Death of a Pirate King
Thank goodness. After The Hell You Say I was concerned, but with this book both Josh and Adrien hit their rhythm once again. The mystery in this one isn't the real mystery. If you take an Occam's razor approach, there's really only one solution. But it's a matter of motivations - the why's and how's that matter more than the who.
It's also about coming to grips with some hard realities. Both Jake and Adrien have some tough issues to face. Jake has to finally come to grips with how being a closeted cop affects not only his personal life but also his job. It's a hard slap in the face before the end, but it's one he needs. He's always known that being a gay cop could be disastrous, in an intellectual sense, but he's never had to face it before. I've been told by many cops that anyone who thinks a cop can come out without consequences has never been a cop.
Events force Adrien to face issues regarding his health, (which he largely ignores) his love life (about which he'd rather remain in denial) and his mother's new fiance and family (whom he'd rather not have to deal with.)
With the expected cast of engaging and/or fascinating secondary characters and a bad guy who is all the more chilling for his charm, this is a marvelous addition to the series and one that leaves the reader on a more hopeful note than the last one.
