Review: Original, funny, refreshing, and creative
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 8, 2013
4.5 stars, which I am rounding up to five just because this book just puts me in a good mood.  And a book that makes me feel happy a few days after I finished reading it, just by thinking about it, is a very rare thing.I have read a lot of shifter novels, M/M novels, and mystery/PI novels, although not usually all at once.  This is a refreshing original take on all three genres.So many shifter novels involve top-predators (wolves, panthers and other large cats, bears, eagles).  I can't tell you how refreshing it was to see a shifter main character from a cute rodent family.  And the chinchilla habits that carried over into his human form?  Excellent and amusing touches (which I will not spoil).Plenty of humor.  Definitely a feel-good book.Also, I appreciated that this novel had no bloodshed, despite some scenes with very potential danger and violence.  I read plenty of homicide murder mysteries.  Reading about a financial crime, where people were getting swindled but the character death rate did not rival an episode of 24 or Breaking Bad was a nice change.  The mystery was good and entirely within the realm of possibility.As others have mentioned, shy, chubby, sugar-holic August is physically an atypical hero, which made for some sad/angsty moments of self-esteem problems, but is good for anyone tired of reading about physically perfect MCs.The one aspect some readers may find unusual is that August's scenes are in first person and Sam's are in third person.  I have read other books like that, so after the first time, it didn't bother me.  The only weird thing for me, factually, was Sam's mention of have been married for 15 years and divorced for 5 or so.  Not sure of any state that allowed gay marriage 20 years ago.  But in an alternate world with chinchilla shifters, maybe it happened.This was a complete book, and does not *need* a sequel.  Having said that, if the author decides to write another mystery with these two heroes, I will snap it up the day it is released.And I could stare all day at the cover art.  That was superbly done.(I purchased my book from the publisher).