Toronto Tales: Book One Detective Kurt O'Donnell is used to digging up other people's secrets, but when he discovers his slain partner was married to another man, it shakes him. Determined to do the right thing, Kurt offers the mourning Davy his assistance. Helping Davy through his grief helps Kurt deal with the guilt that his partner didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth, and somewhere along the way Davy stops being an obligation and becomes a friend, the closest friend Kurt has ever had. His growing attraction to Davy complicates matters, leaving Kurt struggling to reevaluate his sexuality. Then a sensual encounter neither man is ready for confuses them further. To be with Davy, Kurt must face the prospect of coming out, but his job and his relationship with his Catholic family are on the line. Can he risk destroying his life for the uncertain possibility of a relationship with a newly widowed man?
The first reason I loved this book? It's set in my home town and I felt...comfortably familiar with the setting.
But more importantly, I loved this book because of the characters. They grabbed me on page one and didn't let go until the book concluded. I really liked that we, the readers, get to know Detective Kurt O'Donnell's slain partner Ben, and the hidden life he led, right along with Kurt. Kurt was a good guy and I really loved that once he found out Ben's life partner had, in fact, been a man he still dives in with both feet to do what he can for Davy. I enjoyed watching their initial contact slowly metamorphose into friendship and eventually, to straight Kurt's confusion, into something deeper.
