Dirty Kiss, Book 1

By: Rhys Ford

Narrated by: Greg Tremblay

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A Cole McGinnis Mystery

Cole Kenjiro McGinnis, ex-cop and PI, is trying to get over the shooting death of his lover when a supposedly routine investigation lands in his lap. Investigating the apparent suicide of a prominent Korean businessman's son proves to be anything but ordinary, especially when it introduces Cole to the dead man's handsome cousin, Kim Jae-Min.

Jae-Min's cousin had a dirty little secret, the kind that Cole has been familiar with all his life and that Jae-Min is still hiding from his family. The investigation leads Cole from tasteful mansions to seedy lover's trysts to Dirty Kiss, the place where the rich and discreet go to indulge in desires their traditional-minded families would rather know nothing about.

It also leads Cole McGinnis into Jae-Min's arms, and that could be a problem. Jae-Min's cousin's death is looking less and less like a suicide, and Jae-Min is looking more and more like a target. Cole has already lost one lover to violence-he's not about to lose Jae-Min too.

©2011 Rhys Ford (P)2014 Dreamspinner Press

Wow! Greg Tremblay knocks it out of the park.

This is a great story by Rhys Ford, but it is brought into three great dimensions by the narrating skills of Greg Tremblay. I went right out and bought the next book in the series. Don't miss it!

love these characters

Greg Trembly does a fantastic job with Thus Ford's writing. Im a little squeamishabout done of the descriptions, but the story isworth it!

I'm already in love with Cole and Jay.

Not the ending I expected. Narration is amazing... Story line phenomenal.... On to book two.

Dirty and Sexy!

What made the experience of listening to Dirty Kiss, Book 1 the most enjoyable?

That dry, witty sense of humor Cole is sporting.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dirty Kiss, Book 1?

When Cole and Jai finally stop fighting their attraction and come together, literally.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Cole calls Jai baby after saving his life, and Jai tells him he likes that.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, most definitely, it's hard to stop listening to one of Rhys Ford's books once you start. They are always so good you just want to devour them in one setting.

Any additional comments?

Cole McGinnis is a half Irish, half Asian gay man. The former cop has little to no contact with his mother and father since he came out. His older brother, an attorney, has never turned his back on his brother though regardless. It's Cole's brother Mike that brings him his latest job, digging into the death of Mike's boss's son. It's at the family home that Cole meets the elusive, beautiful and troubled cousin of the victim. The last thing Mike wants is to be attracted to anyone, still in mourning after his long time lover was killed by his former partner on the force. But there is something about Jae that pulls Cole closer and makes the PI want to get to know the closed off Asian a little more intimately.

Kim Jae-Min hides his sexuality, sort of. It's no secret to his late cousin's family, who actually blame him for "turning" their son gay. And that couldn't be further from the truth. Jae is attracted to the large and in charge PI as well, and it confuses him. Cole really aggravates him and pisses him off, pushing his buttons, but he turns him on like no one else ever has as well. Jae is a conundrum, fighting Cole one minute, then rocking his world the next, sometimes the two happen simultaneiously, which is both confusing and entertaining.

As Cole grows closer to uncovering the truth about Yung's death, he and Jae grow closer as well. But the person responsible for Yung's death wants to keep their identity a secret, even if that means one half breed PI and a gay go-go dancer have to be the next casualities in this twisted game of murder and secrecy. Cole struggles to balance his attraction to Jae with his almost utter certainty that he is violating some type of promise to his dead lover to be miserable and alone for all eternity. Jae has his struggles as well. As much as he wants to be with Cole, it confuses him, the wanting the man so much. And he will not tell his family the truth, that he prefers men to woman, and risk being cut off from them. Can the two of them find a happy medium where they can stay true to themselves and manage to be with each other? And if they can, will they be alive to do so?

Ford delves deep into the trenches of Asian society and beliefs with this series, where as in the Sinner's series, she explored the Irish. But this series is no less intense, Ford has definitely found her niche' with murder, mayhem and snarky, sexy, half naked men that can't seem to keep their hands off of each other. Narrated by Greg Trembley, this is my first audio from Trembley but I'm quite taken with his skills. Trembley conveys the accents with precision and grace and manages to differientiate between characters with the slightest change of nuance and tone. The action is pulse pounding and almost non stop, everytime you think that Cole is close to figuring things out there is another curve ball. I loved the phrases and the wording that Ford used while telling this story, describing these characters and Trembley really brought it all to life with his narration.

If you like a story with a mesh up of mystery and suspense with a couple of hard headed fresh new lovers and a pretty accurate detialing of the asian culture in the aspect of this story... this is the perfect book for you!

Book 1 Cole McGinness

Finally made it through the first book in this series, but it wasn’t easy. I like Rhys Ford’s writing, but Greg Trembly’s interpretation of Cole’s voice was hard to take. He sounded tired, depressed, a little breathless, and almost monotone. I’ve listened to his narration before without criticism, so all I can guess is that’s how he viewed the character. In the last couple of chapters, Trembly gave Cole some warmth and personality.
I’ve purchased the second book in the series and am keeping my fingers crossed that I will enjoy the narration this time. I hate suffering through a book!

Fell for the narrator

Narrating is a subtle thing. Many books I have loved to read have made horrible audiobooks. Bad accents, speaking too quickly or making women have high-pitched squeaky voices will ruin a book fast. But nothing makes me hit the off button faster than overacting by the narrator. At first it seemed like Greg Tremblay had fallen into the trap of overly dramatic reading but by the second chapter I was hooked. Part of his skill is in making each character have a distinct voice. You never have to wonder who is speaking. He does a great job with accents, both regional and Asian. And by giving each character a clear voice, he is able to layer in emotions in a natural, unforced way. And here is where Rhys Ford's writing shines through. There is sadness and the aftermath of violence balanced against humor and finding a family of choice. Mr Tremblay plays through all those emotions with a deft hand. At heart it is a love story that feels like you are listening to two men fall in love. He even pulls off the sex scenes which so often become laughable by bad narration. One criticism I have read is that each book in the series ends on a cliffhanger which is true and would usually irritate me. In this case the special chemistry of Tremblay's voice and Ford's writing meant I just jumped right in on the next book. I feel like I found something unexpected and special in this series and look forward to more from both the author and the narrator

Great start to the series

Loved the complex relationship between Cole and Jae as well as the author's description of traditional Asian culture. Greg Tremblay made this story and the characters come to life...I think I love Bobby!

Niiiiiice!

After reading Sinners series I fell in love with this author. Some of the books I had on audio and this is one of them. If I read or listen doesn't matter because the books are great. The author writes with so much feelings that the characters and the story comes alive for me. This was action, love, hot scenes and sweetness in a big bundle. I love it and I'm going to read the rest of this series.

Excellent Mystery

Dirty kiss was a bit dirty! But a lot of mystery. I never saw it coming-who the killer was. Well done! A wonderful deadly, dangerous, and really not so dirty romance.

Wonderful! Fun, sweet, and hot!

I love this audiobook!!! Rhys Ford is an amazing author. She is a master at crafting stories that balance beautifully wrought characters who are playful and serious, action packed plots, and vivid descriptions. This series is full of characters that I cared about immediately. I love the dynamics between Cole and Jae and the supporting character's interactions are just as fantastic. This is the kind of book I walk away from wishing I could befriend the characters in real life (without the risk of getting shot as collateral damage in Cole's drama packed life).

I also adore Greg Tremblay's narration. I specifically look for books that he narrates at this point because he does such a good job so consistently. His skills at voiceover shine brightly enough for this series particularly that I practically had to squint to keep from being blinded by them.