Crossroads by Keta Diablo

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Keta Diablo likes the unpolitically correct characters. I had just a little taste of it in a previous short story in which one of the character was a man who cheated on his lover for fear of commitment; as you all know, for me a cheating man is something I can hardly forgive, even if, truth be told, in that book the man was doing everything possible to be forgiven.

In this new book Frank is the most possible anti-hero you can find. A mix of Inspector Callaghan meets Yaoi, Frank is a private investigator who has a little help from the otherworld: he sees dead people... not so original, you will think, there is even a series (Eye Spy by Drew Zachary) in which not only the private investigator sees ghosts, he has even a ghost partner (partner as lover). But let's start from the beginning: when Frank was still a rookie in the police department he was taken under the wing of an older police officer, Quinn; he was like a father for Frank and welcomed him in his home where Frank met Rand, the 17 years old gay son of the man. Since Frank was gay, and Quinn knew it, and Rand was in need of a firm hand, Quinn and his wife encouraged Frank towards Rand, but Frank did the only right thing he will do in all the book, he didn't take advantage of the young boy (even if with he had the consensus of the parents). And, as I said, that was the last time Frank behaved as a good man; soon after Quinn died in the line of duty, and Frank resisted only few months near the widow and her two sons, and then left her alone with all her trouble, even if the woman welcomed him in her home. Five years he acted as he didn't know that the woman needed him and that her son Rand considered him a role model, and loosing him at the same time of his father was not probably for the best.

After five years the widow calls him since her son Rand is disappeared since three months without notice. The woman knows that probably the young man, now 22 years old, is in some trouble and asks Frank to find and bring him home again. Due to his sense of guilty and the respect he had for his father, what do you think Frank should do? find the boy, teach him a lesson and bring him safe and sound at home, right? Oh yes, Frank finds him all right, but also breaks into his apartment at night wearing a hood, chains the boy at the bed, gags him and plays with him using a martial weapon as sex toys, to end all with a thoroughly sex session, the part that remembered me a yaoi manga, whimpers, blushing and tears all together.

So no, Frank is not exactly a private investigator by the book, and Rand is not probably the innocent boy who Frank remembers, but one thing you can say of this book, it didn't play according the rule. And so if you are searching a lot of sex, down and dirty, and a very bad boy character, that is unrepentant till and beyond the end of the book, probably this one could be an interesting and unusual choice. I can't say more on the story since this is only a novella and if I say more on the mystery part, I will risk to give up the book. And then, truth be told, with two long and detailed sex scenes, there is not much space left.

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Crossroads/exact_match=exact

Amazon Kindle: Crossroads

Reading List:

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

Comments

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

The author herself was not so happy about my review, I think she understood that it was exactly my type of novel. She also posted some harsh comment on her blog soon after my post. I discover it after our exchange in my comment section. First she posted on her blog, then commented here. I was tempted to reply to her post after I found it, but then I preferred to let it go, everyone has the right to have their opinion on some matter. Sensibility are different. Elisa

[kassa-rvws.livejournal.com]

I'm truly sorry that happened to you. Sensiblities ARE different but you presented this very well. You easily could not have done a review at all, and I bought the book based on your review.

I'm sorry that happened :/. You dont deserve that..

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

No, no problem at all. As I said to her, I was glad she commented here. I prefer to know than not knowing at all. I bought this book by myself, and truth be told, if I remember well, I didn't like that sex scene, but it was not a all too negative book. I think it was a try, I think the author is not new, but not a M/M romance author. Maybe she is not for me or you, but perhaps there are other person who likes this type of novel. Elisa