Title: Flight or Fight
Author: Dirk Greyson
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: Novel (200pgs)
ISBN: 978-1-63477-731-5
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (5th August 2016)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Life in the big city wasn’t what Mackenzie “Mack” Redford expected, and now he’s come home to Hartwick County, South Dakota, to serve as sheriff.
Brantley Calderone is looking for a new life. After leaving New York and buying a ranch, he’s settling in and getting used to living at a different pace—until he finds a dead woman on his porch and himself the prime suspect in her murder.
Mack and Brantley quickly realize several things: someone is trying to frame Brantley; he is no longer safe alone on his ranch; and there’s a definite attraction developing between them, one that only increases when Mack offers to let Brantley stay in his home. But as their romance escalates, so does the killer. They’ll have to stay one step ahead and figure out who wants Brantley dead before it’s too late. Only then can they start the life they’re both seeking—together.
Purchase Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/flight-or-fight-by-dirk-greyson-7328-b
Review: Mack is sheriff in a small town, there aren’t any major crimes until a disturbance call comes in and Mack finds a man leaning over a dead body. Brantley is starting fresh in a small town after a scandal left his reputation in tatters in the city, he expected an easier life making a ranch for himself and getting to know his neighbors, what he didn’t expect was to return from town and discover a dead body on his porch.
When Mack clears Brantley of the murder of his realtor their attraction sparks but it soon becomes clear that someone is trying to scare Brantley off his ranch, and it’s down to Mack to protect him and discover the identity of the killer.
This is a great mystery that has a dash of suspense and romance. Mack and Brantley mesh well together, their relationship is pretty intense for the amount of time they know each other and when you add in the circumstances surrounding them it is pretty explosive at times.
It becomes clear as you read the story why the title is Flight or Fight, with the pressure that Brantley finds himself under you can see as he struggles with his instincts to flee back to the city, or to stand his ground and fight for the future he could have with Mack.
The storyline is fantastic; the mystery surrounding the murder and then the attempts to drive Brantley away from town is brilliant written. You get ideas as to who is responsible but then as more is revealed another suspect pokes their head up and you could easily miss the real suspect who isn’t revealed in clear light until right near the end, it’s beautifully executed.
I would have rated this story higher but with everything else going on I found that not much was put into developing Mack and Brantley’s relationship, just ‘them’ time as they learn more about each other and get to know each other better, a connection more personal than sexual, a deepening of feelings outside the bedroom or during the pressure intense times. But other than that this is a great story to enjoy.
I recommend this to those who love a good murder mystery, who love digging nuggets of truth out of murky waters, who adore characters that have got spark, and endings that are perfect.