Genre: Horror
LGBTQ+ Category: Lesbian
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
“Rowdy” Randy Cox, a woman staring down the barrel of retirement, is a curmudgeonly blue-collar butch lesbian, who has been single for twenty years and is trying to date again.
At the end of a long, exhausting shift, Randy finds her supervisor, Bryant, pinned and near death at the warehouse where they work. Upon the news of his death, she battles to find a balance between the joys of an exciting new relationship and the struggles of processing her supervisor’s unexpected passing.
The manner of her supervisor’s death leaves Randy unsettled and suspicious as she gets sucked into both a criminal investigation led by the police and an administrative investigation conducted by her employer.
As Randy seeks the truth, trust erodes, key friendships are strengthened, and more loss awaits her.
The Review
Miranda “Randy” Cox is fifty-three, and hoping for retirement in the next two years. For thirty-three years, she’s worked at a package distribution warehouse. She knows her job in the “crows nest” and all the yard rules, and could have been a supervisor. Liking what she does, she avoided the headache’s of becoming one.
Randy lives in Lands End with her companion Porkchop, and has been single for over twenty years, with no one special in her life, not even a hook-up. The idea of getting back into the dating world is scary.
After a long, tiring shift at work, Randy faces a tragedy. She tries to save Bryant, one of the supervisors, who has been pinned at the dock. She follows all the rules of the warehouse business, but it’s not good enough. She’s questioned by the police, who she has a difficult time trusting. Then she’s harassed, day after day, by Shelley of Human Resources. It gets so bad that Randy has to call on the job steward, Brody, to attend Shelley’s meetings.
As if that wasn’t enough, she’s given a nosy trainee named Mikela, who is constantly asking personal questions. Randy had a tragedy of her own that she dealt with at a very young age, and now the death of Bryant weighs heavy on her mind. She always liked him, and was proud of him when he was promoted to load supervisor. She becomes more and more convinced that what happened to him wasn’t an accident.
Randy has a good network of friends. Darcy works at the port, loading new cars, and lives close to her – they often get together for meals and fishing. Buck and Bear are great friends too. When they feel the urge, they all love to take out their motorcycles for runs, a little freedom from their everyday lives. Darcy realizes that Randy is distressed about Bryant, andd reminds her that therapy is an option.
After one of their motorcycle runs, Randy is approached by Kirsten, a grocery store clerk. Kirsten is by no means shy, and a relationship begins to grow between them. Randy even suggests that Kirstento apply at the warehouse to make extra money.
Soon, Randy will have to take the stand in an upcoming trial. Att fifty-three, she will have to learn who to trust, who her real friends are, and that life is still filled with moments of both happiness and heartbreak.
Faraim knows how to write a captivating, beautiful, and heartbreaking story. With Randy and her found family, Darcy, Buck, Bear and Vivian, the author has crafted a loving friendship that will last forever. These women helped paved the way for so many, with their courage to be free to live their lives in the open and to work hard.
Each of them is wonderful, interesting, and memorable. The author embraces their ages, along with all the the aches and pains that come with them. It’s an emotional story – deception, suspense, violence, joy, sadness and love – in the best way, and the beauty of the scenery and danger that comes with the adventure of riding a motorcycle only enhances it.
Pinned is entertaining and realistic, and I highly recommend this first book of Faraim’s new “Randy Cox” series and I hope Liz Faraim does more with these wonderful characters.
There is more about Buck, Bear and Vivian, and their start of their long friendship in Liz Faraim’s “A Vivian Chastain Novel.”
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.