P. J. Vernon

Pulpy gay trash (a genre I love) that takes itself a little too seriously here. The absurd plot clashes with a surface critique of class privilege. I like my commentary lurid AND insightful!

Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon is already published but it's one of the books I had been looking forward to for quite some time. Let me say, I was not disappointed by this novel! I would call it a mystery but I don't think that does it justice. This book is suspenseful, intriguing, tense and engaging. If you like really gripping reads with an edge... you'll probably really enjoy this one. I picked this up one evening and had finished it by the following evening!

Oliver Park has clawed his way up in show more life from his own rock bottom. He's a recovering drug addict... still sneaks a smoke every now and again but he's living (what should be) the dream.​ His partner is a wealthy surgeon, they live in a beautiful home with a wonderful dog. But something sends Oliver out to a bath house one night.

Oliver hooks up with someone and once he and his potential sexual partner are behind closed doors - Oliver finds himself the victim of a violent attack. After fighting his way free, Oliver tears home. Terrified of revealing the truth to his partner, Nathan, Oliver tries to fabricate a story.

This is the point at which I became unable to put this book down. As Oliver tries to save his relationship by lying... everything begins to unravel. The attention to detail by the author is perfect. I was immediately caught up in the way that Oliver wasn't able to tread water fast enough. As soon as he tells his first lie, things speed out of his control.

It's not often that a book keeps me this engaged. There's something about Vernon's writing style that hooked me in from the very beginning. I found myself liking Oliver despite his faults and his poor judgement when it came to decision making! I liked him, and as things began to fall apart around him and he found himself in more and more trouble I simply couldn't stop reading!

If you like suspense and fast paced, really well written fiction then you'll love this book! It's out now! show less

“When it comes to lying there is a Golden Rule...tell as much of the truth as possible because the truth is easier to remember”.
From about the 3rd page of the book this becomes Oliver’s mantra. None of the characters are particularly likeable and they all seem to be caught in dysfunctional relationships. The two main characters.... Oliver and Nathan would have benefited much more if Oliver could have brought himself to have just told Nathan the entire truth...but then again, Nathan show more probably would have been too hurt to forgive him no matter how much he loved him. The author does an excellent job of showing how one lie...one deception... leads to more and more and more, until the entire relationship is built on nothing but lies, and it doesn’t matter the sexual orientation of said relationship. Nathan wasn’t stupid and he has stayed with Oliver through a variety of life traumas...if anything he was simply naïve. I didn’t dislike the book by any means... but it just feels that it was a deep pit of “dark” and there was no happiness to be found here. The author tried hard to jazz it up with so much unnecessary “flowery” language. It is exhausting to see Oliver continuously trying to cover his tracks...but continuing to keep working himself deeper and deeper. The story is challenging in ways that are completely outside the box of most readers perception and probably outside many readers’ comfort zone in terms of what you may think is happening and what you wish would have happened. What IS happening turns out to be heartbreaking. It’s a train wreck that you can’t stop watching. show less

4.5 stars.

When You Find Me by P.J. Vernon is a chilling domestic mystery.

Gray Godfrey reluctantly agrees to spend Christmas with her family in South Carolina along with her husband, Paul. To shore up her courage, Gray begins drinking before their plane trip and ends up blackout drunk after she, her sister, Charlotte and Paul end up at a local bar after Christmas Eve services. Waking up on Christmas Day with a massive hangover, Gray has few memories of the evening before and she is rather show more stymied by Paul's absence. She and Charlotte are in the midst of calling local hotels to locate Paul when Detective Nina Palmer informs them Paul's rental car has been found abandoned on the highway. Gray has no idea what could have happened to Paul and the case takes a complicated turn when she receives mysterious voicemail messages from a woman named Annie. The investigation uncovers shocking information about Paul but are these revelations a motive for murder?

Gray is an alcoholic whose thoughts revolve around how she is going to get her next drink. Charlotte and their mother, Paula King, are well aware of her drinking problem and they have ensured she will have no access to alcohol at the family home. The invitation to a reunion at a local hangout is a godsend and Gray plots and schemes her way to downing as much booze as possible before Paul drags her home. Their departure is fraught with tension since Paul found her and a former friend-with-benefits in a scandalous clinch on the dance floor. This is the point where Gray's memories go dark and she absolutely no idea how she got home or who helped her to bed.

Nina and her Aunt Tilda have a rather fraught history with King family. Nina is mostly successful as she tries to remain impartial throughout the investigation. She is diligent as she chases down leads and follows the scant clues she unearths. Nina has reason to fear for Gray's safety when stunning information comes to light about Paul. She grows even more concerned when she finds out the King family's darkest secret. But Nina is ill-prepared for the scene that awaits her once she learns the complete truth about Gray and her past.

When You Find Me is a twist-filled mystery that is quite riveting. The novel is tautly plotted and the storyline is clever and brilliantly executed. Gray is a surprisingly sympathetic character and her confusion about Paul's whereabouts rings true. Nina is an excellent detective whose investigation into Paul's disappearance is thorough despite a bit of a slow start. With breathless twists and dramatic turns, P.J. Vernon brings this intriguing mystery to a stunning but very satisfying conclusion. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this phenomenal mystery to fans of the genre. show less