“Conscience isn’t something all people are born with...”
Gabriel Church is a portrait in contrast. It would be easy to get lost in his pale-blue eyes, ache with the need to feel the strength of his masculine frame. He appears to be nothing but animal and instinct. The only people who know the full depth of that truth are dead, murdered, or two thousand miles away.
Gabe is a serial killer. For the first time in his life, he has more on his mind than his own survival. This time he is running from Seattle to protect the only person he thinks innocent in his laundry list of crime and murder: Christian Maxwell, his biographer and unexpected lover. Drawn to a place he never thought to return, Gabe finds new and different realities. Realities that insist he let go of his tragic past, those incredible perceptions of God, and his own divinity. He must open his eyes to what the love of a good man can do to heal a broken soul.
But when the killer is confronted by his own willingness to love and sacrifice, he is forced to ultimately ask the question: Just how far will he go to save a life . . . when all he’s ever done is take them?
What people are saying about Rubble and the Wreckage – Book 1 in the Gabriel Church Tales . . .
Can you trust a serial killer that has no remorse? That bathes in manipulation? I am not going to tell you if Christian trusts, believes, or falls for any of it but I will tell you it’s a drug for those who crave a dark twist in their daily reads. It’s hot between these two. It’s also suspenseful and nerve wracking. Venture outside your comfort zone for this book.
Diverse Reader
I don’t give away spoilers, but I will say that this book pulls no punches, makes no apologies, and basically kicks ass and takes names! Grab it if you want a mind-bending, sexy read that will leave you wanting book two . . .!
Bike Book Reviews
A psychological thriller, this book was a page-turner from beginning to end. I highly recommend Rubble and Wreckage.
Joyfully Jay Reviews
This is a wonderful book for the person who likes stories that offer in depth character studies of flawed people. Both men are very complicated and probably equally fragmented except on opposite sides of the law. Rubble and the Wreckage is a sizzling read. Nothing is what it seems; nor is it so simplistic as a killer grooming a writer to be a patsy for murder like a predictable TV movie.
Love Bytes Reviews
Rodd is an amazing narrator and manages to weave a thrilling and intriguing tale of sex, lust, love, mystery and danger.
Bayou Book Reviews
***
Cars weaved dangerously onto onramps as everyone was frantically trying to make it to offices, day jobs, or the nearest shopping malls. Everyone was out to make a living, but for him life was different. In the burbs, Gabe made a living with a towel and a pair of shorts. Stopping in at motel pools, appearing like any other guest out for a swim. His true intention was spying for purses sitting open by the women tanning themselves on chaise lounges.
Gabriel wasn’t vain, but he knew what catnip a strong physique could be for a lonely female traveler, and he knew how to work the tourist trade even better than the brown-skinned boys from the beaches of Puerto Vallarta. But it was more than loose change he’d be begging for. Motel pools were ideal because husbands rarely swam with their families, but mothers knew the importance of getting screaming children out of tiny motel rooms and into pools. It meant they could sit in quiet solitude, possibly reading and tanning their alabaster skins as urchins on sugar highs splashed and frolicked at their feet.
It was the perfect savanna for hunting when you had a build like Gabriel’s. And if his target was a lone single woman, he often used his skills to get her to draw him to her room for sweaty sex between the sheets. Purses and pocket books were easy, and when they weren’t available, there were pool games for money and poker with betting. He considered his petty theft something few would miss, and his efforts enabled him to stay off the grid and under anyone’s radar. He’d never been arrested or ticketed for any of his minor crimes for cash because he was that good. A tempting smile went a long way for him, and he could be charming and self-effacing whenever he needed. Christian had chuckled and called him whore when he’d explained how he maintained his existence back in Washington. Remembering that incident brought a faint grin to his face, and he found pleasure that the writer hadn’t judged him harshly, as others might’ve.
“You do what you have to if you want to survive, little buddy.” Church had offered over Christian’s raucous laughter. It had been one of the first times they’d discussed his manner of survival or money during one of their many frequent interviews in the Mayflower. He had to admit they’d been a little drunk by then after Maxwell had purchased a bottle of premium bourbon and carried it back to their suite as entertainment and distraction. They were inebriated more often than he cared to admit, but it was a necessary evil when Christian was asking him to reveal his deepest, darkest secrets. The only way he could get to the impervious truth was by laced libation and longing looks of sympathy and interest. One of Gabe’s fondest memories came from them sitting on the sofa in the spacious suite at the Mayflower in their underwear, close enough that their knees were touching. They were already high on bourbon and colas, and they laughed and joked well into the night. It was something Gabriel had never experienced before, as unfathomable as that might have sounded.
***
Torn and Frayed- the perfect title for this novel because that is how you’ll feel when you’re done with it.
This has turned out to be one very interesting series.
Let’s do a little recap.
Gabriel Church is a serial killer.
He’s merciless, ruthless and highly intelligent. He never stays too long in one place and he doesn’t let anyone near.
That, until he meets Christian Maxwell, the writer who wants to hear his story.
But, surprisingly, Gabriel is not as cold as he appears. At least not when it comes to Chris.
Soon, what should have been just an interview turns into a relationship that neither of them was prepared for.
Now, Gabriel is on the run again, leaving behind his lover and the comfort he felt at his side.
In Rubble and the Wreckage we saw Gabriel through Christian’s eyes and through the story Gabe himself is telling.
It’s a different perspective in Torn and Frayed. There’s only Gabriel, alone and trying to stay under the radar while getting as far as possible from the man who made him feel so much, too much, and deviate from his strict rules.
Now, his priorities have changed.
It was interesting to see Gabriel the man and not just the serial killer.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s still who he is but more … normal.
His decisions revolve around what’s best not only for him but for a man who, for a short period of time, has given him peace.
And I’m going to stop here because I don’t want to spoil the book for you.
There’s so much going on and there are some new characters who join the game.
Torn and Frayed was definitely better than Rubble and the Wreckage and it was a lot more easy to keep up with the story, but that might be due to the fact that there’s no dual POV. It’s mostly Gabriel.
It hasn’t been easy rating this novel, either because it’s not just the usual love story.
The complexity of this story makes it difficult to be objective.
All you can do is just read and not try to decide if what’s happening it’s right or wrong. Don’t try to judge based on what you think it’s the right decision or the right course of action. It’ll never work.
Happy Reading!
Rodd lives in Dallas, TX at the moment but hails from the sticks of Oklahoma. Check out his web presence at RODDCLARK.COM. Interested in the M/M Mystery, Romance and Thriller genres but has a varied interest in many books. It has been written that his writing has a very dark and distinctive voice with a need for deep exploration and analysis. “Torn and Frayed” is the sequel to his popular romantic thriller, "Rubble and the Wreckage." The third chapter of the series should be released later in the year and give readers a chance to see how their wicked story is resolved.
1 comment:
Thank you Mikky for your kind review.
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