Fade to Black (Clear Water Creek Chronicles, #3) (Clear Water Creek, #3)

by Scarlet Blackwell

[Cocktails and Books]

3.5 Cocktails

"Fade to Black", the third installment of Scarlet Blackwell's "Clear Water Creek Chronicles" series was...interesting. It picks up right where "Smashed Into Pieces" left off. I reviewed that one last week.

Sheriff Brandon and Finn are in the early stages of their relationship. For Finn, learning to trust is very difficult, but he was feeling happier than he had been in years and years. Suddenly, everything is rocked when Brandon becomes involved with an investigation involving missing male porn actors and rumors of snuff films being made. There was a LOT of action, and it was VERY brutal. I compared "Smashed Into Pieces" to a crime novel rather than a romance novel. "Fade to Black" goes way beyond that. I'm talking about gunfights, torture, rape...it runs the gambit. Now, I'm not saying that in a bad way, per se. I cut my teeth on stephen King and crime writers like John Sandford and Michael Connelly. I've read a lot of brutal, bloody novels in my time, but I went into these books thinking that it was going to be a love story with some criminal activity thrown in. I was SO wrong.

I don't want to give anything away because the plot was interesting. It just wasn't pretty. It was dark, and gritty, and violent. It's also very emotional. All of the characters, even the background ones, are going through their own personal pain. When I had finished reading it, I had to actually take a reading breather for a day. I coudln't get all the images out of my head, so I needed to clear it out. I'm not lying when I tell you that Brandon, Finn, and everyone else in Clear Water Creek will stay with you long after you reach the end.

I'm going to give it a recommendation for what it is...a crime novel/murder mystery. As a romance? Well, you get a few hot sex scenes, but not many. There is a nice chemistry between Brandon and Finn, but it's going to be a very rough road ahead for them (if there will be more "Clear Water Creek" stories).

Reviewed by Kenna for Cocktails and Books