Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Detective Paul Monroe has little room in his life for anything but work. Maintaining order and solving cases in the town of Thornwood Park keeps him busy. When Jerry Gregoria, a popular bartender and personal trainer is found murdered, there’s no shortage of suspects. It seems Jerry was busy shaking more than cocktails all over town, leaving Paul and his partner with an ever-growing list of men and women who have reasons to want Jerry dead. The deeper Paul delves into the case, the more he finds himself drawn to hotel manager Cliff Baxter, whom he hasn’t seen in years.

Cliff Baxter’s childhood crush on Paul Monroe hasn’t waned since high school. In fact, with the sexy detective conducting the investigation at the hotel, Cliff is more than happy to help. Ever since his last relationship went up in flames, Cliff has made it a rule to never get involved with a closeted man. But after Paul is threatened and things between the two heat up, Cliff decides to make an exception.

With new twists in the case popping up every day and the mayor breathing down the police department’s neck, Paul needs to solve the case yesterday. It takes a crisis for Paul and Cliff to realize what started out as something casual could be everything they’ve both been looking for but never thought to find. But if the killer strikes again, they might never get that chance.

Book Review

“Don't be afraid of being hurt or judged by anyone, take a risk and be honest about who you really are. Be honest to yourself that your fears, dream, hope, disappointments, happiness and your luck in life is part of who you are and your destinies is right within you.” ~ Kemmy Nola

Paul Monroe, of ‘Couldn’t Cheat Death’ by A. P. Eisen, has been leading a double life for years. He is gay, but no one knows. Cops aren’t the most open-minded people. Due to his latest murder case, he may just have found someone worth the chance.

Paul is the last person Cliff expects to see walk through his office door. Cliff was Paul’s deceased brother’s best friend. Cliff had a huge crush on Paul when he was young, and, after seeing Paul again, realizes that the attraction is still there. After Cliff is cleared as a suspect, he and Paul work closely together, providing Paul with pertinent employee information. Cliff guesses Paul’s secret and they begin a relationship that they agree to keep a secret, at least for a while. As Paul’s feelings for Cliff grow, his conscience bothers him. It’s not fair to Cliff. He deserves an open relationship. Still, when Paul thinks of the repercussions revealing the truth will cause, he hesitates.

I really like murder mysteries, all the suspense, dead herrings, putting the clues together to try to guess “who done it”, and I very much enjoyed this story. I liked Paul and Cliff, especially how their relationship developed; not just sex, but a mutual respect as well as passion. Although I realize why it was necessary that Cliff be involved in the investigative process, in reality, this would not have happened. Even with this knowledge, I was still able to suspend my disbelief and thoroughly enjoy the novel. Thanks, A.P., I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 182 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	29-June-2019
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Couldnt-Cheat-Death-Monroe-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07TPDP6HV