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    Bad Behavior: Reckless Behavior – L.A. Witt & Cari Z

    After too many years of putting his job first, Detective Andreas Ruffner is getting his priorities straight. He’s ready to spend some quality time with his adult kids, not to mention come clean about some things he should’ve told them a long time ago. And introduce them to his partner and boyfriend, Darren Corliss.

    But in a heartbeat, a family dinner turns into Andreas’s worst nightmare. When the dust settles, one of his kids is hurt, and the other three have been abducted.

    Andreas is going to find his kids, and nothing, not even a broken ankle, is going to stop him. Thank God for his sharp, level-headed partner … who has a crisis of his own pulling him away when Andreas needs him the most. As both men try to support—and lean on—each other, they get no closer to finding the kids. And the longer the children are missing, the less likely it is they’ll ever be found.

    If I thought the last case was tough, this one was heartbreaking! L.A. Witt & Cari Z made the boys go through hell.

    It started with Andreas and Darren having dinner with Andreas’ kids, Erin, Ben, Casey and Emily with Andreas introducing Darren as his boyfriend and dropping the HIV bomb. Ben took it well but Casey needed more time to process it. After dinner, the girls went for a bathroom break and Ben and Casey went to their car. Next thing Andreas heard were gunshots and a car crash, then his ex-girlfriend Lisa was panicking because the girls were missing.

    From then on, the story went on a relentless pace that had me feeling exhausted for both Andreas and Darren. Andreas was still nursing the broken ankle he got from the previous case and he can barely walk. It didn’t stop him from taking the lead in the investigation because heaven help anyone who gets in his way.

    This abduction case took all they got. Andreas and Darren barely had any sleep. The boys were pushed to their limits but even as tragedy struck they kept pushing back. Andreas would have probably lost it but Darren was his rock. The case highlighted how much they have come to mean to each other and how solid their relationship is. I love the Han Solo shoutout!

    One good thing that came out of this was that their fellow cops rallied behind them albeit somewhat grudgingly since Andreas and Darren were still on their blacklist. Even Internal Affairs was moved.

    Family bonds is a key theme in the book and even though the case was a nightmare, there remains a strong feeling of love, care, devotion and dry humor to lighten things up. Andreas’s family remained close and Andreas is friends with both his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend who in turn were both supportive of his relationship with Darren. Andreas kids were amazing and tough, especially Erin who, despite Andreas’ reputation, has endeared herself to everyone at the police station when she started working there as an intern. She gave them a much needed break on the case. I hope she follows her dad’s footsteps because she makes a good cop. Darren’s mom and stepdad also gave much needed support to everyone even though they themselves have to deal with grief. The main antagonist himself was motivated by familial ties. 

    Both Risky Behavior and Suspicious Behavior were awesome reads but Reckless Behavior stood out as being the most personally case the Andreas and Darren had dealt with. The boys suffered dead ends, setbacks and personal tragedies but throughout all these they remained strong. The execution of the plot was practically flawless, the characterization and writing were on point. Michael Ferraiuolo expertly wrung out every emotion from every word.The hopes and frustration, exhaustion and pain, the terror and suspense and finally the relief and peace. It was beautiful!

    P.S.

    Review of Risky Behavior here.
    Review of Suspicious Behavior here.
    Review of L.A. Witt books here.

    Rating:

    5 Stars – absolutely perfect

    Soundtrack: Afraid of Everyone
    Artist: The National
    Album: High Violet

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35611965-reckless-behavior)

  • book,  Uncategorized

    Bad Behavior: Suspicious Behavior – L.A. Witt & Cari Z

    Detective Darren Corliss is hanging by a thread. In between recovering from a near-fatal wound and returning to work at a hostile precinct, he’s struggling to help care for his ailing brother. His partner and boyfriend, Detective Andreas Ruffner, wants to help, but doesn’t know how. And with his own family crises brewing, Andreas is spread almost as thin as Darren.

    For cops, though, life takes a backseat to the job. When a stack of unsolved homicides drops into their laps, Andreas and Darren think they’re unrelated cold cases. But when a connection surfaces, they find themselves on the tail of a prolific serial killer who’s about to strike again.

    Except they’ve got nothing. No leads. No suspects. Just a pile of circumstantial evidence and a whole lot of hunches. Time is running out to stop the next murder—and to pull themselves back from their breaking points.

    Phew! Our boys can’t catch a break. What with the hostility from their peers, Asher’s rapidly worsening Alzheimer’s,  Andreas’ family trouble and a serial killer on the loose.

    Narrator Michael Ferraiuolo continued to impressed me with his delivery. He was not only reading, he was really acting. I love the small but effective touches he added, like the sniffling, the coughing, the little laughs. It gives an extra something to the narration. Really awesome!

    This is another addicting case to follow and I liked L.A. Witt & Cari Z’s take on the serial killer trope. Usually, it takes the entire book to uncover who the serial killer is. In this case, they know who the killer is, they just had a devil of a time proving it. Their evidence were all circumstantial. 

    The case proved to be a very frustrating one. They were sure their main suspect was it but life threw them curve balls and red herrings which nearly broke Darren’s confidence. Ironically, it was Andreas who remained optimistic. Their strategy was out of the box and as was their way, involved bending the rules slightly. It was great to see Andreas and Darrin evolve into a power couple, both personally and as working partners. They have developed a sort of telepathic connection where each of them instinctively knew what the other was thinking. This kind of bond usually takes years to form but Andreas and Darrin just synced really well. 

    The climax was full of suspense and fraught with great danger that was compounded by the fact that the other detectives continued to hold grudges with Andreas and Darrin. Detective Paula Morris, Andreas’ loyal friend and one of the best characters of the series, played a crucial role.

    Although the story was still written in dual POV, I think this was a slightly Darren-centric story. He had to deal with brother’s condition and the possibility that he too might have the gene. He was also the one making major conclusions on who the serial killer is. In addition, we get to know more of Andreas’ background and family life and witness Darren squeeing at Andreas interacting with his four year old daughter, Emily.  

    Suspicious Behavior, the second book of the Bad Behavior series, moved Andreas and Darren’s relationship forward, dealt with the repercussions of their first case and showed that they can handle cases outside narcotics.The workaholic pair were tenacious in their pursuit of case and weren’t afraid to get creative with the rules. It was only when they broke their bones were they forced to have that much needed break.  Overall, the plot was gripping with cleverly written twists and turns and major arc and character developments all around. 

    Love it!

    P.S.

    Review of book 1, Bad Behavior series, Risky Behavior here.

    Rating: 

    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: Deep Red Bells
    Artist: Neko Case
    Album: Black Listed

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34998102-suspicious-behavior)

  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Risky Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z

    Bad Behavior: Risky Behavior – L.A. Witt & Cari Z

    It’s day one of Darren Corliss’s career as a detective, and not only has he been assigned a notoriously difficult partner, but the guy might also be a pill-popping dirty cop. Internal Affairs needs proof, and Darren gets to be their eyes and ears whether he wants to or not.

    Detective Andreas Ruffner doesn’t play by the rules, and he doesn’t play well with others. With bodies piling up and a list of suspects who are way above his pay grade, the last thing he needs is a wet-behind-the-ears kid for a partner. Or babysitter. Not even if that partner is easy on the eyes.

    As Darren gains Andreas’s hard-won trust, they both realize there’s more than just mutual suspicion simmering beneath the surface. But their investigation is heating up as quickly as their relationship, and Darren has no choice but to go along with Andreas’s unorthodox–and borderline unethical–methods. As IA puts the squeeze on Darren to give up the man he’s falling for, he has to wonder–is Andreas the only cop left in this town who isn’t dirty?

    Declaring this week Bad Behavior Week because Andreas and Darren happened…

    I didn’t expect to like Risky Behavior as much as I did. This is also my first listen to Michael Ferraiuolo and boy, did he knock it out of the park!

    Majority of crime stories are solving serial killings, which I enjoy but then again, just how many serial killers are there in the US? On a refreshing note, Risky Behavior is about busting a drug gang whose connections go all the way to the top. Detective Andreas Ruffner thought himself a lone wolf out to take down this corruption. He was saddled with Darren Corliss, a rookie partner aka babysitter because Internal Affairs thinks he has something to hide. 

    Andreas is an asshole to most people. He trusts no-one. He has his reasons. Darren knows he has to earn that trust and though he was the younger of the two, he wasn’t a doormat. He was up for the challenge. The two didn’t get along at first. Both found the other attractive despite being at odds with each other on their first meeting but I love how L.A. WItt & Cari Z handled the development of their relationship. They had both characters playing it cool and most importantly, keeping it professional. Until they noticed the other one noticed. And then it slowly evolved into trust and a partnership, in both sense of the word, in a very convincing manner. It was so good I’m not even bothered by the almost 20 year age-gap.

    The rest of the cast were great characters. Not all of them were likable but the combination of the authors characterization and Michael Ferraiuolo’s delivery made all the characters stand out. It reminded me of the cop shows I used to watch. I could imagine Bad Behavior as a drama series and the supporting cast would be those characters actors who always look familiar but you don’t know the names of.

    Jamie Bamber as Detective Andreas Ruffner

    image

    Dean Geyer as Detective Darren Corliss

    image

    The case is one hell of a hook, keeping me glued to the story for hours. For this part alone, I would recommend the book to mystery/crime fiction lovers who might or might not be into MM. The case was complicated and challenging with widespread repercussions for the entire city. No wonder Andreas was willing to do everything to crack the case. Darren earned his stripes by quickly learning to play the game and sticking his neck out. The two men go against Internal Affairs and government authorities, and make unholy alliances with unlikely individuals. Riveting stuff!

    Risky Behavior is a very well-written police procedural story with great characters and cunning twists and turns. Add to that the brilliant narration by Michael Ferraiuolo and you got yourself a winner! 

    P.S.

    Review of L.A. Witt books here.

    Rating:

    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: Honest Town
    Artist: Simple Minds
    Album: Big Music

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33411778-risky-behavior)

  • book,  Uncategorized

    To My Future Number 1 Fan – L.A. Witt

    Struggling actor Adam Jacobsen was ready to pack up and leave Hollywood when a stranger gave him the encouragement he needed. Five years later, he’s made it, and when he wins his first major award, he dedicates it to the man who said “It could be you.”

    Brian Stewart is stunned by the acceptance speech, and so are Adam’s fans. Immediately, both men find themselves swept up in a media frenzy. Everyone wants to know the man who gave Adam that much-needed boost—including Adam. When the guys finally meet again, a single talk show appearance isn’t enough. Before long, they’re flying to see each other at every opportunity.

    But Adam’s career means being in a fishbowl. When word gets out that America’s biggest crush has a new boyfriend, the press and the public descend on Brian. Adam can’t protect him. Brian can’t handle the constant attention.

    And something has to give before fame costs each man the love of his life.

    This would make a super cute rom-com movie!

    I haven’t read a lot but I think this is one of the better famous person falls in love with non-famous person stories. I’m thrilled with the concept as well as the execution of the plot.

    “I…” He laughed self-consciously and flipped to a blank page. “I realized a long time ago how many servers in Los Angeles are actors trying to break into Hollywood. And it occurred to me that any one of them could be the next big thing. There’s no telling who it’ll be.” Some of the shyness faded as he looked right in my eyes and added, “It could be you.”

    Those opening scenes were simply heartwarming and the acceptance speech got me teary-eyed. I was right there with them when the nerves and anticipation of their talk show meeting was almost too much to bear. It was a major aaw moment when Adam got choked up sharing the story of how a complete stranger turned his life around. Then they were finally face to face for the first time in five years…

    There he was.

    Adam stood up, and he smiled even bigger now. He came around the chairs and threw his arms around me, and all the butterflies vanished as I hugged him. He was shorter than I’d realized—I’d been seated the entire time we’d interacted at the diner—and I had two or three inches on him. We fit together, though. His embrace was tight and strong, and over the roar of the crowd I heard him whisper just loud enough for me and nobody else to hear, “Thank you.”

    It was clear to both parties that the mutual attraction of that fateful day in the restaurant was still there. They decided to meet again and found they just clicked.

    The honeymoon phase was generally smooth sailing which could be a bit boring depending on your taste. While some novels depend on miscommunication for conflict, Adam and Brian talked. They talked about about what they want in a relationship and what their limits are which is quite refreshing. A point of interest for those on a lookout for such things is that Adam, at 28, is still a virgin. I don’t know if this is a point of interest for people in the US but Brian is a male nurse. Male nurses are very common in my country so I’m not sure why Brian said there was a big deal about him being one. Whatever. I think it was pretty sweet how they dealt with each other with infinite patience. They just matched each other perfectly, the story could have ended right there when they first came out as a couple.

    The conflict came in the way of paparazzi and social media. Brian shuns the spotlight, dreads it really due to some childhood experience. When they announced they were a couple, a shitstorm of vitriol from internet trolls hit. Brian claims the unwanted attention was not a deal breaker but it very nearly wrecked them. I was disappointed with Brian for even paying attention to these toxic people but fortunately, our boy rallied.

    Yeah, this was wrong. I’d let the assholes win. It was no different than when I’d let my middle school tormentors chase me off the wrestling team or let the homophobic assholes in high school scare me off the baseball team. Or when, believing the classmates who’d convinced me I was stupid, I’d declined to take a test for Honors classes. Except it was different. This was way worse. I wasn’t just missing out on a sports team or an advanced class—I was missing out on the man I loved.

    Cue: reconciliation scene. We see echoes of that iconic boombox scene except with a selfie. Two years later, Adam and Brian attend movie premieres together and nobody gives a damn. Also, L.A. Witt owes us a wedding scene.

    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits 

    Soundtrack: Actors
    Artist: Bravestation
    Album: V

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40508649-to-my-future-number-1-fan)

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    Unhinge the Universe – Aleksandr Voinov & L.A. Witt

    SS Lieutenant Hagen Friedrichs is the sole survivor of a party sent to retrieve his brother—and the highly sensitive information he’s carrying—from behind enemy lines. But his daring rescue attempt fails, and Hagen becomes the prisoner.

    Allied command has ordered Captain John Nicholls to extract critical intelligence from their new Nazi POW. His secrets could turn the tide of the war, but are they real? John is determined to find out … and to shatter the prisoner who killed his lover during the attack on their tiny base. The deeper he digs, though, the more he realizes that the soldier under the SS uniform is just like him: a scared, exhausted young man who’s lost loved ones and just wants to go home.

    As captor and captive form an unexpected bond, the lines quickly blur between enemy, friend, and lover. And as horrifying rumors spread from the front lines and American soldiers turn their sights on the SS for vengeance, John may be Hagen’s only hope for survival.

    I’m a science major but for me, the most important thing I learned from my university is not quantum mechanics or any major science stuff but perspective. From whose perspective is a piece written? For whom it it written? This is what particularly attracts me to Aleksandr Voinov’s works set in WWII. Germans were the bad guys at that time as everybody knows so to have the point of view of Nazi soldiers from a German writer is definitely something. It  is also an added bonus that Voinov is a great writer. I totally loved Witches of London – Eagles Shadow and Skybound was beautiful so I was excited to read Unhinge the Universe.

    This is an enemies-to-lovers story revolving around Hagen an SS officer and John an American military captain who interrogates him. And the story is really just the two of them with barely any memorable secondary characters (Siegfried and Michael don’t count because they were just there to make these people feel something).

    I was disappointed with Hagen. After what John was saying about the SS being the worst type of prisoner, I expected Hagen to be all subtle menace and mind games (ala  Hans Landa) but heck, he squealed at the slightest provocation. Even after John felt the predator/prey relationship seemed reversed, I didn’t feel any danger. Ok, maybe I should give the guy a break, he had a rough day and also maybe that was the point, that he was not a monster but I couldn’t help feeling let down after all that build up. I was also looking forward to John being a terror of an interrogator but meh, he was too nice. He was stroking the prisoner’s head tenderly for crying out loud. Ok, this is my fault for approaching a book the wrong way and watching too many Tarantino movies.

    There were some pretty tight, intense scenes in the book especially those involving razors. The hospital scene was pure fluff <3 But sometimes I wondered if they became attracted to each other only because they discovered they were both men who notice men. If they met at a different time and place, would they be together?  

    Overall, points for the history and backdrop but story-wise, the book didn’t really unhinge anything.

    Rating: 

    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Superhumans
    Artist: The Flaming Lips
    Album: Transmissions from a Satellite Heart

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31133156-unhinge-the-universe)