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Thomas Noel Mystery #1
Boy Crucified
When the body of a crucified boy is found by the river in Kansas City, Lieutenant Thomas Noel, a priest turned homicide detective, is assigned the case. In their search for the boy’s killer, Noel and his new partner, Daniel Qo, follow the clues to a secretive traditional Catholic group located in the Missouri countryside.Then another body turns up, and the hunt intensifies. But Noel’s investigation hits too close to home and attracts the attention of the killer….
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 10, 2014
Between 4 and 4,5 stars!
If your idea about a gay mystery is a love story between two closet/outed/yesterday's straight cops with a slow build up and a lot of misunderstandings in between with an explosive final copulation toward the end, who do a bit detective job at the background, then you should skip this book.
Boy Crucified is in the first place a well done murder mystery. A homicide detective Thomas Noel, a former Catholic priest, has a difficult case to solve that deals with the sexual abuse, rape of children within a secretive traditional Catholic group located in the Missouri countryside. Not for the faint of heart. Of course the author handles the religious topic. I wasn't disappointed how he did it.
We have a relationship here too. But not in a candy MM-romance style. We know that the life partner of Thomas died, but we don't know all details of this love story but that doesn't bother me too much. The past is the past and the present is now. With Daniel Qo, who has just graduated in criminology, he got not only a new partner at his side. Thomas starts to feel again, he starts to live again.
There is a lot of potential in regard to the further developing of the relationship between Thomas and Daniel, and I'm looking forward to it.
Jerome Wilde is another pen-name of Nick Wilgus. If you liked his writing in Shaking the Sugar Tree and if you appreciate a good gay mystery, you shouldn't miss this one. I really enjoyed the first person POV, the typical for the author philosophical and poignant thoughts.
In my opinion, this book is vastly underrated.
It deserves much more attention!
Highly recommended!
October 1, 2014
5 INTENSE GRIPPING stars
This is a great mystery story of a gruesome crime investigation where we are introduced to a large amount of Catholic history, but the religion topic doesn’t overwhelm the story, for me it’s more informative rather than religious. I also really liked how Thomas put it together was very impressive.
Thomas Noel is a character with a painful past…that is a mystery himself.
His conflict over religion is impressively well written and makes you think about life … I also really liked how Thomas put it together all the crime pieces, was very impressive.
Daniel Qo, Thomas’s partner, He's a lot younger, dashing, cocky, sexy and the sparkle between them begins shortly .The relationship that builds between the partners is great, but would appreciate more “feeling” in the next book…
The book focus is the crimes, and we are presented with some dark issues, like child abuse and torture within religious institutions. So there´s me warning!
I ‘m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Recommend for M/M mistery/cops lovers.
This is a great mystery story of a gruesome crime investigation where we are introduced to a large amount of Catholic history, but the religion topic doesn’t overwhelm the story, for me it’s more informative rather than religious. I also really liked how Thomas put it together was very impressive.
Thomas Noel is a character with a painful past…that is a mystery himself.
His conflict over religion is impressively well written and makes you think about life … I also really liked how Thomas put it together all the crime pieces, was very impressive.
Daniel Qo, Thomas’s partner, He's a lot younger, dashing, cocky, sexy and the sparkle between them begins shortly .The relationship that builds between the partners is great, but would appreciate more “feeling” in the next book…
The book focus is the crimes, and we are presented with some dark issues, like child abuse and torture within religious institutions. So there´s me warning!
I ‘m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Recommend for M/M mistery/cops lovers.
October 9, 2014
This was a very interesting reading! The main focus of this story is not the romance but the crime/mystery! And to be honest, it was that that hooked me to this book.
Some years ago I attended a exhibition on the torture techniques of medieval times! I left that exhibition completely shocked! However I was shocked not by the techniques itself, but by the human imagination to create evil things that would make another human being suffer... That was really shocking, that reality! And that was what I felt while reading this book, because what those boys went through in this fiction story, was (probably it still is) what many people went through in the history of our kind.
Mankind uses the name of God, Gods, cults, whatever, to justify evil actions! That's what this book is about... If you're looking for some hot or lovely romance, this is not the ideal book...
Some years ago I attended a exhibition on the torture techniques of medieval times! I left that exhibition completely shocked! However I was shocked not by the techniques itself, but by the human imagination to create evil things that would make another human being suffer... That was really shocking, that reality! And that was what I felt while reading this book, because what those boys went through in this fiction story, was (probably it still is) what many people went through in the history of our kind.
Mankind uses the name of God, Gods, cults, whatever, to justify evil actions! That's what this book is about... If you're looking for some hot or lovely romance, this is not the ideal book...
August 2, 2013
This book was not as good as I had first thought it would be. I was expecting great things. And to be honest, there were some good moments. But as a whole, the book was bland. A few times I found myself chuckling, which is why this book got 3 stars. But apart from that, it was pretty bland and the romance was not for me.
The ex-priest turned cop was something new. I thought it would make this book a favourite of mine. I like stories that reach out and grab you. But this was not the case. I got bored reading the Thomas' internal monologue. The Catholic part came and went. It was a bit sloppy and all over the place for me. I was expecting more... Not that you don't get enough, but it just could have felt better. Maybe it's because I was raised in the Catholic church? Not so sure.
Thomas and Daniel... What can I say about those two? They annoyed me and yet I could laugh in the beginning. Their relationship felt strained. Then there was the mention of Thomas' dead-lover. He was thrown in every now and again. Not really a major part of the story, but he wasn't brought up in the right places. It affected some of the feelings I had started to form for the couple. It was almost like he was looking for a replacement... But then I felt less affection for the dead guy too. So I was really lost.
When all is said and done, the crime part was the best. It went along easily and I didn't feel nauseas. During the sex scenes in this I did feel rather sick... Again, it could have been me. But I even found the details of the murders less sickening than the sex. I mean, I am not a prude but... Meat? I never liked "his meat" used during sex. And the murders in this should have been horrific, but me for it was the sex.
Anyway, I would recommend this book for fans of cops and religion in books. You could get more out of it than me, but I don't think this will be for everyone.
The ex-priest turned cop was something new. I thought it would make this book a favourite of mine. I like stories that reach out and grab you. But this was not the case. I got bored reading the Thomas' internal monologue. The Catholic part came and went. It was a bit sloppy and all over the place for me. I was expecting more... Not that you don't get enough, but it just could have felt better. Maybe it's because I was raised in the Catholic church? Not so sure.
