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Brushback
EVAN AUSTIN, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR
It couldn't be simpler. All Evan Austin needed to do was find R.J. Gibson before his eighteenth birthday and the kid would inherit a huge trust fund. Everybody would go home R.J. would be set for life, the mom would appease her guilt, and maybe Evan would finally be able to put a tragic case from his past behind him.
But nothing in life is ever that easy. Adding to the confusion are a young woman whose boyfriend liked to slap her around and the murder of an Assistant U.S. District Attorney, for which one of Evan's former clients is now a suspect. Throw in his growing attraction to R.J.'s guardian, artist Roman Cavanaugh, plus the Mariners having another really bad season, and Evan's got a bit more on his plate than he can handle.
Not that it's ever stopped him before.
It couldn't be simpler. All Evan Austin needed to do was find R.J. Gibson before his eighteenth birthday and the kid would inherit a huge trust fund. Everybody would go home R.J. would be set for life, the mom would appease her guilt, and maybe Evan would finally be able to put a tragic case from his past behind him.
But nothing in life is ever that easy. Adding to the confusion are a young woman whose boyfriend liked to slap her around and the murder of an Assistant U.S. District Attorney, for which one of Evan's former clients is now a suspect. Throw in his growing attraction to R.J.'s guardian, artist Roman Cavanaugh, plus the Mariners having another really bad season, and Evan's got a bit more on his plate than he can handle.
Not that it's ever stopped him before.
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2009
2 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 5, 2011
I bought this book on a whim since I saw the price for $0.99 at Amazon.com. After I bought it, I checked the reviews here and they were not overwhelming, so I decided to keep my expectation low. Well, now that I'm finish, I have to say that this book is not bad but not totally a winner either.
My biggest issue, I think, is the main character, Evan Austin. Written in 1st person point of view, I don't find him interesting. Evan admits to himself that "I made detective more from dogged professionalism than any showy flare for crime solving" and maybe that's how my issue roots from. Sure, he is determined to help people, but most times I find him acting rather stupid, which ends up him having his ass kicked. I can't believe how many times the bad guys are able to skip his watch. I'm not huge on him being rather stalkery either. Plus there are too many cases happening at the same time, to keep the story from being focused.
I am not too impressed with Roman, the potential lover, either. Not sure whether Evan and him has enough chemistry. However, I raise my hat off to him for being patient enough when Evan is being stupid :). I do like the secondary casts, who are Evan's staffs. Would like to have them around, they ROCK.
So, all in all, it's an okay first book of a mystery series. But I am not jumping over fence to get the second one. Probably will wait until several reviews come in, if the book is released.
My biggest issue, I think, is the main character, Evan Austin. Written in 1st person point of view, I don't find him interesting. Evan admits to himself that "I made detective more from dogged professionalism than any showy flare for crime solving" and maybe that's how my issue roots from. Sure, he is determined to help people, but most times I find him acting rather stupid, which ends up him having his ass kicked. I can't believe how many times the bad guys are able to skip his watch. I'm not huge on him being rather stalkery either. Plus there are too many cases happening at the same time, to keep the story from being focused.
I am not too impressed with Roman, the potential lover, either. Not sure whether Evan and him has enough chemistry. However, I raise my hat off to him for being patient enough when Evan is being stupid :). I do like the secondary casts, who are Evan's staffs. Would like to have them around, they ROCK.
So, all in all, it's an okay first book of a mystery series. But I am not jumping over fence to get the second one. Probably will wait until several reviews come in, if the book is released.
October 25, 2015
2009 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge) and below is the Jury motivation:
1) This was one the best books I've read. The author is a master at characterization. The main Character, Evan is so incredibly likable.
2) A very detailed style of writing, sometimes a little too detailed, the writing being slightly bogged down at times. However the writing was smooth, enticing me along and keeping me intrigued. I felt like I was a detective along side Evan Austin, slowly putting the peices together. It was fun to read. A very vivid setting, highlighting the fine divide between the high life and the seedier underbelly. Some of the characters did seem to have unlimited supplies of money but this didn't detract from loosing myself in this world. It took a little time to warm to the characters but once it had warmed up, I fell in love with the detective. He was such a nice, good guy and his characteristics that at first came across as stuck up, actually ended up edearing him to me even more by the end. The blossoming romance was absolutely wonderful to read, moving deliciously slow, making me mork for it. I do wish there had been more of the romance though!
1) This was one the best books I've read. The author is a master at characterization. The main Character, Evan is so incredibly likable.
2) A very detailed style of writing, sometimes a little too detailed, the writing being slightly bogged down at times. However the writing was smooth, enticing me along and keeping me intrigued. I felt like I was a detective along side Evan Austin, slowly putting the peices together. It was fun to read. A very vivid setting, highlighting the fine divide between the high life and the seedier underbelly. Some of the characters did seem to have unlimited supplies of money but this didn't detract from loosing myself in this world. It took a little time to warm to the characters but once it had warmed up, I fell in love with the detective. He was such a nice, good guy and his characteristics that at first came across as stuck up, actually ended up edearing him to me even more by the end. The blossoming romance was absolutely wonderful to read, moving deliciously slow, making me mork for it. I do wish there had been more of the romance though!
February 5, 2010
This book is the start of a new mystery series involving the main character, Private Investigator Evan Austin. In the opening story, the characters are engaging and story is interesting enough to catch my attention and leave me wanting more. However, there are numerous problems with the book, most of which is a lack of concise focus but I’m still intrigued enough to continue with the series. I get the feeling as the series progresses the stories will become tighter and better and I'm looking forward to the next edition. If you’re interested in a lighter mystery with a large cast of great characters, this should satisfy.
The story revolves around the main character Evan and three distinct mystery story lines. The first is the main focus of the book ~ missing teenager, R.J., and his inheritance fund. The second is a young abused woman and her gangster boyfriend. The third and final mystery is the murder of a district attorney and the possible tie in to an old client of Evan’s. Together, these three mysteries drag Evan all over the place and require the help of a large cast of characters to find some resolution. Along the way, the missing teenager introduces Evan to a possible love interest and the hopelessly romantic investigator can’t help falling in lust.
Told in first person point of view, Evan is not a strong enough character to pull off this style of writing unfortunately. While he has interesting aspects to his character, including his strong romantic edge and dedication to fashion, overall he comes off as the weakest of the cast. There is a line later in the book that mentions Evan became a police officer through work and determination rather than brilliant intuition and that describes his character rather well. He’s definitely not too bright and makes obvious, repeated mistakes which give him a human side with flaws. Sadly, those flaws overwhelm his character and leave him with more weaknesses than strengths. He doesn’t seem to accomplish much except drink an absurd amount of coffee, shop frequently, and indulge in expensive, foolhardy crusades where he acts like a vigilante. There is quite a bit of potential to the character though and when the outside action is streamlined, this may give Evan a more dynamic personality.
Part of the problem with the character of Evan is the crowded and multiple story lines. The main mystery of finding R.J. and his inheritance was complicated and interesting enough to fill the book. The small dropped bits about the murder of the DA and Evan’s client is clearly the focus of the next book so while it’s understandable the storyline was added, it is unnecessary. Thankfully those scenes are kept to a bare minimum. Unfortunately there was a large and distracting storyline involving a young abused girl and her boyfriend that is lengthy and totally unnecessary. That story could fill its own book and helped to keep the book focused in one direction instead of several. Here the lengthy aside creates more problems and plot holes in the book than it offered insight and additional interest. The idea itself is solid and Evan’s handling of the problem is mostly spot on but it creates distraction and plot holes unfortunately which aren’t balanced by enough positive elements.
