I HATED our female commentator. She used to be bobsledder so knows the women but she kept saying personal stuff about the competitors " So-and-so told me she had some serious personal problems that led to her results". Oh gee, thanks, I'm sure she wants EVERYONE to know her personal life was in the toilet. Then when the British team was up she starts laughing about "oh she had a great behind as everyone on YouTube knows." So of course we googled and the woman's suit split during a competition and you can see her butt. But really, I'm sure she's embarrassed by that but you felt compelled to share it so people like me would look. Arrgghh. I shouldn't have I know, but it's human nature. You leave me wondering what the hell you're talking about I'm going to look. I just thought her personal comments were really too far and that I'm sure things people shared thinking they were only talking to a former colleague they never dreamed would be broadcast to the world. Very unprofessional. Rant over.
For other countries, Australia, that winter sports powerhouse ;-) got a gold in women's aerials.
I seem to be in a mystery reading mood, or finishing mysteries because I had started Partners in Crime forever ago but never finished the second story. Done. I re-read the first one quickly as well.
Pas de Deux by Jamie Craig (270 pages)
James is a high powered media friendly lawyer who has taken on the case of a young man accused of killing a ballerina pro bono because he has a gut instinct. The detective on the case has a heart attack and Owen, a star of the department, is assigned. He meets James and is impressed and vice versa. Some quick research on James' part proves that his client is innocent and when suddenly his client is accused of killing his cellmate and James is shot at on the street, they start working together to find out what the heck is going on and not only who killed the girl but why they are determined to keep James' client in jail for something/anything.
I did enjoy the mystery and although it's revealed early on "who done it" the question is can they get the evidence to prove it. The two guys moved very quickly on the relationship front but they admit that it's a bit freaky that within three days they are both very attracted. Maybe they are a bit perfect, James is the rich lawyer on partner track but isn't arrogant and cares about his clients. Owen is the detective who always gets his man but cares about justice and not going about things in a ham-handed fashion, so they each respect that the other is not the negative stereotype that they expect. I liked their relationship and how they interacted and worked together. What I didn't like? Sigh. The name thing. Their names are Owen Duke and James Scott. Sometimes they are referred to as Duke and Scott, sometimes James and Owen. When they speak to each other they use their first names (as in called out at the height of passion) but in the narrative it changes, sometimes within the same paragraph or sentence to sentence. I'm not sure the POV type but you are inside each guys head, or it feels like it. So the narrative will be "He felt that James was the best thing that ever happened to him. Duke turned over and shut the light off." Why would you refer to him by his first name AND his last name in the same thought? Why not just "he turned over ...."? And why are their last names and first names interchangeable? Their names could have been Duke Owen and Scott James. I found it needlessly annoying, not confusing because I knew who was who but why not just use first name once they started being friends? So despite my nitpicking on the name issue, I did enjoy the story, the characters and even the mystery quite a bit.
Partners in Crime by Josh Lanyon and Sarah Black (231 pages)
This is two stories in one books, both mysteries of course. Cards on the Table by Josh Lanyon. Tim is an author writing the story of an unsolved murder of a Hollywood starlet 50 years ago. He finds a tarot card on his door one day which is a factor in the case, and he consults with his neighbor and one-time date Jack who is a cop. Seems they had a date and when Tim had an epileptic seizure (a result of an accident he was in several months earlier) things didn't work out. Tim is still attracted but figures Jack is freaked by the epilepsy. However Jack starts helping him when Tim is attacked twice and told to stop writing the book. Jack also tries to explain why he backed off and still wants to be friends but Tim isn't so sure that's a good idea but they do end up in Jack's water bed yet again. LOL Trying to figure out the mystery of who killed the starlet was interesting, sitting in on Tim's interviews and I kind of understood why Jack reacted as he did to Tim, but they had a chemistry and you could tell that Jack genuinely liked Tim. I enjoyed this one the most of the two.
Murder at the Heartbreak Hotel by Sarah Black. Peter runs a hotel in Alaska that caters to gay clientele. He usually doesn't sleep with guests but he has a brief fling with Jacob, a young cellist who is heading to Montreal to escape an abusive lover and start a new life. The day he is to leave he is murdered and they have to figure out why/who. Seems Peter has been in a relationship with Sebastian for 20 years, but every year Sebastian takes off to live in the woods and race his dogs. He just can't hang around so that's why Peter had the affair with Jacob when Sebastian was gone for 6 months. His sister, a local cop, informed Sebastian when she found out about Jacob and Peter (small town) and he arrives back just as the murder investigation is getting underway. After that it's them trying to find out who killed him and figure out more about Jacob and who he was to try and determine who might have wanted him dead. The relationship is also a catalyst for Peter and Sebastian to really decide what they want. Peter is tired of being left alone but he does love Sebastian and they have to get past the fact he slept with Jacob, but he also understands why. For some reason I didn't relate as well, maybe because Sebastian's "hang around 6 months - I have to be alone - show up for 7 months - I have to be alone" thing annoyed me. I would have dumped him years ago. LOL I did like how they found out more and more about Jacob as it went and you got to know him through that and even though he was murdered in the early pages. All in all for those who like mysteries this is a great read with two good authors.
