Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Diagnosis: Death
SERIES: Paul Monroe Mysteries #2
AUTHOR: A.P. Eisen
NARRATOR: Kale Williams
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 6 hours, 21 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 21, 2020
BLURB:
When a body is found in the park, Paul Monroe knows two things: This isn’t a simple mugging, and the weekend he has planned with his boyfriend is officially over before it begins. With no murder weapon but a slew of suspects at the ready, Paul and his partner, Rob, begin the tedious task of piecing together the few clues they have.
Happier than he’s ever been, Cliff knows there’s more to Paul than the tough exterior the man shows to the world, but Cliff is determined to take things slow. An unexpected phone call forces him to revisit the pain of his past, and now he needs Paul more than ever, but he’s hesitant to ask, unwilling to pressure Paul into a decision he might not be ready to make.
Paul’s investigation means more long nights away from Cliff, who is grappling with his unsettling news. Not being able to support Cliff isn’t sitting right with Paul, and for the first time his personal life is as important as his job. Knowing he has Paul to lean on gives Cliff the courage to speak and to heal old wounds as they navigate the minefield of building a relationship. Meanwhile, a killer walks the streets of Thornwood Park, and Paul won’t be satisfied until they are caught and justice served.
REVIEW:
I was overjoyed when I saw this book had been released. I loved the first book in this series and couldn’t wait to read more.
Paul and Cliff’s relationship develops by leaps and bounds in this book. It was no secret that Cliff wasn’t too happy with Paul being in the closet, but he also respected him to come out on his own terms when he was ready. I can only imagine what a difficult situation this would be, and I can sympathise with both. I mean no one has the right to force you out of the closet before you are ready, just as much as you shouldn’t be forced back into it for the sake of pleasing someone else. It wasn’t a huge issue in this book and mostly a reflection on my part. I love how Paul tried to come out slowly, by going out on dates, trying to meet Cliff’s friends. And by trying I mean that he always got called away on cases whenever they had plans with the guys.
I liked the mystery, we get to meet some acquaintances from the first book. The murderer was, to me, obvious from that first interaction, but I enjoyed the detective work all the same. The friendship between Paul and his partner Rob is also a good one. They aren’t just partners at work but also genuine friends who support each other through the rough times reminding each other of the good when things are looking dark. I love their dynamic and hope to see much more of it as the series progress.
The characters and their lives feel genuine to me. They aren’t perfect and neither are their reactions, they are human and people can relate to them. Because haven’t we all told a white lie? Overreacted to a situation before having a chance to really look at the situation? I know for sure I more than once have forgotten to make that phone call or send that text. Or hold on to that hurt a little bit longer, because it’s safer than to opening up again? There’s no over the top drama or spinning out of control. It’s life and sometimes it’s a little more difficult to navigate than others, but it’s also something I truly enjoy.
This book was performed by the widely talented Kale Williams. Thinking back, there are a few moments that stand out to me, that touched me more than others. The first one being from Cliff’s POV when Paul kissed him in front of his friends. The love between them just poured off them, it touched the ones in the bar, and it definitely touched me. Also the pain and apprehension when Cliff was talking with his parents was clear in Williams’ voice, and he made the listener feel what Cliff felt, the hope of repairing the broken relationship, and the fear that it would only cause more hurt in the end. Then there was Paul and Rob, when Rob called with bad news. I felt Pauls pain when hearing the news, hurting for his friend and the need to support him. Williams delivered each line with a surety that comes with having almost 100 books under his belt. He knows what he’s doing and it shows.
Diagnosis: Death was a great follow up to the first book and I can’t wait to read more books from this series.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: