Review: "Cross & Crown" by Abigail Roux
Cross & Crown is the second book in the Sidewinder series by Abigail Roux and follows the ups and downs of Boston homicide detective Nicholas "Nick" O'Flaherty (aka O or Irish) and former Force Recon medic Kelly "Kels" Abbott (aka Doc). This is more than twice the length of the first book, Shock & Awe, and readers get to see Nick at work and Kelly doing whatever he can to help out, aside from all the hot and heavy stuff that happens between them.
Nick is called to the scene of a shooting that involves the death of two people. There's a witness to the crime who just happens to get struck with amnesia after becoming injured. The question is: Is this guy an actual witness who had the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time or does his involvement go deeper, making him a suspect? That's just one of the things Nick has to figure out.
Kelly arrives in Boston to spend time with Nick since they still maintain separate residences in two different states. What he thinks will be a relaxing time with his closest friend and lover turns into a race against time as he joins the investigation as a consultant just as an individual Nick has come across once before enters the picture--Julian Cross--and his involvement in Nick's case is personal.
Nick, Kelly, Julian, and Detective Alan Hagan, Nick's partner, follow the clues and try to solve the puzzle that is JD, the witness/suspect with amnesia, and what's beginning to look like a treasure hunt gone astray. At stake is not just supposed treasure that's centuries old but the life of someone who means too much to one of them that he's willing to risk anything and everything just to get him back.
As expected, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett make appearances in this book, albeit via phone conversations. Nick still has his issues with Ty, straining what was once a solid kinship. In happier news, he continues to form a good friendship with Zane. Yes, this is a big deal to me because I love Ty and Zane. Hopefully, Nick and Ty finally work things out permanently soon.
The mystery angle was interesting, especially since it involved a lot of history. I also liked the inclusion of Julian Cross in the story because he's cover used to be as an antiques dealer. His interest in the case also gave it a more personal feel, like there was something worth fighting for. Learning more about Nick's past made him both more real and less perfect, something I appreciated since it was coming off as if the guy could do no wrong in the past Cut & Run books and in Shock & Awe.
However, I didn't really understand how Kelly was able to be named a consultant on the case simply because Nick said he was qualified. Don't his superiors check stuff like that first before agreeing to it? Weird. And then we've got the JD thing... I felt that it could have been played up a bit more, especially to test what is still a very new relationship between Nick and Kelly. The ending was...well...strange. Was Nick serious or wasn't he in the decision he had come to? It's just that this is the first time we've seen him doing what he does and then what next? From Marine to homicide detective to professional adventurer? O.o
I liked this book but I didn't love it. Maybe it was because I had read all the previous Cut & Run books prior to this one and was still on a Ty and Zane high. However, I'm writing this review weeks after and while I may still prefer Ty and Zane over Nick and Kelly, I did love Shock & Awe, so maybe my expectations were too high for its sequel. *shrug* Still, I'm giving Cross & Crown four out of five stars because it did satisfy my craving for an engaging mystery, Nick and Kelly were good together, and Julian was back. And yes, having Ty and Zane around didn't hurt. ♥
Date read: 27 August 2014
Learn more about the awesomeness that is Abigail Roux here.
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