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A Pinx Video Mystery #4
Rewind
Valentine’s Day, 1993. After years of being single, Noah is finally ready to date again. Unfortunately, things don’t end too well. After spending their first night together, he wakes up covered in blood—next to his very dead date. Already convinced Noah has an abnormal attraction to murder, Detective Wellesley believes it has tipped over to actually killing someone. That leaves Noah and his friends having to prove his innocence. Meanwhile, Marc and Louis have gone on The Drinking Man’s Diet…let the hangovers ensue.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2019
About the author
Marshall Thornton
54 books606 followersThree-time Lambda Award-winning author, Marshall Thornton is best known for the Boystown and Pinx Video mystery series. Other novels include the erotic comedy The Perils of Praline, or the Amorous Adventures of a Southern Gentleman in Hollywood, Desert Run and Full Release. Marshall has an MFA in screenwriting from UCLA, where he received the Carl David Memorial Fellowship and was recognized in the Samuel Goldwyn Writing awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 12, 2021
4.5 stars
Too short... Tooo Shoooorrtt!!
I need more adventures of Noah and his friends.
The mystery in this one was okay. I liked it but at the same time questioned the investigation process.
Noah! Noah! Noah! You have become one of my favorite characters. My list keeps growing.
Gaaah!! So good.
Too short... Tooo Shoooorrtt!!
I need more adventures of Noah and his friends.
The mystery in this one was okay. I liked it but at the same time questioned the investigation process.
Noah! Noah! Noah! You have become one of my favorite characters. My list keeps growing.
Gaaah!! So good.
May 23, 2019
"Rewind" is the fourth book in the Pinx Video Mysteries series and as in the first three books in the series, Noah finds himself in the midst of a murder investigation. But this time it's up close and personal as Noah wakes up in his bed with a dead man next to him. Detective Javier O'Shea's partner is 100% convinced Noah is the killer, so of course Noah and his friends Marc and Louis and Leon start their own investigation.
Only after I finished the book did I realize many elements of the murder mystery didn't totally make sense or seemed superfluous, but then again the murder mystery is not the best part. Sure, it's what drives the plot, but the interaction between Noah and his friends and the slow (very slow) progression of Javier and Noah's unlikely romance is what keeps me coming back to this great series.
I worry about Noah as he meets with his doctor at the end of the book and wonder if he'll actually take the huge leap of faith into a relationship with Javier. Will Noah's mother join the gang in crime solving again? And what's the deal with Patty Wong and her insistence in calling Leon "Lee" to his absolute ire? And finally will Marc and Louis give up The Drinking Man's Diet? Only time will tell. 4 stars.
Review posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!
Only after I finished the book did I realize many elements of the murder mystery didn't totally make sense or seemed superfluous, but then again the murder mystery is not the best part. Sure, it's what drives the plot, but the interaction between Noah and his friends and the slow (very slow) progression of Javier and Noah's unlikely romance is what keeps me coming back to this great series.
I worry about Noah as he meets with his doctor at the end of the book and wonder if he'll actually take the huge leap of faith into a relationship with Javier. Will Noah's mother join the gang in crime solving again? And what's the deal with Patty Wong and her insistence in calling Leon "Lee" to his absolute ire? And finally will Marc and Louis give up The Drinking Man's Diet? Only time will tell. 4 stars.
Review posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!
February 20, 2022
Another interesting crime case leaves Noah right in the middle of a murder scene.
In his own bed.
The guy he brought home the night before was stabbed in his sleep and Noah wakes up holding a bloody knife in his hands.
Now try explaining that to tall, dark and handsome cop slash love interest Javier.
The resolution of this case was interesting, but I wish the back and forth between Noah and Javier would finally see a resolution. Especially now that Noah's secret is out, there is a realistic chance for them.
I desperately want to see that happen.
4 stars!
In his own bed.
The guy he brought home the night before was stabbed in his sleep and Noah wakes up holding a bloody knife in his hands.
Now try explaining that to tall, dark and handsome cop slash love interest Javier.
The resolution of this case was interesting, but I wish the back and forth between Noah and Javier would finally see a resolution. Especially now that Noah's secret is out, there is a realistic chance for them.
I desperately want to see that happen.
4 stars!
January 18, 2020
I am such a fan of this series. You need to read these in order. I don't know where the series is going and while it doesn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, we don't know what Noah is going to do about Javier. Javier has left a voicemail and Noah deletes it, the end. It gives the impression Noah is not going to call Javier back and is not going to try and start a relationship with him. These two have a very complicated history and it won't be easy if/when they do get together. Particularly since Noah can't avoid murders. :D
A very good mystery. I enjoy Thornton's writing style and hope I don't have to wait long for the next one! Please! Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
A very good mystery. I enjoy Thornton's writing style and hope I don't have to wait long for the next one! Please! Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
October 10, 2021
Another fun read. Love these characters. So glad I stumbled onto this series!
June 11, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
I am personally a great fan of Marshall Thornton’s Pinx Video Mysteries series and, with the release of book four, I am once again reminded of how much I enjoy this eclectic cast of characters. Before I begin, if you have not read this series you should go back and start with book one, Night Drop, as each one builds on the last and none can really be described as a standalone. In this latest book, Rewind, we pick up with Noah pretty much right after his last brush with death during a pretty shocking start to the novel. Waking up, covered in blood and holding the knife, poor Noah finds his date dead and all suspicion pointing at him. Let’s put aside the fact that Noah has been struggling with being HIV positive and avoiding dating altogether, but what are the chances of finally breaking the drought and having your lover end up dead? Only in Noah’s world can this kind of thing happen.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
I am personally a great fan of Marshall Thornton’s Pinx Video Mysteries series and, with the release of book four, I am once again reminded of how much I enjoy this eclectic cast of characters. Before I begin, if you have not read this series you should go back and start with book one, Night Drop, as each one builds on the last and none can really be described as a standalone. In this latest book, Rewind, we pick up with Noah pretty much right after his last brush with death during a pretty shocking start to the novel. Waking up, covered in blood and holding the knife, poor Noah finds his date dead and all suspicion pointing at him. Let’s put aside the fact that Noah has been struggling with being HIV positive and avoiding dating altogether, but what are the chances of finally breaking the drought and having your lover end up dead? Only in Noah’s world can this kind of thing happen.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
March 6, 2021
4,5⭐️
November 18, 2019
Another amazing Pinx Video cozy murder mystery from Marshall Thompson. I love this series with Noah Valentine. Great secondary characters as well. Yum.
February 5, 2020
<3.5 stars>
Noah Valentine has no luck. Waking up to find the man he spent Valentine's with dead is no party to start off the day, but there's a police detective who wants to make him the scapegoat for her own resentments, another who might want something more than just a working relationship, and several very helpful friends who are just as invested in clearing his name of murder as he is. It's going to be a long week.
Minor quibbles - possible
I'm really surprised Noah didn't wake up with nightmares for a month. I would.
Noah Valentine has no luck. Waking up to find the man he spent Valentine's with dead is no party to start off the day, but there's a police detective who wants to make him the scapegoat for her own resentments, another who might want something more than just a working relationship, and several very helpful friends who are just as invested in clearing his name of murder as he is. It's going to be a long week.
Minor quibbles - possible
I'm really surprised Noah didn't wake up with nightmares for a month. I would.
February 22, 2022
4-Stars
While individual books in Marshall Thornton’s ‘Pinx Video Mystery’ series can be read as ‘stand-alones’, this is definitely a series that should be read sequentially. The murder(s) in each volume are distinct, but the developing relationship between the two main characters is definitely linear.
Rewind, the fourth book in the series, was the first book to be slightly disappointing. To be clear, slightly disappointing does not mean that it's bad; far from it.
Rewind is definitely a good read. It simply doesn’t live up to the excitement of the first three - and, it ends with a bit of a cliff-hanger. At one point in the novel, Louis, one of Noah Valentine’s friends, says, “We don’t seem to be making progress.” He was speaking about identifying a murderer, but it was how I felt reading much of this particular book.
