Title:
A Hard Winter Rain
Author: John Inman
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Length: Novel (300pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (5th March 2012)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Sean Andros is tired—tired of hustling, tired of trying to make the rent, tired of running from his past.
But the past can chase you down in a heartbeat. Suddenly Sean’s living a nightmare again and casualties are stacking up around him. The only person he can trust is Harry, a man twice his age and the closest thing to a friend Sean has ever known. Harry Connors has loved Sean since their first night together, and now, with danger hard at their heels, Harry will do anything to protect the tough, strangely vulnerable young man who begs him for help.
Harry had better be serious about offering protection, though, because the demons threatening Sean’s life are no joke. Only a hard winter rain will wash away the evil that drove Sean Andros to the streets, and Sean and Harry are going to have to be strong if they plan on sticking around for the sun.
CONTENT ADVISORY: This title contains scenes of rape.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2804
Review: Sean is in serious trouble. His past has come back for him, but he really doesn’t have a clue who from his past it could be. When Sean flees the scene of a murder, he runs right into Harry’s arms. Harry convinces Sean to let him help and it is the beginning of a game of cat and mouse with an insane killer who will stop at nothing to make Sean pay. As the two men try to think of a way to end the game, they become what Harry had always hoped for.
This is an incredible well-written story that starts out intense and doesn’t let up until the very end. Sean is a hustler and while he dreams of having a better life, he knows that at the moment hustling pays well. Harry owns his own hair salon and is forty-five. He dreams of having a relationship with Sean, who is more than half his age. These two men come together when Sean needs protection and it is a fight for both of them to survive. The pale man is out to punish Sean. Sean caused him to commit his one sin and now he needs cleansing, he is doing God’s work, a mission that would give him absolution and nothing will stand in his way.
This book is from several POVs, from Harry and Sean’s, to the Pale man, to the lead detectives. We get a well-rounded full view of all aspects of the story and I have to say I loved it. We get the feelings of each person and the reasons behind why they do stuff. So, instead of sitting there baffled by what a person has done you completely understand exactly what is going on. You get to relate to characters that we wouldn’t normally get the chance to and it gave the author a wider scope to work with. The main story in this book is about the plan to set-up and kill Sean, the reason behind it and the murders the Pale man commits. The story of Harry and Sean is there, but it lingers in the background, only coming forward when it needs to. We also get to know the two main detectives very well and they add a bit of light relief at times.
The relationship between Harry and Sean really is secondary, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t important because seeing these two come together is really nice. Yes, at first, you doubt that Sean is being serious, but then you realize that he really does genuinely care for Harry and they fit together nicely.
With this one I am going to recommend it to those who love mystery, suspense, danger, tension, conflict, protective friends, fantastic characters, a brilliant story-line and a happy ending for Sean and Harry.