Vacation from Hell

by Drake Braxton

Donovan C. Plummer has a problem, he's too obsessed with his job as a journalist for the D.C. Herald to keep a man in his life. Eight months into his present relationship with Chet Michaels and Donovan's job is already putting a strain on their relationship, so Donovan decides to take Chet away from everything and go on a seven day cruise. The only problem is that Donovan has a big story about to hit involving a conservative senator caught in a homosexual liaison, a story that brings death threats to Donovan via e-mail. It isn't until the death threats follow Donovan and Chet on vacation that the perfect romantic getaway becomes the Vacation from Hell.

Get ready for the D.C. Plummer Chronicles!

Genres: Mystery, M M Romance

71 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2013

About the author

Drake Braxton was born from straight parents and yet go figure – he came out gay. He’s an avid reader of M/M fiction and wanted to offer a multi-genre voice in the GLBT arena. He loves authors that can mix romance with erotic scenes and still be great story tellers. Someday he hopes to see ‘gay fiction’ moved from the back of the bookstore and mixed in with all other fiction for anyone to read. In the meantime, he’d gladly see his books on any shelf in a store: real or virtual. He is the award-winning author of MISSING published by Seventh Window Publications which as been optioned as a feature film, DESTINY ON THE TRACKS published by Dreamspinner Press, and VACATION FROM HELL, the first in a new series published by Seventh Window Publications.
http://www.facebook.com/Author.Drake....

Reviews

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Full review can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.

Check out an interview with the author where he discusses Vacation From Hell here.


This book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Elizabetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

But you have to be able to connect with the characters…

Things don’t start off well when workaholic DC reporter Donovan (Van) Plummer decides to take his sorta new boyfriend, Chet, on a cruise vacation just as a major news story he’s been working on for months is about to break. The vacation is supposed to prove that he is serious about their relationship.

Talk about poor timing. Especially when Chet is already feeling like he’s second fiddle and is using the getaway as a measuring stick for Van’s commitment. Oh, one of those kind of ’ships. Ultimatums and accusals fly even as the two are cruising off to paradise. Van seems to be trying, but there are all sorts of signs that his heart may not be completely into this thing with Chet. When a particularly obnoxious fellow cruise guest starts stalking Van, and comes on to him in the ship’s sauna, how does he respond?

“The heat of the room and the heat from his sex screamed at me to seize the moment. What would it hurt to partake in something so harmless?… It was strange how easily a man can be seduced into something sexual. I guess men are just sexual beasts when it came down to it.”

Hmm, ok. Seems like I’m looking at this story in the wrong way… Maybe it’s not really meant to be a romance, or erotica. It’s a crime thriller featuring a really conflicted main character with some questionable scruples…

Van has been hot on uncovering the secrets of a prominent DC senator, married and in-the-closet and having illicit affairs with various men. Van doesn’t feel any compunction about outing the senator-- boyfriend Chet doesn’t agree-- ’cause this exposé is a big career-making story, you see. Come to think of it, we’re not given much else at the beginning of the story to show that the senator is anything more than a philanderer. So, I tend to agree with Chet, I’m not feeling the outing for it’s own sake. Van also doesn’t have a problem asking one of his good friends to have sex with a suspect to grab some evidence. And then there’s Van’s comment about one of the bad guys… “… I only wished for a big black man in prison who would make him his bitch once there.”

Okaaay.

I’m ready for some action when the cruise vacation finally turns hellish. It unravels with death threats, violence and the uncovering of a dark plot against Van. The story picks up considerably when the guys get to Bermuda. I liked the action sequence there…

I had issues with some of the writing-- I found the sex scenes between Van and Chet uninspired and awkward and not because they’re having issues. Words like ‘member’, ‘sweet hole’ and ‘man juice’ just make me giggle. And spit for lube? No way. Ouch. I might be able to forgive some of these, but taken as a whole? Cringe worthy.

‘Vacation Hell’ is the start of a series and a new character. Hey, maybe I’m not supposed to like him much… maybe he just needs some room to grow. (And call me confused... If this is really not meant to be a romance it sure has a lot of 'ship stuff going on...) Here’s hoping that Van Plummer gets his personal life together more in the second installment, he sure knows how to rock the journalist stuff.

For this review, give-aways, author interviews, and much more:

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drake Braxton's new series reminds me a lot of the early Donald Strachey novels, especially Death Trick and Third Man Out. There's that same sense of sexual danger, of reckless abandon in the name of career, of gritty realism. The political elements are also reminiscent of Stevenson's great PI series, and I like that. It's a successful new entry into the gay sleuth genre, much more so than some other recent attempts (I won't name names, but a certain series about a hustler-turned-detective comes to mind). Van is a wonderfully flawed character, as all great sleuths must be, full of contradictions and alternating between total selfishness and utter selflessness. He feels like a real guy who has the misfortune of getting caught up in a hugely messed up situation, all because he's ambitious and driven by a sense of his own morality.

Speaking of that messed up situation, Braxton does really well in handling plot. There's sex here, and it's hot, but this is definitely not erotica or romance. The plot is the driving force here, which is so refreshing to see in the indie M/M genre. Braxton writes a fun, fast, suspenseful tale that is right at home with some of the best in the gay sleuth oeuvre.

[GayListBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drake Braxton did a great job in this first book of the D.C. Plummer Series. Laying a solid foundation to build the rest of the series from here.

It gave me the opportunity to find a new author, and a new voice in the mystery sub-genre. Which requires a certain attention to detail and a very well plotted succession of events.

Mystery or suspense is not just about the secrecy of who is behind this or that event, it is also the little bits of information here and there that put together the whole plot.

I like a good mystery, and with Vacation from Hell we get that. It’s light, fast paced, interesting and even though there is a relationship mixed in with all the action, it’s not the main focus of the book.

Our journalist, Van, is way too obsessed with his job. Unfortunately he takes risks that affect those around him. Even if it is not his intention, people gets hurt as a consequence of his job.

In this first installment, we get to see Van and Chet, off on holidays, when they are kidnapped in Bermuda. It all comes back to a story Van wrote for the DC Herald, and what was supposed to be a couple’s holiday, sort of a make or break for the relationship, turns into a dangerous experience.

Chet, I really liked him from the start, but it felt like he gave up way too easily. I was invested in that relationship, but I guess Chet just wasn’t up to the challenge.

What follows when they finally get back home, is more investigation, putting the puzzle pieces together and more suspicious acts on Van´s part. Really Van, you should be totally thankful for your friends, gives a whole new meaning to the expression “take one for the team”

I enjoyed this book very much, if you like a murder mystery as much as I do, I recommend you give Drake Braxton a chance. It is not flawless, but I trust the author to improve along the way and deliver a very interesting series.

I am looking forward to seeing what´s in store for Van in the next installments of this new series.

Reviewed by Connie

To see more of this review and others like it please visit us at Gay List Book Reviews at www.gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Great Story With Lots of Action"

I was drawn into this story quickly ... it's got passion (explicit sex), thrills, horror, and a determined journalist crime-solver. Donovan "Van" Plummer is a journalist for the D.C. Herald. He's been working hard and finally got his expose finished and sent to his editor. So now he and his guy friend, Chet Michaels, a 6th grade teacher, can get on the cruise liner and head to Bermuda for a week of relaxation. Van is a workaholic and has trouble slowing down and relaxing, which frustrates Chet because he's not sure they can have a closer relationship. Going on this cruise is a test to see if both Van and Chet can possibly live with each other. Van is very hopeful. The expose Van wrote on Senator Stanton Driscoll of Kentucky is featured on the front page of the next day Sunday edition. The senator may have appeared happily married, but he also had some same-sex issues and secrets, now revealed. Van had spent months of research and evidence-gathering to present a true picture of the hypocritical senator. When they reach Bermuda, Van and Chet walk around seeing close-by sights. They didn't want to take the crowded tour vans which accommodated the cruise lines. Though they were informed to take only ship sponsored excursions, they opted for a horse-drawn buggy with a woman driver. As Van is checking his phone for messages, he did not notice they were headed down a dirt road to an abandoned farmhouse. They become quickly surrounded by three men wearing bandannas on their faces and holding weapons. From here the action is non-stop, with many exciting twists and turns. The characters are captivating and unique, and the story is very engaging. A great writing style providing the vigorous pace. I am anxious to read more of the D.C Plummer Chronicles.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not often that my rating differs so strongly from the norm, and I must say, I'm surprised so many people enjoyed this one. I found very little to like in Vacation from Hell with the exception of Chet--the guy who ended up dumping Van Plummer, the lead character.

I found the attitude of most of the characters to be horrendous, and it only got worse as the story progressed. I was disgusted with Plummer for asking a close friend to get close to--and if necessary have sex with--the villain in order to get evidence and was even more disgusted when said friend willingly obliged and seemed to have enjoyed the experience.

I, for one, have no desire to read more about this journalist and his exploits. Plummer dubbed this story his "vacation from hell," and I have to agree, it was mine as well.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Drake Braxton has a solid grasp on the mystery side, and I can’t wait to see where DC ends up in the romance department. Will it be Chet, his best friend, or maybe the hot Detective? I know I will be looking forward to the next books to find out, and I highly recommend that you give it a try; you just might get wrapped up in it too.

You can read the rest of Jackie's review at The Novel Approach

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drake Braxton did a great job in this first book of the D.C. Plummer Series. Laying a solid foundation to build the rest of the series from here.

Read more @ Gay List Book Reviews