Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Not What it Seems
AUTHOR: Nicky James
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 12 hours and 36 minutes
RELEASE DATE: February 23, 2022
BLURB:
They say I killed them. They say I’m sick. They’re wrong. Nothing is as it seems.
Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Cyrus Irvine takes his job and his life very seriously. He is well-respected in his field and has worked hard to get where he is.
But he’s lonely.
When called in to evaluate a murder suspect, the last person he expects to find is the man he slept with a few months ago. The man who ghosted him and wounded his fragile heart.
Ethically, he should turn around and walk away, but he doesn’t. For as much as Cyrus understands the human brain, he can’t understand the pull he feels toward the patient.
One session with River Jenkins and Cyrus is sure of three things: River and everything about his preliminary diagnosis is a lie, his feelings toward River haven’t gone away, and despite his professional code, he isn’t going anywhere.
Someone needs to get to the bottom of this.
Cyrus’ world is turned upside down as he and River team up to find the truth.
During their quest for answers, Cyrus discovers the hardest part of his decision isn’t the risk to his career, but the risk to his heart.
Not What It Seems is a 115k MM romantic suspense with doctor/patient, forced proximity, and age gap themes.
REVIEW:
Dr. Cyrus Irvine is a psychiatrist – an expert in schizophrenia. He’s called in to consult for a second opinion on the case of a man who has been arrested for the murders of three young prostitutes in a rather gruesome fashion. The guy has been hearing voices, being awakened from sleep in his apartment, chasing after elusive figures that seem to be calling for him outside. And even that very morning, he swears he saw his mother and smelled her perfume while out in the yard at the psych facility. The kicker is that this is the guy that Cy spent a weekend with a couple months earlier after they hooked up at a gay bar – although River introduced himself as “Craig” then. After an amazing weekend, “Craig” ghosted Cy and he’s not really over it. Cy thought they had a connection and was really disappointed and hurt when he’s cut off 🙁
Cy realizes he should recuse himself immediately since he is already acquainted with the patient in question. He’s not convinced that River is suffering from schizophrenia, but it really seems like something else might be going on – especially since whatever was plaguing him has stopped since he’s been in police custody. Except for the appearance of his mother – who River has assumed is dead since he hasn’t seen/heard from her in a decade since he’s been out of the system. She was a drug addicted prostitute and River was taken from her at birth. He only saw her at supervised visits growing up – and even those weren’t consistent.
Cyrus in on the fence and doesn’t immediately present his findings/diagnosis to the authorities. Something River says convinces Cyrus to dig a little further because River swears he did not murder these girls and that someone is trying to set him up – although he cannot figure out why. Cy does do some digging and what he finds convinces him that something else is indeed going on here and that River is not the one doing the murdering. But how can he convince the authorities to look into it any further when they are convinced they have the right guy in custody?
I do not want to spoil any more of these story, because there are too many good things that come up in the exploration of who may be behind the plot to frame River. I will say that as Cy and River try to both prove River’s innocence and figure out who is behind the murders, they do get closer. Cy is ashamed of his desires and he sees himself as a coward and a guy who is really messed up in the head – as much as his patients. It’s clear to River that someone has done a real number on Cy. River is determined to try to get Cy to see himself through different eyes than those of his abusive and manipulative ex. They work together under the radar and make a lot more progress than the police who have ignored Cy’s information.
Ok. This is officially my favorite Nicky James book so far that I’ve listened to. The mystery was soooooo good! I had no idea what was going to happen until the end of the story. There were so many viable suspects and so many twists and turns. The surprises just kept on coming as River and Cy were conducting their own unofficial investigation. I truly did NOT suspect at all who was the mastermind of the whole plot. This is such a suspenseful story. The climactic scenes had me on the edge of my seat! I really could not believe how things came together in the end. There was one “come on – you know better than to go in there moment if you’ve ever seen even ONE horror movie” moment but other than that, I thought the mystery and the resolution were brilliant.
Nick Russo did an unbelievably masterful job narrating this story. His performance – particularly of the battered and shamed Cy – I don’t think could be topped. His portrayal of the desperation and suspense and fear were spot on. The psycho at the center of the mystery? Brilliant. I think this will end up on my Best of the Year books list. Highly recommended. Absolutely brilliant story married to magnificent narration!
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