Title: Body Art, 2nd Edition
Series: N/A
Author: Jordan Castillo Price
Genre: Horror/Urban Fantasy
Length: Novella (108 Pages)
Publisher: JCP Books, LLC (November 20th 2013)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 ½ Hearts
Blurb: Does everyone have a certain “type” they end up with… whether they want to or not? If Ray Carlucci’s ex is anything to go by, Ray likes his men gorgeous, rebellious, and chock-full of issues. But now that Ray is single again, he has a shot at a fresh start—a very fresh start, since his tattoo shop was gutted by repo men and he can fit all his belongings in the trunk of a taxi.
Ray’s shiny new chauffeur’s license lands him a job as a driver for an elderly couple on Red Wing Island. It’s a cold fall, and since the Michigan island is the summer home to snowbirds who fly south for the winter, it’s practically deserted—save for Ray’s new household and a sculptor named Anton Kopec, who works day and night twisting brambles and twine into the distorted shapes of macabre creatures. Compelling, bizarre, and somewhat disturbing…not just the sculptures, but the artist, too. Ray has a feeling Anton is just his “type”.
Despite their scorching chemistry, when a dead body is unearthed by some workers and a freak ice storm traps them all on the island, Ray can’t say for certain that his new flame isn’t capable of murder.
Note: This novella originally appeared in the anthology Partners in Crime 4: The Art of Dying
Product Link: http://jcpbooks.com/ebook/bodyart.html
ISBN: 978-1-935540-40-3
Reviewer: GiGi
Review: A weird, fascinating mystery that tries desperately to point you in the direction of the suspect, from the title of the story to the descriptions of Anton’s artwork. I, however, always route for the artiste. It takes one to know one sometimes, and I know artist find beauty in the oddities of life, sometimes the gruesome aspects of life, and let’s face the numbers…77% of artists/musicians/writers suffer from bipolar or manic depression.
So just because Anton has a voracious sexual appetite, when he has company, runs out into the woods in the night to perform odd rituals, likes to play with dead things and decorate graves, and is sometimes off his rocker, doesn’t mean he’s the bad guy…..right?
I like this question, because given Ray’s past, and his taste in men, he has to seriously reflect on it. Is he drawn to the rotten apples? Or is Anton being painted with a broad and blackened brush?
From the beginning my list of possible baddies is as long as my arm. I wanted to believe anyone was suspect, except for Anton….I still held out hope for him. Was my hope in vain? You’ll have to read and thoroughly enjoy, as I did, this delectable tale of oddball artists, new beginnings, and running from the past.
And yes, there is some fast and furious, hot and heavy lovin’ but it only added to the pace and mood of the story.