Title: Risky Behavior
Series: Bad Behavior: Book One
Authors: L.A. Witt and Cari Z.
Narrator: Michael Ferraiuolo
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Run Time: 8 hours and 43 minutes
Category: Contemporary, Suspense/Thriller
At a Glance: I enjoyed this story a lot. And, the end was certainly exciting. Not a cliffhanger exactly, but definitely enough to keep listeners on the edge of their seats.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: It’s day one of Darren Corliss’ career as a detective, and not only has he been assigned a notoriously difficult partner, but the guy might also be a pill-popping dirty cop. Internal Affairs needs proof, and Darren gets to be their eyes and ears whether he wants to or not.
Detective Andreas Ruffner doesn’t play by the rules, and he doesn’t play well with others. With bodies piling up and a list of suspects who are way above his pay grade, the last thing he needs is a wet-behind-the-ears kid for a partner. Or babysitter. Not even if that partner is easy on the eyes.
As Darren gains Andreas’ hard-won trust, they both realize there’s more than just mutual suspicion simmering beneath the surface. But their investigation is heating up as quickly as their relationship, and Darren has no choice but to go along with Andreas’ unorthodox – and borderline unethical – methods. As IA puts the squeeze on Darren to give up the man he’s falling for, he has to wonder – is Andreas the only cop left in this town who isn’t dirty?
Review: Things are not looking good for Detective Andreas Ruffner. Continuously butting heads with his police chief, under what feels like constant scrutiny by Internal Affairs, and basically the black sheep of the entire force, he feels like it’s him against the world. Except now it’s him and his brand-new partner against the world. [insert heavy eye roll from Andreas] The chief has paired him with a total greenhorn, who Andreas just knows is going to be nothing but a pain in his ass and a hindrance to being able to work his case. A case that he’s certain is SO much bigger than taking down the city’s drug ring.
Darren doesn’t know what to make of Andreas at first. Is his new partner possibly the pill-popping dirty cop that so many, including IA, seem convinced he is? Or, is he the department’s best detective because his instincts are spot-on, and because he’s doing whatever he has to do to break his case wide open? Darren needs to get Andreas to trust him, and not just because IA wants him to deliver dirt on his partner but because Andreas needs his help.
I liked these guys together as partners a lot. Darren quickly starts to see that there is much more to Ruffner than he’s been led to believe—Andreas has a squishy center underneath that super prickly exterior—and Andreas learns that Darren isn’t just some dumb newb he’s been forced to work with. As the step-son of the ex-commissioner, and the brother of a former attorney in the DA’s office, Darren has law enforcement and justice in his blood, and is an excellent detective in his own right. When these two start clicking as a team, things start to come together in the case. I also ended up liking them together romantically…but, that took a bit more time. Their chemistry didn’t feel obvious or natural to me.
Narrator Michael Ferraiuolo does a nice job keeping the pace of the story. I haven’t listened to one of his narrations prior to Risky Behavior, but I enjoyed his performance very much. I LOVED his voice for Andreas, and he switched seamlessly between the other character voices, making for a smooth listening experience. The way he voiced Andreas really was exceptional, though. He was perfectly gruff when he needed to be but was equally convincing in his more vulnerable moments.
I enjoyed this story a lot. And, the end was certainly exciting. Not a cliffhanger exactly, but definitely enough to keep listeners on the edge of their seats and anxious for the next book! I’m glad I took a chance on this new-to-me narrator. I would definitely recommend giving this one a listen!
You can buy Risky Behavior here:
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