Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Rose Man
SERIES: My Bloody Valentine Collection
AUTHOR: Cheryl Dragon
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
RELEASE DATE: Feb 9, 2021
LENGTH: 148 pages
BLURB:
The Rose Man knows where his targets live, work and play…
One dead body.
Two missing men.
Three red roses…
So far…
Deputy Ben Grover is the only gay man in the sheriff’s department and gay men seem to be the target of a stalker who leaves a rose on their windshield. With missing persons involved, the sheriff welcomes the help of the FBI, but Ben isn’t so thrilled to be working with Agent Ross Burns, his high school ex.
Ross had aspirations that took him far from the small town while Ben had obligations that kept him back. But they won’t let their scorching past or the feelings that blaze into passion now get in the way of catching a killer.
Both are convinced there are more rose recipients out there—The Rose Man seems to be counting down to Valentine’s Day and roses tend to come by the dozen…
REVIEW:
In a country town, life was quiet, and crime levels low. Uncomplicated is how the local sheriff liked it. For Deputy Ben Grover, flipping his lights on added a bit of fun to his day. When a murder looks to be a serial killer’s work, targeting gay men, the sheriff assigns Ben to the case and calls in the Feds. Unfortunately, or fortunately for Ben, the FBI sends in Ross, Ben’s high school ex.
The story is part of The Bloody Valentine Collection of books produced by Pride Publishing. They are all standalone tales, so there should be something out there for everyone. The Rose Man is told in the third person, from the viewpoints of Ben and Ross. I found some spelling mistakes. Therefore, I can’t be sure whether the copy I received was the final draft.
The manuscript is around 35k. Enough time was dedicated to scene-setting to form a picture in my mind but didn’t go over the top. Instead, the story concentrates on Ross and Ben’s relationship with the crime, almost as a backdrop. I got this impression because the men discuss most of their past problems on the way to various scenes of the investigation.
Ross and Ben are lovely people. Both made their life choices, and the benefits of each are aired during the story. I especially liked the way Ross stands up to Ben’s father, who is homophobic but wants his son to be happy. Therefore, Ben doesn’t throw his sexuality in his father’s face
As the blurb says the criminal leaves roses on the windscreens of his next victim. The wait to see who next received a rose was gripping – at the same time, I was not surprised either.
I found The Rose Man to be a competent story that filled the Valentine brief, and some readers will be pleased with the lack of blood. But it didn’t give my emotions a ride. Reading the story was like going for a pleasant day out – enjoyable with some lovely characters, but mellow. My personal reading tastes like a gritty crime with twists, turns, and a good dose of anticipation.
I would probably like to read a more extended version of this where, more time is dedicated to the intricacies of the crime, instead of too much overlap between crime and a rekindling relationship. However, I can see that some readers will love it because it is like reading a good day out.
I’ve given The Rose Man 3.5 hearts, which is – A good book, better than average
RATING: 
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