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Mapping the Shadows
Ash Bowman is lost. Two years ago he and his cop partner, Evelyn, walked in on a murder in progress that left her dead and him maimed. He left the force and became a private investigator, but business is suffering because of his obsession with mapping the Core of the space station Fraxin Yari, where Evelyn’s ghost haunts him as he prowls the dark corridors.
Journalist Gabe Whitfield is on a mission to learn the truth behind that same murder. He doesn’t expect to stay on Frax after he finishes the job. But meeting Ash Bowman changes his plans. He came to the station a man without ties. He isn’t going to leave the same way.
Despite initially mistrusting him, Ash can’t resist his attraction to the fiery Gabe. Gabe responds, though knows he shouldn’t when Ash is one of the subjects of his investigation. But they come to trust each other and join forces to find the answers Ash had almost forgotten he was still seeking. If they are to have any chance of happiness, Gabe must help Ash lay the ghosts calling him back again and again to the deep darkness of the Core.
Journalist Gabe Whitfield is on a mission to learn the truth behind that same murder. He doesn’t expect to stay on Frax after he finishes the job. But meeting Ash Bowman changes his plans. He came to the station a man without ties. He isn’t going to leave the same way.
Despite initially mistrusting him, Ash can’t resist his attraction to the fiery Gabe. Gabe responds, though knows he shouldn’t when Ash is one of the subjects of his investigation. But they come to trust each other and join forces to find the answers Ash had almost forgotten he was still seeking. If they are to have any chance of happiness, Gabe must help Ash lay the ghosts calling him back again and again to the deep darkness of the Core.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2015
3 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 22, 2015
The mystery here was pretty good! Up to a certain point it was highly enjoyable and kept me turning the pages.
The setting was supposedly in space, yeah? I liked the idea of being on a space station, but in the end, it all read very much like a contemporary setting though, which was still fine with me :)
The characters were all right, very likable but here's where I had some issues I guess; I just didn't feel much toward the guys, and their relationship wasn't all that exciting.
You realize a book doesn't fully claim you when you want to skip every time the MCs end up in bed together yet again, and you'd rather see what happens to their investigation.
Everything was dragging a little too; feels like it took me forever to finish it.
The setting was supposedly in space, yeah? I liked the idea of being on a space station, but in the end, it all read very much like a contemporary setting though, which was still fine with me :)
The characters were all right, very likable but here's where I had some issues I guess; I just didn't feel much toward the guys, and their relationship wasn't all that exciting.
You realize a book doesn't fully claim you when you want to skip every time the MCs end up in bed together yet again, and you'd rather see what happens to their investigation.
Everything was dragging a little too; feels like it took me forever to finish it.
September 23, 2015
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****
Mapping the Shadows was a great PI mystery slash romance novel. It is set on a space station somewhere in our solar system, which gave great potential for the intrigue that played out. The Core of the station is mysterious and the secrets it keeps, dangerous.
I really liked both MCs. They both had issues but I really felt their connection. They jumped into things rather quickly but the sense of urgency to find the truth helped make their coupling justified. I liked that Ash’s PTSD was dealt with and that Gabe’s love wasn’t used as a magic healing tool to help him recover.
There were many different layers in the story and all facets meshed well. It was well written and compelling. The secondary characters added extra life and I especially liked Kitty.
The use of tech wasn’t overdone. You knew you were in the future, but nothing was confusing or fanciful. It was all very believable.
Recommended for lovers of feisty redheads and brooding excops :)
Mapping the Shadows was a great PI mystery slash romance novel. It is set on a space station somewhere in our solar system, which gave great potential for the intrigue that played out. The Core of the station is mysterious and the secrets it keeps, dangerous.
I really liked both MCs. They both had issues but I really felt their connection. They jumped into things rather quickly but the sense of urgency to find the truth helped make their coupling justified. I liked that Ash’s PTSD was dealt with and that Gabe’s love wasn’t used as a magic healing tool to help him recover.
There were many different layers in the story and all facets meshed well. It was well written and compelling. The secondary characters added extra life and I especially liked Kitty.
The use of tech wasn’t overdone. You knew you were in the future, but nothing was confusing or fanciful. It was all very believable.
