding a cane and limping into my brothers’room.
Before thinking the move stupid, I quickly jumped to my feet and ran into my brothers’ empty bedroom to see what it was. But when I got there, I saw nothing, though the room was unnaturally chilly, enough so that I shuddered in coldness, not fear. I ran to the kitchen and asked my dad, who was sitting at the table reading his newspaper (something he always enjoyed doing after dinner), if he saw anything. He said no and I didn’t elaborate on what exactly I saw. At the time, I felt silly saying it.
Was it a ghost I saw or my eyes and imagination playing a trick on me back on that hot and humid summer night when I was only eight? Who knows? I never saw that apparition again after that evening. But I did learn from my new neighbor and friend I met a few days later that the grandfather of the family that lived there before us had died in his sleep in my brothers’ room a couple of years before. My neighbor said he was a funny and kind old man who gave him change for chocolate from time to time, and he used a wooden cane and walked with a limp.Interesting coincidence to say the least.
I have rolled over what I witnessed that night a million times in my mind. I’ve analyzed it from all acute and obtuseangles, and to this day I still don’t know what it was. The experience has certainly heightened my passion for the paranormal and a few interesting short tales spawned from it, too. But I can’t say I’m a true believer of ghosts or a pure skeptic. I am and I think will always be on the fence about this. At least until some other paranormal experience befalls me.
Happy Halloween!!!
Since it is All Hallow’s Eve and a lot of people are in the Halloween spirit today (pun very much intended), I thought I’d share a paranormal experience I had when I was a kid. Even though it happened more than thirty-eight years ago when I was only eight, the memory of it is still crisp and vivid in my mind’s eye. Nowadays remembering what I ate for lunch a week ago is a harrowing feat, so being able to remember something so precisely and in intricate detail from way back then is quite extraordinary for me.
It was the first night we had moved into our new home. Before then, we lived in a small 5 ½ apartment close to my elementary school. The house we bought was a few blocks awayand the perfect size and fit for our budget and for us. Money was pretty tight back then even though both my parents worked. But my dad was a great saver. He knew where and how much to spend and when. Recycling, repairing, and reusing were an everyday philosophy we followed like a religion. And it went a long way to making us lead fulfilling and happy lives whileallowing us to pay bills on time and making ends meet on our low income.
Our new home was in fact an old attached bungalow, withthree bedrooms upstairs and a large finished basement with an extra bedroom in the back, near the garage, which we used for storage. I had my own bedroom upstairs. Even though it was small, 10’ X 10’, it was cozy and all mine. We had painted it pink a few weeks before we actually moved into the house. Back then pink was my favorite color. Now I cringe and squint at it.It’s way too girly and bright a color.
Anyway, I was in my newly painted, bright pink room, sitting on my bed, right near the open bedroom door. I wasadmiring the color on the walls and calculating where I’d put some of my still packed toys, when out of the corner of my eye… (Food for thought: Why do almost all paranormal, unexplained things seem to always be seen from the corner of witnesses’ eyes? An interesting question to ponder later, but for now let me continue with this true story. J). Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something eerie move from the kitchen to my brothers’ room at the end of the hall. A tall, foggy formation,meshed in a Swiss cheese texture, and in the form of an oldhunched man’s outline. The mysterious, haunting silhouette seemed to be holding a cane and limping into my brothers’room.
Before thinking the move stupid, I quickly jumped to my feet and ran into my brothers’ empty bedroom to see what it was. But when I got there, I saw nothing, though the room was unnaturally chilly, enough so that I shuddered in coldness, not fear. I ran to the kitchen and asked my dad, who was sitting at the table reading his newspaper (something he always enjoyed doing after dinner), if he saw anything. He said no and I didn’t elaborate on what exactly I saw. At the time, I felt silly saying it.
Was it a ghost I saw or my eyes and imagination playing a trick on me back on that hot and humid summer night when I was only eight? Who knows? I never saw that apparition again after that evening. But I did learn from my new neighbor and friend I met a few days later that the grandfather of the family that lived there before us had died in his sleep in my brothers’ room a couple of years before. My neighbor said he was a funny and kind old man who gave him change for chocolate from time to time, and he used a wooden cane and walked with a limp.Interesting coincidence to say the least.
