Night Shift by Jenna Byrnes

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Even if it’s not an ‘80s setting, from the first sentences Night Shift reminded me a bit of the police detective television fiction of that period; Ryder, the Homicide detective that is more interested in helping the lost boys in the street than in making a career in the Police Department, is a bit like Hunter, even if not so big; and Trevor, the handsome Afro American Vice detective, has a bit of Miami Vice in him, with his tailored suit and expensive town house. There is nothing that join them together if not being both gay; but even in that they are different: Ryder doesn’t give much importance to the thing, if you ask he tells, and indeed, he is not searching at all to climb the ladders of the hierarchy, and instead Trevor, even if not denying it, prefers to downplay a bit, to not ruin his chances at a career.

So the only solution is that, while they are pairing in an investigation on a serial killer who is murdering only drug dealers, during the night shift they behave like stranger and during the day they have monkey sex in each of the possible variety.

The story is basically an erotic romp, but I like the subtle “light” tone; you can find it in small sentences scattered in between the lines, like when Ryder wants to prove to Trevor that he is a very “busy” man, but he has nothing better to do if not shifting paper on his desk. In a way, even the “not so perfect” detectives have their merit in making the story light: Ryder after all, is not exactly a cold blooded detective, he seems more interested in find and help the kids on the street, then in find and arrest the killer, he should be a social assistant more than a cop; on the other hand Trevor seems to me more interested in playing the hot shot detective than in really doing his job, so much that he jumps to the first available conclusion to have a chance to appear on the night news.

In a way they are more interesting like that, otherwise the story would have been like many other, playing along the line of the perfect dream cop; it’s no accident that, at the beginning, I said that they reminded me Hunter or Miami Vice… in both shows, the cops were less than perfect.

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=574

Amazon Kindle: Night Shift
Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing (September 28, 2009)

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Comments

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Sounds interesting! It's too bad the publisher 'whitewashed' the cover. I know there are photos of mixed-race couples out in the stock catalogs.

Thanks for the review!

[jenna-byrnes.livejournal.com]

Always enjoy your reviews Elisa. I hadn't made the 80's connection but it's rather interesting to think about, LOL

Regarding the cover, it's the standard TEB "Lust Bite" cover for m/m stories under 20K. They have two or three standard ones each year. I'm afraid they can't cover all possible match-ups.

Thanks again!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Good observation! I didn't think at that, but you are right. Unfortunately I think that is a standard cover for their gay themed novella. Elisa

Re: Thanks for the review!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

The '80s was the first think that came in mind to me, maybe I'm influenced since I indeed was a fan at the time. Elisa