Recommended for lovers of feisty redheads and brooding excops :)
July 24, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
I am so not a sci-fi reader, but there was something about this book that made me choose it…okay, I suppose it has something to do with Ash being a former police officer, now private detective. Anyway, this book kept me on the edge of my seat from the very first pages and I almost forgot that it wasn’t taking place in the present time, nor was it taking place on Earth. Honestly, this book reads more like a contemporary than a sci-fi. While there are sci-fi aspects to it, the world that the author created conjures up images of 19th century England’s St. Giles where thieves and prostitutes roamed through dark, gloomy passageways where one easily can become lost. In this book, the Core is the center of gang activity and home to many of the poor Red-Irish who’ve sought refuge of a 30-year Civil War.
The characters in Mapping the Shadows quickly drew me into the story. Gabe grew up on Mars. Red-Irish, he was sent to Chicago to get an education after he lost his family in the Martian Civil War. Gabe is hired on as an investigative journalist to solve an assassination that left one police officer dead and another maimed, primarily because he is Red-Irish and able to penetrate the Core without looking out of place and because he is an orphan and has no one to mourn him if he never returns.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
4.75 stars
I am so not a sci-fi reader, but there was something about this book that made me choose it…okay, I suppose it has something to do with Ash being a former police officer, now private detective. Anyway, this book kept me on the edge of my seat from the very first pages and I almost forgot that it wasn’t taking place in the present time, nor was it taking place on Earth. Honestly, this book reads more like a contemporary than a sci-fi. While there are sci-fi aspects to it, the world that the author created conjures up images of 19th century England’s St. Giles where thieves and prostitutes roamed through dark, gloomy passageways where one easily can become lost. In this book, the Core is the center of gang activity and home to many of the poor Red-Irish who’ve sought refuge of a 30-year Civil War.
The characters in Mapping the Shadows quickly drew me into the story. Gabe grew up on Mars. Red-Irish, he was sent to Chicago to get an education after he lost his family in the Martian Civil War. Gabe is hired on as an investigative journalist to solve an assassination that left one police officer dead and another maimed, primarily because he is Red-Irish and able to penetrate the Core without looking out of place and because he is an orphan and has no one to mourn him if he never returns.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
April 15, 2025
Murder, political intrigue, corruption, and it all happens aboard a space station. I love this type of sci-fi. One is a ex cop turned PI, the other a journalist investigator digging in past murders. And its instant chemistry at first site. I really loved the tie-in of the haunting of his ex partner. Made it even more intriguing for me. I thought this was a great premise for a series. I’m sorry to see that it didn’t happen.
November 8, 2023
The space station Fraxin Yari, is booming, there’s money to be made, legal and illegal. People have come from all over to reside there, but many have left too. The Core is a part of Fraxin Yari, that is cold, dark and a corrupt place that is not safe to go alone. There’s the Outer Core and then there’s the Middle Core that’s the most dangerous and in control by organized crime. The Charnucks gang is controlled by crime boss, Susan “Sunny” Charnuck. There’s also the Fillims organized crime. Then there is the Red Irish, they’re a community that takes care of their own and not involved in crime.
Gabriel Whitfield, a Red Irish, has just relocated from Chicago to Fraxin Yari. He was born on Mars in Erin. At the age of five lost his parents, brother and two sisters during Martian Civil War. He was all alone, evacuated to Chicago, raised by nuns at the Catholic Children’s Home. As he got older he got his education and made a career in journalism and now works for Bernie Cain. He’s on assignment, hiring a PI to track down Richie Swan for a story that will rock Fraxin Yari.
Ash Bowman was a former cop, now a PI. He was terribly injured during an investigation in the Core. But what was more than just his injury turned to tragedy. He lost his partner and close friend, Evelyn Jackson-Cooper. Ash spent six months in the hospital to get back to normal. But did he really get back to normal? His partner in the PI business is an expert in computer-forensics, she was also the best in the police department. Kitty Jackson-Cooper also lost her wife Evelyn in that fatal investigation.
