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Wearing Death
When veterinarian Jeremy Reed hears a thump one night on his front step, he expects to find an abandoned animal. What he gets is battered and broken cop Brendan Wheeler. Kidnapped from his apartment five days earlier by an unknown man, Brendan now sports a vivid tattoo across his back depicting a young woman’s death, a woman nobody knows.
Until the next morning when Jeremy discovers her dead body.
Brendan wants to find the killer. Jeremy wants Brendan to survive. And someone wants both of them to pay...
Until the next morning when Jeremy discovers her dead body.
Brendan wants to find the killer. Jeremy wants Brendan to survive. And someone wants both of them to pay...
127 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Craig
114 books172 followersJamie Craig is actually a pen name for the collaboration of authors
Vivien Dean http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... and
Pepper Espinoza http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
ABOUT JAMIE CRAIG
Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza have been writing and publishing together as Jamie Craig since 2006. They have published with Juno Books, Samhain Publishing, Liquid Silver Books, and multiple titles with Amber Quill Press.
Pepper Espinoza has been writing and publishing erotic romance since 2005. She grew up in Utah and lives there now, where the landscape and history provide a great deal of inspiration for her work. Besides writing, she enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and going to concerts.
Vivien Dean returned to writing in 2005, and has published with Liquid Silver Books, Samhain Publishing, and Amber Quill Press. She currently resides in northern California with her husband and two children.
Vivien Dean http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... and
Pepper Espinoza http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
ABOUT JAMIE CRAIG
Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza have been writing and publishing together as Jamie Craig since 2006. They have published with Juno Books, Samhain Publishing, Liquid Silver Books, and multiple titles with Amber Quill Press.
Pepper Espinoza has been writing and publishing erotic romance since 2005. She grew up in Utah and lives there now, where the landscape and history provide a great deal of inspiration for her work. Besides writing, she enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and going to concerts.
Vivien Dean returned to writing in 2005, and has published with Liquid Silver Books, Samhain Publishing, and Amber Quill Press. She currently resides in northern California with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 29, 2011
Wearing Death was my second interracial M/M romance and for the most part was a quick and enjoyable read. Once again I am thrilled to discover a writer who does not commit RaceFail in describing the minority character. Jeremy Reed is black and he's a veterinarian. Cool. Even better, his penis is not the stereotyped "giant black mandingo schlong" so beloved of way too many erotica writers. In short, Jeremy is a relatable human being, not a caricature. When authors get that right, I reward them by loyal readership, and Jamie Craig is now an auto-buy.
Jeremy lives in a small town in Oregon and is the resident animal doctor there. He's much more comfortable with the four-legged types than the two-legged ones, so when a bleeding and naked man lands flat on his doorstep, Jeremy does what any good doctor--animal or human--would do. He brings the battered and bloody man into his home and proceeds to administer first-aid. And then, he sees a horrific tattoo that has been freshly inked into the mysterious man's back.
The man is Detective Brendan Wheeler and he's been missing for five days, kidnapped and held hostage by a psychopath who tattooed the image of a murdered woman onto his back. No one knows who she is, but it's a race against time to find her before the image turns into an actual crime.
The mystery here is solved fairly quickly and was a little unsatisfying; instead Wearing Death was more about the growing relationship between Jeremy and Brendan. Not a bad thing in and of itself, but I would have enjoyed a little more suspense along with the hot romance. I do love the fact that "yes we're gay" and everyone goes along on their merry little path. I'm not a fan of needlessly angsty gay male romances. The fact that it's interracial and race plays NO part in the plot is definitely an added bonus. Jeremy and Brendan are sexy and likable and of course, there's Brendan's awesome doggie Raider. I think he got aome of the best lines in the book, LOL. Wearing Death is a great summer beach read or a great book for anytime you just want a simple sexy M/M romancee.
Jeremy lives in a small town in Oregon and is the resident animal doctor there. He's much more comfortable with the four-legged types than the two-legged ones, so when a bleeding and naked man lands flat on his doorstep, Jeremy does what any good doctor--animal or human--would do. He brings the battered and bloody man into his home and proceeds to administer first-aid. And then, he sees a horrific tattoo that has been freshly inked into the mysterious man's back.
