A Dangerous Thing

First thing first: [a:Chris Patton 1381825 Chris Patton https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1297104882p2/1381825.jpg] is a first rate artist. His narration of this series is nothing short of masterful.This book picks up two months after [b:Fatal Shadows 16154916 Fatal Shadows (The Adrien English Mysteries, #1) Josh Lanyon https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353179023s/16154916.jpg 2815045] left off and our accidental sleuth Adrien English has fallen into a relationship of sorts with deeply closeted and self hating Detective Jake Riordan. The term complicated was made for this relationship. Jake visits Adrien a couple of times a week at his apartment above the book store, they talk and watch movies. Easy. Except it's all behind closed doors. Except of course Adrien wants more. Sure Jake is a head case and intellectually Adrien should run for the hills rather than being this guy's secret but ... the head and the heart rarely think with the same brain. When the story opens Adrien is having a meltdown or is rather at a crossroads where he must decide to do what is right and healthy for him and so takes a sabbatical of sorts at the ranch he inherited from his grandmother Anna, Pine Shadow Ranch. Once there of course there's a dead body and Adrien finds himself drawn into an investigation and also being a suspect. As luck would have it Jake comes looking for him. The mystery is a little twisty and you get the usual but highly entertaining cast of small town characters and suspects, I particularly loved Melissa, but the real genius is getting Jake and Adrien away and together from everything and everyone they know which is the push they need to figure out what the next step will be, particularly for Jake. Poor Jake.In many reviews Jake is maligned as “bad” or “no good” for perfect Adrien blah, blah, etc. But I ask you seriously: how many of us are brave enough to go against everything that our society and family approves of? to walk alone? to risk being ostracized? to be physically assaulted? to lose the love of family, home and hearth? I think it's easy to talk the talk but quite another to walk the walk. To me Jake is a tragic figure. A person who right or wrong felt he had to deny his inner self to exist in society and has/is suffering for it. Coming out is always a courageous act because the results/reactions are never a sure thing. So yes, Jake is at times an a**hole to Adrien but he's also the guy willing to put his life on the line for something he's not yet able to recognize. Also let's not shortchange Adrien as some sort of fainting damsel. Adrien in his own estimation is a bit of a lone wolf, a man who enjoys his own space and company, and is resourceful. He likes his independence so much that it is the source of his constant battle with Lisa, his mother! After many firsts during their sojourn at the ranch Jake and Adrien depart back to L.A. and we are left on an optimistic but fragile note of what their next step may be. No it doesn't end in a HEA and I love that. Because that would cheapen the journey these two are on. Because there are no true short cuts in life for things that are worthwhile. Because magic dick and magic kissing isn't a thing. Because sometimes love isn't enough particularly when you've yet to acknowledge it or more importantly when you don't even like yourself much less love yourself. And I'm kind of talking about both Adrien and Jake, in different degrees and in different aspects.Off in a hurry to Bk 3!!!