Rewind begins with a scene of excruciating blood and gore as Noah Valentine, owner of Pinx Video Rentals, wakes up soaked in the blood of a murdered man next to him in his bed. To make matters worse, Noah is clasping the murder weapon in his hand.
Clearly Noah has been framed, but the combination of the murder scene itself and LAPD Homicide Detective Wellesley’s personal dislike of Noah, makes him her prime suspect.
Once again, Wellesley’s partner on the force, LAPD Homicide Detective Javier O’Shea, is called on to exonerate Noah. But it seems that Noah and his friends, Marc, Louis, and Leon, do almost everything possible to complicate the police investigation.
There is one piece of good news. As the murderer is finally identified it’s clear that Javier, who has always been attracted to Noah, seems to want to make their non-existent relationship real.
There were funny moments in Rewind, particularly in conversations between Noah and his mother, as well as among Noah and his staff at Pinx Video. But the level of hilarity doesn’t match that of Thornton’s three previous volumes.
Still, it’s on to Cash Out and what I hope will be a truly satisfying conclusion to this otherwise top notch series of mystery, murder, and mayhem.
While individual books in Marshall Thornton’s ‘Pinx Video Mystery’ series can be read as ‘stand-alones’, this is definitely a series that should be read sequentially. The murder(s) in each volume are distinct, but the developing relationship between the two main characters is definitely linear.
Rewind, the fourth book in the series, was the first book to be slightly disappointing. To be clear, slightly disappointing does not mean that it's bad; far from it.
Rewind is definitely a good read. It simply doesn’t live up to the excitement of the first three - and, it ends with a bit of a cliff-hanger. At one point in the novel, Louis, one of Noah Valentine’s friends, says, “We don’t seem to be making progress.” He was speaking about identifying a murderer, but it was how I felt reading much of this particular book.
Rewind begins with a scene of excruciating blood and gore as Noah Valentine, owner of Pinx Video Rentals, wakes up soaked in the blood of a murdered man next to him in his bed. To make matters worse, Noah is clasping the murder weapon in his hand.
Clearly Noah has been framed, but the combination of the murder scene itself and LAPD Homicide Detective Wellesley’s personal dislike of Noah, makes him her prime suspect.
Once again, Wellesley’s partner on the force, LAPD Homicide Detective Javier O’Shea, is called on to exonerate Noah. But it seems that Noah and his friends, Marc, Louis, and Leon, do almost everything possible to complicate the police investigation.
There is one piece of good news. As the murderer is finally identified it’s clear that Javier, who has always been attracted to Noah, seems to want to make their non-existent relationship real.
There were funny moments in Rewind, particularly in conversations between Noah and his mother, as well as among Noah and his staff at Pinx Video. But the level of hilarity doesn’t match that of Thornton’s three previous volumes.
Still, it’s on to Cash Out and what I hope will be a truly satisfying conclusion to this otherwise top notch series of mystery, murder, and mayhem.
May 30, 2019
Gah, I love this series! It gets better and better with every book. But this one really hit me hard. It’s a more emotional one, for me anyway. I guess because it really hits home. Pun intended.
Noah has a penchant for attracting trouble, and boy is he in it this time. After finally deciding to date again, he has a good date for Valentine’s that ends up more at home. But waking up in the morning brings a horror he never thought of. His date is dead. Brutally murdered. Covered in blood and holding the knife, Noah can do nothing but scream. And it goes downhill from there. The asshole cop Wellesley is determined Noah did this, after all the cases he’s stuck his nose in. And she’s going to prove it one way or another. As if all this wasn’t bad enough, Javier is finally single again, but he’s discovered what Noah has been hiding all along. And now he treats Noah very much differently. With his friends by his side, they are going to prove Noah is innocent and hopefully before someone else dies.
This broke my heart for Noah so much. He finally had the courage to date again after so long and after all he’s had to deal with personally. He was dating someone from his ‘support group’. It just breaks my heart for him. He’s had to endure so much. And back in those days, it was a hell of a lot rougher for what he’s dealing with. And that cop, Wellesley. I want to smack her so bad. Yes, Noah and his friends probably shouldn’t be sticking their noses in the murder investigations that they do. Ok, so no probably about it lol. But he’s good at finding the clues. With Marc and Louis, they make a pretty good team of ‘private investigators’. Too bad that’s not their actual jobs lol. Noah wouldn’t have gotten in half the trouble he has gotten into if he would have stayed out of it, but where’s the fun in that. And it makes for a great story!
I think the hardest parts I read in this story, for Noah anyway, despite the murder, was the personal stuff he was going through. Javier totally broke his heart after the way he acted when he found out Noah’s secret. And the news at the end of the story, makes me so sad. I want the best for Noah. He, Marc and Louis make life so fun and interesting. I can’t wait to see where the next story is going to go.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/
Noah has a penchant for attracting trouble, and boy is he in it this time. After finally deciding to date again, he has a good date for Valentine’s that ends up more at home. But waking up in the morning brings a horror he never thought of. His date is dead. Brutally murdered. Covered in blood and holding the knife, Noah can do nothing but scream. And it goes downhill from there. The asshole cop Wellesley is determined Noah did this, after all the cases he’s stuck his nose in. And she’s going to prove it one way or another. As if all this wasn’t bad enough, Javier is finally single again, but he’s discovered what Noah has been hiding all along. And now he treats Noah very much differently. With his friends by his side, they are going to prove Noah is innocent and hopefully before someone else dies.
This broke my heart for Noah so much. He finally had the courage to date again after so long and after all he’s had to deal with personally. He was dating someone from his ‘support group’. It just breaks my heart for him. He’s had to endure so much. And back in those days, it was a hell of a lot rougher for what he’s dealing with. And that cop, Wellesley. I want to smack her so bad. Yes, Noah and his friends probably shouldn’t be sticking their noses in the murder investigations that they do. Ok, so no probably about it lol. But he’s good at finding the clues. With Marc and Louis, they make a pretty good team of ‘private investigators’. Too bad that’s not their actual jobs lol. Noah wouldn’t have gotten in half the trouble he has gotten into if he would have stayed out of it, but where’s the fun in that. And it makes for a great story!
I think the hardest parts I read in this story, for Noah anyway, despite the murder, was the personal stuff he was going through. Javier totally broke his heart after the way he acted when he found out Noah’s secret. And the news at the end of the story, makes me so sad. I want the best for Noah. He, Marc and Louis make life so fun and interesting. I can’t wait to see where the next story is going to go.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/
May 16, 2019
#SpoilerWarrior
I liked this book? I was excited to read it, I love Thornton, I liked all of the characters involved in the book. I do feel like it ended really abruptly. The climax of the book happened and I had to stop and check what % I was at in the book because it just didn���t feel like it was time.
Also Noah is the worst employer known to man and that’s always a struggle for me to come to terms with.
I liked this book? I was excited to read it, I love Thornton, I liked all of the characters involved in the book. I do feel like it ended really abruptly. The climax of the book happened and I had to stop and check what % I was at in the book because it just didn���t feel like it was time.
Also Noah is the worst employer known to man and that’s always a struggle for me to come to terms with.
June 11, 2019
It was a bit of shock to start this latest Pinx title with such a lot of blood/gore - but the author keeps my attention with the regular cast of crazy/interesting characters (Noah's scooby gang) and of the course the continued attraction/tension/pullaway Noah has with his tall, dark and handsome police detective.
January 28, 2020
I still like this series, and I really enjoy the nostalgia. But the way Noah and Javier dance around each other is starting to wear a little thin. At this rate Noah will be on his 20th body before they even have a conversation, and you can only suspend disbelief so far, you know? Still, great mysteries, which is saying a lot coming from me since I don't usually enjoy mysteries at all.
October 30, 2024
Poor Noah, he finally gets brave enough to start dating, only to wake up and his date murdered in bed with him! Again our boys are out to prove Noah is innocent and find the killer. Excellent mystery! Had me second guessing every suspect till the very end. And yes, tall, dark and still very handsome Detective Javier is on the case.
