Dark Currents

by Doug Burgess

No one ever talks about what happens in Little Compton...

When David left home three years ago, he never looked back. Now, the only connection to his tiny New England hometown is his grandmother Maggie, whose mind is unraveling as she slowly succumbs to dementia. But when her best friend turns up dead and she may be the sole witness to the crime, David has no choice but to return to a place that never accepted his trans-identity and only ever wanted him gone.

Maggie's testimony is shrouded in doubt--in between moments of lucidity she talks about things that never happened, about apparitions, disappearances, and murders. But are they really only stories? After a man's death sets off a hauntingly familiar chain of events, it seems there's some truth to Maggie's words.

With a body count on the rise, David begrudgingly plugs back into the tight-knit community to seek out the truth. And while David returns home a changed man, he finds that the ghosts of his past have waited for him. He'll have to face them head-on before he can begin to unravel his grandmother's story and finally put to rest the mysteries of this little town, lost in the fog.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Horror, Transgender, Adult Fiction, Queer

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2021

About the author

Doug Burgess grew up in a small town just across the bay from Little Compton, where his family has lived for over 350 years. He has authored numerous books on maritime history, including Engines of Empire: Steamships and the Victorian Imagination (Stanford University Press, 2016) and The Politics of Piracy(University Press of New England, 2015). He has also published short fiction in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and other periodicals. Burgess is a professor of history in Manhattan.

Reviews

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A near-perfect blend of atmospheric fiction mixed with mystery. Not a standard mystery/thriller by any means...but a spectacular main character voice. I've added this author to my immediate "to watch" list and can see myself rereading this novel many times to come.

Main character/Narrative Voice: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★★
Actual Mystery(s): ★★
Pure Enjoyment: ★★★★★

So first off, I think that this novel is weirdly placed in the mystery/thriller category on the shelves when really, it's an atmospheric literary fiction with some dead bodies in it.

It's like alternative take on a Jennifer McMahon, if you gutted all of her unnecessary meanderings and subplots (some people like them, I do not) and left us with just the vibes and atmosphere—and added a main character that pops right off the page and into your living room. Don't come for the devious and hard-to-grasp mystery—this is not a Christie whodunit. This is an atmospheric stay.

Dark Currents follows the story of David, a transgender man who is returning to his childhood small town of New Compton, Rhode Island, a few years after his transition and right on the heels of his recent firing from a university.

Why is David returning to his hometown, you might ask?

Because his grandma, who lives there alone, is in the downward swing of degenerative memory loss and he received a disturbing voicemail from her one night. There's a body, there's a lot of blood, there's a lobster, and there's a man in the dark. Can David come now!?

David rushes to the scene, but by the time he arrives his grandma's forgotten the whole thing and is surprised to see him there. But the dead body is real, and its grandma's neighbor and life-long old friend. It looks like an accident, but David can't be sure and neither can the town—their witness isn't exactly reliable, after all.

With small town secrets, histories, family, and more colliding into one tangle, it's up to David and his ex-boyfriend, town cop Billy Dyer, to solve the mystery and untangle the threads of the past before it's too late.

My thoughts:
WOW. This writing voice. Every once in a while, you come across writing that just leaps off the page and into your room with you—the voice of the narrator is so strong and so vivid without being a distraction in its own right. Dark Currents is one of those books. I could practically hear David's voice in my head as I read these pages. I loved this book for that vividness alone as hardly any fiction does that for me these days.

Another thing I loved about this novel was that the story wasn't really about the mystery. It was about the people and their histories and how they converged in this particular point in time. Dark Currents has a bit of an oral history vibe to it, with vignettes of stories interspersed as David's grandma's friends tell him about the past while he tries to untangle the present. It also has a strong small town and maritime vibe, which also appealed to me. The sea and its secrets, and those who keep them.

Also, last but NOT least—this novel was hilarious too. Amid the extremely dark topics of murder, transphobia/PTSD, and degenerative memory loss and its affects on family, the dry one liners and situational humor that the author managed to organically fit into this story was just *chef's kiss*.

I loved it.

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[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does anybody else ditch the synopsis and go into a book blind? I did with this book and the main character, David came as a complete surprise. A transgender protagonist, yes please!

