Review: The Merchant of Death

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 The Merchant of Death by Lisa Henry

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Pretending to by one's twin is a rite of passage for most twins.  What happens when the set of twins are opposite sex?  How well does this work and how will they pass for each other?  Henry pulls Mac further away from his straight and narrow law enforcement life.  Henry's raison d'être is finally revealed.  It's a tragic story and one filled with abuse, regret and guilt.  Still, Henry tries to do the right thing and as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I'm not sure what I expected with this series.  The author names lured me to read this book and frankly, if it wasn't these authors, I don't think I would have read this series.  Ms. Henry and Ms. Rock write seamlessly together.  I can't tell who is writing which piece of the story.  This story flows beautifully from beginning to end.  The depth of the characters brings out strong emotions.  Previously, I wanted to strangle Henry and put Mac out of his misery.  Now, I want to still strangle Henry, but I also want to protect and help him.  What gets to me is how realistic this can be.  Henry's life is not ideal and he knows it.  He's doing his best with what little talents he has available to him.  Right or wrong, Henry isn't hurting anyone but himself.

The new character introduced is lovely.  I love Henry's twin.  The frustration she must feel is indescribable.  This twist just hits me in the gut.  The injustice and how this can't be fixed makes me rant.  It makes me wish there was a way to right the wrongs.  This is what I like about Ms. Henry and Ms. Rock.  Their characters are not perfect.  There is no way to fix the broken.  There is only moving forward and adjusting to the hand life has dealt the characters.  This realism is so hard to find in books because many authors shy away from being unable to fix every issue and flaw.  These broken characters and less than perfect life appeals to me and moves me.  The emotions invoked in this story are vivid.  This book is less about suspense and more about the human condition.  Recommended to m/m readers who understand imperfection and still love it.

*provided by NetGalley



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