Book Review: A Little Night Murder by JoAnne Soper-Cook

Title: A Little Night Murder
Author: JoAnne Soper-Cook
Genre: Romantic Suspense, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: September 27, 2013 by Dreamspinner Press

In 1942, Pearl Harbor has been bombed and the war is very much in evidence, but it would seem to have little to do with Frank Boyle, a respected Bronx born insurance investigator. He's a man who can keep secrets, and no one suspects that his boyhood friend—local mob boss Nicky Brooks—is his lover. When Brooks accidentally kills Frank's younger brother in a shootout, Frank must choose between his affair with Nicky and revenge for his brother's life.

After Frank betrays Nicky, police detective Sam Lipinski, a Bronx native who has long carried a torch for Frank, makes a move against the mob and lands squarely in the way of Nicky's plans. Sam smuggles Frank out of New York to keep him safe, and sets him up him in a small northeastern city. But there, a messy insurance investigation involving the Roarkes, who may or may not have killed their own mother for the insurance payout, places him in danger again. Dodging bullets, shady characters, and fallout from the war, Sam and Frank will need far more than luck on their side if they’re ever to see a loving future.

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: A Little Night Murder is an excellent detective noir mystery with plenty of shady characters and twists and turns. The romance was secondary to the mystery plot but it was still enjoyable.

The Set Up: Frankie’s youthful affair with mobster Nicky Brooks resulted in the death of his kid brother twenty years before but when Nicky gets out of Sing Sing prison he vows to get his revenge. Frank and police detective Sam Lipinski have a thing but it doesn’t prevent Sam from sending Frank to Newfoundland for his own safety. But Frank starts working as an insurance fraud investigator and his latest case pits him against a rich, neurotic family who may have ties with Nicky Brooks. With bullets flying and shady characters abounding, Frank and Sam need to stay alive long enough to solve both their cases.

Why I Read this Book: I’m always searching for historical MM romance and this synopsis fit that.

What I Liked: This is an absolutely delightful mystery novel. Frankie’s investigation of the formerly rich Roarkes with their four-time divorced daughter Vivian and nymphomaniac sixteen year old daughter, Felice is noir gold. Frankie is the classic private detective putting his life on the line time and time again merely to crack his case. He’s hard drinking and hard fighting and I loved his character.

Sam is Jewish but grew up in Frankie’s Bronx neighborhood and became a cop. Sam has been trying to put mobster Nicky Brooks away for a long time so how his case intersects with Frankie is great suspense as well. I don’t want to spoil any of the mystery with either Sam or Frankie’s cases but I had lots of fun reading the twists and turns.

What I Also Liked: I also loved the dicey secondary characters here. This little town in Newfoundland seems to be home to lots of transplanted New Yorkers as well as Irish immigrants. From the mysterious café owner to the dirty doctor, this story is full of fun characters. The global WWII looms over the book as well and is almost another character and I thought this set excellent atmosphere to the dark noir novel.

The romance was secondary to the mystery plot but I still enjoy it. I wondered when Sam sent Frankie away how this would allow their relationship to develop but it did adequately.

What I Didn’t Like: Foremost for me, this novel isn’t close to a perfect romance. Sam and Frankie’s relationship has only superficial emotional intimacy and as a romance fan I didn’t love that. This novel definitely uses danger to progress the men’s relationship, not a discussion about feelings or even sex. For instance, Frankie is rightly mad at finding out something Sam did but it’s all forgiven after they nearly die with ne’er a word.

Second, there are so many strings with the two cases that I felt some were dropped. For instance, Frankie overhears the mysterious café owner talking about something and it seems big but then readers get nothing more on that subject. This book isn’t listed as book one in a series but it absolutely could be.

IMO: This is a stellar detective noir mystery that I enjoyed but as a romance fan that part of the book was below average. Still, I had such fun with the novel that I’d recommend it to other readers.

J9’s Rating:

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