Genre: Mystery
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
The Cold Case Squad of the NYPD is overworked, understaffed, but receiving great press due to star detective Everett Larkin. His uncanny memory and Holmesian-like skills of deduction have already led to the capture of one serial killer. Now he’s identified a second predator and brought an end to their twenty-plus year reign of terror.
Routine construction at a Broadway souvenir shop leads to the discovery of a mummified woman in the wall. And when Larkin receives a mysterious VHS tape that same night, he knows it’s no coincidence. Expecting a Victorian mourning artifact to surface in this new mystery, Larkin wastes no time turning to boyfriend Ira Doyle of the Forensic Artists Unit for help.
A web of nameless victims, countless suspects, and endless lies drag Larkin and Doyle deep into the gritty past of Times Square, reopening painful wounds and testing the fortitude of their relationship. And all the while, someone is watching, biding their time until they can make Everett Larkin nothing… but a memory.
The Review
Detective Everett Larkin of the NYPD Cold Case Unit finds himself in the middle of NYC Souvenirs, a tourist trap run by Sal Costa. Not only has he been called in on an unusual case, but he has to deal with the continuing harassment by Det. Ray O’Halloran, a homophobic fellow officer.
Luckily for Larkin, he has CSU Det. Neil Millett working the scene for him, someone Larkin feels he can trust. With Millett’s help, Larkin is ready to examine the mummy found inside the wall of a hidden room.
Larkin seems to handle himself well, on the outside, when it comes to being harassed. He has HSAM (highly superior autobiographical memory), and is on medication for stress, anxiety and intrusive associations. He’s been under Dr. Elizabeth Myers care for Xanax, but she has decided he needs to lower his dosage and start detoxing in order to start with taking Prozac instead.
It’s been seventy days now since Larkin moved in with Det. Ira Doyle, Forensic Artist. Living together was the right move. Doyle is the most understanding man. Larkin is still dealing with his divorce from Noah, who’s trying to get his hand on Larkin’s 401K, but Doyle and Larkin have made big steps in their relationship. There’s more understanding of each other on both their parts. They are partners at the job and partners in their new life together.
As they work this new cold case, a twisted plot is revealed, and it affects Doyle in a way that gives Larkin a new insight to his partner. Larkin won’t him to reveal his secrets, as the case takes them into the past lives of those forgotten.
Poe has created another dark psychological cold case novel, which goes back in time, into the seedy world of peep shows, burlesque, stripping, live sex shows, drugs, false ID’s and murder in Times Square in the late Seventies and Eighties. Establishments like the Doll House and Frills employed woman and under age girls who were considered useless and “less than”, lied too, abused and continuously arrested. If they were murdered, no one cared, not even the NYPD. It’s clear that Poe did a lot of research, as she brings all the corruption and the history of such places to the forefront.
Everett Larkin and Ira Doyle are two outstanding characters – brilliant together, and the romance, love, respect and care for each other are heartwarming.
I recommend that you read the entire “Momento Mori” series, starting with Madison Square Murders and then Subway Slayings. Everything connects in this series, and C.S. Poe never disappoints. By the end of book three, she will leave you begging for more from Larkin and Doyle.
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.
