Review: Solstice (Lake Prophet #1) by Eli Easton and R. J. Scott
From the dramatic peaks of the Olympic mountain range to the small town of Prophet, murder is only a footstep away. Gabriel is a former undercover cop haunted by the things he’s seen and done. He returns to his small hometown of Prophet, taking on the role of sheriff, hoping to mend his fractured relationship with his estranged brother and rebuild his life. But when a chilling murder occurs at Sentinel Rocks, a sacred Makah site on Lake Prophet, Gabriel’s dreams of peace and reconciliation are shattered. Gabriel navigates a web of intrigue, where suspects abound; from local tribal elders to fervent Solstice worshippers and even those hunting the elusive Big Foot. When the brutal murder leaves Duke, a loyal Labrador retriever, as the sole witness, Gabriel stumbles upon an unexpected ally—a local animal behaviorist named Tiber. Tiber, a newcomer to Prophet, seeks refuge in this remote haven, attempting to escape his own inner demons. Armed with his extraordinary ability to communicate with animals, he offers his expertise through video consultations, helping pet owners with their beloved companions. While he attributes his skill to his academic background, his intuition and flashes of insight owe as much to his Navajo heritage as to science. With the relentless rain washing away sins and good intentions alike, Gabriel and Tiber must begin to confront their own vulnerabilities and unravel the truth.
Review:
Dear Eli Easton and RJ Scott,
This was a buddy read for this month in the book discussion group I belong to and I REALLY wanted to like it. I like mysteries a whole lot, but when I find a well constructed m/m mystery which also has a decent romantic storyline I can be a very happy reader. I did like this one, sort of. I liked the main characters. Both Gabriel and Tiber were likable and interesting characters with past traumas and I did want them to be happy.
It did not bother me at all, that the romance in this book was just beginning and nothing really happened besides the characters acknowledging their mutual attraction. I mean, that’s not really true, something did happen between them once, but it did not go any further than that in developing the relationship. It was basically – let’s not have it again. And I was good with it, because you know how “let’s not have it again” usually works out in a romantic series. I was good with them slowly becoming friends first.
I really liked reading about what Tiber did for a living. I think it was a first time I was reading about a character doing what he did (animal behaviorist?). At the same time, I rolled my eyes couple of times, because I totally get how one can learn all the habits and nervous ticks animals have and how he would be reading their behavior based on that. And of course Tiber loved his animals and all the animals, that was a pleasure to read. However a couple of times the authors implied that he was getting images from an animal’s mind and that was a bridge too far for me to buy.
Yes, I know he mentioned his Navaho heritage once or twice. No I am *not buying* that you can see what animal is thinking about at the moment, sorry.
I did love Duke too, so much.
Of course Gabriel was a good law enforcement officer. I just did not think he was a very good investigator. And overall I did not think the mystery was a well constructed one. I should not be able to figure out a killer at the moment this character appeared on page and yes, I did and no I did not think I did that because I was so smart. I think I did it because it was ridiculously easy to do so and the couple of red herrings did not work at all.
And there was another thing that annoyed me a little bit. As I said both characters had past traumas. We eventually learn about Tiber’s trauma, but Gabriel kept going and going about what happened to him while he was working in LA and at the end of the book we still do not know what happened to him. He shared something but not everything with his brother and I just did not think it was fair to the reader to keep from us something that clearly negatively influenced him to such a degree.
Grade: C+
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I read this around the time it first came out and didn’t care for it. I remember thinking the writing was a little clunky maybe but liking the relationship. However. My overwhelming memory of the book is hatred of the scene from the POV of the dying man. I guess they were trying for thriller vibes or something. I don’t know, but it tainted the whole reading experience for me, and I haven’t been willing to try the sequels.
@MaryK: I agree re: general assessment of the book, and this is an interesting comment actually re: scene from POV of the dying man. I did not hate it per se, but I felt so bad when reading it. I was hoping against hope that someone will help him even knowing that no one will.