Genre: Mystery
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
They say you shouldn’t meet trouble halfway, but Inspector Danny Quirke never has to worry about that. Trouble always finds him.
When a house fire rocks his small town of Kildevil Cove, Danny’s inquiries into the house’s mysterious inhabitants prompt the dispatch of Inspecteur Blaise Pascal from Quebec.
Pascal arrives in perpetual ill humor, but he’s an expert on this particular family. If anyone can determine whether this is a missing persons case or something more sinister, it’s Pascal.
Pity he doesn’t want to share.
Danny’s cop instincts say Pascal’s secrets are the key to solving this case. But before he can untangle that mystery, a local fishing trawler hauls up a dead body, and a murder victim is found eviscerated on his bed, a grisly message painted on the wall in his own blood. Are these deaths related to the house fire? Who is the message for? And can Danny find the culprit before they carry out the last act of their sinister plan?
The Review
Inspector Deiniol “Danny” Quirke has gotten his position back with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) in Kildevil Cove. He’s been married now to Tadhg Heaney for six months, and has gained a family in Tadhg, Lilly and Easter. Life has seemed to calm down some for Danny, but his knees have plagued him for too long for Taghg’s liking.
Danny meets with his doctor, Roman St Croix, and the news is not good. He has advanced osteoarthritis, and both knees will need to be replaced soon. Surgery and rehabilitation are hard for Danny to face, and it will take a year for him to be back on his feet.
Danny has also struggled with his own personal issues – he was lied to about his parents and he’s painfully searching for the truth.
Now Danny has to deal with a house explosion. At the scene, he finds Inspector Cillian Riley, now left with a limp after recovering from a horrid accident the last winter. Riley tells Danny that the Caron’s are new to the small town, and had relocated from Quebec. Gerard Caron is alive, but his wife Amalie and six-year-old son Joseph are missing.
Danny decides to contact the Surete (the French police department) and before he knows it, he’s face to face with Inspecteur Blaise Pascal, Surete du Quebec. Pascal is an aggressive, rude, pompous man who uses his charms when it benefits him. Danny pleads his case – that the RNC can handle the crime – but Chief Inspector Adrian Molloy wants to show that they will work with other regional police forces. The RNC needs to rebuild their reputation, after the last situation that almost destroyed them.
Danny doesn’t trust smart mouthed Pascal, and believes the Inspecteur is keeping secrets from him. But he’s determined to solve the case, with or without Pascal. And the Caron’s explosion isn’t the only mystery, there’s also murder, various bodies and a cryptic message.
J.S. Cook creates another dark, suspenseful, gory and twisted murder mystery in Dark Vows. I’m always amazed by the complexity of each of Cook’s murder cases. From the very first page, I was immersed in the story and couldn’t put it down. The book has a dark theme, with terrifying killers and murders, as well as a very twisted relationship that the story is built around. Each crime is vivid and meticulously described.
Blaise Pascual is a man who feels like he doesn’t belong. He carries some very dark and painful secrets, right up until the end. The odd connection Pascual has with Prud’Homme makes him even more of a mystery.
We also get bits and pieces of the personal stories of other members of the RNC: the relationship between Cillian Riley and Kevin Carbage seems a little shaky, and June Carbage and her girlfriend Amy’s relationship takes a most unusual turn.
Of course, there are the other colorful characters of Danny’s team too: Bobbi Lambert, forensic chief; Dr. Reagan Lampe of the Carbonear morgue; Constable Sarah Avery; Constable Dougie Hughes and Alan English volunteer fire chief, who all bring their expertise to the investigation.
I loved the private moments at home between Danny and Tadhg. The dialogue and dialect adds to the special, long lasting relationship they enjoy. Cook also does an amazing job with Blaise Pascual and his French, giving this novel a special flair.
If you love intense murder mysteries, I highly recommend Dark Vow and the entire “Kildevil Cove Murder Mysteries” series. I’ve never passed up on the chance to read a J.S. Cook novel. Cook is one of the most talented and entertaining authors I’ve ever read, and I’ll continue to follow her and wait impatiently for the next book.
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.
