Review: Sinner's Gin by Rhys Ford

Sinner's Gin by Rhys Ford
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 260pgs
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
There’s a dead man in Miki St. John’s vintage Pontiac GTO, and he has no idea how it got there.

After Miki survives the tragic accident that killed his best friend and the other members of their band, Sinner’s Gin, all he wants is to hide from the world in the refurbished warehouse he bought before their last tour. But when the man who sexually abused him as a boy is killed and his remains are dumped in Miki’s car, Miki fears Death isn’t done with him yet.

Kane Morgan, the SFPD inspector renting space in the art co-op next door, initially suspects Miki had a hand in the man’s murder, but Kane soon realizes Miki is as much a victim as the man splattered inside the GTO. As the murderer’s body count rises, the attraction between Miki and Kane heats up. Neither man knows if they can make a relationship work, but despite Miki’s emotional damage, Kane is determined to teach him how to love and be loved — provided, of course, Kane can catch the killer before Miki becomes the murderer’s final victim.

Review:
Miki St John is well on his way to super stardom with his band Sinner’s Gin, until faith steps in and takes them away before they have any real time to celebrate their success. They were his family, and in the blink of an eye they were gone. This is just another blow in the life of Miki, coming from a background filled with sexual abuse at the hands of monsters, and the abandonment that left him wondering the streets as a baby (life for Miki hasn’t been easy). His psyche is broken with some of his body, and he just wants’ to hideaway in his warehouse away from the pain and drink himself away.  When a hunk of man shows up on his doorstep yelling at him about a dog, Miki’s life when will never be the same from that point on.

Kane Morgan is sick and tired of a this damn dog stealing his wood (not that kind of wood you perves) and he is about to have a few words with the owner. What he never expected was the beautiful boy with the broken soul to open the door but still he’s gotta do something about that damn dog. Days go by and the beautiful boy is still a fixture in Kane’s brain but once again the dog strikes and Kane has some yelling to do. What he never expected was to find a mutilated body in the man’s garage. So now Kane has to put his cop face on, and deal with the fact that Miki might be a killer or someone he’s going to do all to protect.

The men find themselves thrust into a friendship they never expected and an attraction that would be best avoided. As the murder investigation unfolds Kane finds out more about Miki than he ever wanted to know (or should know) and the information tears at him. Being with Miki is not a good idea, but he’s drawn to him in a way that is unexplainable and judging from the look in Miki’s eyes the feelings are mutual. Now they must figure out who’s leaving body parts on Miki’s front door and throwing things through his window. Seems someone has got a murder agenda and Miki is the key to that lock.

This book is a series of twists and turns, and heartbreaking shit. The angst is so super high my heart was breaking through most of it. The hardest thing for me to read is about the abuse of children, and Ms Ford wrote it in away where I was willing to go and commit murder for these hurt boys. Miki breaks my wee little heart; he’s skittish, feral, and so broken that I just don’t know what will become of him. Yes, he has Kane but he also needs some serious help (something he’s been avoiding). I understand his reasons for not seeking help; it’s his way of coping because going for therapy will open up wounds that he would rather keep closed. I get it, it is not a smart move but I totally get it.

Rhys Ford really knows how to start a book, and how to end it cus “gaaaaaaaw” I am freaking losing my mind with the ending of this one. I was feeling dissatisfied with that scene of Kane and Miki at the end there, but then the author threw a curve ball and I was like “Yes, I like this!” and now I want more. What I didn’t like so much was all the pain and suffering, seriously too much bad is just never good.

Overall, I really liked this one and gobbled it up till my eyes started to hurt. I like Miki cus he’s so broken, and I love Kane and his family. Dude the dog is also made of awesome; he’s a matchmaking genius (I am on to your game Dude).

Should You Read It? If you are a fan of Rhys Ford, yes. I am also down for interracial love in my books and the author is a master at this. I like that she writes Asian characters, and she writes them well.

4.5 Pants Off