Title: Dirty Heart
Series: A Cole McGinnis Mystery, #6
Author: Rhys Ford
Narrator: Greg Tremblay
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 7 hours and 19 minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (04-01-16)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: 5 Hearts
Blurb: Former LAPD detective Cole McGinnis’s life nearly ended the day his police partner and best friend Ben Pirelli emptied his service weapon into Cole and his then-lover, Rick. Since Ben turned his gun on himself, Cole thought he’d never find out why Ben tried to destroy him.
Years later, Cole has stitched himself back together. Now a private investigator and in love with Jae-Min Kim, a Korean-American photographer he met on a previous case, Cole’s life is back on track – until he discovers Jeff Rollins, a disgraced cop and his first partner, has resurfaced and appears to be working on the wrong side of the law.
As much as Cole’s fought to put the past behind him, he’s soon tangled up in a web of lies, violence, and death. Jeff Rollins is not only trying to kill Cole’s loved ones, he is also scraping open old wounds and long-forgotten memories of the two men Cole loved and lost. Cole is sure Rollins knows why Ben ruined all their lives, but he isn’t looking for answers.
Now Cole is caught in a cat-and-mouse game with a cold-blooded killer with the key to not only his past but his future.
Product Link(s): https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/dirty-secret-by-rhys-ford-5229-b
http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Dirty-Heart-Audiobook/B01DMUE6ZO
Reviewer: Tams
Review: Tams’ 5 Heart E-book Review (March 2016)
Every really good Author has their proverbial ‘Murphy’s Law’ coupling. Diana Gabaldon has Claire and Jaime, Mary Calmes has Sam and Jory, Abigail Roux has Ty and Zane, and Rhys Ford has Cole and Jae. Cole and Jae have been through so much, both as a couple and on their own before they even met. It’s taken a very long time for Jae to live his life openly, to admit he loves Cole and to own his sexuality. Whereas Cole has always worn his sexuality like a badge.
As this story starts, it looks like Cole is still up to his finding trouble no matter where he goes antics, but it also looks like he and Jae are finally settling into a comfortable relationship with no boundaries or barriers.
Well, if you know Cole and Jae, you know that them being happy is like a homing beacon for trouble. You also know Cole will stop at nothing to protect those he loves. Everything is about to come full circle for this unlikely duo. Someone in Jae’s estranged family reaches out to Cole and Jae for help, which is laughable, considering what said family have put them both through.
And then another ghost from Cole’s past decides to start wreaking havoc and putting bullet holes in anyone or anything standing still. Is it just an unhappy coincidence that these things are happening simultaneously? Or has the grim reaper finally come to collect the debt Cole squirmed his way out of when he survived the shooting that took his former lovers life?
I think what has drawn me to this series with each new story is not only watching Cole and Jae struggling with issues both as a couple, and as individuals. Watching their bullet riddled love story unfold. I think it’s the way their feelings, emotions and thoughts have been described in such meticulous detailing that I feel I can almost see inside them. Ford could possibly make a sociopath feel with the way she vividly describes the characters and their emotions.
Another fantastic aspect of Ford’s stories, not just this series, is how she creates these secondary characters that are as vital to the story as Cole and Jae are. Then there is the dry, witty sarcastic sense of humor Cole embodies.
Jae goes off on Cole at one point in this story, having had enough of his pleas with Cole to “not get hurt” or “not get shot” ignored quite long enough. It is hysterical. I laughed so hard I think I peed my pants just a bit. Claudia deserves mom of the year y’all! And Bobby, that man cracks me up. One of my favorite lines in the book came from Bobby, talking to Cole.
“Get out of my truck so I can go home and fuck your brother.”
Definitely a must read story for fans of the Author and/or the series. If you don’t grab a copy you will never know exactly what drove Cole’s former partner on the police force to shoot Cole and his then lover, leaving one of them dead before turning the gun on himself. I’ll admit that I have had a couple of theories since the first book.
And I was surprised when the truth is revealed. If you like action packed, non-stop, thrill a minute stories with flawed, three-dimensional characters and these absolutely insane story lines… I would wonder why you haven’t read this series yet.
Tams’ 5 Heart Audiobook Review (June 2016)
Rhys Ford and Greg Tremblay… a more perfect union could not be found I tell you. Between Ford’s immaculate attention to detail and the way she can shape and mold words, and Tremblay’s ability to breathe life into any character he voices… its chocolate for my ears! I couldn’t be more pleased that Tremblay carried the torch from start to finish for this series. I came to feel like the characters I was listening to were old friends, and every year or so we would have a visit, bullet proof vest and riot gear required, of course.
Everything comes to a volcanic head in this last book, and when it finally blows, no one is safe. I think that Cole is pretty much done. The man has more holes in him than a slice of Swiss cheese, and the constant worrying for every single person he loves and holds dear. He’s just ready for some semblance of a normal life with Jae, growing old and fucking like bunnies until they can’t see straight. Being an uncle, brother, best friend and son (to Claudia of course, not that SOB father of his).
But there is one more bad guy to take down before Cole can rest easy.
I highly recommend this series… well, this Author and Narrator in fact. I believe Rhys Ford had some water bottles at GRL one year that read “Murder – Mystery – Mayhem” those three words aptly describe this series, with a metric ton of passion and just a little bit of angst. You can read, listen or do both as I did.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *