Review: Hot-Blooded Alligator by Charlie Richards

Author: Charlie Richards

Pages/Word Count: 111 Pages

At a Glance: One of the stronger episodes of this long running series, although I would have liked a more cohesive ending.

Reviewed By: Sadonna

Blurb: Tristan has never been what someone would call a social guy. Like the alligator he shares his spirit with, he prefers being alone. Now, after enduring decades of forced isolation as an animal attraction in a curiosity show, Tristan is even more reclusive than ever. He lives mainly in animal form, swimming in the large pond on the gargoyle’s estate. When he helps kidnap his abuser, Bud Wallice, Tristan decides interrogating the bastard is a great reason to finally interact with others.

Eventually, Bud is reported missing by his wife, and the trail leads to the gargoyle’s estate. Tristan meets Detective Collin DeSoto, who is looking into the disappearance. Tristan immediately recognizes the man as his mate, and while the sex between them is explosive, that’s the only easy thing between them. Collin isn’t out to his incredibly large family, and he doesn’t approve of how Tristan handles Bud. Can the pair resolve their differences, or will Tristan end up returning to his pond…alone?

Review: Full disclosure: Charlie Richards’ shifter/paranormal series are my crack. I HAVE to read all of them. This is my 64th book by Charlie. :)

In this installment, one of the recently rescued shifters from the travelling exotic animal show finally gets his hands on the man who was mostly responsible for his captivity. Tristan is an albino alligator who was not only rejected and kicked out by his family, but was for years caged as an animal attraction. Bud Wallice, the owner of the carnival, is now in captivity at the Gargoyle estate where Tristan is staying, and Tristan has been entrusted to interrogate Bud. The Gargoyle clutch and the other paranormals need to find out exactly what it is he knows about the them, and who has been helping him.

In the meantime, it seems Bud’s wife and his smarmy lawyer have shown up in town, claiming Bud is a missing person and the victim of foul play. Local, deeply closeted detective Collin DeSoto catches the case and visits the Gargoyle estate after determining they might have something to do with Bud’s disappearance. He meets Tristan and doesn’t understand his attraction until he hears the word mate.

While the story follows along in a similar vein as many of the stories in this series, I really liked that the author threw in some surprising twists. Collin’s family and his relationship with them were attention-grabbing and fascinating to watch. There is definitely a reason Collin is so far in the closet. Also, the mystery with Bud and his cohorts was a bit more complex than some of the other plot devices that keep the mates separated in some of these books.

I really liked Collin and Tristan’s interplay. My only disappointment was in the ending, which seemed a little bit rushed and abrupt. For fans of this series, I think you’ll enjoy seeing these two characters and their road to happiness, and I hope we get to see more of some of Collin’s family.