Last Gasp

Kip O'Connor Mysteries #1

by S.C. Wynne

Kip O’Connor lives a simple life in the little seaside town of Pearl Bay. Unless it’s tourist season, things tend to be pretty peaceful. There is, however, one never ending source of irritation in the form of Police Chief Merrick Dawson.

Merrick is Kip’s older brother’s BFF, and nothing seems to bring Merrick more joy than nagging Kip about silly things. You’d think a Police Chief would have more important things to do than lecture Kip on parking tickets and picking up pet waste, but somehow Merrick always finds the time.

Kip decides to take an art class at the local community college, and he’s annoyed to find Merrick has also enrolled in the course. The instructor takes a shine to Kip, and soon they become friends outside of class. Merrick warns Kip of the dangers of blurring those lines and befriending his teacher, but Kip is flattered by the attention.

When his art teacher is found stabbed through the forehead with a palette knife, Kip is determined to figure out who killed his new friend. Merrick naturally thinks Kip getting involved in the investigation is a horrible idea, but when has Kip ever listened to that irksome, pig-headed Merrick Dawson?

This is book one in my brand new Kip O'Connor M/M Cozy Mystery series. Each book has a cozy feel to it and there is a strong romantic story-line in each book. No on page steam but some mild violence. I hope you enjoy reading this series as much as I enjoy writing it.

Genres: Mystery, M M Romance, Contemporary, Cozy Mystery, Romance, Crime, LGBT

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2021

About the author

S.C. Wynne is a Lambda Award-winning author for Gay Romance. S.C. started writing m/m romance and mystery in 2013. Her characters are usually a little jaded, funny, and ultimately redeemed through love.

If you’d like to contact S.C. Wynne she'd love to hear from you. You can contact her at scwynne@scwynne.com

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure whether I liked this or not but I finished it in less than a day so I suppose I did. The love interest is Kip’s former bully turned police chief, who is clearly in love with him. All the other characters roll their eyes at Kip’s maintained dislike of the guy and call him ridiculous for keeping a grudge despite being twenty-nine.

I think we all have visceral memories of our childhood bullies so forgiving them is one thing, but DATING them? Couldn’t be me. Could. Not. Be. Me. It doesn’t help that the guy still makes disparaging comments to Kip like, “you don’t have a real job” (Kip owns a dog-walking service) or, “I heard you screaming like a little girl” (when someone WAS TRYING TO BREAK INTO HIS HOUSE)! God, what a massive tool. Anyway, despite all that, and the atrocious cover, this book was enjoyable and entertaining, and probably a few other complimentary adjectives.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a big fan of cozy mysteries of any genre...even M/M ones. This one was cute for lack of a better word. I’m not a prude and I don’t mind gratuitous sex in any books but I don’t NEED it to make the story interesting. This one was in the books that my “book bringing buddies” brought to me and it had a really, cute cover ...so I thought “why not?”. It was just a really good mystery with normal people who just happened to be gay... and that described Kip. There were mostly likeable characters, dogs (always a plus in any book), an authentic small-town feel, an interesting, but sinister plot that did its job of entertaining, believable tension between the main characters due to growing up together, and … no instantaneous "friends-to-lovers" stuff The only thing that I found in the book that was difficult for me to believe was that the author spend the time and effort creating this wonderful character of Kip and then made him the most clueless amateur sleuth I have ever found in any book. It’s a wonder there are any more books in the series featuring him.

[Felice Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book of this new, cozy mystery series from S.c. Wynne. It's full of fun, quirky characters who are engaging and interesting.
Kip is a little judgmental and wary, but he's been hurt by past experiences. Merrick is his older brother's best friend, who loved pulling pranks and teasing him when they were young. Now he's the police chief and a body turns up in the bay. Meanwhile Kip has one thing after another happen to him and he's unwittingly caught up in another murder.
The relationship between Kip and Merrick is a slow burn which I like—they aren't one day enemies and the next day in love. But Kip is kind of obtuse when it comes to Merrick and I'm going to like seeing him realize maybe he was wrong about some things. I can't wait for the next book!

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

S.C. Wayne’s Last Gasp, the first book in her Kip O’Connor M/M Cozy Mystery series, was just as promised - it’s certainly ‘cozy'.

Even with a mystery or two so simple to solve that even I was able to do so, the story of Kip O’Connor, the owner of his own dog walking agency in Pearl Bay, and Merrick  Dawson, the Chief of Police in that same small town, was surprisingly comfortable - and, yes, definitely cozy.

With an almost HFN ending, there's lots of room for more mystery and more romance throughout the next books in her series.

[Tasty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of this author’s better books

Predictable and fairly juvenile plot, almost no romance — it felt like the author dug up an old draft from their earliest writings and just dusted it off and called it done. It’s competent (Wynne’s a good writer in general) but the plot requires a lot of characters to be very stupid periodically. Disappointing.

[Gustaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. The storytelling is really good and all the characters are interesting, even the secondary ones. Although Kip's mom is quite annoying, I wouldn't be as patient as he is *laughs*

And yes, Kip is a bit naive but I guess if you live in a small town where nothing happens you usually don't think 'My, this guy is not who he says he is' :P And he acts quite realistically in the whole book. Except, you know, when he goes to talk to the bartender. But I get it, he was frustrated, and he was sure nobody was doing a thing about his stalker.

I liked the plot quite a lot, although I still don't get why the killer didn't finish Kip as soon as he got it. Except for the fact that the book would have had a very abrupt ending :P

But yes, as I said at the beginning, I really liked this one and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series :)

[Aimee Nicole Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore cozy mysteries, and I’m thrilled when I discover a series with two male leads. We’re off to a good start. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series leads.

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in a place much like Pearl Cove so I settled right in. I loved the entire cast especially Kip. Merrick was sweet and obviously hot for Kip. The murderer was difficult to figure out while the robbers were easy. This was a fun cozy mystery and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start with a confession... it seems appropriate! I don't read cozy mysteries... ever! But, this one had a dog on the cover and I had enjoyed a couple of other books by this author, so... win/win!

Now, for the story? It was full of interesting characters and I liked watching the two MCs, although it kinda felt like there was just one MC, slowly coming to a better understanding of each other and real life! Kip could be a bit oblivious at some points and then totally observant in others... there wasn't really much mystery to the "who did it" part, but I enjoyed the fact that there were layers to the story that keep me reading, just to make sure I was right! *grin*

I don't know if it was just me or if anyone else noticed, but there seemed to be an awful lot of "telling" and not as much "showing" as I would have liked. But, either way, I feel compelled to impatiently wait for book two, which I will be promptly read upon its release if for no other reason than I just can't stand when I don't get my HEA!!!

I am pretty sure this book has NOT converted me to reading cozy mysteries, but I can see the appeal for others... so, you guys may as well give this one a try! ;D

[PaperMoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm reading two of the author's series concurrently! This first book was as good any cozy produced of late by Josh Lanyon; the tension between MCs Kip and Merrick was nicely drawn out with a HFN up-in-the-air ending paving the way for more development in the next few books. I guessed part of the mystery behind the unidentified body on the beach within the first few chapters. Not sure where the boxer featured on the cover comes from since only a Dalmatian pup called Spot was featured.

[Juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

All of the ingredients for a great cozy mystery series are here: an idyllic small town that is perhaps not so idyllic-- but is still charming, a plucky protagonist with no investigative training who gets caught up in (several) mysteries, a wide range of interesting supporting characters (see, for example, Kip’s family: his mother is what mine would have called a “piece of work” and his older brother is mostly charming, if somewhat ick for his unrepentant “I bullied you when we were kids get over it” vibe with Kip). There’s also, of course, intrigue. And a law enforcement love interest. Kip and police chief Merrick have a great slow-burn enemies-to-lovers thing going on, although I’m hoping the next book will push things slightly past the “Kip is oblivious and Merrick always says exactly the wrong thing” holding pattern they stayed in throughout this one: don’t get me wrong, it was fun, but enough is enough. All in all, a great start for what I hope will be many more adventures.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[James Quentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stock standard cosy.