I have rolled over what I witnessed that night a million times in my mind. I’ve analyzed it from all acute and obtuseangles, and to this day I still don’t know what it was. The experience has certainly heightened my passion for the paranormal and a few interesting short tales spawned from it, too. But I can’t say I’m a true believer of ghosts or a pure skeptic. I am and I think will always be on the fence about this. At least until some other paranormal experience befalls me.
Happy Halloween!!!
Mark Murphy’s been wallowing in self-pity ever since his cheating ex broke his heart. When he meets Victor, the sexy hunk who offers him a supporting ear and a drive home, he quickly forgets his woes and becomes smitten. As their love blossoms, they promise to take things slow. Not an easy feat when the urge to tear each other’s clothes off and make passionate love dominates their every thought.
But that’s the least of their problems because the killer’s still out there, and now he has a new target. In order to protect Mark, Victor has to give the killer what he wants. But he has to figure out what it is first. To do that he has to go back to the very place his father was murdered. Time is ticking, and so is the killer’s patience and desire for blood.
EXCERPT:
It was like the Fourth of July! Stars exploded in Mark’s head right before the shock subsided and the pain set in.
Victor just punched him smack in the eye! Moaning, he tried to stop the throbbing.
“I’m so, so sorry, Mark.” Guilt plagued Victor’s face as he jumped off the bed and ran to the kitchen to get a hand towel. He tossed ice cubes in it and came back a few seconds later, placing the towel on Mark’s right eye. “Please, put this on it to stop the swelling.”
Mark did what he asked and stared at him with his good eye. “What was all that?”
Victor sighed. “A nightmare, I guess.”
“Was it a nightmare? Because the look in your eyes now that you’re awake tells me differently.” He paused. “You have the fear of God in you.”
Victor turned his gaze away. “It’s probably my imagination.”
Mark placed his hand gently on Victor’s. He was obviously hurting and Mark wanted to help him like Victor had helped him the night before. “You can talk to me, you know. I’m a real good listener.”
“I can’t,” Victor stated with fear in his eyes.
“Victor, I can see how much this is bothering you and how scared you are now. Even last night, I saw how emotional you were and how you tried to hide it from me.” He remained motionless. “In your dream you were shouting at someone that they wouldn’t win. That they murdered your father and that now you’d be coming after them.”
Tears began to film Victor’s eyes and he turned completely away. He waited to compose himself, before replying, “It was just a dream. It wasn’t real.”
Mark gently pushed his shoulder, so he would turn and look at him. Cupping his face, he peered long and hard at Victor. “Something is bothering you. It manifested itself in your dream. Please tell me what it is. Maybe I can help you, even if it’s just by listening.”
Victor shook his head. “If I tell you, I’d put your life in danger.”
Mark eyes widened. “Then it’s true. Your father was killed?”
Victor leaned into Mark and let the sorrow break free. He cried silently, only a few tears escaping his eyes. But Mark’s strong, wide shoulder and his kind and gentle strokes on his arm seemed to be enough to help him find courage inside to speak. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he sat up and peered into Mark’s eyes.
“My father was a private investigator. My mom was his research and office assistant until she died four months ago. After that, I took over helping him. He was working on several cases, which I assisted him on. But there was one that he worked on alone for months. When I asked him if I could help, he refused. He’d get nervous whenever he had the file open on his laptop and I’d walk into the room. I’d see him rushing to change the screen before I could see anything he was investigating on that case.”
He took a deep breath and continued, “A few weeks back, he started acting weird. He was nervous, scared. I asked him what it was, but he said he couldn’t tell me. Not yet. And on the morning of the day he was murdered, he warned me. He had said if anything ever happened to him, that I shouldn’t trust anyone, even the police. That I should just get out of Tinley Town, go far, far away, and never come back.”
Mark frowned. “Why would he say that?”
Victor shrugged. “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me more. And now I’ll never know because he’s gone forever.” He sighed and blinked, trying to dry the tears that threatened to escape.
Victor continued to tell him the graphic details of his father’s murder and when he was done, Mark rubbed his back and hugged him. “I’m so sorry for what you went through. And you had no one to talk to, just keeping it all inside you.” He kissed his cheek sweetly and hugged him tighter. “I’m here now for you and I will help you through this.”
Victor didn’t speak. He closed his eyes and hugged Mark back for a few minutes. Breaking free, he added, “This may sound crazy, but I have this uncontrollable feeling in the back of my mind that the killer is following me. He can see me. He knows who I am.”
Mark furrowed his brow. “You feel like he can see you now?”
Victor shook his head. “No, not now. This sounds so crazy!”
