Hanged Man by Lucius Parhelion

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Setting in California in 1935, the book has the atmosphere of a old classic movie in black and white, or, to recall something more recent, of L.A. Confidential. Ray was a night club manager in New York; he was THE good guy, the nice face of the real owner, a mafia boss. Ray was not an unwilling pawn of his boss' play, he knew well what it was happening, but he turned his shoulders to not see what he didn't want to see. At the club he was "friendly" with Charlie, a man who said himself to be an accountant, but that Ray knew well was an FBI agent; but Charlie had his reason to frequent Ray's club, other than the illicit alcohol and that reason was Robin. So Ray knew Charlie's secret, and Charlie didn't unveil Ray's ones. When Robin was killed and Charlie couldn't do nothing to vengeance his lover, again Ray turned his shoulders to the men who decided to take on the club's propriety and eliminate Ray's boss: in this way, without actually doing nothing, Ray avenged Robin's death.

Three years later, Ray is quietly living in California, but someone is bent upon to disturb his peace. And Charlie reappears: he is in debt with Ray and maybe he is also interested in something more. And Ray, who three years before was still fighting with his "strange" feelings, maybe now is ready to read in the right way Charlie's friendship offer.

The story is simple in the plot, but very nice in the two characters. There are no conflicts between Charlie and Ray, almost as both of them arrived to the conclusion that being together is unavoidable. Obviously they can't be together in the open, but a buddy friendship on the outside, can hide something different inside the wall of their house. Again Ray and Charles have a mutual agreement, what happens between them remains between them: I do a favour to you and you do a favour to me; there are few smoochy moments, Ray and Charles' relationship is more direct and frankly, there is no need to wooing, but this doesn't mean that there is no tenderness between them, it's only that all the tenderness is restricted inside the bedroom's walls.

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Amazon Kindle: Hanged Man

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