I enjoyed it but maybe gave one too many stars. It did exactly what it said on the tin. A cosy in a charming small town with a will they-won't they slow burn enemies to lovers pairing only told from one side (my favourite).

Yes, Kip is written by a straight woman and has little that tells us he's a gay man except being told that he is one. Merrick is fine. Someone in the reviews described them as hilarious and full of snark. Hmm. Must've missed that. Not exactly a laugh a minute but a few wry smiles were raised.

Yes, the plot is predictable. Kip has a memory like a sieve and never seems to connect even the most glaringly obvious dots but ehhhh.

All in all, it is what it is. There are better romance/murder mysteries in small towns (Josh Lanyon) and there are much much worse (the Curl up and Dye series by Aimee Nicole Walker - yeesh, those are bad).

[Jax · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull. DNF @32%. I liked the first thing I read by Wynne, The Cowboy and the Pencil-Pusher, but not the four since then. So I think this is the end of the road for me and this author.

[Stonemagpie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a quick, fairly predictable read and I didn’t like Merrick.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely FANTASTIC Mystery !! . . .

It was difficult to know whether to focus on the romance (awesome but akin to watching grass grow) or the murder. Kip O’Connor, the 29-year-old owner of The Red Leash Dog Walking Service, lives in a small seaside town where things are usually pretty quiet. Of course, he can’t seem to rid himself of Police Chief Merrick Dawson who makes it his personal mission to nitpick on Kip for all kinds of little infractions. Actually, Merrick is attracted to Kip, his best friend’s younger brother, but Kip doesn’t recognize the signs. To complicate things further, Kip’s mother and Merrick’s mother are conspiring to get them together, which increases Kip’s resistance.

Kip had a meeting with Paul Wilcox who was new to town and about the same age as Kip. Paul had a rescue dog that was high-energy and Kip provided just the services he needed for Spot. They also found out that Paul would be his art teacher for the community college art class Kip signed up for. And he could swear he saw interest in Paul’s eyes. Before Paul left for class, Merrick stopped to hassle Kip, first about parking near a fire hydrant which was completely covered by a bush; then for parking with his tires the wrong distance from the curb. Paul seemed very nervous about the Sheriff being outside. When Paul got home from his first day teaching, his cell phone rang and he ignored it. It rang twice more and he went into the kitchen to answer in a low voice. When he came back, Kip commented about his move from Florida and he sounded confused. Answers to questions seem shallow and insincere. He obviously didn’t want to talk about himself. When Kip said he would see him tomorrow, referring to the art class he signed up for, Paul was totally confused, forgetting their earlier discussion about that. He walked Kip to the door, touched Kip’s arm, and when he turned, he kissed him!

When Kip arrives for his class, he finds Merrick there too! Class was a mess since Paul told them to prime the canvas, unaware they were pre-primed, so now the students could not paint until it dried. Paul took the class out for a drink to apologize. When Kip gets home, however, someone tries to force his locks and get into the house. He called the cops and Merrick arrived and for the first time, Kip was glad to see him!

Paul cancelled his dog walking service for the next day, saying in a muffled message that he was sick. Kip went to check on him and walk Spot who would be driving Paul crazy by now. He knocked on the door and it opened but no one was there. Spot was in the house barking loudly. Spot ran when Kip opened the bedroom door, but Paul wasn’t there. Kip found him dead on the bathroom floor, stabbed through the forehead with a palette knife. Who would kill him? He was a stranger here! The cops arrived and cuffed Kip, taking him to the patrol car while all the neighbors pointed at him and gossiped. They didn’t even let him make a phonecall to his family. When Merrick did a press conference in reference to both the mutilated dead body on the beach a week earlier, and Paul’s recent death, Kip was startled. DNA testing identified the dead body on the beach as “Paul Wilcox, a thirty-year-old resident of Tampa, Florida.” Then who was the man Kip knew as Paul? Merrick continued saying the man just murdered was “William Smith, a twenty-eight-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona.” Kip decides to investigate and find the murderer, much to Merrick’s dismay.