Mark tilted his head and shrugged. “It could be you’re paranoid. And I don’t blame you after what you’ve been through, what you saw. Or maybe you’re right. Maybe the killer has been following you ever since you ran out of your house door yesterday. Either way, you need to call the police. They need to investigate your father’s murder.”
Victor moved to stand, pure terror resonating from his eyes, his body. “I know, but whatever my dad was investigating was big, real big. He didn’t trust the police on it. And he said I shouldn’t, either!”
“Calm down. I’m not the enemy here, Victor. I’m your ally, your friend who wants to help you in any way I can.”
Victor sat back down, his eyes cast to the floor. “I’m sorry for over-reacting, but my nerves are rattled.”
“I know.” Mark sighed, then after some thought added, “You still need to report your dad’s murder to the police. You can’t let his body rot, abandoned in the house. You also need to bury him.”
With the word “bury,” Victor’s eyes seemed to water. He blinked. “I know that. That’s why I plan on going back there today. Report the murder. But before that, I need to get my dad’s laptop and all his files on this mysterious case he didn’t want me knowing anything about.”
Mark’s heart began to beat faster. “No, you can’t. Your dad said it’s too dangerous. He said you should get out of Tinley Park and never go back.”
Victor gazed at him. He cupped his cheek and kissed him lightly on the lips. “You’re an amazing, sweet, kind guy, Mark. I can see in your eyes you’re worried.” He sighed. “But you have to understand that I’ll never be able to live with myself if I don’t solve this case. I need to know what my father was investigating and more importantly, I need to know who murdered him. I want justice served, my father’s murder avenged.”
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
This third installment in the Sexy Men of Mystery series continues the dark and gritty atmosphere that has permeated the previous installments. It's a heartpounding race to stay one step ahead of a killer who can read your mind and preys on your fears. This is what Victor is dealing with as he steps foot into a pub believing it to be a safe haven. It might be physically safe but his heart is in danger after meeting the recently dumped Mark and being bowled over by their intense connection. The sexual tension between them is palpable for the start and binds them together as they try to stop the killer before he makes good on his threats. When Mark is taken hostage they realize that the killer is a myth that's hard to believe, but the copious amounts of blood loss in his wake make the truth obvious. The two lovers must work together to bring down a creature of the night to reach their HEA and a future of vividly depicted, hot and heavy BDSM. This story moves at a steady pace allowing the suspense to build. Victor and Mark make a good pair with their connection immediate and both of them willing to put their lives on the line for each other. The killer is indeed creepy with his sadistic nature well documented. The conclusion of the story is a let down however as such a powerful creature's end happens too easily and quickly, with no ramifications. The driving force of the story is glossed over with no real wrap-up, or lasting impact. On a whole it's an entertaining story with a few good moments, but it left me feeling a bit disappointed too.
My rating for this is a C+
BUY LINKS: Bookstrand | Amazon | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Later at the hospital, when Vincent sees the handsome detective, he thinks it’s love at first sight. Although Vincent can’t remember who he is, he’s sexually attracted to Jacob.
While Vincent wants to get closer to him, Jacob wants to run away.
But the killer’s still loose. Jacob must protect Vincent and help him get his memory back. This means he has to remind him of their past, including the bondage sex they enjoyed. He vows to do whatever it takes to get Vincent to remember. When his and Vincent’s feelings of love resurface, it’s hard to resist Vincent’s seduction.
What they don’t know is Vincent and the serial killer now have a connection—a supernatural one. And the killer’s coming for him. Can Jacob protect Vincent and help him get his memory back before the killer finds him?
EXCERPT:
“Man, sometimes I hate my job,” Troy Adams, Jacob’s partner of three years, said as he walked ahead through the debris and darkness in the narrow alley.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Jacob looked at him, noting his friend pinched his nose in disgust when he turned to face him.
“But like it or not, we have to scout it out. Captain’s orders.” Troy shrugged.
Jacob huffed, nodding. Troy was right. They had no choice.
The anonymous call the station received an hour ago led them to this search. The robotic voice claimed a third body in The Cleansing Killings would be found here. It was only the twelfth call of this sort they had received this week. All the others had led Jacob and Troy, the detectives assigned to the killings, on a wild-goose chase. Odds were this one would turn out the same.
Yet he couldn’t quite shrug off the funny feeling crawling up his spine that danger lurked not that far off. The peculiar sensation that someone was watching from the shadows in the corner behind them kept haunting him. He twitched as a cold and then hot bolt of panic possessed his body.
