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Sinners #1
Sinner's Gin
There’s a dead body in Miki St. John’s vintage Pontiac GTO, and he has no idea how it got there. After Miki survives the tragic accident that killed his best friend and the other members of their band, Sinner’s Gin, all he wants is to hide from the world in the refurbished warehouse he bought before their last tour. But when the man who sexually abused him as a boy is killed and his remains are dumped in Miki’s car, Miki fears Death isn’t done with him yet. Kane Morgan, the SFPD inspector renting space in the art co-op next door, initially suspects Miki had a hand in the man’s murder, but Kane soon realizes Miki is as much a victim as the man splattered inside the GTO. As the murderer’s body count rises, the attraction between Miki and Kane heats up. Neither man knows if they can make a relationship work, but despite Miki’s emotional damage, Kane is determined to teach him how to love and be loved—provided, of course, Kane can catch the killer before Miki becomes the murderer’s final victim.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 24, 2012
207 people are currently reading
2188 people want to read
About the author
Rhys Ford
79 books1,891 followersRhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist and a multiple Gold and Silver Medalist by the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards. She is published by Dreamspinner Press, DSP Publications and Rogue Firebird Press.
She shares the house with Harley, a gray tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled former alley cat, and Gojira, a mercurial Tabico as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep of a 1979 Pontiac Firebird named Tengu and enjoys murdering make-believe people.
She shares the house with Harley, a gray tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled former alley cat, and Gojira, a mercurial Tabico as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep of a 1979 Pontiac Firebird named Tengu and enjoys murdering make-believe people.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 615 reviews
September 14, 2018
Cross-posted at Shelf Inflicted and at Outlaw Reviews
Miki St. John has had a really hard life. He was abandoned as a child, shuttled between foster homes, and eventually adopted by a man who sexually abused him. He joins a successful rock band, achieves fame, and then barely survives a car accident that killed his entire band shortly after they won a Grammy Award. As if that isn’t enough, the corpse of the man who abused him happens to be in Miki’s car.
All Miki has right now is the warehouse he calls home, his stray dog and a bum knee. Thanks to his nuisance dog, Dude, he now has Kane.
Kane Morgan is a police inspector renting space next door for his woodworking projects and is immediately taken by Miki’s belligerence and his haunted eyes that give just a glimpse at the pain inside him. Though the murder investigation brings both men closer, there are many difficulties ahead.
Is it just me, or is it possible that a fictional character can be burdened with so many problems that he no longer seems realistic and therefore is difficult to empathize with? Sure, Miki has difficulty trusting others, but I would have liked to see more evidence of the psychological, sexual and emotional problems that occur in victims of childhood sexual abuse. Even though Miki and Kane didn’t rush into a sexual relationship, I felt their sex was a little too easy and spontaneous, making me feel that Miki’s deeper needs were not being met. He’s a broken young man who needs the help of a good therapist. Kane is simply not enough. I love reading about damaged characters, but they have to be believable.
Kane’s close-knit, suffocatingly sweet Irish family was just a little too perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect family. Sometimes you have to look a little deeper below the surface to find the problems, but you can be sure they will be there.
It’s OK to use personal pronouns. I had quite enough of the man, the singer, the cop, the inspector which was often annoying and took me out of the story.
Then there was the murder investigation that eventually led to a perpetrator who seemingly came out of nowhere and an arson incident that made absolutely no sense.
The word “exotic” to describe Miki’s Asian features really rubbed me the wrong way. It is a fine word to use to refer to plants, wildlife, landscapes. It is such a loaded word when used for people. To me, exotic implies “other”, “foreign”, “different”, and why should races other than white be considered exotic as if white is the default, the norm, when whites make up less than 25% of the world’s population?
I liked the song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter revealing the depth of Miki’s friendship with his best friend and fellow band member, Damien, and was totally surprised by that twisty ending that makes me curious about the direction this series will take.
Miki St. John has had a really hard life. He was abandoned as a child, shuttled between foster homes, and eventually adopted by a man who sexually abused him. He joins a successful rock band, achieves fame, and then barely survives a car accident that killed his entire band shortly after they won a Grammy Award. As if that isn’t enough, the corpse of the man who abused him happens to be in Miki’s car.
All Miki has right now is the warehouse he calls home, his stray dog and a bum knee. Thanks to his nuisance dog, Dude, he now has Kane.
Kane Morgan is a police inspector renting space next door for his woodworking projects and is immediately taken by Miki’s belligerence and his haunted eyes that give just a glimpse at the pain inside him. Though the murder investigation brings both men closer, there are many difficulties ahead.
Is it just me, or is it possible that a fictional character can be burdened with so many problems that he no longer seems realistic and therefore is difficult to empathize with? Sure, Miki has difficulty trusting others, but I would have liked to see more evidence of the psychological, sexual and emotional problems that occur in victims of childhood sexual abuse. Even though Miki and Kane didn’t rush into a sexual relationship, I felt their sex was a little too easy and spontaneous, making me feel that Miki’s deeper needs were not being met. He’s a broken young man who needs the help of a good therapist. Kane is simply not enough. I love reading about damaged characters, but they have to be believable.
Kane’s close-knit, suffocatingly sweet Irish family was just a little too perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect family. Sometimes you have to look a little deeper below the surface to find the problems, but you can be sure they will be there.
It’s OK to use personal pronouns. I had quite enough of the man, the singer, the cop, the inspector which was often annoying and took me out of the story.
Then there was the murder investigation that eventually led to a perpetrator who seemingly came out of nowhere and an arson incident that made absolutely no sense.
The word “exotic” to describe Miki’s Asian features really rubbed me the wrong way. It is a fine word to use to refer to plants, wildlife, landscapes. It is such a loaded word when used for people. To me, exotic implies “other”, “foreign”, “different”, and why should races other than white be considered exotic as if white is the default, the norm, when whites make up less than 25% of the world’s population?
I liked the song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter revealing the depth of Miki’s friendship with his best friend and fellow band member, Damien, and was totally surprised by that twisty ending that makes me curious about the direction this series will take.
September 2, 2025
Reread July 2023
Still love this series
Reread April 2021
Still love these too together. The flowery writing grated on me this time but I still love it.
Reread March 2019
Boy I sure do love Kane. And Miki just breaks my heart every time.
Reread May 2018
Still love these two so much.
Originally read December 2017
Miki had everything and then it was gone. When his little four legged thief steals one thing too many from next door, his handsome cop neighbor pays him a visit. Neither can get the other out of their head. But when a dead body shows up in his car, Miki and his cop are pushed together again. This time for good.
While reading Mary Calmes' Tied Up in Knots, "Morgan and his rocker boyfriend" were mentioned. Thanks to my friend Bo who pointed out they are the mc's in Sinner's Gin. I was intrigued so I decided to give it a shot. Boy am I glad I did. I loved this book. It had all the things I love in a romantic suspense with comfort/healing...
And a touch of humor...
Kane was absolutely perfect. He was everything Miki needed. He was swoon-worthy and sweet but also the dirty talking alpha I love. I also loved his family and can't wait for more of them.
Poor Miki. He's had such a hard life. I wept with him in the beginning losing his "family by choice". And I wept for the little boy lost. But he is strong and pulls himself out with Kane's and his family's help.
And man! That last little snippet. On to book 2 for sure!! I'm so glad I picked this up and I'm looking forward to more of these two.
Still love this series
Reread April 2021
Still love these too together. The flowery writing grated on me this time but I still love it.
Reread March 2019
Boy I sure do love Kane. And Miki just breaks my heart every time.
Reread May 2018
Still love these two so much.
Originally read December 2017
Miki had everything and then it was gone. When his little four legged thief steals one thing too many from next door, his handsome cop neighbor pays him a visit. Neither can get the other out of their head. But when a dead body shows up in his car, Miki and his cop are pushed together again. This time for good.
While reading Mary Calmes' Tied Up in Knots, "Morgan and his rocker boyfriend" were mentioned. Thanks to my friend Bo who pointed out they are the mc's in Sinner's Gin. I was intrigued so I decided to give it a shot. Boy am I glad I did. I loved this book. It had all the things I love in a romantic suspense with comfort/healing...
"I wish I could take that kind of pain away from him, but that’s going to haunt Miki for the rest of his life. But I’ve got his heart and soul, even the shredded pieces where his best friend used to be.”~Kane
And a touch of humor...
“What the hell do you eat? Never mind. Don’t answer that. I’ve seen what you eat. I’m surprised you’re still alive.” “I eat.” Miki pointed to the pantry. “There’s food in there.” “There’s a salt lick and artificial preservatives in there,” Kane shot back. “I’m surprised you’re not a giant, salty Cheeto."~Miki and Kane
Kane was absolutely perfect. He was everything Miki needed. He was swoon-worthy and sweet but also the dirty talking alpha I love. I also loved his family and can't wait for more of them.
