The snick of a lock. The squeak of door hinges. The creak of a floorboard… Nothing is more mysterious than footsteps in the dark. Are those approaching steps that of friend or enemy? Lover or killer?Authors L.B. Gregg, Nicole Kimberling, Josh Lanyon, Dal MacLean, Z.A. Maxfield, Meg Perry, C.S. Poe and S.C. Wynne join forces for Footsteps in the Dark, eight sexy and suspenseful novellas of … and suspenseful novellas of Male/Male Mystery and Romance.
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I loved this group of stories! What a great way to read some of my favorite authors and discover some new to me authors.
These short stories were the perfect pick me up. I could dive into one as time allowed. I gobbled them up. I love a good mystery.
** 4.25 stars **
Anthology is a great way to meet new authors and figure out if you want to read their other works. In this particular anthology I think most people would find the tropes they favor or the mystery puzzle they love solving. It reads easy despite the number of pages. Some stories are quite steamy and some are quite chaste. There is pleasure to be found for any taste.
Entree to Murder by Nicole Kimberling
** 3.75 stars **
Bistro owner and chef Andrew Allison finds himself a murder suspect after finding a dead body of his least favorite employee in the basement of his business. His love interest is Cormac Mackenzie aka Mac who is local sheriff deputy. I liked the mystery a lot. Even though I knew who the culprit was after some time, the plot twist in the end was well-thought out and made the story even better. I liked most of the side characters and the whole small town mentality. The romance between MCs was light ranging from like to dislike and back again. Story is told from single POV, so that accounted for limited knowledge of Mac’s character.
Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry
** 5 stars **
This is a story of space reporter Justin Harris and Air Force Special Agent Greg Harcotte solving a murder and a mystery of exploding rocket ship. The story is told from dual POV, has likable characters, good balance between romance and investigation. Both MCs had wonderful chemistry, the story had spot on humor, and the ending was very sweet and romantic. I liked it.
Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne
** 4.5 stars **
This story is about a stalker ready to kill, hot shot producer and a detective with a chip on his shoulder. Detective Decker and TV producer Jax Thornburn don’t hit it off right away, they bicker and argue. It’s all due to Decker’s preconceived notions about Hollywood’s richest population and the way they live their lives. Jax proves to be different – he is smart, sweet and caring. The mystery was rather good, the story was fast-paced and the ending was very intense. This story has a fair amount of steam and is told from single POV.
Blind Man’s Buff by L.B. Gregg
** 4 stars **
This is a story about a group of people who work as high school teachers by day and turn into adrenaline fueled competitive gamers on weekends. The MCs – Tommy and Jonah – are each other’s long time crushes, and they finally act on their attraction. But the abandoned mall they chose for their game of catch the flag this time is unfortunately occupied by a crazy serial killer in the process of playing with his next victim. This read more like a suspenseful thriller than mystery. It was told from single POV, was fast-paced and filled with tension. This was a race to outrun the murderer and stay alive. Romance is very light.
A Country of Old Men by Dal Maclean
** 5 stars **
This was a second chance romance with fantastic mystery, fair amount of steam and told from single POV. Calum Macleod and Adam Patterson were together once. But Calum’s fear of coming out and losing his family made him choose and abandon the man he loved and return home to Scotland. When a neighbor’s son is brutally killed, it starts a chain of events that not only brings two men together but also solves the mystery of family heirloom and brings words from past that help Calum see and not make a mistake that will live him miserable for the rest of his life. Scottish and British words, heart felt moments that made me tear up and bits and pieces of myths and legends made this a wonderful read for me. Wow.
Pepper the Crime by Z.A. Maxfield
** 4.75 stars **
A chef recovering from serious illness, Lonnie Boudreaux and Enrique “Rick” Garcia, ex-cop, bond together over a persnickety darling of a dog Pepper, murder of the most hated man in the building and a mystery of somebody trying to poison dogs. I liked both MCs. They were appealing and had a connection from the past. While Rick was kind, caring and ready for more, Lonnie was a bit uptight and needed to catch up and figure out that the well-ordered life he imagined was perfect for him, was not the one he really wanted or needed. I figured out the culprit before the end but I enjoyed Lonnie’s amateur sleuthing. But unfortunately the mystery of who was poisoning the dogs was unresolved.
Lights. Camera. Murder by C.S. Poe
** 5 stars **
PI Rory Byrne is a 45 year old man with love of cats and living for his job. He has no life nor does he want one. When he goes undercover as a PA on filming set of The Bowery, he does not expect to be instantly smitten with the lead actor Marion Roosevelt, an out and proud rising star in film industry. They hit it off right away but Rory resists due to Marion being a possible suspect and his own set of work ethics. But the script is not so easy to find, and when someone is murdered for it, it turns into a deadly game. I loved Marion – he was such a sweetheart, and Rory, despite being set in his ways, finally found that special someone that he wanted to make an effort for, someone he felt a strong connection and desire for. The mystery kept me interested till the end, there were many moments that just made me question my suspicions all the time. I loved it!
Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon
** 3 stars **
Miles Tuesday, a high school art teacher from California, was left a huge inheritance by his godmother, Capucine Martel, whose son Linley Palmer has been his long term crush and killer of his dreams at the same time. But the time has passed, and when they meet again after 10 years separation, it looks like Miles is not the only one who’s carrying the torch. The mystery itself was nice, Linley was hard to warm up to since he was so aloof, scathing and uncaring most of the time while Miles was the complete opposite. He got a little better in the end though.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this anthology and I recommend it to all lovers of mystery and suspense. Copy received for my honest and unbiased review
This book is an amazing collection of shorts stories by great M/M writers. All of them have a lot of intrigue, mystery and dangerous situations that helped the MCs know each other and after solving the mystery, find their HEA together or at least finding someone that could be the one. Of course with hot scenes included. All the stories are really good and every on of them has an interesting plot and twist before solving everything, like Entree to murder, by Nicole Kimberling, who told us about Drew, a chef and Mac, an homicide detective and how they solved a murder together (well, Mac did it with the unsolicited help of Drew), or Lights, camera, murder by CS Poe, about a PI and an actor and how after a lot of misunderstandings and dangerous situations solved a murder and find love together, or Reality Bites by SC Wynne, that involves a reality show with a tiger and a murderous closed friend. You can choose read them in order, or like I did, starting with the ones written by authors I already know and then with the ones I didn’t read before. All of them amazing, all of them interesting, ideal book for those free moments with only few minutes to spare in a great short story. Enjoy!!
I received this book as am ARC and this is my honest opinion.
Lights, Camera, Murder
C. S. Poe
Marion is a well-known television star who is bankable when it comes to ratings and a show’s popularity between networks. Rory was sent into the production of his latest television series to investigate. The two main characters couldn’t have been more different.
The consistency of the events and the dialogue are well-interspersed. The two MC’s initial attraction towards each other made for some interesting meetings and conversation on the set.
C.S. Poe was able to weave mystery and love story really well. It is slow burn but because there is a mystery being solve as well. A very good read even though it is a bit short.
Sometimes you just need a good anthology. This one is reasonably priced and features stories from quite a few authors I’ve never read. There were only one or two duds and at least four standouts: Dal Maclean’s story set in the Hebrides of Scotland, a story set in an apartment house in Pasadena, another set around a murder on a reality TV show in LA, and Lanyon herself, who contributes a rather odd, compressed, spooky story that is a great deal of fun to close the book out. Many of the stories are a bit over the top, but that’s fine. And Dal Maclean is someone to watch.
Footsteps in the Dark is an M/M Mystery Romance Anthology by multiple Authors – L.B. Gregg, Nicole Kimberling, Josh Lanyon, Dal MacLean, Z.A. Maxfield, Meg Perry, C.S. Poe and S.C. Wynne. Included in the anthology are eight novellas that offer the reader mysteries, suspense, thrills, and even romance. The stories, although quicker reads individually, are well told and filled with captivating plots and intriguing characters. I truly enjoyed the variety these authors offered here.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
I quite enjoyed this collection of mystery romances. Some definitely stood above the rest, but they were all fun reads. There were a few that had parts that were hard to follow, but not enough to detract from the story.
My favorite by a mile was A Country for Old Men by Dal Maclean. I’ve never heard of this author much less read anything by them. Well, I’m glad I have now! This story grabbed me from the first page and was an absolute page-turner. I couldn’t get enough and would love to have more stories in this world; or even more about the main characters. The Scotland setting is gorgeous, the mix of English and Gaelic fascinating, and the narration plenty entertaining. The mystery wasn’t impossible to figure out, but it was fun watching the puzzle pieces come together.
I recommend this anthology especially to anybody who loves a good mystery romance. I’m glad I gave it a try; I don’t think I’ve read any of the authors involved, so this was a bit of a gamble for me. One that paid off well.
The stories are more like novellas than short stories, each one has excellent characters and a great storyline – some surprises and high quality throughout.
I read all stories in this collection and loved them! A good portion of captivating plots and some chills here and there. All the authors did a great job and I would be very hard pressed to choose the best one. Worth a read for sure.
What an awesome read!!
I love anthologies and murder mysteries. Here I get both. With eight stories by eight different authors there is a good variety not only in style but length as well. Definitely worth checking it out.
The first one is by Nicole Kimberling. A new author to me for sure but after reading Entree’ to Murder I am going to want to read more. A perfect blend of mystery and suspense with a HFN ending and twists. It’ll keep you guessing that’s for sure.
Meg Perry’s Twelve Seconds brought up some memories that’s for sure. Another new to me author that I’m going to enjoy discovering. The scenes were perfectly described and it was easy for my to visualize them. u202aThe BFGu202c scene was a wow moment for me and a little scary. I was instantly drawn back to when I saw the Challenger on TV in school. A very powerful read.
S. C. Wynne gives us a great murder mystery in true whodunnit style. Reality Bites starts off strong and keeps the momentum going all the way through. With plenty of suspects and dangerous situations we don’t know who until the reveal.
Blind Man’s Bluff is a perfect addition to this anthology. L. B. Gregg did an exceptional job writing a serial killer. I like how the facts are there to see but subtly instead of in your face. I think that made it more chilling. The characters were very realistic too. Setting, scenes, and storyline the author was spot on. Now I want more.
Now we come to the one I struggle with describing my feelings on. The blurb doesn’t do it justice. In fact paired with the start of the story, I was expecting a bland boring read. Oh my goodness was I wrong. This is the hidden gem. With its cultural, spiritual, and historical context mixed in with mystery and murder I think I was more blindsided than Calum when the truths came out. Don’t let the blurb sway you. You’ll want to read this one and wish for more.
Pepper the Crime Lab was a fun to read. Z.A. Maxfield has blended interesting and quirky characters with a murder of someone no one liked. I found myself wanting to know more about all the characters. Fillmore Arms definitely makes a great setting for more stories.
I’m not a big fan of the whole Hollywood famous actors romances but after reading Lights. Camera. Murder. by C.S. Poe I won’t be so quick to dismiss them. Excellent mystery with plenty of likely suspects and a conclusion you don’t see coming. I’d love to see more mysteries from this author.
Josh Landon’s Stranger in the House is the last story. It has an interesting pace to it. I can honestly say I didn’t get anywhere near right on guessing who it was. I thought it was a good read but would have been better if it was longer and more drawn out. There are some things that could have been more detailed and more build up to the ending. It definitely was a good mystery.
I would love another one of these. Anthologies are a favorite of mine and this one was exceptionally good. With the authors having such different styles and approaches to the same theme it really gave a good read. I highly recommend checking this out.
I absolutely love reading anthologies! These stories are wonderful and engaging. You can read them in a short period but get a great story! All of them were great and I highly recommend!!
I enjoyed all eight of the stories in this anthology to varying degrees. There are none that I didn’t like. I will limit my review to the two stories that flipped ALL of my “creepy” switches.
*Blind Man’s Buff, L.B. Gregg 5 stars
There is something about being in the dark in an unknown area that horrifies me. Just the thought is enough to raise my pulse. This book is all about some darkness in a creepy, broken down, abandoned mall.
I read most of this story with one eye shut. Several times I had to put it down. I was cringing, sweating, hollering at the characters to HIDE, and cursing myself for reading it. I even dreamed about it afterward. UGH. I loved it!!!
These characters are well developed. The main characters kept my interest, and the secondary characters gave the piece that little extra bit that made the situation that much more creepy. I wondered and worried about what was happening to them while they were off-page.
The author’s vivid descriptions of things barely seen gave me just enough insight into what these characters were going through to have me beside myself in fear. So good.
The developing romance between the main characters broke the tension a little bit, and I wish I could see how that developed after this story ended.
Start to finish; I enjoyed this.
This is the first I’ve read by this author, but I will be sure to read more after this little messed up treat. BOO!
*Stranger in the House, Josh Lanyon 5
In day to day life, I don’t know if there is anything worse than the feeling that there is an extra someone in your house.
This is a well thought out, well-written suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters are interesting, main and secondary, and play their parts in this mystery very well. I waffled back and forth on the identity of the bad guys and the possibility of a ghost. All options stayed open until the end. I enjoyed the twists and turns and was satisfied with the conclusion. The romance and sexy times gave me the warm fuzzies for these guys and a hope that they obtained their HEA off the page after all was said and done.
I look forward to reading more by this author. Now pardon me while I go lock my doors.
Some superb suspense with dollops of romance and steam to sweeten a cool collection
I selected this anthology for the plots and settings of several stories that particularly interested me. I was expecting short stories but was pleasantly surprised by their length and complexity.
My favorite — A Country for Old Men by Dal MacLean – was gripping, with lots of surprises and twists and a complex, tortured hero in Inspector Calum MacLeod. The linking of a current, violent crime spree to the Viking history in the Western Isles of Scotland really made it a pageturner. With a terrific, remote setting, an isolated community and a hero who struggles with his hidden sexuality to fit in the conservative community, this was a winning read in all respects. It also had a nice bit of steam and angst romance.
Stranger in the House, by Josh Lanyon, is another gem, this time set in Montreal, with a young American artist who finds anomalies and secrets attached to his recent inheritance. The romance is milder in heat but it enhances the story and brings some extra mystery and intrigue to young Miles’s introduction to a new life in Canada. And his surprising find in a local gallery at the end was a really nice touch.
Both of these authors, and most of the others who contributed to the collection, are new to me but I will be looking for more of their works based on the excellent quality of the writing style, editing, and storytelling. What a bag of treats!
I read a complimentary advance copy of the collection; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Every story in this anthology is wonderful! I didn’t want any of the stories to end! Loved the characters.
A great collection from some of the best writers in gay mystery.
One of the best anthologies I have read in a long while. I recommend it highly.