#REVIEW Torn and Frayed by Rodd Clark #gayfiction #romhero

Genre: Gay fiction, crime fiction, part of the Gabriel Church Tale series
Release Date: January 9, 2016
Publisher:  Driven Press
Length: 277 pages

Description: “Conscience isn’t something all people are born with...”

Gabriel Church is a portrait in contrast. It would be easy to get lost in his pale-blue eyes, ache with the need to feel the strength of his masculine frame. He appears to be nothing but animal and instinct. The only people who know the full depth of that truth are dead, murdered, or two thousand miles away.

Gabe is a serial killer. For the first time in his life, he has more on his mind than his own survival. This time he is running from Seattle to protect the only person he thinks innocent in his laundry list of crime and murder: Christian Maxwell, his biographer and unexpected lover. Drawn to a place he never thought to return, Gabe finds new and different realities. Realities that insist he let go of his tragic past, those incredible perceptions of God, and his own divinity. He must open his eyes to what the love of a good man can do to heal a broken soul.

But when the killer is confronted by his own willingness to love and sacrifice, he is forced to ultimately ask the question: Just how far will he go to save a life . . . when all he’s ever done is take them?


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OUR REVIEW

This second book in the Gabriel Church saga is, in some ways, even more powerful than the first. The previous book ends with Gabe leaving town. Christian has made an error that exposes him to Gabe's evil world and to serious consequences under the law. So, in Torn and Frayed, we see Gabe in his natural habitat--on the road, executing his divine justice, and staying out of sight of the law. It is chilling, fascinating, and awe-inspiring. Gabe is very intelligent and no one, except Christian, has any inkling of who and what Gabe really is.

But as the separation between Gabe and Christian extends, Gabe begins to realize the depth of his attachment to Christian, the depth of his feelings. 

The allure that bound them was based on something bent and unconventional. It was this distinction that outshone all else, and was the only thing that might've remained standing. It was a Romeo and Juliet tragedy in the making; two souls who'd shared a single foxhole, yet neither could see that clearly enough in those early days.

Gabriel is also starting to realize that his "divine" justice may not be so divine after all. He's also aware that because of his efforts to protect Christian, not only is their relationship at risk, but Gabe's very life is as well. In Seattle, he grew accustomed to talking with Christian and, bereft of him, Gabe discovers the need to talk about his past has not gone away. On one of his journey's Gabriel spots a quaint church, and for some unknown reason he is drawn to it. There, he finds surprising comfort in the form of Father Kait. 

If he'd learned one thing lately, it was how much danger he represented; maybe not for the general public, but for the white lighters who had the misfortune of walking past him and for those he cared about. He didn't need to get Maxwell tangled up inside his shit, and he knew he might just be swapping that preferred time with Chris for that of a stranger, but it was better than keeping everything bottled up inside. Or even the threat that his secrets might escape, only to rise to the surface, as secrets had a tendency to do. Maybe it was true that some things were better buried in the sticky mud at the river's bottom... but it was awful hard to keep them there.

A series of events brings Gabe back to Seattle and to Chris. We are drawn even deeper into Gabe's mind, his twisted logic, his protective instincts, his increasing need for love and acceptance. Chris is perplexed by his insatiable desire for Gabe, even knowing exactly who and what Gabe is. He can no longer pretend that the killings have stopped, because he has evidence to the contrary. He can no longer pretend that there will be a happy ending for him and Gabe, one that involves sandy beaches in a sunny paradise. Gabe has done too much and Christian has seen too much. So where can their relationship go from here? 

If you enjoy dark, twisted tales of serial killers with some seriously steamy sex and a deep and complicated romance, then you'll love Torn and Frayed! As usual, Clark's writing is excellent. However, there were some proofreading issues and I found a couple discrepancies between this book and the first one. 

OUR RATING: 4 stars!

(0410/2016)