Review: Good To The Bone
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 7, 2013
To The Bone, the third book in Erin O'Quinn's Gaslight Mystery series is proof that sequels can equal and in some ways outstrip the previous books.  Relationships are at the forefront here, though there is plenty of action, too.  Erin's depth of understanding of, and ability to lay bare, those relationships cuts `to the bone' with precision and eloquence.  She never fails to provide a fully-realized world in which her stories take place, and the town of Dun Linden, Ireland in 1923 continues to intrigue and delight.  In Sparring With Shadows, book 2, Simon Hart and Michael McCree were responsible for the capture and arrest of the Brown Man, and To The Bone picks up the next morning, a seamless continuation of the story.In the midst of coming to terms with who and what he is, Simon finds himself standing between two men, one reappearing from his past and the other inhabiting his present.  Both men have claims on his time, his loyalty, and his heart.  They are not enemies, but they are often opponents in Simon's struggle for self-acceptance, and Simon must walk a very fine line in order to retain his individuality rather than surrendering his sense of self to either.Michael must also come to terms with the changes in his life that knowing Simon has created.  In response to Simon, Michael is reshaping himself, his attitudes, and his accustomed manner of dealing with his sexual urges.  Change is never comfortable, but is often necessary, and Michael finds himself engaging in subtle but potent games of cat and mouse with his partner, the man he has come to understand that he loves.The Brown Man, despite his defeat in Sparring With Shadows, remains a force to be reckoned with; his shadows are as long and difficult to dispel as the shadows of shifting identity both Simon and Michael must make their ways through.  There are new criminals to be brought to justice as well, and as always, Erin O'Quinn's rich tapestry of time and place complements the storyline.Though To The Bone completes the story of Simon Hart and Michael McCree in ways that the first two books did not, I sincerely hope that we've not seen the last of these two marvelous men, and this fascinating setting.  Five stars for a delightful story and five `sizzles' for the love play.