Member Reviews

I put off reading this book for so long but I’m not sure why. I loved it! I loved that London gave as good as she got and broke down Reid’s defences. I loved that Reid talked to spirits and in the end I even liked Boyle! I’m heading straight off to read the next one !

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This book was so much fun to read! I loved Detective Reid Sylver and her newly assigned rookie London Gold. They have the kind of chemistry I like a lot. I don't really remember when I last had so much fun with a book. The dialogues had me laughing all the time and they allowed more serious topics of this story to be sad but not depressing. There is a serial killer on the loose who takes a special interest in Sylver and almost all of the characters involved had something traumatic happening to them in their past. I think it made them feel like real people. Looking at that cover though I almost didn't want to read »Sylver And Gold« but gladly the description of a lesbian homicide detective who can talk to the dead caught my attention. So if you are into crime storys with a bit of the supernatural AND you love a good laugh, please read this. It is so good!

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Trigger Warning: Child abuse, detailed descriptions of gruesome crime scenes, torture, necrophilia, stalking.

Sylver and Gold by Michelle Larkin is a detective novel with a few twists that has been sitting on Sophie’s virtual TBR pile for several years. She finally picked it up in an attempt to clear some books from her Kindle backlist and ended up wondering why she put it off for so long.

Detective Reid Sylver works homicide for the Boston police department and maintains an unbelievable 100% case solve rate. A loner, her only partner is her disfigured dog Mug who she keeps as close as she pushes everyone else away. That is until her captain dies and her new lieutenant assigns a rookie—London Gold—as her new partner. Sylver is angry but mostly deeply concerned. Having a partner watching her back means it will be difficult to maintain the secret she has lived with since childhood that also accounts for her incredible record: Sylver can speak to the dead.

The same day, Sylver comes across a spirit who leads her to the body of an elderly woman killed in a disturbing manner. Soon, it’s obvious that a new serial killer is stalking Boston, but this particular killer appears to have a personal connection with Sylver and knows too many of her secrets. An expert hacker, the killer seems to have eyes and ears everywhere. At the same time, Sylver realizes she is attracted to her new partner and the young rookie seems to feel the same way in return. As the killer escalates in violence—threatening to reveal Sylver’s secret—and the attraction between the two detectives heats up, can they figure out who is behind the murders and deal with their own lust before the killer strikes close to home?

Sylver and Gold was a surprisingly short and enjoyable LGBTQ detective thriller with an interesting paranormal twist. The main character Sylver felt highly relatable and it was interesting to watch her secrets unfold and see how she approached the challenges thrown at her. The relationship between her and Gold did seem to grow a little too quickly, especially given Sylver’s well-established loner personality, but given the short length of the book that feels understandable. Sophie also loved the relationship between Sylver and Mug, enough that she feels inclined to drop a tiny spoiler here for anyone who might be concerned—the dog remains uninjured throughout!

The vibe of the book did seem a little confused at times. The writing style and pace felt more akin to a cozy mystery but the detailed descriptions of horrific crime scenes, references to necrophilia, and frequent mentions of child abuse give it a much darker tone, along with the stalker element that stemmed from a serial killer able to access seemingly any camera or microphone. Still, provided you have a reasonably strong stomach, this was an enjoyable and surprisingly light and fun (especially given the topics covered) read with some unusual elements that help it stand out from the crowd.

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Loved this book, new author to me, action packed. Great drama and a wonderful rollacoaster of emotion, The main characters are well developed and i found it difficult to not be invested in the outcome.

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Strong, entertaining, surprising. Three great things in a book.

The main characters in Reid and London were very different. Reid, who is very much 'what you see is what you get' and London who seems like a perfect counterpart. Supportive yet not submissive.

I enjoyed that this wasn't a spoon feeding session. Loved the pace, dialogue and Reid's connection with the afterlife.

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This was the first book I’ve read by this author and promise you it will not be my last. I love mystery books especially with hot cops or detectives and this story did not disappoint. I could not put this book down and laughed several times throughout. I highly recommend this book.

I was given this ARC via NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. Many Thanks!

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When I first read the blurb I was immediately interested in this book. While lesbian romance novels are no stranger to the crime/mystery genre, it’s quiet surprising to find one that adds a little bit of paranormal into the mix.

I enjoyed this book quiet a bit. It was quirky, thrilling, and steamy. The main characters were likable and I thought the plot, while a bit lacking, was engaging and kept me interested until the end. I would not mind seeing more from this universe and these characters.

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Well, you've got to say that this book is different. The way it starts off with a bang...literally...was fascinating right from the start. I actually had to go back and re-read it again to make sure I was following along since it was so crazy. I feel like it didn't stop being kinda crazy.

Sylver is a homicide detective that can see and speak with the dead. Gold is her new partner who is trying to figure out how Sylver is able to collect and find out the details of a death before everyone else can. There is also the obvious attraction between the two, although it took longer for Sylver to realize that the reader.

This book has a nice mix of murder/serial killer on the loose and romance. Probably leans a little more towards the death aspect, but only because of the amount of ghosts that show up in the book.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty fascinating story. I wouldn't re-read it, but I enjoyed reading it while I was...

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I enjoyed the slightly paranormal aspect of this book. The chemistry between the 2 main characters was immediate and really drove the development of their relationship. I loved the Mug character, I always love a good dog supporting character. The plot was interesting and developed at a decent pace. I wouldn’t call this a page-turner, because I was able to walk away from it. I finished it in a couple of days, so it would certainly fall into the category of a quick read. I had not read this author before and based on this title I would probably pick up another of their books.

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A paranormal mystery with a touch of romance, throw in two super cool (and hot) cops and what’s not to love? I personally would have liked a stronger mystery, but I am hoping for more from these two ladies. Oh and the whole book was absolutely stolen by Mugshot!

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I was surprised how much I liked this book. It seemed kind of cheesy with the 2 police officers being named Sylver and Gold plus with the supernatural twist thrown in. But it was really well written and I loved both main characters and their steamy chemistry.

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Michelle Larkin worked an interesting supernatural theme into her detective story. The plot is well done and the romantic relationship between the two main characters is spicy and nicely developed. There are great secondary characters (including the ghosts), the best of which is the dog, Mugshot. I'm hoping there will be more with these characters!

on Amazon.com

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So I wasn't sure how I felt going into this and I'm still not sure how I feel with having finished the book. It was a solid well written book but I don't know about the story itself.

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Although there was murder and suspense, what a fun and enjoyable read. There is nothing like two strong and capable main characters. Detective Reid Sylver is very successful at her job solving every case she is assigned; even ones she is not assigned. Detective Sylver has a gift; she can talk to the dead. Detective London Gold, is looking forward to working with and learning from Detective Sylver. Her first day on the job, Detective Gold finds out quickly that Detective Sylver will not be easy to work with. But Gold has a gift, she is smart, talented, and eager to learn. As a result, the paring is awesome as they work apart and together to solve the mystery crime.

What is most appealing is the individual personalities and how they counter and balance each other. Also, I enjoy a good mystery and this read did not disappoint.

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Detective Reid Sylver has a perfect record, attributable to her gift, but when she is partner with rookie London Gold, Sylver find herself not only fighting to keep her gift a secret but also fighting against the chemistry and attraction she feels for Gold as they look for a serial tech-savvy killer.

This book was great! A quick fresh read that kept you engage all the way to the last page. both characters where interesting and the story was well developed, although I did find it was solved a bit too fast. Still, it was a good story and it was well written. Another win for Miss Larkin!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review

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Nice book! Lots of tension and grit between our two lively main characters throughout, you are also in for some sexy romance and heart warming scenes drizzled in. It is evident that the author researched this book thoughtfully while writing this, the detail and descriptive nature of the scenes is excellent.

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I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the story.

This book is is a whirlwind of action, romance, crime solving and oh yeah, talking to the newly murdered.

Reid's Sylver is a seasoned detective with an unbelievable case close Raye of 100%. She routinely solves cases that appear unsolvable. Reid's and her dog, Mugshot, both see and speak with the dead. Her biggest problem is making sure her evidence supports what the dead tell her.

Enter wunderkind, Londo Gold, looking for a mentor in Homocide.

They clash across work ethics, manners, upbrnging and education.

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES - the wo.en are principled, loyal, intelligent intent on solving crimes.

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ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I usually avoid crime novels but I’d read another of Larkin’s books and enjoyed it, so wanted to give this a go. Having said that, it did remind me why I usually avoid crime novels, the killer in this book is really sick and I had to skim some of the stuff about him and what he was doing, cause it was just gross.

On the flip side, the two MCs here are awesome. First up is Reid Sylver, Boston’s top homicide cop, who has solved every case she’s had. She has an ace up her sleeve though, since she can talk to dead people. She’s partnered with homicide rookie London Gold on what turns out to be a serial killer case.

Both London and Reid are awesome in their own ways, and what I really liked was that London didn’t take any crap from Reid and more than shouldered her weight in the partnership. I did think their relationship unfolded too fast though, from what I could tell the whole case takes maybe two weeks to solve, and they get together very quickly. This is an insta-attraction turns to insta-love sort of thing.

There’s also some really good secondary characters, some of whom appear in a different fashion. I also adored Mugshot, Reid’s dog, but I’m a sucker for dogs.

The main flaw I felt this had was that the bad guy was too ‘omnipotent’ and the stuff he did and the way he did it was just too over the top. I didn’t believe some of the feats he managed to pull off. As mentioned before, I also didn’t like what he was doing, there was a high ick factor here. I also felt the ending was a bit too Hallmark cheesy.

I did enjoy this though, and would like to catch up with these characters again. 4 stars.

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There were some dark topics, but for the most part this book was super uplifting, funny and just down right entertaining. It keeps coming back to me, even after finishing it awhile back.

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A funny, romantic mystery...a little paranormal to add to it and it's a winner on all fronts. It's a quick read, a little shorter than my usual, but everything is very well developed and just an overall joy to read.

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