Review: To the Bone, a fitting capstone to a journey of the heart
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 4, 2013
To the Bone, the third installment of the Gaslight Mysteries, picks up with the Brown Man safely incarcerated, yet threads dangle and there's the small matter of curiosity to satisfy.But what satisfies first is recalling the night before, when the reticent Simon Hart took control of the randy Michael McCree, leading both men into uncharted territory that could either cement their budding relationship ... or complicate it further. For Michael, it is a toning down of his natural urges, developing an awareness of his partner's needs. For Simon, it means coming to terms with who and what he is, with his ingrained need for privacy and strict propriety, all born of an upbringing that haunts him in unguarded moments.While the men are having one last look around the sumptuous lair of Chanda Gopala, Michael gives Simon a gift, a book, and in that lair Simon demands and Michael accedes in a blood-boiling sensual scene of need and release.Michael returns to the upstairs apartment only to find himself at the sharp end of a knife and under the control of a man he learns has ties to Simon. For Michael, this is a mystery to solve, one that comes with a small concern as to how Simon will deal with what clearly is a new complication for all of them. For Simon, it means coming to terms with years of resentment, anger and frustration.Neither Simon nor Michael believe in coincidence and the sudden re-appearance of Moshe in Simon's life, and the explanations offered, do not ring true. For Simon, it is a matter of being sandwiched between a man who once made promises he didn't keep and the other, his partner, wrapping him in a veil of protection that sometimes seems suffocating.As they unravel the mystery that is Moshe--his motivations, his history, who and what the man is behind the clever disguises--Simon and Michael learn that what they thought to be true has layers and nuances and implications that will alter their understanding of all that had gone before.Woven within this drama is yet another, related mystery involving missing artwork and an unsavory client. One piece, in particular, links the trail to the thieves with the sudden appearance of Moshe, and Michael goes out on a limb to insinuate himself into the organization responsible for the thefts city-wide.There's yet more danger, close escapes, revelations galore, and the gradual awakening within both men that there might be a name put to feelings neither has quite been ready to express.To the Bone is a wonderfully satisfying tale of adventure, redemption and acceptance. It is a fitting capstone to a journey of the heart, the exploration of sensuality, of give-and-take, of emotional growth and how intimacy can take many forms.When the print version becomes available it will take pride of place next to the others in the series: Heart to Hart and Sparring with Shadows.I have many favorite lines to recall and sigh over, but in To the Bone, there is one moment, when Michael catches hold of Simon's chin, in a very public place, that Simon warns Michael to be careful, meaning for Michael to "go slow". And Michael understands and vows to try ... that verbal exchange defines (for me) their very intricate and subtle dance.Brava to the author for bringing to life such compelling characters, men who captured my heart and my loyalty and have me breathless for more.Five stars, but you knew that already.The author provided this title for the purposes of a review.