m/m-romantic-suspense, mysteries, first-in-series, contemporary, California, fiction, series, Korean-Americans, South Korean, private-investigators, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-history, family-expectations, wealthy****

It was good to have the beginning explained since I actually started with spin-off book 1 and absolutely loved it!
Greg Tremblay is an awesome voice actor with a tremendous range of abilities! ( )

Holy crap. This plot is relentless! There's a lot that isn't spelled out because that is not how the main character rolls, and it definitely adds to the tension.

I loved Cole's humor; it is a sharp and poignant contrast to the damage he's taken and how he struggles to live with his experiences. It fascinated me that in the sex scenes, his sentences became very long and complex, sometimes nonsensical, but extremely sensual. And Jae, his humor and his emotional strength, and in particular how his culture (Korean) colors his life choices, challenged Cole at every turn. It is an unsteady but heady dance as compelling as the murder Cole is trying to solve.

Highly recommended. ( )

Cop-turned-private-investigator Cole McGinnis agrees to investigate a suicide on behalf of his brother's employer. While the case seems easy, Cole quickly finds there are layers to the death that he had not imagined--and some of those layers leave him in danger. During the course of the investigation, Cole crosses paths with the dead man's cousin, Jae-Min, and finds feelings stirred inside himself that he may not be ready for. He's still getting over the death of his former boyfriend, Rick, in an incident that left him scarred and injured. But Cole can't shake Jae-Min and feels a need to be there for him when it seems Jae-Min is in danger, as well.

There's a well-written and engaging mystery here with dashes of romance. I find it the mark of a good mystery if the author can keep me guessing until closer to the end of the book and Rhys Ford did just that with this book. There are enough twists and turns to keep you wondering just who is responsible and exactly why everything has happened. The interactions between Jae-Min and Cole threw me for a bit of a loop, though, and I struggled with Jae's constant hemming and hawing regarding the relationship. That said, it's an enjoyable read and I recommend it. ( )

I enjoyed the mystery up to the part where we are told who did it (that came so out of the left field it wasn't even funny). The writing was too descriptive for me (it managed to put me to sleep several times) and I was sometimes lost in who said what. There were some minor discrepancies in the plot (like, the unpleasant housekeeper/maid the MC met at one house was later found dead in another house, as if she worked there from the beginning).
All in all, I'm glad I gave the book a chance, but it's not for me. ( )

A great suspense. ( )