Gabriel Whitfield has brought them a new case with tracing Richie Swan. But Ash doesn’t trust Gabe and he has Kitty running a background check on both Gabe and Swan. On top of that, Ash get’s another new case, to find a young teenage girl. Emily Phillips has been missing a year and already it’s seems it’s a cold case. Her father and mother can barely pay for the investigation but they just want closure.
When Ash get’s the background check from Kitty, he’s ready to confront Gabe. There’s a chemistry between them that ignites that can’t be avoided. Ash still has his doubts about trusting Gabe. Gabe shares with him the story he’s investigating. Can Gabe get Ash to open up? What’s the connection between: Ash, Evelyn, Remi Devon, Richie Swan, and Francis Kerr?
Both investigations will take Ash, Gabe and Kitty deep into the Core. Will Ash be able to handle going into Core where the tragedy took place. He still feels guilt, confusion, and suffers from PTSD and hides a secret. What they find will lead to disappointment. They need solid evidence before they can reveal all they know to anyone. Ash makes a big mistake with his loyalty to the police. Will it destroy him and Gabe?
“Mapping the Shadows” is a first time read for me by Becky Black and I must say I was thoroughly entertained. “Mapping the Shadows” was so well written for a sci-fi, murder mystery that I could see it as being a series. The author takes two interesting characters in Ash and Gabe and places them in a world of sci-fi, mystery, and romance. Both Ash and Gabe have their own personal struggles. They have a chemistry about them, that made them very likable. Ash struggles with what happened to Evelyn and there’s something he won’t share with Gabe or Kitty. He also has never been willing to reveal his injury until Gabe. Gabe sees things in Ash and he knows how to comfort him. Gabe also has to face that maybe he is alone and could be disposable, and is it worth it to stay on Fraxin Yari.
The author also brings two smart women to the forefront: Kitty Jackson-Cooper and Marina Yates. That could be a start to an interesting story.
I liked the aspect of the mapping of the Core that’s an obsession with Ash. It’s also a story of: corruption, politics, crime, sex trade, homophobia, brothel of young people, PTSD, claustrophobia, and the need for psychological help.
Even though the story takes place on a space station its not heavy in sci-fi or technology but there’s just enough to make a reader remember the story is set sometime in the future but it also reads like a modern day mystery. I think it’s a story that will appeal to those who like sci-fi and mystery.
I highly recommend “Mapping The Shadows” by Becky Black. It’s a suspenseful thriller, creepy, gritty, with fast paced action and a steamy romance. It’s certainly my kind of story, maybe Becky Black will bring back Ash and Gabe in a series.
Gabriel Whitfield, a Red Irish, has just relocated from Chicago to Fraxin Yari. He was born on Mars in Erin. At the age of five lost his parents, brother and two sisters during Martian Civil War. He was all alone, evacuated to Chicago, raised by nuns at the Catholic Children’s Home. As he got older he got his education and made a career in journalism and now works for Bernie Cain. He’s on assignment, hiring a PI to track down Richie Swan for a story that will rock Fraxin Yari.
Ash Bowman was a former cop, now a PI. He was terribly injured during an investigation in the Core. But what was more than just his injury turned to tragedy. He lost his partner and close friend, Evelyn Jackson-Cooper. Ash spent six months in the hospital to get back to normal. But did he really get back to normal? His partner in the PI business is an expert in computer-forensics, she was also the best in the police department. Kitty Jackson-Cooper also lost her wife Evelyn in that fatal investigation.
Gabriel Whitfield has brought them a new case with tracing Richie Swan. But Ash doesn’t trust Gabe and he has Kitty running a background check on both Gabe and Swan. On top of that, Ash get’s another new case, to find a young teenage girl. Emily Phillips has been missing a year and already it’s seems it’s a cold case. Her father and mother can barely pay for the investigation but they just want closure.
When Ash get’s the background check from Kitty, he’s ready to confront Gabe. There’s a chemistry between them that ignites that can’t be avoided. Ash still has his doubts about trusting Gabe. Gabe shares with him the story he’s investigating. Can Gabe get Ash to open up? What’s the connection between: Ash, Evelyn, Remi Devon, Richie Swan, and Francis Kerr?
