Author: J.P. Bowie
Publisher: MLR Press
Length: 119 Pages (Kindle)
Category: Mystery/Suspense
At a Glance: All-in-all, this was a really good read and I was sort of disappointed it had to end.
Reviewed By: Maryann
Blurb: A dancer and a detective are thrown together by fate – and a murder – as New York City shivers in one of the coldest winters on record.
Simon Harris is down on his luck in New York City after a show he’d auditioned for and won a place in folds during rehearsals. Working as a stripper in a seedy club is not his idea of Broadway, but it keeps the wolf from the door — even if it is the door of a homeless shelter.
When one of the strippers is murdered and his body found in a dumpster, Simon is questioned by handsome detective Tom Holt, and his partner Brenda Brennigan. Both Tom and Simon feel the pull of sexual attraction, and when Tom finds out that Simon is sleeping in a homeless shelter, he offers him a room in his apartment until he gets back on his feet.
It isn’t long before they are sharing more than just kitchen duties.
During his investigation, Tom discovers that the murdered stripper, Andy Summers, was being paid large sums of money by an older man, Al Cohen. Al tells Tom that he blames Andy’s death on the club owner Frank Costello, but Tom isn’t convinced especially when he’s told that Frank had the hots for Andy and considered him his best dancer.
When another stripper is brutally attacked and left for dead in a dumpster, Tom fears for Simon’s safety — a fear that is borne out when Simon is held hostage by the murderer during a faceoff with the police and a SWAT team.
Review: J.P. Bowie gives readers a quick and solidly written murder mystery, with suspense, action and danger. Even though it’s a short novel, I thought the two MCs, Simon and Tom, were really well developed and made a good couple.
Simon Harris was more than just a dancer. He studied ballet and his goal was to dance professionally. The combination of being gay and a ballet dancer didn’t set well with his parents, so they disowned him. What I really liked about Simon’s character was his determination to better himself and repay Tom for all he did for him.
Tom Holt, detective, can certainly relate to Simon’s dilemma. He was also shunned by his parents when he told them he was gay. Tom’s just a good guy. He trusts Simon and doesn’t want him back in the shelter. He also sees potential in Simon and is willing to help him out. I also like Brenda Brennigan, Tom’s partner. She brings that rough humor to this story.
All-in-all, this was a really good read and I was sort of disappointed it had to end. J.P. Bowie writes some really great stories—from vampires to detectives, and everything in-between—so whatever you choose to read by this author, you can be sure you will be thoroughly entertained.
You can buy Winter Kills here:
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This IS a well written and quite entertaining book. One that will keep you at the edge of the seat. The end was a total surprise to me. It’s not often one finds an author that will manipulate a story so well that the suspects in the reader’s minds are/is not the one who commits the crime. Well done, Mr Bowie!