“With Miki, I can feel the wind. He lets me have a taste of the sky every time I kiss him. That’s not something I even thought of before, and now I can’t imagine my life without it.”~Kane
Poor Miki. He's had such a hard life. I wept with him in the beginning losing his "family by choice". And I wept for the little boy lost. But he is strong and pulls himself out with Kane's and his family's help.
“Sometimes, Miki, you’ve got to stop building sand castles just to watch the ocean take them away,” Kane murmured against his cheek. “Sometimes, you just need to find someone to sit on the beach with you.”~Kane
And man! That last little snippet. On to book 2 for sure!! I'm so glad I picked this up and I'm looking forward to more of these two.
“With Miki, I can feel the wind. He lets me have a taste of the sky every time I kiss him. That’s not something I even thought of before, and now I can’t imagine my life without it.”~Kane
September 5, 2016
Written December 6, 2014
3.7 Stars - Thrilling crime romance with a lot of heat
Book #1
Sinners is my second audiobook series by Rhys Ford. I'd big hopes for it to be a good story, with interesting characters to follow. ~ See Bevs 4 star review, it inspired me to add this book to start with.
And? - I liked most of it...
Well done, interesting characters, good crime plot.
Want to jump over to the next part.
***********************************************
San Francisco...
Miki St. John, the singer in Sinner's Gin,
survives the tragic accident that killed the other band members.
Damaged both in body, heart and soul is all what Miki wants, to hide from the world and grief (...and die??). He doesn't have any parents or a family. He was a toddler foundling who grew up in different foster homes and he still have a lot of anxiety and fear in his luggage to carry. His Sinner's Gin 'brothers' were both his best buddies and the and only 'family' he had.
Still, a year later, limping with a cane, has Miki basically locked in himself alone at home (..a renovated warehouses). Not alone maybe, along with a thieving little wild pooch dog. A dog who is stealing from the 'angry' cop nextdoors.
‘There’s a dead man in Miki St. John’s vintage Pontiac GTO, and he has no idea how it got there.’
Kane Morgan, is the SFPD inspector (a police) renting space in the art co-op next door. When Kane on day follow the dog who ones again has taken precious art-timber from him, he finds a corpse in Miki's garage. The body shows to be a man who sexually abused Miki as a boy is now dumped in Miki’s car.
***********************************************
Crime, danger and steaming heat...
As the murderer case begins to straightened out is the fast growing attraction between Miki and Kane more and more intense. ~ This crime plot is quite thrilling and in the end can't Kane and his work colleagues catch the killer before Miki becomes the murderer’s final victim.
Kane has this huge lovely "Irish" family. A lot of brothers, big cuddly manly men, and they are also more or less cops or the like - as well as their gorgeous big 'bad' dad. Mrs Morgan is the mother we all wish for, the one who cock a lot of food and gives you these tender mum-hugs.
That part in this book, when Miki gets a bit of this warm and caring family, was one of the best topics in this story for me. He, Miki, is so much in need if some love and to feel some belonging. Miki’s emotional damage and Kane determination to teach him how to love and be loved — is, of course, beautiful to follow.
***********************************************
~ As I said to Irina in a comment below:
“...the steamy parts are a bit too longish and tiring sometimes.
I actually "audio-jumped" a minute or two....”
It might be me, but I'm a bit tired of all these too many, explicit, and too lengthy sex-scenes, in a lot of romances these days. It becomes even more obvious (and silly feeling) in audio books. I don't say it was over the top in this book but this writer just does them too long for my taste sometimes. I remember I felt much the same listening to her (his) —great in so many other ways— series: Cole McGinnis now and then.
***********************************************
The crime plot?
...Was thrilling with some exciting suspense part in the end. The topic in itself makes me really upset, sad and disgusted.
***********************************************
I must add that I'm quite fond of this San Francisco feeling. ~ Want to go there and visit some time.
Ford's stories also become interesting in that she (he) always also adds diversity. All the characters' different origin, nationality (historical), ancestry and current culture. It smells of food, spices and many new things for me. Like going on a journey. ~ Big applause!!
***********************************************
Mr James is once again simply great
I has been listening to the 8 hours audiobook narrated by Tristan James. A husky voice I already like since other books. He did it again. 4 big stars for him.
All in all a good start for a new series I will follow. Next up #2 - Whiskey and Wry. A story, not mainly about these tow men, but about two other guys who fells in love.
I LIKE - Yeah! Good crime, some angst and sweet love
******
3.7 Stars - Thrilling crime romance with a lot of heat
Book #1
Sinners is my second audiobook series by Rhys Ford. I'd big hopes for it to be a good story, with interesting characters to follow. ~ See Bevs 4 star review, it inspired me to add this book to start with.
And? - I liked most of it...
Well done, interesting characters, good crime plot.
Want to jump over to the next part.
***********************************************
San Francisco...
Miki St. John, the singer in Sinner's Gin,
survives the tragic accident that killed the other band members.
Damaged both in body, heart and soul is all what Miki wants, to hide from the world and grief (...and die??). He doesn't have any parents or a family. He was a toddler foundling who grew up in different foster homes and he still have a lot of anxiety and fear in his luggage to carry. His Sinner's Gin 'brothers' were both his best buddies and the and only 'family' he had.
Still, a year later, limping with a cane, has Miki basically locked in himself alone at home (..a renovated warehouses). Not alone maybe, along with a thieving little wild pooch dog. A dog who is stealing from the 'angry' cop nextdoors.
‘There’s a dead man in Miki St. John’s vintage Pontiac GTO, and he has no idea how it got there.’
Kane Morgan, is the SFPD inspector (a police) renting space in the art co-op next door. When Kane on day follow the dog who ones again has taken precious art-timber from him, he finds a corpse in Miki's garage. The body shows to be a man who sexually abused Miki as a boy is now dumped in Miki’s car.
***********************************************
Crime, danger and steaming heat...
As the murderer case begins to straightened out is the fast growing attraction between Miki and Kane more and more intense. ~ This crime plot is quite thrilling and in the end can't Kane and his work colleagues catch the killer before Miki becomes the murderer’s final victim.
“I taught my sons to be men. I don't care who they love. I care about how they act. The moment they stop having manners or treat someone poorly, then we'll have words. ...”
Said by Kane's lovely colorful Irish super-mum.
Kane has this huge lovely "Irish" family. A lot of brothers, big cuddly manly men, and they are also more or less cops or the like - as well as their gorgeous big 'bad' dad. Mrs Morgan is the mother we all wish for, the one who cock a lot of food and gives you these tender mum-hugs.
That part in this book, when Miki gets a bit of this warm and caring family, was one of the best topics in this story for me. He, Miki, is so much in need if some love and to feel some belonging. Miki’s emotional damage and Kane determination to teach him how to love and be loved — is, of course, beautiful to follow.
***********************************************
~ As I said to Irina in a comment below:“...the steamy parts are a bit too longish and tiring sometimes.
I actually "audio-jumped" a minute or two....”
It might be me, but I'm a bit tired of all these too many, explicit, and too lengthy sex-scenes, in a lot of romances these days. It becomes even more obvious (and silly feeling) in audio books. I don't say it was over the top in this book but this writer just does them too long for my taste sometimes. I remember I felt much the same listening to her (his) —great in so many other ways— series: Cole McGinnis now and then.
***********************************************
The crime plot?
...Was thrilling with some exciting suspense part in the end. The topic in itself makes me really upset, sad and disgusted.
“Sometimes, Miki, you’ve got to stop building sand castles just to watch the ocean take them away,” Kane murmured against his cheek. “Sometimes, you just need to find someone to sit on the beach with you.”
***********************************************
I must add that I'm quite fond of this San Francisco feeling. ~ Want to go there and visit some time.
Ford's stories also become interesting in that she (he) always also adds diversity. All the characters' different origin, nationality (historical), ancestry and current culture. It smells of food, spices and many new things for me. Like going on a journey. ~ Big applause!!
***********************************************
Mr James is once again simply great
I has been listening to the 8 hours audiobook narrated by Tristan James. A husky voice I already like since other books. He did it again. 4 big stars for him.
All in all a good start for a new series I will follow. Next up #2 - Whiskey and Wry. A story, not mainly about these tow men, but about two other guys who fells in love.
I LIKE - Yeah! Good crime, some angst and sweet love
******
May 12, 2018
I love a good mystery/crime romance and this one did not disappoint.
Miki has had an awefull childhood (if you can even call it that), but his tables turned, when he met his bandmates/friends and they started Sinner's Gin together. A tragic accident however, takes all of that away from him and now Miki is merely surviving instead of really living.
Kane is a cop, just like almost everyone else in his big family. He meets Miki, when following a toolstealing dog to it's house. He is immediately drawn to the man.
When dead bodies, from Miki's past start showing up, Kane wants to do everything, to keep Miki safe.
As much as I enjoyed this one, there were also some things that bothered me. This was mostly about the writing though. I hated the fact that both men kept being referred to as "the singer" and "the cop". That was a bit weird to me. Also, the sexscenes, were a bit strange. It seemed like they were having orgasm after orgasm, when it was really just one ?? It was like they came and then they came again right away, or just kept coming...
Like I said, a bit strange. Their cocks, were mentioned as "their sex", another thing that annoyed me. Just call it a cock or a dick :P
But like I said, I really enjoyed this one and those are just little annoyences that I can deal with ;)
I will definitely read more of this series
February 1, 2024
***4.5 still-knocking-myself-mentally-upside-the-head-for-not-reading-this-sooner stars***
For me, there is nothing not to love about this book. Umm, okay... maybe I could have done without all the gory details about what the killer did to his victims - and there was quite a contest between 'Eww' and 'Ugh' during those scenes, I can tell you - but the rest definitely made up for it.
I wanted to cuddle and mother Miki the whole time when he showed his vulnerability (although he would be over the hills and far away if he would have the vaguest idea about it ;-) ) and yet I loved his inner strength despite everything he's been through in his childhood, despite the loss of his bandmates and best friend and when he faced his old demons. If there was ever a guy who virtually screams love-deprived it would be him and although 'trust' is virtually an alien concept for him, he opens up to Kane. Okay, it was a bit insta-lovey-dovey, but I loved the fact that there was no unnecessary drama regarding their building relationship and never a doubt that they belong together.
As for Kane, apart from being hot and a cop – two of my favorite things in books – I loved the way he cared for Miki. For him, Miki was always the center of things and came first whatever he did, what did not only apply to Miki's safety, but also to his needs (during sex and otherwise). He was just... to die for and I kind of wanted him for myself. No, scratch that, I wanted the whole Morgan Clan. All. For. Myself. Well, now I hear at least one of my friends objecting, because Kane's father is already reserved, but I might be ready to fight over him. ;-) The Morgans are a special breed and I can't wait to read more about them.
Oh, and not to forget about Dude, the little love-instigating rascal...
Who would be able to resist that look???
I just love Rhys Ford's writing style and the humor made me once again laugh out loud.
Well, after reading the ending, it might be a good thing that I did not read this book when it came out, otherwise I might have had to write Ms. Ford an email if she intended to kill me... Sooo, right on to the next!
For me, there is nothing not to love about this book. Umm, okay... maybe I could have done without all the gory details about what the killer did to his victims - and there was quite a contest between 'Eww' and 'Ugh' during those scenes, I can tell you - but the rest definitely made up for it.
I wanted to cuddle and mother Miki the whole time when he showed his vulnerability (although he would be over the hills and far away if he would have the vaguest idea about it ;-) ) and yet I loved his inner strength despite everything he's been through in his childhood, despite the loss of his bandmates and best friend and when he faced his old demons. If there was ever a guy who virtually screams love-deprived it would be him and although 'trust' is virtually an alien concept for him, he opens up to Kane. Okay, it was a bit insta-lovey-dovey, but I loved the fact that there was no unnecessary drama regarding their building relationship and never a doubt that they belong together.
As for Kane, apart from being hot and a cop – two of my favorite things in books – I loved the way he cared for Miki. For him, Miki was always the center of things and came first whatever he did, what did not only apply to Miki's safety, but also to his needs (during sex and otherwise). He was just... to die for and I kind of wanted him for myself. No, scratch that, I wanted the whole Morgan Clan. All. For. Myself. Well, now I hear at least one of my friends objecting, because Kane's father is already reserved, but I might be ready to fight over him. ;-) The Morgans are a special breed and I can't wait to read more about them.
Oh, and not to forget about Dude, the little love-instigating rascal...
Who would be able to resist that look???
I just love Rhys Ford's writing style and the humor made me once again laugh out loud.
”If you're going to own a dog, you should keep it on a fucking leash.”
“I don't own a dog,” Miki spat back.
“Then what's that furry thing next to you? A fucking kangaroo?”
Well, after reading the ending, it might be a good thing that I did not read this book when it came out, otherwise I might have had to write Ms. Ford an email if she intended to kill me... Sooo, right on to the next!
January 16, 2016
Fun book, great audiobook, but there were a couple of wee niggles I noticed because I was listening and not reading.
First, while it makes sense that Kane's parents have Irish accents, since they are in fact from Ireland, why do all their children sound like they're about to break out into Riverdance?
(All Irish people do that right? Of course, they do. DON'T BURST MY BUBBLE.)
I kept thinking that if Greg Tremblay had narrated the book he would've given the Morgan kids a lilt to their speech, but not a full brogue. But GT can do no wrong.
Second, the word "lover" is used way, way, way too much. In the immortal words of Liz Lemon:
3.5*
December 26, 2012
Why was the step a big mistake? What was the `boom` at the end of the chapter 20 - a gun, a bomb, what happened? If there was no bullet wound what was the stuff trickling down Miki`s arm...gun oil? The villain was crazy but why the episode with the arson on Sanchez house? Made no sense! Do I have to pull all the strings together with my imagination? Isn`t the cliffhanger a bit far fetched? Was there ever such a happy family including über-mother like the Morgans? Oh, and of course love heals everything.
Call me thoroughly confused and annoyed....more later.
20 hours later, temperature back to normal, sad to say the time spent thinking didn`t make the book better.
I was okay with it first. I don`t like this overly damaged characters-theme very much, where the heros have to go through hell first before getting rescued by their knights in shining armor. But if I would try to avoid the theme I would find nothing to read in this genre. But please dear authors - don`t push it too far!
Miki was abandoned by his parents at the guessed age of two in nothing but a diaper on the streets. Sexually abused and tortured by foster parents for years. Got hired as a singer of a rock band, got famous and but lost his newfound friends and bandmembers, his soulmate Damien - the only man he ever called family - and his career in a terrible car crash with him as the sole survivor and permanently damaged.
Why not hang, draw and quarter these characters, I`m sure some knight will come, stitch them back together and kiss it all better...means - this kind of damage can`t be healed by the love of a man and a big happy suffocating-you-with-warmth family like the Morgans...
After I resigned myself to another round of love-heals-everything and over-the-top characters it went fairly well. Kane was nice, Miki cute, the dog funny, the villain evil, the details gory, build up of the romance slow, I liked Kane`s partner Sanchez, Miki`s manager Edie, I couldn`t stand the Morgan-clan at first glance (at least those I got to know the worst part of the family, the parents, appeared in the second half - I never liked The Waltons so that might be just me...) everything was fine.
Then - middle of the book - a drawn out shower-jerk-off scene (major pet peeve) and everything went to sh..
I couldn`t read the sex-scenes. For the life of me I can`t explain why but I found them way too long, gratuitous and - sorry, off-putting.
Every profiler would have a field day with our killer who suddenly went arsonist (Why Sanchez house? How could he know where the family lived? I still don`t get it...).
A mysterious boomerang-bullet who whizzed past but somehow grazed/hit Miki in/at the shoulder and hurt him as he fought for his life in the showdown. According to chapter 21 there was no wound. According to the author who commented here on the thread the liquid dripping down Miki`s arm was sweat and not blood. It couldn`t be blood because there was no wound but what hit him then??? Call me fussy but that small detail bugged me to no end.
The worst was the lack of explanations/answers. I went back in the chapters because I thought I missed details, I read chapters twice but couldn`t find any - and the red dots started dancing!
I wanted to know what happened at the end of ch. 20 but after that came the epilogue - three months later, everyone was happy all you need is love....end!
Oh, and someone finally mentioned therapy for Miki - for his bad knee NOT for the child abuse...Sims at boiling point AND...HEAD...HIT...DESK!!!
Better not talking about the build-up to book two and the cliffhanger - I thought the story couldn`t get worse - I won`t read it, promise.
Call me thoroughly confused and annoyed....more later.
20 hours later, temperature back to normal, sad to say the time spent thinking didn`t make the book better.
I was okay with it first. I don`t like this overly damaged characters-theme very much, where the heros have to go through hell first before getting rescued by their knights in shining armor. But if I would try to avoid the theme I would find nothing to read in this genre. But please dear authors - don`t push it too far!
Miki was abandoned by his parents at the guessed age of two in nothing but a diaper on the streets. Sexually abused and tortured by foster parents for years. Got hired as a singer of a rock band, got famous and but lost his newfound friends and bandmembers, his soulmate Damien - the only man he ever called family - and his career in a terrible car crash with him as the sole survivor and permanently damaged.
Why not hang, draw and quarter these characters, I`m sure some knight will come, stitch them back together and kiss it all better...means - this kind of damage can`t be healed by the love of a man and a big happy suffocating-you-with-warmth family like the Morgans...
After I resigned myself to another round of love-heals-everything and over-the-top characters it went fairly well. Kane was nice, Miki cute, the dog funny, the villain evil, the details gory, build up of the romance slow, I liked Kane`s partner Sanchez, Miki`s manager Edie, I couldn`t stand the Morgan-clan at first glance (at least those I got to know the worst part of the family, the parents, appeared in the second half - I never liked The Waltons so that might be just me...) everything was fine.
Then - middle of the book - a drawn out shower-jerk-off scene (major pet peeve) and everything went to sh..
I couldn`t read the sex-scenes. For the life of me I can`t explain why but I found them way too long, gratuitous and - sorry, off-putting.
Every profiler would have a field day with our killer who suddenly went arsonist (Why Sanchez house? How could he know where the family lived? I still don`t get it...).
A mysterious boomerang-bullet who whizzed past but somehow grazed/hit Miki in/at the shoulder and hurt him as he fought for his life in the showdown. According to chapter 21 there was no wound. According to the author who commented here on the thread the liquid dripping down Miki`s arm was sweat and not blood. It couldn`t be blood because there was no wound but what hit him then??? Call me fussy but that small detail bugged me to no end.
The worst was the lack of explanations/answers. I went back in the chapters because I thought I missed details, I read chapters twice but couldn`t find any - and the red dots started dancing!
I wanted to know what happened at the end of ch. 20 but after that came the epilogue - three months later, everyone was happy all you need is love....end!
Oh, and someone finally mentioned therapy for Miki - for his bad knee NOT for the child abuse...Sims at boiling point AND...HEAD...HIT...DESK!!!
Better not talking about the build-up to book two and the cliffhanger - I thought the story couldn`t get worse - I won`t read it, promise.
July 2, 2013
Solid 3.5 stars...
I really didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I typically don’t like “musician” books and though I do enjoy Rhys Ford’s style, I have to be in the mood for her mystery storylines. They get quiet convoluted at times. (for some reason, I like those kinds of books in the Winter time…:) ! Summer is all about sexy and sweet…) BUT, I actually really liked Sinner’s Gin.
Miki, the lead singer of the band Sinner’s Gin and sadly, one broken, broken man (emotionally and physically) is so sympathetic and it’s hard NOT to want to hold him close and take care of him. The more we get to know about his past, the harder it is to swallow. How he manages to love anyone after all of that is beyond.
Kane, an Irish-American detective and Miki’s neighbor is your strong-and-steady cop and I LOVED him. He was EXACTLY what Miki needed and the 2 of them together…*sigh*…well, I just really loved their pairing and how they came to depend on each other so much.
Sprinkle in Kane’s family, who I enjoyed as side characters…and one big WHOPPER of a twist at the end (setting up perfectly for book 2 “Whiskey & Wry”)…and I could overlook some of the slower, draggier parts in the middle to really enjoy the book as a whole.
August 16, 2016
Loved it! Recommended!
UPDATE Jan. 2016:
Dammit, why didn't I take 5 minutes and write a review!!
Dammit!
Update August 2016: awesome re-read! I will review this time but first, I need to re-read Damien's story!
UPDATE Jan. 2016:
Dammit, why didn't I take 5 minutes and write a review!!
Dammit!
Update August 2016: awesome re-read! I will review this time but first, I need to re-read Damien's story!
March 15, 2016
I don't know. I shouldn't have liked this, and parts of it I really didn't, but I got sucked in and I think I'm going to have to read the entire series.
So here is the dealio, I will not rant about this and I will try to only mention it the once. The 'Irishisms' in this were just awful. Think season 3 of Sons of Anarchy awful!!
Now I tend to avoid books with Irish characters or set in Ireland that aren't written by people who live or have lived here because this is a pet hate of mine but I had not read the blurb or any reviews about this so I didn't know about the Morgan's. I could do the whole nitpicking thing and point out everything that was wrong (we are capable of saying 'you' and throwing 'ye' or 'yer' in everywhere does not an Irish accent make) or I could just build a bridge and get the fuck over it. So that's what I'm going to do and like with Sons of Anarchy I just tried to think that the place where these characters were from was not my Ireland but some other place in the world. Nothing to do with me at all, never been there, know nothing about it and they can speak Gaelic there if they want.
The important thing to note is that the Morgan's were lovely and utterly supportive of their entire family and loved them all equally. They also loved and took care of Miki because of Kane. That's the Morgan's so I like have to love them.
I had a few issues with the narration in this as well,'the boy' and 'the singer' and 'the cop' etc felt unnecessary and distracted me at times but overall it was enjoyable and I'm glad I read it. It's total book crack but it's not all light and fluffy, there is angst and poor Miki just about broke my heart. It's a little dark at times but you always know that Miki and Kane will be okay.
"People like my mom and Miki are like kites. They need the sky. They need the wind. Me and my dad? We're the people holding the string. We're their anchors to the earth. Miki and I can feel each other through the connection."
Here's hoping 'Whiskey and Wry' doesn't make me lose my mind. Mythical faraway land, keep thinking mythical faraway land!!
December 27, 2012
DNF 57% - The style of writing in this book was what did me in. I have ranted and rambled, bitched and moaned, begged and pleaded enough about it before for other books that I will try to do my best to not go overboard this time.
One of my major peeves is when a character's name is replaced by other terms excessively. Not a few times here and there...I understand that, I do! But there is trouble when they take over and the desire to do a search for these words becomes overwhelming. The singer this, the cop that, the older Morgan, the younger Morgan but worse of all was the (fill in the blank) man. The younger man, the young man, the lanky man, the old man, the other man, the trembling man, the furious man, the man's fears, the man's blue eyes, the man's breath, the man's dark nipples, man, man, MAN!!!! >:( I won't do a breakdown, but a search was done and the numbers made my eyes pop, my head hurt even more and my jaw threatened to shatter from clenching my teeth so hard. This wasn't an issue with Dirty Kiss but maybe because that one was a first person narration? I don't remember enough about it to know for sure.
The stars are for what little I was able to get into the story. Miki and Kane could've easily wormed their way in, I liked them well enough. Dude was awesome. I'm still curious to know who the baddie is and might skip to the end to find out when I recover but I couldn't go on now. The last straw was when there were a couple of random POV changes where they had been consistent throughout the rest of the story at the beginning stages of the first major love scene that made me stop to figure out whose head I was in. It was time raise the flag and let go when I was barely hanging on.
One of my major peeves is when a character's name is replaced by other terms excessively. Not a few times here and there...I understand that, I do! But there is trouble when they take over and the desire to do a search for these words becomes overwhelming. The singer this, the cop that, the older Morgan, the younger Morgan but worse of all was the (fill in the blank) man. The younger man, the young man, the lanky man, the old man, the other man, the trembling man, the furious man, the man's fears, the man's blue eyes, the man's breath, the man's dark nipples, man, man, MAN!!!! >:( I won't do a breakdown, but a search was done and the numbers made my eyes pop, my head hurt even more and my jaw threatened to shatter from clenching my teeth so hard. This wasn't an issue with Dirty Kiss but maybe because that one was a first person narration? I don't remember enough about it to know for sure.
The stars are for what little I was able to get into the story. Miki and Kane could've easily wormed their way in, I liked them well enough. Dude was awesome. I'm still curious to know who the baddie is and might skip to the end to find out when I recover but I couldn't go on now. The last straw was when there were a couple of random POV changes where they had been consistent throughout the rest of the story at the beginning stages of the first major love scene that made me stop to figure out whose head I was in. It was time raise the flag and let go when I was barely hanging on.
November 20, 2016
Re-listen November 2016:
I liked it a bit better this time, but maybe it was because I had listened to it once before and knew the story? Anyway, I enjoyed Kane and Miki more this time around. I'm keeping my original rating of 3,5 stars.
Original review June 2015:
*** 3,5 audio stars ***
Interesting characters and plot including some heavy subjects, but it's not graphic, it's just hinted at. I did feel Kane and Miki got together a bit quickly and the were too. Their connection was missing "something." I loved Kane's big Irish family, especially his father Donal. The story was wrapped up at the end of the book, with a pretty big "read the next book!" last chapter that set the stage for the next book!
In short. I liked it, but I didn't love it.
The narration was good, but not great. It fell a bit... flat. Sure Kane and his family has Irish accents and Kane's partner had a latino accent, but that's about it. It was a bit monotone, you know? The narration didn't grab me and hold my attention, I found myself zoning out at times and had to go back and listen to the same part over again. I think it might have worked better if I'd listened and read at the same time, but I just listened this first time around.
I liked it a bit better this time, but maybe it was because I had listened to it once before and knew the story? Anyway, I enjoyed Kane and Miki more this time around. I'm keeping my original rating of 3,5 stars.
Original review June 2015:
*** 3,5 audio stars ***
Interesting characters and plot including some heavy subjects, but it's not graphic, it's just hinted at. I did feel Kane and Miki got together a bit quickly and the were too. Their connection was missing "something." I loved Kane's big Irish family, especially his father Donal. The story was wrapped up at the end of the book, with a pretty big "read the next book!" last chapter that set the stage for the next book!
In short. I liked it, but I didn't love it.
The narration was good, but not great. It fell a bit... flat. Sure Kane and his family has Irish accents and Kane's partner had a latino accent, but that's about it. It was a bit monotone, you know? The narration didn't grab me and hold my attention, I found myself zoning out at times and had to go back and listen to the same part over again. I think it might have worked better if I'd listened and read at the same time, but I just listened this first time around.
September 22, 2021
2nd Read 9/21/21:
One of my all time favorites by Rhys Ford. The story is full of mystery, murder, and intrigue, with some romance thrown in for flavor. I think what I really love the most though is how deeply we get to know Miki. He has a lot of pain, physical *and* emotional, that he is struggling with, and that really comes through in the writing. I also like how he doesn't just miraculously overcome everything when he meets Kane. They have to work through things and learn from each other before they get their HEA, which just makes it that much more satisfying.
********************************************************************************
Excellent. Another winner for Rhys!
One of my all time favorites by Rhys Ford. The story is full of mystery, murder, and intrigue, with some romance thrown in for flavor. I think what I really love the most though is how deeply we get to know Miki. He has a lot of pain, physical *and* emotional, that he is struggling with, and that really comes through in the writing. I also like how he doesn't just miraculously overcome everything when he meets Kane. They have to work through things and learn from each other before they get their HEA, which just makes it that much more satisfying.
********************************************************************************
Excellent. Another winner for Rhys!
April 8, 2018
~YEH, IT WAS GOOD!~
4.5
Miki St John is well on his way to super stardom with his band Sinner’s Gin, until faith steps in and takes them away before they have any real time to celebrate their success. They were his family, and in the blink of an eye they were gone. This is just another blow in the life of Miki, coming from a background filled with sexual abuse at the hands of monsters, and the abandonment that left him wondering the streets as a baby (life for Miki hasn’t been easy). His psyche is broken with some of his body, and he just wants’ to hideaway in his warehouse away from the pain and drink himself away. When a hunk of man shows up on his doorstep yelling at him about a dog, Miki’s life will never be the same from that point on.
Kane Morgan is sick and tired of a this damn dog stealing his wood (not that kind of wood you perves) and he is about to have a few words with the owner. What he never expected was the beautiful boy with the broken soul to open the door but still he’s gotta do something about that damn dog. Days go by and the beautiful boy is still a fixture in Kane’s brain but once again the dog strikes and Kane has some yelling to do. What he never expected was to find a mutilated body in the man’s garage. So now Kane has to put his cop face on, and deal with the fact that Miki might be a killer,or someone he’s going to do all to protect.
The men find themselves thrust into a friendship they never expected and an attraction that would be best avoided. As the murder investigation unfolds Kane finds out more about Miki than he ever wanted to know (or should know) and the information tears at him. Being with Miki is not a good idea, but he’s drawn to him in a way that is unexplainable and judging from the look in Miki’s eyes the feelings are mutual. Now they must figure out who’s leaving body parts on Miki’s front door and throwing things through his window. Seems someone has got a murder agenda and Miki is the key to that lock.
This book is a series of twists and turns, and heartbreaking shit. The angst is so super high my heart was breaking through most of it. The hardest thing for me to read is about the abuse of children, and Ms Ford wrote it in away where I was willing to go and commit murder for these hurt boys. Miki breaks my wee little heart; he’s skittish, feral, and so broken that I just don’t know what will become of him. Yes, he has Kane but he also needs some serious help (something he’s been avoiding). I understand his reasons for not seeking help; it’s his way of coping because going for therapy will open up wounds that he would rather keep closed. I get it, it is not a smart move but I totally get it.
Rhys Ford really knows how to start a book, and how to end it cus “gaaaaaaaw” I am freaking losing my mind with the ending of this one. I was feeling dissatisfied with that scene of Kane and Miki at the end there, but then the author threw a curve ball and I was like “Yes, I like this!” and now I want more. What I didn’t like so much was all the pain and suffering, seriously too much bad is just never good.
Overall, I really liked this one and gobbled it up till my eyes started to hurt. I like Miki cus he’s so broken, and I love Kane and his family. Dude the dog is also made of awesome; he’s a matchmaking genius (I am on to your game Dude).
Should You Read It? If you are a fan of Rhys Ford, yes. I am also down for interracial love in my books and the author is a master at this. I like that she writes Asian characters, and she writes them well.
4.5
Miki St John is well on his way to super stardom with his band Sinner’s Gin, until faith steps in and takes them away before they have any real time to celebrate their success. They were his family, and in the blink of an eye they were gone. This is just another blow in the life of Miki, coming from a background filled with sexual abuse at the hands of monsters, and the abandonment that left him wondering the streets as a baby (life for Miki hasn’t been easy). His psyche is broken with some of his body, and he just wants’ to hideaway in his warehouse away from the pain and drink himself away. When a hunk of man shows up on his doorstep yelling at him about a dog, Miki’s life will never be the same from that point on.
Kane Morgan is sick and tired of a this damn dog stealing his wood (not that kind of wood you perves) and he is about to have a few words with the owner. What he never expected was the beautiful boy with the broken soul to open the door but still he’s gotta do something about that damn dog. Days go by and the beautiful boy is still a fixture in Kane’s brain but once again the dog strikes and Kane has some yelling to do. What he never expected was to find a mutilated body in the man’s garage. So now Kane has to put his cop face on, and deal with the fact that Miki might be a killer,or someone he’s going to do all to protect.
The men find themselves thrust into a friendship they never expected and an attraction that would be best avoided. As the murder investigation unfolds Kane finds out more about Miki than he ever wanted to know (or should know) and the information tears at him. Being with Miki is not a good idea, but he’s drawn to him in a way that is unexplainable and judging from the look in Miki’s eyes the feelings are mutual. Now they must figure out who’s leaving body parts on Miki’s front door and throwing things through his window. Seems someone has got a murder agenda and Miki is the key to that lock.
This book is a series of twists and turns, and heartbreaking shit. The angst is so super high my heart was breaking through most of it. The hardest thing for me to read is about the abuse of children, and Ms Ford wrote it in away where I was willing to go and commit murder for these hurt boys. Miki breaks my wee little heart; he’s skittish, feral, and so broken that I just don’t know what will become of him. Yes, he has Kane but he also needs some serious help (something he’s been avoiding). I understand his reasons for not seeking help; it’s his way of coping because going for therapy will open up wounds that he would rather keep closed. I get it, it is not a smart move but I totally get it.
Rhys Ford really knows how to start a book, and how to end it cus “gaaaaaaaw” I am freaking losing my mind with the ending of this one. I was feeling dissatisfied with that scene of Kane and Miki at the end there, but then the author threw a curve ball and I was like “Yes, I like this!” and now I want more. What I didn’t like so much was all the pain and suffering, seriously too much bad is just never good.
Overall, I really liked this one and gobbled it up till my eyes started to hurt. I like Miki cus he’s so broken, and I love Kane and his family. Dude the dog is also made of awesome; he’s a matchmaking genius (I am on to your game Dude).
Should You Read It? If you are a fan of Rhys Ford, yes. I am also down for interracial love in my books and the author is a master at this. I like that she writes Asian characters, and she writes them well.
October 26, 2015
I just want to state I enjoy this authors writing, but this book is a good example of how your not going to love everything a favorite author of yours puts out.
Now to the book.
I never really had planned on reading this series because for some reason it just didn't appeal to me. But I think it might have been free at some point so I of course jumped on that kind of deal.
I'd say the first 65% of the book really had me going back and forth between liking it and wanting it to be over.