Damn it, relax, Jacob! Pull yourself together. He needed to calm down. Big time! Five years on the police force and three years as homicide detective had conditioned him to always be prepared, never lose his cool. He knew if he did, he could put his life, or worse the life of his partner or an innocent civilian’s, in jeopardy. But knowing this didn’t help him at all. His fears and untamable imagination had thrown him a curveball he couldn’t control.
He tried to direct his mind off his paranoia by taking several deep breaths. Speeding in his gait, he opened his mouth to say he should lead and Troy could follow him, when his partner stopped in his tracks. Unprepared, Jacob almost plowed into him. Jumping to the side to avoid the collision, he cursed. “Watch where you’re going.”
His friend and partner didn’t hear him. He was too busy taking out his gun from his hidden holster and shouting, “You over there, freeze!”
Jacob gazed in the direction Troy aimed his gun while reaching for his own. About ten yards ahead of them two lifeless bodies lay on the ground and someone was crouched over one of them. The giant male held what looked like a machete over the torso.
When the mysterious person heard Troy’s warning, he stood up and darted over the body, heading in the opposite direction.
Troy sprinted after him, shouting back to Jacob, “We got him. It’s a dead end up ahead. He’s got nowhere to run.”
“You go after him and I’ll check on them.” Jacob motioned as he ran to the two men lying on the ground.
The second he reached them, he knew it was too late. At least for one of them. One of the men, who appeared older and shorter, lay on his back, his chest split open and his heart cut out. This was The Cleansing Killings killer’s signature MO, no doubt. The two other recovered bodies had had their hearts cut out of their chest cavities in the same barbaric way. And later, after the coroner did an autopsy, they were found to have had their blood drained from their bodies, as well. What a sick bastard they had on their hands with this case.
In his line of work, Jacob should be used to seeing this type of mutilation on dead bodies, but he still cringed and shuddered every time he first laid eyes on the dead victims, the exposed flesh, and the gore. Jacob’s stomach lurched and he tried to hold back the bile and the tacos he ate for dinner that kept threatening to regurgitate back into his esophagus.
It was too late for this man, but what about the other? The other victim lay on his right side, his back facing Jacob. Jacob quickly knelt and felt the man’s pulse. It was weak but steady. He sighed in relief. As he let go of his wrist, the man moaned and turned onto his back. The streetlight above them beamed on him then.
In utter shock, Jacob stared at the familiar face. He felt the blood drain from his head, and his limbs went weak. Dizziness overcame him and the taco dinner finally won the battle with his stomach, rising up and escaping his mouth. Vomit spewed to the ground in front of him, splashing his black leather shoes.
Once the flood ended, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. His throat and tongue felt like they were on fire.
From his peripheral vision, he saw Troy quickly making his way back to him alone, no apprehended suspect in tow. He said, cringing as he stared at the mess at Jacob’s feet, “Oh, that is nasty.”
Quickly recovering, Jacob whisked his cell phone out and made an emergency call to 911 on the police department’s direct line. “We need an ambulance at Park and Beacon Street ASAP. A man is wounded and another dead.”
He stared at the unconscious man while worry ran through his mind. Please, let him be all right.
Troy glanced at the dead body and said, “The killer got away. I thought I had him. There was no way he could have escaped, but somehow he did. One second he was there running, and the next it’s like he disappeared into thin air.”
Jacob didn’t speak, didn’t move.
Troy asked, “Did you hear me?”
He only nodded, unable to break his gaze from the unconscious, injured victim.
Troy snapped his fingers in front of Jacob’s face. “Earth calling Jacob Brown. You in there?”
Jacob blinked several times before looking up at Troy. Yet, he didn’t reply.
Worry overtook Troy’s features. “What the hell is going on with you, Jacob? You all right? Are you dizzy or sick? Do I need to call an ambulance for you, too?”
Jacob shook his head. “I’m all right.”
“Then why do you look like you just saw a ghost?”
His gaze returned to the injured man, and he said in a low voice, barely a whisper, “I know the victim. We were lovers.”
