‘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.
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