The man is Detective Brendan Wheeler and he's been missing for five days, kidnapped and held hostage by a psychopath who tattooed the image of a murdered woman onto his back. No one knows who she is, but it's a race against time to find her before the image turns into an actual crime.
The mystery here is solved fairly quickly and was a little unsatisfying; instead Wearing Death was more about the growing relationship between Jeremy and Brendan. Not a bad thing in and of itself, but I would have enjoyed a little more suspense along with the hot romance. I do love the fact that "yes we're gay" and everyone goes along on their merry little path. I'm not a fan of needlessly angsty gay male romances. The fact that it's interracial and race plays NO part in the plot is definitely an added bonus. Jeremy and Brendan are sexy and likable and of course, there's Brendan's awesome doggie Raider. I think he got aome of the best lines in the book, LOL. Wearing Death is a great summer beach read or a great book for anytime you just want a simple sexy M/M romancee.
June 7, 2018
Run-of-the-mill romance and lackluster murder mystery
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 5/10
PROS:
- There is a very intriguing angle to the murder mystery storyline. It hooked me early on. (But see CONS below also)
- I liked the restraint in the romance at the start of the story. Brendan goes through a terrible ordeal before the story begins, and Jeremy is helping him recover from it. As such, their conversations initially concern civil matters like what to do with Brendan’s dog and whether Jeremy will be safe staying the night in his house alone at the edge of town. The men are adults and are able to focus on the issue at hand rather than their raging attraction for each other. (But see CONS below also)
CONS:
- There’s a bit of a build-up into a mystery, like Brendan and Jeremy going searching for clues as to who the killer is, but then there is absolutely no development of that. The whodunit storyline goes precisely nowhere before the author is reveling to us exactly who did it, and worse yet, it’s not someone we as readers could have had any chance in hell of guessing was the killer.
- There’s not much to the romance (other than the sex scenes). The story isn’t very long--just under 1300 Kindle locations--and the author devotes more time to fleshing out the “mystery” (air quotes intentional) and to describing the sex than to developing a convincing relationship. We’re told large chunks of it rather than shown (“The more time they spent together, the more Brendan liked him”), and that’s not enough to convince me of much.
- There’s potentially a slight SPOILER here>>>> Immediately after thinking that I was impressed by how level-headed the two men were being (like, in the next chapter), Jeremy happens upon a dead body in a coffee shop and gets his phone out… not to call 911 right away to report a murder, but to compare the victim’s face to a likeness he’s seen recently. Really?
Overall comments: I was into this for about the first 25%, but then it let me down as soon as the guys starting behaving like story characters rather than real people, and the authors started focusing on the sex to the detriment of the emotional connection between the two guys. And the mystery was no mystery, to speak of. It was more like, “Who did that?” And then several chapters later, “Oh. That person. Huh.”
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 5/10
PROS:
- There is a very intriguing angle to the murder mystery storyline. It hooked me early on. (But see CONS below also)
- I liked the restraint in the romance at the start of the story. Brendan goes through a terrible ordeal before the story begins, and Jeremy is helping him recover from it. As such, their conversations initially concern civil matters like what to do with Brendan’s dog and whether Jeremy will be safe staying the night in his house alone at the edge of town. The men are adults and are able to focus on the issue at hand rather than their raging attraction for each other. (But see CONS below also)
CONS:
- There’s a bit of a build-up into a mystery, like Brendan and Jeremy going searching for clues as to who the killer is, but then there is absolutely no development of that. The whodunit storyline goes precisely nowhere before the author is reveling to us exactly who did it, and worse yet, it’s not someone we as readers could have had any chance in hell of guessing was the killer.
- There’s not much to the romance (other than the sex scenes). The story isn’t very long--just under 1300 Kindle locations--and the author devotes more time to fleshing out the “mystery” (air quotes intentional) and to describing the sex than to developing a convincing relationship. We’re told large chunks of it rather than shown (“The more time they spent together, the more Brendan liked him”), and that’s not enough to convince me of much.
- There’s potentially a slight SPOILER here>>>> Immediately after thinking that I was impressed by how level-headed the two men were being (like, in the next chapter), Jeremy happens upon a dead body in a coffee shop and gets his phone out… not to call 911 right away to report a murder, but to compare the victim’s face to a likeness he’s seen recently. Really?
