Inside Out
Michael Taylor Book 1
by Tiffany Christina Lewis
Genre: Crime Fiction
Detective Michael Taylor, of the Oakland PD, is the lead on a horrific serial killer case. For six weeks, he has been cleaning up mounds of the killer’s mess. Bodies of men have been found chopped up and left, skin down, for display. Michael, mysterious to many in his department, is desperate to solve this case.
Michael’s only form of stress relief, Candy, a stripper employed at a San Francisco club, begins to show genuine interest in him and they form a relationship amidst all the chaos that is Michael’s life. Between interviews and police reports, Michael makes time for her.
Candy, more commonly known as Vanessa, gets tangled in Michael's case as things unfold. A killer’s desire for retribution leaves her a victim of crime. Vanessa has to use her wit and charm to keep a killer at bay as she leaves bread crumbs for Michael to follow. The lovers must survive a serial killers plot for vengeance while practicing trust and loyalty throughout.
**Only .99 cents!!**
5 stars!
Tiffany Christina Lewis is a new to me author, and I’m going to start this review by telling you, The Michael Taylor series is a MUST read series. Seriously, I loved it from the first page. I read both books in one afternoon and can’t wait to read more!
The first book, Inside Out, has Detective Michael Taylor hunting a serial killer. It took me a little while to figure out Michael because he is not a cookie-cutter male character. I was a little taken aback by his obsession with a stripper, and even more so by his relationship and interaction with her. But, I liked that he wasn’t shaming in his thoughts or actions towards her for her profession. And, in this book, I liked Vanessa/Candy and I liked the two of them together. I thought she helped make Michael a little less uptight, which he needed.
Enough with relationship stuff, the more important part is the serial killer investigation! This book pulled me in from the very beginning and I was invested in Michael’s hunt to find the serial killer. Michael is able to take apart the actions of the serial killer and figure out what he believes the reason is, which leads him to a suspect. The serial killer’s motives will have people questioning if his behavior is just/unjust, especially when he’s so strongly opposed to killing someone who he doesn’t believe deserves it.
Overall, this was a great beginning to a series! I sometimes struggle with the first book in a series because it can be overwhelming, but not so with this one. The author didn’t toss everyone at us at once and slowly allowed the story to build. I thought she did a great job of giving us diverse and unexpected characters. If you enjoy thrillers/mysteries/police procedures, then this is a must read!
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
Stitches
Michael Taylor Book 2
Oakland Police Detective Michael Taylor is faced with another gruesome case: a dead man with no eyes and lips sewn shut.
After catching a grisly Bay Area serial killer, Michael is hit on all sides by change. He starts his investigation with a rookie detective for a partner, his love life is in turmoil, and the pressure at the PD is mounting as the newly minted partners receive a second case that is being pressed as a priority. Michael, the consummate loner, has to manage all of his new relationships, keep his wits and juggle the demands of the PD as he tries to get justice for his victim.
Just as the tag team start to hit a stride, the murder attempts start to pile up and Michael is in the crosshairs. The duo must work fast to defend their victim and save Michael’s life.
**Only .99 cents!!**
5 stars!
The second book, Stitches, has Michael getting hit on all sides. He’s single and what seemed like a good relationship in book one, didn’t turn out to be. Michael prefers to work alone but he gets a partner in this book and is having to adapt. They’re given another case, even more mysterious than the first book, but just when Michael is seeing a string to pull he’s ordered to work another case. Every step Michael takes forward, he gets pushed back and is drawing a lot of unwanted attention from those that would prefer he not figure everything out.
Michael also meets a new woman, but is dealing with the fallout from Vanessa who is not letting go. I was disappointed in the turn of Michael’s relationship with Vanessa, though I kind of like the new woman in his life. But, this is also why I prefer my thrillers/mysteries/police procedures to be more about the murder and hunt for the murderer and less about the relationship between couples. I like to have my main character in a relationship so that it’s there, but not dominating the story.
Regardless of Michael’s love life, or lack of one, I’d still highly recommend this series! The murders Michael is having to solve are multi-faceted, and though I thought I knew who the killer was, there were a lot of prongs to this investigation. I can’t wait to read more from this author, and hopefully a lot more in this series!
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
Tiffany has been writing since her adolescence.
Her passion for writing took a backseat to a career in Education as well as her personal education. Tiffany was honored to have work published for the first time in May 2011. Since then her work has been featured in many books and online publications. From fiction to non-fiction, murder to relationships, Tiffany's range as a writer is wide and deep. Crazy about killing, Tiffany's favorite genre to write is Crime Fiction.
Tiffany writes for readers and wants their full input as she creates her work. "It is my job to satisfy readers. Everything they say about my work is invaluable. I use it to make myself and my writing better."
Tiffany's hobbies include reading, Just Dance, and watching hours of ID Channel shows.
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You definitely get a feeling of menace from the covers.
ReplyDeleteCongrats and thanks for the post. The covers look great, and since I love gay mysteries, I'd start with Inside Out to start the series.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the reviews! It looks like an interesting series =)
ReplyDelete