Title: Anthem of the Dark
Series: Anthem: Book Two
Author: Thom Collins
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Length: 181 Pages
Category: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
At a Glance: The story is suspenseful, intriguing, a little gory, and leaves not one clue as to who is behind the murders and why Daniel is the focus of a killer who will go to any lengths to get to him. Collins never disappoints, and I can’t wait for the next novel in this suspenseful trilogy.
Reviewed By: Maryann
Blurb: They thought the dark times were over. They were dead wrong.
Eleven months after he was attacked on board the Atlantic Anthem, Daniel Blake has made a full recovery. Physically at least. The mental scars from what Oliver Gill did to him have been harder to deal with. But Daniel’s a survivor, and determined to move forward with his life. One that includes Elijah Mann. Elijah has been a constant source of support throughout Daniel’s recovery. His love and encouragement have brought Daniel through the darkest days. Living together and deeply in love, they are stronger than ever.
Daniel has returned to work and is doing what he does best—entertaining the crowds in a smash hit summer show at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, while Elijah has triumphed in a celebrity TV cooking show. On a personal and professional level, life is finally getting back to normal.
Or so it seems. A murderer is at larger, a killer with a unique purpose, and when the first two victims are identified, a terrifying link is established. The dead men began their careers in the boy band Overload with Daniel and Oliver Gill. Someone is out to avenge Oliver’s death. Someone who won’t stop until all members of the band are dead. And for a relentless killer, Daniel Blake is the ultimate prize.
Reader advisory: This book contains some use of racist, misogynistic and homophobic slurs by secondary characters. It also features references to stalking, violence, attempted murder and torture which some readers may find disturbing.
Review: After the deadly and traumatizing cruise on the Atlantic Anthem in Anthem of the Sea, book one in the Anthem series, Daniel Blake and Elijah Mann are back on dry land, and though Oliver Gill’s death was horrifying and tragic, it also came with opportunities for Daniel and Elijah. It was a haunting struggle for Daniel to go back to work but with Elijah’s encouragement, he’s been performing in a new show at the Blackpool Opera House; it’s doing fantastic and has certainly helped Daniel get his confidence back. As for Elijah, he has been competing on the Celebrity Top Cook TV show, but the most important thing of all is that they’ve moved in together, and though they haven’t had much time to spend with each other, both shows are getting ready to come to a close. Now they’re looking forward to resting, relaxing, and spending quality time together, so with that in mind, Elijah makes plans for he and Daniel to get away. When the director of Daniel’s show approaches him with an offer to take the show to London, though, Daniel offers only to think about it. He’s tired and just wants time with Elijah.
Daniel gets a surprise when two friends from their boy band, Overload, come to see one of his shows. The visit from Ben Delaney and Christian Gates only raises Daniel’s guilt; it’s been years since he’s seen them, and he hadn’t kept in touch. Their appearance also brings Oliver Gill back into the picture and once again, tragedy strikes and Daniel finds himself in a quandary. What was the real reason Ben and Charles came to see him? Does this somehow connect with Oliver’s death onboard the Atlantic Anthem? Daniel calls Elijah, and Elijah rushes to Blackpool, fearful of losing Daniel again.
But no matter the plan to outsmart a diabolical murderer, Daniel and Elijah find that the crazed killer is willing to stop at nothing to get to Daniel.
Daniel and Elijah are two great characters, and Thom Collins gives his readers an in-depth look at their life together. They are caring, loving and wonderful men who share warm moments with each other on page. Collins brought Daniel’s and Elijah’s diverse talents to the forefront in this installment, and I would even say that Elijah may be the author’s alter-ego when it comes to cooking. There are also some very interesting dynamics with the secondary characters, especially Max LaFranchi and Ben Delaney, and poor Joe—his crush on Elijah puts him in danger. Anthem of the Dark is another well-plotted, classic murder mystery from Thom Collins which offers more than Daniel’s life at stake. The story is suspenseful, intriguing, a little gory, and leaves not one clue as to who is behind the murders and why Daniel is the focus of a killer who will go to any lengths to get to him. Collins never disappoints, and I can’t wait for the next novel in this suspenseful trilogy.
You can buy Anthem of the Dark here:
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