Dirty Kiss, Dirty Secret, Dirty Laundry, Dirty Deeds, Down and Dirty, Dirty Heart Cole McGinnis
MM Romance/Mystery/Suspense
Dreamspinner Press
various
Dirty Kiss….
We meet our constant for this series, told in his POV , Cole Kenjiro Mc Ginnis Private Investigator. Cole is on a stakeout, hired by a husband to see if his wife is cheating on him. Cole is being chased by the wife with a shot gun after he has just witnessed the wife’s indiscretion is with another woman….Meet Cole McGinnis Private Eye. Book One Dirty Kiss opens the reader up to an Asian world. If you have no patience to figure out who is a Lee and who is a Kim this is not the series for you, but as an Anglo who sees the last name is first and how these families can be….Family first in Korea, Japanese or Chinese this elderly Jewish grandma sees how hard lined a group can be…After all I lived it as well…..
Cole was an out and gay police officer. His partner Ben was his back. Cole lost his Japanese mother at child birth, and then lost his father, step mother and sisters when he came out. He thankfully never lost his brother Mike. Cole’s world was turned even more upside down when his partner Ben gunned down he and his lover, killing Rick, and then turning the gun inward and killed himself. Cole was paid handsomely for his injuries and this is how he was able to open this business. Through this series we still do not know why Ben did this…..
Cole is not new to pain ; internally or externally. The scars he carries are like a beacon of who he is. It is here he meets Kim Jae-Min on a routine investigation, looking into the t suicide of a prominent Korean businessman’s son. The romance between them is an underlying sensual dance throughout the entire three stories; they sizzle. As I said previously, Cole lost his family ‘coming out’, so in an Asian community gay men keep this side of themselves held very close to their chest. To even have a ‘hint’ of their being gay they can lose ‘everything’ family, money, hierarchy it all. As his investigation continues Cole finds Jae-Min’s cousin’s death is looking like more than a suicide and his lover Jae-Min is in the middle. Cole is frightened since he has already lost Rick, he is frightened to think he can lose Jae-Min as well.
Dirty Secret……
Cole is hired by a friend Scarlet to find Park Dae-Hoon who disappeared almost twenty years ago during a gay raid by the police. Cole has no issues at being who he is, thank goodness he has a few close friends and a brother Mike to love him, but his lover Jae-Min cannot make this choice as he will lose his mother and sisters still in Korea. He sends much of his money home to them and would die if they were to turn their backs on him. This makes their relationship difficult, Jae cannot be who he wants to be, putting walls up with every turn, but when with Cole they simmer and burn. Traditional Korean men can’t be gay—at least not usually where people can see them. Cole is walking a tight rope with his investigation and bodies start piling up around them. With every lead he follows someone else dies.
I must say by the second book we have a great entourage surrounding Cole and Jae-Min.
Bobby Dawson Cole’s best friend is tops on my list, also an ex cop and now after retirement openly gay, giving us some of the lightness needed in this story, Cole’s brother Colin Mikio (Mike) and his wife Maddy (Mad Dog) are wonderful, Scarlet is priceless, Cole’s office manager Claudia Dupree is the mother Cole deserved and never got. I just now realize Cole reminds me of Columbo, plodding through bit by bit of evidence trying not to get shot too much and also trying to bring himself back to the one thing he feels compelled to have; a life with Jae finally getting over losing Rick. This series is certainly keeping my interest.
Dirty Laundry……
After solving the Dirty Secret mystery, you really need a breath. But Cole and our author Ms Ford give the reader no respite. We jump right into Dirty Laundry with many personal issues for our guys. Jae-Min receives a surprise guest, his teenage sister, and has to worry about keeping their relationship in the closet. His best defense is not seeing Cole….Now Cole and his brother Mike are told they have a half brother, a half Japanese younger brother by the way. So what about their so called deceased Japanese mother????? This opens a tremendous can of worms for Cole and Mike.
So you say Enough of the family drama? We continue when Cole is hired by Madame Sun a fortune-teller who has taken notice that some of her clients are dying. The police think she is an old woman off her rocker until the murders come closer and closer and her daughter is killed…..Cole asks Jae- Min for help sorting out the names of the Asian families, names which are hurting my brain as well as Cole’s. Even though he is half Japanese, he is totally white toast except for Asian food and Jae-Min and not in that order. The ending of the first trilogy is not what I expected and my heart is still pounding through my chest at the shock of it. To say this author balanced this first trilogy with great characters, great story line and sizzling sex would be about the smallest part of it. Her characters are mine now, I know them like I know my family. I love Cole even though I only met him last week. His sense of self, his interaction within gives us so much incite as it is told by him. I feel Jae-Min’s pain of the forbidden and the want tearing him apart. I want Bobby to find a HEA , I love Mike and Maddy, I adore Coles younger brother and cannot wait to see the group again for Dirty Deeds.
I can only tell you how exceptional this is, you will have to find where it fits best with you, but by all means get a copy and enjoy!!!
Dirty Deeds……
Suffice to say, I loved it from Book 1 Dirty Kiss and never looked back.
Our constant in this series, told in his POV is Cole ‘Kenjiro’ Mc Ginnis, Private Investigator. If you have no patience to figure out who is a Lee and who is a Kim this is not the series for you, but as an ‘ancient Jewish Grandmother ‘ the Asians have nothing on us, same ole same ole preaching family first with a heavy hand. …
Cole, an ex police officer, critically wounded by his partner Ben, who also succeeded in killing Cole’s lover, Rick, during that horrendous bullet riddled act. Cole is still in the dark as to ‘the why’ because Officer Pinelli is also dead by his own hand. Cole has not gone back to the precinct, but taken the money offered by the city, and opened his own agency.
Through Dirty Secret and Dirty Laundry, we find Cole has an affinity to be shot or shot at ‘a lot’ while looking for the bad guys. He has met a beautiful young Korean man, Kim Jae-Min, and the loss of his lover is slowly dissolving into a small ache in his heart. Jae is in America, still helping the family who has cast him aside because he is gay. The relationship of these two men has been a sensual dance throughout the books and now you can feel the change in their relationship, the change in Jae. Not as skittish, considerably more comfortable with his love for Cole.
The story had taken an evil turn in Dirty Laundry with Jae being shot. Cole has to come to the realization that Sheila Pinelli, Ben’s widow, must be found. If she is killed in the process, so what? When he had Jae in his arms, his blood running out of him, it did something to Cole deep within.
Dirty Deeds is another masterpiece of mystery, challenge, and the most incredibly sexy and sensual story of the four. But this author goes further and adds a great sense of lightness and humor for the reader. The opening scene of the stakeout with his best friend also ex cop, Bobby, had tears running down my face laughing so hard. We really get to know these characters. I love them like my own friends; I know what makes them tick. In this book we are faced with the relentless search for Ms Pinelli, we are faced with what and who Cole has become as well. He is not going to lie back and be afraid.
Truly Ms Ford you tell one heck of a tale….Cannot wait for the next, I hear tell it’s Bobby’s story and hopefully real soon we will learn W.H.Y Ben did what he did.
Down & Dirty……
I remember the first time I was referred to a Rhys Ford book and picked up Dirty Laundry. What a name for a book, I thought. This smart author grabbed me immediately with a vivid picture of a crazed older woman being caught by her husband’s P.I. in the arms of ‘another woman.’ The wife is chasing this poor guy down the street to get the camera from him or the photos. From that moment on I loved Cole McGuiness and I loved this series.
Rhys has grown this series into an intricately woven family of characters, along with a wonderfully mysterious storyline for the reader to follow. Ms Ford slowly has us closing in on secrets of the death of Cole’s partner. We need to learn still more about his deceased partner’s death, his wife’s part, and possibly the entire police department’s part of his untimely death.
In the meantime, we have Cole meeting and falling in love with the beautiful and troubled, talented photographer Jae Min. Cole is working hard at solving cases and getting shot at along with his handsome sidekick, ex-LAPD officer Bobby Dawson. Bobby, unlike Cole, ‘came out’ after he left the force. He likes his sex fast, hot, and sweaty with no attachments—until Ichiro Tokugawa comes to town. Ichi is none other than the younger half brother of Mike and Cole McGuinness. Ichi is someone to stay away from, Ichi is his best friend’s brother, and Ichi is off limits.
Of all of the series, this one is 10 per cent mystery and 90 per cent Bobby and Ichiro’s smokin’ hot story! This is the story we have been waiting for. This story did not disappoint, this story is a must!
Dirty Heart……
It is with great excitement and sadness I review the last book in the Cole McGinnis Mystery Series. In book #1 Dirty Kiss, I first met our constant for this series told in his POV, Cole Kenjiro McGinnis Private Investigator. Cole was an out and gay police officer. His partner Ben was his back. Cole lost his Japanese mother at child birth, and then lost his father, step mother and sisters when he came out. He thankfully never lost his brother Mike. Cole’s world was turned even more upside down when his partner Ben gunned down Cole and his lover, killing Rick, and then turning the gun inward and killed himself. Cole was paid handsomely for his injuries and this is how he was able to open his Investigative business. Through this series we still do not know why Ben did this…Dirty Heart reveals it all!!!
As we make our way from Book #1 to Book #6 we have met a cast along the way that I will truly miss. It is here he meets Kim Jae-Min on a routine investigation, looking into the suicide of a prominent Korean businessman’s son. The romance between them is an underlying sensual dance throughout the entire stories; they heat and sizzle the pages as their love grows as Cole is trying to bring himself back to the one thing he feels compelled to have; a life with Jae and finally getting over losing Rick. Jae comes with his own baggage and the readers hope they can both overcome their pasts.
Last but not least we meet have Bobby Dawson ex-LAPD. Bobby, unlike Cole, ‘came out’ after he left the force. He likes his sex fast, hot, and sweaty with no attachments—until Ichiro Tokugawa comes to town. Ichi is none other than the younger half brother of Mike and Cole McGinnis and was told by Cole ‘off limits’ that is until they fell into lust and broke all the rules. Bobby Dawson Cole’s best friend is tops on my list, giving us some of the lightness needed in these tough stories. Cole’s brother Colin Mikio (Mike) and his wife Maddy (Mad Dog) are wonderful, Scarlet is priceless, Cole’s office manager Claudia Dupree is the mother Cole deserved and never had.
We really get to know these characters. I love them like my own friends; I know what makes them tick. That’s why this last book is so sad, I feel like I am losing a part of myself.
So it is here in the last book, we discover Jeff Rollins, a disgraced cop and Cole’s first partner. He has resurfaced and appears to be working on the wrong side of the law. All I can say is this last story answers all the unanswered questions for us on the why and the how….and yes I hate that this is The End. Rhys you did well by this series, and I look forward to your books whatever series it is!!!! Bye Cole-a