When I read the introduction I thought this book sounded interesting but unfortunately for me it wasn't I just could not get into reading it to the end sorry

I really enjoyed this story. Russ was so gruff and over it much of the time, he was a really enjoyable character for me. The mysteries themselves kept me guessing until the very end. I admit I was a bit confused when the first mystery ended with so many remaining pages, but I definitely wasn't disappointed in the end.

An enjoyable read with two previously published stories in one volume, 'Enigma' and 'Blood and Dirt'.

They both feature Russ Morgan, a PI who uses his psychic ability to read people’s auras to solve crimes. There are two separate cases with an overall romance arc that I’d definitely like to read more of.

There’s a lovely scene between Russ and Colin where they discuss the age difference between them and the prospect of a future together. The sex scenes are fade to black but even so, the connection between the two men is well portrayed.

The cases themselves and their resolution are not overly complex and easy to follow. There are plenty of clues, red herrings and possible suspects. There’s a lot of reference to Russ observing a person’s aura to judge how they are feeling or whether they are telling the truth. Both stories are well-written, with a fleshed-out likeable main character.

I’d also like Deputy Sheriff Heath Baker to feature in a future story - either in this series or his own!

Russ Morgan was a great character to follow, well-written and likable. I really enjoyed these two stories, the storylines were engaging and drew me in. All in all a very enjoyable, highly entertaining read and I hope to read more of this fascinating characters.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley*

As you may have already figured out, I love stumbling upon new books/authors. I personally don't realize that I'm in a reading rut until I find a book that pulls me out of it. Russ Morgan, PI by Lloyd A. Meeker was one of those books. 

Russ Morgan, PI is actually a novella and a novel within one book. I'm kinda glad I didn't discover this one until they were combined. I don't think that reading one of them would have had the same impact that they did reading them together. Enigma was a great introduction to Russ Morgan, PI. It helped readers get to know him and his special "talent." It also gave readers a sense of who he was before and in the present, because they were two distinctly different men. The "before" version was an alcoholic who destroyed his shot at happiness. The "present" version was trying very hard to be a better man. 

I loved the mystery behind Enigma and it honestly took me a while to figure out who the blackmailer was - and that's all I'm going to say because I don't do spoilers. I also loved the tension between Colin and Russ. It was clear that Russ was more than likely fighting a losing battle where that attraction was concerned.

Blood & Dirt picks up the story a little while later, but not too much. Colin is slowing working on convincing Russ that age is just a number. There is a lot more edge to Russ's next case though and a lot more danger. Both of which drew me even further into the book, along with the mystery that only took me a little by surprise. 

The author's note at the end leads me to believe that there is more to come from Russ Morgan, PI and I certainly hope that's true.

I'm glad I got this ARC because I discovered an interesting author.
He's a talented storyteller and I loved his style of writing and his well thought characters.
The plot of the two novellas are engrossing and the mystery is solid.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Russ Morgan, PI by Lloyd A. Meeker is two delightful tales starring the intrepid Russ Morgan, PI. Russ Morgan is a fifty something recovering alcoholic with a talent for solving puzzles.
Enigma – Has Russ tracking down a blackmailer who is threatening a fundamentalist preacher and his family. This story has all the feels and will leave you rooting for the villain.
Blood & Dirt – There is nothing uglier than family squabbles but when Russ gets thrown into the middle of a family feud he is sure to dig up dirt that will leave you gasping.
I’d never read anything by this author before but I hope there is more Russ Morgan, PI to come.

"Russ Morgan, PI" has two previously published stories combined into this book. "Engima" and "Blood and Dirt."

"Engima" is a novella that introduces Rhys (Russ) Morgan who is a 50 year old private investigator. We quickly learn that Russ is a recovered alcoholic who lost the man he loved due to his drinking. In this case he is hired to find out who is blackmailing a televangelist who has a gay son who was supposedly cured in a conversion camp. There is no real romance in this short story but we learn quite a bit about Russ and his ability to read auras and how that helps him solve his cases. It's an interesting mystery with secondary characters that are intriguing. There was actually quite a bit of emotion packed into this novella and I really loved it. Russ is a complex character that I connected with and wanted to see more of. He's complicated, with an interesting backstory and his ability to read auras was fascinating. He's also a lonely man and the author's ability to convey that was incredible.

"Some nights I wanted another chance at love so bad the longing was a metallic tang along my tongue."

"Blood and Dirt" is a longer story with more romance although the mystery is definitely the forefront of this book. Again another very interesting mystery with secondary characters that stand out. A few twists and turns and questions that kept me turning the page without putting the book down. This book also has a romance story between Russ and a much younger man Colin who we briefly met in "Engima." If I'm honest I didn't love Russ and Colin together as much as I wanted to and found the mystery and the family dynamics of the Landry family more compelling. I also really loved Deputy Sheriff Heath Baker and would love to read a story focused on him as well.

I enjoyed these stories and the complex character that is Russ Morgan and hope to read more from this author.

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Russ Morgan, PI is the first book I’ve read by Lloyd A Meeker - It won’t be my last. Meeker creates memorable characters almost all of whom are potential perpetrators of the crimes Morgan investigates.

There are two distinct stories in this novel - ‘Enigma’ and ‘Blood & Dirt’.

Rhys (Russ) Morgan is a 50-year old empathic gay P.I. who at one point announces, ‘I’d never been able to figure out why, but without trying I had become a specialist in dysfunctional families.” Specializing in dysfunctional families is a major understatement as these two stories quickly demonstrate.

In neither story did the person hiring Russ want the police involved or even notified - which is why they hired him.

To quote from ‘Enigma’, I’m a little surprised you’ve come to me”, said Morgan. “Believe me, you were not my first choice” replied the lawyer seated across from him. “Our client, the Reverend Howard Richardson, does not want it known that you are investigating a black-mail attempt against his gay son.” Oh, the irony. A high-profile family values advocate with the very abomination he sought to eradicate lurking in his own household.

In ‘Blood & Dirt’, Evan Landry, a successful restaurateur hires Russ to find out “who trashed my sister’s marijuana grow.” Convinced that his own stepsister is responsible, Landry ominously informs Morgan that ‘a chef is only as good as his knife skills.’

In addition to Morgan, there is one other character who appears in both stories. That man is Colin Stewart, a legal assistant clearly smitten with Russ, who is introduced in ‘Enigma’. Stewart connects with Morgan again in ‘Blood & Dirt’ by which time Stewart has become a 26-year old paralegal. The romantic tension between these two is clearly one-sided. Morgan is unable to convince himself that a long-term relationship could work for them because of their age difference. Stewart does his best to convince Morgan that he’s wrong.

I liked almost everything about both stories in Russ Morgan, PI . The good news is that while this book can definitely be enjoyed as a stand alone novel, with a more than satisfying conclusion, there is still plenty of fodder here for a major new series. And I, for one, can’t wait to read Meeker’s next Russ Morgan, PI story.

I received an Advance Review Copy of ‘Russ Morgan, PI’ from NetGalley and NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review. #RussMorganPI #NetGalley

"Russ Morgan, PI" is comprised of two earlier works - "Enigma" (2013) and "Blood and Dirt" (2015) now published in one volume by NineStar Press.

"Engima" is a novella (about 60 pages) introducing Rhys (Russ) Morgan, a 50-year-old former alcoholic private investigator, who reads auras. Russ is tasked with uncovering who is blackmailing televangelist Howard Robinson's son James, who about 15 years earlier had been miraculously cured of the "sin" of homosexuality via a conversion (read torture) camp.

We get a resolution to the situation, but it is secondary to the nuanced development of Russ' character and past. Russ is trying to overcome the wreckage alcohol brought about in his life:

"In my case, I'd driven away a smart, gentle, loving partner by hiding in a bottle and hadn't seen much of love since I crawled out. Maybe I never would. But I wanted another chance at it now. I may have been fifty, flawed, and a little psychic, but I was as real as I'd ever been in my life. Some nights I wanted another chance at love so bad the longing was a metallic tang along my tongue."

In "Blood and Dirt" (roughly 190 pages), Russ is hired by Evan Landry to learn who trashed his sister's (legal) marijuana grow on their Colorado family ranch. Russ is thrown into the middle of an extremely dysfunctional family feud that turns deadly. Meeker does a great job of keeping us involved in the mystery, yet again the best thing about the story is Russ' character growth.

In the throes of a new relationship with Colin - who is 26 to his 50 - Russ has to confront his own ageism (As Colin tells him: "Maybe there's nothing you can do about what other people think, but you've gotta take care of your own shit. [...] You've got to, because you're the only one who can.") as well as realizing while he lost the love of his life, maybe there is more than one right man for him, and maybe that is Colin.

I'm so glad I discovered Meeker and feverently hope he continues to share Russ Morgan and his cases with us. Darn it, I want to see Colin and Russ' relationship grow and deepen, and I hope that Deputy Sheriff Heath Baker pops up now and then (and that he finds his own love). 4.5 stars and a Recommended Read!