Audio Review: Criss Cross by Jordan Castillo Price

Reviewed by Morgan

Title: Criss Cross
Author: Jordan Castillo Price
Narrator: Gomez Pugh
Series: PsyCop #2
Heroes: Vic and Jacob
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: Book – 163 Pages / Audio – 4 Hours, 9 Minutes
Publisher: JCP Books, LLC
Release Date: Book – November 11, 2008 / Audio – November 5, 2014
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: 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.

Review: (slight spoilers included)

If the first book in the series was kind of campy and funny, this one is definitely more eerie and creepy. Vic ends up possessed by a killer Jacob witnessed being executed. Luckily, it was due to some nefarious dealings by Vic’s new partner Roger– a total skeez who has an agenda for Vic that puts him into danger.

The secondary characters in this story take more of a front seat: Crash plays a prominent role, as does Maurice, and of course the new partner, Roger. I missed Lisa, but we still hear from her, and I know we get more of her in future installments.

The story is far more scary than the first, and it was hard to read/listen to at times. I don’t like it when my boy is in danger 😉 It was hard when Jacob woke up with scratches carved by Vic under the control of the vindictive ghost or when Vic is being held captive by Roger and the evil doctor.

However, the deepening of the relationship between Jacob and Vic is gratifying, and the delving in to the more paranormal aspects of Vic’s powers is entrancing. The final make-up scene is uber-hot and very sexy.

I am loving this series and each book gets better and better.

Review – Audio: Gomez Pugh is AMAZING! He has improved even since his last amazing narration of book one. I love the changes he makes to Jacob – he’s lest skeevy and more romantic and growly. I also love his secondary characters: Jackie the hooker is amazing!, Roger-psychotic, Crash-sort of hippie meets Brooklyn, Carolyn-pedantic yet comforting, Lisa-sorta of Jenny from the block, Maurice–staid but caring… each are individual and unique – wonderful to listen to. Like a radio show from days of old.
This is one of those cases where the listening puts the images in your head almost like a movie. Just terrific! (I’m running out of superlatives…)

This is absolutely the best way to enjoy this series – Vic is just addicting and the others in the story are icing on a perfect cake.

I can’t say enough for this, it’s fantastic.

Overall Impression: It was amazing

*I purchased my own, personal copy of this book for review.*