A big storm is brewing, there’s a killer on the loose, and the ghosts of Myrtle Beach are restless. Psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his sexy cop boyfriend, homicide detective Vic D’Amato have their hands full helping the Grand Strand brace for rough surf, driving rain, and high winds as a winter storm roars toward shore.

Everyone’s on edge, and rumors are rampant about sightings of Blackcoat Benny, a ghostly omen of danger, and worse, the Gallows Nine, the spirits of nine infamous criminals hanged back in the 1700s, a harbinger of disaster. Rough tides wash the wreck of an old pirate ship into shallow waters, high winds threaten to damage an old mansion with a dark past, and the citizens of the beach town hunker down to ride out the storm.

As the skies grow dark and the sea turns wild, several men from prominent local families end up dead under suspicious circumstances. Simon’s premonition confirms Vic’s gut feeling—the killing is just getting started. As Simon tries to reach out to the spirits of the murdered men to help the investigation, he’s attacked by malicious ghosts that don’t want anyone getting in the way of their long-overdue vengeance.

With the storm hammering the coast, and new victims piling up, Simon is certain that the sins and secrets of the past are coming due, and that the murders have a supernatural link. Vic and Simon race to stop the murders against an unholy deadline, but as they battle rising tides and risen ghosts, can they save the intended victims without getting trapped themselves?

The Rising is the second novel in the Badlands series. It is a MM romance intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

How was it?

When a string of suspicious suicides are brought to the attention of Homicide Detective Vic D’Amato, he is compelled to bring in consultant Simon Kincaide, a psychic medium who is also is living in boyfriend, when elements at the crime scene don’t quite add up.

This second entry in the Badlands series has a lot more going on than a single open-and-shut investigation. There’s a rise in ghost activity, a massive meteorological event, and old secrets that some desperately want to keep buried. All of these events are linked in some way, but they give layers and complexity to the plot. As rich as the story is, it is easy to grasp despite the many rituals, folklore, and magical practices on display. The scholarly side of Simon shows a bit more here since there are quite a few historical references that inform the present.

As well-crafted as the paranormal elements are, the romance is not the strongest. I love how low drama and angst Vic and Simon’s relationship is, but after that first read – and maybe even then – I found myself skipping the steamier scenes. This has happened with other books before, but not as consistently as I do it with these. Given how many times I’ve revisited this story, I should have at least reacquainted myself with that side of their relationship, but I never do. So, something might be off there, and it’s not a bigger interest in the rest of the story in this case.

Besides the need to follow up on the evolution of Vic and Simon’s growing relationship, this book can pretty much be read as a stand-alone. Brice does an amazing job at re-giving key information when appropriate.

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