Criss Cross is gonna make you jump jump

Let it be known: *Name Redacted*, henceforth known as Patty, has regained the right to have her name used publicly in regards to books she recommends. Patty was on her way when she introduced me to Thea Harrison’s Elder Races series, but with Jordan Castillo Price’s Psycop series she has completely redeemed herself after the Kristen Ashley fiasco.

Criss Cross is the second entry in the Psycop series, and it builds very nicely on the first. I have seen these books described as m/m romance, mystery, urban horror/fantasy, crime and ghost stories. They are all of those things, and so much more. In fact, one of the things that I like best about this series (so far, anyway) is that the way the characters speak and interact (in other words, COMMUNICATE, thank you very much, Kristen Ashley) with each other is completely believable, even if their circumstances and/or surroundings are bordering on the ridiculous. Vic, the main character, and his boyfriend Jacob, became a couple during the course of the first book. Now they’re sounding each other out about moving in together. I really like that they are having growing pains like normal couples, and didn’t go straight from their initial hook up at a party to the HEA. It feels much more organic this way, even if everything else is not.

It does a fine job of servicing characters from the first book, as well as characters introduced in this installment. The mystery itself is not terribly surprising – nothing new under the sun, after all – but it is decently written with some truly chilling details. In other words, give these books a try, but make sure you’re reading them in order. Even though they’re serialized, they could be read out of order, but why would you? Maximum enjoyment to be had by starting at the very beginning and working your way through them in order.