Review: Wow! Pow! Holy Cow! Rhys Ford does it again!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 28, 2014
A satisfied smirk won’t leave my lips as I contemplate the action and emotion-packed pleasure that is 'Dirty Deeds'. It is much more welcome than the banshee scream I elicited after pawing my Kindle repeatedly brought forth no new page when I finished the book a moment ago.Did I curse one of my favorite authors for the startling cliffhanger at its end? Well, sort of, but in all honesty it was in a joyful "Nooooo, OMG, she did it again! **No, no, no!" kind of way.Because this book is so sparkling, potent, and perfect, shame on me for expecting more—for wanting book five to already be written. Yes, apologies, Rhys, I will be good and wait for… oh sorry, can’t write a spoiler. So on with it.Having fallen in love with the style and characters of this series from the initial book, 'Dirty Kiss', I can honestly say each successive book has exceeded the previous in scope, dynamic action, and emotional depth. How the author manages this is beyond me, since the first book was a passionate, action-packed feast for the senses. With this fourth book, I feel Rhys has pulled out another winner. Smart, concise, and thrilling, the book cruises along like a well-oiled Bentley, smooth, gorgeous, and fast.Cole McGinnis is a hell-of-a character. This gritty, gutsy, tender-souled, smart aleck of a detective has a penchant for attracting trouble that could earn him the moniker Calamity Cole. Slippery as an eel would fall short of how this lovable rogue hero repeatedly slips life-threatening escapades, all the while coming to terms with the horrors of his past and protecting those whom he loves.Despite his gift for repeatedly being in the wrong place at the right time, and the sheer amount of physical altercations Cole encounters, the author’s fluid incorporation of setting, smart descriptive language, dark humor, and a host of flawed supporting characters give the series an edge of realism that had me cheering Cole on.Tenacious, Cole is, and I would say his will to follow through on a case despite the scars he bears from each harrowed encounter, is like that of a dog with a bone. But mayhap I would save that witticism for his devotion to his Korean lover, the oh-so-smoking-hot, sweetly troubled photographer extraordinaire, Jae Kim.What can I say about the joy that is Jae-ah. Well, I would attempt to steal him from Cole if I wasn’t sure I would get my ass royally handed to me, missing some pieces most likely. So I’ll just say to be a voyeur on the love and scintillating sex between these two hot men is to plunge the depths of fierce passion repeatedly and rise drenched in a hungry satisfaction. It more than feels good, it feels so right.Cole and Jae have had their share of troubles throughout the series, but their initial sexual attraction has grown with each book. In this story they reach an almost transcendent level of trust, loyalty, and love and it is totally believable.  Often in fictional series, when a couple reaches domesticity, things get well—cooler, if not downright mundane. Not these two, their relationship is perhaps more passionate and exciting than in the previous books, and that is saying something.This book finds Jae fully coming out of his shy-shell and voicing some concerns to his Cole-ah and proving that Neko, the irascible cat, is not the only one in the house with sharp claws.  These new depths to Jae’s personality make him even more hot and lovable, but again, I like my ass, so I’ll just say "Cole is one lucky man."A host of familiar characters return in this novel, most notably Claudia, Bobby, and Ichi, Cole’s hot tattoo artist brother.  Material on each is skillfully woven  throughout the story providing further insight into their personalities and deepening their supportive roles in Cole‘s world. There are so many intriguing hints about the back stories of these characters that I can only hope the author will keep this series running for many more books.  I’m hoping not only for stories about Bobby and Ichiro, but I’m willing to drop to my knees and beg for a story with Claudia’s gay son, Marcus.I place this series and this book in my [short] "Not to be Missed" pile. And for those of you who enjoy action-packed stories featuring wisecracking, hot detectives… “Must read.”Thank you, Rhys Ford, for penning another entertaining roller coaster ride in the life of Cole McGinnis. Write on!  “Sizzling, Action-packed, Suspense!”