The Orchid Murders Strike Again!

Title: The Orchid Murders
Authors: John Simpson and Remmy Duchene

Publisher: eXtasy Books

Publisher URL: http://www.extasybooks.com/

ISBN: 978-1-55487-473-6

Genre: [M/M] Contemporary Mystery

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewers: Mystical Nymph

Anderson Williams might not have the perfect life but that doesn’t mean he isn’t happy, or at least mostly. So what if he has a lousy record with men, and has been alone for longer than he wants to remember. He has a few good friends, a teaching job he enjoys and a father he loves. That all changes in a matter of a few short hours when he discovers his murdered father’s body and a maddeningly annoying police detective, Sam Morgan, barrels into his life, intent on catching the killer.

A serial killer, with an odd orchid calling card, is loose on the streets of New York City and Detective Sam Morgan is determined to stop him before he strikes again. He doesn’t have time for Anderson’s anger and he definitely doesn’t have time to fall in love. Yet, the more time Sam spends with the sexy professor, the more Anderson gets under his skin.

The Orchid Murders has a lot going on; making it fit more than one genre. At heart it’s a thriller, following the hunt for a brutal killer who dismembers his victims; and all manner of juicy clues are revealed as the story progresses. There’s a strange connection between the victims, the orchid left at the scenes, and an unexpected twist involving Yale University, just to name a few.

Then there’s the police aspect. The police procedures and interdepartmental relations are realistic, as is the partnership between Sam and Roger. There are plenty of gruesome details relating to the murder, several red herrings that baffle the cops, and plenty of future victims. And let’s not forget the crazy killer who somehow manages to keep a step ahead of the police.

The dialogue is snappy, the flow good, the characters interesting, and the premise so realistic that the plot could have been pulled from the headlines of any major newspaper. That’s what makes this story so bone-chilling. There really are people in the world capable of doing exactly what the villain in The Orchid Murders did. They all have family, friends and neighbors, and most of the time these people don’t have a clue. How common is it to hear afterwards on a news report…’he was the nicest young man’?

Lastly is the romance between Sam and Anderson. Their chemistry sparks immediately but it’s anything but smooth sailing for these two, since both have enough emotional baggage to sink any relationship. It takes a lot of work and understanding on both their parts to make a go of it and mostly, they’re doing it at different times, which made for all kinds of problems. In fact, despite their passion and desire they still fight like cats and dogs, making me want to smack them on the head and yell ‘grow up’.

On a final note, there are a few typos and point of view issues, but nothing that distracts too badly from the story.

Find the review here http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/2010/03/orchid-murders.html?zx=4a0ddf23ea483aaf

REDEMPTION review!!

Title: Redemption

Author: Remmy Duchene

Publisher: Loose Id

Publisher URL: http://www.loose-id.com/

ISBN: 978-1-60737-479-4

Genre: {M/M} Multicultural Contemporary

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Scandalous Minx

Keegan MacLamore has spent twenty-five years serving time for a crime he didn’t commit. He returns to his hometown with a realistic view of how he is perceived by the townspeople. Fortunately, his best friend, Jaxon Lesley, believes in his innocence.Jaxon arrives at Keegan’s ranch to fulfill a promise. The moment he set eyes on the sexy rancher, Jaxon knew he was in trouble. His old attraction for Keegan has come back full force. However, the secret he has kept all these years could stop the romance before it has begun.

Can Keegan find it in his heart to forgive Jaxon?

Redemption is a story about second chances at love and life. The townspeople's cynical feelings toward Keegan MacLamore had little to do with his actual misconduct in the beginning. The negativity was destined to haunt him and destroy his young life. I felt sorry for Keegan at that moment. No matter what he did, he was labeled a troublemaker. Jaxon didn’t have a real family to rely on for guidance. It was hard to dislike him when you saw his dedication to Keegan and his desire to make amends. This story reminded me of what I sometimes dislike about small towns. There’s nothing like being the delegated whipping boy. The stress and unfairness of the situation can be enough to make anyone become a rebel.

The setting for this story isolates the characters, allowing readers an opportunity to focus on their attraction and budding relationship. Redemption moves at a moderate pace, and includes some scenes between Keegan and Jaxon that are anything but slow and relaxed. The characters grabbed my attention and I could see their internal battles being warred. Redemption is my first opportunity to read a book written by Remmy Duchene and I’m looking forward to reading more of his tales in the near future.

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