Thomas and Daniel... What can I say about those two? They annoyed me and yet I could laugh in the beginning. Their relationship felt strained. Then there was the mention of Thomas' dead-lover. He was thrown in every now and again. Not really a major part of the story, but he wasn't brought up in the right places. It affected some of the feelings I had started to form for the couple. It was almost like he was looking for a replacement... But then I felt less affection for the dead guy too. So I was really lost.
When all is said and done, the crime part was the best. It went along easily and I didn't feel nauseas. During the sex scenes in this I did feel rather sick... Again, it could have been me. But I even found the details of the murders less sickening than the sex. I mean, I am not a prude but... Meat? I never liked "his meat" used during sex. And the murders in this should have been horrific, but me for it was the sex.
Anyway, I would recommend this book for fans of cops and religion in books. You could get more out of it than me, but I don't think this will be for everyone.
August 30, 2014
This is a good murder mystery but with very dark and painful themes. It tackles the issue of secrecy and abuse within religious institutions, misuse of power, and also the way in which loyalty and silence can lend strength to abusers.
Boy Crucified sees homicide detective Thomas Noel trying to solve the murder of a young boy whose body is found crucified in a nearby wood. The mystery opens up old wounds for Thomas Noel because not only is he a detective, he is also an ex-priest. On the surface this a search for the boy's killer but it is also a search for Thomas to find some kind of peace with his religious past and damaged childhood.
Detective Thomas is a vulnerable character who tries his best to cope from day to day and hides his vulnerability behind his profession as a cop. In this way he keeps his hurts of the past to himself and keeps his pain at a level which is bearable. Not only does he suffer from the death of his former love, he also has to cope with his ghastly abusive mother who returns to his life after serving her jail sentence, with a chaos and violence that he loathes and has always tried to avoid. The story is very brutal in its depiction of a woman who is damaged herself, mentally ill and totally unable to see that she has damaged her son or take any responsibility for her past actions.
Thomas is a person who is very much caught by the difficulties of his damaged childhood, former priesthood, past and bereavement. This murder seems to be another snare holding him to the past and refusing to let him move forward because it makes him revisit all that he hates about religion. Into all of this comes a new partner Detective Daniel Qo.
Daniel is a breath of fresh air. He is a new detective, highly intelligent, dashing, attractive and very pleased to be working with Thomas. He is also immediately attracted to Thomas and jumps into this feet first, not afraid to chase Thomas down. Thomas grasps this new opportunity like someone slowly awakening from a deep sleep and as they get to solve the crime we see how this relationship brings the potential for new life and inner strength to Thomas. Just like a flower which opens slowly to the sun, Thomas begins to open slowly to the love of this young, bold detective who isn't afraid to take risks to get love.
I enjoyed this. Thomas is a man who labours under the very dark shadows of his painful past and although these do not prevent him from working as a detective they do make his life very dark and sad. Having said this it is these shadows that hone his abilities as a detective and make him sensitive to possibilities.
I found the story to be gritty and engaging even with the very dark themes. It is also different to see a detective story with such a horrible family background. Thomas's mother is a truly vicious and uncaring and violent. She is a woman who is quite unable to help herself and a danger to herself and her son.
Add to the mix the tension due to the murder and the mystery that Thomas tries to solve and this is a pretty gripping story. I am hoping that there will be futher stories in this series. I would love to see how the relationship between Thomas and Daniel works out.
Boy Crucified sees homicide detective Thomas Noel trying to solve the murder of a young boy whose body is found crucified in a nearby wood. The mystery opens up old wounds for Thomas Noel because not only is he a detective, he is also an ex-priest. On the surface this a search for the boy's killer but it is also a search for Thomas to find some kind of peace with his religious past and damaged childhood.
Detective Thomas is a vulnerable character who tries his best to cope from day to day and hides his vulnerability behind his profession as a cop. In this way he keeps his hurts of the past to himself and keeps his pain at a level which is bearable. Not only does he suffer from the death of his former love, he also has to cope with his ghastly abusive mother who returns to his life after serving her jail sentence, with a chaos and violence that he loathes and has always tried to avoid. The story is very brutal in its depiction of a woman who is damaged herself, mentally ill and totally unable to see that she has damaged her son or take any responsibility for her past actions.
Thomas is a person who is very much caught by the difficulties of his damaged childhood, former priesthood, past and bereavement. This murder seems to be another snare holding him to the past and refusing to let him move forward because it makes him revisit all that he hates about religion. Into all of this comes a new partner Detective Daniel Qo.
Daniel is a breath of fresh air. He is a new detective, highly intelligent, dashing, attractive and very pleased to be working with Thomas. He is also immediately attracted to Thomas and jumps into this feet first, not afraid to chase Thomas down. Thomas grasps this new opportunity like someone slowly awakening from a deep sleep and as they get to solve the crime we see how this relationship brings the potential for new life and inner strength to Thomas. Just like a flower which opens slowly to the sun, Thomas begins to open slowly to the love of this young, bold detective who isn't afraid to take risks to get love.
I enjoyed this. Thomas is a man who labours under the very dark shadows of his painful past and although these do not prevent him from working as a detective they do make his life very dark and sad. Having said this it is these shadows that hone his abilities as a detective and make him sensitive to possibilities.
I found the story to be gritty and engaging even with the very dark themes. It is also different to see a detective story with such a horrible family background. Thomas's mother is a truly vicious and uncaring and violent. She is a woman who is quite unable to help herself and a danger to herself and her son.
Add to the mix the tension due to the murder and the mystery that Thomas tries to solve and this is a pretty gripping story. I am hoping that there will be futher stories in this series. I would love to see how the relationship between Thomas and Daniel works out.
May 16, 2014
2.5 stars
I was interested in this book for two reasons - I am a mystery fan and Jerome Wilde is a pseudonym of Nick Wilgus, whose book Shaking the Sugar Tree I loved very much. I knew he was writing mysteries and I hoped that I would enjoy this book as much as I did the previous one. That was not the case.
I am not someone who expects the author to write the same book over and over again. There is a reason why this book was written under a different pen name. Shaking the Sugar Tree is family drama with a bit of romance in it. This is a mystery. Period.