Overall comments: I was into this for about the first 25%, but then it let me down as soon as the guys starting behaving like story characters rather than real people, and the authors started focusing on the sex to the detriment of the emotional connection between the two guys. And the mystery was no mystery, to speak of. It was more like, “Who did that?” And then several chapters later, “Oh. That person. Huh.”
April 10, 2010
This book has one of the more fascinating and instantly riveting ideas that I’ve seen in mysteries lately. Unfortunately, the book goes nowhere with the idea. The story isn’t really a mystery but instead the flirting dance between two men as they act on the chemistry between them. That’s not bad per se, although I struggled to keep my attention and interest in the story, but given the potential in the tattoo idea – I couldn’t help being deeply disappointed that the concept was ignored in favor of bland sex with absolutely no mystery. For a light summer read, fans of the author will want to read this story but don’t be fooled by the blurb; it’s actually a fluff romance.
The story begins with an injured and desperate cop, Brendan Wheeler, arriving bloody on local veterinarian’s doorstop. The chemistry between the men is instantaneous and when Jeremy discovers the dead body of a local woman, the two men are kept on close surveillance as Brendan recovers. The men dance and flirt around each other for a few days before giving into the passion between them.
Although the blurb and beginning of the story hold promise for a mystery, there is actually no real mystery component. The resolution to murder and identity of Brendan’s assailant are wrapped up in four pages out of the 90 page book. The remaining space is devoted to the burgeoning relationship and mundane details of Brendan’s recovery. There is some mention of Brendan trying to get involved in the case but he’s well shut out by his police chief and relegated to combing through his recent cases. However, there is almost no time devoted to this except a passing mention between the men making dinner, having sex, flirting, and the developing emotional connection. While a story about two men connecting and starting a relationship is always a welcome staple of romance, the lack of actual mystery given the elaborate set up and concept is surprising and deeply disappointing. The actual assailant is instantly identified by Brendan when he sees him and there is a very loose rationale for the actions.
The characters are sadly two dimensional without much depth, although the attempt to add more is there. Both men are strong, mentally and physically, with deep integrity and compassion. However, beyond that there is very little to either man as the story follows superficial activity over any deeper subtly. The large graphic tattoo now spanning the entirety of Brendan’s back is almost unimportant beyond the basics of treatment for the wound. Even as it depicts the brutal murder of a young woman, the men almost ignore it except when speaking of how to change the tattoo to something palatable. Even that conversation is brief and off hand between the sex and easy companionship.
The writing is decent but I found it difficult to connect to the story and characters once I realized this was simply a man meets man and has sex story, despite the blurb. The summary built up my expectations for a fascinating twist on a murder mystery and perhaps a love interest along the way and although rare for me, I couldn’t change that expectation once the book veered off into the romance. The lack of substance to the plot and characters had me struggling to keep my attention on the story. Neither the romance nor mystery injected any tension or drama into the story, although there are a few darker moments. This would have been much better as either a fully devoted mystery with the tattoo component or a simple romance between two men.
If readers are looking for an easy romance with some darker elements in the setting, this might fulfill that niche for summer reading. However, the dark aspects don’t impact the story too much and the mystery is negligible. I think in this case the elaborate set up is a disservice to the story since it’s taken nowhere and unfortunately offers little.
The story begins with an injured and desperate cop, Brendan Wheeler, arriving bloody on local veterinarian’s doorstop. The chemistry between the men is instantaneous and when Jeremy discovers the dead body of a local woman, the two men are kept on close surveillance as Brendan recovers. The men dance and flirt around each other for a few days before giving into the passion between them.
Although the blurb and beginning of the story hold promise for a mystery, there is actually no real mystery component. The resolution to murder and identity of Brendan’s assailant are wrapped up in four pages out of the 90 page book. The remaining space is devoted to the burgeoning relationship and mundane details of Brendan’s recovery. There is some mention of Brendan trying to get involved in the case but he’s well shut out by his police chief and relegated to combing through his recent cases. However, there is almost no time devoted to this except a passing mention between the men making dinner, having sex, flirting, and the developing emotional connection. While a story about two men connecting and starting a relationship is always a welcome staple of romance, the lack of actual mystery given the elaborate set up and concept is surprising and deeply disappointing. The actual assailant is instantly identified by Brendan when he sees him and there is a very loose rationale for the actions.
The characters are sadly two dimensional without much depth, although the attempt to add more is there. Both men are strong, mentally and physically, with deep integrity and compassion. However, beyond that there is very little to either man as the story follows superficial activity over any deeper subtly. The large graphic tattoo now spanning the entirety of Brendan’s back is almost unimportant beyond the basics of treatment for the wound. Even as it depicts the brutal murder of a young woman, the men almost ignore it except when speaking of how to change the tattoo to something palatable. Even that conversation is brief and off hand between the sex and easy companionship.
The writing is decent but I found it difficult to connect to the story and characters once I realized this was simply a man meets man and has sex story, despite the blurb. The summary built up my expectations for a fascinating twist on a murder mystery and perhaps a love interest along the way and although rare for me, I couldn’t change that expectation once the book veered off into the romance. The lack of substance to the plot and characters had me struggling to keep my attention on the story. Neither the romance nor mystery injected any tension or drama into the story, although there are a few darker moments. This would have been much better as either a fully devoted mystery with the tattoo component or a simple romance between two men.
If readers are looking for an easy romance with some darker elements in the setting, this might fulfill that niche for summer reading. However, the dark aspects don’t impact the story too much and the mystery is negligible. I think in this case the elaborate set up is a disservice to the story since it’s taken nowhere and unfortunately offers little.
June 26, 2010
I don't really expect this as a mystery/crime solving story. So, in that point, I think the "answer" to the mystery comes too rushed without any explanation on the motive. HOWEVER, since I take this book more as a romance, I love how Brendan and Jeremy get together. Love how patient Jeremy is. Love how Brendan, though a cop, can be the more less confident in the relationshop. A cop and a vet, and thrown in a loyal dog to the picture, and I am loving it :).
March 23, 2017
This book started out really good and I couldn't put it down during the first half. After the first half, I could pretty much guess what was going to happen and really wasn't surprised when my guess turned out right. I did enjoy the book though. I really liked the dynamic between the two main characters. They seemed made for each other. Fun read.
March 1, 2017
3.5 stars
I'm glad the MCs aren't stupid. When one implies something that the reader gets, the other isn't obtuse and blind; he gets it too. They're also being realistic--he can't work the case and knows he shouldn't even though he's frustrated. The other MC and chief know he needs counseling and he hasn't argued.
They both felt a little wimpy, especially during sex. Too much talking not enough pounding.
Minor peril. Potential for good stuff but I'm getting used to being let down. Just an HFN but it kind of had to be. Anything more wouldn't have felt right.
I'm glad the MCs aren't stupid. When one implies something that the reader gets, the other isn't obtuse and blind; he gets it too. They're also being realistic--he can't work the case and knows he shouldn't even though he's frustrated. The other MC and chief know he needs counseling and he hasn't argued.
They both felt a little wimpy, especially during sex. Too much talking not enough pounding.
Minor peril. Potential for good stuff but I'm getting used to being let down. Just an HFN but it kind of had to be. Anything more wouldn't have felt right.
February 18, 2017
2.5-3 stars
Unforunatelly the book spend more time on the romance then on the mystery. That's a real shame because the idea held a lot of potential.
Unforunatelly the book spend more time on the romance then on the mystery. That's a real shame because the idea held a lot of potential.
October 14, 2010
One of my favorite novels, from an author I always delight in. The story drags the reader in by the scruff at the first few sentences, and just builds from there. Brendan and Jeremy already know each other through the care of Brendan's dog Raider [Jeremy is a vet], although it's a congenial, passing 'he's cute' sort of acquaintance, which puts the novel off to a good start. No 'past history and broken hearts,' nor sudden 'meet and greet and jump in bed' scenes here.
Brendan's shyness in certain cases gets me every time. Brave, stubborn, headstrong cop, blushing over a spaghetti dinner when Jeremy passes on a teasing comment or two. Jeremy has his moments as well of awkwardness, but just like Brendan it balances out - when he puts his foot down about Brendan not going back alone to the scene of the crime alone, damnit Brendan better LISTEN to him!
