A sensual, clever, uniquely transgressive queer horror interpretation of a Conan Doyle novel.
A classic detective adventure gets a carnal revamp in this erotica.
By turns darkly ominous and sexually explicit, McOmber’s novel inventively reimagines Sherlock Holmes and his trusty assistant, Dr. John Watson, as they investigate a series of murders plaguing the mysterious countryside of Dartmoor in southwest England. As a forgery case has delayed Holmes’ arrival, Watson—rewritten as a frustrated, lonesome, yet incurably randy gay man—begins independently poking around the ancient bogland of Grimpen Mire. He seeks clues to the murder of Sir Charles Baskerville, who has been “buggered to death,” with animal paw prints scattered around the corpse. The Baskerville family legend is steeped in curses, sorcery, and witchcraft, as devilishly detailed by Dr. Mortimer. The physician is tending to Charles’ cousin Henry, who is afflicted with delusional hysteria. At Mortimer’s direction, a medieval priapic contraption is crafted, meant to relentlessly impale Henry. When it fails to quell his ailment, Henry panics that he will be the next Baskerville to be slaughtered. Watson—who colorfully narrates the story through a series of vivid events, coital dalliances, and historical facts—is skeptical that a rumored “enormous spectral hound” murdered Charles until the estate’s young, strapping servant, Barrymore, leads the smitten sleuth into some catacombs. There, an otherworldly portal hosts a variety of mythic beings and creatures. After the two men have sex, other corpses turn up, but Watson is most concerned with what he witnesses when local witch Beryl Stapleton magically teleports him from Merripit House, outside of Grimpen Village, to 221B Baker Street in London. Holmes, now revealed as Watson’s life partner, is entertaining another man. When Watson is ambushed from behind by an unknown assailant, he flees to London to regroup with Holmes and solve the case, but more surprises await. In this ingenious, stimulating novel, McOmber adds depth to Arthur Conan Doyle’s TheHound of the Baskervilles with era-appropriate details on the gay guilt and shame that consistently darken and demoralize Watson’s identity. The protagonist’s emotional pain is only suppressed with an opium tincture that he keeps close at hand. Exploring the story’s spicy blend of same-sex carnal and supernatural elements, fans of edgy erotic fiction will consider McOmber’s sexy, twisty, and creatively imagined revision a gothic triumph.
A sensual, clever, uniquely transgressive queer horror interpretation of a Conan Doyle novel.Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2022
ISBN: 9781590215197
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Lethe Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.
A travel writer has one last shot at reconnecting with the best friend she just might be in love with.
Poppy and Alex couldn't be more different. She loves wearing bright colors while he prefers khakis and a T-shirt. She likes just about everything while he’s a bit more discerning. And yet, their opposites-attract friendship works because they love each other…in a totally platonic way. Probably. Even though they have their own separate lives (Poppy lives in New York City and is a travel writer with a popular Instagram account; Alex is a high school teacher in their tiny Ohio hometown), they still manage to get together each summer for one fabulous vacation. They grow closer every year, but Poppy doesn’t let herself linger on her feelings for Alex—she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship or the way she can be fully herself with him. They continue to date other people, even bringing their serious partners on their summer vacations…but then, after a falling-out, they stop speaking. When Poppy finds herself facing a serious bout of ennui, unhappy with her glamorous job and the life she’s been dreaming of forever, she thinks back to the last time she was truly happy: her last vacation with Alex. And so, though they haven’t spoken in two years, she asks him to take another vacation with her. She’s determined to bridge the gap that’s formed between them and become best friends again, but to do that, she’ll have to be honest with Alex—and herself—about her true feelings. In chapters that jump around in time, Henry shows readers the progression (and dissolution) of Poppy and Alex’s friendship. Their slow-burn love story hits on beloved romance tropes (such as there unexpectedly being only one bed on the reconciliation trip Poppy plans) while still feeling entirely fresh. Henry’s biggest strength is in the sparkling, often laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue, particularly the banter-filled conversations between Poppy and Alex. But there’s depth to the story, too—Poppy’s feeling of dissatisfaction with a life that should be making her happy as well as her unresolved feelings toward the difficult parts of her childhood make her a sympathetic and relatable character. The end result is a story that pays homage to classic romantic comedies while having a point of view all its own.
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0675-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
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