Sebastian is quickly swept up in a series of grisly yet seemingly unrelated murders. The only connection tying the deaths together are curiosities from the lost museum of P.T. Barnum. Despite Calvin’s attempts to keep Sebastian out of the investigation, someone is forcing his hand, and it becomes apparent that the entire charade exists for Sebastian to solve. With each clue that’ll bring him closer to the killer, he’s led deeper into Calvin’s official cases.
It’s more than just Sebastian’s livelihood and relationship on the line—it’s his very life.
Narrator: Derrick McClain
Run Time: 7 hrs, 58 mins
I really, and I mean really, do not want to write these words, but this was a miss for me. I even listened to the sample before I requested it! I just knew this was going to be nothing but happy, happy, joy, joy. McClain does a fine job of narrating. He varied the voices and I could hear the passion he brought to this story.
I can't say whether or not reading this would've led to a different outcome or not, but my problems pretty much began and ended with Sebastian Snow. He's the narrator of this story and I didn't like him. At all. He's annoying and petty. I'm not sure if that's McClain's interpretation of his lines or just his characterization. Regardless there's no way to unring that bell. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt because he's under a lot of pressure with the psycho Poe lover killer/stalker person and his boyfriend's a dick and whatnot but... he's a pill.
He's in a relationship with a closeted cop and they're circling the drain. Hard. Once he finds the Poe heart in his shop he meets Calvin Winter-ginger cop, ex-military, numerous medals, all around badass-and his heart starts pitter pattering you can hear Seb's relaysh with the boyfriend ding on an egg timer. Technically there is cheating because Snow and Winter get their swerve on before Seb's officially cut the boyfriend loose, though they were on a break so if a tree falls in the woods, is it really cheating?
Cal and Seb's "relationship" moves at breakneck speed. I mean the first time Calvin called Seb "baby" I looked at my phone like it had stolen money from me.
Calvin's toppiness is weird. The dirty talk is awkward. The demands to beg left me uncomfortable and grimacing, though the rimming scene was pretty hot. I'll give credit where it's due. However, show of hands, who thinks about their ex while they're getting pounded into the mattress by a monster ginger cock?
The next thing I knew Seb was angsting over their "relationship" and dropping the L word.
Where it came from I've no clue but it was jarring. They know a bit of each other and Seb seems to like all the ginger cock toppy pounding so who am I to judge? But they kinda snap at each other whenever they're not in Pound Town and Cal is cagey AF about his past and for all intents and purposes sidelines Seb. Because reasons. The pièce de résistance is Cal is in the back of the closet, behind the clothes and maybe disguising himself with your Dad's old plaid trench-coat circa 1976 and matching pork pie hat which is what caused the majority of the issues with Seb's ex-boyfriend! *smh*
I was hopeful the case would save this but I think Seb pulled one too many TSTL rabbits out of the hat in his efforts to help solve the thing that it soured the whole deal for me. And the culprit... let's just say it didn't jive in my book.
Snow and Winter's relationship standing ends on a hopeful but my no means certain footing which I'm certain is to entice people to read the next one, but considering they both annoyed me to varying degrees I think I'll call it good and stop here.
I wish it had worked out better but many others have loved this book, so I'd encourage anyone considering it to read the other reviews.
A review copy was provided.
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