September 3, 2024
This mystery pushed the limits of believability more than the first three (in terms of both the events themselves and Noah and friends’ reactions to them), but it was still fun to read. I like that the crime-solving ensemble keeps growing, with everyone bringing different skills and connections that come in handy.
July 8, 2019
I think I might be a liittle obsessed with these books by now. Every time I see or hear of a new release I'm smiling for hours, and the wait to reading it fries my nerves. Self-control is not one of my strong suits.
This series keeps getting better and better. Noah has made such progress throughout this series, finally opening up and starting to live again after all he’s been through. He’s for once being honest with his friends about his diagnosis. He even started to date again since we left him in Late Fees. Remember C.B. from Best Lives? When the last book ended there was the promise for something more between them. And now it seems like they did follow through on that. And at Valentine’s Day they sealed the deal, only the morning after didn’t go exactly as Noah planned…
Because he most definitely did not plan on waking up in his bed, covered in blood, lying next to a dread body – and with a bloody knife in his hands… Then there are the two detectives sent to investigate the case; one is trying to do her absolute best to make sure Noah goes down for it, possibly even going as far as setting him up for it. Then there is Javier, the man he’s been attracted to since they first met in book one and is dancing around Noah as much as he is dancing around Javier.
That still holds true for this book. The attraction between them is so clear, they both know it, everyone around them knows it – writing it in the sky would probably be less obvious. Still it works, I love it. They have their reasons for it, or well it’s mostly been Noah that’s been holding off, but we all know and understand why. Now Javier also understands the why of it and the tension grows even bigger, the push and pull more obvious. But then there was the ending, and I was seriously thinking about hitting Noah over the head…
I love the sense of place Thornton creates in these books. While reading it truly feels like you are back in the 90´s with no cell phones and where you drive through town with IKEA mattresses held on the roof with your hands. It’s nostalgic and awesome and so much fun!
Pinx Video Mysteries is the series that made me realise there's a difference between mm romance and gay romance, and I for one will definitely look for many more books in the latter category. As for Rewind, it both started and ended with a bang and I can't wait for the next book.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This series keeps getting better and better. Noah has made such progress throughout this series, finally opening up and starting to live again after all he’s been through. He’s for once being honest with his friends about his diagnosis. He even started to date again since we left him in Late Fees. Remember C.B. from Best Lives? When the last book ended there was the promise for something more between them. And now it seems like they did follow through on that. And at Valentine’s Day they sealed the deal, only the morning after didn’t go exactly as Noah planned…
Because he most definitely did not plan on waking up in his bed, covered in blood, lying next to a dread body – and with a bloody knife in his hands… Then there are the two detectives sent to investigate the case; one is trying to do her absolute best to make sure Noah goes down for it, possibly even going as far as setting him up for it. Then there is Javier, the man he’s been attracted to since they first met in book one and is dancing around Noah as much as he is dancing around Javier.
That still holds true for this book. The attraction between them is so clear, they both know it, everyone around them knows it – writing it in the sky would probably be less obvious. Still it works, I love it. They have their reasons for it, or well it’s mostly been Noah that’s been holding off, but we all know and understand why. Now Javier also understands the why of it and the tension grows even bigger, the push and pull more obvious. But then there was the ending, and I was seriously thinking about hitting Noah over the head…
I love the sense of place Thornton creates in these books. While reading it truly feels like you are back in the 90´s with no cell phones and where you drive through town with IKEA mattresses held on the roof with your hands. It’s nostalgic and awesome and so much fun!
Pinx Video Mysteries is the series that made me realise there's a difference between mm romance and gay romance, and I for one will definitely look for many more books in the latter category. As for Rewind, it both started and ended with a bang and I can't wait for the next book.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2023
I never want this series to end.
