Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Case Of The Boy In Blue
AUTHOR: Amanda Meuwissen
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 33 pages
RELEASE DATE: Feb 14, 2021
BLURB:
Leonard Quill, private investigator, never expected a case to walk through his door quite like this one, complete with murder, a frame job, blackmail, and powerful players, especially coming from a man with bright blue eyes behind his glasses, a crooked bow tie, and an impossible smile.
REVIEW:
Westley Valentine walks into Leonard Quill’s Private Investigator’s office claiming; his father was framed for his mother’s murder and that Leonard is the only person who can help. The person who Westley pins the crime on can’t be taken lightly. Deckard isn’t a man one easily takes down legally. He has many people in his pocket, including the local Police Department, but Westley is hoping.
Leonard Quill tells the Case of the Boy In Blue in the first person – and I loved every word. His thoughts and dialogue were a joy to read. The tone, ambiance, and sultry feel of Watchmen’s Rorschach-come-Kojak voiceover is there from the first sentence. Dates aren’t mentioned, but with words like ‘Dame,’ I got a 30’s vibe. If this was a TV show, I imagine the opening scenes would be in either black and white, or that aged tan – slowly turning to color.
Leonard and Westley are very different – a classic case of opposites attract in age and appearance. Leonard is the older stereotypical strong man in a long coat. More Mike Hammer than Columbo. Westley is painted as a geek with a backbone. Every cast member had their place, good, bad, innocent, battle-scarred, and the damned awesome were impeccably written. A shout-out here to Roxanne – she is a deadly viper wrapped up like My Little Pony.
The pace was perfect, and the plot had unexpected twists with drama in all the right places. I finished reading it with a smile on my face.
For a thirty-three-page noir m/m romance, I’d put it up there with the best of short stories. For me, it is a shining example of what a tale can achieve in a short space of time. I loved everything about the story as it took me back to the detective shows of my childhood. An absolutely wonderful read that I will revisit.
RATING: 
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