Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Crime/Thriller/Suspense, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay, Lesbian, Non-Binary, Trans FTM
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Book two in the Bound to the Spirits series
Ghost wards are failing. Mediums are vanishing. Someone—or something—is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto. It’s up to psychic medium Harlan Brand to find out why.
After defeating a serial killer who could control ghosts, psychic medium Harlan Brand is feeling much more confident in his abilities working for the Toronto Police Service with his partner, Hamilton, as they protect the city from dangerous spirits.
He is expanding his social circle, however reluctantly, to include the other police mediums and Morgan Vermeer, another graduate from the Centre—a school for training psychic children.
Harlan and his boyfriend, Charles Moore, are continuing to explore BDSM, their relationship and Charles’ strange ability to shield people from ghosts.
Hoping to find answers about Charles’ power and the serial killer, Harlan returns to the Centre only to find that one of its ghost wards—magical symbols that spirits can’t cross—is broken, and it’s a mystery as to how and why.
The calm and order that Harlan has been building up in his life are shattered when wards start failing across the city and mediums begin to disappear, including one of his new friends and a student from the Centre.
Someone—or something—is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto.
The Review
The blurb says it all:
“Ghost wards failing. Mediums are vanishing. Someone – or something – is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto. It’s up to psychic medium Harlan Brand to find out why.”
Harlan Brand is still working for the Toronto Police Service as a psychic medium. He has a good partner in Officer Curt Hamilton. But Harlan has low self-esteem, especially when it comes to socializing and making friends. He continually doubts himself. He also realizes he doesn’t know a lot about Hamilton. He’s still not sure if his boyfriend, Charles Moore, really likes him. And he’s afraid that he has let his colleagues down and he’s putting others in danger.
Charles Moore is the owner of the BDSM club “Rattling Chains.” The club is where he and Harlan first met during a ghostly case. Charles cares so much for Harlan – he checks on him as much as he can, making sure he eats, relaxes and gets a good night’s rest. He also has his own special gift that protects Harlan.
Harlan thought he knew all about the various types of psychic abilities, but he is really curious about Charles’. His curiosity leads him back to the place where he lived from a very young age – the Centre for Psychic Education and Research.
As uncomfortable as it is for Harlan, he and Hamilton head for the Centre in hopes of discovering information about about Charles’ ability. But things get side tracked when Eileen, the librarian, reveals research that she did on their last ghostly serial killer case, a man named Samuel Harkness. Eileen agrees to keep researching Charles’ ability.
For Harlan, it’s a relief to leave the Centre. But before he and Hamilton can make their escape, Tomas Addison, now the new director, pleads for help when “ghost wards” have failed at the Centre. Harlan can’t refuse, because he’s worried about the children who live there.
As the ghostly world becomes chaotic, with symbols and glyphs appearing everywhere, Harlan, Charles, Hamilton and Morgan will find themselves dragged into an evil that is dangerous – and potentially deadly – for them all.
Strange has created another outstanding novel with Cold Blood. How good is it? Crazy good, with an astonishing variety of weird paranormal happenings. It’s also action packed, fast paced and “edge of your seat” suspenseful and eerie!
Harlan and Charles deal with a lot of emotions in their special relationship, which just keeps growing, and is filled with romance and steamy moments. Charles is outgoing and knows how to socialize and deal with people. He’s a definite strength for Harlan. And Harlan has a soft heart, especially when it comes to the spirits that he wishes he could talk with, before sending them into the veil.
There are many returning and new characters here, from ghosts to humans, and they help make this novel really entertaining. Standouts include Eileen, the elderly librarian at the Centre; Officer Curt Hamilton and boyfriend Matthew, in an interesting relationship; Morgan Vermeer, who brings a new ability to the paranormal; Benjamin, Beth and Leo, also mediums of the Toronto Police Service; and sweet ghostly Libby.
I highly recommend Cold Blood, it’s an absolute page-turner. And I loved the idea that Harlan comes up with – I can’t wait to see what Strange creates from it. Bring on book three!
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.