Dead Reckoning: Cold Case Psychic Book 2, Pandora Pine

Ronan and Tennyson are slightly estranged because they just can't seem to get on the same page after tragedy found them and almost took Ten's life.  A ghostly visitor will bring them back together, if only to solve the case.  It'll take everything Ronan has to overcome his fear and hesitation if he wants Ten to take him back.  But he's not the only one who has some groveling to do.  Ten will have to face his past and swallow his pride if he ever hopes to keep Ronan's heart.  Except a serial killer is threatening everything with his penchant for torturing and murdering young, disowned, and vulnerable gay men.  They'll have to make peace with one another while attempting to solve the case and catch the monster,  but time is short and they might not be able to have both love and justice.

Tempers and tantrums are alive and well in the second story of the series.  Can't say that's my favorite.  But what's different here is the complete openness and softness of Ronan's heart.  The way he bears his soul in those vulnerable moments completely capture my affections.  Ten's stubbornness is becoming a fierce rival to Ronan's own and by the end of this story it's winning by leaps and bounds.  Only time will tell if Ten can reign it in and keep his man.

The drama is high in this story and the situation is quite intense.  There are quite a few police procedural things that I'm extremely leery of, specifically the sharing of information with the media.  I have a hard time believing that Ronan would and should be giving the vast amount of details to a guy known for trying to get a scoop even if he's "helping" the investigation.  And stating that he's giving a "bare bones" account while still providing specific detail is not actually a "bare bones" account.  Also, I'm pretty sure the FBI should have been involved in this one...  These instances are getting more and more obvious to the point that it's distracting—and we're only on the second book of the series...

Despite the loose lips and the ridiculous number of times Carson can't seem to stop reading people without permission, I enjoyed the story.  The villain, however, was predictable as soon as they showed up on the page and the escalation of the dramatic events was equally anticipated.  I was disappointed in Fitzgibbon's lack of self-control in a certain pivotal moment, even if it was understandable, but the other side of him that we get to see as he takes on certain responsibilities was wonderful.  I'm eager to see more of him in the coming books.  In the epilogue we're set up to see a huge issue and change that may alter the course of few books in the series before we get back to its titular focus and I am so ready to dive into the next story to see the ramifications.

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