Kate McMurray - Ten Days in August

New York City, 1896. As the temperatures rise, so does the crime rate. At the peak of this sizzling heat wave, police inspector Hank Brandt is called to investigate the scandalous murder of a male prostitute. His colleagues think he should drop the case, but Hank’s interest is piqued, especially when he meets the intriguing key witness: a beautiful female impersonator named Nicholas Sharp.
As a nightclub performer living on the fringes of society, Nicky is reluctant to place his trust in a cop—even one as handsome as Hank. With Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt cracking down on vice in the city, Nicky’s afraid that getting involved could end his career. But when he realizes his life is in danger—and Hank is his strongest ally—the two men hit the streets together to solve the crime. From the tawdry tenements of the Lower East Side to the moneyed mansions of Fifth Avenue, Nicky and Hank are determined to uncover the truth. But when things start heating up between them, it’s not just their lives on the line. It’s their love…

Comment: I'm no longer certain why I got interested in this book but it probably was because I've read something else by the author and liked it enough so I've decided to get another one of her books just to compare and see if I'd invest in more of her books. This probably caught my eye because it would feature two opposed attract types of heroes (a cop and a former prostitute) in an historical environment and I got quite curious to see what would happen.

In this story we meet cop Hank Brandt who is investigating a series of murders in New York, in August of 1896, a month where it was registered quite a lengthy heat wave that caused several problems and even deaths of those in more difficult situations.

Hank is dealing with the heat as is everyone else when he visits a crime site with his colleague and he is struck by the complication of the murder scene being in a club usually frequented by a certain type of public. Not being out himself, he does dread a little how his eagerness to solve the case of the apparent serial who targets male prostitutes might look like for him. Nevertheless, he can't stay away from witness Nicholas Sharp, Nicky, and they get involved more and more as the investigation is on going. Will there be a happy ending for them?

Although the idea of this book is a good one, the possible situation of the protagonists conflict enough to sustain the development, overall I just got the impression it was a little too boring. I don't think the two main guys, Hank and Nicky were that much of a match.

There is a secondary couple, but unlike some stories where glimpses give a lot, the scenes between the secondary couple were cute for the most part but too obvious in their interaction to really offer something special to the reader.

The historical side seems to be the consensus among readers. The author picked a moment in history, registered and detailed and used it as the stage for the plot to develop. I did like how descriptive the environment was and it did feel like the heat was as oppressive as we know it to be in reality. I think this was well accomplished considering it might not as hot at the time for some readers, me included, when they read the novel, so this was a positive element.

The idea of two guys being able to be a couple in historical novels can be too easy or too unlikely but in this regard, I'd say the way things ended isn't ideal but it would be alike the sensibilities of the time, I suppose.

The issue for me was the writing as a whole, really. A potentially entertaining story just felt boring for me. The details and words are there but I don't think the author combined them in a balanced way, and for me the characters aren't as interesting to know as I hoped for and the murder investigation felt certainly stifling and a secondary thought in all this. I'm not sure how to describe my thoughts better in relation to this but it did feel like the attention was all in the character's feelings of inadequacy, of frustration, of fear of discovery despite the support system of other characters... the elements are all there but the interactions did feel a little lacking. 

I got to a point where I wasn't that interested anymore if Hank and Nicky got together; they would anyway and the conflicts I imagined that could be used to make them be closer to one another were superficially done like their different backgrounds and why they were people with different mindsets when it come to commitment and stuff. Things were a little bleak yes, due to their surroundings but nothing was as special or captivating as it potentially could have.

All in all, this was just plain boring. The characters didn't really feel like such a great couple. Yes, it's great they are together but their relationship felt flat. The investigation of the crimes had it's interesting details but it wasn't very credible and the heat wave can't be the excuse why it felt like things were being dragged and lethargic in happening.

I struggled with this despite its small positive aspects but I don't feel like trying more by the author. Maybe one day in the future...

Grade: 5/10

Kate McMurray - Blind Items

Columnist Drew Walsh made his career by publicly criticizing conservative, anti-gay politician Richard Granger. So when a rumor surfaces that Granger's son Jonathan might be gay, Drew finds himself in the middle of a potential scandal. Under the guise of an interview about Jonathan's new job teaching in an inner-city school, Drew's job is to find out if the rumors are true. Drew's best friend Rey is also Jonathan's cousin, and he arranges the meeting between Jonathan and Drew that changes everything.
After just one interview, it's obvious to Drew that the rumors are true, but he carefully neglects to mention that in his article. It's also obvious that he's falling for Jonathan, and he can't stay away after the article is published. Still, Jonathan is too afraid to step out of the closet, and Drew thinks the smartest thing might be to let him go-until Jonathan shows up drunk one night at his apartment. The slow burn of their attraction doesn't fade with Jonathan's buzz, but navigating a relationship is never easy-especially in the shadow of right-wing politics.

Comment: I got this book for a reason I no longer remember. Apparently the blurb was captivating enough that made me get the book and I'm quite glad I did because it was good.

This is Drew's story, he's a writer and journalist and has a column in a paper where he addresses some gay related issues, usually with political connections. After a certain senator presents his run for president, Drew is told the senator, with an anti gay policy, might have a gay son. He is told to explore that and he asks his celebrity and best friend Rey to introduce him to his cousin Jonathan, considering they're family.

Jonathan is gay for sure but he's very much in the closet and Drew feels bad about exposing him, especially when his attraction and developing feelings seem to be reciprocated...

I liked this story. If there was something I would change is the end's pace.

So, the story has its focus on Drew and he's the narrator, and in a way it would also have been nice to have Jonathan's, especially on some parts of the story where we are left to guess, along with Drew what he might be doing and feeling.

The story is about Drew's work and how politics always interfere with other's lives, in this case, how gay policies affect the gay community and people's rights to all sorts of things. Drew is gay and advocates for gay rights, which are non existent for president candidate Richard Granger. By knowing his son Jonathan, Drew hopes to prove the candidate has no right to do it when he has a gay son in his house. But Jonathan has feelings and has no fault for his father's vision, so Drew doesn't attack him and after getting to know him better, he still wishes Jonathan would get out of the closet, but he isn't ready. Their relationship progresses but there's Jonathan's issues to consider still.

The action was ok, went a predictable but still interesting path and I was curious to see how the author would deal with the guys' different takes on how to live their gay lives. It surely must be quite the task, to be who you but not feeling at ease to share it with the public. It was quite the interesting dichotomy between Jonathan and Drew's positions on life, even bearing in mind each guy's education and support throughout their growing up. The constant difference in their way of living is one of th strongest points in the story.

Drew also has a straight best friend and I liked this too, that the usual cliché´s didn't apply and a straight guy is a gay guy's best friend. Very different from the usual and still with a sharp POV, Rey was an important character, not there just to play a part.

The story reaches a certain point where you see things can't go on as they are. There's a decision to be made and considering the time it took for things to slowly change I didn't buy how Jonathan decided to prove to Drew he was there for him. Not very believable. Life changing decisions usually are taken with more struggle, with a more serious level of action....I don't know, but it seemed too flashy for the moment, just because it fit the action. I'd have preferred a more serious take on this.

All in all, this was a good story, some things I'd change or add but overall, not bad at all and I'll probably will try something else by the author one day.

Grade: 7/10