After leaving his New England hometown three years ago, David hasn't looked back. That is until he receives a voicemail from his grandmother, Maggie ...

"...Gotta come over here and help me, there's blood everywhere, on the sink and countertop and all over the floor, I don't know what to do I just found him and I'm sure he's dead and the lobsters and it looks like his head is..."

The thing is, Maggie has dementia. These calls are frequent and aren't taken seriously. And when David is unable to reach his grandmother he races back to his hometown, a place he's done his best to avoid.

I enjoyed Dark Currents. A solid cast and a character driven plot. Good pace, a whole lot of suspects and an ending I didn't see coming.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press & Sourcebooks for my review copy!

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the personalities of the aunts in the first half and the outbursts by Megs. I solved a lot of the book and the main issue EARLY on, so the reveal was meh. I was too analytical, and it was too obvious from the memories that resurfaced.

However, I still honestly enjoyed David as a narrator. Doug Burgess did a grand unveil of the facets of what made up David.

The pacing was pretty good, with ebbs and flows like the tide, but it never lost my interest. The weirdest part was the drowning scene which mainly seemed disconnected from the rest of the book. I loved how much history and paranormal elements were woven in and getting to know the town of Little Compton. The ending left questions unanswered and others tied up a bit too much.

Some of my favorite quotes
"Shut up, Mags! Here, have a Milky Way."

"This the day the Lord hath made, you little shit."

Overall a pretty solid 3.5+, so I am rounding it up to 4 stars.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being gone for three years, David is returning to his hometown. He received a call from his grandmother, Maggie, babbling about a dead body, blood everywhere, and a lobster. Dementia / Alzheimer's is taking control of Maggie's mind.

Rushing to his grandmother's, she seems just fine. At first she doesn't remember making the call, then she says she called the police and they ignored her. She's prone to memories that aren't ... hallucinations .... and of course, memory loss.

David thinks Maggie has just had another pseudo-memory until he goes next door to check on her good friend and neighbor ..and finds her dead on the kitchen floor.

Who would have wanted to kill the elderly woman, who by all who knew her, was a sweet woman who would do anything to help them.

Did Maggie see the killer? Was she next door to see her friend on the floor?

Maggie's testimony is shrouded in doubt—in between moments of lucidity she talks about things that never happened, about apparitions, disappearances, and murders. But are they really only stories? After a man's death sets off a hauntingly familiar chain of events, it seems there's some truth to Maggie's words.

This has a well written plot, filled with intriguing characters amid the swirling mists of mystery, murder, and dark secrets. David is a unique character ... he left town as a woman and returned as a man. His historical based vocation makes him perfect for this story, as he records his grandmother and her friends about the past ... and the present. These are not your ordinary senior citizens ...they are funny, smart, and tough ... and they can take care of themselves ... and each other. There's plenty of action, plenty of suspects .. all leading to a surprising conclusion.

