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Inferno

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 326 ratings · 85 reviews

In Inferno, passion burns hotter than hell... After the murder of a notorious rent boy in the relatively new gay nightclub Inferno, Moonlight Cove cop Zack Stewart and his partner Claire Keaton are presented with a bewildering array of suspects, all with links to the dead man. Zack's chief suspect is arrogant club owner Dante Jardine, a man not so easy to unravel, and even...more

ebook, 282 pages

Published July 14th 2012 by Silver Publishing

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Best M/M Romance Published in 2012

96th out of 581 books — 1,203 voters

Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price

Best Gay Cops/ Security Guards/P.I.'s

114th out of 414 books — 604 voters

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Jul 16, 2012 Simsala*is getting slow* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cops-pi-s, contemporary, m-m, blood-sweat-and-tears, cold-shower-ice-fan-pronto, could-see-the-sparks-fly, love-my-bad-boys, suspense-crime

4,5 stars

Ami did all the words here (and snatched away my favorite testosterone-line...*sniffs indignantly*), so I thought...

You like sweet romance...

....knights in shining armour

...the air full of love and pink bubbles...

...sorry, this book is not for you!

What you get is...Luci and his fallen angels singing Halleluja...*coughs*...okay...

(NSFW!!!)

...a serial killer

...killing gay men at the nightclub

(just "Inferno", but I loved the pun with the name...)

police procedure/murder investigation...

(pic...more

60 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Bev rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: doms-in-charge, hot-and-steamy, m-m, romance, favorites

Updated May 2013. Buddy re-read for me with Monique, Kris, Macky, Ijeoma, Sara, Lily and Adriane. Enjoyed it Ladies, many thanks. 5 stars and a Huge

This is a terrific book, full of twists and turns...did he, didn't he, will they, won't they?? Dante and Zack were an extremely hot couple

, red hot sex, and it has to be said, a fair few temper tantrums on Dante's part...but you'll forgive him when you discover his background. Zack did come across as fairly arrogant to start, but when he locked eye...more

22 likes · like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-cops-detective-guard, mm-romance-or-erotica

Scarlet Blackwell's stories are my weakness or guilty pleasure, depends on how you see it. She could give me anything, and I would still read hers. I think she has broken every single rule of theme I usually avoid in a romance story -- she probably will write about tentacle sex or beast sex and I'd still read them *lol*.

This full length novel (first one in awhile after strings of novellas and shorts) is one of her better stories. It has the formula that makes me come back for her time and time...more Scarlet Blackwell's stories are my weakness or guilty pleasure, depends on how you see it. She could give me anything, and I would still read hers. I think she has broken every single rule of theme I usually avoid in a romance story -- she probably will write about tentacle sex or beast sex and I'd still read them *lol*.

This full length novel (first one in awhile after strings of novellas and shorts) is one of her better stories. It has the formula that makes me come back for her time and time again: PRICK characters who's border in being kings of ass-holes, deliciously intense chemistry (and the testosterone drip -- words courtesy of Sims :p -- is insane!) and HOT SMUT (I swear, I took a long shower after their second interlude).

The story is written mainly from Zack's point of view. He's the detective whose strong attraction towards the Inferno club owner, Dante, makes Zack trying so hard to pin the murders on Dante. In one of those stupid things you will probably condemn police officers to do, in the middle of murder investigation, Zack acts on his sexual tension with Dante. Yes, yes, stupid but OMFG so frickin' HOT. And trust me, that's not the only stupid thing Zack does; but he can always claim that lust drives him insane *grin*.

Dante is so fucked up (he's an ex cop who has been abused in his childhood, and has trust issues, and pretty much fucks anything that moves -- and such an ass-hole), it's actually a delight to read him. I like the secondary character, mainly Zack's partner, Claire. It's nice not having a bitchy female in a book.

The murder investigation is pretty good. There's a list of suspects and the murderer kills the people on the list one by one. The police procedural portion takes around 3/4 part of the book. There's a slight "oops" that ends the first part, with Dante acting like the prick that he is ((view spoiler)).

The last 1/4 part is mainly the 'romance' part, with Zack tries to win Dante's heart. The part where Zack makes Dante jealous, again leads to some HOT sex (*fans self*). And the one where Zack tries to make Dante gets out with him on a dinner date is adorable.

The ending is cute -- I love the Midsummer Night's Ball competition. I know it's probably a bit over-the-top cheesy, but it helps Zack shakes Dante a bit, so I'm good :p.

While the true HEA might not be believable -- what with Zack's job as detective and Dante having trouble with the concept of fidelity before -- it warms my heart anyway.

One thing for sure, I will probably re-read few chapters of this story for these items alone: tiramisu and police crime scene tape (sigh)

PS: For review with PICTURES, check out Simsala's :D(less)

24 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: law-enforcement, mystery

I hugely enjoyed this book, and I give it five stars, but man, it's a weird hybrid.

Awesome sex. Hot, hard, I'm gonna push you over that desk and fuck you until you scream sex. An actual plot! A good one! And long! Hours and hours of happy reading. And a wonderfully nuanced and believable female secondary character who actually functions within the story as more than a romantic confidant.

Well worth the price.

(view spoiler)...more

24 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2013 Monique ~ Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews added it

Review coming soon...

9 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Macky rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone but be prepared for characters who don't conform to the norm.

Shelves: faves, keepers-never-to-be-deleted

15/5/2013 Reread ( third time) and Buddy read with :
Monique
Ijeoma
Kris
Sara
Lily
Adriane
Bev

This is my original review I read this non stop in one sitting, then as soon as I'd finished it I went back to the beginning and read it again! Honestly. Fantastic! A proper m/m crime/romance full of twists, turns, ups and downs. Sexy, exciting, SIZZLING chemistry between the two male leads that jumps of the page, a great plot that keeps the tension wound up to maximum, serial murders, obsession, hot hot se...more

10 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Susan65-Coug :-) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: absolute-favorites

If you're looking for cotton candy kisses and tender words, keep on walking. If you're looking for two very complicated men, who live for the moment without apology AND have a boat load of baggage...then you've come to the right place.

Zack was such a difficult character to like at first. I just wanted to shake some sense into him. Calling him an asshole would have been a compliment. But, as I got to know him, and as the story progressed,
he grew on me. I began to root for him at the end.

Dante is...more

8 likes · like · see review

Aug 20, 2012 Nile Princess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha-male, childhood-trauma, hawt, lara, law-enforcement, m-m-romance, murder-mystery, opposite-sides-of-the-law, police-officer, playboy-to-committed, reviewed

4.5*

Review time! So, I had a good night's sleep so I'm ready to review. Zack and Dante, my two darlings. Right away, this book grabs you because of the witty banter between Zack and his partner, Claire. Zack and Claire are two detectives assigned to investigate the murder of a gay man at Dante's club, The Inferno. The attraction between Zack and Dante is immediate. Dante is tall, dark, HAWT, aloof, gorgeous, a true alpha male. Zack compares him to Lucifer, himself. Zack is no slacker in the look...more 4.5*

Review time! So, I had a good night's sleep so I'm ready to review. Zack and Dante, my two darlings. Right away, this book grabs you because of the witty banter between Zack and his partner, Claire. Zack and Claire are two detectives assigned to investigate the murder of a gay man at Dante's club, The Inferno. The attraction between Zack and Dante is immediate. Dante is tall, dark, HAWT, aloof, gorgeous, a true alpha male. Zack compares him to Lucifer, himself. Zack is no slacker in the looks department either, and attracts lots of attention from the club patrons when he goes to investigate, but the only man he can see is Dante and he is totally out of his depth with him. Because of this, he acts completely out of character - aggressive, belligerent and unprofessional. But cut the man some slack, people! Dante was melting my kindle, so imagine poor Zack going up against that in person.

Dante makes no apologies for his sexual appetite or for the fact that he frequents the back room of his club (this makes for a very funny interrogation) and it's all Zack can do to pay attention to Claire's questions, instead of fantasizing about Dante doing all kinds of sinful things to him. Needless to say, this causes serious problems. Zack, in his refusal to acknowledge his feelings for Dante, seems intent on pinning the murder on him. Yes, there is lots of circumstantial evidence, but no amount of logical deduction from Claire can sway him. A first arrest (made in the backroom of the club no less) gets thrown out, but reveals that Dante had sex with the victim the night of the murder (something he's negelected to mention). Zack arrests him, it gets thrown out, they butt heads in the interrogation room and the ride begins! Literally. Because, somehow Zack grows a pair, storms into Dante's office at the club and they do the horizontal tango on Dante's desk. Color me daggone ecstatic.

Yes, yes, I can hear you now. Zack isn't the most ethical of cops (sleeping with your murder suspect is a definite no no) but to hear Claire tell it, this is a first for him. The murder angle itself, once revealed, is kind of weak and implausible but then again, I'm not a fan of murder mysteries so that's the least of my worries. What IS great is the push and pull between Zack and Dante - first the denial, then the fall out after they get physical, then the reluctant acknowledgement of attraction on both their parts...and there is a reveal re Dante's past that humanizes him in our eyes, even though Zack thinks he's just a horny bastard.

Things go pear-shaped at 89%. I'm not sure where the author's head was at, but she totally lost me. I wanted to smack their heads together and knock some sense into them, especially Zack. The resolution re Zack's job was also a little hokey, and the fancy dress ball...*shudders*, but all's well that end's well. The issues at the end weren't enough to detract from how much I LOVED this book.

Another hit by Scarlet Blackwell. I may have issues with some of her characters but I've never outright disliked one of her books.

Read.it.

PS. I wonder where I can find some crime scene tape ha ha!! You had to be there lol.

Pictorial review by Simsala - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-mm-read, ebooks-i-own, cops-hitmen-military-pi, growly-alpha-males, read-in-2012

3.5 stars.

First of all, I know this is just a story and I'm sure somewhere in the world this shit happens all the time so with that being said...the police procedures completely annoyed me. (view spoiler)...more 3.5 stars.

First of all, I know this is just a story and I'm sure somewhere in the world this shit happens all the time so with that being said...the police procedures completely annoyed me. (view spoiler) Ugh. Like I said, I know it's a story, but all of that just really, really grated on my nerves through the whole story.

Other than that, I kept going back and forth between people I thought was doing the killing and the killer was my number one suspect. I liked Zack and his partner Claire and really liked Dante. Of course Dante could be a complete ass at the drop of a hat, but he grew on me. This was the first book I've ever read by Scarlet Blackwell and I liked it pretty well so I will probably read something else by her in the future.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 19, 2012 SheReadsALot rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance, law-enforcement, suspense, contemporary, gfy-or-ofy

So I think this is my first Scarlet Blackwell read. It was a hot sexy read, an okay read and a boggling read (well in the last quarter of the book) because it seems like the author wrote 3 books in 1. So I was stumped on how to rate Inferno. So I'm breaking my review in thirds to try and work out a summary rating.

Follow along if you will:

Inferno based on the premise--FIVE STARS
A serial killer is on the loose and Detective Zack, a still-in-the-closet cop is mostly aroused but dissatisfied. (Seri...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 L-D rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, rent-boys-hookers, cop-pi-bountyhunter, bars-bartenders-clubs, murderer-serial-killer-rapist, mystery, mc-is-a-super-douche, angst-stew

A Scarlett Blackwell book that I almost loved! I don't dislike all of her books, but there's always something about them that turns me off. This would have been possibly 5 stars for me except for a few character flaws. For this book, I must say the reason I couldn't love the book was because Zack was a blithering idiot.

Zack Stewart is a good cop. Well, he was a good cop until prime suspect in a series of murders, Dante Jardin, makes him lose his ever-lovin' mind. Dante is the owner of the gay ni...more A Scarlett Blackwell book that I almost loved! I don't dislike all of her books, but there's always something about them that turns me off. This would have been possibly 5 stars for me except for a few character flaws. For this book, I must say the reason I couldn't love the book was because Zack was a blithering idiot.

Zack Stewart is a good cop. Well, he was a good cop until prime suspect in a series of murders, Dante Jardin, makes him lose his ever-lovin' mind. Dante is the owner of the gay nightclub, Inferno, and is basically Zack's Achille's Heel. I spent this whole book yelling, "What the Hell, ZACK?!?" Zack makes bad decision after bad decision just to chase some ass. OMG - Zack, if my loved one was killed (view spoiler), I can't even begin to explain the hell that would follow. This book gives cops a bad name.

Dante is the MC you LOVE to hate. He is gorgeous sure, but can he be any more of an asshole? As we unravel his character and peel off a few layers, you do see glimpses of what lies beneath, but I felt that there was SO much about Dante at the end that we still don't know or got full closure to. That's one reason I couldn't give the book 5 stars. I need a little more finality at the end. (view spoiler)

All in all, there were times I was loving this book. But the ending was almost implausible. Zack really fucked up but at the end of the book it was almost like when a movie ends with the MC waking up from a dream. What a cop out! The mystery at the end became a little predictable, but it was still entertaining. I want to say the sex in the book was hot, but I was almost too scared to enjoy any of it!(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 JustJen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, mm

This is one hot read. I loved the mystery and intensity present throughout. Zack is a little frustrating at times in the way he treats people and his actions, but I was really rooting for him by the end. He is overwhelmed by his reaction and need to be with Dante, and it was a thrill to watch it all play out.

Dante is a smoking hot dominating force. He is quite the slut, having it all at his disposal on a daily basis. His not feeling worthy or capable of having relationships (due to reasons expla...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Barb Gilmour rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adored this book.... I have been desperate for a good cop book- and this was it! Right until the end I still kept thinking the guy I *thought* was the baddie was gong to be revealed... Was totally wrong with my call! The mystery was good. Dante was delicious. Damn! Him and Zack were off the charts! I would happily read more of these guys!

See full review here... http://liveyourlifebuythebook.wordpre...

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 ElaineY rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-library, cops-sherrifs-p-i-and-firemen

My first Blackwell and well...! five stars even if I did have moments like Emma Sea said in her review.. Read her spoiler (it's not a spoiler, in my opinion).

(Some parts of my review may be spoilerish so proceed as warned)

It's always such an extra treat to get a good story and find it's a long book. In my Sony 600, it came up to 500 lovely pages. Despite the now-negligible clumsy start, the story developed in directions that kept surprising me. While I was sure I'd get my HEA (I will not buy/rea...more My first Blackwell and well...! five stars even if I did have moments like Emma Sea said in her review.. Read her spoiler (it's not a spoiler, in my opinion).

(Some parts of my review may be spoilerish so proceed as warned)

It's always such an extra treat to get a good story and find it's a long book. In my Sony 600, it came up to 500 lovely pages. Despite the now-negligible clumsy start, the story developed in directions that kept surprising me. While I was sure I'd get my HEA (I will not buy/read anyone who doesn't give me that), both Zack and Dante were protags I wasn't expecting to find in a romance, even a romantic murder mystery.

That said, the book stays strongly romance genre because, apart from the mushy neediness inserted sporadically towards the last quarter of the book, Dante, our bad-boy protag is a very bad boy. He fucks just about anything that's alive yet he remains 100% uncontaminated. That's a tad unbelievable in this day and age - and especially when two (or is it three?) of the men he had sex with had HIV, and the fact that all this sexual merry-go-round was happening within his club. Surely the man must be a walking hive or viral activity! Ugh.

What I liked - a lot:D - was the fine balance between the murder and romance elements. These books are so hard to come by that I can easily excuse any flaws. Other than the niggle in the early part of the book, the rest of my 500 pages flowed smoothly and had me reading straight through until I finished the book last night.

I find food-with-sex scenes trite so I skimmed the tiramisu scenes just to see where to resume reading. Oh, that reminds me I have a piece of yummy carrot cake to eat. The sex scenes were fine, as I'm sure the tiramisu one was, but I found myself more interested in the development of the characters and their relationship, not to mention the murder investigation. These progressed at a pace that kept me riveted to the story and to have this happening in a single, full-length story is truly a treasure these days!

On second thoughts, the moments of mushiness are perfectly fine! Dante is such a tortured man hell-bent on self-destruction even if he puts up that cool, in-control facade; Zach is such a moron to give in to his lust and compromised himself, not to mention his colleagues and the entire investigation. If I were Claire, I'd have shot off his dick! But oh, that was such a tender scene between Claire and Dante (no, nothing sexual) and I love it when my protags have friends/colleagues who care deeply about them. The career consequences of Zach's stupidity was wrapped up rather unrealistically but again, I needed that because there was already so much else at stake where the protags' emotional and psychological health were concerned that a bit of good news, no matter if it's a little fanciful, was welcome.

If there was a moment of doubt as to whether I liked this book, it would be imagining Zach arriving at the King of Midsummer Night's Dream Night at Inferno dressed in his "sheer, pearlescent chiffon skirt" complete with fairy wings (and more, go read the book to find out!). I laughed out loud at first but as the pages went by, I started to think differently and found his whole outfit distasteful...but Dante thought he was gorgeous and I guess that's all that matters.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2013 LiveYourLife BuyTheBook rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: barb, kapow, favorites

5 Stars - KAPOW!!

This book was just brilliant! I absolutely loved it! Some of my favourite things I like in a book…

Night club owner? check.

Cold hearted, arrogant SOB? check.

Cop in denial? check.

I’m not sure why I love my book characters to be bastards, but there you go, and I know I’m not alone in this. We fall for the guys with traits we would never accept in RL. Dante is all of this; and oh, so much more….. AND, he has purple eyes – nuff said.

For a big book there aren’t really many characters...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 24, 2013 Jane Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotic-gay-male-romantic-suspense

Wow! Lots of hot gay male sex. No talk, intensity, push, grab, do it, throw an insult, walk away.

Dante is hot, gorgeous, irresistible. Everyone wants sex with him. Dante chooses someone, is rough, takes what he wants, then says “get the hell out.” Dante owns a gay nightclub. Detective Zach meets Dante when he investigates a murder at the club. Zach is obsessed the moment he sees Dante. They have sex even though Dante is a murder suspect. During the rest of the book, Zach makes stupid decisions...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 Itsjustplayingthegame rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, gay, law-enforcement, m-m, mystery

3.5 stars
Ah Inferno! What a hot read indeed!

I enjoyed this book. The writing was fluent and smooth and it felt like you were right there in the room. The crime and police work was realistic and indeed mysterious, but if you’re a crime sleuth and have that eye on working things out – you may indeed work it out before Zack and the rest of them did. But that’s not why you’re reading the story! You want to read how hot Zack and Dante are! And they were smoking! The sex was out of this world and dam...more 3.5 stars
Ah Inferno! What a hot read indeed!

I enjoyed this book. The writing was fluent and smooth and it felt like you were right there in the room. The crime and police work was realistic and indeed mysterious, but if you’re a crime sleuth and have that eye on working things out – you may indeed work it out before Zack and the rest of them did. But that’s not why you’re reading the story! You want to read how hot Zack and Dante are! And they were smoking! The sex was out of this world and dam Dante really knew how to short out Zack’s thinking head!

But as hot as they were I just wanted to hit them over the head (especially Zack) and go “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!” Man, I was shouting out at my iPad and shaking my head at that boy! But that’s part of the course when you read this baby.

It was definitely worth the dough to read this one. This isn’t your typical romance story (and I assure you there is a plot with the sex, not just a porno) there is no cute one liners, and hand holding, let’s have cute dates and talk about our future. This was your hard hitting, rough and tumble – I could lose my job but you’re too fucking sexy to say no to – romance. It was edgy, hard, fast, and so dark and deadly at the same time. But it was good, something different.
But man oh man (view spoiler) there is an ending to the story (view spoiler)

But I suppose in reality people (ZACK!) do stupid shit and there are assholes (DANTE!!) out there and love isn’t perfect so it is somewhat realistic.

Recommend if you’re up for a different edgy romance, and you feel like hitting imaginary characters over the head (ha-ha)
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Tʀɪsʜᴀ Hᴀʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cops-pis-bodyguards, loved, angst

This was one of the hottest books I have ever read.

I loved this book so much. I started reading this and from what people have told me you either love or hate Scarlet Blackwell's books. Well I have to say I loved this one. It was one of the hottest books I have ever read and it just got me, it really did. It has encouraged me to read more of her books.

Dante and Zach were two hot MC's. I just wanted to watch them ripping each others clothes off. Some of it kind of pissed me off, but when I read...more

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Nov 29, 2012 nîna ✍ rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book made me angry.
I was really disappointed; let me explain why:

The first half of the book was okay. The crime story was quite good. But very soon it started to concentrate on the sex, not with actual sex scenes, but the character Zack seemed to walk around with a constant hard-on after he met Dante.

That's when I really started to get frustrated. Blackwell is not the first (female) author who seems to think that men, especially gay men, only use the brain between their legs, walk around w...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 10, 2012 Ayanna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Eh... 2.5?

It wasn't...bad, I suppose, but it was.
The individual parts weren't bad, but overall plot seemed to...ignore reality. There were parts that seemed way too idealized and parts that just flat out didn't make sense given the context.

I get the feeling that Blackwell couldn't quite decide whether or not to make Dante a sociopath. It actually kind of reminded me of The Slayer's Apprentice at times, but in a trying-to-be-not-so-extreme sort of way.

The part towards the end...that seemed weirdl...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 01, 2012 Sharon Cox rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay, murder, mystery, police

I read this book this morning and I loved it. The story is told mainly from Zack's point of view and involves Zack, a police detective, a serial killer and the red-hot owner of Inferno - an ex-cop named Dante. The tracking down of the killer kept me on the edge of my seat but it was the relationship between Zack and Dante which kept me glued to it. The two guys are so good together. Their relationship is definitely lust at first sight and it only gets better.
Dante has been horribly scarred by h...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Plainbrownwrapper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, read-again-maybe

3.5 stars. I'm feeling generous, so I'll round up to 4.

At several points in this story, Zack did so many stupid things that I wanted to shake him until his teeth rattled. Fortunately, the author did not ignore the stupidity of Zack's actions (nobody pretended he was acting intelligently, and his actions had consequences), so I didn't have to throw the book across the room. Unfortunately, (view spoiler)...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Kristy Maitz rated it 3 of 5 stars

We have two serious strange guys in that book. First there is Dante who had very bad childhood and is personally closed up and not very good with people round himself. Once he was even a cop but his partner got killed and he was wounded in the leg. Now he has a gay nightclub where a lot of shit is going on, and we get even a death body. On the other side we have Zack who is a detective and even if he is gay he don't live like one. His motto is work, work and more work. With his partner Claire he...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Stephanie M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, silver-publishing, scarlet-blackwell

Wow!! I reallllly liked this story. It was a very entertaining read that I couldn't put down until the last page. Dante was to die for. I love bad boys and he doesn't disappoint. He was such a cold hearted bastard and man whore. Be warned. He used his club has his own personal man buffet. I wanted to hate him for the way he was and the way he treated Zack but I just couldn't. I knew it was a defense mech due to something that happened to him in his past (isn't it always?) that made him feel that...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Edina Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

This an erotic mystery romance with the emphasis on erotic.

The plot: Gay guys are murdered at Inferno's night club. Zack is the cop in charge of the investigation. He has 15-years experience in the Force and he has always been exemplary. He is also deep in the closet. Then he meets the owner of Inferno, suitably named Dante, and his life spirals out of control. He feels an overwhelming, literally irresistible attraction to Dante and compromises the investigation by literally throwing h...more 3.5 stars

This an erotic mystery romance with the emphasis on erotic.

The plot: Gay guys are murdered at Inferno's night club. Zack is the cop in charge of the investigation. He has 15-years experience in the Force and he has always been exemplary. He is also deep in the closet. Then he meets the owner of Inferno, suitably named Dante, and his life spirals out of control. He feels an overwhelming, literally irresistible attraction to Dante and compromises the investigation by literally throwing himself at Dante and begging to be used and abused. Dante is happy to oblige. The funniest thing is, his main suspect is Dante himself and Dante cannot stand the guy who is trying to put him behind jail!

Now Zack must find a way to hide his secret encounters with Dante WHILE trying to pin the murders on the same Dante. I don't know what he was thinking other than the fact that he was NOT thinking.

I loved this book because of Zack. He was so like real life fucked-ups he won me over pretty quick. He had a way of describing his overwhelming attraction to Dante I found totally heartbreaking, and totally adorable. He had the most lurid and kinky fantasies about Dante and will space out and daydream on duty.

There are a few things I didn't like about this story though:
- Dante's character was difficult to picture. His behaviour was too erratic to make sense. He blew hot and cold in a way that was too abrupt and unexpected. His emotional development in the story was not done in a way I found convincing.
- The development of the romance was unconvincing or maybe it's just that I don't like the way it was done: 1 step forward two steps backward, and it was repeated so many times I was getting tired of that. It felt like a plot trick to keep push the romance climax back so that it coincides with the mystery climax.
- There were too many cliches in the sex parts.

I loved the mystery, it was really well done, the romance not so much, and Zack character is so AMAZING I raise my hat to the author. I wish this book was turned into a movie: I would like to see an actor impersonating Zack.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, mystery, murder, suspense, contemporary

4 1/2 Hearts

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...

Zack and his partner, Claire, are the detectives in charge of the murder outside the club Inferno. Jack pegs club owner, Dante, as the murderer and is determined to bring him in. but, against all odds he can’t fight his attraction to the dark sexy man.

This is a wonderful novel from Scarlet Blackwell where the characters are as complex as they are interesting. Zack takes an instant dislike to Dante when he interviews him about a murder behind hi...more 4 1/2 Hearts

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...

Zack and his partner, Claire, are the detectives in charge of the murder outside the club Inferno. Jack pegs club owner, Dante, as the murderer and is determined to bring him in. but, against all odds he can’t fight his attraction to the dark sexy man.

This is a wonderful novel from Scarlet Blackwell where the characters are as complex as they are interesting. Zack takes an instant dislike to Dante when he interviews him about a murder behind his club. Is it because he really believes him to be the culprit or because of his fierce attraction to the man? One thing Zack knows for sure is he won’t rest until the culprit is behind bars and he will do everything he can to prove Dante is that man. But, his attraction blindsided him and puts him in a position where everything falls apart and he only has one thing left to hold onto… Dante.

This is one of those books that grip you from the beginning. It pulls you into the complex world of two strong stubborn men and gives you an array of twists and turns you truly don’t see coming and all the while it is feeding us with hot sex, complex characters, an interesting police investigation and two sexy stubborn men. This so didn’t follow the formula that I have got used to in crime stories, I was gobsmacked by some turns of events and wondered what the hell Zack would do next. His relationship with Dante always seemed to hit a brick wall and it takes some deep determination from Zack to begin to crack Dante’s ice encased heart.

Dante is one of the coldest characters I have come across, but there is vulnerability that we catch glimpses of. he truly thinks he doesn’t deserve happiness and that he is no good to anyone. Jack has his hands full proving otherwise, so there are clashes between them, but when they are together there are sparks between them that become explosive and passionate when they have sex. It is far from easy for Zack, mostly because of how Dante treats him, but also because he has no control over how he feels for Dante.

The writing, storyline and plot are brilliant. Actually seeing a MC paying for the consequences of his actions is pretty rare, but damn it was done well. Dante has some deep-seated issues which we just catch snippets of and Jack is deep in the closet at work. A character I liked, which surprised me, was Claire, we see things from her POV a couple of times and that actually added to the story.

So, I am going to recommend this to those who like hot broken men, crime dramas, mistakes made and paid for, conflicting emotions and a surprising happy ending.(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Gianthogweed rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, alpha, contemporary, bdsm-kinky, mystery, novel-novella

This novel is a mess and not a good one.

(view spoiler)...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Lisa Henry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, yeah-but-no-but-yeah-conflicted, cuff-me-then-beat-me-cops-and-crims

3.5 stars. 5 stars for the first part of the book.

I loved the first three quarters of this. Seriously, it was like watching a car crash in slow motion, and I mean that as a compliment.

Zack is a detective, investigating a murder in Dante's club. And he gets way too involved. First of all he hates Dante because he's in lust with him (and Dante knows it), and he really, really wants to prove Dante is the killer. Then he visits the club when he's off duty. And then he leaves his DNA in places he s...more 3.5 stars. 5 stars for the first part of the book.

I loved the first three quarters of this. Seriously, it was like watching a car crash in slow motion, and I mean that as a compliment.

Zack is a detective, investigating a murder in Dante's club. And he gets way too involved. First of all he hates Dante because he's in lust with him (and Dante knows it), and he really, really wants to prove Dante is the killer. Then he visits the club when he's off duty. And then he leaves his DNA in places he shouldn't...

Yep, I told myself as I was reading. Zack is in the shit now. Behaviour like this has consequences, Zack. You don't screw your prime suspect, however hot he is. And when covering that up becomes your focus instead of trying to find the killer, you're in all sorts of trouble.

But then it went wrong for me. (view spoiler)

The ending was the sticking point for me. I couldn't get past it.

(view spoiler)

On the plus side, I loved the chemistry between Zack and Dante. Scarlet Blackwell does alpha bastards so very, very well. And I loved Zack's partner Claire. She was a well-rounded character on her own and, for once in m/m, wasn't there to be a woman scorned.

This is still a good book, if you can suspend your disbelief in order to get to the HEA. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2013 DaisyGirl rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-romance, i-returned, m-m, other-steamy, romance-contemp, romance-police-fbi, romance-suspense

1.5 Stars

This one was tough to rate. On the plus side, this book was fast-paced and loaded with twists and turns. It was steamy and sexy with plenty of man-love. On the negative side, I couldn’t stand the MCs … (view spoiler)...more 1.5 Stars

This one was tough to rate. On the plus side, this book was fast-paced and loaded with twists and turns. It was steamy and sexy with plenty of man-love. On the negative side, I couldn’t stand the MCs … (view spoiler)

I had a couple other issues with the book. The story was glaringly lacking when it came to proper police and court protocol. It highlighted SB’s unfamiliarity with criminal procedure and irked the sh*t out of me. I don’t expect all aspects of an m/m book to be legally accurate but it should at least have the basics. Near the beginning of the story, Zack and his partner (Claire) obtained medical information from a medical clinic without a warrant. Not only did they learn about a victim’s HIV status but they were also given a list of the victim’s past sexual partners and their HIV status too. Um, HELL NO! That is confidential information that would never be released without a court order. Or, if it was, that clinic would be shut down and the doctor’s license would be in jeopardy. Later and through another source, Zack and Claire learn about Dante’s past because Dante’s psychiatrist has loose lips and spilled his guts to someone about their private sessions. Do they report the doctor? No. Zack and Claire don’t even bat an eye. In fact, Claire eventually tells Dante she knows. Ugh! That is so not okay with me; it’s disgusting.

BTW, what was up with that ending? A sheer, pearlescent chiffon short skirt; gold lamé hot pants with ass cheeks hanging out; gold body glitter; and shimmering wings. WTF? Need I say more?

Bottom line: the ends do not justify the means and I had no respect for these protagonists; if I don’t respect them, I can’t like them. Period.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 03, 2013 Natālija rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

I should start by saying that I am a fan of Ms. Blackwell's work. She has an ability to capture me from the very start and keep me reading late into the night. Despite the fact that her books tend to be slightly out of my comfort zone, she is now on my auto-buy list.

Inferno was a definite page turner that I devoured in two days. The plot was captivating, highly enjoyable and is a guaranteed emotional rollercoaster ride for those who, like me, enjoy a good mystery that keeps you guessing until t...more

1 like · like · see review

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About Scarlet Blackwell

Scarlet writes erotic romance.

Scarlet would rather stick pins in her eyes than go on Facebook but now sees the necessary evil of it. Please join her there for useless writing-related ramblings and hot men musings and ease her in gently. Bah.

More about Scarlet Blackwell...

Books by Scarlet Blackwell

Into the Light (Clear Water Creek Chronicles, #1)

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