L. A. Heat
P.A. Brown
Published by Alyson Books
Reviewed by Sarra Borne
L.A. Heat introduces the reader
to the unlikely crime-fighting duo of hunky police officer David Laine
and
handsome IT analyst Chris Bellamere.
David first meets Chris while investigating the deaths of
several young
men who have been savagely butchered by a serial killer. David and his
partner
become convinced that Chris is involved in the brutal murders and may
even be
the killer. This makes it all the more
difficult
for David when he finds himself deeply attracted to Chris.
Cops and suspects do not mix romantically,
especially when one of them is still keeping his sexuality closeted. It would be so much easier for David to deny
his growing ardor, as being gay and being a cop is just not a
comfortable
place, as he knows all too well by the vicious comments often made by
fellow
officers about the lifestyle. The investigation continues to
push them closer and closer together, as David works harder and harder
to clear
Chris’s name it becomes inevitable that their mutual attraction will be
discovered. David could lose his job
over Chris, and just when he’s so close to finding the real killer.
As much a romance as a thriller,
this is the story of a forbidden love that fights all odds to bring two
people
together. It is a reminder to the reader
that sometimes love does conquer all.
Even so, the author never forgets that she set out to write a
mystery
and weaves a fascinating tale with many twists and turns including a
thrilling
and surprising conclusion.
P.A. Brown has spent many years
writing screenplays in Los Angeles. This is her first novel. She is hard at work writing the next book in
the series, which should be as captivating as the first.