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
The paranormal world blurs the lines between reality and dreams in this dark and brooding story reuniting lost loves. Jacob is still trying to recover from the broken heart dealt to him courtesy of Vincent when the cop is forced into keeping him safe after he witnessed a crime. Making this situation even more dangerous is that Vincent's memory is gone except for occasional flashes that show a completely different kind of man, one the reader will be surprised to discover. Jacob still loves Vincent but doesn't want to get hurt again though the only way to help Vincent get his memory back is through reliving their romance which leads to some vivid and hot BDSM scenes. The killer has a surprising connection to Vincent which complicates the story further and made this part of the story engaging with its sense of mystery and the electric connection between the protagonists. The part of the story revolving around the hunt for the killer was a bit disappointing however with big holes in believability. There's a traitor amongst them whose identity is obvious and yet the characters keep standing beside him. This frustrated me and ruined the positive momentum that had thus far carried the story. Overall, I found Vincent and Jacob and their sensual connection engaging. The sense of mystery, with a twist of paranormal, in this dark and gritty world kept me further engrossed in the story along with the truth of Vincent's past and made for a good start to what promises to be a unique series.
My rating for this is a C+
Nero Thorn’s a recluse and he likes it that way. When he literally bumps into his shy, handsome new neighbor, Nicola Dupré, sparks fly. He’s drawn to Nicola like a moth to a fire and he quickly falls in love. But he has a dark, dangerous secret he’s kept hidden from the world for years. If Nicola ever finds out who he really is, he’ll run away in fear.
There’s a serial killer out there, and the murder of his sixth victim was written in Nero’s last novel before it ever happened. There’s a connection between Nero, the sixth victim, and the killer, and Nicola has to figure it out before the killer strikes again.
There’s a serial killer out there, and the murder of his sixth victim was written in Nero’s last novel before it ever happened. There’s a connection between Nero, the sixth victim, and the killer, and Nicola has to figure it out before the killer strikes again.
EXCERPT:
Nicola gazed at the book, then up at Adam, who peered at him with a curious look as if he waited for some type of reaction. “A book? You give me a book.” The poor lighting had Nicola turning and twisting the book so that the streetlight’s illumination a few feet away could beam on it.
“Look at the name.” Adam gestured with his extended finger.
Nicola’s brow lifted when he read the name Nero Thorn. “Look at that. One of my favorite erotic suspense authors has a new book out.” He flipped the trade paperback over to check out the back cover blurb, but the unreadable black print made him squint. “You shouldn’t have,” he joked.
Adam’s eyes rolled. “It’s not a present.”
Nicola nodded. “I figured that. But how is this book The Messenger’s Gift going to prepare me for my meeting with Captain Moore tomorrow? "
“Read the back cover and see if it reminds you of anything.”
Nicola groaned. “Sorry, I can’t see it. It’s too dark.”
“Wait a second…”Adam took out his cell phone and slid his thumb on the screen until he found whatever he looked for. “I have the perfect app for just this situation.” All of a sudden a bright light beamed from the phone’s screen.
“A cell phone and a flashlight, too. Will wonders never cease.” Nicola marveled at it.
Adam half laughed. “I got a ton of apps just as cool as this that I can show you.”
Nicola put up his hand. “Nope. Not interested. A cell phone was made to make calls, not be a multipurpose gadget.”
Adam grumbled, turning off the light feature, and began to place the phone back in his pants pocket. “Fine, then forget the whole thing.”
Feeling like a horse’s ass, Nicola halted his movement. “Sorry. Bad joke. But you know I’m not a tech geek.” He pointed a wagging index finger at the phone. “Go on, give it to me.”
Once Adam did as he asked, Nicola began to read the blurb, which described one hell of premise. “Damn, that’s good,” he said once he finished.
Adam gave him a big-eyed, sideways glance. “And?”
“And what?”
Adam rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t it remind you of a murder that happened here just two months ago?”
Nicola shook his head. “Sorry. I hadn’t been keeping up with the news in Chicago. So, a dismembered body was found in this park?”
Adam nodded. “Exactly how it’s described there in that book.”
Nicola frowned. “Well, it’s probably some whacko who wanted to make Nero’s fiction story reality."
Adam shook his head. “No, can’t be.”
“Why?”
“Because the murder happened before this book was ever released.” Adam crossed his arms.
“So then Nero based his story on the murder.” Nicola shrugged.
Adam chuckled. “How could he base his story on a murder that still hadn’t happened?”
He shook his head. “What? You’re not making any sense, dude.”
Adam exhaled deeply and then answered, “Nero wrote the story a year ago, before the murder ever happened. But the story was only released a month after the murder happened.”
“Well, maybe the murderer got an advanced copy of the book and was inspired by it.”
