Dirk GreysonCritiques

This was acceptable and entertaining enough. The writing is a bit clunky. The story is unoriginal and a little corny. There's a huge case of instalove, the bad guys are bad and the good guys conveniently all fall in line. Summary: it's not really good. But it's not really bad either, and it's about gay werewolves.

It doesn't matter if this author writes as Andrew Grey or as Dirk Greyson, he produces one fantastic, adventure and a sizzling hot romance. I liked that both Gage and Forge were strong lead characters. They had both been in the army, and they stood up for themselves. Forge and Gage reunited after losing track of one another for seventeen years, so you had to root for them to get the destiny they both so deserved. The suspense was great, and the story moved along like a well-oiled machine churning out a second chance, steamy, sexy romance with a genuine bond between two loving men.

To know that you have a mate and not being able to find them must be one of most tragic experiences in a shifter’s life. But to have found your mate only to lose them – potentially forever – must be a lot worse. This is what happens to wolf shifter Falco in this story, when the boy he recognizes to be his mate at age thirteen inexplicably vanishes weeks later, and my heart broke for both of them. But it isn’t the only obstacle to happiness Falco has to face – there is his power-obsessed uncle who is a homophobic and rather ruthless alpha, a marriage Falco is supposed to enter into with the goal of producing pups, and the pack directive that same-sex relationships are “deviant” and to be eradicated by banishment.

Falco and his uncle, who became alpha by challenging and defeating the gay successor Falco’s father had appointed before his death in an accident, do not see eye to eye. Falco’s ideas about running a pack are totally different from his uncle’s, but even though he is second in command, there is not much he can do. His uncle is not the listening kind of man, and acts more like a king – even a tyrant – than a pack alpha. Falco isn’t ready to challenge his uncle, and knowing that the pack might not accept him even if he did succeed is not exactly an incentive.

Carter has pretty much forgotten about the short weeks he spent in Falco’s town when he was in seventh grade. The aunt he stayed with left him some property recently, and Carter decides to open the pet store he always wanted. He is only half a wolf shifter, and his sense of smell is not as strong as Falco’s, but he does recognize Falco as his mate as soon as he steps into his store. Carter isn’t one for immediate intimacies, mate pull or no mate pull, so he insists they get to know each other first.

Carter and Falco’s dates are sweet with a strong side order of hot, but they are also dangerous. Falco’s uncle keeps coming after him about getting married, a jealous shifter who wants to be beta just like Falco has his own ideas, and things quickly come to a head when Falco decides his mate is more important than fitting in with his birth pack. He’s got some tough decisions to make, and between that, his increasing feelings for Carter, and all the pack politics and shenanigans, this quickly turns into a suspenseful, intense story that I really liked.

If you enjoy shifter stories with fated mates, evil alphas, and young shifters who need to grow up in a hurry if they want to survive, if two young men finding their place in life is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is a mix between suspense, romance, and shifter politics, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

When I first read the blurb for ‘An Assassin’s Holiday’, a story about a man out to kill Santa Claus, it sounded like an unusual, potentially fascinating story to me. Assassins – and I may have said this before – captivate me. I am not a bloodthirsty person, but my excuse is that I assume that assassins kill the “bad guys”. Of course that is nonsense since anyone can hire a specialist to kill anyone else, but still. The romanticized assassins who get written about or appear in movies is always someone with their own code of conduct, sometimes even a conscience. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed – this story is absolutely enthralling, emotionally touching, and left me smiling.

Brick, the main character of this story who tells it in first person, is someone with a code of some kind even before he runs into Robin. He is a cold-blooded killer who is very good at his job, no question about it, but he also knows that most of the people he assassinates probably deserve it. The he runs into Robin, and his world turns upside down. The first crack in his protective walls is the fact that Robin spends his free time playing Santa Claus for orphaned children – kids just like the one Brick used to be. His defensive systems suffer further attacks the longer he watches Robin, to the point where Brick realizes that something weird is going on. As Brick contacts Robin and more details about “the case” emerge, Brick has some tough decisions to make. His attraction to Robin is a huge part of that, but the other is Brick’s innate sense of right and wrong, alive and well even after years of killing people for money.

Robin is an amazing man. He also grew up in an orphanage, but his life took a very different turn. Robin is an eternal optimist, full of joie de vivre, and determined to find the good in the worst people. His way of approaching Brick stole my heart, and the light he brought to Brick’s life, even though his life was threatened, was truly heartwarming.

If you like unusual holiday stories, if an assassin learning about the hope and light of Christmas strikes your fancy, and if you’re looking for a read that successfully combines suspense with warm emotions and a perfect ending, then you will probably like this novella as much as I do. I love it and put it straight in my favorites folder.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

As you will know if you follow my reviews, I love shifter stories. A new world, as developed in ‘Challenge the Darkness’, always gets me excited because I get to learn new “rules” about how everything works, a new history and background, and great new characters who face some obstacle or crisis. In this case, Mikael has to deal with an evil, power-hungry alpha who is trying to get all the area’s packs under his control. But Mikael also meets his mate – only to discover that Denton is another alpha, and everyone knows two alphas can’t mate. Right? What follows is a suspenseful story with lots of confrontation, personal struggle, and a fight for survival for two packs who need to learn how to work together –not something that is exactly common in this world.

Mikael is an interesting combination of your “usual” alpha (hierarchical, overbearing at times, possessive, and territorial) and an inspired leader who knows how to convince people and who can use rational arguments if he thinks it will help avoid violence. Both are traits he has ample opportunity to use as he figures out that the evil Anton is after everyone’s pack and that he intends to use any means to get to his objective. Mikael’s idea to form an alliance with a neighboring pack is unusual, to say the least, but it leads to Mikael meeting Denton, the pack’s alpha, and while he is elated he has finally found his mate, he also soon despairs at Denton’s lack of willingness to give up his pack. Mikael isn’t willing to give up his pack either, so there’s an unsolvable standoff right there.

Denton is a good alpha, not willing to just give up and join Mikael’s pack. He can feel the attraction between them, but even when sabotage destroys his pack’s homes, and Mikael comes to the rescue, Denton is not willing to “just give in” and defer to Mikael. Their struggle to figure out a solution adds to their fight for survival and makes for a very powerful mix. The Mother, a goddess Denton and his pack are not aware of because they were never taught that part of werewolf lore, is anther interesting element in everything that is going on.

If you like werewolf stories, if an epic power struggle between mates, as well as with an external enemy, is your thing, and if you’re looking for an action-packed read full of tension, passion, and two mates clearly meant to be together, then you will probably like this novel. I certainly hope there are more stories set in this world!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

Scorpion agents Dayton and Knight are always good for a spine-tingling, make-me-breathless adventure, and this third book in the series is no exception. The focus this time is on family. Technical specialist Day’s brother, Stephen, has gone missing, gets shot on national TV, and Day refuses to believe that’s the end of his family. Former Marine Knight continues to be a supportive partner while they’re on the job, but still struggles with guilt over the loss of his wife and son two years earlier – preventing him from letting Day any closer than he has already gotten. And that isn’t very close at all. Between all the action and never-ending danger Day and Knight face as they go looking for Stephen and find far more than they bargained for, they are also dealing with their personal issues. The combination made this an exciting, intense, and very rewarding read for me.

Day has come so far from “just” being a technical analyst - what with proving himself in Mexico, then during their hunt for lost art in Eastern Europe – that his previous job doesn’t get mentioned much anymore. Day has turned into a capable field agent, and Knight goes so far as to say he wants him at his back. A high honor indeed, coming from the picky former Marine! As they unravel the mystery of Stephen’s disappearance, Day’s ability to see patterns and notice things nobody else does turn out to be as important as his knowledge of how Stephen thinks. There isn’t much tracing and tracking and tech stuff to do during this self-appointed mission, but Day never hesitates and his value to the team is never in doubt. He has come far indeed.

Knight has fully accepted Day as his work partner. And while he still struggles with allowing Day closer on a personal level, he is perceptive enough to know what support Day needs. Losing his family is something Knight has experienced himself, and he does everything he can to make things easier for Day as they look for Stephen. What he still has trouble with is admitting and discussing his growing feelings for Day, and it leads to more than one explosive confrontation as Day tries to get him to face the truth. But Knight is at least as stubborn as Day, and it takes almost losing Day – again – for Knight to finally face how much Day means to him – and accept the consequences.

If you like stories about tough, macho men who are trying to deal with their feelings for each other, if you believe fear can be a powerful motivator, and if you’re looking for an intense mystery around human trafficking and scumbag international criminals, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. I look forward to seeing how Day and Knight deal with their newly admitted emotional status.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

‘Day and Knight’ is Dirk Greyson’s first novel, and it affected me in more than one way. It’s a modern-day mystery with nefarious terrorists planning a very high-tech attack, and comes with the requisite twists and turns as technical analyst Day and former Marine Knight try to figure out what is going on. But it is also the story of a developing relationship that goes way beyond the professional. This is no fluffy romance, but rather a hard-hitting struggle between two strong, stubborn men, neither of whom is used to let go of the tight control they exert over their lives. Neither Day (who at least knows he is gay), nor Knight (who has tried to delude himself that he is “mostly straight” for years) are ready to come out, but as they get to know each other better during their mission, that becomes the least of their concerns. This is an intense book with a gripping storyline and intense emotions, not to mention a level of heat between Day and Knight that I can only describe as incendiary.

Day is an analyst. He is intelligent, speaks several languages, and is dying to get an assignment in the field. It’s the reason he left the NSA and is now working for Scorpion, but his profile does not really support an assignment away from the computer and outside the office. When the right opportunity comes up, he faces his new work partner’s arrogance, feelings of superiority, and disdain. Day has a very understated way of dealing with it, and I loved how Dirk Greyson brought out Day's hidden capabilities as well as his inimitable ability to save the day.

Knight is a former Marine with a very dark past. He is gruff to the point of being grumpy, he refuses to speak about anything even remotely personal, and he is deeply in the closet. Not that he can stay there when he and Day are sent on a gay cruise as a cover to get them where they need to be, but he is more than reluctant to admit to himself, never mind anyone else, that he is very attracted to Day. It takes a lot of alcohol for the first step, and Day’s poking for Knight to come to terms with what he really wants. The fact that Day keeps having to save his ass doesn’t help. His suggestion to “not talk about stuff” made me grin, but Day doesn’t take no for an answer. His internal struggle is very believable and keeps Day on his toes.

If you like stories about strong, stubborn men who are each other’s opposite in every way, if you believe confrontation and a struggle to figure out how they could possibly relate to each other makes for interesting reading, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful mystery around international terrorists and two men who are made for each other, then you will probably like this novel. I certainly hope there are more stories like this on Dirk Greyson’s to-write list.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

After the exciting events of ‘Challenge the Darkness’, I was looking forward to finding out more about the Old Faithful pack, alpha couple Denton and Mikael, and the consequences of their victory over Alpha Anton. At the end of the previous book, I was sure the members of the evil alpha’s pack, disbanded as it may have been, would make some sort of comeback. They do indeed find a way to make more trouble, and, this time, Mikael’s younger brother, Christopher, ends up right in the middle of fighting what is becoming a more significant threat than anyone thought. He also finds his mate in Fredrik, who is one of Anton’s sons – and that has more than one unexpected consequence. This story about the aftermath of binding two packs together, the new incarnation of evil, and a darkness that is spread more widely than expected is suspenseful and action-packed, but also has some great emotional moments giving me hope that family and love are stronger than fear and terror – even in the world of the Yellowstone Wolves.

Fredrik is one of many of Anton’s sons, and it makes him miserable that he is related to such an evil wolf. He has managed to stay away for a long time by going to college, but with Anton dead the money stops coming, and Fredrik returns only to find one of his half brothers in charge. Juneau is as bad as Anton and has even more grandiose plans, but Fredrik will have none of it. Once he rescues Juneau’s latest prisoner and escapes, Fredrik has some tough decisions to make. He wants to run as far as he can to escape the evil of his family. But once he meets Christopher and realizes they are mated, things get complicated. Two pups who are clearly related to him appear, Fredrik discovers some of Anton’s evil power inside him, and ends up torn between running to keep the others safe and staying to help them fight for their right to live.

Christopher has also been away to get a college education, but even though his return to his pack is far less traumatic than Fredrik’s, he has his doubts and believes he no longer fits in. Finding out that Fredrik is his mate changes things a little, but Christopher’s struggle to find his place within a hierarchy he is no longer used to keeps him mentally busy. Christopher is ready to compromise, but that doesn’t make things easy and straightforward. Figuring out how he fits into the pack, what his role is regarding Frederik, and what he wants out of life now that he is mated makes for an interesting journey.

I was happy to see Mikael and Denton take an active role in the proceedings, and having many of the other secondary characters return as well increased my enjoyment of this novel significantly. The developing balance of power with an alpha pair in charge of a pack made for some interesting situations, as did the addition of a few more kids who take an active role. The growing understanding of the rules, these wolves’ religion, and what “being in the light” means added another level and provided a dimension of world building that made the situation even more interesting.

If you like the Yellowstone wolves, if the power struggle between the children of the light and the encroaching darkness keeps you fascinated, and if you’re looking for a somewhat darker novel full of action, tension, passion, and two mates who need to learn how they fit together, then you will probably like this novel. I certainly did and look forward to the next installment!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

In this second suspenseful and exciting novel in the ‘Day and Knight’ series, technical analyst Day and stoic former Marine Knight are back, and this time they are trying to solve a decades-old mystery around artwork lost since WWII. The mystery around the vanished paintings is complicated, the Russians trying to score points with the ex-Eastern block states are far too close to the truth, and to make everything worse, there is a leak in Day and Knight's agency that causes them to be thwarted at every turn. The relationship Day thought they had tentatively started in Mexico seems to be off again while they’re in the office, but is back on as soon as they return to the field. It drives Day up the wall and makes Knight grit his teeth against feelings he wishes he didn’t have to deal with. This is another intense story with twists and turns that made me dizzy and enough heat to make me reach for a cold drink. But best of all, as far as I am concerned, both Day and Knight can now see that they do very well as work partners and are beginning to admit they may be good for each other in their personal lives as well. Will wonders never cease?

Day has come a long way from “just” being a technical analyst. He is still very good at that part of his job, but after Mexico, he is finally beginning to get the recognition he wants for his ability to work in the field as well. Even Knight has to admit he is a good partner, what with all the tracking and solving pieces of the puzzle Day does as they race against the Russians, and that is saying something. The part Day struggles with is Knight's reluctance to get involved. He can understand Knight's reluctance to let go of his love for his deceased wife and son, but after two years, he thinks Knight should begin to let go. Sharing some intimate moments while in the field, only to fear facing the cold shoulder again once it’s over, is no way to live. Day being Day, he is not afraid to poke the bear, so to speak, and make Knight realize what he’s doing.

Knight is extremely uncomfortable around Day but doesn’t want to admit it’s because of the feelings Day makes him have. Knight is not willing to face them, thinks he is not entitled to any happiness, and still feels like a traitor every time he “forgets” his dead wife and son. At the same time he realizes that two years of watching the world from the bottom of a bottle is no way to live, so something will have to give. Add this to all the pressure of discovering where the lost paintings have been hidden, evading the Russian agents who are after them, and keeping Day safe, and I was amazed Knight held up as well as he did. In the end, it comes down to having the courage to face the truth, and since Knight is a Marine and not afraid of anything – or so he tells himself – there is hope for him.

If you like stories about men who are trying to avoid admitting they have feelings for each other, if you believe fieldwork and stress bring out the best in them, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful mystery around lost art and international politics, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. Bring on the next story, Dirk Greyson!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

As a collection of stories, I think the 2015 Advent Calendar was one of the best of its kind. I have been following these since 2009, but the number of stories I totally adored has never been this high. And even though I had my ten favorites (see individual titles for my reviews and ratings), I really liked the vast majority of the remainder as well. Each story had something to contribute, and that included (as it does every year) stories of winter traditions other than Christian. I had a ball reading these and already look forward to the 2016 collection.


NOTE: The stories in this collection were provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of reviews on Rainbow Book Reviews.

While the Old Faithful Pack, under the leadership of alpha couple Denton and Mikael, was the focus of the first two books in this series, the third volume tells the story of what is left of the Greenview Pack, and the wide-reaching consequences of the finally defeated former evil alpha, Anton. It is a tale about finding a new purpose for the pack, making them a healthy group, and figuring out that the wolves’ Mother goddess knows best, even if what she says seems to be in contradiction to keeping the wolves safe from human interference at first. This is a suspenseful and action-packed novel, but in a different way than the first two. Much revolves around the emotional drama that follows Alpha Tobias’s decision to ignore the fact that Pete is his mate just because Pete is human.

Pete is not the fittest guy or physically strong, but when he gets left behind by the irresponsible guides of his hiking group, he manages to build a fire, fight off a cougar, and find shelter. The building he sleeps in turns out be Tobias’s pack’s barn, and Pete is rescued by Tobias and introduced to what Pete thinks is a commune.

Tobias knows the man he finds sleeping in the barn is his mate, but he also figures they can never be together because that would mean exposing the wolves to humans. A threat from Tobias’s half brother makes Tobias keep Pete with him for protection, but the resulting tensions and the physical attraction between them complicate things.

Pete and Tobias have very different expectations of what their lives will be like. Pete is a city boy, but he is interested in nature and the pack’s way of life. Tobias can’t live anywhere except close to nature and thinks Pete will never adapt and can’t be interested in life with the pack because he is human. The feelings between them are too deep to be ignored, and even Tobias eventually understands that there is no point in trying to stay away – especially when Zev keeps interfering and threatening Pete.

If you like the Yellowstone Wolves series with its philosophy of the Mother goddess and the wolves living in the light, if an alpha’s struggle between what he thinks is good for the pack and what is good for him sounds like an interesting conflict, and if you’re looking for a book filled with action, passion, and two mates who need to learn how they fit together despite their differences, then you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

At first glance, ‘Playing with Fire’ may look like a murder mystery around a too-clever serial killer, and it is that in spades, but it is also so much more. The two main characters are fascinatingly complicated men, each in his own way, and between the hurt and disappointments they have both survived and their current reticence toward relationships of the intimate kind, it is a miracle they ever get beyond working together on a professional level. Added to a plot with more twists and turns, red herrings, and outright surprises than I expected, this novel made for a very suspenseful, emotional, and psychologically intriguing read.

Jim is a dedicated police officer and he is lonely. He is estranged from his wealthy parents and not exactly close to his academically brilliant sister, and added to the fact that he is gay, this means he has become the black sheep of the family no matter how good he is at his job. He has two failed relationships with university professors, but is still attracted to Barty from the moment they meet. It’s a slowly growing attraction the more they work together. The increased danger when the killer suddenly makes Barty his target makes Jim realize how important Barty has become for him.

Barty is a genius-level psychologist, but his understanding of the human mind is theoretical. He was never close to other children when he grew up, finished school and college too quickly to form real friendships, and he is at a loss when asked to work in a team. His insights are brilliant and he wants to try to make friends, but his bluntness is a real issue for most people. His fear of being too much like the killer is very real for him – and even though it helps him support Jim to solve the case, it also makes him think he will always watch from a distance.

Jim and Barty both have issues with intimacy, and even if the reasons are very different, the effect is the same. Progress on the relationship level is slow, halting, and sometimes it felt like they took one step forward only to fall two steps back. Luckily both are curious enough to persevere, and the slowly building trust between them was great to see. Jim’s young nieces and Barty’s cat, Penelope, also deserve mention since they added a much-needed lighter note in between the more intense events. This story begins with some puzzling initial cases and grows into an ever-tightening spiral of suspense when clue after clue proves useless, or is discarded only to come back to haunt Jim’s team.

If you like murder mysteries with a touch of romance, if you believe that two men who seem destined to be alone deserve a chance to discover love, and if you’re looking for an intense read that will keep your attention until you turn the final page, then you will probably like this novel. I think it’s masterful on more than one level, and had to read it in one go.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

One of the ways to reduce stress in your life is to leave the big city and move to the country. At least that is what Brantley expects when he leaves New York and buys a ranch in South Dakota. As it turns out, nothing could be further from the truth. He has barely moved in when he finds a dead woman on his porch, becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation, and subsequently gets shot at, watched, attacked, and worse. It takes all of his efforts as well as the local sheriff’s considerable abilities to solve the riddle of who killed the woman and why they now seem to be after Brantley. The result is an action-packed story with lots of twists and turns, surprises, and revelations, as well as a touching love story when Brantley begins to fall for Mack – the sheriff who is determined to keep Brantley alive and safe.

Brantley used to be a busy financial advisor with a knack for making millions for his clients, but he had a crooked partner who got him in enough trouble to ruin Brantley’s reputation and drove him to make the life-altering choice of buying a ranch and moving to the countryside. But the dead woman on his porch and the subsequent hunt for her killer quickly makes Brantley reconsider his choice. Even though Mack quickly clears him of all suspicion, who would want to stay in a town where his life is constantly in danger? But Brantley also has a few excellent reasons to stay: his attraction to Mack, his refusal to run from whatever coward is after him, and his determination to help Mack solve the riddle as clues start coming in.

Mack had expected his post as a sheriff in a small town to be far less exciting and suspense-filled than what he is finding once Brantley hits town. There are enough suspects, from neighbors who need the water on Brantley’s ranch to mysterious shooters, but not enough hard evidence. As Mack sifts through the circumstantial hints and rumors, the killer becomes more aggressive and more substantial proof emerges. Mack has a race on his hands, and since he is beginning to fall for Brantley, catching the murderer becomes more than a matter of professional pride.

If you like murder mysteries that turn into a character-driven mystery with a variety of motives, if you think two strangers can bond and fall in love while fighting for their lives and solving a mystery, and if you’re looking for a read that is suspenseful, surprising, and full of loving moments, then you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.