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Playing Dead
Gearoid (pronounced Garod) McCardle is a former crime journalist who is dying from a brain tumour. He has decided to return to his home in Balham to die in peace and quiet. Unfortunately, no peace and quiet comes because he’s haunted by Dr Aoife (pronounced Eefa) Boyake, who was brutally murdered in his home forty years ago.
She shows him her death in a variety of ways to convince him to help her find her murderer. Short of telling her that he doesn’t have enough time to help her, Gearoid concedes and begins to investigate the details of her death.
The closer he gets to finding her murder, the more he finds that he doesn’t want Aoife to leave for the afterlife nowing that there’s a chance they’ll never see one another again. It’s all from Gearoid’s point of view, he can be
persuasive, impatient, compassionate and passionate. Aoife is pragmatic, smart, sweet, professional with Gearoid’s condition and sexy as hell.
Between the countdown to the anniversary of Aoife’s death and the ticking time bomb of Gearoid’s tumour, they see hope in the other and despite the futility of love between the dead and the living, they make it work.
She shows him her death in a variety of ways to convince him to help her find her murderer. Short of telling her that he doesn’t have enough time to help her, Gearoid concedes and begins to investigate the details of her death.
The closer he gets to finding her murder, the more he finds that he doesn’t want Aoife to leave for the afterlife nowing that there’s a chance they’ll never see one another again. It’s all from Gearoid’s point of view, he can be
persuasive, impatient, compassionate and passionate. Aoife is pragmatic, smart, sweet, professional with Gearoid’s condition and sexy as hell.
Between the countdown to the anniversary of Aoife’s death and the ticking time bomb of Gearoid’s tumour, they see hope in the other and despite the futility of love between the dead and the living, they make it work.
- GenresInterracial Romance
84 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2012
4 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Billy London
34 books270 followersAh, poor Billy. The only girl between two boys who each have nearly a foot on her. Didn't stop her from starting physical fights with them. She still thinks she can take them. So while she used to hide away in her wardrobe to read a book or four, she started to question why the heroines in those books would just lie there and take it. No, not just sex, but downright James-Bond-backhand-slapping, do-as-you're-told-woman, inappropriate lie there and take it.
She couldn't understand it. These women were just playing that mental woman from Coming to America, Miss “Whatever You Like” who barked like a dog and hopped on one foot. Billy didn't want to do that. Definitely not because one empty-headed fool with different anatomy told her to. So she started to create characters and worlds where the women could own their sexuality, their intelligence, their right to turn around and say “jog on, mate” without apology.
The small problem was that other people wanted to read what she was had written. “Er...why?” didn't cut it as an answer. After years of prodding and pleading and come on and for goodness’ sake, what's the point otherwise, she closed her eyes and pressed “submit.” Actually, she had Prosecco, limencello and white wine, then pressed “submit.” Who would have thought people would actually enjoy reading about the crazy characters who live in her head? But they have done, and Billy feels rather proud of that connection with her fellow man.
Billy lives in London with the most patient family in the world and doesn't forget for a minute how lucky she is. Well, she wouldn't mind a BBC adaptation of one of her novels... Ooh, with Richard Armitage!
She couldn't understand it. These women were just playing that mental woman from Coming to America, Miss “Whatever You Like” who barked like a dog and hopped on one foot. Billy didn't want to do that. Definitely not because one empty-headed fool with different anatomy told her to. So she started to create characters and worlds where the women could own their sexuality, their intelligence, their right to turn around and say “jog on, mate” without apology.
The small problem was that other people wanted to read what she was had written. “Er...why?” didn't cut it as an answer. After years of prodding and pleading and come on and for goodness’ sake, what's the point otherwise, she closed her eyes and pressed “submit.” Actually, she had Prosecco, limencello and white wine, then pressed “submit.” Who would have thought people would actually enjoy reading about the crazy characters who live in her head? But they have done, and Billy feels rather proud of that connection with her fellow man.
Billy lives in London with the most patient family in the world and doesn't forget for a minute how lucky she is. Well, she wouldn't mind a BBC adaptation of one of her novels... Ooh, with Richard Armitage!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 25, 2014
One thing I know for sure about reading author Billy London's work is this; you will be in for a wild ride, a great story and hot, sexy men (which I will want and need to hop on the next flight to London) Lol!!!
This was an interesting story about a dying man named Gearoid and Aoife a woman who is already dead (brutally murdered in her own home 41 years earlier) which Gearoid now lives in.
How do you bring such a story to life without it going way off course or taking a nose dive down? You begin by bringing a man to life whose life is about to end and wishes to die alone. Pretty morbid but very truthful because too often people do die all alone. Away from family, friends and people in general. Next up bringing a woman's life to an end before the story really starts. Another truth because how many people are murdered and their cases go unsolved? Going straight into the cold case files. With these two painful elements a wonderful love story unfolds between two people who were very much meant for each other but existed in two different time periods.
This story begins with a man who wishes to die in peace which turns into wanting to live just long enough to help solve a woman's murder and bring the killer or killers to justice. A woman who has wandered and wondered for almost 45 years trying to understand how and why someone would want to kill her. Together they work side by side to find out the truth but will the digging and asking of questions give them the answers these two are so desperately searching for or will it lead to another murder?
Gearoid and Aoife's story touched my heart, I wanted Justice and I wanted these two to find happiness together no matter how brief or how long. Imagine that, rooting for two people to be together where only one of them is alive. That is when you know it is a real great story. And it also has all of the sexiness that Billy London knows how to bring when it comes to the hero and the heroine.
Well until my next review Ciao Bellas!
This was an interesting story about a dying man named Gearoid and Aoife a woman who is already dead (brutally murdered in her own home 41 years earlier) which Gearoid now lives in.
How do you bring such a story to life without it going way off course or taking a nose dive down? You begin by bringing a man to life whose life is about to end and wishes to die alone. Pretty morbid but very truthful because too often people do die all alone. Away from family, friends and people in general. Next up bringing a woman's life to an end before the story really starts. Another truth because how many people are murdered and their cases go unsolved? Going straight into the cold case files. With these two painful elements a wonderful love story unfolds between two people who were very much meant for each other but existed in two different time periods.
This story begins with a man who wishes to die in peace which turns into wanting to live just long enough to help solve a woman's murder and bring the killer or killers to justice. A woman who has wandered and wondered for almost 45 years trying to understand how and why someone would want to kill her. Together they work side by side to find out the truth but will the digging and asking of questions give them the answers these two are so desperately searching for or will it lead to another murder?
Gearoid and Aoife's story touched my heart, I wanted Justice and I wanted these two to find happiness together no matter how brief or how long. Imagine that, rooting for two people to be together where only one of them is alive. That is when you know it is a real great story. And it also has all of the sexiness that Billy London knows how to bring when it comes to the hero and the heroine.
Well until my next review Ciao Bellas!
December 8, 2015
Quick read. A PNR romance with a little gothic horror rolled in. I didn't quite buy the 'paranormal physics' (ok I just totally made that up but it is the concept I am going with) that made the ending possible, but I guess you kinda roll with it cuz, well, PNR.
June 8, 2019
A quick read, yet Ms. London managed to developed the protagonists' back stories and individual character traits effortlessly.
At the onset, I was a bit leery of how she was going to be able to romanticize such dark subject matter, but the task was (unsurprisingly) executed wonderfully. The author's attention to detail enabled me to envision many scenes and haunting auxiliary characters throughout the tale. I was especially freaked out by how vivid and palpable Aoife's relived terror was to me.
I truly enjoyed the dynamic between Gearoid and Aoife, although their relationship seemed to materialize way too quickly; I suppose that with twilight fast approaching for one of the protagonists, time was of the essence. Time warp aside, I was pleasantly surprised by a few of the twists in the story, however I would have loved greater detail concerning "how" these fantastical events could have occurred with no real red flags.
This was a truly creative story concept with a beautiful depiction of sacrificial love. I have yet to be disappointed by this author's work and as she's proposed before, this would be the book that I could see as her BBC adaptation.
At the onset, I was a bit leery of how she was going to be able to romanticize such dark subject matter, but the task was (unsurprisingly) executed wonderfully. The author's attention to detail enabled me to envision many scenes and haunting auxiliary characters throughout the tale. I was especially freaked out by how vivid and palpable Aoife's relived terror was to me.
I truly enjoyed the dynamic between Gearoid and Aoife, although their relationship seemed to materialize way too quickly; I suppose that with twilight fast approaching for one of the protagonists, time was of the essence. Time warp aside, I was pleasantly surprised by a few of the twists in the story, however I would have loved greater detail concerning "how" these fantastical events could have occurred with no real red flags.
This was a truly creative story concept with a beautiful depiction of sacrificial love. I have yet to be disappointed by this author's work and as she's proposed before, this would be the book that I could see as her BBC adaptation.
November 10, 2015
I liked this book it was different and entertaining
January 15, 2015
Great murder ghost story.
July 14, 2015
This was cute I like the whole thing of Gearoid and Aoife being ghostbusters and their relationship was so sweet they just got each other so they fit perfectly. Great story I really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews