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Have Body, Will Guard #13
The Feet of Blue Pigeons
During a break in the pandemic, Aidan Greene gets a panicked message from an old college friend living in Luxembourg. Ethan Katz is a banking exec in Luxembourg for a bank owned by a family from the UAE. He’s discovered a money-laundering scheme which puts his life in danger and local security can’t help him because they are stretched thin from the pandemic. Can Aidan and Liam help protect him?
They haven’t worked much since the onset of Covid-19, so they welcome the chance to earn some money, and help an old friend. But when everyone around them is wearing masks, it’s hard for Aidan and Liam to discern real threats.
Their investigation leads them into dangerous territory, uncovering details about immigrant smuggling and who might be behind the money laundering scheme. The pandemic also brings back uncomfortable memories of life during the AIDS crisis, opening up old wounds and drawing Aidan and Liam even closer together, even as they investigate and face dramatic dangers.
Ripped from the headlines, the newest Have Body, Will Guard adventure is sure to delight fans of the series. New readers will find it easy to jump in as well. Romance fans will appreciate a subplot bringing two damaged men together.
They haven’t worked much since the onset of Covid-19, so they welcome the chance to earn some money, and help an old friend. But when everyone around them is wearing masks, it’s hard for Aidan and Liam to discern real threats.
Their investigation leads them into dangerous territory, uncovering details about immigrant smuggling and who might be behind the money laundering scheme. The pandemic also brings back uncomfortable memories of life during the AIDS crisis, opening up old wounds and drawing Aidan and Liam even closer together, even as they investigate and face dramatic dangers.
Ripped from the headlines, the newest Have Body, Will Guard adventure is sure to delight fans of the series. New readers will find it easy to jump in as well. Romance fans will appreciate a subplot bringing two damaged men together.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2022
About the author
Neil S. Plakcy
513 books682 followersI’m Neil S. Plakcy, and I write mysteries and romances filled with humor, heart, loyalty, found family, complicated heroes, and, very often, dogs.
Readers may know me from the Golden Retriever Mysteries, featuring Steve Levitan and his clue-sniffing golden retriever Rochester; the Mahu Investigations, featuring Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa‘aka; the Have Body, Will Guard adventure-romance series with Aidan and Liam; the Angus Green FBI thrillers; and the Smiling Dog Café healing fiction.
I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment on A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn’t yet have the words for being gay, but I knew I was longing for deep emotional connection, friendship, and love. That longing still runs through my work, whether I’m writing mystery, romance, adventure, or suspense.
An MFA in creative writing helped me hone my technical skills and understand what kind of storyteller I am. Since then, I’ve written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and been lucky enough to find readers who care about my characters as much as I do.
I’ve also always believed that dogs make excellent detectives. They notice what humans miss: a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief helped inspire my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps Steve Levitan nose out the truth.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, and the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work, from a café where dogs help people heal to a police unit in Honolulu to a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up. Now I hope to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, a sense of place, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my golden retrievers, teaching writing, reading, or daydreaming about my next story.
For free stories, bonus scenes, and new-release news, visit my website or join my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com. You can also follow my author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
Readers may know me from the Golden Retriever Mysteries, featuring Steve Levitan and his clue-sniffing golden retriever Rochester; the Mahu Investigations, featuring Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa‘aka; the Have Body, Will Guard adventure-romance series with Aidan and Liam; the Angus Green FBI thrillers; and the Smiling Dog Café healing fiction.
I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment on A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn’t yet have the words for being gay, but I knew I was longing for deep emotional connection, friendship, and love. That longing still runs through my work, whether I’m writing mystery, romance, adventure, or suspense.
An MFA in creative writing helped me hone my technical skills and understand what kind of storyteller I am. Since then, I’ve written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and been lucky enough to find readers who care about my characters as much as I do.
I’ve also always believed that dogs make excellent detectives. They notice what humans miss: a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief helped inspire my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps Steve Levitan nose out the truth.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, and the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work, from a café where dogs help people heal to a police unit in Honolulu to a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up. Now I hope to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, a sense of place, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my golden retrievers, teaching writing, reading, or daydreaming about my next story.
For free stories, bonus scenes, and new-release news, visit my website or join my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com. You can also follow my author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 30, 2022
The Feet of Blue Pigeons (Have body will guard 13)
By Neil S. Plakcy
Published by the author, 2022
Five stars
For a series to thrive as it gets as long as this one has, the author needs to keep the characters evolving. They don’t have to dramatically become new people, but their relationships need to grow.
Plakcy does this elegantly and with quiet emotional resonance. Lucky 13 in the “Have Body Will Guard” series strikes a few poignant chords, while also taking the reader to a place where most of us have never been (in this case, Luxembourg). The pandemic is very much in play, having wreaked havoc on Aidan and Liam’s security business. They have had to learn to live together in lockdown. Helped by their friends and neighbors, Thierry and Slava, they have learned a quieter approach to life, self-sufficiency, and gardening.
Then a call from a college chum of Aiden’s forces them back into the world of international travel, and dealing with the pandemic outside their bubble. Nothing challenges these two like a friend who fears for his life.
There is always a personal thread winding through Plakcy’s stories, and in this case it’s Aiden’s consciousness of the risks he and Liam run in their line of business. Dealing with a panicky client who is also a friend, they begin to understand something about loss and grieving that they’ve never quite dealt with together. In their forties now, these men have not seriously thought about what life for one of them without the other might be. The personal and the professional get knotted together as our bodyguards begin to unravel an ugly plot involving money laundering and human trafficking.
As has often happened in this series, there is a nice concentration on moral ambiguities, forcing both Liam and Aiden to think carefully about the repercussions of their actions—when what’s legal and what’s right are not necessarily the same thing. Plakcy brings in a fascinating range of characters, each of whom requires Aiden and Liam to rethink what they’re doing and what direction they have to take.
The world in 2021, in which this book is set, was a different world from any we have ever known. Pandemic and political upheaval (which have only continued to shift since publication) set the tone for the plot here, and Plakcy has created a literary landmark for our moment.
By Neil S. Plakcy
Published by the author, 2022
Five stars
For a series to thrive as it gets as long as this one has, the author needs to keep the characters evolving. They don’t have to dramatically become new people, but their relationships need to grow.
Plakcy does this elegantly and with quiet emotional resonance. Lucky 13 in the “Have Body Will Guard” series strikes a few poignant chords, while also taking the reader to a place where most of us have never been (in this case, Luxembourg). The pandemic is very much in play, having wreaked havoc on Aidan and Liam’s security business. They have had to learn to live together in lockdown. Helped by their friends and neighbors, Thierry and Slava, they have learned a quieter approach to life, self-sufficiency, and gardening.
Then a call from a college chum of Aiden’s forces them back into the world of international travel, and dealing with the pandemic outside their bubble. Nothing challenges these two like a friend who fears for his life.
There is always a personal thread winding through Plakcy’s stories, and in this case it’s Aiden’s consciousness of the risks he and Liam run in their line of business. Dealing with a panicky client who is also a friend, they begin to understand something about loss and grieving that they’ve never quite dealt with together. In their forties now, these men have not seriously thought about what life for one of them without the other might be. The personal and the professional get knotted together as our bodyguards begin to unravel an ugly plot involving money laundering and human trafficking.
As has often happened in this series, there is a nice concentration on moral ambiguities, forcing both Liam and Aiden to think carefully about the repercussions of their actions—when what’s legal and what’s right are not necessarily the same thing. Plakcy brings in a fascinating range of characters, each of whom requires Aiden and Liam to rethink what they’re doing and what direction they have to take.
The world in 2021, in which this book is set, was a different world from any we have ever known. Pandemic and political upheaval (which have only continued to shift since publication) set the tone for the plot here, and Plakcy has created a literary landmark for our moment.
June 22, 2022
I read the poem which includes the title phrase and fell in love with it. (The poem is included at the end of the book.) I was delighted to make the connection between the pigeons, who are not native to Belgium, and their confinement beneath the conservatory roof, and the plight of refugees which is at the core of the book.
I began writing this during a break in the pandemic, and before the fall of Afghanistan, so history really overtook me during the editing and publishing process.
One of my core ideas in writing was "how can Aidan and Liam protect a client when everyone around them is wearing a mask?" That was really interesting to dive into, and I hope readers enjoy it.
I began writing this during a break in the pandemic, and before the fall of Afghanistan, so history really overtook me during the editing and publishing process.
