Dangerous Cravings

Dangerous Cravings
Evangeline Anderson
Loose Id
ISBN: 1-59632-241-7
Fiction, Erotica
Reviewed by Peter Rosier

There's a serial killer loose in Tampa and he's targeting women who write bondage, domination and sado-masochistic literature. On his trail are Detectives Cole Berkley and Alex Reed. But Alex has a secret she certainly won't reveal to her Tampa PD colleagues: in her spare time, she writes BDSM stories. Might she be next on the killer's list or will she and partner Cole get him first?
Although there is enough plot development to fill the 267 pages of this novel length e-book, certain aspects of the storyline do irritate. Cole Berkley is described as "ex-linebacker, ex-Marine, six feet five inches and a damn fine detective. He still keeps his black hair military short, and he has tattoos on both biceps... He has piercing blue eyes, and his face looks like it’s carved out of granite, not handsome but very solid. He’s a good guy to have at your back..."
Alex "has eyes just like Bambi....they’re soft, brown, and big enough to drown in, with a thick fringe of black lashes all the way around. To look at her you’d think she wouldn’t hurt a fly.....she’s curvy.......I’ve seen those baby deer eyes narrow down over the barrel of her Browning, and I’ve seen her squeeze the trigger cold as ice. " And so on.
I wish authors would realise that human beings have flaws and that is what makes them interesting. In the Law and Order field, the great fictional characters are hardly perfect: Sherlock Holmes is arrogant, impatient, a manic-depressive and a drug user; Frank Columbo is short, scruffy, disorganised and irritating; Inspector Morse is aloof, cold and a snob about classical music and real ale. But they are all deeply loved by their audiences because of their humanity and flaws.
Nevertheless, the killer's motivation as described in this story is sound by psychopath standards and the action gripping. Cole and Alex get to explore their intimate inner feelings as they go deeper into the BDSM world. Get to the end and you are rewarded by a sex scene that may melt any piercings you have already or persuade you to get some if you haven't! . But Publishers (and Authors), please can we have books this length in good old paperback format? At over 200 pages, it is ideal to dip into and devour a few pages as time permits but, having to boot up a PC each time just to do this, really isn't going to encourage readers.