Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Ash Bowman is lost. Two years ago, he and his cop partner, Evelyn, walked in on a murder in progress that left her dead and him maimed. He left the force and became a private investigator, but Evelyn’s ghost still haunts him when he prowls the dark corridors of the Core of the space station Fraxin Yari. Ash is making a map. If there’s a map, then he won’t be so lost …
Journalist Gabe Whitfield is on a mission to learn the truth behind that same murder. He doesn’t expect to stay on Frax after he finishes the job. But meeting Ash Bowman changes his plans. He came to the station a man without ties. He isn’t going to leave the same way.
Despite initially mistrusting him, Ash can’t resist his attraction to the fiery Gabe. Gabe responds, though knows he shouldn’t, when Ash is one of the subjects of his investigation. But they come to trust each other and join forces to find the answers Ash had almost forgotten he was still seeking. If they are to have any chance of happiness, Gabe must help Ash lay the ghosts calling him back again and again to the deep darkness of the Core.
The Review
The space station Fraxin Yari is booming and there’s money to be made, legal and illegal. People have come from all over to reside there, but many have left too.
The Core is a part of Fraxin Yari that is cold, dark corrupt – a place that is not safe to go alone. There’s the Outer Core and the Middle Core, which is the most dangerous, controlled by organized crime. The Charnucks gang is run by crime boss Susan “Sunny” Charnuck. There’s also the Fillims organized crime group, and the Red Irish, a community that takes care of their own and is not involved in crime.
Gabriel Whitfield, a Red Irish, has just relocated from Chicago to Fraxin Yari. He was born on Mars in the city of Erin. At the age of five, he lost his parents, brother and two sisters during Martian Civil War. He was evacuated to Chicago and raised by nuns at the Catholic Children’s Home. He got his education and made a career in journalism, and now works for Bernie Cain. He’s on assignment, and needs to hire a PI to track down Richie Swan for a story that will rock all of Fraxin Yari.
Ash Bowman is a former cop, and is now a PI. He was terribly injured during an investigation in the Core, and also lost his police partner and close friend, Evelyn Jackson-Cooper. Ash spent six months in the hospital to try to get back to normal. But is that even possible?
His partner in the PI business, Kitty Jackson-Cooper, is an expert in computer-forensics. She was also the best in the police department. Kitty also lost her wife Evelyn in that fatal investigation.
Gabriel brings them a new case – tracking Richie Swan. Ash doesn’t trust Gabe, so he has Kitty run a background check on both Gabe and Swan. On top of that, Ash gets another new case, to find a young teenage girl. Emily Phillips has been missing a year, and it seems to be a cold case. Her father and mother can barely pay for the investigation, but they just want some closure.
When Ash gets the background check from Kitty, he’s ready to confront Gabe. There’s a chemistry between them, but Ash still has his doubts about trusting him. Gabe shares the story he’s investigating. Can he get Ash to open up? And what’s the connection betweenall the players in this tale?
Their investigations will take Ash, Gabe and Kitty deep into the Core. Will Ash be able to handle going back to where the tragedy took place? He still suffers from guilt, confusion, and PTSD, and is hiding a secret of his own. And when Ash makes a big mistake, will it destroy both him and Gabe?
Mapping the Shadows is the first book I’ve read by Becky Black, and I was thoroughly entertained. It’s a very well written sci-fi murder mystery – I could easily see it becoming a series. Both Ash and Gabe are fascinating, each with their own personal struggles, and they have a great chemistry that makes them very likable.
I also loved the strong female characters – Kitty Jackson-Cooper and Marina Yates, who could have their own interesting story.
Even though the story takes place on a space station, it’s not heavy on sci-fi or technology. There’s just enough to make a reader remember the story is set sometime in the future, but it also reads like a modern day mystery.
I highly recommend Mapping The Shadows, a suspenseful, creepy and gritty sci-fi thriller, filled with corruption, crime, politics, fast-paced action and a steamy romance. It’s certainly my kind of story. I hope Black will bring back Ash and Gabe for another run.
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 I always 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.