Panic by Peter Melillo

tmp_6e5963e6641fed1617790e77ec0e9a30_kX_Ymc_html_48504c65Title: Panic

Series: N/A

Author: Peter Melillo

Length: Short (20 Pages)

Publisher: JMS Books LLC, October 2nd 2013

Heat Level: None

Heart Rating: ♥1 Heart

Blurb: Arthur Fredrickson is back from Iraq, convicted of the brutal murder of seventeen-year-old Ali Hussein. He has no recollection of removing the clip from Ali’s AK-47 and then pumping twelve rounds into his body while they were on sentry duty. The lawyer Arthur’s parents hired to defend him wants to use the Homosexual Panic Defense, if Arthur would rescind his confession of murder under threat of torture.

Arthur surmises his exposure to the “gay bomb” pheromones while handling specially marked artillery shells had suddenly worn off and caused him to go into a blind rage at the gay sex he was having with Ali. But Ahmed, Ali’s best friend since early childhood, implies the murder was caused by Ali wanting Arthur to stop the romantic aspect of their guard duty sex. But then, Ahmed and Ali also had a history before the war began.

Product Link:  https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/363913/1/panic

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: This book was very hard to get into. It seemed more like a transcript for a new trial, which basically is what it is about. Twenty-year-old Arthur was having sex with seventeen-year-old Ali. Ali, as told by his best friend Ahmed, thought the sex was punishment for falling asleep while on duty, given to him instead of lashes. Arthur swears he doesn’t even remember killing Ali. A lawyer and investigator were hired by Arthur’s family, to find out what truly happened and to help their son. I just couldn’t get into this story.

The framework for a good story is there, but there is just too much going on, and not enough room to really get into the story. I’d like to read this again, if ever the author expands it and gives us a full story.