A Solitary Man (Gigi’s Review)

Title: A Solitary Man
Authors: Shira Anthony and Aisling Mancy
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: November 6, 2015
Genre(s): Contemporary/Mystery/Hurt/healing/comfort
Page Count: 304
Reviewed by: Gigi
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Sparks fly when Chance meets tall, sexy Xav at a Wilmington bar and they have the hottest one-nighter of their lives. But Chance doesn’t do repeats, Xav seems detached, and they go their separate ways without a word. Later, when closeted Assistant District Attorney C. Evan “Chance” Fairchild meets Dare’s Landing’s newest deputy sheriff, Xavier “Xav” Constantine, Evan isn’t only wary. He’s irritated as hell.

Xavier is a former FBI agent turned deputy sheriff who is hot on the trail of a South American child prostitution ring. Evan is fighting to put an end to rampant cocaine trafficking and chafing under the thumb of an election-hungry boss. When someone tries to kill the eleven-year-old witness who holds the key to both their investigations, they’re forced to work together as they put their lives on the line to protect him. As Chance and Xav collide in the heat of a sweltering North Carolina summer, dodging bullets and chasing bad guys isn’t the only action going on

This review will be purposely vague so that readers can enjoy the mystery and suspense of the plot and the slow reveal of the character’s many layers without being spoiled.

Right off the bat I need to let you know that this story was more mystery/suspense than it was a romance. It did include a romance, and a great one at that, but the mystery to romance ratio was about 60/40. I also need to caution you that there are some pretty graphic descriptions (which take place off-page) of child sexual abuse that are particularly gut wrenching.

With that out-of-the-way, I really enjoyed this book. Xavier Constantine is an ex-FBI agent looking for a change of pace and a lower stress job. He takes the deputy sheriff position in a small town in North Carolina.

During his first night in town, Xav meets and sleeps with Evan “Chance” Fairchild. The sex is hot and both men feel a connection, but neither are looking for a relationship, so it ends there without any exchange of details about their lives or their phone numbers.

Xav walks into his first day of work to find “Chance”, his one-night-stand, is actually the closeted C. Evan Fairchild, Assistant District Attorney. They will be working together on a child kidnapping/prostitution ring. Evan is furious with himself, and Xav, for the sexual encounter and the mood is quite chilly between the two for several weeks. But it’s a nice, slow burn and when these two finally get together, it is hot and romantic and emotional and there is a lot of hurt/healing/comfort.

The action and suspense in is fast and exciting. One of the main characters even plays the White Knight and rescues the other! Gotta love that. I read this book in one sitting and didn’t figure out the mystery until the very end.

I can highly recommend to fans of M/M mystery and suspense who like a bit of romance and hurt/healing/comfort on the side. This is an exciting ride!

Aisling Link Shira Link GoodReads