I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Touch & Geaux
by
Abigail Roux
It is part of the Cut & Run #7 series and is a romantic suspense in eBook edition that was published by Riptide Publishing on April 8, 2013 and has 349 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Cut & Run, Sticks & Stones, Fish & Chips, Divide & Conquer, Armed & Dangerous, Stars & Stripes, Ball & Chain, Shock & Awe, Cross & Crown, "Bait & Switch", Crash & Burn, Part & Parcel, "Brick & Mortar Books", "Dine & Dash", "High & Tight", "Shake and Bake", Past & Presents, "Shake and Bake"
Seventh in the Cut & Run romantic suspense series revolving around a pair of gay FBI agents: Zane Garrett and Ty Grady.
My Take
I do love this series. Zane and Ty are so funny together — that Ty is so cheeky! It’s all male testosterone and snark, nor does Roux spare the horses from the start as the team is cracking wise when Garrett and Grady are summoned into McCoy’s office. This mission isn’t life-and-death, it’s more like death-and-death as far as Ty is concerned.
Zane’s been with the bureau for 20 years now, shhh, it’s actually 21. There’s more history with a poignant aspect to it as we get a glimpse into Zane’s life with his wife and an illuminating encounter he almost had in New Orleans some years ago. Meant to be? Perhaps. I know that I did enjoy reading of Ty’s embarrassment over that undercover assignment where he met Zane, and I am successfully imagining Ty in eyeliner and a bowler hat…lol…
Ty’s got his own revelations about his past from his days in Force Recon — and why he always answers his phone. Just tack that lesson on to the ones he learned about the power of faith. And that back history just gets worse and worse as it’s finally revealed why their team got tossed out on their butts all those years ago. And the fun and games aren’t over.
Okay, there are a couple of major niggles for me. I don’t understand why Zane is getting all het up about the news about Ty and the team. So what if Ty didn’t tell him about it. He oughta understand about need to know — he’s in the FBI!?! I can see being mad, but not getting as overwrought as Zane does. It’s just not reasonable. Now when it comes to the really big secret Burns ordered him to keep…that definitely merits Zane blowing up and off, and yet again, I think Roux draws this out too far. Maybe it’s a combination of the shock of the secret and the adrenaline rush of being hunted by cops and cartel that find Zane so far out in left field. It could also be that I was too devastated at the thought of the two of them breaking up…I just love reading about these two with their endless snark.
Then there’s Ty’s paranoia about Liam. From the background that’s given about Ty and Liam, I don’t see any reason for Ty to get all panicky.
Oh, no, Zane can not use that for an excuse to drink. It’s his choice to do it. He will get his chance to prove himself to the boys.
And then Uncle Dick leaves ’em swinging in the wind, but not half as scary as the plan the boys cook up there at the end, just before they go shoppin’.
Oh, man, too funny. Seems Ty is very organized, and Zane has messed up the order in the house, lol. And talk about messin’ up… Crack. Me. Up. Digger was a bad boy in Armed & Dangerous, 5, and now he’s on parole.
Crap, crap, crap, crap…B.T. Grady’s being recalled — I have got to pick up Ball & Chain to find out what happens next!!
The Story
It’s groan-worthy when McCoy orders the boys into his office and lays down the law: they will cooperate in this public relations venture. And you’ll be laughing every step of the way.
But the fun and games are soon over when Ty gets a frantic call from Nick. He and Digger have been arrested for murder and they need Ty to come down and find the real murderer. With luck, they’ll be able to evade Ty’s past, ahem, acquaintances, even as they participate in a murder inquiry.
Worst of all? It’s New Orleans…everyone is corrupt.
The Characters
Special Agents Zane Garrett, a.k.a., Xander, and Ty Grady are partners in the office and in bed. Deuce is Ty’s psychiatrist brother. He and Livi have a little girl now, Amelia Rose Grady. Becky was Zane’s wife. David Whitlock was Ty’s first lover. Captain Chas Turner was another, but one with a plan.
Ty’s Recon brothers-in-arms include:
Nick O’Flaherty is a Boston cop now who lives on his boat; the heavily laden Digger; Kelly Abbott; and, the homophobic Owen Johns. Elias Sanchez is the missing man.
Special-Agent-in-Charge McCoy is their immediate boss; Richard Burns is based in D.C., is above McCoy, and uses Ty a lot for special ops missions. And we learn the truth behind all those ops! Special Agents Alston, Clancy, Lassiter, and Perrimore make up the rest of the team.
New Orleans
Detective Poirier was one of Ty’s nemeses back in the day. The New Orleans PD was notorious for its corruption, particularly the 8th District Police Commander, Louis Gaudet. Special Agent Gregory Pike was Ty’s contact back in the day, now it’s Special Agent Howard. Mateo Valencia is a top enforcer with the de la Vega cartel.
La Fée Verte
A night club in New Orleans which specializes in debauchery and decadence, featuring Tyler Beaumont and Ava Gaudet, the daughter of Louis Gaudet. It was owned by Arthur Murdoch, who’s been murdered, a gris-gris bag in his hand with Tyler Beaumont’s name on a slip of paper inside the bag. Shine is Ava’s brother with skill in the hoodoo.
REALLY Special Ops
The plan had been to create an advanced Coalition team of British and American special forces. The cheeky former SAS Staff Sergeant Liam Bell is a ghost, dead, and another of Ty’s lovers. Before he shot him.
Violet, Cynthia, and Susan are putting this photography session together as part of a charitable event, and they have a lot of ideas.
The NIA is the National Intelligence Agency. The Vega cartel was Zane’s undercover action before he partnered up with Ty. The rational Antonio de la Vega was its head; his brother, Juan Carlos took over when Antonio died. He’s…not so rational.
The Cover
The cover is, as usual, simply perfect and consistent with the other titles in this series: the white background and a single object representing the story. In this case, a raggedy voodoo doll that’s targeting Ty!
The title is perfect with a bit of a laugh at Frenchified New Orleans, for it’s Touch & Geaux throughout this story.
