Review - The Reaper by Garry Michael

I absolutely love Garry Michael's books. His From The Ashes series, with heartbreaking love stories, sweet endings and characters to fall in love with, is one of my favourite series this year.

This book, the first in the Men in the Shadows series, is totally different, but I knew that, because the blurb warned me it was much darker than his other work. Dark books don't scare me but sometimes an author doesn't make the transition to another genre that easily, so I was interested to see how this would turn out.

Pawsomes, I needn't have worried and neither should you. I was enthralled by the first few pages, and pulled along by the rest, as hitman and priest engage in the hottest of confessions EVER, and in the Confessional as well! Cue much fanning of self. If you should read this in a coffee shop, don't do it on a hot day, or with children looking over your shoulder.

I'm gonna say it, Pawsomes, and this seems totally appropriate, given the setting. TAKE ME TO CHURCH! Preferably the one where Father Saint James is busy administering a distinctly unholy communion to the sullen Reaper.

The forbidden aspect was only part of the reason why this couple scorched my e-reader. They cannot keep away from each other, but as well as the sex, there is a great plot, with terrific action scenes and a real knowledge of weapons and fighting choreography. The violence is off-the-scale but fits in perfectly with the vibe of the book.

Did I like the characters? Actually, yes I did. I would like both of them fighting in my corner. Not so sure I'd like them as enemies. There's a surprise near the end, which I wasn't expecting, to be honest, although when it was revealed, it explained a LOT.

Anyway, check it out. The modest cover doesn't do this book justice but I'm glad to see the author's writing is sharper than ever. A great job and I'll be checking out the next in the series. An easy 5 Golden Paws.

BLURB

“I chose to live my life in the shadows, and one day it could get me killed.”

Obliterate.

Extinguish.

Repeat.

Serving justice was my specialty. I was a ruthless monster, a fierce hunter, a mad sadist, and the list went on. But one thing I wasn’t… hunted. A failed ambush had me questioning everything I knew, and I would track whoever was responsible for the attack on me if it was the last thing I’d ever do.

Then I met the vagabond priest, drifting from one mission to the next, looking for a place to call home. The innocent and divine priest turned out to be anything but. I was addicted, and once I had my claws in something, I stopped at nothing to get what I wanted. One problem. The sinfully beautiful Father Saint James forced me to face my fears and I held nothing back. He was a forbidden fruit and after I had a bite, he had me spilling my darkest secrets including a labyrinth of an underground society with a questionable moral compass.

Too bad I had to kill him now.