Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Peacemaker by Morgan Brice Narrator: John Solo
Series: Sharps and Springfield #1
Published by Tantor Audio on January 30, 2024
Genres: Historical Mystery
Length: 7 hours, 22 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Supernatural Secret Service agents Owen Sharps and Calvin Springfield meet on the train to their new assignment in St. Louis, and sparks fly between them. But it's 1897, and they need to be very careful—falling in love can be dangerous for men like them.
It's their first case together, investigating mysterious disappearances—including the two agents who preceded them. Grim evidence leads them to look for a darker purpose. Old ghosts haunt the railroad line, zombie rise, signs point to ritual sacrifice, and they suspect someone is trying to open the gates of hell.
Can Calvin and Owen stop the mayhem, thwart the vampires, and find true love, or will everything go up in smoke?
Peacemaker is a high-stakes steampunk MM romance thrill ride filled with found family, paranormal Pinkertons, intrepid reporters, mysterious disappearances, nefarious land brokers, hellhounds, zombies, vengeful spirits, dark spells, absinthe magic, a ruthless vampire railroad baron and a love that won't be denied.
After enjoying Morgan Brice’s m/m paranormal romantic suspense series, Badlands, and already loving the western genre and John Solo’s narration work, I figured Peacemaker would be a shoe-in to capture my interest. I was not mistaken though I had a fun surprise in store when it came to the style of the story.
Peacemaker combines several genres and does it fairly well as I anticipated. What I didn’t realize was that this would be something in the style of the Wild Wild West TV series and later movie adaption with the light interplay between the two lead characters, the private train car, agency partnership, gadgetry, and the understanding that modernisms would unapologetically and openly creep in.
The time period is post-civil war in the heyday of the Wild West. Owen Sharps and Calvin Springfield both working for the early US Secret Service paranormal branch. They are brought in to form a new investigation partnership and meet on a train into St. Louis right where the previous pair on a new disturbing case were taken out.
Things start off slowly gaining pace as the pair of opposites get to know each other, their new situation, and then launch into the case while fighting a blistering hot attraction for their working partner. In fact, the heat of their attraction was instantaneous and in the forefront from the first pages. Peacemaker is told from alternating perspectives and both Owen and Calvin can barely keep it in their pants as they try to do their jobs. Thus, I got to know their attraction more than I got to know them and see them grow a relationship, if you catch my drift.
The plot was suspenseful with moments of sharp action. They got lucky a few times in their investigation not hitting many roadblocks so that they knew what they were up against soon enough. It didn’t hurt that both were powerful psychics with specific skill sets and their support guy was a powerful witch and had lots of experience he could bring to bear on the case. The villain was powerful, so made a worthy antagonist.
Even though I didn’t get as much development as I’d like, I liked both Owen and Calvin and I liked them together. Their light and wry attitudes and dialogue were engaging and I hope the author keeps up with this series.
All in all, a solid start to a fun new series mashing up several genres. If you like cheeky Westerns in the Wild, Wild West style with a blend of paranormal and m/m romantic suspense, pick this one up on audio.
Narration:
John Solo voiced the story well and I had no difficulty distinguishing all the characters even though most were male. He captured the distinctness in Owen and Calvin for their alternating perspectives.
Listen to a clip: HERE
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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I’ve always wanted to give this author a try. I didn’t realize she has a historical mystery series. This sounds exciting. Thanks!
I like her contemporary paranormal romantic suspenses and urban fantasies. This was the first historical and it was fun.
Nice to hear you enjoyed this mash-up of genres despite some niggles!
Yes, it was a fun one. Hope she writes a second one in the series.
That’s an interesting time period for a m/m romance.
I thought so, too. Not many gay wild westerns.
They sound like a couple I would like 🙂
They always had some good quips and banter together. 🙂
Sounds like an interesting series! I like the comparison to Wild Wild West even if that movie wasn’t the greatest.
Yeah, I’m a fan of the older TV series, Wild Wild West, but the movie gives the idea of the tone of this one for a comparison. Hope you get the chance at it, Lisa.