Buy Link: The Amethyst Cat Caper
Author: Charlie Cochet
Publisher: Torquere
Length: Novel
Rating: 4.5
It is early 1930s New York and Remington Trueblood is thrilled when his friend Tom sells him his latest acquisition – a beautiful amethyst cat, a reproduction of famous Egyptian artwork that Remi plans to display in his tea house. Remi moved to America two years ago when his father kicked him out of his home in England for refusing to give up his life to follow his father’s wishes. Remi quickly made a success of himself, even in the midst of hard economic times, and now is a successful businessmen.
When Tom is attacked a few hours after selling Remi the cat, Pinkerton detective Stanley Hawk is called in to investigate. He quickly figures out that the cat they assumed was a replica was actually a priceless artifact recently stolen from a museum in Cairo by the notorious and elusive Gentleman Thief. The thief has made his way to New York to regain his wayward treasure and is now trying to track it down, placing Remi in danger.
Hawk and Remi hit it off immediately when the detective comes to investigate. Hawk is big and imposing and scares most people off, but the younger Remi is quite a match for him. They both let down their guard and it seems like things might be developing between them. But as the investigation heats up, the men must figure out if they can make it work between them while still catching the thief.
The Amethyst Cat Caper was a really enjoyable historical. I haven’t read many books set during this time period and Cochet really captures the feeling of the time. The story includes lots of historical details, including the technology, the dress, and the style of speaking. The whole feel of the story fits within the setting and I could really believe it all happening in this era.
I really loved Hawk and Remi and the way that there was more to both of them than you see at first glance. Remi appears wealthy and privileged and people often assume he is too pampered to handle anything on his own. Yet he has built his fortune from nothing, making a totally new life for himself in America. He is generous with his money and much tougher and more resourceful than most people give him credit for. And while Hawk has a tough and intimidating detective side, when he lets down his guard his is gentle and caring and a bit goofy. The guys are a great match together and really enjoyable characters.
Some small quibbles with the story. First, I think that the identity of the thief (or at least a key clue about him) felt like it was given away quite early. This is a short novel so things have to develop quickly, but I wish this reveal had been held off a bit longer. I also think the relationship between Remi and Hawk goes quite quickly from hot hookup to totally serious about it each other awfully fast. Again, perhaps an issue with the shorter format, but it did pull me out of the story a few times as I wondered, “wait, how long have they known each other?” This type of instalove is not uncommon in romance novels, but I do wish we had seen things develop a bit more slowly and realistically between them.
Despite these issues I really enjoyed the story. The setting was so well done I really felt immersed in the time period. The book was fast paced and quite interesting. We get some hints at the end that there might be more to come in for the guys, and if so, I will be looking forward to reading more.
Cover Review: I just love this one. The color and tone totally match the story and so much more than your usual headless torsos. Really lovely.
Tomorrow we will be lucky enough to have Charlie visiting the blog to talk to us more about The Amethyst Cat Caper and give away a copy to a lucky commenter! So be sure to check back in!