The plot builds up nicely, but the end culprit is kind of shaky. The last confron is well done, I just can't really see the culprit being who it actually is ... then again, neither did Brendan, so it was probably intentional.
The schmex is hot and involved, with a great deal of both tender caring and steam-up-the-windows magnetism. Needless to say, Brendan and Jeremy have become one of my all-time-favorite pairings among m/m romance.
Brendan's shyness in certain cases gets me every time. Brave, stubborn, headstrong cop, blushing over a spaghetti dinner when Jeremy passes on a teasing comment or two. Jeremy has his moments as well of awkwardness, but just like Brendan it balances out - when he puts his foot down about Brendan not going back alone to the scene of the crime alone, damnit Brendan better LISTEN to him!
The plot builds up nicely, but the end culprit is kind of shaky. The last confron is well done, I just can't really see the culprit being who it actually is ... then again, neither did Brendan, so it was probably intentional.
The schmex is hot and involved, with a great deal of both tender caring and steam-up-the-windows magnetism. Needless to say, Brendan and Jeremy have become one of my all-time-favorite pairings among m/m romance.
May 13, 2011
Jeremy hears a bump in the night and finds the local police detective on his door step naked with a tattoo of a dead woman on his back. Brendan then moves in with vet Jared along with his dog while he recovers and the police try to find the guy who kidnapped him and tattooed him and killed the girl in his tattoo. I enjoyed the story about two guys flirting and getting together with the sub story of who the bad guy was as Brendan refuses to stay out of the investigation even if he's officially off the case. My only issue was for some reason (perhaps I have brain damage) I can not keep the guys straight, which one is the vet and which is the cop? As I type this I'm not 100% sure that Jeremy is the vet. And the cover shows that one is black. Umm. Who? They never describe either one enough for you to figure it out. Not that it really matters but when you have two guys on the cover (I don't care what they look like, white, pink or green) I like enough description to be able to put a name to a face. Maybe that was my issue with the name, I didn't know who was who on the cover and it screwed with my head. (Or I'm just old and senile. One of the two.)
October 31, 2011
I loved how different this book was. You have the captivating idea of the tattoo on the back and the fact that the authors didn’t stick to stereo-types on the characters at all. Brendan might be the cop but he was not the dominate in the relationship at all but he is still all man. Jeremy is an African American veterinarian with a take charge attitude. There were no twinks in this story. The pace was really well written in how it kept up with the mystery but the romance evolved nice and gradual. There was no instant love but you could easily feel them falling in love. Actually my only complaint was the who-dun-it. That could have been written better, reached a little bit further
For more of the review go to: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
October 31, 2011
http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
I loved how different this book was. You have the captivating idea of the tattoo on the back and the fact that the authors didn’t stick to stereo-types on the characters at all. Brendan might be the cop but he was not the dominate in the relationship at all but he is still all man. Jeremy is an African American veterinarian with a take charge attitude. There were no twinks in this story. The pace was really well written in how it kept up with the mystery but the romance evolved nice and gradual. There was no instant love but you could easily feel them falling in love. Actually my only complaint was the who-dun-it. That could have been written better, reached a little bit further. It felt kind of thrown together but the romance was good enough that it covered for it.
I loved how different this book was. You have the captivating idea of the tattoo on the back and the fact that the authors didn’t stick to stereo-types on the characters at all. Brendan might be the cop but he was not the dominate in the relationship at all but he is still all man. Jeremy is an African American veterinarian with a take charge attitude. There were no twinks in this story. The pace was really well written in how it kept up with the mystery but the romance evolved nice and gradual. There was no instant love but you could easily feel them falling in love. Actually my only complaint was the who-dun-it. That could have been written better, reached a little bit further. It felt kind of thrown together but the romance was good enough that it covered for it.
December 22, 2011
This was a cute story. It revolved around an interracial couple and I like that race wasn't an issue and Jeremy wasn't a stereotype. The tattoo was a nice twist and I like that they were able to deal with it at the end. I just wished the end had been more suspenseful. I would read it again and recommend to friends.
December 9, 2010
interesting story line with the tattoo but I felt sort of let down when the bad guy was found. The slow build up of the relationship was what tipped me from 3 to 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews