Bone to Pick

Digging Up Bones #1

by T.A. Moore

Digging Up Book One Cloister Witte is a man with a dark past and a cute dog. He’s happy to talk about the dog all day, but after growing up in the shadow of a missing brother, a deadbeat dad, and a criminal stepfather, he’d rather leave the past back in Montana. These days he’s a K-9 officer in the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and pays a tithe to his ghosts by doing what no one was able to do for his brother—find the missing and bring them home. He’s good at solving difficult mysteries. The dog is even better. This time the missing person is a ten-year-old boy who walked into the woods in the middle of the night and didn’t come back. With the antagonistic help of distractingly handsome FBI agent Javi Merlo, it quickly becomes clear that Drew Hartley didn’t run away. He was taken, and the evidence implies he’s not the kidnapper’s first victim. As the search intensifies, old grudges and tragedies are pulled into the light of day. But with each clue they uncover, it looks less and less likely that Drew will be found alive.

Genres: Mystery, M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers, Crime

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2017

About the author

TA Moore is a Northern Irish writer of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and contemporary romance novels. A childhood in a rural, seaside town fostered in her a suspicious nature, a love of mystery, and a streak of black humour a mile wide. As her grandmother always said, ‘she’d laugh at a bad thing that one’, mind you, that was the pot calling the kettle black. TA Moore studied History, Irish mythology, English at University, mostly because she has always loved a good story. She has worked as a journalist, a finance manager, and in the arts sectors before she finally gave in to a lifelong desire to write.

Coffee, Doc Marten boots, and good friends are the essential things in life. Spiders, mayo, and heels are to be avoided.

Website: www.nevertobetold.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TA.Moores
Twitter: @tammy_moore

Reviews

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook - 4 stars

Story - 3.5 stars

Huh! This was actually so good. I did not expect to enjoy it but I did.



It took me back to the good old fashioned police procedural story. It flowed so well and I found myself being hooked into solving the mystery of the missing boy.

The Main characters, Cloister & Javi were okay and even prickly Javi was at least okay? Maybe, maybe not. The romance part was clearly non-existent, I bet because these two guys got issues on top of issues but I have to say the rest of the story was interesting enough that I did not dwell on the romance thingy.

I really liked Cloister and Bourneville. In my book, Bourneville is the best dog MC ever. She deserves lots of treats, what an adorable cutie, she stole the show.

The side characters also fit well into the story. I liked how the investigation process was done, reminded me of all those amazing Police procedural Tv shows that I used to watch and loved.

Overall, this was a good story and I enjoyed it.

[Teal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. THAT WAS INTERESTING. How about a romance — no, let's make that a "romance" — between two completely unlikeable characters? Okay, one of them has a dog, so he can't be completely unlikeable. And since the POV alternates between the two, allowing us to see inside their heads, it's revealed that the other guy KNOWS he's an asshole. Which, as far as redeeming features go, is better than nothing.

Sometimes Javi was such a prick it was hard to share his head with himself.

And really there's a third main character: the dog, Bourneville. But she's much more than a dog. She's a sheriff's department deputy and nobody's pet, smart, brave, protective, affectionate, playful — and ferocious when necessary.

The weather can almost lay claim to be a character as well. It certainly sets the tone of the book, as the Santa Ana wind scours both the landscape and the living creatures that venture out into it: harsh, gritty, dry, unforgiving. Austere. If you are looking for soft & cuddly, you have come to the wrong book.

It was exactly the sort of emotional engagement Javi wanted. None.

Looking for an HEA? Hahahahahaha. Go away. Willing to settle for an HFN, a Happy for Now? Maybe you can have that... It depends on what you mean by "for now." Three or four hours okay with you? And it depends on what you mean by "happy." "Not miserable"? "Not seething with anger"? Will that do? In that case, enjoy your HFN.

He knew what Javi was like. It worked for him now. Hell, when it went down in flames, maybe it wouldn't even be Cloister's fault for once.

I want more. I can't wrap my mind around the idea that this might be a standalone novel. Surely it's the start of a series? There's so much depth here, so much atmosphere; in fact, I finished the book late last night and it seeped into my dreams. I got invested in these two fierce, guarded men. Now I want to see the absolute, colossal fuck-up any relationship between them is sure to be.

Apparently you could look at some bad ideas and just know they would be worth it.

Yeah, bring it.

_______
UPDATE 2/12/18: Yes, this will indeed be a series. BRING IT.

[Simone - on indefinite hiatus - · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3.5- 4 Stars for both, audiobook and story***

What is it with dogs lately stealing the show from the characters???

Well, at least in my books, so sorry for yet another dog gif (#sonotsorry), but Bourneville was definitely the star for me here...

Okay, I really liked Cloister, but the jury is still out on Javi who was an a**hole extraordinaire 90% of the time. I have to admit I'm curious about his background, though, so I will definitely read the next one and since this one here only scraped past the surface of a possible romance, I'm in for getting more hopefully soon.

The mystery part - although my suspect was pretty clear early on - was engaging and since I've never read a story with a police dog as a co-star so far, I was highly entertained. And the German commands for the dog like "pfui" and "such" made me chuckle. ;-)

***Josy, thanks again for the Audible gift card. I made the perfect choice with this book. ❤️***

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I was quite intrigued with Bone to Pick from new-to-me author, T.A. Moore, after I saw the blog tour at a number of blog reviews. I love animals in my romance, so reading about a a K-9 officer and an FBI agent sounds awesome.

Unfortunately, my reading experience is marred by extreme distaste with one of the characters. Simply put, I HATE this guy with passion...



Okay before I get into my rant, I can still say something positive. I thought Bourneville (or "Bon") the dog as the smartest character in here. When it comes to his job while he was with Bon, I thought Cloister was pretty competent. He knew how to deal with the dogs, he knew how to talk to victims. Cloister definitely had better people skill than Javi.

The only time Cloister became a doormat, in my perspective, was when he was within proximity with Javi. Seriously man, Javi looked down on you, insulted you and your dog, but then he bought you food and you were willing to put out for him? Jeez, show some dignity!!

The mystery itself was okay ... unfortunately I couldn't focus on the mystery because I was too busy despising Javi.

Okay, Javi ... I thought he was one condescending a$$hole. He was a snob, he looked down on people. He thought what, a second coming?! An answer to all the problems at Plenty?! PUH-LEASE!! He didn't even have the right hunch. ALL of the clues for this case came from Cloister. Javi took credit of everything. MY GOD, I HATE HIM.

Oh and he pretty much insulted Bon, the dog. That is just a huge crime in my book.

It didn't help that Javi and Cloister's initial meeting was happened off page. So I couldn't understand all of this negative attitude from Javi. All I knew was he was being such a prick.

Simply put, I disliked this book because of Javi. So Javi, this is my final words to you...

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special Agent Javi Merlo and K-9 Deputy Cloister (his mother's maiden name) Witte have worked together in the past and hate each other's guts. Cloister rocks the "principled redneck" vibe while Javi is "a tall, dark man with a good haircut and a better suit." There's a strong sexual sizzle between the two men but their attraction takes a back seat to finding a child missing from an upscale new age camp/retreat outside town. 10-year-old Drew is the grandson of Javi's FBI mentor and there's a lot of pressure to quickly solve the case and find the boy.

T.A. Moore has created a very tight complex plot that really carries this book from start to finish. Turns out Drew's disappearance may be linked to other unusual events spanning many years (no spoilers here!). Once the mystery plot gets fully underway, we get some very steamy scenes between Javi and Cloister, but these two are not closet romantics and there is no glowingly tender HEA here, but more of a cautious entanglement:

“I don’t even know why I want to fuck you,” he said as he worked the tight rubber of the condom down over his cock. The sheath was a slippery, wet look against the darker skin of his cock and snug around the base. “You aren’t my type.”

Cloister was thickly erect. Reflected in the window, his cock jutted at a proud, untouched angle between his spread thighs. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t ask you to prom either,” he said. “But you’re here, so….”

We get tantalizing bits and pieces of Cloister's childhood but very little about Javi other than he prefers to keep his sex life and his life separate - no emotional involvement. Yet, there is something between the two that begs further exploration:

Laughter wasn’t a usual element of Javi’s sex life. He liked his encounters to be planned, intense, and mutually satiating—not funny. So he was surprised at how hard the rough growl of Cloister’s easy humor left him.

I loved how the mystery unfolded, and while the crime is solved by the end of the book, I hope there are more books from T.A. Moore about these two because it seems like we've barely scratched the surface of their fledging relationship or their pasts.

Also Big Bonus - Cloister's K-9 dog Bourneville is really the star of the show. The author writes like they know and understand dogs and we get a great deal of fascinating information about how K-9 dogs process information and do their jobs. I give Bone to Pick 4.5 stars and highly recommend it!

I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!

[Lisazj1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really loved this! I read a lot of crime/mystery and this might not be the first story I've read with a K-9 officer or SAR dog but this is the first one where the dog is actually a character, and Bourneville is a big reason that I loved this book. ❤ However, she's not the only reason.

At first glance, Cloister Witte is a big, hulking redneck deputy in a K-9 unit. And he's pretty much a textbook example that things aren't always just as they appear. However, Javi Merlo is exactly as he appears, and he works hard to make sure you get that right away. He's an ambitious FBI agent, sharp in both in his appearance and his attitude. He doesn't have time for anything but his job and no patience at all with everybody else's incompetence. Which is another way of saying he's a massive asshole. Deputy Witte and Agent Merlo have a somewhat hostile history from a previous case and they're forced to work together when a child disappears, and Cloister and Bourneville are sent to track the missing boy.

The plot was tense and the investigation interesting, if not all that involved with regular police procedure. A lot of what was figured out came from Cloister's history with the town, knowing things that happened in the past and having memories tease at him as things developed.

The one thing you won't find here is romance. However, as the case develops, their tension and hostility doesn't keep the physical attraction between them from boiling over. Though romance and relationships are not going to happen, the more time they spend together, both start to see beneath the surface *despite all effort to the contrary*. There's something there, though it is not going to be acknowledged.

It's clear that both men have lots of issues and Cloister definitely has a painful past. I really like Cloister, despite the fact that he doesn't seem to think there's much to like about himself. I'm very interested to see if more is revealed about what got Javi to who he is now. Though it can't be stated enough just how much of a giant jerk he is, I still kind of liked him, mostly for the things in the back of his mind he tries not to let himself think.

I really want to see where this series is going, and if I didn't have a couple of must read stories next, I'd already be on to the next one. Soon though!