Adam shook his head again. “Not possible as no advanced copy was available yet. The book was supposed to be released this week, but the publisher decided to publish it little more than a month after the murder happened. They thought it would boost sales. And they were right. Sales soared and it’s a best seller.”
Nicola stared at the copy. “Okay, that’s creepy and one hell of a coincidence. But I don’t get what it has to do with us and why we’re here talking about it.”
“Because, partner, that is what Captain Moore is going to talk to you about tomorrow.”
“What? About the murder?”
Adam added, “Yeah, we’ve been assigned to the case. You and I. I’ve been working closely with the captain for the past month and he’s been prepping me.”
It dawned on Nicola. “Oh, so that’s why you know so much about this book and the murder.” He flipped the book in his hand as he stared at it. “So Nero is a suspect?”
“Sort of. But he has one hell of an alibi for the night of the murder. And reliable witnesses to back up his alibi, too.”
“Then he’s not the murderer.”
Adam tipped his head from right to left. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Nicola stood and stretched his legs. A cramp had begun to form, tightening his neck and shoulder muscles. “Did Captain Moore tell you what I’ll be doing?”
“Oh, yeah. Since Nero isn’t considered an official suspect, it won’t be your everyday detective’s work. So you don’t have to take it if you don’t want to.”
Nicola knew that look Adam gave him. “Oh, no. It’s that bad?”
“Well, it depends on how you look at it. If moving into the condo next door to the sexy author who you once told me you’d do anything to have one night with, just to see if he’s as good in bed as the heroes in his stories, doesn’t appeal to you, then yes, it’s that bad.”
Nicola’s jaw dropped and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “Excuse me! Did I hear correctly? The captain wants me to move into the condo next to Nero’s?”
Adam’s lips tightened and he nodded.
“What, as in an undercover operation?”
“Exactly! An unofficial undercover operation.” Adam pointed at him as if he had just deciphered a phrase in the game of charades.
“Why me? I’ve never done undercover work. What if I goof up and blow the whole operation?”
“You’re the best man for the job. You’re one of Nero’s biggest fans, and since you don’t yet feel up to working full-time in homicide at the precinct, it’s a good assignment to start getting your feet wet.”
Nicola sat down again and shook his head.
Adam frowned. “Why are you doing that?”
“I’m still in shock. It’s like I’ve just been cast in the lead role for a story in The Twilight Zone.”
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
In this second book in the Sexy Men of Mystery series past pain leaves a lasting impression on two men who meet under less than honest circumstances but is the groundwork for a HEA. Nicola is still recovering from the death of his sister when he's given the chance to go undercover and get close to his favorite erotic author, Nero Thorn. Their connection is immediate and teems with sexual tension which is reflected in some vividly depicted sweat-inducing BDSM play. Getting in the way of their romance is the mystery surrounding numerous deaths being reported and a similar death depicted in Nero's recent book. Nicola is drawn to Nero but doesn't know if he's a killer as he knows there's things Nero is hiding from him. Nero has much darkness in his past but I still found myself drawn to him. One of his secrets comes out early in the story but another is saved for the end which made for a rushed ending and a glossing over of what he revealed which greatly diminished its impact. Along with the immensely satisfying romance comes a surprisingly good mystery that kept me guessing until the end. This part of the story was gritty and dark and kept me fully immersed in the mystery. Overall I found this a stronger story than the previous installment. The protagonists were engaging and their romance super hot. The mystery provided some heart-pounding moments with satisfying twists and turns that made up for the slightly disappointing end. Ms. Frost's series keeps getting better with its intriguing blend of romance amidst the paranormal and I look forward to where it's going next.
My rating for this is a B.
My rating for this is a B.
BUY LINKS: (PRINT) Amazon | BN (eBOOK) Bookstrand | Amazon | Amazon.uk | Amazon.ca | BN | KOBO | Sony
**I received these books from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Jessica Frost has always had a passion for fiction and the written word. Add to that her wild, vivid imagination and her pure romantic tendencies and she soon realized she had the traits needed to become a romance author. She decided to take the very big first step not that long ago and wrote her first erotic romance story. And she has not looked back since.
Being a romance writer is a dream come true for her. Having the opportunity to create fantasy worlds where anything and everything can happen is an amazing feeling. She hopes these worlds and the delightful characters she creates will bring hours of enjoyment to her readers as they have done for her.
WEBSITE: http://www.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Author_
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Author.
