RELEASE DAY REVIEW: 'Psychopaths & Sinners' by Jack L. Pyke
Title: Psychopaths & Sinners
Author: Jack L. Pyke
Published: May 22, 2018
Cover Artist: Siol na Tine
Genre: Dark Erotic Romance; Dark Contemporary Romance; Mystery/Thriller; Suspense
Length: 557 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Bisexual; May/December; Angst; Cliffhanger; Disorder: Dissociative Identity Disorder; CW: Abduction, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Torture - Physical & Mental, Murder, Necrophilia, Off-Page Child Abuse
About Psychopaths & Sinners
“Because us? Psychopaths and sinners… we don’t need fixing, Gray.”
Three bodies, three mutilations, each one with something… unusual inserted into the wounds. The deaths are enough to leave Ash Thomas scrambling around to find someone to trust as the murders hit so close to home and heart.
For Gray Raoul, MI5 director of G-Branch, the deaths offer something else, a fall back into a familiar life where culling serial killers cater to his own darker mindset. But the farther Gray moves away from home, the more he realises serial killer games in the field are nothing compared to who he has locked up back at home. Sometimes walking the fine line between psychopaths and live-in lovers is a far darker game.
For Ash, that might just mean he’s on his own now, facing a killer who has a deadly fascination for pretty young men and dancing Holly Blue butterflies over their skin.
5 HEART READ
REVIEW:
Psychopaths & Sinners, the fifth book in Jack L. Pyke’s incredible Don’t… series, is here! One of my all-time favorites, this is a must read for all fans of dark, erotic thrillers. If you haven’t taken this journey yet I envy you, because I wish I could experience it all again for the first time.
These characters! The depth Pyke goes into exploring their emotions, their motivations, their connection to each other and the internal struggles they have… well there’s no other author I know who goes this far inside her characters’ heads.
I love the new guys, Ash and Raif, and can’t wait to see where they’re going next. Pyke introduces them in Ash, Don’t… 4.5, along with some other great new players, and a freaky-scary mystery that’s amazing as well. There’s a wonderful dynamic between Ash and Raif and it’s extremely compelling. The future of this series is going to be amazing!
...there’s no other author I know who goes this far inside her characters’ heads.
Raif is such an interesting character, and every little reveal of his past just makes me want to find out more about him. He keeps his guard up and first impressions show a cold, hardened man who’s had more than his share of hard knocks. As we get to know Raif, to see the lengths he goes to care for those in need and how badly he needs to be cared for in return, it just shows what a tender, sweet guy he is. Ash is bringing out all kinds of fascinating in Raif, I think the timing is right and he’s more than okay with this.
Ash is young, and recent events have caused him to take a long, hard look at his life. His irreverent approach to life, his cruel and thoughtless pranks, and promiscuous sex life have done damage in ways he’s only beginning to see. Ash is sinking fast and reclaiming his life, standing up for himself, and cutting the toxic relationships, is the only way he’s going to make it through. Watching him realize this and take the steps necessary to get there blew me away. This young man makes some amazing strides over just a very short period of time.
There are some changes going on in the House of Gray as well. Martin has almost completely taken over and Jack is buried deep, down where only occasional glimpses of him peek out. At least Martin wants us to think that Jack is still there... but as is her way, Jack L. Pyke is a master of the mind-fuck, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide for yourself. I can only imagine (and hope) where Martin chooses to go next.
While I definitely miss Jack, his absence allows for a dynamic between Gray and Jan that isn’t as prevalent in the earlier stories.
While I definitely miss Jack, his absence allows for a dynamic between Gray and Jan that isn’t as prevalent in the earlier stories. To see this tender, attentive side of Gray, the Gray that Jan brings out, is priceless and definitely worth the trade-off. We also see Jan becoming more confident and, is ‘demanding’ the right word? He’s a true advocate for Jack and won’t tolerate anyone messing around, especially Gray. He wants his Jack back.
Watching Gray continue to fall apart in Psychopaths & Sinners is devastating. The strain of needing Jack, and wanting his men healthy and whole is taking its toll on Gray both mentally and physically. The dichotomy between the cold, hard, ruthless killer he shows the world versus the man who loves so deeply is intense. When Gray breaks down and shows his pain, you know he’s truly at the end of his rope.
Thank heavens Don’t… six is currently in the works, and I’ll leave this little plea to Jack L. Pyke: Please hurry! As uncertain as things are at the end of Psychopaths & Sinners, there is one thing of which I’m certain: Gray is clearly heading towards some actions that are going to change everything. Choices he’s going to make that even Gray can’t make right and I can’t wait to be there when it happens.
A copy of Psychopaths & Sinners was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by ForbiddenFiction, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
Meet the Author
Jack L. Pyke blames her dark writing influences on living close to one of England’s finest forests. Having grown up hearing a history of kidnappings, murders, strange sightings, and sexual exploits her neck of the woods is renowned for, Jack takes that into her writing, having also learned that human coping strategies for intense situations can sometimes make the best of people have disastrously bad moments. Redeeming those flaws is Jack’s drive, and if that drive just happens to lead to sexual tension between two or more guys, Jack’s the first to let nature take its course.
For more from Jack be sure to visit her website.
