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SEL: Sexy Erotic Lingerie - A Will Chisholm Mystery
Life was ugly. At twenty-five, Will Chisholm had learned that a long time ago. Half Cherokee, he had already been a mixed martial arts fighter, a war hero, and an undercover narcotics cop. But after his personal tendencies get him shot in the head, he is fired from the Boston Police Department. Now, as a struggling private investigator in New York City, he takes on the case of a murdered stripper but quickly realizes it is a setup to frame him as a serial killer.
When the Assistant District Attorney investigating the murders shows Will photos of the victims, he recognizes all of them, along with the symbols carved in their bodies—the same symbols he had once painted in red wine on a woman during sex. A woman he had loved back in Boston. A woman he blamed for the bullet fragments still in his head. The woman who was now interrogating him.
Told through the eyes of a young man with a raw and brutally honest perspective on life, SEL weaves together conspiracy, corruption, crypto, and eroticism in a noir style that propels the reader through an intricate, character-laced murder mystery to a shocking climax.
When the Assistant District Attorney investigating the murders shows Will photos of the victims, he recognizes all of them, along with the symbols carved in their bodies—the same symbols he had once painted in red wine on a woman during sex. A woman he had loved back in Boston. A woman he blamed for the bullet fragments still in his head. The woman who was now interrogating him.
Told through the eyes of a young man with a raw and brutally honest perspective on life, SEL weaves together conspiracy, corruption, crypto, and eroticism in a noir style that propels the reader through an intricate, character-laced murder mystery to a shocking climax.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 22, 2023
5 people are currently reading
646 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 22, 2023
“SEL: Sexy Erotic Lingerie” by B.C. Howard is an erotic thriller that revolves around a compelling private investigator named Will Chisolm. He comes from the school of hard knocks; a half-Cherokee former MMA fighter, war hero, and undercover narcotics cop. After being shot in the head due to some personal issues, the Boston Police Department fires him, which leads to him becoming a private investigator in New York City. There, he is faced with the case of a stripper who is killed, but he soon discovers that he’s being set up to be framed as a serial killer.
It isn’t looking good for him, as the Assistant District Attorney has photos of the victims, and Will recognizes all of them. In addition, the symbols on their bodies are identical to the ones he painted on his Boston lover with red wine, who happens to be the one he says is responsible for the bullet fragments lodged in his head, who also happens to be the one questioning him.
This character-driven detective drama is part thriller, part erotica, and will have you in heated suspense all the way. Chisolm is an irresistible character, at once strong but vulnerable, honest yet a bit mysterious. Add some eroticism and dry wit to the mix, and you have a fresh take on the crime noir novel.
I love the first-person perspective, as it instantly gets you up close and personal with the story and characters. As you read, you can just hear the character narrating a voiceover on a film. His worldview on life, work, women, and people, in general, is interesting, to say the least. The frank sensual talk is there from the first page, and the writing all the way through is filled with vivid imagery and descriptive detail. Along with the sensuality, the mystery is also there from the first few pages, beginning with a phone call from the mother of a murder victim, Alyssa.
The style is lean and straightforward, which works exceptionally well for this kind of story. In a lot of ways, it reads as succinctly and economically as a screenplay, thus, this story would translate very well to film. The dialogue moves the plot along, and the narrator’s distinctive voice makes it an enjoyable and entertaining read, as if you’re sitting in a diner and he’s telling you what happened. If you’re into crime dramas with an edge, you’ll love “SEL: Sexy Erotic Lingerie” by B.C. Howard.
It isn’t looking good for him, as the Assistant District Attorney has photos of the victims, and Will recognizes all of them. In addition, the symbols on their bodies are identical to the ones he painted on his Boston lover with red wine, who happens to be the one he says is responsible for the bullet fragments lodged in his head, who also happens to be the one questioning him.
This character-driven detective drama is part thriller, part erotica, and will have you in heated suspense all the way. Chisolm is an irresistible character, at once strong but vulnerable, honest yet a bit mysterious. Add some eroticism and dry wit to the mix, and you have a fresh take on the crime noir novel.
I love the first-person perspective, as it instantly gets you up close and personal with the story and characters. As you read, you can just hear the character narrating a voiceover on a film. His worldview on life, work, women, and people, in general, is interesting, to say the least. The frank sensual talk is there from the first page, and the writing all the way through is filled with vivid imagery and descriptive detail. Along with the sensuality, the mystery is also there from the first few pages, beginning with a phone call from the mother of a murder victim, Alyssa.
The style is lean and straightforward, which works exceptionally well for this kind of story. In a lot of ways, it reads as succinctly and economically as a screenplay, thus, this story would translate very well to film. The dialogue moves the plot along, and the narrator’s distinctive voice makes it an enjoyable and entertaining read, as if you’re sitting in a diner and he’s telling you what happened. If you’re into crime dramas with an edge, you’ll love “SEL: Sexy Erotic Lingerie” by B.C. Howard.
July 25, 2023
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I loved this book, it captured my attention from the first page to the last. It's not a trashy novel as the first chapter may indicate. It is all thriller, suspense, crime mystery. One of the best mysteries I've read this year. It should be made into a movie. The lead character Will has been handed a terrible life, which only gets worse throughout this novel. An ex-cop being accused of murders he did not commit and being labeled a serial killer. It's up to him and him only to solve these crimes and not able to trust anyone at all. There are so many twists and turns in this book your brain is on a swivel but in a good way. I only figured out one twist before the end of the book. With 20 or more I didn't. The author leaves a cliffhanger in the end letting you know there will be more Will Chisholm mysteries in the future. I can't wait. If you love mysteries then you do not want to miss this one. Kudos to the author. I wish you a long future of writing. You deserve it. 👏
January 28, 2024
This was a good mystery! Based on the title I was pleasantly surprised when I quickly discovered it wasn’t a trashy romance but rather an intriguing mystery. My interest remained strong throughout the book and I LOVE the diversity present throughout. I would absolutely read more books by B.C. Howard, especially any with Will Chisholm.
I won SEL from a Goodreads giveaway.
I won SEL from a Goodreads giveaway.
July 30, 2023
Glad I had the chance to read this. The story was engaging and I enjoyed all the twists and turns. I hope there will be a next book because I can’t wait to see what happens next.
August 17, 2023
I liked this book for the most part. There was a lot of drama and action! The ending just seemed a little far fetched.
April 8, 2025
Was a good book 📖. First time reading this author. Spice is good.
September 23, 2025
Very enjoyable read. If you like private investigator mysteries you'll love it. As some other reviewers have stated I think it would make a great movie.
November 9, 2023
It’s always nice to read a book which has a slightly different character edge to it, and the more realistic the better, I think. This is particularly satisfying when applied to a common, standard premise. That pretty much describes Will Chisholm, the hero of B.C. Howard’s Sexy Erotic Lingerie. It is an otherwise formulaic noir action thriller, perhaps with more focus on plot development than actual action; the character twist in this case being that the primary protagonist is addicted to porn, and not in a healthy way – a quirk which has put him in heaps of trouble, in more ways than one. When he is framed for the serial murders of several strippers, he sets out like a one-man force, trying to clear his name and catch the killer.
It's a pretty entertaining book, and Howard is a good thriller writer. Chisholm is also an intriguing character – a thinking tough guy, who trusts no one, but womanizes much more than is good for him. I will say at this stage that personally I would have liked to see a little bit more action; it is a very slow-building plot, the narrative heavily investigative in nature, with a strong leaning toward character dialogue driving the plot. It is also very long, and I think it feels it at times. But the action, when it does come, is well choreographed, slick and smart; in my opinion there just isn’t enough of it. Veteran and former cop Chisholm is your archetypal, all-round tough guy, who brought to mind a lot Jack Reacher (Lee Child’s version, not Tom Cruise’s). He calculates his fights and goes into every situation with his hackles up. If you like slow-burning, talky thrillers, scattered with the odd decent action sequence, this will definitely be up your street and is well worth a read.
However, for me the worst was to come. I hate to spoil a book, and I won’t do it now, but be warned: the questions in this book aren’t answered; infuriatingly, it takes over 100,000 words to realize this. If you can accept that, and are willing to commit to a series, or just aren’t bothered about resolving a progressive story arc, in favour of tough-talking, porn-watching, action-spattered, noir suspense, then this will definitely be up your street, and I would recommend it to you. If you don’t know whether or not you want to commit, and expect answers to be wrapped up in a nice single-instalment narrative, you will be frustrated by the end. My personal recommendation, if this book ticks your boxes, is go for it, because it’s a good entry into what promises to be a quality series.
It's a pretty entertaining book, and Howard is a good thriller writer. Chisholm is also an intriguing character – a thinking tough guy, who trusts no one, but womanizes much more than is good for him. I will say at this stage that personally I would have liked to see a little bit more action; it is a very slow-building plot, the narrative heavily investigative in nature, with a strong leaning toward character dialogue driving the plot. It is also very long, and I think it feels it at times. But the action, when it does come, is well choreographed, slick and smart; in my opinion there just isn’t enough of it. Veteran and former cop Chisholm is your archetypal, all-round tough guy, who brought to mind a lot Jack Reacher (Lee Child’s version, not Tom Cruise’s). He calculates his fights and goes into every situation with his hackles up. If you like slow-burning, talky thrillers, scattered with the odd decent action sequence, this will definitely be up your street and is well worth a read.
However, for me the worst was to come. I hate to spoil a book, and I won’t do it now, but be warned: the questions in this book aren’t answered; infuriatingly, it takes over 100,000 words to realize this. If you can accept that, and are willing to commit to a series, or just aren’t bothered about resolving a progressive story arc, in favour of tough-talking, porn-watching, action-spattered, noir suspense, then this will definitely be up your street, and I would recommend it to you. If you don’t know whether or not you want to commit, and expect answers to be wrapped up in a nice single-instalment narrative, you will be frustrated by the end. My personal recommendation, if this book ticks your boxes, is go for it, because it’s a good entry into what promises to be a quality series.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews