Pulling Strings M/M Suspense, Thriller
Dreamspinner Press
September 10, 2019
246
Dual Review!
Pulling Strings By Andrew Grey
REVIEWERS: SHE SAID – Linda Tonis / SHE SAID – Shin Mon Thway
A high-stakes case of industrial espionage ties them together, but before they can pursue their attraction, they must find out who’s pulling the strings.
Devon Donaldson doesn’t know how a folio of stolen corporate secrets found its way into his bag, and certainly can’t think of anyone who’d want to frame him. The trouble is, he has to convince Powers McPherson.
Devon’s firm hired Powers to investigate the theft of a new banking system, and so far Devon is his only lead. While Powers’s gut tells him Devon is innocent, he has no intention of letting Devon out of his sight… for more than one reason. Working together to get Devon’s life back leads to feelings far beyond cooperation. But before they can act on them, they need to find the group of thieves intent on ruining Devon’s reputation.
SHE SAID – Linda Tonis
Reviewed by: Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team
Devon Donaldson has been working for Coopers, Littman and Mauer for six months and he and his co-workers are attending a gala thrown by the company to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. While there he notices a man staring at him making him very uncomfortable but that is nothing compared to when the same man comes knocking at his door accusing him of stealing proprietary secrets worth millions.
Powers McPherson owns his own private security and investigations company and has been hired by Mr. Mauer to find out who is stealing their new system for banking and money transfers which would revolutionize transferring of funds around the world. Powers believes that Devon is the man he is looking for and a search of Devon’s bag reveals a folder and computer disc making him guilty in Powers’ eyes.
Devon manages to convince Powers that it is not his file by insisting that the file be checked for fingerprints and DNA and he knows it will prove his innocence since he never saw the folder or touched it. Now convinced that Devon is not the man he is looking for he realizes that whoever put the folder in Devon’s bag will be looking to retrieve it and it could put Devon in danger. Powers takes it upon himself to stay in Devon’s apartment in the event someone comes calling. Devon has always been shy and always felt invisible making him easily used and discarded by men he thought he loved and now this caring, sensitive and honest man is in trouble.
Powers and Devon work together to discover who is stealing from the company but it becomes clear that whoever it is, is willing to do whatever must be done to get the information he’s after, and that means searching Devon’s home, stealing his computer and attacking him on the subway. The one good thing that came from Devon’s involvement in this case was that it brought him and Powers together and the more they spend time with each other the more they begin to care and caring means that Powers has to find the guilty party to ensure Devon’s safety.
Once again I am in awe of Mr. Grey’s ability to write about so many different subjects, this time computers and industrial theft. He has written about blindness, deafness and abuse to just name a few and he always seems to research everything thoroughly this time was no different. A love story filled with suspense and a lot more knowledge of computers then I ever had before.
SHE SAID – Shin Mon Thway
Review by Shin Mon Thway
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Undoubtedly, Andrew Grey is one of the powerhouses in our beloved MM genre. He also has a lot of great books under his belt. I have read some of his books before and loved them but I have never read a suspense thriller-ish novel from Andrew. Usually, they are sweet, fluffy and charming. So, what a great way to be introduced to an exhilarating and enigmatic industrial espionage story from Andrew Grey.
Devin has lived a dull, monotonous and somewhat productive life. He’s one of the little cogs in a huge corporation company and he has only been working there for six months. All he wants to do is to work hard, to keep his head down at work and live a peaceful life. But his life turned 180 degrees when he was unceremoniously and unexpectedly involved in industrial espionage that’s been happening in his firm.
There’s an envelope full of stolen classified data and a flash drive in his bag. He has no idea when, how or who put it there Private investigator Powers McPherson is on the chase to find out who’s been stealing and trying to sell the firm’s top secret new software When McPherson finally finds some breadcrumbs to follow, it ends up at the bag of the firm’s new golden boy, Devon Donaldson.
Devon said he knew nothing about the stolen envelope in his bag and miraculously, Powers believe him. He doesn’t think a man as innocent as Devon is capable of doing such an evil thing. But Devon is the only clue in this “needles in the hay stack” enigma of industrial espionage and Powers need his help to find out who’s the real thief. If Powers is honest with himself, he is not ready to end the meetings with cute and charming Devon. Devon might not be the mastermind behind stealing the firm’s top secret software but he sure stole Powers’ heart.
Okay. I like that I had no idea about who was the real criminal until it was revealed in the end. Seriously, I didn’t see that coming. That was some major jaw-dropping twist and I loved it. The attraction between Devon and Powers is instant but it took some time for these men to start exploring their attraction to each other. The romance is slow, sensual, loving and romantic. Aside from the fact that they are both struggling to find out the real mastermind behind the theft,
Devon has been hurt quite badly in the past. He’s vulnerable, insecure and afraid to love again. And Powers was very patient, loving and protective towards him. There was some angst about two-third’s thru the book but it was resolved quickly. I liked that there’s some angst in it because it definitely made the story more realistic and fascinating.
The secondary characters in this story were very powerful and interesting too. I was fascinated with both Lucy, Power’s sister, and Alexander, Devon’s friend. I could easily see this turning into a series. The ending was lovely too. Overall, this was a very satisfying and enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes their romance with a healthy dose of mystery/thriller. I think this book has the perfect balance of romance and suspense/thriller aspect to it and that isn’t an easy thing to juggle. So kudos to Andrew Grey