Thanks again to Berry Kinkiss for the amazing gift, I truly enjoyed reading it! 💖

***

This is an awesome gift from wonderful Berry Kinkiss, and I so very much appreciate it! Thank you! <3

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author's work and reading a book involving K-9 unit. It definitely held my interest till the very end despite the "romance" term being a bit slim. Since it's the first book in the series I am assuming that there will be strong feelings involved later. For now though it's more of a hate-you-yet-lust-after-you feeling that transforms into you-are-hot-still-and-tolerable by the end of the book. Both men are so different, want different things in life, live different lives but they are drawn to each other like moth to a flame.

Cloister is a police officer who with his loyal K-9 Bourneville assists in missing persons cases. He is in his own words "a romantic at heart yet a complete doormat". Despite his tarnished view of himself I liked him. He has that innate goodness that draws people to him. I liked his devotion to his dog he affectionately called Bon Bon, his dedication to his work. He is a man of few words and simple tastes. He is laden with guilt over his past and every person he is not able to find. It will be interesting to see how this "relationship" with Agent Merlo affects him.

Special Agent Javi Merlo is a downright jerk. Half the time I wanted to punch him. His treatment of Cloister in the beginning of the book, well, most of the time was reprehensible. But I have to give it to him, he is always upfront and doesn't sugarcoat anything. He never pretends to be what he is not. There is something good in him as is proven later in the book when he does have favorable thoughts about Cloister. But that something good is sooo far deep that it would take a lot of work to find it.

The case and how both men worked was interesting in their own right. Both men worked well separately yet together they came up with wildest assumptions that later on appeared to be true. I liked how both men relied on gut instinct and tried to find evidence to substantiate their ideas. The case was not gruesome just a bit convoluted, and spinning almost a decade, and involving many families that didn't even know it. I liked how unconventional it was. All the secondary characters though were either self-serving or corrupt with the exclusion of very few.

So in the end I think I liked what TA Moore came up with. There is a reason why both her MCs are emotionally closed off - there is a light at the end of the tunnel for that love story, there are many past hurts that need to be uncovered. Javi did say he would have to get used to the dog. We will see what's going to happen next. I recommend it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was an interesting read. I enjoy a good thriller / mystery and this was a solid story. The two MCs Cloister & Javi had serious issues and I think there really needs to be a few books with these two guys together to unpack and develop their relationship. I felt we only got to the beginning of their romance at the epilogue. There were things I wanted to know about them and what factors caused them both to be so protective of themselves so that little chance for warmth or vulnerability could get through. I really needed more ! As for solving the crime - they both managed this mystery well and of course Bon the K9 was a champion in this partnership.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Not because it was perfect, the characters likable or the romance epic. "Just" because it was well written, the characters were sometimes (or most of the time, even all of the time) realistically unlikable people, the mystery was well executed and not predictable, and the “romance” was virtually non-existent.
Yes, the last one was a plus, weird as it may seem. The best relationship developments I’ve read in series usually started with crumbs of romance in the first book, so I’m feeling optimistic about this one.

If you don’t like to read about unlikable MCs, this probably isn’t the book for you.
If you, like me, think you don’t like to read about unlikable MCs, until you take a closer look at your shelves and realize they are full of books with unlikable MCs that you liked anyway, give it a try. I almost passed this up because of course I couldn’t possibly want to read about assholes.
And believe me, one of this book’s MCs is an Asshole. Or, to use his words, a prick.

Sometimes Javi was such a prick it was hard to share his head with himself.

When I read this quote early in the book, I laughed.
It’s not often that you find an unapologetically assholish MC and Javi is perfectly aware of his flaws and he’s not doing much to be a better person. It worked well over the course of the book. Even if my patience with it, with him, started to wear thin toward the end, and for a moment I was afraid Cloister would turn into a doormat. The fact that that didn’t happen was what saved the “relationship” (if you can call it that) for me.

Cloister isn’t as much of a prick as Javi, but that’s not saying much. I think I was supposed to find him almost as unlikable as Javi, even if in a different way, but it didn’t quite work out that way. While Javi said he was a prick and, after seeing his actions and especially his thought process, I had no trouble believing it was true, Cloister thought about himself as a worse person than he gave me the impression to be, if that makes any sense. I really liked him. Not in the sense that I’d like to spend time with someone like him in real life, I liked the complexity of his character, the balance between his rough, independent side and his vulnerable spots. His relationship with his dog partner, Bourneville, didn’t hurt either. Bon Bon was a nice touch in a book populated by moody jerks.
Speaking of moody jerks, I’m expecting Javi to be revealed as having at least some positive qualities in the second book because nobody is 100% asshole all the time.

And now I need to spend two words on what was really wrong with this book. The editing.
I’ve seen some really bad examples of editing from Dreamspinner Press over the years, and sadly this one isn’t even one of the worst, but this time it really bothered me because this book is really good and it deserved better.

Here are some random things that should’ve been caught during the editing process and weren’t.

Two instances of “saying her peace” used instead of “saying her piece.”

“Caught slight of” instead of “caught sight of.”

“Dry his laces” where it should’ve been “tie his laces.”

The wrong gender pronoun was used for Bourneville once, making “her” become “him.”

In one instance, Javi asked a cop for clarifications about something she never said during that conversation.

I’m also pretty sure there were commas missing in some places, because I had to go back and reread some sentences to make sense of what was happening.

And this is only what I caught, there’s probably more I missed. Like I said, this author and this book deserved better.

[Line · Rating 4 out of 5]

Price drop at the zon.com right now: https://smile.amazon.com/Bone-Pick-TA...

[Fabi NEEDS Email Notifications · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting police procedural/crime mystery. The story is captivating and kept me engaged until the end.

Unfortunately I still walked away with questions about both, the victims and the perpetrator.

The MCs are a mixed bag. I really liked Cloister and his K-9 dog. I was fascinated by their working relationship. I am not a fan of Javi. He's a bit of a ladder climbing a*hole more concerned with himself than anyone else. The only other character that stood out was "the mom" and she annoyed the hell out of me.

I struggled a bit with wording and phrasing and there are still quite a few typos. But overall I enjoyed the story.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down to 4 because still no 1/2 stars here on GR.

It's mystery time...

"Bone To Pick' is my first time with a story by author T.A. Moore and seriously you can just color me impressed. I have to admit that being new to this author I had no idea what to expect so while I like the familiar as much as the next person...which, I did get that because hey, Michael Fell, narrated this one and he's quickly becoming a fav of mine when it comes to audio book narrators.

But as much as I like the familiar I also welcome the chance to discover something new and what I found here was an author that can deliver a solid mystery/thriller story with a touch of romance? mmm...maybe, not so much romance but definitely a relationship going on here between a couple of the MCs.

Cloister Witte works for the San Diego County Sheriff's Departments K-9 Unit. He's a man who's past haunts him...dad's a deadbeat, stepdad's a criminal and his brother disappeared and was never found and this is the demon that drives Cloister to do for others what no one did for his brother. Cloister and his K-9 partner, Bourneville bring the missing home.

When Drew Hartley goes missing Cloister and Bourneville are brought in to aid in the search and as much as he wants to help being brought in to help F.B.I. agent Javi Merlo is not high on Cloister's list of things he wants to do...but with a child missing both men try to put aside their animosity towards each other...notice I said try...yeah, some things are harder to do than others. While it's readily apparent that the animosity between Cloister and Javi is fueled as much by their attraction as it is by their past encounter. For me the relationship here is far more physical attraction than any kind of emotional connection. I'm not saying that it doesn't have to potential to become more...just that throughout the course of this story while the physical attraction was definitely there if readers are looking for some kind of grand romance than they're going to be disappointed.

It's definitely the mystery/thriller part of this story that has prominence and takes center stage for most of this story. While I liked Cloister from the word go and of course I liked Bourneville...I mean really how can anyone not like a service dog. These dogs are the heroes of the dog world. Don't get me wrong they're not the only heroes when it comes to our canine companions but you have to admit service dogs are pretty damned amazing and this is also part of the reason why I just couldn't warm up to Javi with his less than informed attitude towards service dogs and what they are capable of...yeah, Javi was often times a self-righteous, condescending, jerk and truthfully my feelings towards him didn't really change but that didn't really seem to impact how much I enjoyed this story.

Like many others I loved Bourne. For the most part I really liked Cloister. He was awesome with Bourne and fairly good with people in general...was he perfect...no, but really who is and for me this just added to making Cloister feel like a real person someone that I could actually meet one day.

As for Javi...well sad to say I can imagine meeting him one day too...oh, wait I think I've already met him a time or two at least and I think this is part of why even though I wasn't a fan of Javi, he didn't spoil the story for me. Along with the good and the bad that was Javi and Cloister there were secondary characters who helped to fill out this story adding to the tension and realism of events.

I admit it I loved this story not because of the 'romance' but more in spite of it. The mystery for me was enjoyable, the character interaction intriguing and the potential for more solid and I'm definitely on board to check out more by this author and last but not least...the narrator...Michael Fell.

I'm not sure what more there is that I can say here about Michael Fell..I could add a whole lot of flowery, gushy words and go on and on about the fact that he's steadily making his way to my top 10 list when it comes to audio book narrators and when I'm looking for an audio book to listen to if he's becoming a narrator who requires little if any consideration as to whether or not I'll enjoy the audio...so, like I said I'm not sure what more I can so except maybe if you enjoy audio books and you haven't listened to anything by Michael Fell...what the hell? How have you managed that and you need to fix it ASAP! and this is as good a book as any to start with if you enjoy a good mystery.

*************************

An audio book of 'Bone to Pick' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange fw.

[yaishin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was soooo good why didn't I read this before ahhhh. I loved Javi and Cloister (could've done better with the name😭). I also loved that Javi was the top. The asshole but hot as hell suit fucking the rough faced blasé country bumpkin (or so it looks- got a lot of history there that I'd love to know more about) against the window. Hot scene. Nice thinking.

The writing was a bit meh but the story line made up for it. I also loved that neither of them actually wanted to feel anything for each other but they end up feeling things anyway and they really don't know what to do about it. They're trying out the ignore-until-it-goes-away route but it isn't working 'cause they can't seem to stop from ending up at each others house.

[Caipi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Demon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not going to read the rest. I hate Javi. Entitled asshole can go shit himself.

[Josy · Rating 4 out of 5]

re-read October 2018

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ 4.5 stars ~

I saw in another review that this book is the start of a series and YAY for that because damn! The author leaves us hanging at the end!