A Shot of Jack by JT Whitehall (15 pages)
This is not a mystery in the traditional sense, I was just mystified by the plot. LOL Ridge hangs out a local gay bar run by Jack who's long-time partner died of cancer several years ago. When Jack gets in the mood, he gives a free shot of Jack to someone in the bar which means "let's go fuck". EVERYONE knows and one night Ridge gets the shot. He's a bit freaked because he noticed that no one who gets it ever comes back and he likes it there and his friends but he agrees after some prodding. So Jack informs him he's only interested in sex, no strings. Ridge agrees and they have sex in his office. A few days later Ridge comes back and gets a bit freaked when he sees the bartender pouring another shot because he realizes that he did like Jack and now someone else is going to get lucky. But it seems that Ridge is the first person to ever come back and that really Jack WANTED to date the guys he gave the drinks but he just said he didn't and if they never came back he takes that as a sign they really weren't interested but since Ridge came back he wants a relationship with him. WTF? What kind of logic is that. You tell the guys "sex only" and then when they don't come back you are disappointed because you really DID want a relationship? I'm so confused. Hence the mystery. Kind of weird logic if you ask me.
16 comments:
I didn't want hot buns to trip so I helped him out of his undies. He was appropriately grateful! ;D
I've only read Pas de Deux, which I really liked. Partners in Crime sounds interesting. Not too sure about the other one.
Cards on the Table is one of my fav Josh Lanyon novellas. I think it's because I really liked Tim cos he was all tough but yet his epilepsy made him vulnerable too. I hadn't enjoyed the Sarah Black story as much either. I found Peter a bit too fussy and thought it a bit cliched that he cooked when he was nervous.
I quite like the sound of 'A Shot of Jack'. It's like the bar owner is looking for love but is too shy to do the whole dating scene. Perhaps the 'sex only' thing is to test the mettle of the other guy, to see whether he was strong enough to go against Jack's wishes or something like that. Or maybe I'm just talking complete bollocks. It won't be the first time, lol.
Well, I just hope there was pictures of his gratitude Lily. LOL Skip the short, really. But you can't go wrong with a Josh Lanyon.
Maybe that was it Jen, Peter did seem a bit odd. It was okay but I didn't enjoy it as much as Josh's.
But he kept shooting himself in the foot. Say you don't want a relationship when you really do but because the guy wants a relationship he doesn't come back because he can't face you screwing the other customers so in essence you chase off the guys who ARE interested in more. They are allowed to come back to the bar if they want. Them not coming back likely means they DID like you and I would presume someone who came back didn't give a damn and it was just another bar hook-up. It seemed twisted, but maybe that's just me. LOL I get frustrated with characters who play twisted games with other people's heads. Use your words people, use your words. :-P
Mysteries all round for you Tam..
I need to challenge myself and read some of those Lanyon book... I do like most of Sarah Black's stuff...
I must try those... putting on the note pad...
A shot of Jack sounds right up my street - I love those type of books - contrary...
E.H>
Josh is a great writer EH, very strong characters. And hey, if you like things a little out of the ordinary you might like Jack. And at 15 pages it's not much of a time suck or too expensive.
Heh, I didn't notice the name thing when I read Pas de Deux! I liked it and Partners in Crime. That last one sort of reminds me of a short I just read.... *visits blog and returns* Ok, it sort of reminds me of Dress To Impress by Jodi Payne, just in the set up.
I think I noticed it more because of our Love Ahead discussion about names Chris. So it was fresh in my mind.
How come we never see that kind of apparel failure at the Olympics? (Bet his widgie is no bigger than a mushroom cap, though. Brrr. *g*)
I suspected as much! :D
Shrinkage, it's a horrible horrible thing. :-)
Congrats on all the medals :)
Pas de Deux was already on my to-buy list, probably picked it up from Chris' blog... But I have to read No Fear in Love first since that's already on my ereader.
@Lily: Thanks for helping hot buns out of his drawers (I like that word ;)) It would have been a shame if someone had pulled them up!
It was a good book Janna despite my little rant about the names. :-)
You ladies are very naughty. LOL
"Kind of weird logic if you ask me."
That's cos it's boy logic.
Aaahhhh. Right. Suddenly it makes more sense. I should just pat them on the head and move on. LOL
You ladies are very naughty. LOL
Hey, who put him up there with his undies on his knees? ;)
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