Many thanks to the author /Poisoned Pen Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this small town mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m delighted to be the first person to rate and review this book. Actually, I’m kind of surprised to be, it’s a thriller from a proper publisher, in fact a reworking of an earlier shorter work and it’s really good, with a nice cover even. I didn’t even expect it to be this good, hoped it would be, but you know how it is with trying new authors and thriller genre is way overpopulated now and all that. Plus it featured a trans protagonist and oftentimes such things can steal focus, but here it was actually done right. Which is to say it was an aspect of the narrative and an aspect of the protagonist, but not the entire thing nor even the main thing.
Because no one should be defined by any single thing about them, even if it’s an unusual or less conventional of a feature. So yes, David is a trans man, he left his small Rhode Island town as a woman and came back transitioned, a fact that some of the locals are dealing with easier than others. For the local sheriff who used to date David before, it’s all kinds of difficult. For David’s grandma Maggie it’s an on and off process, like most things, since her mind began to unravel. But her best lifelong friends, David’s aunts as he calls them, it’s totally fine, they are as accepting as can be. In fact, they are as golden as golden girls can be. Until one of them is found dead. Possibly murdered.
David would have come back anyway, having gotten fired from his teaching position on discrimination basis, but it’s the urgent call from his grandma that speeds up the process. Now he’s back as a caretaker and finds himself embroiled further and further in the investigation. And then the body count goes up. And winter surrounds the small peninsular insular community, like the grey waters of Narragansett bay. It’s a proper New England mystery in that way.
It’s a proper mystery is many ways, actually. There’s lots going on, plenty of players, variously entangled, both in past and present. In fact, some of the novel’s best stories are set in the past and recorded by David, whose historical based vocation makes him in a way a perfect detective to solve these crimes. And while the plot is excellently elaborate, what really sang for me were the characters, specifically the older ladies. David’s nice, Billy’s nice, but nice only goes so far. The ladies were fun, smart, tough, surprisingly able for their advanced years and very good at taking care of their own. No quiet retirement for them, they’ve been operating a local salvaging service for decades. Each of them a very different personality, but together they were the four musketeers of Narragansett bay…until they weren’t. So I very much enjoyed them as characters, especially Connie.
Mystery wise, the novel presented an excellent number of the prerequisite plot turns and twists, right up until a gutpuncher in the very end. There are even slight supernatural aspects to it or maybe ghosts are just too inextricable from the fabric of old New England.
Tone wise it varied, overall it’s fairly dramatic, it got pretty heavy at times, but then there were all these humorous times, mostly courtesy of Maggie’s dementia addled brain and there was even some romance thrown in. Something for everyone. And a great atmospheric location to frame it all. It almost would have been/might have been cozy what with the small town and grandmotherly characters, but it was definitely (fortunately) too dark for that. Plus technically not all ladies of a certain age are grandmotherly. Some are positively piratical in their bones. At any rate, I really enjoyed this book, from the story to the storytelling. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

[Heather Daughrity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book far more than I expected to. It hit some emotional points for me: the main character, David, is a transgender male who moves back in with his grandmother who has Alzheimer's. The inner struggles that David goes through as a sort of side-story were beautifully handled and added an even greater depth to an already great storyline.

David rushes home to take care of Grandma Maggie after a frantic voicemail in which she says something about a body and blood. By the time he makes it home, Grandma is perfectly serene again, but David quickly discovers that Grandma's friend and neighbor Emma (who David calls Aunt Emma) has been murdered. Into the picture come two more adopted aunts: Aunt Irene and Aunt Constance. The four of them--Maggie, Emma, Irene, and Constance--have been friends forever and have helped each other through good times and bad.

Of course one murder begets another murder (don't they always?) and soon the small New England town where David and the three remaining old ladies live is full of drama, gossip, and danger. Add in some secret identities, a massive inheritance, links to organized crime, and you've got the perfect glorious storm of a story. Oh, and don't forget that Grandma's house has a friendly ghost or two, just to make it all a little more fun.

The best way I can describe this book is Agatha Christie meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood with some modern issues mixed in. It's a small-town mystery in which a group of sassy and lovable old ladies are both wonderfully fun and startlingly cunning as they help the protagonist deal with love, identity, and of course...murder.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark Currents is a difficult book for me to review. I’d expected a dark and maybe a little eerie murder mystery, but this is more an in-depth exploration of characters and emotions. The plot is secondary, sometimes feeling like an afterthought.

I love a good character study, so that would’ve been fine, except some indefinable thing didn’t quite click for me.

David, our main character, is problematic. He’s transgender, which I thought was handled quite well. But he’s a college professor with a Ph.D., whose emotional intellect is more like a young college student. I had to keep reminding myself that he was an adult male, at least a decade older than he behaved.

I loved the grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s. Her character is quirky and real. The assortment of aunts are all a little too over-the-top, and the town’s only detective doesn’t appear to be much of a detective at all. Like David, the detective also feels immature.

Pacing is extremely slow and the plot’s scope limited, so we don’t have many twists or revelations along the way. This story is more about David’s journey of acceptance of his own situation and his grandmother’s decline, as well as coming to terms with long-hidden secrets kept by the people he loves.

