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WORK TITLE: Cash Plays
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WEBSITE: http://ckingsbridge.tumblr.com/
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NATIONALITY: American
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PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:University of Pittsburgh, B.S. (anthropology, linguistics), M.S. (social work).
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CAREER
Anthropologist, social worker, writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Cordelia Kingsbridge earned degrees in anthropology, linguistics, and social work from the University of Pittsburgh but soon turned her attention to her love of writing. Using her experience with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology, she has published several murder mysteries with the theme of gay eroticism.
The 2015 Can’t Hide from Me follows Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agent Charles Hunter as he extracts an unidentified agent who went undercover inside a Mexican drug cartel two years ago. Hunter is surprised to learn that the agent is his ex-lover Angel Medina. After escaping the cartel, Medina wants to start life over, but he is being stalked across the Southwest, presumably by the drug lord with whom he had an affair. A Publishers Weekly reviewer liked the fast-paced story filled with emotional ups and downs, adding: “The combination of romance, eroticism, and the mystery of Angel’s stalker is sure to keep readers turning the pages.”
Kingsbridge’s 2017 Kill Game starts the “Seven of Spades” series. Homicide detective Levi Abrams has survived a shooting, is mourning his breakup with his boyfriend, and is hunting a serial killer, known as the Seven of Spades, in Las Vegas. There he meets the annoying but charming bounty hunter and private investigator Dominic Russo. A reviewer online at Dear Author said: “I was very engaged in the thriller/mystery story line, but I also think that the killer was glaringly obvious and one major red herring was obvious as well. We shall see if I am correct in the next books.”
Book two in the series is Trick Roller. Even though everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead, Detective Levi Abrams and bounty hunter Dominic Russo are still on his trail, especially when an overdose victim is found at the Mirage hotel. Russo becomes worried when Abrams starts taking his obsession over the killer too far. On the Dear Author website, a reviewer admitted: “If I were ever to choose great romantic leads these guys would fit the bill to the T for me. The development of the relationship takes place amongst all the investigative action.”
Book three, Cash Plays, follows the Seven of Spades killer, who is still on the loose. This time, Abrams and Russo investigate the underworld of gambling, underground casino, and organized crime families on the verge of war. Into the mix comes a conservative college student linked with a big-time criminal. According to a Publishers Weekly reviewer, “Kingsbridge’s splendidly twisty third Seven of Spades romantic thriller is rife with red herrings.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, August 29, 2016, review of Can’t Hide from Me, p. 75; February 12, 2018, review of Cash Plays, p. 62.
ONLINE
Dear Author, http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ (December 1, 2017), review of Kill Game; (March 14, 2018), review of Trick Roller.
Cordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.
Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!
Author with Riptide Publishing. You can also read the Boston 'verse on Archive Of Our Own and support me on Patreon for access to additional content!
If you arrived here via Goodreads, please note that the older, unpublished novels you may have seen listed under my name on that site have been removed from the internet and will not be published
Guest Post and Giveaway: Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge
We’re so pleased to have author Cordelia Kingsbridge stopping in today on the tour for the latest release in the Seven of Spades series, Trick Roller, from Riptide Publishing. Cordelia’s talking fight scenes today, and there’s also a giveaway, so be sure to check out those details below.
Welcome, Cordelia!
Writing Fight Scenes, Or: Guns Ruin Everything
One of the best parts of writing mystery/suspense fiction is writing fight scenes. In fact, I started studying Krav Maga in real life primarily to improve my fight scenes – though I ended up falling in love with it, and now practice as much for my own enjoyment as anything else.
But whether in novels, TV, or movies, writers of fight scenes always face one dilemma – the reader/viewer asking, “Why doesn’t [Character] just shoot them?”
It’s no secret that Americans have developed a regrettable overreliance on guns to solve problems, especially in the case of law enforcement. So when writing a character who would realistically be armed at all times – like Detective Levi Abrams in the Seven of Spades series – writers have to find creative solutions for why such a character would choose to engage an aggressor in hand-to-hand combat rather than the less risky path of simply shooting them.