I'd be like:
And then I'd feel like:
I think if it wasn't so damn depressing in the first part I would have got along with this book much better. I didn't read the blurb and that is totally my fault. I was going through my kindle and all the books I haven't read and just tapped on it and decided it was what I was going to read. I wasn't in the mood for such a depressing read so maybe my feelings at the moment is probably why it isn't rated any higher.
I did like Miki and Kane. I liked them together as well. But the insta love?
Could have done without that. It wasn't that big of a peeve as it usually is for me, but still annoying.
I really liked the family dynamo in this book. I loved how supportive and caring Kane's family is. Loved Connor. Wish he swung for the twigs and berries team.
LOL
But I think my most favorite characters out this book were the damn dog, Dude, and Kane's da. Dude was fierce. He might have been small but the guy had a mean bite. Loved his loyalty to his owner. Donal was just an amazing guy. Loved how he put Miki to ease and how he spoke of his children. Great character, da.
I really like the last 30% of the book. I was pleasantly surprised how well Miki handled himself against Andrew.
The ending? This author is smart and the last part definitely drew me in and made me want to continue with the series.
Now to the book.
I never really had planned on reading this series because for some reason it just didn't appeal to me. But I think it might have been free at some point so I of course jumped on that kind of deal.
I'd say the first 65% of the book really had me going back and forth between liking it and wanting it to be over.
I'd be like:
And then I'd feel like:
I think if it wasn't so damn depressing in the first part I would have got along with this book much better. I didn't read the blurb and that is totally my fault. I was going through my kindle and all the books I haven't read and just tapped on it and decided it was what I was going to read. I wasn't in the mood for such a depressing read so maybe my feelings at the moment is probably why it isn't rated any higher.
I did like Miki and Kane. I liked them together as well. But the insta love?
Could have done without that. It wasn't that big of a peeve as it usually is for me, but still annoying.
I really liked the family dynamo in this book. I loved how supportive and caring Kane's family is. Loved Connor. Wish he swung for the twigs and berries team.
LOL
But I think my most favorite characters out this book were the damn dog, Dude, and Kane's da. Dude was fierce. He might have been small but the guy had a mean bite. Loved his loyalty to his owner. Donal was just an amazing guy. Loved how he put Miki to ease and how he spoke of his children. Great character, da.
I really like the last 30% of the book. I was pleasantly surprised how well Miki handled himself against Andrew.
The ending? This author is smart and the last part definitely drew me in and made me want to continue with the series.
May 23, 2016
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the humor and the emotions throughout. I am in love with Kane’s family and wish they were my own. The story was fast paced even with the romance being a slow burn. I was sucked in from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down until I was done.
July 26, 2013
This book had two great characters in Miki, the traumatized singer who was sparky and snarly and defensive, and Kane, the big, competent cop who is his neighbor and who falls for him. There were also brief moments of suddenly wonderful writing, where a metaphor or description just clicked. I liked Miki's sense of humor, and I loved Kane's family. And I adored the dog.
The plot was exciting, verging on the melodramatic at times. There were also some aspects of the writing style that I found a bit annoying, some descriptions I skimmed, and a couple of plot elements that bothered me from a plausibility standpoint. I wavered all over the place in my rating for this, depending on what part I'd just read. But in the end it was a fast, appealing read with plenty of plot and two guys I cared about, so I settled on four stars.
There is a surprise plot-twist coda, which I presume references the next book. It was an interesting decision to add that - those readers who dislike cliff-hangers may choose not to read it until they have the next volume in hand.
The plot was exciting, verging on the melodramatic at times. There were also some aspects of the writing style that I found a bit annoying, some descriptions I skimmed, and a couple of plot elements that bothered me from a plausibility standpoint. I wavered all over the place in my rating for this, depending on what part I'd just read. But in the end it was a fast, appealing read with plenty of plot and two guys I cared about, so I settled on four stars.
There is a surprise plot-twist coda, which I presume references the next book. It was an interesting decision to add that - those readers who dislike cliff-hangers may choose not to read it until they have the next volume in hand.
April 13, 2017
3.5 Stars
Orphan Micki St John has been beat down by life a lot. He's barely surviving through his grief and to make matters worse, his horrific past catches up with him as his former abuser is found dead on his property.
Kane Morgan is the cop assigned to the case and is immediately intrigued by this haunted, not yet broken man, and can't seem to keep away. As he gets more attached, the danger to Miki escalates as the body count rises.
What's not to like about an alpha cop falling hard for a tragic hero?? Was this a bit too fast?? Maybe … but it works. Why mince words or hedge around the bush when the attraction is there for both MC's?? No use in playing games right?
The banter was sexy, the murder mystery compelling enough, the progression well paced. Mix in some great family times and this was a pretty feel good, quite romantic, suspense novel. I really liked Kane - manly, possessive, yummy and not afraid to go after what he wanted. Kudos to Ford - she definitely writes long, explicit, and descriptively detailed scenes that I think many will appreciate.
Orphan Micki St John has been beat down by life a lot. He's barely surviving through his grief and to make matters worse, his horrific past catches up with him as his former abuser is found dead on his property.
Kane Morgan is the cop assigned to the case and is immediately intrigued by this haunted, not yet broken man, and can't seem to keep away. As he gets more attached, the danger to Miki escalates as the body count rises.
What's not to like about an alpha cop falling hard for a tragic hero?? Was this a bit too fast?? Maybe … but it works. Why mince words or hedge around the bush when the attraction is there for both MC's?? No use in playing games right?
The banter was sexy, the murder mystery compelling enough, the progression well paced. Mix in some great family times and this was a pretty feel good, quite romantic, suspense novel. I really liked Kane - manly, possessive, yummy and not afraid to go after what he wanted. Kudos to Ford - she definitely writes long, explicit, and descriptively detailed scenes that I think many will appreciate.
Read
December 2, 2012First off, I want to thank everyone who expressed an interest in this book. It is much appreciated. Really, you all have taken me so so far on this ride. So much thanks.
Sinner's Gin is a departure from the Dirty series. It's written in third person POV and deals with psychological issues rather than cultural. I did however have a fantastic time writing this although at times, I could have cheerfully choked the characters because I couldn't maneuver them into the story like I'd wanted. But eventually, it worked out and life was good.
Miki and Kane were a delightful couple to write. They are the focus couple in the first book. The series is a finite one, four books with different feature couples although you'll definitely see the previous couples as the series goes along.
Hope you enjoy Sinner's Gin and I am currently working on its followup. Thank you again! You all are fantastic!
Sinner's Gin is a departure from the Dirty series. It's written in third person POV and deals with psychological issues rather than cultural. I did however have a fantastic time writing this although at times, I could have cheerfully choked the characters because I couldn't maneuver them into the story like I'd wanted. But eventually, it worked out and life was good.
Miki and Kane were a delightful couple to write. They are the focus couple in the first book. The series is a finite one, four books with different feature couples although you'll definitely see the previous couples as the series goes along.
Hope you enjoy Sinner's Gin and I am currently working on its followup. Thank you again! You all are fantastic!
May 11, 2013
I actually read this several months ago and am just now getting around to writing a review for it. You know how sometimes you love a book so much, but just can't figure out the right words to say? Well, this is one of those occasions, and I figured it was finally time for me to do my duty as a reader/reviewer and get off my butt to share with you why I loved it.
I fell in love with Rhys's writing back when I read Dirty Kiss, the first book of the Cole McGinnis Series. So when I started Sinner's, I was expecting something along the lines of a similar style: something with a twisted mystery and heavy Asian influences. In my opinion, Sinner's is totally different, more focused on the romance and not the mystery. Yes, the mystery is still there, but it takes more of a backseat role, and I wasn't too worried about trying to figure it out.
This is about Miki and Kane. Miki St. John was the lead singer of the popular band Sinner's Gin until the night he loses all of his band mates in a horrible accident. Now, Miki is alone in the world, living in a warehouse with a mutt he calls 'Dude'. His seclusion is interrupted once Detective Kane Morgan discovers a dead body in a classic car stored in Miki's warehouse.
There is an immediate attraction between them, even though Miki is still a suspect in the murder. But Kane doesn't care; he feels a connection to Miki and makes it his duty to protect him. Let me just tell you that I loved these guys together! There was some good sexual tension and romance. My only complaint is that it was a little too insta-love-ish for me, but I tried not to let it bother me too much because I really felt the connection between Miki and Kane.
"Oh, Miki love, I more than need you. You're my temptation. My sin. I've got no intentions of being anywhere but next to you. We Irish? We like bathing in our sin."
This story was pretty dark and gruesome as it tells the history of Miki's abuse which was pretty graphic; my heart really broke for him. He really needed Kane at this point in his life to help pull him out off all that darkness. Kane's family of Morgans were just amazing! Hope we get see more of them in the future.
Once you finally get to the ending, hold on to your pants, because its a shocker! But don't worry too much because it's not really a cliffhanger; just setting up the story arc for the next book. Still, it's a pretty big surprise and will have you begging for the next book!! The good news is that Whiskey & Wry will be released from Dreamspinner Press later this year.
4.5 Stars
My review can also be seen at The Blog of Sid Love
July 1, 2014
Found this fun to read, lots of drama but with engaging characters and the plot kept my attention.
I am willing to overlook some flaws which dictate my rating and intend to continue on with the next book in the series.
May 4, 2021
I lied - the sheer number of times I come back to re-read these guys means I feel dishonest not giving the series all the stars. Going from 3* to all*. I love them, somewhere along the series I got suckered in. Not sorry.
--
Not gonna change the rating but having read the series got to admit I LOVE these guys. The writing smooths or Mz Ford has managed to take possession of my brain!
The story plots are a touch OTT but such fun, there's great guys, great family, great dialogue ..and a cute pet too.
I've already reached to re-read it several times and got sucked into the audio which is really good.
Definitely a favourite series of mine, but original review below because I can be objective ;)
-- --
I liked it. The story has flaws, the writing is often clumsy, the characters are pure victim/hero trope. But I enjoyed it anyway.
There's a lot of 'the young man', 'the cop'... to the point I ended up skimming the loooong sex scene because 'the man' licked causing 'the man' to arch, and it was too disassociating.
Enough Morgan's for world domination or a lengthy series, I shared Miki's sense of being overwhelmed; but ignoring the shocking Irishisms and not bothering to keep up with the who-was-who let me enjoy meeting the various hulking men and fierce women in the attractive, hyper invasion.
No Rock-star vibe and no real detecting, things came from nowhere and were often left unexplained. And the showdown
Prior abuse was thankfully undetailed, though there are some descriptions of gore. Noticed a few inappropriate 'thickening cocks' were the scenes before didn't fit the mood, but liked that some thought went into the pacing.
I could make plenty criticisms of the story, best not to look too deep, but ultimately I liked the characters and enjoyed reading about them, engaging enough that I could overlook the flaws. The last chapter is actually a teaser for the next book - it stole the ending of this story - would have preferred it was put separate to the story, but it was effective because while I'm not committed to reading the series, I've already bought the next book ;)
--
Not gonna change the rating but having read the series got to admit I LOVE these guys. The writing smooths or Mz Ford has managed to take possession of my brain!
The story plots are a touch OTT but such fun, there's great guys, great family, great dialogue ..and a cute pet too.
I've already reached to re-read it several times and got sucked into the audio which is really good.
Definitely a favourite series of mine, but original review below because I can be objective ;)
-- --
I liked it. The story has flaws, the writing is often clumsy, the characters are pure victim/hero trope. But I enjoyed it anyway.
There's a lot of 'the young man', 'the cop'... to the point I ended up skimming the loooong sex scene because 'the man' licked causing 'the man' to arch, and it was too disassociating.
Enough Morgan's for world domination or a lengthy series, I shared Miki's sense of being overwhelmed; but ignoring the shocking Irishisms and not bothering to keep up with the who-was-who let me enjoy meeting the various hulking men and fierce women in the attractive, hyper invasion.
No Rock-star vibe and no real detecting, things came from nowhere and were often left unexplained. And the showdown
Prior abuse was thankfully undetailed, though there are some descriptions of gore. Noticed a few inappropriate 'thickening cocks' were the scenes before didn't fit the mood, but liked that some thought went into the pacing.
I could make plenty criticisms of the story, best not to look too deep, but ultimately I liked the characters and enjoyed reading about them, engaging enough that I could overlook the flaws. The last chapter is actually a teaser for the next book - it stole the ending of this story - would have preferred it was put separate to the story, but it was effective because while I'm not committed to reading the series, I've already bought the next book ;)
June 4, 2016
A beautifully written m/m mystery romance set in San Francisco. Miki is a rock star that has had a rough life: abandonment, childhood abuse and then injury and the death of his band members in a car accident. He meets hunky cop Kane, part of a large Irish family and they are irresistibly drawn together. Throw in some hot sex, a cute thieving dog, an indomitable Irish mother and a surprise twist at the end and there you have it!
'It wasn't fair, Kane decided. In that sweet moment when he first tasted Miki in his mouth, there should have been something sexy playing on the stereo and the promise of something hot and chocolate for Kane to pour on the man's body for Kane to lick off.
Instead they were being serenaded by a terrier chewing through a steak bone, but Kane savored the moment anyway.'
'It wasn't fair, Kane decided. In that sweet moment when he first tasted Miki in his mouth, there should have been something sexy playing on the stereo and the promise of something hot and chocolate for Kane to pour on the man's body for Kane to lick off.
Instead they were being serenaded by a terrier chewing through a steak bone, but Kane savored the moment anyway.'
March 26, 2014
Rating: 3.25 stars
This is my first Rhys Ford book, and certainly not my last. Sinner's Gin is a story centering around the tragic accident of the band Sinner's Gin. In a car crash, the only surviving member Miki will eventually meet with SFPD investigator Kane Morgan. There is an investigative mystery involved which connects these two men in ways they could never have predicted.
So let's start with things I liked about this book. I liked Rhys Ford's writing style (though I did slightly cringe with her use of "suckle," but luckily it was only used once). I also really, really liked Kane. Sexy and a romantic, Kane is the polar opposite of Miki - from growing up with a loving family to having the patience to love a very "damaged" person. There's not much I can fault Kane in this story. And then there are the secondary characters, consisting of Kane's cop partner, his family, Dude (the dog), and even Miki's manager.
Now for the reason why I couldn't rate this story a solid four star: Miki. Sure, Miki is the "damaged" character with a crappy past. Well, crappy is putting things lightly, but you get point. However, I just really could not like his personality. Yes, he's damaged. He needed someone to look after him, to make sure he's eating, to make sure he's loved, to make sure he knows how to take care of his new dog, to make sure he doesn't fall flat on his face. He pretty much needed a babysitter. I could not for the life of me figure out why Kane even liked the pretty Asian singer (though he did try to explain it, but I call BS on it). I usually like there to be some give and take on both parties in a relationship, but my goodness - Kane was doing all the giving, and Miki was all for the taking. Where's the balance? I also felt like Miki acted more like a 16 year old instead of the 25/26 years he should be.
So after a while, I just started skimming the Miki-centered parts. But asides from him, I pretty much enjoyed everything else Sinner's Gin had to offer: an investigative mystery, a hot alpha male cop, and even hotter sex instigated by said cop.
This is my first Rhys Ford book, and certainly not my last. Sinner's Gin is a story centering around the tragic accident of the band Sinner's Gin. In a car crash, the only surviving member Miki will eventually meet with SFPD investigator Kane Morgan. There is an investigative mystery involved which connects these two men in ways they could never have predicted.
So let's start with things I liked about this book. I liked Rhys Ford's writing style (though I did slightly cringe with her use of "suckle," but luckily it was only used once). I also really, really liked Kane. Sexy and a romantic, Kane is the polar opposite of Miki - from growing up with a loving family to having the patience to love a very "damaged" person. There's not much I can fault Kane in this story. And then there are the secondary characters, consisting of Kane's cop partner, his family, Dude (the dog), and even Miki's manager.
Now for the reason why I couldn't rate this story a solid four star: Miki. Sure, Miki is the "damaged" character with a crappy past. Well, crappy is putting things lightly, but you get point. However, I just really could not like his personality. Yes, he's damaged. He needed someone to look after him, to make sure he's eating, to make sure he's loved, to make sure he knows how to take care of his new dog, to make sure he doesn't fall flat on his face. He pretty much needed a babysitter. I could not for the life of me figure out why Kane even liked the pretty Asian singer (though he did try to explain it, but I call BS on it). I usually like there to be some give and take on both parties in a relationship, but my goodness - Kane was doing all the giving, and Miki was all for the taking. Where's the balance? I also felt like Miki acted more like a 16 year old instead of the 25/26 years he should be.
So after a while, I just started skimming the Miki-centered parts. But asides from him, I pretty much enjoyed everything else Sinner's Gin had to offer: an investigative mystery, a hot alpha male cop, and even hotter sex instigated by said cop.
July 16, 2014
Sinners Gin is an amazing book. It had a lot of things I love in my m/m books and they were all done really well, in my personal opinion. Plus, there was a dog in this. So that was even more awesome!