Some of the plot holes created with the numerous story lines were Evan’s repeated injuries. In one instance, he’s beaten so badly he can barely move and 24 hours later, he’s running and there is no further mention of his injuries or the impact they have after one day of recovery. This is repeated later in the book when Evan is injured in another action scene and mere days later he is running to exhaustion on a beach. The lack of continuity in something as simple as injuries extended to numerous smaller details. These were noticeable but didn’t detract too much from the story.
While the story had some clear issues, the cast of characters was fantastic. Aside from the problematic Evan, the women who did most of the work for Evan are wonderful with vibrant personalities. The characters of Edge and R.J. are especially scene stealing and hopefully will be featured in more stories. I was disappointed that Edge was written out of the story so quickly after being introduced as his personality vividly came to life in the book. Even Quinn and Roman were wonderful and added much needed depth and complexity, creating an utterly fabulous cast. I much preferred the scenes of Evan interacting with others than his own thoughts and actions as the writing was tighter and more dynamic with an energy to the prose that was sometimes lacking in scenes with Evan alone.
Overall, this was a good first offering to a series that has the potential to be quite addictive. Hopefully the inherent problems and lack of focus will be solved in the next book so the various personalities and connections can shine with a solid mystery component. The potential is most certainly there and the creativity is evident throughout the book. While the ending was a let down as it was ridiculous and implausible, the majority of the book was completely engaging and interesting. For mystery lovers, you’ll want to start the series now. I have faith the next book will be even better.
The story revolves around the main character Evan and three distinct mystery story lines. The first is the main focus of the book ~ missing teenager, R.J., and his inheritance fund. The second is a young abused woman and her gangster boyfriend. The third and final mystery is the murder of a district attorney and the possible tie in to an old client of Evan’s. Together, these three mysteries drag Evan all over the place and require the help of a large cast of characters to find some resolution. Along the way, the missing teenager introduces Evan to a possible love interest and the hopelessly romantic investigator can’t help falling in lust.
Told in first person point of view, Evan is not a strong enough character to pull off this style of writing unfortunately. While he has interesting aspects to his character, including his strong romantic edge and dedication to fashion, overall he comes off as the weakest of the cast. There is a line later in the book that mentions Evan became a police officer through work and determination rather than brilliant intuition and that describes his character rather well. He’s definitely not too bright and makes obvious, repeated mistakes which give him a human side with flaws. Sadly, those flaws overwhelm his character and leave him with more weaknesses than strengths. He doesn’t seem to accomplish much except drink an absurd amount of coffee, shop frequently, and indulge in expensive, foolhardy crusades where he acts like a vigilante. There is quite a bit of potential to the character though and when the outside action is streamlined, this may give Evan a more dynamic personality.
Part of the problem with the character of Evan is the crowded and multiple story lines. The main mystery of finding R.J. and his inheritance was complicated and interesting enough to fill the book. The small dropped bits about the murder of the DA and Evan’s client is clearly the focus of the next book so while it’s understandable the storyline was added, it is unnecessary. Thankfully those scenes are kept to a bare minimum. Unfortunately there was a large and distracting storyline involving a young abused girl and her boyfriend that is lengthy and totally unnecessary. That story could fill its own book and helped to keep the book focused in one direction instead of several. Here the lengthy aside creates more problems and plot holes in the book than it offered insight and additional interest. The idea itself is solid and Evan’s handling of the problem is mostly spot on but it creates distraction and plot holes unfortunately which aren’t balanced by enough positive elements.
Some of the plot holes created with the numerous story lines were Evan’s repeated injuries. In one instance, he’s beaten so badly he can barely move and 24 hours later, he’s running and there is no further mention of his injuries or the impact they have after one day of recovery. This is repeated later in the book when Evan is injured in another action scene and mere days later he is running to exhaustion on a beach. The lack of continuity in something as simple as injuries extended to numerous smaller details. These were noticeable but didn’t detract too much from the story.