There are two main categories of solutions to this problem: situational and psychological. With a situational solution, there’s a plausible, logistical reason that the character can’t shoot their gun. For example, in Kill Game, Levi’s gun is knocked out of his hand when Dominic falls on top of him after protecting him from an attack from behind, and ends up too far away for him to recover. The possibilities here are endless, including the character’s gun jamming, the character being taken by surprise too fast to draw or fire before they’re disarmed, and so on.
The psychological solution is a trickier approach. This involves establishing a mental/emotional reason that the character can’t or won’t fire their weapon in a life-or-death situation. With a civilian character who has rarely handled a gun before, this is easier to justify, but for a character with an experienced law enforcement or military background, the reason has to be firmly rooted in well-developed characterization for readers to believe it.
In Kill Game, Levi is reeling from the effects of his first officer-involved shooting, in which he shot and killed the perpetrator of a hostage crisis. This event has long-ranging consequences. In Trick Roller, when Levi is put in a situation where it would be safest for him to shoot an aggressor, he freezes, paralyzed by flashbacks and his fear of becoming a killer again – fears that have only been worsened by the Seven of Spades’s taunts.
Levi’s tendency to choke before he can pull the trigger evolved into a significant theme that runs through the entire series and is deeply tied into his characterization – and it all started as a way for me to justify putting him in melee fights instead of shootouts! It’s a prime example of how plot can inform characterization, and vice versa.
About the Book
It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.
But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.
About Cordelia Kingsbridge
Work
Self-Employed
Author
Education
University of Pittsburgh
Anthropology and Linguistics · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work
MSW · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Favorites
Other
Author Brina Nichole, Joshua Dowidat, Christopher Rice, TotallyBooked
Author Brina Nichole
Cash Plays: Seven of Spades, Book 3
Publishers Weekly. 265.7 (Feb. 12, 2018): p62.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Cash Plays: Seven of Spades, Book 3
Cordelia Kingsbridge. Riptide, $18.99 trade paper (339p) ISBN 978-1-62649-637-8
Kingsbridge's splendidly twisty third Seven of Spades romantic thriller is rife with red herrings. Recovering gambler and private eye Dominic Russo is in love with Levi Abrams, a Las Vegas police detective. Levi has a dangerous goal: capturing the Seven of Spades, a serial killer preying on criminals. Alternating between Levi and Dominic's perspectives, Kingsbridge skillfully spins her suspenseful story, bringing in an underground casino, three organized crime families on the verge of all-out war, and a conservative college student who is wrapped up with a big-time criminal. As Dominic relapses into the black hole of gambling, suddenly little else matters--until hints crop up that Levi's ex-boyfriend could be the killer everyone's hunting. Supporting characters, like Levi's doting parents, are charming, and the author aptly chronicles the gritty depth and desperation of addiction and'how it can destroy a loving relationship. The heroes stopping for a quickie while escaping armed gunmen strains credulity, but the rip-roaring, bullet-filled finale somewhat makes up for it. A tantalizing cliff-hanger will leave readers ready for the next book. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Cash Plays: Seven of Spades, Book 3." Publishers Weekly, 12 Feb. 2018, p. 62. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A528615503/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=9a677261. Accessed 4 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A528615503
Can't Hide from Me
Publishers Weekly. 263.35 (Aug. 29, 2016): p75.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Can't Hide from Me
Cordelia Kingsbridge. Riptide, $18.99 trade paper (338p) ISBN 978-1-62649-444-2
In this intense contemporary romantic thriller, estranged lovers reunite under adrenaline-charged circumstances. When ATF agent Charles Hunter and his team extract a fellow agent who's spent two years undercover in a Mexican drug cartel, Charles is stunned to realize the agent is Angel Medina, the only man he's truly cared for. Before Angel can adjust to life away from the cartel, he becomes the victim of a stalker who follows him around the American West and Southwest, seeming to know where he is at all times. Evidence suggests the stalker is the drug lord he slept with while undercover--a man Angel thought was dead. While Charles tries to keep Angel safe, they renew their own relationship, a highly charged affair mainly consisting of sizzling sex and intense arguments. Charles is reluctant to come out as bisexual, and the stalker is determined to have Angel for keeps; it seems as though the two men will never get their happy ending. Kingsbridge crafts a fast-paced story filled with emotional ups and downs, spiced with explicit sex scenes and twined with a convincingly nerve-racking tale of ruthless obsession. The combination of romance, eroticism, and the mystery of Angels stalker is sure to keep readers turning the pages. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Can't Hide from Me." Publishers Weekly, 29 Aug. 2016, p. 75. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A462236467/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fa8e734f. Accessed 4 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A462236467
March 14, 2018
REVIEW: Trick Roller ( Seven of Spades, book 2) by Cordelia Kingsbridge
SiriusB Reviews / B Reviews Category / Book Reviewscontemporary mystery / m/m romanceNo Comments
Review:
Dear Cordelia Kingsbridge,
This is book two of the presumably five book series (that’s how many I saw advertised by Riptide Publishing). Actually, I still doubt that these books count as separate books in the series, because to my mind the book in the series has to have *something* resolved while overarching story is only going to be resolved at the end. There were some murders in book one and book two where we learned who did it at the end of book one and book two , but I just don’t know, I guess I still did not feel that anything important was resolved.
Dominic and Levi are working on their relationship and they were stronger at the end of this book than at the end of book one, which made me very happy, however I just did not feel that they achieved any milestones yet so to speak, therefore while the ending of this book did not offer any cliffhangers in their relationship, it felt like it was developing and there was no satisfactory place to stop.
As to suspense/mystery storyline, Seven of Spades feels like the main story and the individual murders that take place all seem to be connected one way or another to our mysterious killer, that’s why even though individual murders were resolved, I did not feel like they were if it makes sense.
But I am running ahead of myself. The second book fast forwards three months and we see Levi and Dominic deciding that they have waited long enough to make sure Levi was not jumping in the new relationship too fast after his break up with the ex- boyfriend and they want to spend the night together. They were not completely celibate, but their sex was brief and kind of reminded them of casual encounters. I took it that they both enjoyed themselves very much during the “spending the night” event.
As blurb tells you, Levi and his partner Martine in this book investigate an overdose in the “Mirage” which ends up being a homicide and initially the woman whom they arrest is the woman from high class escort agency, and soon it becomes clear that somebody is trying to frame her for murder. Soon Levi’s case takes unexpected twists and turns while Dominic is pursuing the internship with Kate McBride’s private detective agency. I really like that Dominic listened to Levi ( and to himself) and decided that he wanted to not do bounty hunting anymore and decided to throw himself in becoming a Private Investigator. In fact I really enjoyed a lot of Dominic and Levi’s interactions. I think the author found a balance here that really appealed to me.
The men may not have shared all their secrets and issues with each other, which made sense, because literally their relationship was only few months old, but the more time they spent together the more they did talk. Those may not have been the longest conversations, but somehow I felt that the men did open up to each just enough for me to believe that two guys who had been dating for few months may share that much stuff.
And I thought the author also achieved the right balance (for me) in making both Levi and Dominic flawed, but so very likeable. If I were ever to choose great romantic leads these guys would fit the bill to the T for me.
The development of the relationship takes place amongst all the investigative action. Levi investigates murder/s, Dominic while interning at private detective agency gets to participate in the investigating of an allegedly cheating spouse. I doubt anyone will be surprised that at some point their cases collide. We also should not forget that Levi does not believe that Seven of Spades is dead and apparently neither does Dominic. Since this is only a second book of the series, I do not think I will be revealing any surprises when I say that our super intelligent killer is indeed not dead.
This brings me to my main annoyance with these books so far and that would be the same annoyance that I have had with the first book. Here it goes. To me it is glaringly obvious who the Seven of Spade is. When I read the mystery even with the prominent romance storyline, I want to enjoy figuring the puzzle; I want the author to leave me some clues, to tease me with the red herrings candidates. That’s part of the pleasure of reading the mystery.
After the first book I held a small hope that one of the characters would at least end up being a red herring. Alas, the author had to go and state that this person could not be one because they were present during the time when the Seven of Spades called Levi on the phone. Huh. I would LOVE to be wrong, but unless the killer will be introduced as a new character ( which to me would be hugely dissatisfactory and cheating the reader), I just don’t see who else could be Seven of Spades besides the person I now very firmly pegged as one.
I guess I should be happy that at least for now I do not have the reason to call Levi and Dominic idiots just yet. While I think that the identity of the Seven of Spades is obvious to the readers, for now I do not think that Levi and Dominic have reasons to suspect this person just yet. This could all change in the blink of an eye though.
Grade: B
December 1, 2017
REVIEW: Kill Game (Seven of Spades Book 1) by Cordelia Kingsbridge
SiriusB Reviews / Book Reviewsm/m mystery / thriller2 Comments
Book one in the Seven of Spades series Homicide detective Levi Abrams is barely holding his life together. He’s reeling from the fallout of a fatal shooting, and his relationship with his boyfriend is crumbling. The last thing he’s prepared for is a serial killer stalking the streets of Las Vegas. Or how he keeps getting thrown into the path of annoyingly charming bounty hunter Dominic Russo. Dominic likes his life free of complications. That means no tangling with cops — especially prickly, uptight detectives. But when he stumbles across one of the Seven of Spades’s horrifying crime scenes, he can’t let go, despite Levi’s warnings to stay away. The Seven of Spades is ruthless and always two moves ahead. Worst of all, they’ve taken a dangerously personal interest in Levi and Dominic. Forced to trust each other, the two men race to discover the killer’s identity, revealing hidden truths along the way and sparking a bond neither man expected. But that may not be enough to protect them. This killer likes to play games, and the deck is not stacked in Levi and Dominic’s favor. Word count: 78,500; page count: 304
Review:
Dear Cordelia Kingsbridge,
I had issues with the only book of yours I had read prior to this one (the one that was also published by Riptide), but I remember finding it compulsively readable and deciding to give this one a try.
I think the words “compulsively readable” applies to this story too, or should I say to the beginning of the story, because this is the first of five books I believe. Is it series?
I am not sure and to be honest with you I am very nervous to see whether the writer would be able to keep the tension up for five books. I understand this is just one story in five parts and what will be happening is the development of one investigation of the serial killings and one budding romance.
This is the part where their romance *just started*, strong attraction is there, but Levi just broke up with the boyfriend of three years whom he still has some feelings for and what they had besides attraction and being entangled in the investigation of serial killer is basically rebound sex. Speaking about sex – we only have one sex scene thank goodness, which made perfect sense considering that Levi was just out of the serious relationship and the sex scene started at 73 percent of the story or so, but did it have to be so freaking detailed, almost pornographic really? It was as if the writer was told, or decided on her own to make up for the fact that they were not having sex on every page with the length and explicitness of this one.
Sex scene aside, I really liked both Levi and Dominic. As much as I like the romance where both men are clearly alphas, I always worry that what I get with this type of pairing is GFY trope, and I had been consciously avoiding this one for quite some time now. Luckily, this was not what was happening here, not even close. Levi identifies as gay, we do not hear how Dominic identifies ( gay or bi, or anything else) or if we do, I missed it, except we do know that he does not think of himself as straight and definitely likes men.
I liked that the author kept their initial sniping to the believable amount of page space and a little bit of hostility in the beginning did not last during the whole book. Once they know they can trust each other in the work environment, they do so and I thought on the personal level trust was there too, even if as I said their romance is in the very early stages.
The serial killer investigation is just as important if not more important than the romance. We have the vigilante killer who seems to fancy themselves being able to do what law enforcement could not have done, because they seem to kill people who either escaped punishment or have gotten much lesser punishment than they should have done. That killer also took a weird personal interest in Levi and Dominic – at some point even protecting Levi’s life.
As I said before I was very engaged in the thriller/mystery storyline, but I also think that the killer was glaringly obvious and one major red herring was obvious as well. We shall see if I am correct in the next books.
Review: Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Posted by B. on Jan 17, 2018 in LGBTQ, m/m romance, mystery/suspense, Rating A, reviews, romance | Comments Off on Review: Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge | Tags: Bs-review, Cordelia Kingsbridge, Riptide Publishing, Seven of Spades series
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Trick Roller
Author: Cordelia Kingsbridge
Reviewer: B.
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Three months after the Seven of Spades went to ground, Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo have made a lot of progress—professionally as well as personally. Dominic is training to be a private investigator, while Levi has his own apartment and is ready to put his last long-term relationship behind him for good. Best of all, though it’s still early, both men have begun thinking about a future together. But, with shadows from the past starting to gather, and a serial killer biding their time, Dominic and Levi discover that the real test is just beginning.
After having enjoyed Kill Game, the first novel in the Seven of Spades series, as much as I did, I was really excited to jump into the second so soon. While there are some significant differences between the two stories, I found Trick Roller to be just as intriguing. This time, the Seven of Spades is a dormant factor for a good bit of the narrative—although we’re reminded throughout that they’re still out there waiting to pull the strings again—allowing us to get to know Levi and Dominic more comprehensively, including their triggers and tipping points, as well as some of the things that haunt them.
Dominic and Levi’s journey from “enemies to lovers” has evolved into something much deeper by this point, as well. Though the heat between the two was evident before, it was tempered by their respective situations and a mutual agreement to “take things slow” in the wake of the abrupt demise of Levi’s last relationship. In Trick Roller, they not only dive headlong into the sexual attraction that’s been tempting them, but each has begun turning to the other for help and comfort above anyone else. I especially liked that they know which tells to look for before things go really wrong and are willing to intercede—even physically, if necessary—to keep one another from self-destructing.
Compatibility between the two main characters aside, Trick Roller still has lots of suspense and crime-solving to maintain the story’s balance. Between a truly loathsome murder victim, blackmail, infidelity, robberies, false accusations, etc. there’s plenty of badness to keep Levi and Dominic busy at their day jobs. Add in the “independent investigation” they’re both doing on the Seven of Spades, and the plot advances at a pace that kept me reading well past when I’d planned to stop for a break.
Surprising, engaging, sexy, and sometimes tender, Trick Roller was everything I’d hoped for in the second of a five-novel series. Dominic and Levi are refreshing together, their rough edges proving to be one of their greatest assets, rather than a hindrance. Diverting attention away from the series’ namesake in favor of more thorough character development was both clever and timely, while concurrently solidifying the growing affection between the two main characters. I’m also enjoying the mystery aspects of the story as much as the romantic elements, and I’ll be very happy to keep guessing as the series continues.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
Review: Kill Game by Cordelia Kingsbridge
January 3, 2018 Leah @ Small Queer, Big Opinions
SUMMARY
35138461Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: October 23, 2017
Received From: NetGalley
Homicide detective Levi Abrams is barely holding his life together. He’s reeling from the fallout of a fatal shooting, and his relationship with his boyfriend is crumbling. The last thing he’s prepared for is a serial killer stalking the streets of Las Vegas. Or how he keeps getting thrown into the path of annoyingly charming bounty hunter Dominic Russo.
Dominic likes his life free of complications. That means no tangling with cops—especially prickly, uptight detectives. But when he stumbles across one of the Seven of Spades’s horrifying crime scenes, he can’t let go, despite Levi’s warnings to stay away.
The Seven of Spades is ruthless and always two moves ahead. Worst of all, they’ve taken a dangerously personal interest in Levi and Dominic. Forced to trust each other, the two men race to discover the killer’s identity, revealing hidden truths along the way and sparking a bond neither man expected. But that may not be enough to protect them.
This killer likes to play games, and the deck is not stacked in Levi and Dominic’s favor.
GENDER SEXUALITY PAIRINGS
GENDER: cisgender
SEXUALITY: homosexual
PAIRING: M/M
TAGS TROPES WARNINGS
TROPES: enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort
TAGS: adult, contemporary, romance, queer romance, queer characters, thriller, law enforcement, interracial relationship, Jewish character
WARNINGS: explicit violence, suicide, addiction, mental illness (PTSD), rape mention, ableism, hate crime, slurs, gendered slurs
REVIEW
This book was so good! The plotline was completely engaging from the very first chapter, creating an immediate fascination with the multitude of different relationships amongst the main characters and the people around them. And the the suspense of the ongoing investigation created a sustainable level of suspense that, without a doubt, keeps the reader enthralled and unable to stop reading.
The cast, both the main and the supporting characters, is incredibly diverse. There’s people from a multitude of racial, cultural, religious, and sexual identities. The main characters are, of course, queer, but Levi is also Jewish, which is frequently mentioned on page in easy, subtle moments between characters. Levi’s work partner is a Black woman, and their boss is a man of Asian descent. Dominic’s best friends are a Latinx couple, both of whom are queer.
Also, I just really loved Levi and Dominic as individuals, as well as an eventual couple. It was great to see them both as complex characters, outside of and within the different relationships in their lives. Dominic is a recovering gambling addict who remains in Las Vegas because he wants to remain close to his family, and there are multiple times where he struggles to avoid giving in to the addiction. I particularly enjoyed the short scene where he goes to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting after an especially close call, because it effectively shows that none of us are perfect and life is a struggle, but there are also ways to get around it and seeking help from other people is nothing to be ashamed of. Then there’s Levi, who’s in a long-term committed relationship when the novel opens, and they are struggling so very very hard to hold onto each other and what they have, while fruitlessly trying to change the other in order to have things their way. Though I was rooting for Dominic over Stanton the whole time because Dom is far more supportive of Levi’s life choices, the scene where Levi and Stanton split up was incredibly heartbreaking because it’s easy to sympathize with both of their points of view.
And Levi and Dominic were just adorable as heck together. I loved the little moments where Dominic surprised Levi by knowing something about him that he wouldn’t have expected and the vulnerability he shows Dominic that he hides from everyone else. I also loved the times where Dominic was aware of the do’s and don’t’s of Judaism and how they impact Levi’s day-to-day life, and that he clearly does some research so he can better understand.
All in all, this book was really wonderful and I cannot wait to read the next installment of the series.
RATING4 STARSABOUT THE AUTHOR
18423725_366159873778106_293086032360442020_nCordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.
Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!
TRICK ROLLER (Seven of Spades #2) by CORDELIA KINGSBRIDGE
29 January, 2018
Where to Purchase
Amazon US » Amazon UK »
Our Review
‘…it was different this time. Everything was different with Dominic.’
We just cannot express how much we love this series; we bloody LOVE it! Both books –in this continuing series– so far have been five stars for us and we’re unbelievably excited for book three, so much so we can barely contain ourselves. The story and the character development is just fantastic as we get to know the characters even more, making us feel like we’re amongst friends as we’re reading. It’s just so wonderful to find a series that has absolutely everything we love. It’s thrilling, intriguing, exciting, compelling, sweet and very hot. A brilliant sexy whodunit.
“You’re prickly and uptight and a little caustic sometimes…But I like those things about you because they make you who you are. You also care deeply about the people close to you…You’re heartbreakingly compassionate…I’m not looking for a nice guy, Levi. I want a good guy.”
We absolutely adore and love both Dominic and Levi; two very different characters but each as endearing as the other. PI Dominic is a lovable and huge muscly teddy bear with a wicked sense of humour whereas Levi is our aloof and reserved Police Detective with a vulnerable and sweet heart.
“For me, that constant nagging voice in the back of my head, that emotion that has its claws in me all the time – it’s not anger. It’s fear. There’s a dangerous part of me I can’t control. I wake up every morning afraid that this will be the day I slip up again and ruin my life. I live with my own worst enemy inside my head, and I’m never able to set that aside completely.”
We were completely gripped and kept on the edge of our seats in this second instalment which proved even better, if that’s even remotely possible. With a continuing story line we follow Levi and Dominic’s developing relationship as well as a new murder case and the re-emergence of the serial killer; the Seven of Spades. Intrigue and mystery in abundance with a simmering love story that’s building to be something quite beautiful. However, there’s rumblings of Dominic’s struggle with gambling addiction and a serial killer who has an invested interest in Levi.
‘He knew how to protect himself now, true, and he’d learned how to control and channel that anger, but it was always burning inside him. And he was afraid that one day it would rise up and swallow him whole.’
This series is so well written; tense and dramatic one moment, sweet and endearing the next. Not only that; the slow burn romance is brilliantly written into a thrilling and adrenaline fuelled ride full of secrets, lies and personal obsessions. Wickedly good, we cannot recommend this series highly enough. Cordelia Kingsbridge has us hooked and we just know we’re building up to something huge!
Synopsis
It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.
But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.
One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.
DUELING REVIEWS: Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge
January 30, 2018 jessiegin 8 Comments Cordelia Kingsbridge, Gay Romance, Mystery & Suspense, Riptide Publishing, Seven of Spades series, Trick Roller
Author: Cordelia Kingsbridge
Book: Trick Roller
Series: Seven of Spades, #2
Page/Word Count: 295
Categories: Gay Romance, Mystery & Suspense
Release Date: January 29, 2018
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh
Blurb:
It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.
But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.
One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.
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Look Inside
Buy Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge on AmazonAbout the Seven of Spades Series:
Las Vegas has never seen a serial killer like the Seven of Spades.
The self-styled vigilante is on a mission to cut down the wicked and treacherous, and Sin City has no shortage of targets for their bloody wrath. What happens in Vegas . . . ends with the Seven of Spades’s calling card on a grisly corpse.
Standing against the killer are Levi Abrams, a dedicated homicide detective locked in a constant struggle to restrain his own dark side, and bounty hunter Dominic Russo, a charming rogue with a heavy secret weighing on his shoulders.
The hunt for the Seven of Spades sends Levi and Dominic on a collision course, igniting a passionate relationship forged in conflict and sealed with blood. Together they’re stronger than the sum of their parts, but a wily, elusive serial killer isn’t the only threat that will strain their bond to the breaking point.
Ante up, because the Seven of Spades is all in. Are you?
reviewericon-Jessie
5✨s – When I read Kill Game, Cordelia Kingsbridge was a new to me author and that book made her an auto-buy. So often, when I love the first book, the subsequent stories pale in comparison, but Trick Roller was a knock out of a book 2. Picking up a few months after Kill Game, the story opens with a promising scene between Levi and Dominic to assure that they are in fact trying their hand at being a couple. It’s slow going and has a lot of potential, and doesn’t come without its own risks/rewards. There’s still police work to be done, of course, and Dominic is trying to make the transition from bounty hunter to PI, and all those moving parts in the story make the characters multi-faceted and more believable.
As Levi works to solve a suspected drug overdose, Dominic is put in the position to face his biggest challenge: a surveillance job that leads him into a casino. Forced to step back, the feelings of helplessness and failure have him reaching out for help and feeling worse for it. As they struggle to overcome one obstacle, the truth about the depth of Levi’s obsession with the Seven of Spades killer is revealed, leaving them in a more precarious situation. Not because Dominic doesn’t believe, but because he’s worried and they’re both right to be.
Once again, the author has given us a contained mystery in this book which provides the illusion of a satisfactory conclusion while adding another layer to the Seven of Spades mystery. Hint: the killer is NOT happy and now everyone who thought Levi was crazy knows better. What that means for the next three books is anyone’s guess. I still haven’t settled on who I think it is, and I’m loving that.
An absolute must-read, in order, and don’t wait for all 5 books. Stay on the hook with me, you won’t be disappointed.
reviewericon-natalie
5✨s – Holy shnikes, what an incredible follow up to the first book of this series! Picking up three months after the events of Kill Game, the story opens with Levi and Dominic finally moving past just occasional dates. Levi also picks up an intricate murder case while Dominic interns with a private investigation team for a law firm. While pursuing evidence, both men find themselves confronted by personal demons and expose some uncomfortable truths to each other. Oh, and by the way, sex scenes should be read inside a walk-in freezer to prevent melting something, sweartagawd. There’s not too many but just enough.
The balance of plot elements in the narrative is spot-on, the mystery and suspense never overpowering the romance. Dominic and Levi are still-developing characters, as becoming an official couple means revealing even more of themselves. Dominic draws Levi into his circle of friends, something that Levi is sorely lacking. An unexpectedly tender side of Levi is discovered, connected to the case he’s investigating. But the Seven of Spades is still a cloud hanging over them, as almost no one gives credence to their belief he still lives.
I may go more nuts than I already am waiting for the next volume in what promises to be a four book series. I’ll be stalking Cordelia Kingsbridge so I can lock her in her writing cave till they’re done. Seriously, these are books that can satisfy nearly every taste in contemporary MM romance; just enough mystery and suspense, strong romance and relationship building, hurt-comfort and the right level of heat. While they aren’t stand-alone, the endings so far, offer enough closure and satisfaction to not feel like you’re left completely hanging while waiting for the next. I can’t recommend this book enough!
About Cordelia Kingsbridge:
Cordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.
Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!