Spin Out (Deputy Joe #2) by James Buchanan (95,000 words) is the second and newest book in a projected series about the unforgettably unique character of Joe, a law enforcement officer in rural Utah whose devout faith in God coexists uneasily with his equally strong need for gay sadomasochistic sex. Both “Deputy Joe” books (Hard Fall and Spin Out) have a lot going for them, including tight understated writing, solid police procedural details, in-depth research, hot BDSM sex, and strong mystery plots. But the strongest element in these books is Joe’s character. He is an honest cop and a small-town Mormon boy through and through.
His loneliness for the tight-knit, devout culture of his birth gives his stories significant emotional depth. Joe will never be able to leave Utah. Yet he will never be able to be the Mormon that he’s supposed to be. His unique insider-outsider perspective gives the books a wonderfully layered view of small-town law enforcement and the Mormon community – the good and the bad in sympathetic balance. You will want to read Hard Fall before you read Spin Out. The two books make great back-to-back reading.
The story opens when Joe and his young lover Kabe discover a dead teenage boy in the snowy backcountry. At first, it looks like a suicide, but then clues point towards murder. Joe investigates the boy’s peers, all well-drawn characters. One is working a horrible sawmill job. Another is a 19 year-old “Elder” at a Mormon training facility, preparing for his upcoming proselytizing mission. Meanwhile, Joe has to face a disciplinary hearing for sexual misconduct charges stemming from his relationship with Kabe in the previous novel, and the wrong ruling could destroy his career. When he foolishly shuts out Kabe who wants to support him, he also faces the possible destruction of his relationship.
Filed Under: Books, Recommended Reads
Tagged: gay erotica, gay romance