While the story had some clear issues, the cast of characters was fantastic. Aside from the problematic Evan, the women who did most of the work for Evan are wonderful with vibrant personalities. The characters of Edge and R.J. are especially scene stealing and hopefully will be featured in more stories. I was disappointed that Edge was written out of the story so quickly after being introduced as his personality vividly came to life in the book. Even Quinn and Roman were wonderful and added much needed depth and complexity, creating an utterly fabulous cast. I much preferred the scenes of Evan interacting with others than his own thoughts and actions as the writing was tighter and more dynamic with an energy to the prose that was sometimes lacking in scenes with Evan alone.
Overall, this was a good first offering to a series that has the potential to be quite addictive. Hopefully the inherent problems and lack of focus will be solved in the next book so the various personalities and connections can shine with a solid mystery component. The potential is most certainly there and the creativity is evident throughout the book. While the ending was a let down as it was ridiculous and implausible, the majority of the book was completely engaging and interesting. For mystery lovers, you’ll want to start the series now. I have faith the next book will be even better.
June 21, 2016
This story definitely kept me interested. There were so many characters, though, that I couldn't keep some of them straight, even with my sticky note of characters that I tried to keep. Evan was a bit hard to picture in my head. He seemed to be an odd jumble of mixed traits, but the story kept me glued to it to the end.
I went to look for the next book in the series but there's no word of it ever becoming published. I'm sad that I won't be able to experience Evan's next adventures as they are hinted at towards the end of the story.
I went to look for the next book in the series but there's no word of it ever becoming published. I'm sad that I won't be able to experience Evan's next adventures as they are hinted at towards the end of the story.
April 3, 2024
I enjoyed this a lot and am sad that the guy never wrote another book. It was well written with good pacing and flow. There was lots of action and danger and suspense. I liked the characters and the plot was good and had me chewing my nails. I’m not sure about the ending. The very end, like third to last scene left the major plot ending up in the air I think.
The romance was slow, taking a back seat to the plot and not consummated at all until the end, non explicitly. But it was there and it was sweet and of course I was rooting for them. There was a predictable bit of melodramatic angst at the end but I love that stuff and it was very short.
I don’t know why there’s a baseball on the front or why this is called a sports romance. No one in it plays sports or even talks about the mariners much. He only occasionally makes baseball references and their one trip to a game was interrupted.
There a point where they have to hide someone and how they do it is ridiculous. The person would be found immediately.
The author really knows Seattle and has to be a native. I loved the inclusion of places around the greater Seattle area as well as a couple of bits of information about the history of Seattle itself. As a native who loves Seattle with all my heart, it was much appreciated.
For the era, the author did a good job of presenting a Black family without outright saying their race, instead by typical names and then a later comment about him being a rich white boy. I didn’t love the names thing and the part the characters play is too stereotypical but I do have to take into account the era. I do like the lack of pointing out the color of their skin.
One note: Abused people rarely appreciate the help of someone in the moment giving them anti-violence materials judging from the things I’ve seen, particularly with my foster kids and their friends and with friends and of course reality shows like COPS which of course aren’t edited at all. ;) More so, if they’re pregnant they’re even less likely to leave the abuser—they convince themselves the person will stop, they think they won’t be able to take care of themselves and a baby with no money, etc
Again, I’m sad this is the only book by the author and I highly recommend it.
The romance was slow, taking a back seat to the plot and not consummated at all until the end, non explicitly. But it was there and it was sweet and of course I was rooting for them. There was a predictable bit of melodramatic angst at the end but I love that stuff and it was very short.
I don’t know why there’s a baseball on the front or why this is called a sports romance. No one in it plays sports or even talks about the mariners much. He only occasionally makes baseball references and their one trip to a game was interrupted.
There a point where they have to hide someone and how they do it is ridiculous. The person would be found immediately.
The author really knows Seattle and has to be a native. I loved the inclusion of places around the greater Seattle area as well as a couple of bits of information about the history of Seattle itself. As a native who loves Seattle with all my heart, it was much appreciated.
For the era, the author did a good job of presenting a Black family without outright saying their race, instead by typical names and then a later comment about him being a rich white boy. I didn’t love the names thing and the part the characters play is too stereotypical but I do have to take into account the era. I do like the lack of pointing out the color of their skin.
One note: Abused people rarely appreciate the help of someone in the moment giving them anti-violence materials judging from the things I’ve seen, particularly with my foster kids and their friends and with friends and of course reality shows like COPS which of course aren’t edited at all. ;) More so, if they’re pregnant they’re even less likely to leave the abuser—they convince themselves the person will stop, they think they won’t be able to take care of themselves and a baby with no money, etc
Again, I’m sad this is the only book by the author and I highly recommend it.
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April 19, 2013While the first person narration sometimes rambled off on tangents, it was part of the character, so most of the time I rolled with it. The entire novel needed some tangent repairs to pare down the side plots that didn't propel the story forward. Now, that being said, even though the MC tended to go off on tangents (thoughtwise and actionwise), his narration was interesting and personable.
I wasn't sure what to make of his charitable behavior... I don't think he was paid for any of his work for the duration of the book, so it got to be a little much, but then I've often found rich characters conveniently so, so take that comment with a grain of salt.
My biggest complaint was the ending.
Overall, I do agree with other reviews that the MC recovered from injuries way too quickly, but I rolled with that because I was engaged in the main mystery. I think this character has some good potential for a series of stories, and I expect the writing will tighten up as the author gets more experience under hir belt. (This appears to be a first novel according to the GR profile.)
While not a rave review, I also won't tell you to stay away from this book. If you like mysteries/PIs and get a good sale price, check it out.
I wasn't sure what to make of his charitable behavior... I don't think he was paid for any of his work for the duration of the book, so it got to be a little much, but then I've often found rich characters conveniently so, so take that comment with a grain of salt.
My biggest complaint was the ending.
Overall, I do agree with other reviews that the MC recovered from injuries way too quickly, but I rolled with that because I was engaged in the main mystery. I think this character has some good potential for a series of stories, and I expect the writing will tighten up as the author gets more experience under hir belt. (This appears to be a first novel according to the GR profile.)
While not a rave review, I also won't tell you to stay away from this book. If you like mysteries/PIs and get a good sale price, check it out.
July 23, 2009
Update: Finished! It remains at 3 stars simply because I probably won't read it again. (My ratings are idiosyncratic.) On the other hand, I'd recommend it for a "good read," because it did keep me guessing up until the end, and I look forward to seeing more from this author.
So far, so good. My rating might improve to four stars depending on how it ends. :) At least the author can construct a grammatically coherent sentence and has managed to keep several balls in the air at one time. I hate books where I can guess what's going to happen (plot-wise; it's clear what's happening romance-wise!) and so far this hasn't happened. Some of the supporting characters are interesting and multi-dimensional (particularly Edge), which is not something one always sees. (The teenager is a little too well-adjusted and mature, but, hey, maybe the author needs a happy fantasy.) Needs a better proofreader - several words are just missing in sentences, and the author does not realise "lead" is actually "led." The gay aspect is just a part of the main character's life and the ways in which it is addressed feel realistic so it does not come across as "issue" fic. Also refreshingly, no one has been gay-bashed. At least not so far.
So far, so good. My rating might improve to four stars depending on how it ends. :) At least the author can construct a grammatically coherent sentence and has managed to keep several balls in the air at one time. I hate books where I can guess what's going to happen (plot-wise; it's clear what's happening romance-wise!) and so far this hasn't happened. Some of the supporting characters are interesting and multi-dimensional (particularly Edge), which is not something one always sees. (The teenager is a little too well-adjusted and mature, but, hey, maybe the author needs a happy fantasy.) Needs a better proofreader - several words are just missing in sentences, and the author does not realise "lead" is actually "led." The gay aspect is just a part of the main character's life and the ways in which it is addressed feel realistic so it does not come across as "issue" fic. Also refreshingly, no one has been gay-bashed. At least not so far.
February 7, 2015
This is a copy of a note that I sent to Jamie after I had finished Brushback. I had bought the book on the recommendation of Elisa Rolle and I'm so happy that I did. The book is definitely worth reading.
Just wanted to let you know that I finished Brushback tonight and I really enjoyed it. I read it over 2 days and I really hope that you will write another in the series although I must admit that you left the guys and the story in a good place.
At the end when there was the confrontation in the park I found myself having to get up several times just to get a break from the tense situation. You kept me right on the edge of my seat.
I liked all the characters and I really liked the story so I'm glad that I bought it.
Just wanted to let you know that I finished Brushback tonight and I really enjoyed it. I read it over 2 days and I really hope that you will write another in the series although I must admit that you left the guys and the story in a good place.
At the end when there was the confrontation in the park I found myself having to get up several times just to get a break from the tense situation. You kept me right on the edge of my seat.
I liked all the characters and I really liked the story so I'm glad that I bought it.
August 22, 2012
3.5 stars. There were a lot of balls in the air here (no pun intended) and I thought that it felt a little messy in the middle. The murder of the DA or politician or whoever in particular wasn't particularly interesting and it was didn't serve any purpose that I could see (perhaps all will be revealed in the next book?). It just distracted from the main plot thread that I wanted to see play out.
And RJ's birthday was always 'in a few days'. I was so relieved when it finally arrived!
It was a good read though, with lots of action, funny moments, and I even teared up at Roman and Evan's miscommunication. I liked it enough to want to read more about the characters.
And RJ's birthday was always 'in a few days'. I was so relieved when it finally arrived!
It was a good read though, with lots of action, funny moments, and I even teared up at Roman and Evan's miscommunication. I liked it enough to want to read more about the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2011
I liked this book. It was a light mystery, with bits of humor here and there. But I couldn't really get into the zone, that nice place where you don't notice anything but the lines you're reading, for more than a few minutes. I keep getting jolted out by the grammatical errors that litter the book here and there. I hope the next one in the series would be better edited. :)
I still finished the book though. I liked the way the plot twisted and turned. I think with better editing and proofreading, the author can really shine.
It's a decent first work :)
I still finished the book though. I liked the way the plot twisted and turned. I think with better editing and proofreading, the author can really shine.
It's a decent first work :)
August 18, 2009
Perhaps I'm biased as I know this author through online communities & am thrilled for her to have a published novel (and ok, jealous too!) but I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It kept me guessing & entertained. The characters were quirky & sweet & by the time the ending was near I was very invested in their happiness as well as their safety.
So bravo for first book published! I hope to read many more! :)
So bravo for first book published! I hope to read many more! :)
May 27, 2012
Excellent m/m mystery about a Seattle private investigator hired to find an about-to-be heir by the mother who abandoned the boy and his father years ago. However, things aren't quite as straightforward as that... This ends on an HFN and was published three years ago, so hard to say if there will be more books...
July 30, 2011
I wish I had read some reviews in depth; the main character is an idiot. And not a very entertaining one. I would say the book is mildly enjoyable; I skimmed a good deal just to get to the end. I was hoping for a new gay mystery series on par with my other favorite authors like Josh Lanyon, Jordan Castillo Price, Anthony Bidulka. This isn't it.
June 21, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. I don't usually read mysteries or detective stories, but it was recommended by a friend. It takes place in Seattle and had great descriptions and a hip undertone. Funny characters and an exciting finish.
July 7, 2011
If there ever is a sequel, I probably won't read it.
February 21, 2016
4.5 stars. Really good mystery.
February 24, 2013
I loved this book. Evan's voice was so great and his dance with Roman was wonderful. I'd really like to read more from this author.
February 10, 2020
Despite a promising start to a new series .... there remains only one title.
October 26, 2012
Good crime drama. Author has stated that she is writing a sequel and I can't wait to read it.
July 17, 2012
Charming but clumsy. The storylines don't always meld, but it's a good escape.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews