Genre: Mystery
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
How far would you go to protect your secret?
On the morning DC Deryn Kent found the bodies, Brody Murphy got off a plane to meet a friend who never arrived.
Deryn has been blackmailed into turning a blind eye to his family’s drug dealing for years. But have they gone too far this time? Someone has brought Fentanyl into the small Welsh village and people are dying.
Then Brody turns up to report his friend missing amid signs of violence, and Deryn has another problem to deal with.
Are there two major crimes in one tiny community? Are Deryn’s family behind them both? And can Deryn stop them before someone else dies, or is the price too high?
The Review
DC Deryn Kent is having a chaotic day. He works for the Glamorgan Police Department, and the house he just entered is a tragedy. A dead man and woman have died from an overdose – possibly heroin and fentanyl mix. There’s also a baby in the house that has been retrieved, by a neighbor, with his permission.
DI Irene Glover, Deryn’s boss, arrives at the scene. After she lines up what he needs to check out for the case, she has another assignment for him to look into.
He heads to Station Terrace in Cwncoed, which had no station since the coal mine there closed. Arriving at the stone-fronted house, he meets Brody Murphy. The man is holding pellets and is surrounded by five hungry chickens that apparently need feeding, and there’s also a large black cat sitting on a plastic table in the yard.
Brody explains he just came in from America and landed at Heathrow, where his friend Mason was supposed to pick him up. But Mason never showed up. After a number of calls to Mason with no result, Brody rented a car. When he arrived at the house, the door was open, there was blood on the floor, still no Mason.
With two dead bodies, an abandoned baby, and now a missing person in the small village,
Deryn is ready to get out of Cwmcoed. He feels like his every move iss being watched, not because he’s a copper, but because he is recognizable. He’s the brother-in-law of the corrupt Philip Fromow, known for suppling drugs. Unfortuately, his father and sister Branwen have both welcomed Fromow to the family.
Searching everywhere for Mason, Deryn starts to find more about Brody Murphy. Murphy is a Special Agent with the FBI’s New York Office. He was invited to visit Mason Abruzzi, who holds a dual nation identification – US and UK. Mason grew up in the US and just happens to be very wealthy. He told Brody he needed his help. Deryn thinks it’s odd that a wealthy man like Mason lived in the poorest place in the UK.
As Deryn and Mason continue to search for Mason, Deryn finds he has to take a stand. His brother-in-law knows a secret about him, and uses it against him. Has Deryn had enough? He’s not ashamed of who he really is. He’s sure Fromow has everything to do with the drugs flooding Cmwcoed, as well as other crimes. Will he finally stand-up to his family?
It’s always a delight to read a new Ripley Hayes series, flavored with that special taste of Wales. Indefensible is a great start to the “Deryn Kent Mystery” series. It’s been awhile, so I went back to a couple of books where Deryn Kent and Brody Murphy first appeared in, just to get a refresher. I’m excited to see what the author will have Deryn getting involved in going forward.
Indefensible is full of of mysteries and investigations for Deryn to get involved in. If you loved Ripley’s previous books, you won’t be disappointed.
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.