*I received a free copy from Poisoned Pen Press.*

[David Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Not quite a cozy but quaint nonetheless.
David gets a call from his dementia addled grandma that there's a body and a lobster. Having just lost his job he quickly goes back to the small coastal town he left as a girl a few years ago. When he gets there he finds his grandma's next door neighbor dead on her kitchen floor with a lobster loose and this begins the mystery, did his grandma witness a murder? With her unreliable memories it's hard to tell. As this slow burn, character driven story continues we meet David's aunt's as well as an ex-boyfriend police chief David had a history with before he transitioned. Filled with wit and humor, primarily with his elderly aunt's, as well as the issues a trans person must confront, this one held my attention but didn't have what it takes for me to love it. It's very well written, the plot flows evenly and the conclusion does come as a surprise but I'm finding it hard to put my finger on what was lacking. I did find the aunt's profession (running a wrecking and salvaging operation) and involvement in the case improbable but that is just a minor issue for me. All in all this is a fun mystery with compelling characters and while entertaining it just left me uninspired.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. Dark Currents is definitely more character driven, rather than the plot driven books I prefer. The first half was incredibly slow and didn’t seem like it was going anywhere. There was a lot of focus on David and his transgender identity and less about a murder. I thoroughly enjoyed David’s character and the reality of dealing with transition and hateful slurs. It really meant a lot to me, to read about the transgender issues that are prevalent in today’s society. The book definitely took an adventurous turn for the better, though. I did not see that ending coming, at all! It was quite a fun surprise. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this book was certainly different than any others I’ve read. I’m giving it 3.5 stars because the book focused more on characters, rather than a thrilling and suspenseful plot. It was still a good, worthwhile read, nonetheless.

[Courtney Halverson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much a character driven book and I loved that the main character was transgender. That being said a lot of the characters felt very emotionally immature and a lot of the book seemed completely unrealistic to me. It was an interesting plot and very easy to read.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dark Currents” by Doug Burgess is a southern mystery that starts with a phone call – David’s grandmother says someone is trying to kill her. When David gets to his ex-hometown, the one he left before transitioning to male, he discovers a body – of his grandmother’s next-door neighbor.

The police detective looking into the case knew David, as everyone else in the novel does too, as female and the two start a new kind of relationship that ebbs and flows toward progress. Meanwhile, there is something going on – only to get to the heart of it, they have to rely on David’s grandmother who is becoming senile.

As her memory senses decrease, she is an unreliable witness, but somewhere in what she’s said is the truth – there was a murder, and it ties her and her friends together.

This was a very good book in itself as a mystery and thriller. It reminded me a lot of the “Golden Girls” for some reason, though with a dark twinge of course, but it was about the resilience of these women who stuck together as much as they could and the decisions they made that affect them now.

Though it deals with murder and crime, the book also has a lot of heart and soul. The main character being transgender is brought up because the character was female when he grew up in the town, so coming back it’s an adjustment but one that’s dealt with respectfully. The most intense scenes with this topic are between David and his grandmother, at once she recognizes him and then doesn’t, and it hurts all the more because she was his biggest supporter when he was a transgender youth.

I think this book kind of flew under the radar, but if you’re looking for a good mystery that includes a diverse main lead, this book is one to pick up.

It had good pacing, setting, and everything else writer’s who know what they’re doing have in their books and keep you invested with both an intricate plot but interesting characters who are more than the labels society puts on them.

Recommended.

[Sarah Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

When David moved away from the tight-knit town of Little Compton years ago, he didn't expect to return so soon. But after receiving an alarming and confusing call from his grandmother, Maggie, who lives with dementia, he knows he has to go back and face the town that has never accepted his transgender identity. Maggie's best friend Emma is found dead and Maggie may know what happened, but things are complicated by her dwindling memory. David is left to pick up the missing pieces while dealing with all of the people he left behind.

Doug Burgess is a great writer! I found the first part of this book to be slower paced, focusing on introducing readers to the history behind David's hometown and his previous experiences there. The characters were endearing with just the right amount of mystery. This was my first time reading a book with a trans main character, and I appreciated the insight into the challenges that transgender people may face. I've been looking for books with more diverse characters and a mysterious plot, and this one hit the mark for me.

I loved the intergenerational aspect of this story. The parts when David really connects with his aunts and grandmother really stood out for me. I enjoyed learning more about each character's past and liked that they kept me guessing, especially Maggie since her memory was unreliable at times.

