This Is Very Much Worth Reading

• Date: 23.07.2017
• Book: Unbound (Ellison Frost - Bound) (Volume 1)
• Author: plappen

Review

This is a present-day New York City police novel, with a twist.

Lt. Ellison Frost is a female Homicide detective. Her latest victim is Deedrie Bouton, member of a very rich and powerful family. For the past several months, Deedrie had frequently appeared in the local tabloids. She was found tied to a bed, with various ropes, harnesses and collars, and with sex toys nearby. Evidently, she was involved in some kinky BDSM sex before she was murdered.

The twist is that Lt. Ellison is part of that same sex community. The day of her murder, Deedrie made several calls to a local escort agency, wanting to book a specific person. Ellison goes to the agency to ask Angel, the owner, some unpleasant questions. The two women are old friends and former college roommates. Should Angel's client list get released, things could get very unpleasant for Ellison, because her name will be on it.

Ellison gets a lot of help from Rob, the Department's "IT guy." He just happens to be very handsome, and reveals that he, too, is part of the BDSM community. The sexual tension between them stays just below the boiling point. Both of them would love to go somewhere private, and "let it all out," but they know that catching the murderer comes first.

Deedrie, with plenty of money and intelligence, was planning to start her own business in the sex world. It also would have dragged her family name through the mud (intentionally). Did Angel want to eliminate the potential competition? Did her father place the family corporation above his own daughter?

This may sound like a cliche, but this novel is better than excellent. Just as a police novel, it feels very realistic. The reader is kept guessing until the last few pages. The erotic parts, which do not overwhelm the story, are also done really well. The reader will get a look inside the BDSM world, about the line between pleasure and pain which is not supposed to be crossed. On several levels, this is very much worth reading.