Well, the mystery/police procedure was very competent. It's a bit dry, but not uninteresting. Aside from one TSTL moment, Thomas is a good investigator. And, if only a mystery was rated, it would probably get an extra star.
BUT... it seems to me (and this is just my conjecture and could be completely false) that the author was told or thought the book was a bit dry, so he decided to 'spice' it up - by giving his MC the troubled and unusual past (dead lover, abusive and irredeemable mother, past priesthood, newbie for a partner (and new lover), etc. Most of these things were tacked on the character without much of exploration. We don't know how his lover died, his mother is basic junky bitch, his faith or lack thereof were reported rather than shown (if you don't count the Buddist shrine)... So, I ended up knowing a lot of things about Thomas Noel, but not knowing him at all.
There were other things that bothered me. His partner, freshly minted detective, initiates the sex on the first day they've met (Thomas is not only his partner but his senior) after Thomas was hurt. The attempt at romance failed. I have no idea why these two men would want to be together even in a casual way. Because, one is young and the other grumpy? Because they are both gay? No idea.
Also, the story is set in 1997. There was nothing in it that justified it. If it was set in 2014, there would be no difference. So, why!? The casual bigotry? I don't know.
Another thing was completely unnecessary character of police receptionist, who is stupid beyond anything you could imagine. Like amoeba on a bad day. After amoebic lobotomy. The character rang so false that I couldn't shake it even if she shows in just a few scenes.
So... I found myself skimming anything that wasn't mystery. I wish it stayed only mystery. I know this author can write believable and complex characters. Now I know he can write a decent mystery. These two things should happen at the same time.
I was interested in this book for two reasons - I am a mystery fan and Jerome Wilde is a pseudonym of Nick Wilgus, whose book Shaking the Sugar Tree I loved very much. I knew he was writing mysteries and I hoped that I would enjoy this book as much as I did the previous one. That was not the case.
I am not someone who expects the author to write the same book over and over again. There is a reason why this book was written under a different pen name. Shaking the Sugar Tree is family drama with a bit of romance in it. This is a mystery. Period.
Well, the mystery/police procedure was very competent. It's a bit dry, but not uninteresting. Aside from one TSTL moment, Thomas is a good investigator. And, if only a mystery was rated, it would probably get an extra star.
BUT... it seems to me (and this is just my conjecture and could be completely false) that the author was told or thought the book was a bit dry, so he decided to 'spice' it up - by giving his MC the troubled and unusual past (dead lover, abusive and irredeemable mother, past priesthood, newbie for a partner (and new lover), etc. Most of these things were tacked on the character without much of exploration. We don't know how his lover died, his mother is basic junky bitch, his faith or lack thereof were reported rather than shown (if you don't count the Buddist shrine)... So, I ended up knowing a lot of things about Thomas Noel, but not knowing him at all.
There were other things that bothered me. His partner, freshly minted detective, initiates the sex on the first day they've met (Thomas is not only his partner but his senior) after Thomas was hurt. The attempt at romance failed. I have no idea why these two men would want to be together even in a casual way. Because, one is young and the other grumpy? Because they are both gay? No idea.
Also, the story is set in 1997. There was nothing in it that justified it. If it was set in 2014, there would be no difference. So, why!? The casual bigotry? I don't know.
Another thing was completely unnecessary character of police receptionist, who is stupid beyond anything you could imagine. Like amoeba on a bad day. After amoebic lobotomy. The character rang so false that I couldn't shake it even if she shows in just a few scenes.
So... I found myself skimming anything that wasn't mystery. I wish it stayed only mystery. I know this author can write believable and complex characters. Now I know he can write a decent mystery. These two things should happen at the same time.
July 9, 2015
This story was brilliant and very well written. The mystery and criminal activities kept me captivated. I got enough, but it left me wanting more in a sense that I'd have loved to know where the characters were headed next along with the next chapter of their lives together.
Three thumbs up if I had a third thumb that is.
Three thumbs up if I had a third thumb that is.
June 27, 2013
Reviewed on Hearts on Fire
This book grabs your interest right away as it opens on a crime scene with the victim, a young man, appearing to have been crucified on a cross. It is a gruesome crime and it’s also obvious that the young man has endured a painful, torturous death. It’s enough to make Lieutenant Thomas Noel ponder the state of humanity.
We find out this case has special significance for Thomas as he’s a former Catholic priest and current Buddhist and there’s some obvious religious components to this crime. Despite that, the religion doesn’t overwhelm the story as we’re given just enough information on certain sects and their practices to follow the case. It’s a fairly detailed book for a novella but I found it well balanced for the most part.
This story takes place in the 90’s and there’s not an obvious reason why this is the case. But if I had to speculate I’d say because there was lots of evidence gathering done without much emphasis on DNA collection. It also takes place in a time right before the Catholic church sexual abuse scandals were back in the news and before people realized how widespread it really was. The authorities generally still had more of a hands off approach allowing the church to police itself. Also at the time period of the book, the police were doing anything to avoid another disaster like Waco. This allowed all kinds of abuses, like the ones that occur in this story, to flourish without much interference.
I liked the flow of this story and how Thomas smartly goes about trying to solve his case. He’s assigned a new young, partner, Daniel Qo to help with the case. Daniel’s character is a lot less clearly defined and it’s hard to figure out if he’s even an asset professionally. His main purpose seems to be as a potential love interest for Thomas.
Thomas has had a long term lover in the past that has since died. We don’t learn the circumstances regarding his death but that it’s been a very long time since Thomas has connected emotionally with another person. So what he first feels for Daniel is the pure joy of being able to finally feel something for someone else. He and Danny do become involved sexually but things are left in the air on their relationship status by end. As this appears to be the start of a series we’ll probably see more development in the next book.
I love reading mysteries, thrillers and horror stories but I’m still very sensitive on these kinds of torture killing stories. I think it was handled very well and the investigation was believable. Thomas made some impulsive and in retrospect unwise decisions but it really was in keeping with his character as he was used to going it alone. I think he actually learns a few lessons by the end of this story.
There were a few questionable points in the story. One that stood out was Thomas makes a point of saying that crucifixion is not a sure fire way to kill someone. Other than the obvious symbolism, we never really get why the killer used such an inefficient method with the open possibility of the victim still being alive to testify against him. It was just one of a few things I had to overlook in order to enjoy the story.
