L.A. Heat

I like murder mysteries, but my tastes run more towards the "cozy" variety, you know the kind of who-done-it that Agatha Christie and Lillian Jackson Braun are famous for. I tend to avoid novels I perceive to be sadistic or gratuitously violent, where the murderer is a psychotic serial killer. I was going to pass on L.A. HEAT for this reason, but it came highly recommended by a friend and fellow reader whose opinion I greatly respect, so reluctantly I gave it a go. I am really glad I did. LA's gay community is being stalked by one of the above mentioned monsters. Young, horribly mutilated male corpses are piling up, and it's the job of Police Detective David Laine and his partner, Martinez, to solve the case and stop the killer before any more murders occur. David is a tall muscular bear of a man with a ruddy complexion and a big mustache, kind of an extra-large Tommy Lee Jones. He's gay, and not surprisingly, firmly buried in the closet. Through the course of the investigation, David's attention becomes focused on Chris Bellamere. Chris is a sharp, expensively dressed, California golden boy, and absolutely the most beautiful man David has ever seen, but Chris's familiarity with more than one of the victims also makes him David's prime suspect. David's enamored of Chris, even though Chris might be a vicious killer, but he doesn't think he'd stand a romantic chance with the built blonde head-turner. Chris, however, finds David extremely sexy in an unexplainable way, and decides to make a move, igniting a passion that leaves both men weak in the knees. P.A. Brown delivers a chilling, focused and incredibly satisfying thriller. Her fast pacing is top-notch, and her characters are well developed and believable. She provides enough red-herrings to keep even the most seasoned mystery reader guessing. I'm not going to rush right out and buy every gay murder/thriller available. As good as this novel is my tastes are still pretty much in tact. But, I will be first in line to buy any sequels Ms. Brown cares to offer, because L.A. HEAT is one terrific book.

I love gay couple playing sleuth. This crime mystery about David, a closeted LAPD cop, and Chris, a hot party goer computer whiz, in hot pursue of a psycopath serial killer is one gripping and suspenseful thriller. The plot pulls you in from page one with never a dull moment The writer's description is vivid and one has to appreciate her effort on the details of the crime investigation. Interweaved into the suspense is of course the budding romance between David and Chris, two very credible and likable characters. Their love story is believable and one could not help but cheer them on. The last few chapters are heart pounding scenes as I find myself wincing at a few terrifying moments. Definitely one of the best gay mystery & suspense I have read in a while and I hope P.A. Brown will give us more on this couple.

L.A. Heat is the kind of book that makes you wonder how this could be a debut novel. This suspenseful, carefully-plotted mystery has all the earmarks of some of the best (and more seasoned) mystery pros in the business. Its setting is realistic and at times seamy, its characters sympathetic and real, its attention to detail (especially police procedure) astonishing, and its pacing deft...definitely in the category of "can't put down." I look forward to more from P.A. Brown. She's a winner.

This is by no means one of the "best written" books I've read but it's been a long time since I read one I had such a difficult time putting down. Highly recommended.

David Laine is a 37 year old veteran Los Angeles police detective, who first meets Chris Bellamere, a gay partyboy in his early 20's with a good job as a computer systems professional, as an investigative lead (and possible suspect) in an ongoing series of rapes, maiming and subsequent murders of young gay men. While David's instincts tell him that Chris isn't the killer (much to the frustration of David's detective partner, Martinez, who didn't hide his resentment of gays), Chris' "gaydar" tells him that David's interest in him isn't entirely professional. Yet, there seems to be some connection, as most of the victims frequented the same gay cruise bar that Chris did, and he had been seen with them by the bartender. A fast-paced, action-packed impressive first novel by an author who intends to pair David and Chris in future installments as well. If done with the same skill, attention to detail and realistic characterizations and situations as this one, I may have a new favorite mystery series!