The mystery, which was very interesting and the main focus of this story, is solved at the end but our two MCs?? I wouldn't even call what they have there a HFN. The longer I listened to the book, the more I was worried when they both would open up about their feelings and I was afraid of the "I love you"s being too rushed towards the end. But there was no need for worry because there was none of that. A day these two men didn't antagonize each other was a good day and it stayed that way until the end. So if you need a HEA or a HFN in your story, I think it's better to wait for the next book in the series. Yes, there was definitely a physical attraction but most of the time, Cloister and Javi simply can't stand each other. They are like fire and water and I can't wait to see how they will manage to find their way into the other man's heart. Already there were bits and pieces that promised a glimpse into a shared future but at this point not nearly enough to call it romantic.

Still, I got so invested in both men that I need to know more about them. Why is Javi such an a**hole and will we ever learn the whole story about Cloister's past? There is so much hinted at that reading the next book is an absolute must for me.

Although Cloister doesn't think so himself, he really came across as the more approachable and likable man. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to dislike Javi although he did his best to show us that he's not a nice guy.

I really like the atmosphere the author created. It totally fit the characters and their interactions, and the plot.

Last but not least, Cloister's service dog Bon was the star of this book! I just loved her and also how Cloister worked with her! They were a great team and if this becomes a series, she is a much-needed character for future books.

The narrator, Michael Fell, was new to me but I really liked what he did with this book! I hope he will be the narrator for the next book(s) and if not, I will definitely be on the lookout for more from him.

[Sophisticated Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special Agent Javi Merlo und K-9 Deputy Cloister Witte hatten schon miteinander zu tun und sind sich beinahe schon gegenseitig an die Gurgel gesprungen. Sozusagen die besten Voraussetzungen für eine weitere Zusammenarbeit. Doch das müssen sie, da ein Junge spurlos verschwindet.

Ich würde jetzt gerne sagen, dass ich Javi von Anfang an mochte, aber das wäre gelogen. Er ist nämlich ein Arschloch und dieser Meinung ist auch Cloister Witte, dennnoch müssen er und sein Such- bzw. Spürhund Bourneville mit ihm auskommen und zusammenarbeiten. Trotzdem gibt es zwischen den beiden eine sexuelle Spannung, die auch ausbricht. Trotzdem ist es keine normale Romanze - es gibt kein Liebesgesäusel und die Sexszenen sind relativ spärlich, was ich aber wirklich toll finde.

Das Hauptaugenmerk wird auf den Fall gelenkt, und der ist wirklich gut ausgearbeitet. Ich wusste bis zum Schluss nicht, wer der Entführer ist. Leider erfährt man auch relativ wenig von den beiden Protagonisten, da es aber eine Serie werden wird, habe ich die Hoffnung, dass sich dies ändert. Es gibt auch kein "sie reiten zusammen den Sonnenuntergang entgegen", aber das hätte zu den beiden auch nicht gepasst.

Der größte Pluspunkt ist definitiv Bourneville. Ich liebe diesen Hund!

Eine klare Leseempfehlung. :-)

[Sara]

4.5 Hearts

This book is a sample of why I have a shelf titled “Partridge Family Related”, because you know the chorus to their famous song…

“I think I love you so what am I so afraid of
I'm afraid that I'm not sure of a love there is no cure for
I think I love you isn't that what life is made of
Though it worries me to say that I never felt this way”

Yup. It’s one of those books and I’ll state it here, we don’t end with an HEA but we do end with a very strong HFN that after a couple books, I am coming to expect from the author. They work because they fit the characters even though I want a grand over the top ending, what we get works for the couple.

So, this was really freaking good. The story is thankfully told from both POV’s of Javi and Cloister so we don’t have to guess what’s going on while these two go from being pissy with one another to finally getting it on. The pissy doesn’t exactly go away completely, because they like to egg the other man on, but it’s more playful whereas when we first get them on page, its simple animosity.

Cloister Witte is a K-9 officer in the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department whose job is to work with his partnered pup, Bourneville, to find the missing and bring them home. It’s not a random job for Cloister as we learn his older brother went missing and was never found so it’s a life promise to do his job well. Cloister and Bourneville are good at what they do and they have been called out to an ex-hippie development called the “Retreat” in to find missing 10 year old Drew Hartley.

“We’ve got a request from the Feds for a K-9,”
“Is there no one else available? Last time I was seconded to them, I ended up on a disciplinary after I nearly decked the Special Agent in Charge.”

When Cloister gets to the Retreat he’s met by the Special Agent in Charge Javier “Javi” Merlo whom he’s met before and almost decked. Javi and Cloister don’t have the friendliest of relationships at the beginning but they are forced to work together to bring Drew home. When they actually start working together, they are amazing. I love the way they would push the other’s buttons and really it was all just foreplay and them fighting the way they feel. Javi can tell himself all he wants that he only wants to use Cloister for sex and not get involved but the FBI Agent doth protest too much.

There is so much in this story that I loved. The mystery was fantastic and all the twists and turns with the other cases that tied into Drew’s disappearance were woven into the storyline so well. The trust it takes to work closely with someone the way Cloister and Javi do spills over into the trust that the two men have with one another when it comes to them becoming intimate. Again, Javi can call it just sex all he wants but he is so into Cloister in so many ways, he would miss the chance to kiss him if it were his last thought ever.

Javi wasn’t a profiler, but he wasn’t blind either, and he’d been watching Cloister. If you wanted to have dark, detailed fantasies about someone, you needed to pay attention.
I want to say so much but I don’t want to spoil the mystery.

Ack!

I adored Cloister even though a few times he made my heart hurt. The relationship he has with Bourneville is stunning and I have always admired the intelligence of K-9 dogs and their handlers. Dogs aren’t dumb, I have four myself and they learn so fast. It would be amazing to watch a K-9 in action and see them hunt to find the missing person. All the commands Cloister uses, how Bourneville is a working dog but she’s still totally a dog who begs, wines and wants to be around “her human” made this dog lover so very happy to have her as a focal character in this story.

No falling in love, Cloister reminded himself as they walked up the drive to the shiny blue front door. No getting overattached like a stray dog shown some affection. Javi Merlo was just a hot asshole who got under Cloister’s skin, not the next ex-boyfriend he was going to disappoint. He fell easily. It didn’t mean he was any good at it.

But Cloister has becoming one of my favorite MC’s for sure. There was something about him that tugged at me to sit up and pay attention and it wasn’t the running, being a romantic or his love of dogs. He has a past and it’s a hard one to shake but he tries every day to make up for what he couldn’t do before, bring his brother home. Though it wasn’t his fault, Cloister has tried to bring the missing home to their loved ones. Goodness. That man was a blessing to read and who he becomes in the bedroom was gorgeous. Yeah. These two don’t have much page time being romantic or together but the times we get were swoony and to be frank, fucking hot. That use of a hook on the back of the door… just saying.

He grabbed the collar of Cloister’s jacket—the leather butter soft under his fingers—and pulled him in for a kiss. The dog came in too, but Javi supposed he had to get used to that.

Javi, Javi, Javi…what am I going to do with you? I know that working in Plenty at a blended Sherriff’s station is what you had planned but you fit there, you know? You fit because Cloister is there and you’re getting used to Bourneville, even if she likes to watch. You are more than just a booty call with tacos and it’s so obvious you are falling for Cloister because we all know what you thought when you had that flash dude. You drive me nuts, but you’re hot in bed and you would totally put yourself on the line to protect the innocent. Goodness but I loved being in your head.

Bone to Pick began with the frustration of a K-9 officer wanting to set a Special Agent straight and vice versa. It began with frustration that led to a mystery of epic and creepy proportions that brought the romance to a fruition that teased with the best intentions. I wouldn't mind another helping of these two both in another case or um, position. Where did my gutter mind just go?

OOOH!!! One last thing and then I will shut up!

OMG that epilogue was exactly what I needed even though I wanted more because I am greedy. The line about it not being a date because Cloister didn’t bring wine… OMG TIMES TEN! It gives me hope that Javi will get to taste that certain vintage on his tongue one day and thank Cloister properly with all sorts of demands and directives… in bed.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Not sweet. Special Agent Javi Merlo was an utter ass and I quickly became uninterested in his life prior to this case. K-9 Officer Cloister Witte was mostly likable but more an enigma with big holes in his backstory. Also likable were Deputy Sheriff Tancredi and coroner Dr. Galloway. And then there was the fabulous Bourneville. Everyone else... ugh.

The procedural aspect of the story was at once fascinating and too slow. Skimming ensued. Lots of editorial faux pas encountered along the way. World building certainly could have been better.

No, I won’t be continuing the series.

[NeRdyWYRM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh. What is it?

Easier to say what it's not. It's not a romance. It's not erotica. It's not PWP. It's not really even a police procedural. It is kind of a whodunit and that's about it. No relationship, no HFN (not even close), no ... just no.

It was well written, it was interesting, but damn if I can figure out just what it was supposed to be.

Hmph.

[Gabis Laberladen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darum geht's:

Der 10jährige Drew ist aus einem Urlaubercamp verschwunden. Hundeführer Cloister Witte und seine Schäferhündin Bourneville werden gerufen, doch der Junge wird nicht gefunden. Cloister nimmt solche Fälle immer persönlich, denn sein eigener Bruder verschwand vor vielen Jahren und tauchte nie wieder auf. Doch der grummelige Ermittler der örtlichen FBI-Zweigstelle, Javi Merlo, macht es ihm nicht leicht, seine Hilfe und die seines Hundes beizusteuern. Und obwohl Javi ein unmöglicher Idiot ist, übt er eine unwiderstehliche Anziehungskraft auf Cloister aus.

So fand ich's:

Javi ist ein schwieriger Mensch, der niemanden emotional an sich ran lässt und oft kalt und gefühllos rüberkommt. Über sein Privatleben redet er nicht und hält auch mit seiner Homosexualität hinterm Berg. Umso schöner sind die spärlichen Momente, in denen er sich eingestehen muss, dass er Cloister doch mag. Natürlich wird das sofort damit überdeckt, die nächste Gemeinheit loszulassen. Und obwohl Javi von Anfang an weiß, dass Cloister "eine schlechte Entscheidung" ist, entwickelt er doch zögerliche Sympathien für ihn.

Cloister hat die Familientragödie seiner Kindheit noch nicht hinter sich gelassen. Er und sein Spürhund Bourneville bilden eine Einheit und man merkt, dass er das Tier nicht nur als Partner schätzt, sondern auch liebt, die Hündin aber auch nicht vermenschlicht. Cloister findet den gutaussehenden Javi unwiderstehlich, auch wenn der sich regelmäßig wie ein Idiot benimmt, doch er meint auch, als Hinterwäldler, dessen Gesicht eher zu einem Verbrecher passen würde, niemals in der gleichen Liga wie Javi spielen zu können. Aber schließlich ist es etwas ganz anderes, vom FBI-Mann tagsüber im Dienst Befehle annehmen zu müssen, als nachts seinen Anweisungen im Bett zu folgen.

Die beiden Männer sind sperrig, eigenbrötlerisch und kompliziert und entsprechend langsam geht ihre Annäherung vonstatten. Liebesschwüre und Bekenntnisse gibt es nicht, sondern man muss auf die kleinen Gesten und flüchtigen Gedanken achten. Dennoch ist die gegenseitige Anziehung gut zu erkennen. Der Schwerpunkt dieser Erzählung liegt aber bei der Krimigeschichte, die nicht nur als Alibi für die Liebesgeschichte dient, sondern tatsächlich mit jedem Krimi-Roman mithalten kann. Es ist eher die Lovestory, die eine ständig spürbare, aber doch nicht die Haupt-Rolle spielt. Das hat mir gut gefallen.

An einigen Stellen wurde mir zu knapp erzählt. Man erschöpfte sich in Andeutungen und ich habe erst später begriffen, was passiert ist und was es bedeutete. Diese sparsame Erzählweise passte schon sehr gut zu den Persönlichkeiten der beiden Protagonisten. Nur leider war mein Gehirn nicht immer kompatibel, denn ich bin wie gesagt erst einige Sätze oder gar Seiten später auf manche Zusammenhänge gekommen, die mir zu oberflächlich angedeutet wurden.

Am Ende ist der kriminalistische Handlungsstrang aufgeklärt und die Liebesgeschichte noch ganz am Anfang ihrer Entwicklung. Alles andere wäre ein Bruch gewesen und hätte nicht zu Cloister und Javi gepasst und ich war auch glücklich mit dem Ende genau so, wie es war. Und auch wenn man schon so etwas wie ein angedeutetes Happy End hat, braucht es sicher noch eine Weile, bis wir ein glückliches, offizielles Paar vor uns sehen, falls das überhaupt je passiert. Da dies der erste Band einer neuen Serie ist, kann noch viel passieren - und ich bin schon sehr neugierig und freue mich auf ein Wiedersehen mit den beiden Spürnasen.

[GeishaX · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 4 and 4.5 Stars

This is TA Moore writing m/m at her best.

The story shows Cloister Witte, a dog handler for the sheriffs department and FBI special agent Javi Merlo pursuing the case of a missing 10-year old boy ... and each other. Merlo has a serious case of assholeness and relationship-aversion while Cloister has a serious case of crush that he has to hide if he doesn't want to scare the man away.

I LOOOVE TA Moores writing voice, her style is so deliciously gritty - there's no fabric softener in any of her stories. Her characters are always very nicely out of the mould, unique and Cloister and Javi are two of her best characters. Cloister is likeable with a dark history and Javi is an asshole in a good way (though I hope he gets to suffer a bit before he gets his hea).
The sex was also hot. I liked the dominating side of Javi there and the way with his polished, cultured way makes the rougher, red-neck-like Cloister beg for it.

On the downside Moore's writing can sometimes be a bit confusing, she likes to throw the reader into a complex world-building without any instructions. But as the "Digging up Bones"-Series is not urban fantasy there isn't that much confusing world building so this isn't a point here in the case of "Bone to Pick".

I'd like to add that I also very much enjoyed the parts of the story that showed Bourneville and the way Cloister followed leads with her help. I'm rather a cat person than a dog person, but Bon was a very likeable character.
So far I'd say this and her "Nightshift"-Series are her best works and I really would like to recommend her to readers who enjoy m/m romance out of the usual clichés.

[Mathilda Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich kann mich nicht entsinnen, ob ich von der Autorin schon mal etwas gelesen habe, aber das wird sich in Zukunft definitiv ändern, denn ihr Roman »Die Spürnasen« ist großartig. Ein Hundeführer, der vermisste Menschen sucht, und ein FBI-Agent, der weder mit dem Hund noch dessen Führer sonderlich viel anfangen kann – das sorgt für jede Menge Konfrontationspotenzial zwischen den beiden.

Dabei fliegen durchaus die Funken und es ist auch nicht das erste Mal, dass Javi und Cloister (der Name ist echt grausam) aufeinandertreffen. Nur müssen sie dieses Mal zusammenarbeiten, ob sie wollen oder nicht, denn die Entführung des kleinen Drew entpuppt sich nach und nach als Katz- und Mausspiel mit einem Serienmörder, und die Oberen der Stadt sind nicht gerade davon begeistert, alte Schubladen wieder öffnen zu müssen, die mit Bestechung, Vertuschung und noch vielem mehr vor Jahren grausam geschlossen wurden.

Die Romanze zwischen den Männern ist in diesem Buch Nebensache und das ist auch gut so, denn weder Javi noch Cloister sind die Typen für Liebesgedusel und romantische Anwandlungen. Sie haben Sex und sie haben auch zarte Gefühle füreinander, die sie allerdings nicht in Worte fassen und bis zum Schluss auch nicht weiter vertiefen, denn die Suche nach Drew ist wichtiger und sie spitzt sich im Laufe der Geschichte rasant zu.

Einfach klasse geschrieben, bitte mehr davon.

Ich vergebe volle Punktzahl, eine dicke Leseempfehlung obendrauf und schicke ein ganz liebes Dankeschön an den Dreamspinner Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard-boiled. Hard cocks.
Hard to put down. Gritty, raw
SoCal crime story.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story. Really exciting plot and two prickly heroes.

