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Review: Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford
Filed in Review , Rhys Ford , The Geeky Lover Posted on July 6, 2011 @ 10:00 am
5 comments
Format Read: ARC provided by the author
Number of pages: 230 pages
Release Date: 1 July 2011
Formats available: Paperback, eBook
Genre: m/m mystery
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Amazon
Bool Blurb:
Cole Kenjiro McGinnis, ex-cop and PI, is trying to get over the shooting death of his lover when a supposedly routine investigation lands in his lap. Investigating the apparent suicide of a prominent Korean businessman’s son proves to be anything but ordinary, especially when it introduces Cole to the dead man’s handsome cousin, Kim Jae-Min.Jae-Min’s cousin had a dirty little secret, the kind that Cole has been familiar with all his life and that Jae-Min is still hiding from his family. The investigation leads Cole from tasteful mansions to seedy lover’s trysts to Dirty Kiss, the place where the rich and discreet go to indulge in desires their traditional-minded families would rather know nothing about. It also leads Cole McGinnis into Jae-Min’s arms, and that could be a problem. Jae-Min’s cousin’s death is looking less and less like a suicide, and Jae-Min is looking more and more like a target. Cole has already lost one lover to violence—he’s not about to lose Jae-Min too.
My Thoughts:
I’m usually not much of a mystery lover. I get easily bored by the back and forth between suspects, the never-ending interrogations and the constant not knowing of what really happened. I’m an awfully nosy and impatient person so mystery usually strains my nerves to the limit.I have to say that Dirty Kiss avoided all that. It grabbed my attention from the start and never fell into those patterns that usually keep me away from this genre.
Private investigator Cole Kenjiro McGinnis is an ex-cop with a tragedy in his past that changed his life completely. He’s still not over it and struggles with the aftershocks. I really liked Cole. He was fun but also a serious investigator. He has a good heart and he cares deeply. He believes in justice and that everyone deserves it. I loved to see him working through the tangles of this case. He has a structured and yet intuitive way to handle his work. Another fact why I loved Cole was the way he acted with Jae-Min. *happy sigh*
Kim Jae-Min is a troubled young man. His world is ruled by the Korean views of his family and what they deem right or wrong. Unfortunately they think that his way of life is as wrong as it can get and they don’t hestitate to make him pay. Still he is, as Cole describes him himself, sometimes like a cat: loving his independence, adoring to play and being stubborn as hell. At first I wasn’t so sure about him. I knew where the physical attraction came from but Jai made some mistakes in the beginning. It seems I just needed a bit more time than Cole to forgive him.
The mystery itself was solid and gave a nice twist here and there. I really didn’t see that end coming. I liked to see how Cole’s old friend Bobby and his brother Mike helped him out from time to time. And I adored Claudia, his wonderful bossy and motherly assistant. The side cast really was a blast. The banter between this tight little group was fun to read about and it made me laugh more than once. And let’s not forget the cat (God, I love kitties).
The romance in Dirty Kiss is branded by the protagonists’ pasts. Neither of them had it easy and they struggle with what they want- both in their own way. To see them find their way to each other and step over the obstacles in their way was heartbreakingly good. We see a realistic way of doing this and I loved that not everything was all sunshine and roses.
Dirty Kiss is a wonderful debut novel that really blew me away. It showed me that there are mystery stories out there I would actually enjoy and the sweet and heartbreaking romance won me over pretty fast. The way the Asian customs were knitted into the story was really fascinating, giving this story an exotic twist. I know I will keep my eyes open for more out of Ford’s pen. A highly recommended read.
I give Dirty Kiss 4 out of 5 bookies.
***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.
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thanks for the heads up. This looks like something I will enjoy!
Can't say I am a mystery lover either, but if it blew you away and you are not one either then 🙂
I'm not a mystery lover either but since you enjoyed it i'll keep it on my Maybe-list =)
I was looking for a couple of good M/Ms to add to my TBR, and this seems to be a good addition! Thanks, Susi!
@Sharon This book is worth a try!
@Blodeuedd It was so entertaining and Ford really avoided my usual mystery turn-offs.
@pattepoilue YAY *pumps fists*
@Ju Ohhh, I hope you will love this one as much as I did.