Genre: Mystery, Romance, Contemporary
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Deep passion meets raw danger…
Dirk Black, a fist-and-furious undercover cop, knows nothing about lighthouses—except, in his own words, they’re put up by angels to guide seagoing idiots. So when his Detective Inspector assigns him to a solve a murder committed at a lighthouse, the cop is forced to partner with a true expert, his lover Stephan Tavish. But his decision is one wrested from his gut-deep conviction that he—and the powers that be—are putting the man he loves in a verra dangerous position.
In his beguiling way, Stephan is stronger and smarter than any man Dirk’s ever met. But he’s a recovering paraplegic. Can he help solve a mystery in the same kind of old stone-and-masonry tower that caused his crippling injury? Or is this, as the wag once said, deja vu all over again?
Deep passion meets raw danger. Here’s another facet of the love story, and the surprising metamorphosis, of Dirk and Stephan.
~Gay ~Erotic romance ~Scotland setting ~Mystery/suspense ~Deep undercover ~Third novel of a trilogy
The Review
Dundee Law means different things to tourists and historians – when Dundee himself raised the standard of Jacobite protest against the wicked non-Catholic William of Orange. For geologists, it’s a natural wonder. For those who know the auld Scots’ tongue, it’s an ancient burial mound. For Senior Detective Dirk Black, Dundee Law is a pain in the arse and a place of death, heroin, dirty money and secrets.
Dirk has been undercover for a month at the Dundee Law monument. Inspector Alan Ainsley learned from his boss, DCI Grant MacDowell that it was the hub of a growing drug trade, and they both want it shut down.
Dirk didn’t believe it. He didn’t stay on the stake-out for hours on end, instead cleaning up loose ends on other cases and training a new man, Brain Shaw. He also slept some of the time away at home, depressed because he was sure that he was stuck in Dundee forever.
Ainsley is getting pressure from MacDowell to get the Dundee drug issue cleaned up, and it’s all on Dirk. He can’t even take time-off, and it’s been two long, lonely weeks since he’s has been to Shetland and the man he craves, Stephan Tavish. Three months earlier, they’d made an impossible lovers pledge, that regardless of Dirk’s life as a cop, their love would last forever. Just when Dirk thinks the case will never be solved he and Brian catch a break.
Dirk is ready to see the man he loves. He knows it would never work for Stephan to come to him – his place isn’t set up for a man in a wheelchair. He can’t wait to leave Dundee, but he’s sold out by Ainsley when DCI MacDowell wants another favor and there’s no other CID operation available.
The case takes him to the Aberdeen Girdle Ness lighthouse, even further from Stephan. Even though he has no connections in Aberdeen, the DCI knows about his association with a member of the NLB (National Lighthouse Board).
Dirk has had enough. He’s ready to resign – there’s no way would he drag Stephan into one of his cases and put his life in danger. But Hamish Hughes, light house engineer/inspector, has been murdered. The investigation is a heavy weight on Dirk, as he needs to protect Stephan and his father, Peter Tavish. Will they all get out of this alive?
This is a complex murder mystery which both Stephan and Dirk will need to work together to solve. They’ll get help from Peter Tavish, Leonard Junior, Noah, Jonah and Leonard Sr.
O’Quinn knows how to bring out the Scottish flair – I love how she makes you feel like you’re in Scotland and really know Dirk and Stephan. Especially Dirk, with his heavy Scottish brogue that brings this brooding man to life.
The story is packed with politics, jealousy, hate, fear, blackmail, hired hitman and a love affair and there are plenty of suspects that will have your mind spinning.
There’s also some great history here with beautiful, colorful and sometimes dangerous descriptions of Scotland, the Girdle Ness Lighthouse and Dundee Law, including a bit of gay history from the 1930’s.
I highly recommend Steel Nautilus along with the entire “Lighthouse Keeper” trilogy. This is the last story from Dirk and Stephan, but “dinnae fash”! Maybe, after O’Quinn lets Dirk and Stephan relax, she’ll surprise us. I won’t say good bye to them just yet, but I will say “God be wi’ye”, until next time!
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.
