Author: Garrett Leigh
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 132 Pages
At a Glance: Garrett Leigh’s Heated Beat series is not to be missed.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: A Heated Beat Story
As a diehard music fan, a dirty, smoky gig is Vice Squad Detective Danny Jones’s idea of heaven. While watching one of the most popular bands in Northern England, the sight of gorgeous rock star Finn McGovern changes his life forever.
Beneath the tattoos and leather jacket, Finn is kind and sweet, but when he confesses a dark secret to Danny, it tests their fledgling bond. Danny digs deep to accept Finn, but before long, a terrifying trail of death threatens to tear them apart before they’ve even got started.
A monster is killing prostitutes on Danny’s patch, and when a dead girl turns up too close to home, Danny discovers a heartbreaking link between the girl and his bright new life with Finn, a life he’ll do anything to protect.
Review:
“…no man was immune to the anticipation lacing the air, the kind of anticipation that came with real music…the kind of music that dug out your soul on a Friday night and gave it back to you on Saturday afternoon with the mother of all hangovers.”
Ok. At the risk of sounding like a broken record…I’m here to sing the praises of another of Garrett Leigh’s books. Lucky Man, the second in her Heated Beat series, is maybe even better than the first book. My Mate, Jack was great, and it was wonderful to see Jack and Will again here – but, Lucky Man will win you over based solely on Danny and Finn, and the strength of the author’s storytelling.
Once again Leigh pulls no punches. The prologue drops us right into the heart of a rock concert, where you can almost feel the bass along with Danny as he gets drawn in by the music, and by Finn McGovern, the lead singer of The Lamps. You can picture the packed house, you can feel the energy of the crowd, and you can definitely appreciate the raw, sex appeal of the moment. It’s fantastic. I’ve loved the musical aspect of both stories. The many different songs that are sprinkled in along the way, and styles of music…all lend to the awesome vibe of the books, and they do have a really cool and different vibe from her other stories.
Danny and Finn are fantastic together. They are both crazy-sexy individually – but together? Smoldering. Unfortunately, Danny’s job as a Vice Detective, and the intensity of the case he’s working, keep him away for stretches of time. Which, coupled with Finn’s mental health issues, leads to a lot of stress and second-guessing for poor Finn. They definitely have to work hard to figure out how to make things work between them.
The case itself is creepily fascinating, and Leigh does a great job of dividing the story between the particulars of the case and Danny’s involvement, and his and Finn’s romance, and then bringing it all full circle. There are several intense, heart-pumping moments that keep the flow of the book going perfectly.
Garrett Leigh’s Heated Beat series is not to be missed. If you’re a fan of the author, it’s an absolute must read. If you’re new to her work, then it’s a great place to start.
You can buy Lucky Man here:
