REVIEWED by Jen B.
TITLE: Darke Accused
SERIES: Darke and Flare #1
AUTHOR: Parker Avrile
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 301 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2018
BLURB:
An FBI agent goes undercover to catch a thief who turns out to be too hot to handle.
Darke Davis destroyed evidence to give his partner-in-crime time to flee with thirty-nine million dollars— and Special Agent Flare Greene is determined to get that money back. Hooking up with Darke at a popular gay roadhouse seems like a brilliant way to insinuate his way into Darke’s life.
Flare didn’t plan on the two of them stumbling over a body and finding themselves on the run from charges of first-degree murder. It’s the perfect opportunity to bond with Darke, but if they can’t work together to solve these crimes, they may find themselves locked up together for longer than just one night.
I enjoyed this interesting murder mystery/second chance/undercover tale. Darke was a cop who made a bad decision in the name of love, and it landed him in prison with his career ended and his life irrevocably changed. For some reason, he is granted an unheard of early release, and rather than questioning it, he takes the opportunity to take a fellow inmate up on a potential job.
Flare is an agent who is being pressured to take on an undercover assignment of getting close to Darke as a means of following him back to the man who got away with a lot of money when Darke unknowingly covered for him. His career with the FBI is on the line, so he goes to work hoping to earn Darke’s trust. Things are made easy for him when they are both wrapped up in the murder of Darke’s ex-con acquaintance.
When it becomes clear Darke is an easy target for the locals to pin the murder on, and knowing there was no way Darke could have done it, they decide they have to solve the murder themselves. All of this brings them closer together, but, unfortunately, while Darke believes Flare is completely out of his league, Flare is beating himself up about his secret identity. Of course it all comes crashing down as the story unfolds and the truth comes out. But, not before feelings have grown and emotions are built up.
I thought this was a rather fun story. I enjoyed the mystery and whodunnit aspects and really liked how it all played out. It didn’t seem as though these two had much of a chance at ending up together, but I was relieved to see it happen and that there was more in store for them as their lives take off in a different direction. This was the first book I’ve ready by this author, and I’m looking forward to continuing on with this story.