October 4, 2019
Rewind (Pinx video 4)
By Marshall Thornton
Kenmore Books, 2019
Five stars
I was blindsided by the opening of this book, which went from zero to horror movie in the blink of an eye. Then, even more weirdly, it settled right down into Noah Valentine normality: Noah with his friends Marc and Louis having breakfast and trying to figure it out. All of this in a couple of pages. Yikes. I was both rattled and impressed.
The Pinx Video series is a sly little thing. These books are overtly funny, simmering with dry, wry humor. Noah Valentine is a sweet, gentle person; a considerate boss and a quietly faithful friend. Noah seems to get himself involved in murders, when all he really wants is to manage Pinx, his video store in Silver Lake, and cope with the reality of living with HIV. Noah is actually rather a sad young man, as well he might be, but there is resilience and strength underneath the sadness.
Set in the early 1990s, these Pinx mysteries are all about the characters, the mildly artsy denizens of this quiet pocket of Los Angeles. Marc and Louis are, somewhat to Noah’s surprise, his family of choice, a fussy middle-aged gay couple who cook for him and worry about him and help him get into all kinds of absurd trouble. His mother, whom we know mostly through telephone conversations (she did visit in the last book and was a great hit with Noah’s friends, much to his annoyance), is an off-screen presence. She is smart and loving, but Noah resists her because, well, she’s his mother. Then there’s the next layer of friends and acquaintances, like Leon and Robert, who play roles in the plot, but are less deeply engaged with Noah. It is the tertiary players who drive the mystery plots and add extra seasoning to the narrative.
Finally, there’s Javier O’Shea, the detective who’s been dancing around Noah since the first book. Javier, still closeted, a Mexican-Irish mix whose dark beauty is noted and discussed by everyone else, is a kind of poignant (in the sense of sweetly painful) foil to the rom-com absurdity of Noah’s life. He is what Noah really wants, but also what Noah (rightly or wrongly) thinks he can’t have – maybe doesn’t deserve. Javier frustrates me, but I think that’s what the author intends. Noah frustrates me, too, but for different reasons. Noah is caught up in his own fears about his future, and while I can’t blame him for this, I desperately wish it was otherwise.
Something Thornton does so nicely is to explore motives – all kinds of motives that drive people to do what they do. It’s not just murderers, but lovers, friends, random acquaintances, and family. Why do we do the things we do? Noah is always wondering about this, even when he’s neatly ignoring his own motivations for denying himself the happiness (I think) he deserves. The end of this book was a bit like a glass of ice water in the face. They may have solved the murder, but they didn’t make Noah happy. Sigh.
And that’s why I keep picking up these books. I don’t care all that much about who gets killed; I care about where the next dead body will take Noah and his friends.
By Marshall Thornton
Kenmore Books, 2019
Five stars
I was blindsided by the opening of this book, which went from zero to horror movie in the blink of an eye. Then, even more weirdly, it settled right down into Noah Valentine normality: Noah with his friends Marc and Louis having breakfast and trying to figure it out. All of this in a couple of pages. Yikes. I was both rattled and impressed.
The Pinx Video series is a sly little thing. These books are overtly funny, simmering with dry, wry humor. Noah Valentine is a sweet, gentle person; a considerate boss and a quietly faithful friend. Noah seems to get himself involved in murders, when all he really wants is to manage Pinx, his video store in Silver Lake, and cope with the reality of living with HIV. Noah is actually rather a sad young man, as well he might be, but there is resilience and strength underneath the sadness.
Set in the early 1990s, these Pinx mysteries are all about the characters, the mildly artsy denizens of this quiet pocket of Los Angeles. Marc and Louis are, somewhat to Noah’s surprise, his family of choice, a fussy middle-aged gay couple who cook for him and worry about him and help him get into all kinds of absurd trouble. His mother, whom we know mostly through telephone conversations (she did visit in the last book and was a great hit with Noah’s friends, much to his annoyance), is an off-screen presence. She is smart and loving, but Noah resists her because, well, she’s his mother. Then there’s the next layer of friends and acquaintances, like Leon and Robert, who play roles in the plot, but are less deeply engaged with Noah. It is the tertiary players who drive the mystery plots and add extra seasoning to the narrative.
Finally, there’s Javier O’Shea, the detective who’s been dancing around Noah since the first book. Javier, still closeted, a Mexican-Irish mix whose dark beauty is noted and discussed by everyone else, is a kind of poignant (in the sense of sweetly painful) foil to the rom-com absurdity of Noah’s life. He is what Noah really wants, but also what Noah (rightly or wrongly) thinks he can’t have – maybe doesn’t deserve. Javier frustrates me, but I think that’s what the author intends. Noah frustrates me, too, but for different reasons. Noah is caught up in his own fears about his future, and while I can’t blame him for this, I desperately wish it was otherwise.
Something Thornton does so nicely is to explore motives – all kinds of motives that drive people to do what they do. It’s not just murderers, but lovers, friends, random acquaintances, and family. Why do we do the things we do? Noah is always wondering about this, even when he’s neatly ignoring his own motivations for denying himself the happiness (I think) he deserves. The end of this book was a bit like a glass of ice water in the face. They may have solved the murder, but they didn’t make Noah happy. Sigh.
And that’s why I keep picking up these books. I don’t care all that much about who gets killed; I care about where the next dead body will take Noah and his friends.
May 27, 2019
I can't decide if I want Javier and Noah to get together yet, or not. The romantic in me wants them to get together solving crimes and living happily ever after. But I just don't feel like they are on the same wavelength yet. I would like him to be more involved in Noah's life, though. I like Javier and I want to experience his growth with him. The mystery was solid and well played out. I sort of expected Noah to have a bit more of a meltdown after discovering the body but then Noah isn't that demonstrative so I guess his reaction (or lack) was more true to his nature. I love the secondary characters in this series and how Noah gets dragged into their schemes. I guess that's his thing. He needs to start living life not just observing it before he and Javier can work. I am confident that it will happen though and I will continue reading with that hope.
May 23, 2020
Rewind is another enjoyable mystery in the series, though it does feel a bit like a step back. This small regression is perhaps why I liked it a little less than the previous book.
Part of the regression seems to be Noah's relationship with Javier, which is the slowest burn "will they/won't they" I've ever read. Right now, that conflict is stagnating a bit, and there needs to be some kind of movement on that front in order for it to continue to be interesting and satisfying.
That said, you really root for Noah to catch the killer in this one because he is the prime suspect. His friends are very useful, and the resolution to the mystery (though a tad abrupt) is mostly satisfying.
Part of the regression seems to be Noah's relationship with Javier, which is the slowest burn "will they/won't they" I've ever read. Right now, that conflict is stagnating a bit, and there needs to be some kind of movement on that front in order for it to continue to be interesting and satisfying.
That said, you really root for Noah to catch the killer in this one because he is the prime suspect. His friends are very useful, and the resolution to the mystery (though a tad abrupt) is mostly satisfying.
February 15, 2021
5 stars!
This one cracked me up so much!
I find the murder-mystery here less of the focus. Sure, it still drove the entire story. But it wasn’t crucial..? I felt the friendships and the budding non-relationship took more of a front seat this time? Not by much...just a bit more than previous books?
Either way, loved this one. I LOLed so many times and not just a chuckle here and there either. I think there was once I laughed non-stop for like 5 mins. And I literally had to stop reading just to laugh it out 🤣🤣🤣
This one cracked me up so much!
I find the murder-mystery here less of the focus. Sure, it still drove the entire story. But it wasn’t crucial..? I felt the friendships and the budding non-relationship took more of a front seat this time? Not by much...just a bit more than previous books?
Either way, loved this one. I LOLed so many times and not just a chuckle here and there either. I think there was once I laughed non-stop for like 5 mins. And I literally had to stop reading just to laugh it out 🤣🤣🤣
May 15, 2019
Marshall Thornton delivers again with another great addition to the Pinx Mysteries. The moment this was available, I knew I'd be throwing sleep to the wayside to read this, and I can't say I regret it one bit.
May 28, 2019
I so love this series.
The cast of characters are great and really do well with each other. They are making themselves into a little Murder club.
The mystery is good and I didn't guess the murderer.
I can't wait for the next in the series to come out.
The cast of characters are great and really do well with each other. They are making themselves into a little Murder club.
The mystery is good and I didn't guess the murderer.
I can't wait for the next in the series to come out.
May 22, 2019
Good, but not my favorite in the series.
Murder plot kinda weak, no relationship development. But I love the ensemble cast.
Murder plot kinda weak, no relationship development. But I love the ensemble cast.
April 28, 2023
Well, trust Noah to make his first date in years (on Valentine's Day nonetheless) not only absolutely unique but also to be related to a movie.
Sadly, not a romance movie but one about a crime /0\ And to add insult to injury, it wasn't a very good movie, either.
Okay, the mystery in this one was weaker than the previous ones, but I still enjoyed a lot the story. Noah's secret is out in the open (being a suspect do that to your secrets) and although Detective Javier O’Shea is sure of his innocence, Detective Wellesley is out for his blood. Or, at least, to put him in jail for a very long time.
That leads to a great number of complications while he and his friends do their best to find out what really happened. And special points to Marc and Louis for being the best friends EVER. And to Leon, a big boo for telling Noah's mom *laughs*
But then, when Noah is cleared up of any wrongdoing, we arrive at the end. And the ending is... realistic but sad and almost hopeless. Nevertheless, I still hope things will get better in the next book.
Sadly, not a romance movie but one about a crime /0\ And to add insult to injury, it wasn't a very good movie, either.
Okay, the mystery in this one was weaker than the previous ones, but I still enjoyed a lot the story. Noah's secret is out in the open (being a suspect do that to your secrets) and although Detective Javier O’Shea is sure of his innocence, Detective Wellesley is out for his blood. Or, at least, to put him in jail for a very long time.
That leads to a great number of complications while he and his friends do their best to find out what really happened. And special points to Marc and Louis for being the best friends EVER. And to Leon, a big boo for telling Noah's mom *laughs*
But then, when Noah is cleared up of any wrongdoing, we arrive at the end. And the ending is... realistic but sad and almost hopeless. Nevertheless, I still hope things will get better in the next book.
August 7, 2019
If you're not reading everything by Marshall Thornton, you're wrong. I'm terrible at reviews, I just gush and stutter and make no sense. He's just...amazing. Pure comedy and love and heart. Get it done.
August 12, 2021
I'm just loving this series, if I'm not reading it, I'm thinking about reading it. I only have one left to go!
August 25, 2023
Read in one sitting in a few hours.
A good murder mystery with a well-done plot that was just engrossing enough mixed in with the slow burning-iest of romance and personal.
Because of course, we're all really here for will they-won't they with Javier and Noah. Javier really pissed me off in this one - but not due to anything specific. Just cops, you know.
The book is probably the funniest of them so far too. I spent far too long highlighting passages of wonderful dialogue that sprang from the characters' mouths. A line about sexy gangsters and Hollywood starlets in a restaurant kitchen was brilliant.
I also adore Thornton's minor characters. Robert, the teenagers that work at Pinx, Mikey, a certain bartender called Dom (ahem), and Patty Wong who was a fabulous addition. So wonderfully drawn with details that make you wonder if they were based on real people or if it's an amalgamation...
A good murder mystery with a well-done plot that was just engrossing enough mixed in with the slow burning-iest of romance and personal.
Because of course, we're all really here for will they-won't they with Javier and Noah. Javier really pissed me off in this one - but not due to anything specific. Just cops, you know.
The book is probably the funniest of them so far too. I spent far too long highlighting passages of wonderful dialogue that sprang from the characters' mouths. A line about sexy gangsters and Hollywood starlets in a restaurant kitchen was brilliant.
I also adore Thornton's minor characters. Robert, the teenagers that work at Pinx, Mikey, a certain bartender called Dom (ahem), and Patty Wong who was a fabulous addition. So wonderfully drawn with details that make you wonder if they were based on real people or if it's an amalgamation...
June 1, 2019
That Javier vs illness business is driving me crazy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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