I found this a nice action packed mystery with the potential to be a good series. There was enough left up in the air to be explored in future books including Thomas’s relationship with his mentally ill abusive mother. If there’s another book I hope that Daniel’s character also get more fleshed out both professionally and personally. This was an enjoyable book to read and I would certainly pick up the next book in the series. I’d recommend this for M/M mystery lovers.
This book grabs your interest right away as it opens on a crime scene with the victim, a young man, appearing to have been crucified on a cross. It is a gruesome crime and it’s also obvious that the young man has endured a painful, torturous death. It’s enough to make Lieutenant Thomas Noel ponder the state of humanity.
We find out this case has special significance for Thomas as he’s a former Catholic priest and current Buddhist and there’s some obvious religious components to this crime. Despite that, the religion doesn’t overwhelm the story as we’re given just enough information on certain sects and their practices to follow the case. It’s a fairly detailed book for a novella but I found it well balanced for the most part.
This story takes place in the 90’s and there’s not an obvious reason why this is the case. But if I had to speculate I’d say because there was lots of evidence gathering done without much emphasis on DNA collection. It also takes place in a time right before the Catholic church sexual abuse scandals were back in the news and before people realized how widespread it really was. The authorities generally still had more of a hands off approach allowing the church to police itself. Also at the time period of the book, the police were doing anything to avoid another disaster like Waco. This allowed all kinds of abuses, like the ones that occur in this story, to flourish without much interference.
I liked the flow of this story and how Thomas smartly goes about trying to solve his case. He’s assigned a new young, partner, Daniel Qo to help with the case. Daniel’s character is a lot less clearly defined and it’s hard to figure out if he’s even an asset professionally. His main purpose seems to be as a potential love interest for Thomas.
Thomas has had a long term lover in the past that has since died. We don’t learn the circumstances regarding his death but that it’s been a very long time since Thomas has connected emotionally with another person. So what he first feels for Daniel is the pure joy of being able to finally feel something for someone else. He and Danny do become involved sexually but things are left in the air on their relationship status by end. As this appears to be the start of a series we’ll probably see more development in the next book.
I love reading mysteries, thrillers and horror stories but I’m still very sensitive on these kinds of torture killing stories. I think it was handled very well and the investigation was believable. Thomas made some impulsive and in retrospect unwise decisions but it really was in keeping with his character as he was used to going it alone. I think he actually learns a few lessons by the end of this story.
There were a few questionable points in the story. One that stood out was Thomas makes a point of saying that crucifixion is not a sure fire way to kill someone. Other than the obvious symbolism, we never really get why the killer used such an inefficient method with the open possibility of the victim still being alive to testify against him. It was just one of a few things I had to overlook in order to enjoy the story.
I found this a nice action packed mystery with the potential to be a good series. There was enough left up in the air to be explored in future books including Thomas’s relationship with his mentally ill abusive mother. If there’s another book I hope that Daniel’s character also get more fleshed out both professionally and personally. This was an enjoyable book to read and I would certainly pick up the next book in the series. I’d recommend this for M/M mystery lovers.
June 10, 2013
3 - 3 1/2 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
This story is set in 1997. Thomas Noel is a priest turned homicide detective with the Kansas City police, when the body of a boy is found crucified Thomas is assigned the case. With his new partner, Daniel Qo, he investigates and the clues all point to a secretive traditional Catholic group, a group whose leader will do anything to keep his secrets. Thomas also has his fierce attraction to Daniel to deal with and the unexpected return of his mentally ill mother.
This is a great little mystery story that is steeped in Catholic history and murder. Thomas is a character that is a mystery himself, after an abusive childhood he turned to the Catholic Church (Franciscan) for comfort and becoming a priest, but he never quite found what he was looking for and he explored other religions before settling on Buddhism, now he is a homicide detective. Daniel is his new partner who is pretty blunt and to the point, he likes what he sees in the older Thomas and makes no apologies for it. The murder investigation is quite involved with Thomas and Daniel both slogging their way through trying to find even the smallest of clues, which leads them to a secretive Catholic group where they have to tread carefully.
The murder investigation is very interesting and you also get pulled in by the mystery of Thomas’s past, Thomas’s relationship with Daniel is just in the beginning stages but looks like it has huge potential. We are treated to a large amount of Catholic history while they investigate the murder and it is more informative rather than religious. Surprisingly, with Thomas, we don’t get treated with guilt because he is gay, he accepts his sexuality easily, what we do get from him is confusing emotions concerning his mother and we get blatant facts and hints as to why. I have to tell you that I admired Thomas’s powers of deduction because I didn’t have much of a clue as to who the murderer was other than an idea that it was someone involved high up in the Church group, how Thomas put it together was pretty impressive.
I can’t say this story was perfect though because throughout it felt like something was missing, that small something that would give it an edge. It was kind of bland, even in some of the descriptions they never quite came alive for me, reminded me more of a medical textbook instead of a description of torture and murder. Even though there is potential between Daniel and Thomas, and Thomas seems to be really into Daniel, I found their sexual couplings lacking because it felt more like a quick hook-up rather than a build-up to something more meaningful.
I recommend this to those who love murder mysteries, danger, attempted cover-ups, Catholic Church history, pretty good characters and interesting storyline.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
This story is set in 1997. Thomas Noel is a priest turned homicide detective with the Kansas City police, when the body of a boy is found crucified Thomas is assigned the case. With his new partner, Daniel Qo, he investigates and the clues all point to a secretive traditional Catholic group, a group whose leader will do anything to keep his secrets. Thomas also has his fierce attraction to Daniel to deal with and the unexpected return of his mentally ill mother.
This is a great little mystery story that is steeped in Catholic history and murder. Thomas is a character that is a mystery himself, after an abusive childhood he turned to the Catholic Church (Franciscan) for comfort and becoming a priest, but he never quite found what he was looking for and he explored other religions before settling on Buddhism, now he is a homicide detective. Daniel is his new partner who is pretty blunt and to the point, he likes what he sees in the older Thomas and makes no apologies for it. The murder investigation is quite involved with Thomas and Daniel both slogging their way through trying to find even the smallest of clues, which leads them to a secretive Catholic group where they have to tread carefully.
The murder investigation is very interesting and you also get pulled in by the mystery of Thomas’s past, Thomas’s relationship with Daniel is just in the beginning stages but looks like it has huge potential. We are treated to a large amount of Catholic history while they investigate the murder and it is more informative rather than religious. Surprisingly, with Thomas, we don’t get treated with guilt because he is gay, he accepts his sexuality easily, what we do get from him is confusing emotions concerning his mother and we get blatant facts and hints as to why. I have to tell you that I admired Thomas’s powers of deduction because I didn’t have much of a clue as to who the murderer was other than an idea that it was someone involved high up in the Church group, how Thomas put it together was pretty impressive.
I can’t say this story was perfect though because throughout it felt like something was missing, that small something that would give it an edge. It was kind of bland, even in some of the descriptions they never quite came alive for me, reminded me more of a medical textbook instead of a description of torture and murder. Even though there is potential between Daniel and Thomas, and Thomas seems to be really into Daniel, I found their sexual couplings lacking because it felt more like a quick hook-up rather than a build-up to something more meaningful.
I recommend this to those who love murder mysteries, danger, attempted cover-ups, Catholic Church history, pretty good characters and interesting storyline.
June 12, 2013
3.5 Stars
Thomas Noel (like the Christmas carol) is approaching forty, an avowed Buddhist, survivor of childhood abuse at the hands of his mentally unstable addict mother, homicide detective and ex-Catholic priest. Ever since his partner, Billy, dies five years previously, he's lived and, preferably, worked alone. Until, that is, he's landed with a new case and a new partner. Daniel Qo is in his late twenties, freshly minted degree having just graduated top of his class with a PhD in criminology and, at his request, newly partnered with the 'famous Lieutenant Thomas Noel' for his first assignment. Daniel has an immediate attraction to the older Thomas and isn't shy about letting his 'trailblazing' partner know it. While Thomas is unashamedly out at work and comfortable with his sexuality, he is a little more reticent to act on the attraction he also felt. But when Daniel insists on looking after him when he gets stabbed in the arm with a dirty syringe after an intense run in with his mother, who was just released from yet another stint in jail, Thomas gives in to both Daniel's advances and his own attraction to the man....
Read BookSmitten's full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book
Thomas Noel (like the Christmas carol) is approaching forty, an avowed Buddhist, survivor of childhood abuse at the hands of his mentally unstable addict mother, homicide detective and ex-Catholic priest. Ever since his partner, Billy, dies five years previously, he's lived and, preferably, worked alone. Until, that is, he's landed with a new case and a new partner. Daniel Qo is in his late twenties, freshly minted degree having just graduated top of his class with a PhD in criminology and, at his request, newly partnered with the 'famous Lieutenant Thomas Noel' for his first assignment. Daniel has an immediate attraction to the older Thomas and isn't shy about letting his 'trailblazing' partner know it. While Thomas is unashamedly out at work and comfortable with his sexuality, he is a little more reticent to act on the attraction he also felt. But when Daniel insists on looking after him when he gets stabbed in the arm with a dirty syringe after an intense run in with his mother, who was just released from yet another stint in jail, Thomas gives in to both Daniel's advances and his own attraction to the man....
Read BookSmitten's full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book
October 7, 2016
This book was on my TBR since 2013, but then I picked it for my annual challenge and now, after finishing, I have to say: sorry, book, that it took me so long!
This was a gripping and engaging read, I couldn't stop reading, although it dealt with grizzly crimes, in detail. The showdown was rather horrible, but fitting.
I would love to read the next book, although I fear that won't be coming.
This was a gripping and engaging read, I couldn't stop reading, although it dealt with grizzly crimes, in detail. The showdown was rather horrible, but fitting.
I would love to read the next book, although I fear that won't be coming.
June 26, 2013
Thomas has lived a hard life. He's suffered and made his share of mistakes and wrong turns, but he seems to be a good detective and he's able to draw on his past to help him solve his cases. I believe this is the beginning of a new series so a lot is left open and unexplained.
There's a very genuine quality to Thomas that appealed to me. He's complicated, brooding and a little emo. He had a very abusive childhood, that I think will be expounded upon as the series unfolds, and still has a painfully complicated relationship with his mentally ill mother. He still struggles with grief over the loss of his lover, Billy. He managed to be be both melodramatic and stoic at the same time. I liked him. I felt sorry for him and how unhappy he was. I felt that he wanted to be a good man and that he mostly succeeded. He had some deep thoughts and there were moments where he had me thinking a little about life and meaning and purpose.
Daniel is adorable and he knows it. He's brand new and it shows. He's got spunk and he's sexy and sweet and has the biggest crush on Thomas. There's a definite hero worship element going into the new partnership. He's a lot younger and his seduction of Thomas begins immediately. I liked that he was confident while still being aware that he was the junior partner and he looked to Thomas. While he lacked in field experience he was very well educated and had Thomas's back. Their partnership begins with a bang and I think he regretted his momentary hesitation and tried to make up for it.
My one real issue with the book was that the descriptives for sexual feelings and anatomy were, to me, awkward and unappealing. It was distracting and frequently took me right out of the story. Which is unfortunate because I really liked everything else.
The relationship that builds between the partners is good. The drawing out of information in the murder investigation is spaced in a way that makes it interesting and doesn't ruin the mystery. The troubled relationship with his mother and his reasons for joining the priesthood are compelling. His conflict over religion and his place in the world drew me in and were at times insightful.
Here comes my warnings for our sensitive friends. There are very brutal murders that don't occur on the pages, but are described in detail. There is physical and sexual abuse of minors described in past tense and referred to in the investigation. There are hints that Thomas himself has personal experience with molestation. There is violence that does occur on the page. This is a murder mystery being solved by two homicide detectives so it makes sense that things would at times get a little graphic, but it is not gratuitous.
I liked this book a lot, except for my above mentioned issue, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in the series. I’m looking forward to seeing the men, and their relationship, develop and to watching them solve more cases together. I have a feeling they're going to compliment each other well and make an unstoppable team.
Reviewed by Nina
There's a very genuine quality to Thomas that appealed to me. He's complicated, brooding and a little emo. He had a very abusive childhood, that I think will be expounded upon as the series unfolds, and still has a painfully complicated relationship with his mentally ill mother. He still struggles with grief over the loss of his lover, Billy. He managed to be be both melodramatic and stoic at the same time. I liked him. I felt sorry for him and how unhappy he was. I felt that he wanted to be a good man and that he mostly succeeded. He had some deep thoughts and there were moments where he had me thinking a little about life and meaning and purpose.
Daniel is adorable and he knows it. He's brand new and it shows. He's got spunk and he's sexy and sweet and has the biggest crush on Thomas. There's a definite hero worship element going into the new partnership. He's a lot younger and his seduction of Thomas begins immediately. I liked that he was confident while still being aware that he was the junior partner and he looked to Thomas. While he lacked in field experience he was very well educated and had Thomas's back. Their partnership begins with a bang and I think he regretted his momentary hesitation and tried to make up for it.
My one real issue with the book was that the descriptives for sexual feelings and anatomy were, to me, awkward and unappealing. It was distracting and frequently took me right out of the story. Which is unfortunate because I really liked everything else.
The relationship that builds between the partners is good. The drawing out of information in the murder investigation is spaced in a way that makes it interesting and doesn't ruin the mystery. The troubled relationship with his mother and his reasons for joining the priesthood are compelling. His conflict over religion and his place in the world drew me in and were at times insightful.
Here comes my warnings for our sensitive friends. There are very brutal murders that don't occur on the pages, but are described in detail. There is physical and sexual abuse of minors described in past tense and referred to in the investigation. There are hints that Thomas himself has personal experience with molestation. There is violence that does occur on the page. This is a murder mystery being solved by two homicide detectives so it makes sense that things would at times get a little graphic, but it is not gratuitous.
I liked this book a lot, except for my above mentioned issue, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in the series. I’m looking forward to seeing the men, and their relationship, develop and to watching them solve more cases together. I have a feeling they're going to compliment each other well and make an unstoppable team.
Reviewed by Nina
April 16, 2017
2.3 Stars
Barely readable, and if it weren't for all the detail on the pre-Vatican II Catholic schism then I'd have been bored to death.
Also, I've no idea why this was set in 1997. None of the details sounded authentic with too many references to computer databases, online activity, cell phones etc. Having a fingerprint search concluded in one day back then was also highly unlikely as in this story the original suspect had precisely ONE arrest record, in a different state...it wasn't until the 00s that AFIS technology was this precise. (Prior to 2000 the system needed multiple prints from the evidence and multiple prints from the ID record and quite a bit longer than a single afternoon to narrow the results so well.)
Seriously, the author would do himself a HUGE service by editing and re-releasing with accurate details or a new timeline. Some readers (like myself) are well informed of police policy and procedure (of which there were SO MANY MISTAKES to mention here) and don't just swallow the pseudo-jargon as spouted on CSI etc...not that even THAT level of crap was attempted here. Just, ugh.
Finally, the writing itself was just...meh. Stilted & a little immature, especially given the MC is in his late 30s. And Daniel? The partner/love interest/second MC? About all we know is that he's Chinese and has a PhD in Criminology. He's Tom's junior detective...a position you don't just apply for and get without some police training - but he seems to have absolutely no idea how to be a cop, or about how to investigate. Oh, or have any inkling about even the psychology of this kind of crime. Which, yeah, no. Not with that degree. Makes me curious to know what the hell his thesis was on.
Anyway, that's 2.5 hours I want back...and the 15 minutes it took me to write this damned review.
(One more nitpick: Having an obviously dying priest tell you he's got cancer...and you ask him, "Is it serious?" What the fuck? No, of course it it isn't. It's just a slight case of cancer. You know, the kind that clears up after a good night's rest or whatnot. JFC. *eyeroll*)
Barely readable, and if it weren't for all the detail on the pre-Vatican II Catholic schism then I'd have been bored to death.
Also, I've no idea why this was set in 1997. None of the details sounded authentic with too many references to computer databases, online activity, cell phones etc. Having a fingerprint search concluded in one day back then was also highly unlikely as in this story the original suspect had precisely ONE arrest record, in a different state...it wasn't until the 00s that AFIS technology was this precise. (Prior to 2000 the system needed multiple prints from the evidence and multiple prints from the ID record and quite a bit longer than a single afternoon to narrow the results so well.)
Seriously, the author would do himself a HUGE service by editing and re-releasing with accurate details or a new timeline. Some readers (like myself) are well informed of police policy and procedure (of which there were SO MANY MISTAKES to mention here) and don't just swallow the pseudo-jargon as spouted on CSI etc...not that even THAT level of crap was attempted here. Just, ugh.
Finally, the writing itself was just...meh. Stilted & a little immature, especially given the MC is in his late 30s. And Daniel? The partner/love interest/second MC? About all we know is that he's Chinese and has a PhD in Criminology. He's Tom's junior detective...a position you don't just apply for and get without some police training - but he seems to have absolutely no idea how to be a cop, or about how to investigate. Oh, or have any inkling about even the psychology of this kind of crime. Which, yeah, no. Not with that degree. Makes me curious to know what the hell his thesis was on.
Anyway, that's 2.5 hours I want back...and the 15 minutes it took me to write this damned review.
(One more nitpick: Having an obviously dying priest tell you he's got cancer...and you ask him, "Is it serious?" What the fuck? No, of course it it isn't. It's just a slight case of cancer. You know, the kind that clears up after a good night's rest or whatnot. JFC. *eyeroll*)
June 27, 2013
For quite some time when I was reading this story my mental one word impression was "Huh?". I ended up liking it, but even when I am done there are some moments which I am still not sure about. First of all I think the author is a really talented writer. Thomas, our narrator has a very engaging voice and his grumpiness is well earned by past experiences. The mystery is exciting (do not expect something entertaining though), fast paced and hard to guess. The romance is a secondary storyline and it is an Insta!Love of the most Insta!Variety. I kind of understand when I am finished with the book why the writer did it (I think). Thomas really needed some positive experiences and I guess the writer decided to give him that and fast. The subject of the mystery is of the worst variety - heart wrenching abuses and violence against teenage boys by the people who are supposedly serving God. I would not say that the author portrays all religious people with the black brush, BUT I certainly thought that the overall view of Catholic religion and sects which came out after breach was not sympathetic. If this is a problem for you, the book is not for you. I thought it portrayed a grim reality and correctly so.
The portrayal of Thomas' partner Daniel was one of my "huh?" moments. I actually cringed at the jokes which were based on him being Chinese. On one hand there was nothing terribly offensive for me, but on the other hand, even I as somebody for whom English is a second language did not like the poking about Daniel supposedly not knowing the difference between "who and whom". There were several other instances were I wondered how Chinese person would have reacted.
I mentioned before that romance is a secondary storyline and while there are only three sex scenes in the whole story, thank goodness, I thought the first scene not only came extra fast but at the most Bizarre Moment. Because of course the character who is injured just wants to have sex - pain and tiredness be ..... (insert the word I cannot put in).
The portrayal of Thomas' partner Daniel was one of my "huh?" moments. I actually cringed at the jokes which were based on him being Chinese. On one hand there was nothing terribly offensive for me, but on the other hand, even I as somebody for whom English is a second language did not like the poking about Daniel supposedly not knowing the difference between "who and whom". There were several other instances were I wondered how Chinese person would have reacted.
I mentioned before that romance is a secondary storyline and while there are only three sex scenes in the whole story, thank goodness, I thought the first scene not only came extra fast but at the most Bizarre Moment. Because of course the character who is injured just wants to have sex - pain and tiredness be ..... (insert the word I cannot put in).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2013
I’m going to start this review with a warning. This book is intense. The opening scene isn’t for the squeamish and if you’re easily disturbed, I suggest you look elsewhere for your reading entertainment.
If you’re still with me, meet Thomas Noel, 40 year old detective. He’s just gotten the case from hell (pardon the pun) and a new partner, Daniel Qo, 28. The case seems to be the easier thing to deal with. A young man has been found nailed to a tree. Crucified, in other words. Noel used to be a Catholic priest and this hits close to home for him. A little too close, if you know what I mean.
This story plays out nicely. Something is fishy and it’s probably the red herrings that the author tosses in our direction.
I enjoyed the story quite a bit. It was fun and Daniel makes a great partner for Noel, in every sense of the word. There are a few things that don’t get finished, but that is because this is part of a series and hopefully answers will be coming soon.
Lucky's 4 1/2 sweet pea review appears at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
If you’re still with me, meet Thomas Noel, 40 year old detective. He’s just gotten the case from hell (pardon the pun) and a new partner, Daniel Qo, 28. The case seems to be the easier thing to deal with. A young man has been found nailed to a tree. Crucified, in other words. Noel used to be a Catholic priest and this hits close to home for him. A little too close, if you know what I mean.
This story plays out nicely. Something is fishy and it’s probably the red herrings that the author tosses in our direction.
I enjoyed the story quite a bit. It was fun and Daniel makes a great partner for Noel, in every sense of the word. There are a few things that don’t get finished, but that is because this is part of a series and hopefully answers will be coming soon.
Lucky's 4 1/2 sweet pea review appears at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
June 16, 2013
This story is a disappointment for me. The main character, Lieutenant Thomas Noel, was good enough. His detective work was smart and truly well developed, which I liked. But I can't say the same about Daniel Qo, Thomas's new partner. This character was young, plainly stupid and didn't seem to have one detective bone in his body. Why insert such a boring, even idiotic, character I'm not sure. And I didn't even mention their strange one night, jerking off session. That part was strange and absurdly inappropriate too. Sure the main mystery plot about abuse case's in Church School's and killings involved around this topic, was interesting, but everything else, just didn't fit.
June 13, 2013
My quick rundown: Thomas an ex-priest now Buddhist and gay police detective is investigating a murder of a boy that was found crucified. He also meets his new partner, a young Chinese man, Daniel Qo. While investigating the murder, his own past comes back to haunt him in many ways and he finds himself with feelings for his new partner.
My review: I actually liked this story. It is an intriguing mystery with many twists and turns and I found myself not so sure who the murder was though I got an idea but wasn’t sure the way things kept unfolding and refolding. I found Thomas very interesting the way his past was explained in bits and with the arrival of his abusive mother. I also liked the hint of the romance between him and his new partner, the glimpse of his past romance of Billy, and the hints of a few more romances I won’t mention since it could be a spoiler. I liked how he wasn’t the most loved person on the force and not your typical stereotype lead character.
Now what I didn’t like; I got a bit lost in all the history of the Catholic church and found some parts weren’t necessary like one of the groups he goes and spends a great deal of time talking to. The descriptions of the murders were ok ( the violence is a bit harsh but doesn’t bother me) but what threw me here was that once it is said the actually crucifixion wouldn’t kill then it seems to be the murder way of choice in this story, also the medical descriptions got a bit textbook for m and lost my interest . When the mother showed up I liked this how it shows his character and confusion but some stuff was brought up but not really told in detail and I got a bit confused and curious of more of his past abuse.
On the romance front: The interaction (sexual between him and his partner was a bit odd for me, since it happens immediately and Thomas is druggy from just getting back from the hospital. Also it was more sexual though Thomas spoke of wanting more. I wold have loved to seen a lot more tension and progression here and more about Daniel since we knew hardly anything.
All in all I loved this story and would definitely read more. I would have like less Church and medical terms and more relationship.
Recommendations: I recommend if you who love suspense and mystery, stories with violence, A dealing with his abusive past, Catholic Church history, twists and turns, a mystery not easy to solve, and a possible romance.
My review: I actually liked this story. It is an intriguing mystery with many twists and turns and I found myself not so sure who the murder was though I got an idea but wasn’t sure the way things kept unfolding and refolding. I found Thomas very interesting the way his past was explained in bits and with the arrival of his abusive mother. I also liked the hint of the romance between him and his new partner, the glimpse of his past romance of Billy, and the hints of a few more romances I won’t mention since it could be a spoiler. I liked how he wasn’t the most loved person on the force and not your typical stereotype lead character.
Now what I didn’t like; I got a bit lost in all the history of the Catholic church and found some parts weren’t necessary like one of the groups he goes and spends a great deal of time talking to. The descriptions of the murders were ok ( the violence is a bit harsh but doesn’t bother me) but what threw me here was that once it is said the actually crucifixion wouldn’t kill then it seems to be the murder way of choice in this story, also the medical descriptions got a bit textbook for m and lost my interest . When the mother showed up I liked this how it shows his character and confusion but some stuff was brought up but not really told in detail and I got a bit confused and curious of more of his past abuse.
On the romance front: The interaction (sexual between him and his partner was a bit odd for me, since it happens immediately and Thomas is druggy from just getting back from the hospital. Also it was more sexual though Thomas spoke of wanting more. I wold have loved to seen a lot more tension and progression here and more about Daniel since we knew hardly anything.
All in all I loved this story and would definitely read more. I would have like less Church and medical terms and more relationship.
Recommendations: I recommend if you who love suspense and mystery, stories with violence, A dealing with his abusive past, Catholic Church history, twists and turns, a mystery not easy to solve, and a possible romance.
June 12, 2013
3.25 to 3.5 stars
At the heart of the story is the case of the body of a boy found nailed to planks of wood, crucifixion style. All evidence points to St Konrad’s, a traditional Catholic monastery and boarding school run by His Excellency The Most Reverend Bishop James, self styled ‘last valid Catholic bishop left’ in the “real” Catholic Church.
The writing is often blunt and certainly doesn’t pull any punches. While it may have been mildly shocking at times, that wasn’t what particularly bothered me. What did, was the fact that apparently the majority of people Thomas worked with were all either incompetent, unlikeable, or both. The only real exceptions to that were the ME and a catholic priest who mentored Thomas when he was younger. The receptionist at the police station in particular was so extreme that it was just unbelievable that someone that dumb, unprofessional and inarticulate would be employed by the police department for a position that is effectively the first point of contact.
Set in 1997/8 (not sure why, it didn’t have a bearing on the story), I quite enjoyed the mystery. It was well paced and interesting, although there were no real surprises. The characters were a little lacking, especially Daniel, who I felt it would have been nice to get to know better. I’d have liked for there to have been a bit more time given to their development. The mystery part of the plot was fairly well done, the personal side was pretty uneven and almost unnecessary, it was so underdeveloped. The writing and story were good enough that I’d be willing to try the next book in this new series, but I’d definitely be hoping for better character development.
Read the full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book
At the heart of the story is the case of the body of a boy found nailed to planks of wood, crucifixion style. All evidence points to St Konrad’s, a traditional Catholic monastery and boarding school run by His Excellency The Most Reverend Bishop James, self styled ‘last valid Catholic bishop left’ in the “real” Catholic Church.
The writing is often blunt and certainly doesn’t pull any punches. While it may have been mildly shocking at times, that wasn’t what particularly bothered me. What did, was the fact that apparently the majority of people Thomas worked with were all either incompetent, unlikeable, or both. The only real exceptions to that were the ME and a catholic priest who mentored Thomas when he was younger. The receptionist at the police station in particular was so extreme that it was just unbelievable that someone that dumb, unprofessional and inarticulate would be employed by the police department for a position that is effectively the first point of contact.
Set in 1997/8 (not sure why, it didn’t have a bearing on the story), I quite enjoyed the mystery. It was well paced and interesting, although there were no real surprises. The characters were a little lacking, especially Daniel, who I felt it would have been nice to get to know better. I’d have liked for there to have been a bit more time given to their development. The mystery part of the plot was fairly well done, the personal side was pretty uneven and almost unnecessary, it was so underdeveloped. The writing and story were good enough that I’d be willing to try the next book in this new series, but I’d definitely be hoping for better character development.
Read the full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book
April 23, 2017
2.5 stars.
This could have been a five star read. The POV character was interesting with a whole mess of backstory - enough to fill dozens of novels. Unfortunately, the love interest was a dumb as dog shit and about as interesting. He was badly written and under-developed and the only time he showed a glimmer of being more than one dimensional, the author threw him back into bed for another oddly timed sex scene.
The mystery was interesting, but the sheer amount of religious exposition to wade through was overwhelming and threw me out of the story instead of drawing me in.
An okay read, but disappointingly executed.
This could have been a five star read. The POV character was interesting with a whole mess of backstory - enough to fill dozens of novels. Unfortunately, the love interest was a dumb as dog shit and about as interesting. He was badly written and under-developed and the only time he showed a glimmer of being more than one dimensional, the author threw him back into bed for another oddly timed sex scene.
The mystery was interesting, but the sheer amount of religious exposition to wade through was overwhelming and threw me out of the story instead of drawing me in.
An okay read, but disappointingly executed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2013
I read this book overnight and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be reading the next book in the series when it becomes available.
The tone of the book is quite interesting. I think that it was 'Joe Friday' who did the voice overs in the original series of Dragnet and this is what I could hear from page 1. It made for an unusual reading experience but one which I quickly got used to.
For a summary of the story you can read elsewhere but my feeling after reading this book is that I would like to read more by this author and featuring these characters.
The tone of the book is quite interesting. I think that it was 'Joe Friday' who did the voice overs in the original series of Dragnet and this is what I could hear from page 1. It made for an unusual reading experience but one which I quickly got used to.
For a summary of the story you can read elsewhere but my feeling after reading this book is that I would like to read more by this author and featuring these characters.
August 6, 2015
2.5*
I wanted to like this more: it was a straight up mystery novel, it's based in Missouri (yay, Show Me State!!!), the cover is cool. Sadly, it didn't take it all the way for me. It was dry and felt like it over-explained a couple of technical things , but I powered through because the murder mystery was good. The 'romance' and mama drama was random, and thank goodness the receptionist was only in a few scenes because she was a waste of space and good air.
I wanted to like this more: it was a straight up mystery novel, it's based in Missouri (yay, Show Me State!!!), the cover is cool. Sadly, it didn't take it all the way for me. It was dry and felt like it over-explained a couple of technical things , but I powered through because the murder mystery was good. The 'romance' and mama drama was random, and thank goodness the receptionist was only in a few scenes because she was a waste of space and good air.
June 15, 2013
The official review for MM Good Book Reviews can be found at: http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co... written by Pixie.
I will be adding my thoughts on this book shortly too.
Thommie.
I will be adding my thoughts on this book shortly too.
Thommie.
August 8, 2013
4.5 stars.
June 30, 2013
3.75 stars
Want to read
June 23, 2013You had me at ex-priest-turned-Buddhist-gay-cop. Who could resist? ;-)
July 22, 2014
Well this book started out looking good but I was disappointed with the end,
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February 4, 2017DNF at 12%
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