Title: The Slayer’s Apprentice
Author: Zathyn Priest
Length: 163 pages
Publisher: Smashwords
Genre: m/m mystery
Blurb: When Senior Constable Daniel Hart stops bartender Phoenix Love from picking his pocket one evening, it’s an inauspicious beginning, but Daniel falls for the beautiful Phoenix anyway. Things become complicated when Detective Paul Somerset, who’s been on the trail of Australia’s notorious serial killer “The Crucifix Slayer”, sets his sights on Phoenix.
Convinced that Phoenix Love is the killer, Detective Somerset pursues him single-mindedly. As evidence, and Phoenix’s behavior, point toward Somerset being right, Daniel must protect their fledgling love affair, his own heart and his lover while deciphering whether or not Phoenix actually is the killer.
Is Phoenix Love a victim or is his love affair with Daniel doomed to fall at the whims of a monster?
Review: This book was chosen for me in the GR Rainbow Writers & Readers Sept. book challenge where another member picks a book for you based on a few possible themes. In honour of Sept. 11 Law Enforcement was one of the possible themes, so this one was chosen for me. I see many of my friends loved it and I have no clue why I haven’t read it. *shrug*
So this reminded me of the books I used to read before I found PNR and m/m. Mysteries, police stories. It starts with a serial killer who is taunting the police and has started up again after a four year hiatus. At the same time, cop Daniel starts a relationship with a young man Phoenix, who works as a bartender and is raising his young 5 year old brother on his own. However it soon becomes clear that Phoenix is a young man who disappeared five years ago and was considered murdered by the serial killer. Now his connection is questioned with the investigators suspecting him of being implicitly involved in the past murders and possibly the new ones, and Daniel sure that Phoenix was a victim and is innocent. However Phoenix has no memory of the man who kidnapped him and is seriously mentally damaged.
I was really torn with Phoenix. One moment I’d be full of sympathy for the horrors he must have endured and the damage that he lives with, and the next he’d be manipulating his younger brother in order to solicit sympathy, or playing on Daniel’s emotions and I was thinking “You little shit.” As the investigators continue, Phoenix is put back in touch with his family and suspicion falls to his uncle and a former art teacher.
For those who don’t like graphic violence and violation, I’d be cautious. I knew bad stuff was coming and I postponed reading the ending for a few days. :-) It has a HEA though, or a potential for one, however it’s rather nasty getting there. It’s not gratuitous or titillating. It’s awful and brutal and cruel, and put me back in that sympathy camp with Phoenix no matter how much of a manipulator he could be. The book has no overt sexual contact between Daniel and Phoenix, as Phoenix suffers from sexual dysfunction, and mental, due to sexual abuse, and the ending leaves it in a positive place. However, I just kept thinking “Could Daniel really put up with someone who suffers from mood swings, will be manipulative if he feels like it, won’t have sex with him, etc?” Would a “real” person? I’d like to think there are people who will go through anything to help the person they love, and Daniel was beyond in love, bordering on obsessed with Phoenix, so maybe. :-)
So I’m really pleased with the choice I was given. It was a nice psychological thriller with an interesting relationship. I liked the author’s writing and I guess I’ll have to look at some of his other books. Having it set in Australia was nice too. Definitely worth a read.