This was one of the very best mysteries I have read! I absolutely loved it and the characters we meet in this story. I also thoroughly enjoyed the author’s writing style, especially evident in the interaction of the characters, as when Kip’s mom worries about his lack of a social life and guides their discussion into dating. This story was so well laid out, so well-paced, I can’t praise it enough. And the gossiping neighbors were so realistic (if you know small towns, you will readily agree). Highly recommended, and I hope we have many more books from this author on the way!

[Aղցela W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was book 1 in the "Kip O'Connor M/M Mystery" series. This was a okay read that I picked to read for a challenge. Kip O’Connor lives a simple life in the little seaside town of Pearl Bay. Kip has a love hate relationship with the Police Chief Merrick Dawson. When he decides to take an art class guess who is in the class Merrick. The instructor takes a shine to Kip, and soon they become friends outside of class. Merrick warns Kip of the dangers of blurring those lines and befriending his teacher, but Kip is flattered by the attention. When William turns up dead Kip is determined to find out what happened. I didn't like Charlene, Kip's employee, who kept taking advantage of him and telling his personal business. I also didn't like his mother she treated him like he was a kid. Overall this book felt like something was missing. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great way to start off a series! I absolutely adore Kip and his obliviousness. He meets his new art teacher/dog walking client, Paul and is attracted to him but also confused by his hot/cold attitude. He has to deal with his childhood nemesis, Merrick, who happens to be his brothers bff and the town Police Chief. And there is a dead body in town that no one knows. Somehow Kip manages to get caught up in the murder mystery and then there is a great theft in town and Kip bumbles into that as well. Great plot, great mystery, great characters. I wish i had picked these books up earlier. Can't wait for the third book to come out.

[Jane (PS) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. A decent mystery, with two MCs who have a fractious past from school with MC Kip's older brother being best friends with MC Merrick and teasing Kip mercilessly as kids. Over this is the mystery to be solved, but interestingly MC Kip is not the amateur detective. He's only involved through circumstance and unwillingly trying to work it out when no action appears to be happening in the PD.

Its the non-involvement of Kip that really makes this book. Add in the MCs' disinterest/friction that slowly moves towards a more positive frame, and... watch this space for book 2 ;)

Narrated by James Woodrich - very good.

[Kate00072 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me more! Great start to a cozy series

Can hardly wait for book 2 (already pre-ordered)!

Five stars plus for Merrick and Kip! Read the blurb so you know what to expect; this is not a slow burn that is culminated in one book. Wow, wow, wow! S.C. Wynne has me sooooo hooked on Kip and Merrick! These two have a history borne from growing up in the same small town, little brother and big brother's best friend with all the childhood memories, meddling mothers, and, oh yeah, murders.

I love to read a cozy mystery or a light-hearted (no angst) romance between high-angst or other stress inducing, very graphic books and this is perfect! The mystery was solid and actually two-fold which complicated things for local law enforcement. The moments of potential peril for Kip are not graphic and just enough to get the reader's heart pumping!

Merrick is my kryptonite -big, strong, super sexy law enforcement with a heart of gold, looking for his true love. At least that's how I see him and can't wait for the next book!A

I highly recommend this first book in a new series and look forward to many more set in this quiet town with its myriad secondary characters. I'm rooting for Kip and Merrick!😉😍😃

[Mari Cardenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 Stars!!!

OMG, how awesome was this book? Well, I stayed up until 3:30am today with total disregard to the fact that I had to wake up at 6am, so that should give you a clue of how much I loved it.

