Genre: Romance, Interracial/Multicultural, Mystery/Suspense
LGBTQ+ Category: Bi, Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
Get It On Amazon | Universal Buy Link
About The Book
Life and Death sometimes made you believe in second chances
Robert
One thing I was sure of in my life was I’d never start over after my marriage of thirty years ended. Yet when our kids formed lives of their own, we’d grown apart. I’d signed the papers and tried to move on. My work as a Homicide Detective became my life. It left me with no time to think, but I couldn’t exist for my job alone. All that changed when they assigned Remy Bosley as my new partner. He was too good to be true, but in a short time, he became my friend—maybe something more.
Remy
For twenty-eight years, I’d worked to leave my past behind. Although, when the horrors shaped you into the person you were, there was no escape. Being a cop for me was making sure no one else turned out like me. My partner, Robert Kauffman, made it clear how far I’d shoved my dreams down. I was too old and damaged for fairy tales, yet that’s exactly what I wanted. In a few short years, his family became mine, and I couldn’t lose that no matter how much I wanted more than friends. When he was in danger, I did what needed to be done, and nothing was ever the same.
When a serial killer makes Remy’s old turf his hunting ground, how far will he go to protect the innocent?
Warnings: Mentions of childhood sexual, physical, and mental abuses. Passive Suicidal Ideation, self-harm, and mental illness. These are off-page, but there are detailed flashbacks and conversations of said acts. Yet if these are triggering for you, please feel free not to read the story. Your self-care and mental health are more important. Thank you.
The Review
I was thoroughly entertained with “Cold Case and Second Chances” by J.M. Dabney.
I liked the relationship between two mature men, who have lived different lives, and how they both have their own ideas on what constitutes a family.
Robert Kaufmann, at fifty-five, still does his job as a detective. Even though he’s divorced, he retains very close ties with his ex-wife Gladys, their children, and grandchildren. For Robert, family is a priority. Remy has been totally accepted by Roberts family, and he’s loved by all.
Remy Bosley is forty-six, and has been Roberts work partner for two years. He’s grown very close to both Robert and his family. He’s very much an adult, and extremely generous. He serves so many charities, and spends as much of his time as he can wherever there’s a need for help. He’s also made great strides toward being a forster parent. In many ways, he’s like a big child – something that he never got the chance to be when he was younger, a part of his life that he keeps secret. He could have been lost forever, if it wasn’t for one caring soul. Now he has big dreams and hopes to have a family of his own someday.
Robert and Remy have gotten along great as partners, with a chemistry they lacked with their former ones. While out on an investigation together, they make a shocking and dangerous discovery. Then Remy does the seemingly impossible and saves the life of his partner, and a sweet little girl named Carmen too.
Fate hands Robert and Remy a new life to adjust to. When Robert returns to the force, he has to take over the cold case unit, and Remy is right there with him. As young people on the streets become a devastating target, it hits Remy hard. Every day of his life, he remembers what it’s like to be vulnerable and living on the streets, no matter the reason. As dig deeper into decades*old missing persons cases, others start to notice their progress, and their team starts to grow: Vega, Doc, Stevenson and even Graves get behind Robert and Remy to do the impossible and seek out a serial killer.
Even with all the complexity of the job, Robert and Remy have to focus on what’s happening between them. Can they have a second chance at love?
Dabney develops a dark-themed, psychological, complex mystery here. The suspense builds and the investigation is very in-depth. Remy knows how the victims think, and there’s nothing that can be brushed aside. There are also many heartwarming and emotional moments between Robert and Remy – and with all the drama, we get some steamy passages and lots of fun banter and teasing to lighten the mood.
The book also deals with solidarity with family, and how found-families grow, as well as the more serious problem of how society views street kids, their ethnicity and social status, and how they are often dismissed as “sex workers.”
There’s a host of secondary characters here too. Sweet little Carmen aka Roo and Romeo; Robert’s ex Gladys is surprisingly nice. Boss, Shine, Davian, Fran the social worker and what Remy refers to as his “crew” that live on the streets.
Then there’s the team that works the cold cases: Vega the forensic expert and her wife Cash; medical expert, Doc, who’s fifty-plus and needs a boyfriend; Stevenson with the reputation of “king of gossip”; and even Graves, with his strange personality and a dislike for Remy.
Cold Cases & Second Chances is very well written, a page-turner that I didn’t want to put down. Well done!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
