Virtual Tour ~ Murder Once Seen by JT Hall ~ (Review + Giveaway)

Virtual Tour ~ Murder Once Seen by JT Hall ~ (Review + Giveaway)

About Murder Once Seen

In the city of Nis, things often aren’t what they seem.

Derwin is a bounty hunter gifted with the Oddity of superhuman strength and agility—perfect for hunting down fugitives and demons who roam the streets. One killed his boyfriend two years ago, and Derwin won’t stop until he finds out who. Police suspect it was someone he sent to prison, but he can’t shake the idea that they’re missing something.

Elliot is a rentboy who’s been living on the streets since his parents disowned him. He mistrusts everyone and, given his uncontrolled ability to Read Objects and a client list that includes a major gang boss, despairs of ever having a normal life.

Derwin and Elliot meet in a storm of lust. Derwin’s Oddity is fed by the pain of others, but he only wants what’s freely given. Elliot loves pain, but needs safety and a way off the streets before he can allow it. They may be able to solve each other’s problems . . . if they can survive long enough to work together.

Riptide

5 Stars 

SOOO glad that I took a chance on the interesting blurb - can't wait for book 2.
This is a tale set on our earth, some 80-odd years into the future, in the United Federation of America. The USA as we in 2016 know it, crumbled 60 years from now, when demons started appearing, post wars. The military is strong, there are gangs everywhere and civil liberties are few. So, demons abound, there are regular humans and also humans with supernatural powers, known as 'Oddities'. Cats seem to be normal in this world, you might like to know, which is brilliant news, as everyone knows, Cats Rule!

As the blurb says, this is the tale of a bounty hunter, Derwin, a concealed Oddity, who meets a rent-boy several years his junior, Elliott, initially paying him for a night, then saving his life, then employing his services to help him with a cold case. Derwin's boyfriend was killed several years ago and the killer hasn't been found, and Derwin hasn't had anyone in his life since and he can't rest until he finds out the truth, though, despite his skills and power (supernatural speed, the ability to draw strength and power from others' pain and suffering), everything seems to be a dead-end. Cue Elliott.

There is so much more to the tale than the blurb and my review/summary suggest, as there's surprising warmth in both characters, there are some 'not bad, yet not exactly good' people around, and there are cops who still care about doing a good job. And, though Elliott was thrown out onto the streets when his parents found out he was both gay and an Oddity, Derwin's parents are the total opposite and welcome Elliott into their home, knowing what he is and about his past.

There's danger, mystery and intrigue and an incredibly interesting power that Derwin has, that kind of reminded me of the Dementors in the Harry Potter novels, that if the agencies in power harnessed, could be used to draw information out of people or Oddities. Both Derwin and his father have the same powers, but are two of few of their kind who've managed to keep their abilities disguised. Elliot's own power that allows him to put himself into someone's shoes/life at the touch of an object connected to said person, is both a gift and a curse, as it helps Derwin find out what happened to his boyfriend, but it affects Elliot physically and mentally; he re-lives the owner's...life? death? accident? etc. Freaky, useful and damaging.

As the tale ends, really romantically, I couldn't help but hope that we'd see more of these guys, as they were far too decent to leave them here at the start of their HEA, and there wasn't any doubt in my mind that theirs would be a HEA, so I went nosing. Book 2 has already been written and book 3 is a WIP, YAY!!!!!!!!! Can't wait for more.

ARC courtesy of Riptide Publishing for my reading pleasure.

About JT Hall

J.T. Hall has been writing for many years under this name and others, and has appeared in magazines, anthologies, and online books. She earned her BA in creative writing from the University of Arizona, her master’s in education from Argosy University, and works as an independent technical writer for state and federal programs. In her free time, she volunteers for the LGBT community and is active in the leather scene. She has a teenage daughter and a partner of over ten years. They live in sunny Arizona with three adorably cute dogs, three black cats, and a hamster who loves peanuts.

Connect with J.T.:

• Blog: jthallwriting.wordpress.com
• Twitter: @JTHall7
• Tumblr: www.tumblr.com/blog/jthallwriting
• GoodReads

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Murder Once Seen, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 17, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!