This is a cozy mystery, and as such, it's a slow burn and nothing really happens between our heroes in Last Gasp, but never fear, because the sparks are flying between Kip and Merrick from their first interaction. They're enemies, or rather Kip considers Merrick his enemy, but by the end of the book, well, you'll see. LOL 

Kip is sweet, witty, smart, yet oblivious to what's clear for everyone else, that Merrick, the police chief, Kip's brother's best friend, and his archnemesis, is interested in Kip. It's kind of frustrating, tbh, but he's so charming that I could forgive him that. Despite the book being told from Kip's perspective, Ms. Wynne manages to let us know Merrick fairly well, too. He was responsible, hard-working, and had the patience of a saint... sometimes, hahaha. 

The mystery was really well done. I love amateur sleuth's storylines and this one was intriguing, fast-paced, suspenseful, and fun. I can't wait to read more in this new series! Very recommendable!

*** Copy provided for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5**

This one is like the old TV show Murder She Wrote. It is set in a quaint sea side town where the residents pry into each other’s business and nothing remains a secret for very long.

Despite murder, robbery, and attempted murder, this book has a naive quality. If you are looking for suspense or a big mystery, drive on. While Kip doesn’t have a clue, the reader quickly figures all the crimes in this gossipy little burg. If you want a grand romance, sorry folks not happening. But…

If you want a charming read filled with interesting characters, this is a good beginning. You will feel cheated when you reach the end. Books 1 and 2 should have been combined. This one sets the framework and hints at what could be.

[LJ Henley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Gasp is a MM mystery with must a hint of romance. Kip owns a dog walking/pet sitting service and Paul comes to town and needs someone to watch his dog while he's at work. Their meeting starts a roller coaster of events that happen to the small town of Pearl Bay. Kip's house is almost broken into, a brick is thrown through his window and his truck is messed with. Those are just some of the things that happen to him. I chuckled a few times, definitely smiled and was so interested to read what else was going to happen in this small town. Add in the hunky police chief, Merrick, and how he is everywhere Kip is or ready to be there for the clean up. Their banter is cute and funny at times and although it seems like they don't like each other, it seems like everyone else can see that they do. The crimes are solved. The bad guys caught. And there's peace once more in the little town. But what else does S.C. Wynne have in store for Kip and Metrics in the next book? We shall eagerly wait and see!
Enjoy!

I received an ARC of this book and an voluntarily leaving a review.

[Valentina Campi · Rating 2 out of 5]

La quarta di copertina mi ispirava (anche se la cover per niente, non ha nulla di professionale). Leggo il primo capitolo e tutto ok, poi al secondo un disastro con i verbi e non solo. Si riprende un po' a metà del secondo e poi il terzo ancora pessimo. Mi spiace per l'autorə ma dà tutta l'idea di una traduzione fatta con qualche traduttore automatico a cui poi è stata fatta una brutta revisione. In alcuni pezzi sembra fatta, in altri no.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly Cozy

I absolutely loved the sweet cozy aspect of this book. I loved the pretty, seaside town that it's based in and I adore the dog walking business. I love Dalmatians and I was thrilled to see Spot. I can't wait to see this town come to life.

[Sharon Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Last Gasp, which is the first book in the Kip O'Connor mystery series. The book could be classed as a cozy mystery and it made for a very enjoyable read one afternoon. This is the second series by S.C. Wynne that I have read and, if this follows the first, the series will have fade t0 black sex scenes with very little to no graphic violence. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which is coming soon.

[Macky · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2.5⭐️

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fine cozy mystery. The pacing was a little off in places, and some dialog was a bit awkward, but overall I enjoyed the start to this new-to-me series.

[kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Gasp is the first in the new cozy comfort series Kip O'Conner by S.C. Wynne. What a terrific start!
From the small town setting to the wonderfully written cast of characters, this book was a delight to read.
Merrick and Kip are the perfect compliment to each other. Having such a long shared history there is plenty yet to still discover about each other. I love the slow burn romance these two have going on.

Add in a murder mystery that has amazing plots and twists to it and I couldn't put this book down until I reached the very satisfying end.
I can't wait for the next book in the series!

[Cynthia Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome story

I love Kip!! What is the old saying when it rains it pours. So many funny moments. I loved the snark and the moments of seriousness.