The last part of the book was a page turner for me. By about 2/3's of the way through I didn't want to put this down. I really wanted to see how it ended and how the story came together. The ending was completely unexpected for me and I will definitely be looking for more from this author

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary ARC to review.

[Randi’s Bookshelf · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may be the worst book I’ve ever read.
Spoilers included.
Now to start off with the good, I think the laughing Sarah’s back stories and young life is the only thing interesting in this book. Would have much preferred a novel about them.
But with that being said: this book is bad mostly because it almost felt like a spoof or joke version of a real thriller.
1. In my opinion the writing itself fell very flat. The story never had smooth transitions. The time frames were very confusing and sometimes didn’t feel like they lined up. It felt like there was too much filler for some things and then other things felt like they were never properly addressed.
2. My BIGGEST complaint is how no one cared. Someone die or the ‘big reveal’ of who was the killer and it was almost as if everyone shrugged their shoulders and moved on. Like if I found out some of these family secrets I would seriously be shocked. The main character never once had any reaction recorded in the book. The author never had him feeling any sort of way about anything. It was just every time accepted
3. Everyone saw everything with ‘rose glasses’ the whole time. Kind of going back to point two but the fact that David just brushes everything off. Billy brushes everything off, even as a cop just goes along with it. Not to mention how none of what he did is even remotely accurate to what a police officer would do.
I could go on forever but honestly this was just such a miss for me. I do think it had potential but everything was such a big miss to the point where when the book was done I was almost frustrated at it

[Tanya R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Dark Currents!

I did not see this one coming. It snuck up on me like a sneaker wave and completely bowled me over.

There is a lovely little mystery within a murder mystery in this story that some reviewers said they guessed pretty early on, but I didn't! Lots of twists and turns kept me guessing until the end, like the very end. Every time I thought it was wrapped up, it wasn't. So fun!

Even better than they mystery though were the characters! I loved the way Burgess brought the characters to life. The MC is a Trans man - this is my first Trans MC and it put such a unique stamp on the story. So wonderful. Then comes the Laughing Sarahs, otherwise known as the MC's grandmother and aunts and they were a hoot! Sarcastic, caring, know-it-all women who just jumped off the page. The one-liners that were dropped throughout this book had me rolling and actually laughing out loud.

Dark Currents is set in the Eastern seaboard amongst a small town. Between the small town gossips and the foggy, ocean setting, I felt like I was completely immersed in this literary murder mystery.

I want to tell everyone to pick this on up and read it. It's such a wonderful book from start to end. An easy 5 stars for me and this may make my Top 10 of 2022!

I don't think I've ever read a #PoisonedPenPress book that I didn't like but this may just be my favorite from this publisher. They've picked an amazing storyteller to publish in Doug Burgess. Can't wait for his next book!!

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

David returns home to check on his grandmother, who has dementia and lives alone, after she leaves him an alarming message. David arrives and soon finds his grandmother's best friend dead under what appears to be suspicious circumstances.

This is a murder mystery novel and while this aspect of the book works fine, it's far from the best part. The best part is David's relationship with his grandma, how he looks out for her (as do her longtime friends) as she slides deeper into the throes of dementia, how he asks her to tell family stories that he's heard many times before because he knows it keeps her rooted in the present and to capture them before they are lost (an that also happen to provide clues to the mystery). The other best part is David's journey as a transgender person and the storytelling around his character. It's a mystery novel, but it's also about identity, acceptance, secrets, and the complexity of relationships.

Rating: 3.5

[Caitlin Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

As a lifelong RI resident, I was excited to read a book set in this state! Plus it was fun and a good mystery with likeable characters. My only complaints were really just a few things that were mentioned about RI but were slightly inaccurate (it's Westminster St. not Westminster Ave.) but really that's just me being nitpicky since I live here. Some of the other things about RI were painfully accurate (we're all wondering if Dunkin is open on Christmas and we all stock up on milk and bread to prepare for inclement weather).

I liked this author's voice and style and I learned a lot about boats as well as wrecking and salvage. I would be interested to read other works by this author!

[R8ch · Rating 3 out of 5]

not exactly what i was expecting, but a pleasant surprise. I didn’t read much about this before starting, so when i learned the main character was trans it warmed my heart. love to see some visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, and better yet tied into one of my favorite genres? that’s a win in my book (or i guess i should say in Dave Burgess’ book). Not to mention i loved the dialogue between the characters, especially the aunts. They felt so real at times and I could picture it so well. I won’t lie i was a bit bored at times reading this (mostly just the maggie backstories about robie gold and sylvanus, but i later learn why they are so important to know about). all in all it’s a pretty good read

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

David gets a frantic call from his grandmother, Maggie. She may have witnessed the murder of her neighbor and best friend. But she has dementia, so it may not be true. David left the small New England town some years ago for a reason and doesn’t really want to be back there. When not one but two people are murdered, David finds himself investigating.

There is mystery and is suspenseful at times, but is not dark (although secrets may be) nor a thriller. It is more of a character study and the reasons we do what we do and who we are. That said, I found this story moving and captivating. I enjoyed the plot as it moved well to a satisfying conclusion.

[RobynLynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to begin, David, who didn't begin as a David, keeps you kind of feeling sorry for him. Seems like the focus is built around transgender issues as the transition seemed to be difficult for her/him. BUT WOW the grandmother and friends are hilarious, even though Alzheimers is the diagnosis for the grandmother. They are quick-witted and funny as well as full of secrets! Discovering how relationships are truly intertwined is very interesting. Little Compton sounds like a beautiful town with ships and great views. This book is a great Mystery-Suspenseful read. You will want to stay for the surprise ending!!! Great Author, this one! I am looking forward to reading more books by Doug

[Barbara Gillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. The writing was exceptional - atmospheric, humorous and yet at times sorrowful. The characters were very well developed, though I agree with another reviewer and felt that David was somewhat younger emotionally than his years.
The portrait of the town, and it's maritime history was extremely entertaining. I loved the development of the Laughing Sarah's relationship and was truly surprised at the end-story.
This was a very enjoyable read.
Thanks to Goodreads for the giveaway.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the Trans representation in this book as it isn't something I've seen in any books I've read.

That being said, I almost DNF'd this book because it just felt like a messy story. There was so much going on in a short novel, some that didn't seem important to the plot. The ending seemed rushed as well, but it did tie up some of the more confusing loose ends.

I would say this one is really 2.5 stars for me, but I rounded up. I couldn't see re-reading this one, but I am happy I choose to finish it to see where the story went.

[Dianne Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific book, much better than I expected. The main character, David was great. And he has come back home to care for his grandmother, Maggie, who has dementia.

I don’t want to give anything away because there is so much going on. But, there are murders uncovered, and family history unfolding in this small town of Little Compton, RI.

And I do love maritime history, pirates, and old New England tales. Some of my favorite topics.

[Teresa Lavender · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a whole lot of everything going on in this novel. I don't even know where to start. I will say, if you like a good mystery with a slew of twists and turns - this is the novel for you! Set in New England near the ocean this story has some deep-rooted family stuff going on, some timely issues, a touch of romance, and a lot of drama!

[Shuntae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dark Currents is a good book, mostly.
A really quick read, I couldn't put it down. It had great themes of love & acceptance & friendship.
I'll be honest, I was expecting a greater twist. Something sinister & jaw dropping. But, the ending fell flat for me. So disappointing.

Idk I liked the book well enough but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[Brenda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful little book! I love the unique characters. They are so flawed and yet so perfect. I want them in my family. And then there are plenty of surprises along the way to solving the murder.

[Retrogirl20 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cool story! I love that the MC is a Trans man, this is representation that is so important! This story immediately drew me in and had me hooked until the very end. The ending I felt was perfect!

[John Dickson]

Tue, Mar 16 at 2:12 AM

Congratulations John!

You are one of our Giveaways lucky winners!
Dark Currents Have not got it yet.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow, and not that interesting. Wasn't for me

[Michelle Gerace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, twists and turns, keeps your attention and wanting to keep reading.

[Kathleen Seagriff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so charming.
It had all the pleasing qualities of a classic cozy mystery without feeling cliched or predictable.