TBR Challenge Review: Deadly Nightshade by Victor J. Banis

This month’s TBR Challenge was to read a book that was in your TBR by an author you hadn’t read before. I wanted to review an m/m book this month and there were only about 5 m/m authors in my cache that I hadn’t read before. What does that say about me? That when I get a book by a new author I read it right away or that I just don’t try new authors all that often? I have no idea! Lol This book was one I got for free from a site about 2 years ago (and no, can’t remember the site) and it’s been languishing on the old stick drive ever since. Of course now that I’ve read it I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I guess I should look on the bright sided – there are plenty of books in this series so I’ll get lots of Stanley and Tom! Yay!

Straight cop, gay cop, and a woman who “isn’t real.” Tom and Stanley are on the trail of a drag queen serial killer, and along the way, they find themselves engaged in a more intimate pursuit, trying to resolve another mystery: their unexpected attraction to one another.

Stanley Korski has been a cop for a week when he’s assigned to be a lead detective on a homicide. He knows he’ll rock the case but his new partner, Tom Danzel, isn’t so sure. You see Stanley is gay and Tom isn’t too thrilled to be partnered with a big ole queen. Stanley of course, being the great guy he is stands up to Tom and they manage to rub along just fine.

The victim has been killed by what the witnesses are calling a drag queen. Tom and Stanley decide to check out the drag clubs to see if they can find their suspect. Tom isn’t entirely comfortable with the men who dress up like women but he finds after a while that it’s not as horrible as he thinks.

When Tom gets a roofie and almost becomes a victim himself Stanley takes him to his house to take care of him. One thing leads to another and soon Stanley’s more than happily blowing Tom’s mind – if you get my meaning. Tom’s not sure what to make of it all in the morning but that doesn’t stop the two from doing it again, and again, and again. But it’s all for Tom’s pleasure – which makes Stanley happy. Of course Stanley’s not necessarily thinking with his big head – more like the little one.

The detective team find that they work well together and Tom’s phobia’s start to wane along the way. They figure out who the culprit is but what will happen between the two of them when the case gets closed?

Let me start by saying – oh how I loved Stanley. Seriously, that guy was all kinds of fun and funny. He made me laugh one minute and then had my heart breaking for him the next as he was just in a quandry. Tom was a great character as well. He was just so macho but he obviously had an open mind – he just didn’t want anyone but Stanley to know about it.

The mystery in the story was well done. The different avenues that the author took to figure it all out made such sense in my mind and I loved that I didn’t have to go over it multiple times in my head to figure out what the hell they were talking about. Lol It was not simply solved but definitely logically.

I loved that this book had the relationship with Stanley and Tom as the real focal point of the book even though they were solving the mystery at the same time. The two parts worked so well together and the author did a great job of weaving them together. Yes, my romantic heart wanted the ultimate HEA but I knew from almost the first chapter that that wouldn’t happen. Tom was just too confused. sigh

I will definitely be reading more in this series as I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Tom and Stanley saga. Great book – I definitely recommend it.


Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Victor J. Banis

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