Title: Ghosts of Alcatraz
Author: Carol Lynne
Genre: Paranormal
Length: Novella (102pgs)
Publisher: Wilde City Press (1st May 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½ Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Love is a powerful force. Unparalleled, unpredictable and often unforeseen. Yet it can surface in the most dangerous of situations. Suffocation, mutilation and dismemberment aren’t the normal outside influences that bring two people together, but inside the newly refurbished Alcatraz Prison, anything can happen.
As inmates begin dying in shocking and sometimes gruesome ways, the deaths prompt Warden Jensen Black to bring in sexy parapsychologist, Brian Phipps. With the help of Brian, Jensen hopes to get to the bottom of what is killing the men he is responsible for. But what he didn’t count on is falling—and falling hard—for the smaller man with the heart of a lion. The question is: will their love survive against the ghosts of Alcatraz?
This book was previously published by Loose Id (2009) and Silver Publishing (2011)
Purchase Link: http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-mainstream/ghosts-of-alcatraz/#.UbdwwvnVCAU
Review: The setting for this book is 2020. Jensen Black is the Warden at the recently reopened Alcatraz, but the prison is plagued with unexplained deaths, seventeen in as many weeks. Jensen calls in parapsychologist Brian Phipps to pin down what is causing the deaths and is surprised at the sexy man he meets. Brian is called in to investigate some gruesome unexplained deaths at Alcatraz, meeting the sexy Warden is a nice surprise and they quickly fall for each other, but malevolent spirits have other plans.
This is a great paranormal story but sadly lacks in the romance stakes. Jensen has been plagued with horrific deaths at Alcatraz, but the deaths are even worse because of their unexplained nature. That’s where Brian comes in; Brian is a parapsychologist who discovers that Alcatraz is haunted by more than just one evil spirit. Jensen and Brian have an instant attraction and they waste no time acting on it and they rapidly fall for each other. Laying the spirits to rest is harder than Brian hoped for and Brian and Jensen uncover a terrible secret that is over fifty years old, both men along with Jensen’s friend Fisher have to risk their lives laying old ghosts to rest.
The paranormal aspect of this story is brilliant. The reopening of the world’s most notorious prison and its subsequent horrific hauntings is awesome, the mystery and secrets that have been hidden for so long is a brilliant twist, and two men finding love during the stressful dangerous time is great. The murders are gruesome and chilling, more so because of the circumstances surrounding them, the long forgotten secret is one that surprises and I have to say brilliantly thought of.
The one thing that let this story down was the rushed relationship between Brian and Jensen, they are hot together, they seem a great match but they fall in love much too quickly. Within a very short space of time, when they don’t really know each other and in a very high-tension time, they declare their love for each other and it was just wrong. It felt rushed and it was dissatisfying. If we had seen them, together when they weren’t in danger or in a hospital bed, but in a more natural setting then it might have worked better.
I recommend this is you love horrific hauntings, evil spirits, a secret that is over fifty years old, hot men, hot sex, a great story line and a happy ending.