Guest Review: Night Drop (A Pinx Video Mystery, #1) by Marshall Thornton

It’s 1992 and Los Angeles is burning. Noah Valentine, the owner of Pinx Video in Silver Lake, notices the fires have taken their toll on fellow shopkeeper Guy Peterson’s camera shop. After the riots end, he decides to stop by Guy’s to pick up his overdue videos, only to find Guy’s family dividing up his belongings. He died in the camera store fire—or did he? Noah and his charmingly meddlesome downstairs neighbors begin to suspect something else might have happened to Guy Peterson. Something truly sinister.

The first in a new series from Lambda Award-winner Marshall Thornton, Night Drop strikes a lighter tone than the Boystown Mysteries, while bringing Silver Lake of the early 1990s to life.

Guest Reviewer - Annika


Noah has been deeply hurt in the past and is now licking his wounds. Hiding away from everyone, including himself. Hiding in plain sight that is. He's not a loner, he has both friends and family, but he keeps his distance and never truly engages with anyone. There are a few sparks here and there where he tries to re-engage with the world, but it feels like he's forgotten how to. And he's not ready just yet. But there's possibility there, hope that someday he might move forward.

Night Drop was my first Thornton book. And in the beginning I didn't really like it. I couldn't put my finger as to why, but there were a few things that kept bugging me. The pacing of the book. The fact that Noah investigates Guy's murder, but having no clue what he's doing or why he is doing it. He really has no business investigating anything, let alone a murder. One that get's more and more dangerous the more he uncovers. This has never really bothered me before so I can't say why it did this time.

Then about halfway in, something changed. I really started to enjoy the book and was more invested in the characters and the outcome. This book was a bit raw and gritty, almost harsh in some ways, but at the same time it gave the illusion of being light. Never sweet mind you, but not a heavy read.

For me this book was a bit of a mindfuck at times. I don't often read books set in the early 90's, if I did I probably wouldn't question things that much. But now I was constantly finding myself thinking; where's the security? He shouldn't be able to just do that. And did we really have cordless phones then? So yeah, I'll admit to googling a few things here and there (don't tell anyone) ;)
And yes I did live through that time, but I can't say I was all that aware about the world around me - so be nice. ;)

Pretty early in this book I was thinking that this series might not be for me. That I'd read this book and then just leave it at that. Then the ending happened. And now I just want to find out more. And if you are thinking cliffhanger, then you are wrong. No cliffhanger in sight. Just life. And I want to know more about it. I hope the wait for the next installment isn't too long.

A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review

Review: This Charming Man by Ajax Bell

WILL SEATTLE MAKE A MAN OF HIM YET?

It’s 1991 and Steven Frazier has danced away half a decade in the Seattle club scene with his beautiful-but-poisonous best friend, Adrian.

Two glittering princes against the world, too high above life to care about what they might be missing. But everything changes when a chance meeting with older—not to mention handsome—businessman John Pieters, reveals a cosmopolitan world and possible futures Steven’s never considered.

Flashy club clothes won’t impress John, this charming man who knows so much about many things. Motivated by fantasies inspired by his crush on John, can Steven finally fight Adrian’s sick hold?

As he steps out into the larger world, supported by new friends, Steven must prove to John—and to himself—that he’s not a hedonistic rhinestone club kid, but a true diamond in the rough.

Delightful & charming!

It's more than a romance. This Charming Man is mostly about Steven and his journey to better himself.  He finally realizes that the person who is most important to him is also the most hurtful. He tries to break his bad habits and break away from the toxic person that used to mean the most to him.

The book is split into three parts, all different stages of the road Steven is taking to become a person he can be proud of. In the first part, we meet him and his best friend, Adrian. I had a front row seat to their friendship-nonrelationship-fuckbuddy-trainwreck they had going on. They were a hot mess. I hated Adrian, so much. But I also wanted to just hug him, shake him and make him snap the hell out of it! I know there's got to be more to him than the manipulative, selfish, asshat that I met. *prays, hopes and wishes for Adrian's book*

Amongst all the crap, Steven meets John. In the first part of the book, they have a couple chance encounters. A couple that end hopeful, with one that changes everything for Steven. Steven knows that John won't go for the partying boy that he's let himself become. He has to prove to John (and to himself) that he deserves the kind of love he knows he'd have with John.

During the first two parts, I was sure this would be solid 5 hearts (at least 4.5). I was riveted. I was completely taken by Steven and the lovely people in his life (heck, I was even intrigued by Adrian). Steven was turning himself around, he was already halfway there, but with a few tough choices he was doing it. As Steven would say, he was getting all his ducks in a row.

Not too much happened, it was just Steven's day to day life. Changing, being someone better, doing something different. It might feel slow, but it was deliberate and purposeful. I was completely taken by his journey.

Throughout this journey he and John kept running into each other. They would meet, flirt and hope to see one another again. Each time that they met, the tension grew higher and higher. Seriously. I like me some slow burn but... I won't even tell you where the first kiss happened. It was far. Trust me. But when it finally went down? Daaaaaaaaammmmnn. It was almost worth the wait. So yeah, part 3 dragged a little for me. I was still feeling Steven and John, but I wanted more from them as a couple.

Not your typical romance, but an utterly delightful story, filled with endearing characters. I really can't wait to read what else the author has planned in this series.

 

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

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