Miki was a character I just wanted to hug. He lost basically everyone he cared about, the hardest loss being his best friend, Damien. Add being abused as a child, and you have a guy who really hasn't had a very good life. And now he's basically isolated himself from the world and he's alone. Until he meets Kane, of course.
I loved Kane. He was everything Miki needed and more. He was strong, loyal and sexy, which was what made me fall in love with him as a character. Oh, and he's an Irish/American guy that comes from a big Irish family. Bonus points for that.
And Donal, Kane's dad, was amazing. I loved him so much, possibly more than the MC's.
The story was really good. Of course, I love mystery stories and cops, so that shouldn't be a huge surprise. I also like darker books and books where characters have hard backgrounds. There's just something about stories like those that I can connect to.
I want to mention the ending, too. It was definitely a shock, and a good one, too. Basically, the ending opens the door for the sequel. But I won't spoil it, so you're not getting more from me. Just know, it was a shock.
Miki was a character I just wanted to hug. He lost basically everyone he cared about, the hardest loss being his best friend, Damien. Add being abused as a child, and you have a guy who really hasn't had a very good life. And now he's basically isolated himself from the world and he's alone. Until he meets Kane, of course.
I loved Kane. He was everything Miki needed and more. He was strong, loyal and sexy, which was what made me fall in love with him as a character. Oh, and he's an Irish/American guy that comes from a big Irish family. Bonus points for that.
And Donal, Kane's dad, was amazing. I loved him so much, possibly more than the MC's.
The story was really good. Of course, I love mystery stories and cops, so that shouldn't be a huge surprise. I also like darker books and books where characters have hard backgrounds. There's just something about stories like those that I can connect to.
I want to mention the ending, too. It was definitely a shock, and a good one, too. Basically, the ending opens the door for the sequel. But I won't spoil it, so you're not getting more from me. Just know, it was a shock.
May 8, 2018
I don't know why I waited so long to read this book! I had read the first book in her other series, and I liked it, but I wasn't blown away, but this, this one blew me away. Miki was just so broken and alone, and I loved how Kane was determined to take care of him, pretty much from the very beginning. And Kane's family was awesome too, hopefully, we see more of them in future books.
I enjoyed the mystery parts of it, but it might be worth noting to readers with triggers that this book features some pretty heavy duty abuse, although it took part in the past, not the present, and was never really detailed. I don't even know fully what Miki went through as a kid, but what I do know was horrifying.
I had a few little questions about the timeline though. How long had it been since the accident at the beginning of the story? I went back to the beginning and looked, but if it's there I missed it. Was it months, a year, two years? It doesn't really matter, in the grand scheme of the story, I just want to know.
I enjoyed the mystery parts of it, but it might be worth noting to readers with triggers that this book features some pretty heavy duty abuse, although it took part in the past, not the present, and was never really detailed. I don't even know fully what Miki went through as a kid, but what I do know was horrifying.
I had a few little questions about the timeline though. How long had it been since the accident at the beginning of the story? I went back to the beginning and looked, but if it's there I missed it. Was it months, a year, two years? It doesn't really matter, in the grand scheme of the story, I just want to know.
December 18, 2017
I liked Miki but I loved Kane. Kane was the perfect mix of sweet and alpha to me. His patience and kindness towards Miki was part of what won me over. I loved how unapologetic he was about his sexuality. As a cop he could have been very different when it came to that but he was who he was. His awesome family especially his Da can be credited for that, I’m sure.
January 2, 2016
I'm not going to play, Tristan James is a favorite narrator of mine, hands down. He could read the phone book and I might find it engrossing. Luckily, this kick ass story is a helluva lot better than the phone book!
I loved the close Irish family (my parents are very similar to Donal and Brigid so the interactions made me chuckle), the cop partner dynamic between Kel and Kane, and, mostly, the way Kane understood that Miki is, well, damaged, irreparably in some ways, but still able to create a connection.
I loved the story, though I found the stalker/murderer storyline to be tied up a little too neatly in the end.
All in all, I really enjoyed this and I look forward to spending more time with the Morgan clan.
And WOW do I love Tristan James. That man's voice does things to me...
Um...not those kinds of things! I mean he has a great narrative voice! Get your minds out of the gutter! His accents are terrific and he makes any story better. It didn't make me less baffled by the ending, but it did make it more entertaining.
This is a sexy, fast-paced, hurt/comfort, murder mystery with great narration and scorching hot sexy times!
Highly recommended!
This review has been cross-posted at Reviews by Jessewave
Read: 10/2015, 03/2015, and updated for audio book 07/27/2015.
Read
June 20, 2013DNF at 41% - This was kind of hard decision to put down this book, since the mystery was pulling me a little, and some reviews mention a twisty ending, but I was getting so frustrated.
I really enjoy the author’s Cole McGinnis Mysteries series, so I don’t totally understand why this one feels so much clumsier. There’s the narrative difference--Cole McGinnis is in first person, and this is in third, and alternating POVs between the MCs. That’s fine--I don’t care either way. But this one had a lot more descriptive nouns—“the cop”, “the singer”, “the young man”, etc., all over the place, and it’s so odd to see those descriptions when you’re in a character’s POV, and they’re talking to a character that they know (and maybe are falling in love with.) Maybe there was a different editor, I don’t know, but the writing and style differences were jarring.
That and the character chemistry was not working for me. It felt like two attractive ken dolls being pushed together, except one ken doll was an Irish-ish cop with a huge family and the other was a singer with no family and a very traumatic past. Their growing attraction felt very told, but for me, wasn’t very felt.
Your mileage may vary though, and this romance/mystery may work really well for you, but it didn’t work for me, and I’m a little weirded out and disappointed. Partially because I like this author a lot (and I’ll definitely buy the next Cole McGinnis book), but also because I feel cranky when I put down books unfinished that I paid full price for. But pushing forward was making me crankier, so better to get out now. I can live without knowing who the murderer was.
Again, it may work better for you though. I would check other reviews.
I really enjoy the author’s Cole McGinnis Mysteries series, so I don’t totally understand why this one feels so much clumsier. There’s the narrative difference--Cole McGinnis is in first person, and this is in third, and alternating POVs between the MCs. That’s fine--I don’t care either way. But this one had a lot more descriptive nouns—“the cop”, “the singer”, “the young man”, etc., all over the place, and it’s so odd to see those descriptions when you’re in a character’s POV, and they’re talking to a character that they know (and maybe are falling in love with.) Maybe there was a different editor, I don’t know, but the writing and style differences were jarring.
That and the character chemistry was not working for me. It felt like two attractive ken dolls being pushed together, except one ken doll was an Irish-ish cop with a huge family and the other was a singer with no family and a very traumatic past. Their growing attraction felt very told, but for me, wasn’t very felt.
Your mileage may vary though, and this romance/mystery may work really well for you, but it didn’t work for me, and I’m a little weirded out and disappointed. Partially because I like this author a lot (and I’ll definitely buy the next Cole McGinnis book), but also because I feel cranky when I put down books unfinished that I paid full price for. But pushing forward was making me crankier, so better to get out now. I can live without knowing who the murderer was.
Again, it may work better for you though. I would check other reviews.
July 30, 2013
A good read with an enjoyable plot and two good MC's. Miki, the emotionally and physically damaged rock star, with a past that is coming back to haunt him, and Kane the sweet Irish cop have a lot of chemistry and kept me reading. The book is told from alternating points of view and has a nice build to the relationship, while not sacrificing the plot of the mystery.
After meeting by chance when Miki's dog starts pilfering items from Kane's workshop, the two are then pushed closer when Kane finds the mutilated body of a man from Miki's childhood in Miki's garage. As Kane and his partner investigate the case, bodies keep showing up and threats are made towards Miki. Throughout all of this Miki and Kane form a bond that Kane is not sure will survive because of Miki's lifetime of trauma.
Other than a few minor points with wrapping up the murder plot, and some of the descriptive words during the sex scenes (that were just my personal dislikes) I really enjoyed the story. The end is not a cliff hanger by any means, but has a great plot twist that sets up the next book, which I am looking forward to reading.
After meeting by chance when Miki's dog starts pilfering items from Kane's workshop, the two are then pushed closer when Kane finds the mutilated body of a man from Miki's childhood in Miki's garage. As Kane and his partner investigate the case, bodies keep showing up and threats are made towards Miki. Throughout all of this Miki and Kane form a bond that Kane is not sure will survive because of Miki's lifetime of trauma.
Other than a few minor points with wrapping up the murder plot, and some of the descriptive words during the sex scenes (that were just my personal dislikes) I really enjoyed the story. The end is not a cliff hanger by any means, but has a great plot twist that sets up the next book, which I am looking forward to reading.
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