[Rachel]

3/14/19 Currently on sale for 99c via Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0748J17QR

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! I was worried for a time thinking about, despite having checked for warnings, this was going to be about the type of crime that I was lately trying to avoid in my books, (without many success I must say), but it wasn't. Anyway, the book doesn't insist in the details of the crimes, so I could relax and enjoy the ride.
I suspected about the culprit at the begining and I was right after all. At the end, when everything is solved, I felt really sad about all those lifes destroyed.
I also liked the main characters. I adore one of them. Bourneville is just adorable. Javier and Cloister, not so much. But it's refreshing how their interactions are told. They're not perfect, in fact, they're... well, I don't have words in English to describe them. Bastards is an understatement. But their interactions works. They're complex characters, competent professionals despite being socially awkward, with difficult past that have shaped their lifes and I'm happy we're going to have more of them soon.

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by T.A. Moore and it certainly won’t be my last. Cloister Witte and Javi Merlo are such intriguing characters and the suspense is absorbing and complex. It’s also a police procedural that felt genuine and accurate, with a character driven plot. POV’s from both MC’s is always my preference and thank goodness, because both Cloister (fab name!) and Javi are very enigmatic characters. The suspense plot initially seemed straightforward but quickly expanded and the two are faced with a different sort of case than they’d expected. New leads and clues shift the focus of their efforts, mistakes are made, while coping with antagonism from suspects and victims alike. There’s a large cast of characters, with strong secondary and minor roles. Best secondary character award goes to Bourneville! I think K-9 officers are often under appreciated and I loved this depiction.
Javi and Cloister apparently butted heads before, and their verbal sparring belies the attraction they both feel. Cloister’s thoughts reveal enough to understand some of what drives him, but Javi remains opaque, giving the reader just enough to indicate some influential event in his past. Javi is a also grade-A jerk; I have no other nouns that aren’t profane. Javi is a control freak too, initiating sexual encounters, setting boundaries and demanding Cloister’s submission, although Cloister is far from submissive in acquiescing. It’s raw, physical and very hot sex, but offers no obvious tenderness or romance, unless you look closely! There were drawbacks for me that kept the story from being truly stellar. In the first few chapters, a couple of names and events, surrounding the police department, popped up with little or no context. I pieced it together over the course of reading, but initially, I thought I’d missed something in the narrative. I also identified the suspect early on, and the circumstances seemed more like a plot hole than a deliberate choice. The tone of the book also felt gritty and harsh to me, and didn’t lighten up much, since any humor was dry or sarcastic. I don’t consider that any fault in the writing but it did affect my enjoyment.
I would strongly recommend the book to suspense lovers and those who can appreciate the psychological aspects. I’m hoping that this might be a series or at least have a sequel. There’s not a cliffhanger or anything but it ends with a very tentative HFN and there’s so much still to learn about these two.

*ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Hearts On Fire Reviews for the purpose of an unbiased review*

[Pet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Geschichte um die Entführung und dessen Aufklärung eines 10-jährigen Jungen war sehr spannend geschrieben. Der Krimiplot überzeugte mich vollends. Die beiden Hauptprotagonisten blieben aber meiner Meinung nach ein wenig blass. Hier hätte ich mir einfach mehr gewünscht. Während man von Cloister ein wenig erfahren hat, so blieb Javi in der Beschreibung auf der Strecke. Das einzige was stimmte war - und was auch Cloister so treffend feststellte: Er ist ein Arschloch. Harsche Worte, aber absolut war. Noch nie war mir ein Protagonist so unsympathisch wie der FBI-Agent. Narzistisch, eingebildet und unfreundlich. Ich wollte ihn so oft würgen, wie noch keinen Protagonisten zuvor. Dennoch kam die Spannung nicht zu kurz und bis zur Aufklärung fast am Ende fieberte/rätselte ich mit. Es lässt sich sehr flüssig lesen - bis auf Cloisters Namen (mea Culpa), aber da tat ich mich echt schwer - lässt aber dennoch ein paar Fragen offen. Wie ich gelesen habe, wird dies aber eine Serie, in der ich hoffe, dass die beiden doch noch an Farbe gewinnen und man noch ein paar Dinge erfährt, die im ersten Teil schon angeschnitten wurden.

Ich konnte mich hier nicht entscheiden, ob ich 4 oder 5 Sterne vergebe. Da für mich 5 Sterne aber
gleichbedeutend mit Perfekt gleichzusetzen ist, wurden es am Ende doch nur 4. Tatsächlich wären
es 4,5 Sterne.

Von mir auf jeden Fall eine dicke Leseempfehlung.

Ich danke Dreamspinner herzlich für das Überlassen eines Rezensionsexemplares.

[Liz (Bugetta) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. The mystery aspect of the story is well done, but it’d be a stretch to call the relationship between the MCs a romance. It reminds me a bit of the relationship between Jake and Adrien in Fatal Shadows but no one is in the closet. I’m so glad there’s another book or I’d be super annoyed! I’m actually surprised this is a Dreamspinner release rather than DSP Publications.
I really like Cloister— he’s super laid back with a nice sense of humor, but extremely competent when he and Bourneville are needed for search and rescue. Javi’s an asshole, but he knows it and doesn’t pretend to be anything he’s not which I appreciate. I am looking forward to learning more about him and his past and watching him thaw and fall for Cloister. Definitely excited for the next book!