Frat House Troopers by Xavier Mayne

[reviews_and_ramblings]

At first I wasn’t sure about the novel, usually cop novels are more gritty, almost dry; this one was light and funny, more like a college frat boys story. Indeed State trooper Ethan Brandt has to go undercover as a college student, and he was picked for the job basically cause he is 24 years old and looking younger, and fit and hot, that is another must if you have to bust a pay-per-view website.

The funny thing is that, the pay-per-view website is basically a reality about straight frat boys living and getting “dirty” together; so Ethan, who is straight, is perfect for the role… isn’t that right? Ethan is straight, right? Mmm, that is, Ethan seems to be a little too much interested in the guys, and while he is at it, also his partner Gabriel Donnelly is starting to become more and more attractive to his eyes, even if both Ethan than Gabriel continue to claim they are straight… perhaps they are trying too much, and the reader doesn’t believe them, like most of the other supporting characters around.

Once I entered the mood of the story, I understood this was more a satire than a mystery/thriller plot; nor Ethan or Gabriel were ever in danger, if not of losing their clothes and falling in love at the same time. Ethan and Gabriel are all around good boys, big bodies and even bigger hearts; there is hesitance in them about embracing their discovery of being in love with another man, but not since they have prejudices, but simply since they haven’t never really considered the possibility. Actually, even if there are only a man to man relationships in the story, I would consider both Ethan than Gabriel bisexual more than gay: they happen to be in love with a man and they decided to follow that pull.

That is basically what I liked of the story, and odd as it sound, what I feel was used too much: not only Ethan and Gabriel, but also Nick and Pete and then Will and Lucas, all of them, while in different circumstances, followed the same path. Nevertheless, I think I would be interested to read their stories, to see if the same path could be developed in different ways.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3459

Amazon: Frat House Troopers
Amazon Kindle: Frat House Troopers
Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 19, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 162380132X
ISBN-13: 978-1623801328

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle