Criss Cross

PsyCop, Book 2

De: Jordan Castillo Price

Narrado por: Gomez Pugh

Criss Cross finds the ghosts surrounding Victor getting awfully pushy. The medications that Victor usually takes to control his abilities are threatening to destroy his liver, and his new meds aren't any more effective than sugar pills.

Vic is also adjusting to a new PsyCop partner, a mild-mannered guy named Roger with all the personality of white bread. At least he's willing to spring for the Starbucks.

Jacob's ex-boyfriend, Crash, is an empathic healer who might be able to help Victor pull his powers into balance, but he seems more interested in getting into Victor's pants than in providing any actual assistance.

©2006 Jordan Castilo Price (P)2014 Jordan Castillo Price

Excellent narration! Great continuation

Any additional comments?

Audio edition, narrator Gomez Pugh.

Story: 4
Performance: 4
Overall: 4

I've actually listened to this story a couple of times now! I love this series!

What stands out to me, is Price's ability to give life to these characters through words, and Pugh's ability to narrate life into them. He's got Victor Bayne down to the letter, in my opinion. His dry, sarcastic tone, is perfect. Victor really "pops" off the pages.

In Criss Cross, Vic, has got a new partner, Roger Burke. This overly friendly and enthusiastic guy, is a polar opposite of sourly, grumpy Vic. Vic wonders if this guy is for real.

Vic's boyfriend Jacob Marks, is the perfect guy for neurotic Vic. He's strong, dependent, steady, and he really grounds Vic. They're perfect for each other. The sex is soo hawt! It's definitely steaming in audio. *delicious shiver* I love to see Vic and Jacob's relationship evolve and build.

We get introduced to Crash in this book too. Crash comes across as a bit of a dick, but the presence of Miss Mattie made me like him. Crash is also in the next books, so I know him a bit better now than the first time I listened to this. Vic and Crash's interactions, also including Miss Mattie, was so good. Vic's view of the world is so totally different from everyone else because of his ability.

Speaking of his ability. There's no shortage on ghost in this book! They're literally crawling out of the woodwork, and the won't leave Vic alone. They're everywhere. And grabby! I don't look down at Vic's self medicating habits at all, to make the world livable. He only wants to have a little peace and quiet.

A great continuation of the series. The only fault is that it was a little short, but so full of great story and twists!
Highly recommend the audio, to really get a feel for Vic through Pugh's excellent narration!

Diary of a Bibliophile Review

The thing I like about this series is how unique it is. The writing is witty and inventive. I just love the world that the author has built. Victor is an unlikely hero. He is a mess, literally and figuratively, and he has a bit of a drug problem. Sometimes I have a hard time picturing him doing any actual police work. But somehow it works!

Jacob, on the other hand, is the very definition of Hero with a capital “H”. I don’t know why, but I was suspicious of him in the first book. He is just too perfect, too much of a police department Golden Boy. My opinion of Jacob has changed a lot through this book. I don’t know what I read in the first book that raised a red flag with me, but it’s gone now. Jacob can’t help it if he is a good guy. Victor desperately needs someone to love him like Jacob does. And he obviously has good taste in men, because I loved Crash as much as I love Victor. (Please tell me Crash gets his own story.)

The plot of this story is fast-paced. The ghosts around Victor are creepy and obnoxious. The humor is smart. What’s not to love?

Gomez Pugh's narration is wonderful. He really captures Vic's voice perfectly. :)

Looking for Answers

This is the second book in the PsyCop series and picks up not to long after book one ends. Jacob (Victor's love interest in the first book) is staying at Vic's apartment while he looks for a new place to live. Meanwhile Vic is just trying to find a new "normal" after all the changes that have happened.

Vic also has a new partner on the psycop force, Roger. He really misses Maurice his first partner who retired and Lisa, his second who is out of communication while she goes through her training.

Vic's physic abilities are also acting stranger than usual and he's starting to get worried. He's not sure where to turn or who to trust as he searches for answers to what is happening to him.

I really love Victor, he is so relatable. Yeah his life is pretty crazy but what he feels about everything is so easy to relate to and empathize with. I think Jacob is so understanding and accepting of Victor and his physic "gift" and the problems that come with it.

I really enjoyed Gomez Pugh's narration and absolutely love all the different voices that he has for each character. He makes a wonderful story truly come to life.

Highly recommended!

I received a copy of this audiobook but this is my honest review.

Great m/m paranormal series

This is one of the best paranormal m/m stories I've listened to. The whole series so far has been great. Amazing storytelling, relatable characters, great writing and narration. Will definitely listen to the rest of the series.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book and this series!

Would you listen to Criss Cross again? Why?

YES. This is one of my top favorite books in this series. In fact, it probably IS my favorite in the series and the narrator does a super fantastic job with all the voices of the cast. LOVE IT. I can't say that enough.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Crash. In this particular book, Crash gets introduced and I love his voice, and his personality. Of course, Vic will always be my top favorite character in the series because I love his voice, and his personality. Some of his inner thoughts are things I can easily relate to. LOVE Vic.

What about Gomez Pugh’s performance did you like?

He does a fantastic job with everyone's voices. Even Jackie the dead black prostitute ghost. He seemed to subtly alter Jacob's voice in this book and I did like it better than in the first book. He sounded less like a radio DJ I used to listen to a lot. :-)

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

YES and NO. I wanted to listen to everything because I love this story. Yet, I wanted to make it last as much as possible. I was very sad when I got to the end and there was no more! This is one of my top, all time, favorite series, so yeah.

Any additional comments?

Series/Standalone: book 2
Genre/sub-genre: paranormal with a side of romance
Book Format: audio
HEA/HFN: YES
Relatable characters: Hell YES
Abuse/Rape: no
Violence: sorta
Ratio of sex/plot: equal
Well written/editor needed: well written
Would I re-read?: YES, YES, YES!!!
Personal thoughts: I loved this story. This one is my favorite in the series so far. The narrator does a fantastic job with ALL the voices and the writing is superb. Couldn't ask for something better. Though more would always be nice. :-)

PsyCop books are so good and very sexy

I loved this book and i wish they were longer... i hate that books are so short... I dont know what it is about the books but there is something so sexy about them.. I think these books would make such a cool move ...

Ghosts, romance, heat, humor, heart - its all here

Original Audiobook Review September 2020:
It's only been about 6 months or so since I originally read Criss Cross so there was nothing in the story I didn't remember but the truth is, Vic and Jacob's journey is so brilliantly delicious(a word I used in my original read and it fits so perfectly I can't help but continue to use it😉) had it been 6 years I would still recall it all.

Again, I don't want to give anything away because as I originally said, this may be an "oldie" to many but it was new to me and I'm sure there are others like me and I won't ruin it for them. I'll just say that it may seem weird to describe paranormal creepy as fun but Jordan Castillo Price has a way of bringing the fun to the table no matter what the main characters face. I couldn't help but love Vic and Jacob's snark and cuddle chemistry intertwined with a level of edge of my seat creepy. Here's that word again but it's "deliciously" brilliant.

As for the narration, once again Gomez Pugh brings that element of dark and light to life. Would another narrator do as good a job? Perhaps, but frankly I can't imagine any other voice doing justice to the men, their circle of friends, enemies, and everyone(and thing) in between. Price and Pugh are a wonderful combination bringing the world of Psycop to life. Definitely a series that will be a re-reader & re-listener for years to come.

Original ebook Review March 2020:
I want to jump out of the gate and say just how deliciously creepy this entry in the author's PsyCop series is. I can certainly understand Vic's need to medicate to help him deal with the things he sees, I can't imagine seeing dead people everywhere. Most of us have read ghost stories or watched haunted house films where there is one ghost or one place with many ghosts but the whole idea of driving down the street and seeing them or not being able to go into a hospital without being bombarded by spirits never entered my mind so I completely understand and sympathize with the character.

As for Jacob? Some might think: "He's too perfect, too accepting, too understanding there just has to be something wrong with him, something underhanded, something lurking underneath all that willingness to understand" but not me. Don't get me wrong, he's no pushover or Vic's "lapdog", when he gets riled up about something he is definitely a force to be reckoned with and I don't think we've even begun to see that side of him but you know he'll never turn that force against Vic.

I'm not going to give away any spoilers to the plot because even though this is far from a new release, it was new to me and I'm sure there are others like me who were late to the party and I don't want to spoil it for them. I'll just reiterate what I started with and say Criss Cross is deliciously creepy with a well balanced diet of love, friendship, humor, mystery, and heat. Not a single character, main, secondary, or cameo is extra page filler, they each play a part that makes this a wonderful follow-up to the series opener, Among the Living. I for one can't wait to read more.

Character development and a great plot is top notch

Victor’s journey through the entire series is so real — two steps forward, another, then some backsliding, He and Jacob are relatable, despite the supernatural and extra worldly circumstances.

Jordan Castillo Price is an auto-buy and has been for years. Gomez has become the voice of Vic (and Crash!). Love these books.

Even more pushy dead people... and sexy Jacob!

I never thought I would enjoy this series, but I am pleasantly surprised.

I find Vic so very amusing. His inner commentary has me laughing out loud the majority of the time. Gomez Pugh does a great job of portraying a primarily bored, over medicated, wise ass cop. And the accents he puts on for multiple minority characters continues to amuse me. While the 'mystery' isn't very complicated-- I figured out who was involved before the big reveal-- I enjoyed the old gang getting back together-- with the introduction of 'Crash' and his rebel self-- to help Vic.

As a HUGE fan of Jacob, I enjoyed every scene with him. Vic is one lucky man.... and when they finally got their 'bow chicka bow wow' on... I pressed rewind, and listened all over again...

I'm ready for book 3.... BRING IT Castillo Price!!!

Fantastic!

I love Vic and Jacob! I’m revisiting them via audiobook this second time around and I am bowing down to the voice talent of Gomez Pugh! His voices for Vic and Jacob are spot on!