Both investigations will take Ash, Gabe and Kitty deep into the Core. Will Ash be able to handle going into Core where the tragedy took place. He still feels guilt, confusion, and suffers from PTSD and hides a secret. What they find will lead to disappointment. They need solid evidence before they can reveal all they know to anyone. Ash makes a big mistake with his loyalty to the police. Will it destroy him and Gabe?
“Mapping the Shadows” is a first time read for me by Becky Black and I must say I was thoroughly entertained. “Mapping the Shadows” was so well written for a sci-fi, murder mystery that I could see it as being a series. The author takes two interesting characters in Ash and Gabe and places them in a world of sci-fi, mystery, and romance. Both Ash and Gabe have their own personal struggles. They have a chemistry about them, that made them very likable. Ash struggles with what happened to Evelyn and there’s something he won’t share with Gabe or Kitty. He also has never been willing to reveal his injury until Gabe. Gabe sees things in Ash and he knows how to comfort him. Gabe also has to face that maybe he is alone and could be disposable, and is it worth it to stay on Fraxin Yari.
The author also brings two smart women to the forefront: Kitty Jackson-Cooper and Marina Yates. That could be a start to an interesting story.
I liked the aspect of the mapping of the Core that’s an obsession with Ash. It’s also a story of: corruption, politics, crime, sex trade, homophobia, brothel of young people, PTSD, claustrophobia, and the need for psychological help.
Even though the story takes place on a space station its not heavy in sci-fi or technology but there’s just enough to make a reader remember the story is set sometime in the future but it also reads like a modern day mystery. I think it’s a story that will appeal to those who like sci-fi and mystery.
I highly recommend “Mapping The Shadows” by Becky Black. It’s a suspenseful thriller, creepy, gritty, with fast paced action and a steamy romance. It’s certainly my kind of story, maybe Becky Black will bring back Ash and Gabe in a series.
August 26, 2019
For a moment there it was panic stations as this book was no longer on the uk Amazon site. Found on Kobo which is taking some getting used to.
I liked the story itself though there was one point I wanted to scream at Ash. The space thing is a nice twist, along with the murder mystery and the romance.
Not quite insta love but pretty close with Ash and Gabe. Trigger warnings dealing with rape and underage sex, as well as past trauma. It’s an enjoyable story with some angst and a long list of who not to trust.
I liked the story itself though there was one point I wanted to scream at Ash. The space thing is a nice twist, along with the murder mystery and the romance.
Not quite insta love but pretty close with Ash and Gabe. Trigger warnings dealing with rape and underage sex, as well as past trauma. It’s an enjoyable story with some angst and a long list of who not to trust.
October 18, 2019
A highly, highly enjoyable read, in the vein of "less is more" (which, to me, is the Holy Grail of romance stories). Mapping the Shadows is an m/m romance set in a space station with some mystery thrown in. Well, it absolutely delivers! I couldn't put it down and still wish there was more of Ash and Gabe to read.
June 22, 2015
Romantic suspense has never been my favorite genre, but I'm a sucker for redheads and private investigators so I gave this story a go, and I'm glad I did. Mapping the Shadows had me captivated and whipping through the pages. I was late for an important meeting because I was so invested in the story - and the couple.
Mapping the Shadows (the title is cleverly both metaphorical and literal) focuses on Ash, a traumatized cop-turned-private investigator, and Gabe, a journalist writing about the murders that ended Ash's police career. Together they try to discover the truth behind the killings, but find themselves racing to solve the mystery and bring the perpetrators to justice before they themselves are silenced for good.
Romantic suspense combines romance and crime novels, and I've often found it an uneasy balance - one aspect of the story dominates so the other is pushed to the background, or the separate elements make it feel like you're reading two conflicting stories at once. Of course, there's no rule for how to balance a story and it's all up to each reader and their preferences, and I know I'm a reader who likes the scales tipped toward romance rather than mystery.
But although Mapping the Shadows is plot-driven, that mystery plot is influenced by - and constantly feeds back into - the romance. Both the protagonists want answers to the murders that ruined Ash's life but Ash, as an ex-cop, has a natural distrust of reporters and Gabe's boss thinks Ash is a murder suspect, so straight off the bat there's tension to rival their sexual chemistry. As the plot advances the two are drawn together in their quest for the truth, while their relationship is challenged by the ethical decisions and judgment calls they both have to make. The plot is tense as they risk death and losing everything, and this makes the romance tense as well. It's a natural and convincing tension arising from moral conflicts rather than miscommunication.
As if love and mystery weren't enough to balance, science fiction is thrown into the mix. I recently finished (and adored) Ancillary Justice so I'm on board with some space-age fiction. Mapping the Shadows is set on a space station called Frax which is like an apple with a rotten core. There are parts of Frax which are so seedy and dangerous even cops won't go there, and Ash and Gabe risk their lives searching for answers in that dirty underbelly.
The best part of the science fiction of Mapping the Shadows is that it's thorough and convincing without being overwritten. The world is beautifully explained. We learn about the gang and crime activity - the kind of things the characters care about and so know about - and get a very realistic picture of the world through their eyes without the writer giving into the urge to explain politics and technology that aren't relevant to the story. There are some cool concepts, like the Red Irish (Irish born on Mars) and little asides that talk about technology while also showing character:
As a couple, Ash and Gabe are perfectly well-matched. They have their dark pasts but are each willing to help - and accept help - from the other. The sexual consent in this novel is spot-on, with an emphasis on body autonomy which is absolutely great to see. Gabe is perhaps my favorite - he has a frank and honest approach to life, is staunch in who he is and what he believes in, can be fierce and take charge when it's needed, plus is a totally hot redhead - but they're both great guys. The love they find for each other is natural and beautiful.
Mapping the Shadows takes the best of crime and romance to build a realistic and convincing world, plot and relationship. In every way it is a success, and I loved it.
Mapping the Shadows (the title is cleverly both metaphorical and literal) focuses on Ash, a traumatized cop-turned-private investigator, and Gabe, a journalist writing about the murders that ended Ash's police career. Together they try to discover the truth behind the killings, but find themselves racing to solve the mystery and bring the perpetrators to justice before they themselves are silenced for good.
Romantic suspense combines romance and crime novels, and I've often found it an uneasy balance - one aspect of the story dominates so the other is pushed to the background, or the separate elements make it feel like you're reading two conflicting stories at once. Of course, there's no rule for how to balance a story and it's all up to each reader and their preferences, and I know I'm a reader who likes the scales tipped toward romance rather than mystery.
But although Mapping the Shadows is plot-driven, that mystery plot is influenced by - and constantly feeds back into - the romance. Both the protagonists want answers to the murders that ruined Ash's life but Ash, as an ex-cop, has a natural distrust of reporters and Gabe's boss thinks Ash is a murder suspect, so straight off the bat there's tension to rival their sexual chemistry. As the plot advances the two are drawn together in their quest for the truth, while their relationship is challenged by the ethical decisions and judgment calls they both have to make. The plot is tense as they risk death and losing everything, and this makes the romance tense as well. It's a natural and convincing tension arising from moral conflicts rather than miscommunication.
As if love and mystery weren't enough to balance, science fiction is thrown into the mix. I recently finished (and adored) Ancillary Justice so I'm on board with some space-age fiction. Mapping the Shadows is set on a space station called Frax which is like an apple with a rotten core. There are parts of Frax which are so seedy and dangerous even cops won't go there, and Ash and Gabe risk their lives searching for answers in that dirty underbelly.
The best part of the science fiction of Mapping the Shadows is that it's thorough and convincing without being overwritten. The world is beautifully explained. We learn about the gang and crime activity - the kind of things the characters care about and so know about - and get a very realistic picture of the world through their eyes without the writer giving into the urge to explain politics and technology that aren't relevant to the story. There are some cool concepts, like the Red Irish (Irish born on Mars) and little asides that talk about technology while also showing character:
Ash started up from his seat in the waiting room when the virtual-receptionist holograph addressed him. Those things bugged him. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to hire a person? And there were people on the station who needed jobs.
As a couple, Ash and Gabe are perfectly well-matched. They have their dark pasts but are each willing to help - and accept help - from the other. The sexual consent in this novel is spot-on, with an emphasis on body autonomy which is absolutely great to see. Gabe is perhaps my favorite - he has a frank and honest approach to life, is staunch in who he is and what he believes in, can be fierce and take charge when it's needed, plus is a totally hot redhead - but they're both great guys. The love they find for each other is natural and beautiful.
Mapping the Shadows takes the best of crime and romance to build a realistic and convincing world, plot and relationship. In every way it is a success, and I loved it.
July 12, 2015
Review can be read at It's About The Book
Gabe Whitfield hires Ash Bowman to find someone. Gabe neglects to give Ash all the details on why he wants this guy found. Gabe is a journalist investigating a political assassination. Gabe also believes that assassination is tied into the murder of Ash’s partner and the maiming of Ash. Being a private investigator, Ash figures out who Gabe is and realizes the guy he’s looking for is tied to the other murder victim from the day Ash was shot and his partner was murdered. Unfortunately for both guys, or maybe fortunately, they’re both feeling some deep attraction and would like to continue working together. And they’d like to start a sexual relationship. It’s not easy being gay on a space station full of homophobes. It’s not illegal to be gay, but Ash believes both the sexuality of him and his partner was the prime reason his partner died. Even Ash’s friend on the force and former sexual partner is firmly closeted.
Gabe quickly begins to realize his boss is on to something. It does look as though the political elite was somehow involved in the assassination, but suspecting people and suspecting a motive don’t actually prove anything. Gabe needs solid proof and he needs Ash’s help to find it. To help Gabe Ash needs to face his fears and possibly relive the worst day of his life. Ash also comes to the realization his trust has been misplaced and his actions have cost lives.
There was a Gangs of New York feel to this story, which was actually really cool as it was set on a space station. The Red Irish from Mars were both a force to be reckoned with and a bit downtrodden. They were again refugees, but from war as opposed to famine. Law and order existed for the wealthier inhabitants of the station while gang rule existed for those inhabitants who lived in the core. Upon this backdrop we had an investigation that examined how the elite ran the core. It was a fantastic mish-mash of the cops, the mob, a noir detective, and journalistic muckraking all on a space station with some PTSD thrown in to accompany the murders.
I liked the characters of Ash and Gabe. They were compelling. Their relationship felt kind of rushed, but was believable enough. As much as I don’t want to prefer one character over another when I read, I did find myself more attuned to Ash. His struggle to admit to himself he had a raging case of PTSD was good. He didn’t want to cut back on coffee and go to therapy but he did. This isn’t to say I didn’t like Gabe. He was a scrapper and feisty. His anger was justified and his forgiveness was merciful. Ash and Gabe were good together.
This book was science fiction, but felt more like a mob mystery. Which is impressive while talking about Irish Martians. I liked that. I would heartily recommend it to mystery readers as well as science fiction fans.
Gabe Whitfield hires Ash Bowman to find someone. Gabe neglects to give Ash all the details on why he wants this guy found. Gabe is a journalist investigating a political assassination. Gabe also believes that assassination is tied into the murder of Ash’s partner and the maiming of Ash. Being a private investigator, Ash figures out who Gabe is and realizes the guy he’s looking for is tied to the other murder victim from the day Ash was shot and his partner was murdered. Unfortunately for both guys, or maybe fortunately, they’re both feeling some deep attraction and would like to continue working together. And they’d like to start a sexual relationship. It’s not easy being gay on a space station full of homophobes. It’s not illegal to be gay, but Ash believes both the sexuality of him and his partner was the prime reason his partner died. Even Ash’s friend on the force and former sexual partner is firmly closeted.
Gabe quickly begins to realize his boss is on to something. It does look as though the political elite was somehow involved in the assassination, but suspecting people and suspecting a motive don’t actually prove anything. Gabe needs solid proof and he needs Ash’s help to find it. To help Gabe Ash needs to face his fears and possibly relive the worst day of his life. Ash also comes to the realization his trust has been misplaced and his actions have cost lives.
There was a Gangs of New York feel to this story, which was actually really cool as it was set on a space station. The Red Irish from Mars were both a force to be reckoned with and a bit downtrodden. They were again refugees, but from war as opposed to famine. Law and order existed for the wealthier inhabitants of the station while gang rule existed for those inhabitants who lived in the core. Upon this backdrop we had an investigation that examined how the elite ran the core. It was a fantastic mish-mash of the cops, the mob, a noir detective, and journalistic muckraking all on a space station with some PTSD thrown in to accompany the murders.
I liked the characters of Ash and Gabe. They were compelling. Their relationship felt kind of rushed, but was believable enough. As much as I don’t want to prefer one character over another when I read, I did find myself more attuned to Ash. His struggle to admit to himself he had a raging case of PTSD was good. He didn’t want to cut back on coffee and go to therapy but he did. This isn’t to say I didn’t like Gabe. He was a scrapper and feisty. His anger was justified and his forgiveness was merciful. Ash and Gabe were good together.
This book was science fiction, but felt more like a mob mystery. Which is impressive while talking about Irish Martians. I liked that. I would heartily recommend it to mystery readers as well as science fiction fans.
January 6, 2017
Two years ago, Ash Bowman lost so much when he walked in on a murder that left his cop partner, Evelyn, dead and him maimed. He left the police department and started his own detective agency which suffers a bit from his obsession of mapping the Core of Space Station Fraxin Yari. He is not alone in his mapping activities as the ghost of Evelyn often accompanies him.
Journalist Gabe Whitfield comes to Frax at the request of his mentor. He is to investigate and discover the truth of the murders and is sure they tie in with something much more sinister. He first stop is Ash’s detective agency. Ash is among the suspects in the case and Gabe finds his objectivity in danger when he realizes that he wants Ash for his own. For a man with no family ties, he realizes he wants one now. They join forces and Ash is forced to face his past if he is to have a present they both want.
What a web Ash and Gabe were unraveling! It went from the highest to the lowest levels of Frax. No one wanted that web unraveled except Ash and Gabe. They knew it would be a battle that they may not survive but neither one was willing to let it go. You could not help but admire these two. Ash was still suffering from that night two years ago. He had never healed fully. Gabe was free of any personal obligations, but knew he could not leave Ash. Exciting, fast-paced and with enough heat to help with global warming, Mapping the Shadows was an incredible read that would appeal to MM romance lovers a well as suspense lovers. With the intricate plot and two incredible heroes, once you start, you will not want to put this one down.
Journalist Gabe Whitfield comes to Frax at the request of his mentor. He is to investigate and discover the truth of the murders and is sure they tie in with something much more sinister. He first stop is Ash’s detective agency. Ash is among the suspects in the case and Gabe finds his objectivity in danger when he realizes that he wants Ash for his own. For a man with no family ties, he realizes he wants one now. They join forces and Ash is forced to face his past if he is to have a present they both want.
What a web Ash and Gabe were unraveling! It went from the highest to the lowest levels of Frax. No one wanted that web unraveled except Ash and Gabe. They knew it would be a battle that they may not survive but neither one was willing to let it go. You could not help but admire these two. Ash was still suffering from that night two years ago. He had never healed fully. Gabe was free of any personal obligations, but knew he could not leave Ash. Exciting, fast-paced and with enough heat to help with global warming, Mapping the Shadows was an incredible read that would appeal to MM romance lovers a well as suspense lovers. With the intricate plot and two incredible heroes, once you start, you will not want to put this one down.
July 5, 2015
This book is so good, from start to finish I could not put it down. I didn't realize it was sci-fi until a couple of pages into it, but by then I was hooked. Loved the story and the build up. Even if you don't read sci0fi don't let this dis-courage you from reading this book. Highly recommend.
October 25, 2015
Interesting film noir atmosphere on a space station. Private I with ptsd, crusading journalist. Enjoyed it.
May 12, 2016
4.5 stars from me
I wanted to skip the sex scenes to jump to the story. It's predictable, but sometimes predictable is good. Fast paced. I love Gabriel's character. What a feisty redhead!
I wanted to skip the sex scenes to jump to the story. It's predictable, but sometimes predictable is good. Fast paced. I love Gabriel's character. What a feisty redhead!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews