Title: Deadly Nightshade
Author: Victor J. Banis
Publisher: MLR Press
Publisher URL: http://www.mlrbooks.com/
ISBN: 978-1-934531-75-4
Genre: {M/M} Contemporary Suspense
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
There’s a drag queen murdering men in San Francisco, and the city’s powers-that-be want the case solved…like yesterday. Veteran Homicide Detective Tom Danzel isn’t thrilled when he’s partnered with newly promoted rookie cop, Stanley Korski. Stanley’s last job was for an exclusive interior decorator and while he’s smart, he’s much better suited for his former job than the latter. Yet because Stanley’s openly gay, their superiors believe he can bring a special insight to the case, aiding in its swift closure. As Tom and Stanley work together to stop the serial killer, they have another puzzle to solve. Why are two men, who have nothing in common and who have different sexual orientations, so attracted to each other?
Deadly Nightshade is the first release in the Deadly Mystery series by author Victor J. Banis, and it’s the first book by this author that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Mr. Banis did a great job creating two intriguing, but very different characters that caught my interest from the very beginning. A significant portion of the story deals with those differences, giving the impression that the only thing Stanley and Tom will ever be to each other is short-lived, crime-solving partners. These well-written scenes provide the backbone from which the rest of the story grows, whether dealing with personal issues or conducting their murder investigation. The author uses good dialogue, vivid descriptions, interesting situations and believable characters to pull the reader into the midst of a seedy, yet gritty mystery, I didn’t figure out until the end.
I liked Stanley from the beginning, but I can’t say the same for Tom. His initial attitude and actions toward Stanley made it difficult for me to see him as a possible ‘romantic’ partner for the openly gay detective. As the story progressed and the relationship between Tom and Stanley grew and changed, so too did my feeling for the burly man. There isn’t any doubt that he didn’t understand why he was attracted to his lover, but it also didn’t stop him from pursuing him either. By the middle of the book, the tightly written and plotted story had me hooked, and there might not have been the ending that I wanted, but one I expected. Look for the next release in this mystery series with, Deadly Wrong.
Author: Victor J. Banis
Publisher: MLR Press
Publisher URL: http://www.mlrbooks.com/
ISBN: 978-1-934531-75-4
Genre: {M/M} Contemporary Suspense
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
There’s a drag queen murdering men in San Francisco, and the city’s powers-that-be want the case solved…like yesterday. Veteran Homicide Detective Tom Danzel isn’t thrilled when he’s partnered with newly promoted rookie cop, Stanley Korski. Stanley’s last job was for an exclusive interior decorator and while he’s smart, he’s much better suited for his former job than the latter. Yet because Stanley’s openly gay, their superiors believe he can bring a special insight to the case, aiding in its swift closure. As Tom and Stanley work together to stop the serial killer, they have another puzzle to solve. Why are two men, who have nothing in common and who have different sexual orientations, so attracted to each other?
Deadly Nightshade is the first release in the Deadly Mystery series by author Victor J. Banis, and it’s the first book by this author that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Mr. Banis did a great job creating two intriguing, but very different characters that caught my interest from the very beginning. A significant portion of the story deals with those differences, giving the impression that the only thing Stanley and Tom will ever be to each other is short-lived, crime-solving partners. These well-written scenes provide the backbone from which the rest of the story grows, whether dealing with personal issues or conducting their murder investigation. The author uses good dialogue, vivid descriptions, interesting situations and believable characters to pull the reader into the midst of a seedy, yet gritty mystery, I didn’t figure out until the end.
I liked Stanley from the beginning, but I can’t say the same for Tom. His initial attitude and actions toward Stanley made it difficult for me to see him as a possible ‘romantic’ partner for the openly gay detective. As the story progressed and the relationship between Tom and Stanley grew and changed, so too did my feeling for the burly man. There isn’t any doubt that he didn’t understand why he was attracted to his lover, but it also didn’t stop him from pursuing him either. By the middle of the book, the tightly written and plotted story had me hooked, and there might not have been the ending that I wanted, but one I expected. Look for the next release in this mystery series with, Deadly Wrong.
1 comment:
Thanks for an insightful and positive review. Yes, it took me a while to warm up to Tom, too - but have faith, this book was always planned with the next one in mind. They are an unlikely pair, but I enjoy listening to them spar.
Victor J.
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