Review: "Trowchester Blues" by Alex Beecroft (Trowchester Blues #1)


Note: This ARC was provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trowchester Blues is the first book in the series by the same title from author Alex Beecroft and is about an ex-cop trying to find something new to do with his life after being forced to resign from the Metropolitan Police in London and an ex-con who owns a bookshop after having turned over a new leaf five years ago. When their paths cross in the very small town of Trowchester, they discover that two people who should be natural enemies can be brought and held together by something more substantial.

Michael May has always known he was meant to be a cop, but when his anger gets the better of him after seeing the deceased victim of a vicious crime, he's left with no other choice but to turn in his badge. He returns to the town of Trowchester, fourth smallest in the country, and begins to work on the house left to him by his late bastard of a father. Three years after his divorce and now out of the Met, the possibility for Michael to be open about his bisexuality is one of the positive things as he enters a new phase in his life.

Finn Hulme is an honest-to-goodness bookshop owner who has moved away from the life he once had as a fence. The loss of his partner five years ago was the catalyst to the change he felt was necessary and he's happy being able to share his love of books in Trowchester. When a former associate finds him, Finn refuses to help until he sees what's been brought and is worried for its safekeeping. That one little slip-up snowballs into something out of his control and leads to dangerous dealings with a strange set of people.

Michael and Finn are drawn together and while they appear to have more differences than they do similarities, there's an unsaid but understood kinship that lays the foundation of what could be a relationship unlike any other they've had. With Finn's criminal past rudely invading the present, Michael and Finn realize they need to work together and trust one another in order to overcome the consequences of both their actions. Trowchester may be a small town but it certainly can't be accused of being boring.

This is one of those books that I went into thinking one thing and finished it completely surprised in a totally good way. The blurb already had me interested but it was the manner in which the story was told and how these two main characters turned out to be so much more than I was expecting that kept me hooked. The supporting characters are quirky and make you want to learn more about them, which makes me wonder if the rest of the series will be focused on just Michael and Finn or on the other townsfolk. 

I admit, my need to find a new M/M series to sink my teeth into is due to the impending end of my beloved Cut & Run series, but in the process, it's helped me discover a select group of authors whose respective books and series have me clamoring for even more. Alex Beecroft's Trowchester Blues is one such book. With an engaging story line and delightfully enigmatic characters, I can't wait to see what else is in store for readers like me in a town that is so much more than it appears to be. It gets a resounding 4.5 stars! ♥

Release Date: 09 February 2015

Date read: 07 February 2015

Learn more about author Alex Beecroft here.

Pre-order a copy of Trowchester Blues on Riptide PublishingAmazon | B&N.

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