I had not read the previous book in the series and it didn't matter as this works as a standalone. There is no cliffhanger to manipulate the reader into buying the next in the series. I liked the style of narration as it drew me to the main character and made the other characters come alive. I liked seeing the life of the main character; it kept me interested as it is different from my world. I liked the mystery and that there were (just) enough clues for me to work with to try to solve the puzzle. ( )

Beautiful Corpse is an awesome read that keeps you on edge and takes you on an unpredictable journey, giving you a glimpse inside the 80s. It’s dark and scary and yet the author manages to slip in his twisted wry humor. The character of Marshall James is flawed but still a redemptive guy... and that's why the reader will always root for him. This author is quiet the storyteller and mystery fans that don’t mind same sex characters will really like it. ( )

the-mob, murder, murder-investigation, historical-novel, law-enforcement, LGBT, California, relationship-issues, family-dynamics, friendship, framed*****

In 1984 LA life was not too bad for Marshall and his husband the homicide detective. That is, until Marshall woke up drugged and in bed with a corpse and the uniforms arriving just as he escaped the establishment. The dead man was unidentifiable for a time, but who he turned out to be connected to was a real nightmare. And Marshall only had a short time to do his own investigating before his very law enforcement husband got into trouble.
As always, the characters are memorable and engaging, the atmosphere is well described . McNease never fails to hold the reader's interest while bringing in a well crafted story!
Sean Rhead did a decent job with the narration. ( )