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Mirror Skin
Seedy private detective and burnt-out ex-cop Nick Jordon receives a visit in the night. It's his long-dead lover Dane, naked, his memories wiped, asking for help. Worse, Dane is being pursued by armed goons.
Together the onetime lovers flee, but now Nick must solve the craziest case of his life. How can Dane be alive? And want him back? To complicate matters, Nick starts to feel his old desire for his long-gone lover. But is this really Dane?
Together the onetime lovers flee, but now Nick must solve the craziest case of his life. How can Dane be alive? And want him back? To complicate matters, Nick starts to feel his old desire for his long-gone lover. But is this really Dane?
- GenresScience FictionMystery
87 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2017
18 people want to read
About the author
Eric Del Carlo
115 books18 followers I was born during the Vietnam War, in the city of San Francisco. I retain a gauzy childhood memory of the Watergate Trials interfering with my afternoon cartoon viewing. From early days I was enthralled by reading; no accident, this--we were a house of readers. Books everywhere. My mother read endless stories to me. My father, Victor, had an extensive collection of thrillers and science fiction, all those lurid book covers, that wonderful choking scent of paper and print in the house's basement. Did I read those books? Oh, yes, I did. And, of course, it wasn't much of a drastic leap from consuming all this fabulous fiction--and it was all fabulous to me, all of it--to wanting to create it myself.
I started selling short fiction to small press magazines in my early twenties. The stories were earnest, arguably a bit literarily overwrought, but were genuine expressions of the kind of emotional work I wanted to produce. I probably most enjoyed selling to late lamented Figment magazine, whose editors Barb and J. C. Hendee have gone on to a successful joint writing career. I was swinging blind with my work, writing absolutely whatever I felt like, following any mood or impulse. It was hit or miss, sale or rejection, but the sheer giddy joy of that process was very valuable to me.
I moved fairly often. Without any higher education or anything resembling marketable job skills, beyond a willingness to submit to bottom-rung clerking gigs, I was free to go wherever I liked. I lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico; twice in New Orleans; spent time in the U.K.'s London. I wrote throughout, but it hardly qualified as a career. During my second stint in New Orleans, living in the fabled French Quarter and again eking out a just-above-the-poverty-line existence, I met Robert Asprin. My soon to be wife, Samala Ray, brokered the encounter. Asprin frequented a few of the Quarter's overabundance of drinking establishments; Sam had bumped into him one night. I knew Asprin as a name writer of science fiction and fantasy, though I'd never read his work. Neither had I been to many conventions, and so had never come in contact with anyone famous in the field. Bob Asprin was--this is predictable, if you're familiar with his humorous fiction--a funny guy, with jokes aplenty to put anyone at ease who might be a bit starstruck to find himself sitting on a barstool adjacent to someone who had achieved fame when I was still banging out awkward disjointed fiction on a manual typewriter in grade school. A friendship formed, and collaboration loomed, and we produced two novels of non-humorous fantasy, the Wartorn books. When Bob died, my wife and I had long since fled New Orleans, getting out a day in front of Hurricane Katrina. I had only been back once, to retrieve what we'd left behind in our apartment. I saw Asprin then; and two and a half years later he was dead. I had gotten a chance to publish on a greater scale than I ever had before. I saw my own name rendered in Cyrillic on the covers of the Russian editions of the Wartorn novels. I will always be grateful to Robert Asprin for those experiences.
Now I live in California again, in wine country, in the quiet and predictability of a small town. I don't work day jobs anymore. I do what I've wanted to do since sometime around the age of seven: I write, I write, and I write; and the words do not stop.
I started selling short fiction to small press magazines in my early twenties. The stories were earnest, arguably a bit literarily overwrought, but were genuine expressions of the kind of emotional work I wanted to produce. I probably most enjoyed selling to late lamented Figment magazine, whose editors Barb and J. C. Hendee have gone on to a successful joint writing career. I was swinging blind with my work, writing absolutely whatever I felt like, following any mood or impulse. It was hit or miss, sale or rejection, but the sheer giddy joy of that process was very valuable to me.
I moved fairly often. Without any higher education or anything resembling marketable job skills, beyond a willingness to submit to bottom-rung clerking gigs, I was free to go wherever I liked. I lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico; twice in New Orleans; spent time in the U.K.'s London. I wrote throughout, but it hardly qualified as a career. During my second stint in New Orleans, living in the fabled French Quarter and again eking out a just-above-the-poverty-line existence, I met Robert Asprin. My soon to be wife, Samala Ray, brokered the encounter. Asprin frequented a few of the Quarter's overabundance of drinking establishments; Sam had bumped into him one night. I knew Asprin as a name writer of science fiction and fantasy, though I'd never read his work. Neither had I been to many conventions, and so had never come in contact with anyone famous in the field. Bob Asprin was--this is predictable, if you're familiar with his humorous fiction--a funny guy, with jokes aplenty to put anyone at ease who might be a bit starstruck to find himself sitting on a barstool adjacent to someone who had achieved fame when I was still banging out awkward disjointed fiction on a manual typewriter in grade school. A friendship formed, and collaboration loomed, and we produced two novels of non-humorous fantasy, the Wartorn books. When Bob died, my wife and I had long since fled New Orleans, getting out a day in front of Hurricane Katrina. I had only been back once, to retrieve what we'd left behind in our apartment. I saw Asprin then; and two and a half years later he was dead. I had gotten a chance to publish on a greater scale than I ever had before. I saw my own name rendered in Cyrillic on the covers of the Russian editions of the Wartorn novels. I will always be grateful to Robert Asprin for those experiences.
Now I live in California again, in wine country, in the quiet and predictability of a small town. I don't work day jobs anymore. I do what I've wanted to do since sometime around the age of seven: I write, I write, and I write; and the words do not stop.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 10, 2017
3.5 Stars
Dane has been dead for a decade. Or, has he? That is the center of this intriguing and suspenseful sci-fi mystery. I’m not quite sure exactly what I anticipated going into this story, but it certainly wasn’t what I ended up getting. It surprised me in a good way.
For the last decade, Nick has been on a downward spiral with no care, and just going through the motions of surviving. Booze and pills are his friends, and he is one messed up individual. When his naked and long dead lover wakes him in the middle of the night, he has an appropriate reaction—he believes he has lost his mind and finally broken. He is quickly pulled from what he believes to be a hallucination, and realizes Dane is real when Dane’s pursuers make their presence known.
Dane has no memory of the last decade, but he trusts Nick. Something in him calls to Nick. Though no initial memory, pieces start filtering through as he tries to figure out just what in the heck is happening to him. Together, they race against a clock trying to figure out exactly what Dane has gone through, and the explanation for his reappearance. Their past connection is still vibrant, but Nick has definitely changed.
The prose was oddly poetic, which to me shouldn’t have worked but somehow did, mostly. There were some specific words used that are on my list of not sexy. Yet… it still fit in a way I can’t fully explain. Though set in the future, there was almost a whimsical tone to the text.
Though a relatively quick read, it is solid. Nick’s character was more relatable for me. His grieving, the man he became after losing Dane, having to face the decisions he made and realizing the direction he was heading. Dane was a little harder, since he had no memories to fall back on, but he becomes more defined as he continues to gain feelings and memories. Not much in the way of secondary characters, other than those sources Nick has, they are essentially on their own, the focus on Nick and Dane and what was going on.
I was definitely interested in trying to figure out exactly what happened to Dane, and how it would all work out. The plot moved quickly and didn’t dither or lag, and kept me invested. My only real issue with the story was when it all came together. When everything comes out and the mystery to Dane is solved, it was delivered in a fashion I hadn’t anticipated, and that threw me. It was less climactic that I had been expecting, less involved than I had thought and hoped for, and almost too nicely wrapped up. Though I enjoyed the journey to get there, I wish the end had just been a little more.
I’m not quite sure I have read anything with this style of writing in this specific type of story, but it worked. Give this one a shot if you are interested in a nice little futuristic sci-fi mystery.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach
Dane has been dead for a decade. Or, has he? That is the center of this intriguing and suspenseful sci-fi mystery. I’m not quite sure exactly what I anticipated going into this story, but it certainly wasn’t what I ended up getting. It surprised me in a good way.
For the last decade, Nick has been on a downward spiral with no care, and just going through the motions of surviving. Booze and pills are his friends, and he is one messed up individual. When his naked and long dead lover wakes him in the middle of the night, he has an appropriate reaction—he believes he has lost his mind and finally broken. He is quickly pulled from what he believes to be a hallucination, and realizes Dane is real when Dane’s pursuers make their presence known.
Dane has no memory of the last decade, but he trusts Nick. Something in him calls to Nick. Though no initial memory, pieces start filtering through as he tries to figure out just what in the heck is happening to him. Together, they race against a clock trying to figure out exactly what Dane has gone through, and the explanation for his reappearance. Their past connection is still vibrant, but Nick has definitely changed.
The prose was oddly poetic, which to me shouldn’t have worked but somehow did, mostly. There were some specific words used that are on my list of not sexy. Yet… it still fit in a way I can’t fully explain. Though set in the future, there was almost a whimsical tone to the text.
Though a relatively quick read, it is solid. Nick’s character was more relatable for me. His grieving, the man he became after losing Dane, having to face the decisions he made and realizing the direction he was heading. Dane was a little harder, since he had no memories to fall back on, but he becomes more defined as he continues to gain feelings and memories. Not much in the way of secondary characters, other than those sources Nick has, they are essentially on their own, the focus on Nick and Dane and what was going on.
I was definitely interested in trying to figure out exactly what happened to Dane, and how it would all work out. The plot moved quickly and didn’t dither or lag, and kept me invested. My only real issue with the story was when it all came together. When everything comes out and the mystery to Dane is solved, it was delivered in a fashion I hadn’t anticipated, and that threw me. It was less climactic that I had been expecting, less involved than I had thought and hoped for, and almost too nicely wrapped up. Though I enjoyed the journey to get there, I wish the end had just been a little more.
I’m not quite sure I have read anything with this style of writing in this specific type of story, but it worked. Give this one a shot if you are interested in a nice little futuristic sci-fi mystery.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach
October 4, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Sci fi is one of my first loves, and I couldn’t wait to see how the author explained Dane’s reappearance and where he’d been for the past ten years. But I got even more than I bargained for with this story, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Let me start with the writing. This is the first book I’ve read by Del Carlo, and I was immediately drawn in by the lyrical, almost poetic prose. The tone of the story shone brightly in the words, the intensity and fear, the worry and confusion, the pain and the longing. I was absorbed in the fraught tension, and completely empathized with both characters. That alone made this a fantastic read.
But the characterization took it to another level. Nick is barely hanging on, the sheer injustice of Dane’s death and the huge hole it left in Nick’s life still apparent after all these years. It could have been too over the top, but Del Carlo handles it with a deft hand, so that all I felt was the connection these guys had, the totality of their bond, and how exactly right they were for each other. And I loved how Nick very realistically was both overwhelmed with joy to have Dane back, and skeptical and angry at it as well. It was perfect balance.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Sci fi is one of my first loves, and I couldn’t wait to see how the author explained Dane’s reappearance and where he’d been for the past ten years. But I got even more than I bargained for with this story, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Let me start with the writing. This is the first book I’ve read by Del Carlo, and I was immediately drawn in by the lyrical, almost poetic prose. The tone of the story shone brightly in the words, the intensity and fear, the worry and confusion, the pain and the longing. I was absorbed in the fraught tension, and completely empathized with both characters. That alone made this a fantastic read.
But the characterization took it to another level. Nick is barely hanging on, the sheer injustice of Dane’s death and the huge hole it left in Nick’s life still apparent after all these years. It could have been too over the top, but Del Carlo handles it with a deft hand, so that all I felt was the connection these guys had, the totality of their bond, and how exactly right they were for each other. And I loved how Nick very realistically was both overwhelmed with joy to have Dane back, and skeptical and angry at it as well. It was perfect balance.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
October 4, 2017
A ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Review.
4.5 Stars
Nick Jordan’s life started spiralling out of control when his lover, Dane Cavan, died and it hasn’t stopped since. So when Nick sees his lover standing in his living room nearly ten years after his death, he is sure that this is the proverbial last nail in his coffin but for once the more fantastical explanation is the correct one. Because Dane is actually alive but as Nick and Dane will soon realise when something so unbelievably good happens something bad is bound to follow...
This one took me by surprise mostly because I wasn't expecting it to be a futuristic science fiction. God knows how I wanted the conundrum of a dead man walking to be solved but I really hadn't expected this and therefore when this was the avenue the story explored I was surprisingly pleased. It was a particularly innovative way to deliver on that amazing premise.
I loved every aspect of this story. I especially loved the mystery angle to the story where it is up to Nick to solve the mystery of how Dane is alive when he died ten years ago. Also, I loved seeing him in his element as a detective.
Since established couple romance is one of my favourite genres I really liked all the challenges that Nick and Dane had to face as a couple. But I also feel that this story isn't technically an established couple romance so in case you aren't a big fan of the genre as I am you might still enjoy this given the amazing tale this story has to tell.
Personally, Nick and Dane are a fantastic couple. It was amazing to see their tribulations from both perspectives and I loved the way Dane thought of his relationship with Nick like its existence would never be in question at least as far as he is concerned.
This was an amazing story with amazing characters and a heart-warming tale of love unfettered even by death. This story really has everything – a love story, a mystery and even a dead man walking.
Also, I must definitely comment on the effortless world building I loved how the author introduces us to this world as if we are already intimately familiar with it. You start this book on a sprint and as you are sprinting through this book the world around you is being built just as fast as you are running, so there are no lags in story-telling where there is a big info-dump about the world and time this story takes place in, which was nothing short of amazing.
Cover Art by Scott Carpenter. I loved the cover because it somehow manages to capture the futuristic aspect of this story.
4.5 Stars
Nick Jordan’s life started spiralling out of control when his lover, Dane Cavan, died and it hasn’t stopped since. So when Nick sees his lover standing in his living room nearly ten years after his death, he is sure that this is the proverbial last nail in his coffin but for once the more fantastical explanation is the correct one. Because Dane is actually alive but as Nick and Dane will soon realise when something so unbelievably good happens something bad is bound to follow...
This one took me by surprise mostly because I wasn't expecting it to be a futuristic science fiction. God knows how I wanted the conundrum of a dead man walking to be solved but I really hadn't expected this and therefore when this was the avenue the story explored I was surprisingly pleased. It was a particularly innovative way to deliver on that amazing premise.
I loved every aspect of this story. I especially loved the mystery angle to the story where it is up to Nick to solve the mystery of how Dane is alive when he died ten years ago. Also, I loved seeing him in his element as a detective.
Since established couple romance is one of my favourite genres I really liked all the challenges that Nick and Dane had to face as a couple. But I also feel that this story isn't technically an established couple romance so in case you aren't a big fan of the genre as I am you might still enjoy this given the amazing tale this story has to tell.
Personally, Nick and Dane are a fantastic couple. It was amazing to see their tribulations from both perspectives and I loved the way Dane thought of his relationship with Nick like its existence would never be in question at least as far as he is concerned.
This was an amazing story with amazing characters and a heart-warming tale of love unfettered even by death. This story really has everything – a love story, a mystery and even a dead man walking.
Also, I must definitely comment on the effortless world building I loved how the author introduces us to this world as if we are already intimately familiar with it. You start this book on a sprint and as you are sprinting through this book the world around you is being built just as fast as you are running, so there are no lags in story-telling where there is a big info-dump about the world and time this story takes place in, which was nothing short of amazing.
Cover Art by Scott Carpenter. I loved the cover because it somehow manages to capture the futuristic aspect of this story.
September 8, 2017
A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
Review soon at BMBR.
Review soon at BMBR.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews