Genre: Mystery, Paranormal
LGBTQ+ Category: Bi, Gay, Lesbian, Non-Binary
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Cav Crawford has a lot going on. He’s a college student. He has a side gig as a PI. Oh yeah—and he sees ghosts.
When four teenage boys disappear while ghost hunting but only one reappears days later (covered in blood and with no memory of what happened), the police point the finger at the boy. The boy’s parents hire Cav to prove his innocence, and it doesn’t take him long to realize he’s in over his head. To complicate matters, Cav unintentionally summons the ghost of his dead boyfriend, who can’t seem to move on.
As the investigation deepens, Cav unearths disturbing similarities between his current case and a decades-old murder-suicide. By the time he realizes the power of the dark forces at work, it’s too late—he’s caught the attention of the killer, and he’ll soon learn there’s more than one kind of death….
The Review
Cavanaugh “Cav” Crawford survived several traumatic tragedies in his family at a young age. To others, he seemed to be a strange child, and was teased a lot. But he’s fortunate too – he still has his Grandmother and two wonderful adopted parents in Jason and Eli. At twenty-two, he is attending Waring University, with a major in criminal justice and a human services specialty.
Right now he’s trying to figure out why he needs Professor Lawson’s class, World Religions, which he has to do better in. Cav’s schedule is full, with both college and his job. He started out as an intern for Sutton Walker, a private investigator. He worked hard and got his license. and is now a PI, with special cases that Walker gives him. And he has a secret!
Sutton Walker is very trusting, and has confidence in Cav to do his job right. He gives Cav the cases that involve young teens who run away or go missing. Cav has already completed one and brought Summer, who’s non-binary, back home. Summer is very misunderstood by their parents, but Cav hopes things will change.
Now, Walker has given him a baffling case about four missing teens: Kyle Itoh, DJ Juarez, Wade Smith and Gareth Miller. The boys had gone ghost hunting and were never heard from again, until Gareth Miller is found with no memory of what happened to him.
Even while he’s neck-deep in this baffling case, Cav needs to keep up with his school assignments. Because of Professor Lawson, Cav is approached by Kyreh Chambers, who’s also in his World Religion class. The Professor suggests they pair up and write a paper for extra credit about ghosts and what others have experienced. When he and Kyreh finally meet, a friendship starts to form, and Cav wonders if it could be more. But he’s not ready to date yet, even a year after losing Mason.
Gareth has not recovered from his memory loss, and the missing boys case is growing more complicated. Cav seeks help from his Grandmother, and from Professor Lawson, who has all kinds of pertinent information to add. In the end, Cav will take a deadly chance to do what he can, and will have to reveal his secret.
Cav will have to deal with his own mistakes, and promises to solve a death for someone close to him. He will also face four sets of parents who are dealing with the tragedy of their own missing sons in different ways. As he digs deep into a horrific crime, he will have to decide whether to let it go, or to forge ahead and solve it.
Aterovis’ new series is filled with moments of sheer terror and gore. The author delved deep into Gaelic Folk magic, blood magic, protection spells, herbs, sigils, ancient Greek poppet or Kolossos, and how beliefs of different religions and places deal with ghosts and the world of the occult.
Cav and Kyreh are wonderful and charming in their own ways, a breath of fresh air. Kyreh stays by Cav’s side to protect him any way he can. I loved the sweet and steamy relationship that grows between them.
I also loved the fact that Josh Atervois gave two women important roles in this novel. Cav’s Grandmother, who has her own story to tell and knowledge to share, and Professor Lawson, who has no problem admitting she’s a witch. Also, the most important of all, Mason McKibben, who has a sad tale of his own.
Along with them, there’s a very interesting line up of side characters: Jason and Eli, Cav’s adopted dads; Jordan, who works at the PI firm; Haniah, Cav’s roomate, who’s bisexual and came from Ghana to America to live openly; Det. Sgt. Zebulon Mead, who knows Cav’s boss, Sutton Walker, and at times is suspicious of Cav.
In 2017, I had the chance to review Aterovis’ Bleeding Hearts, “A Killian Kendall Mystery.” I had passed this book up because it was YA and I thought I wouldn’t like it. When then the second book came out, I decided to take the chance, and from there, six books later, I was hooked.
It’s been a long time, but I am ecstatic that this author has returned with this new series. I highly recommend A Kind of Death – these new Cav Crawford Mysteries have
a lot of potential. Once again, Aterovis has captured my attention, and I’m ready for more!
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.