One of my core ideas in writing was "how can Aidan and Liam protect a client when everyone around them is wearing a mask?" That was really interesting to dive into, and I hope readers enjoy it.
July 27, 2022
This was a wonderful story! I have never been to either Brussels or Luxembourg and really wanted to go there for a visit. Never thought I would enjoy reading about banking practices but found it fascinating and loved the people who were involved in helping the refugees. I loved that Ethan and Bashir found each other and that in around about way they were able to solve Reinhardt's murder due to a very shootout. It is very interesting to read a story that takes place during the pandemic when things were easing up a bit before the delta variant struck and realizing how hard it was to protect someone when everyone is wearing a mask.
I was pleased to read that the author was inspired by the Alex Kanes books by John Preston that I loved so much.
I was pleased to read that the author was inspired by the Alex Kanes books by John Preston that I loved so much.
August 28, 2023
The best of the series IMHO
As far as I can tell, this book is the last of the series, and I think it’s the best. We find the two involved with a complicated group of crimes while they protect a friend. The locations of Luxembourg and Brussels add to a sense of European intrigue. There’s not as much sex as in the other books, but I don’t think the stories suffer, and once again a new couple emerges. I’ve complained before about poor copy editing and continuity problems in the other books, but I didn’t notice any in this one — perhaps the author’s beta readers help. It’s great to avoid the distraction of unnecessary errors.
As far as I can tell, this book is the last of the series, and I think it’s the best. We find the two involved with a complicated group of crimes while they protect a friend. The locations of Luxembourg and Brussels add to a sense of European intrigue. There’s not as much sex as in the other books, but I don’t think the stories suffer, and once again a new couple emerges. I’ve complained before about poor copy editing and continuity problems in the other books, but I didn’t notice any in this one — perhaps the author’s beta readers help. It’s great to avoid the distraction of unnecessary errors.
September 25, 2023
3.5 Stars
It’s rare indeed for any novel by Neil S. Plakcy to be less than stellar. Sadly, The Feet of Blue Pigeons (Have Body Will Guard #13) is one of those rare books.
There are far too many characters involved in a mystery that’s solved much too easily, and includes an almost unbelievable life threatening incident.
Even with these deficiencies, The Feet of Blue Pigeons is still a decent read.
It’s rare indeed for any novel by Neil S. Plakcy to be less than stellar. Sadly, The Feet of Blue Pigeons (Have Body Will Guard #13) is one of those rare books.
There are far too many characters involved in a mystery that’s solved much too easily, and includes an almost unbelievable life threatening incident.
Even with these deficiencies, The Feet of Blue Pigeons is still a decent read.
February 4, 2023
Neil Plakcy is one of my favorite authors and this is one of my favorite series. Love these characters and each book is perfect for them. They've aged throughout the series and their adventures have calmed a little but the character and story development are mesmerizing. If you enjoy great writing and well-crafted tales, grab this.
July 3, 2022
Outstanding
Purchased the book immediately on it's release. Read it in one sitting. Absolutely fantastic. I missed these guys so much. A must read. Dying for the next one....
Purchased the book immediately on it's release. Read it in one sitting. Absolutely fantastic. I missed these guys so much. A must read. Dying for the next one....
October 29, 2022
Another Notch in Their Belts
I have not been shy in identifying this series as one of the best of all time in the M/M world and this one holds its own in that respect.
What is special is how the deeply felt love story between Liam the ex Navy Seal and Aidan the ex teacher develops and plays out over time--indeed if you read the blurb you will note that it's as up to date as today's news.
The only problem I have with this one is that the plot is very complicated and there is hardly time to catch your breath along the way. You will need patience here and there but eventually you will come out of it with a smile and new respect for one of the great gay couples in today's MM literature.
I have not been shy in identifying this series as one of the best of all time in the M/M world and this one holds its own in that respect.
What is special is how the deeply felt love story between Liam the ex Navy Seal and Aidan the ex teacher develops and plays out over time--indeed if you read the blurb you will note that it's as up to date as today's news.
The only problem I have with this one is that the plot is very complicated and there is hardly time to catch your breath along the way. You will need patience here and there but eventually you will come out of it with a smile and new respect for one of the great gay couples in today's MM literature.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews