Book Title: Treasure Trail
Author: Morgan Brice
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Genre/s: Urban Fantasy MM paranormal romance
Trope/s: Second chance, friends to lovers, starting over, psychic/medium and a cop, mystery, action/adventure,
Themes: Taking a chance on love, running from your past, trust, friendship, found family
Heat Rating: 4 flames
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When a missing antique shows up under mysterious circumstances, Ben and Erik are plunged into danger as a cursed hotel’s long-ago scandals resurface. Someone wants those secrets to stay buried—and is willing to add Ben and Erik to the death toll to keep the past hidden.
Blurb
Erik Mitchell traveled the world uncovering art fraud and relic theft, which pitted him against spoiled billionaires, unscrupulous collectors, mobsters and cartels. He worked with law enforcement across the US and Europe, but a sting goes wrong and Erik ends up injured, then returns to find his partner cheating. Erik decides to stop globe trotting and buy an antique shop in scenic Cape May, NJ, rebuild his life, and nurse his broken heart.
Undercover Newark cop Ben Nolan went down in a hail of bullets when a bust went sideways, after a tip-off from a traitor inside the department. After he recovers, he spends a couple of years as a private investigator, only to tire of seeing the worst of human nature. So when his aunt offers him the chance to take over her rental real estate business in Cape May, it seems too good to be true. Now if he could just believe he could ever be lucky again in love.
When a missing antique shows up under mysterious circumstances, Ben and Erik are plunged into danger as a cursed hotel’s long-ago scandals resurface. Someone wants those secrets to stay buried—and is willing to add Ben and Erik to the death toll to keep the past hidden.
Excerpt
“What the hell did you pack in these boxes? Rocks?” Sean Meirlach shifted the heavy moving box on his shoulder. Sean looked and sounded like the Jersey Shore guy he was, brawny and blunt.
“Books,” Ben replied. “You know, those rectangular paper things? Ever read one?” The teasing was good-natured. Ben Nolan had spent most of his summers working for his cousin’s mom, and they were thick as thieves. Which, Ben reflected, was a poor analogy for an ex-cop-turned-former-private-investigator. And now, at least for this summer, a vacation rental manager in beautiful Cape May, New Jersey.
“Yes, dumbass. I’ve read lots of books. And not just the ones with pictures in them,” Sean said with a smirk. Sean played up his bad boy persona, but Ben knew his cousin had plenty of brains, hustle, and street smarts.
“Good to know. I’d hate to have to break it to Aunt Meg that her favorite son was illiterate.”
Sean snorted. “Favorite son? I’m her onlyson, asshole. And she’s already pissed at me because I just want to run my food truck in Wildwood. Which is why you’re doing me a huge solid, taking over the family business.”
“Whoa, there! Hold up. I’m here for the summer. Justthe summer. I said I’d see how it went. No promises.”
“Just the summer? You sure brought a lot of shit with you if it’s just for the summer.” Sean set the box down a little harder than necessary on a table in the upstairs apartment over the rental office, which would be Ben’s home for the next few months. Ben dumped the tangle of odds and ends he had carried up from the rented van and flopped onto the couch. He had put most of his things in storage when he left Newark and brought what he didn’t want to do without, or what the apartment didn’t have. Sean had driven the truck up to Cape May, while Ben drove his black Mustang, packed to the roof.
He owed Sean a lot for helping him move—and, if truth be told, for pushing him as the perfect candidate for the job to Aunt Meg.
“Don’t screw up the master plan, dude!” Sean chided. “You’re sick of the big city and getting shot. And I need a little of that good life, somewhere not quite as buttoned-down.” He reached for a bottle of water and took a swig. “I love this town, but I need to stretch my wings. And the vibe in Wildwood is different. People come for the Pier and the Boardwalk and the rides. More singles, not just families. And they all have to eat!”
Sean’s truck, Put A Ring On It, specialized in kickass onion rings, which went on everything—burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, even chili. The combination of great food, a catchy name, and Sean’s outgoing personality had made for a very successful launch.
Karen's review:
In ‘Treasure Trail’ Ms Brice takes us to the vacation town of Port May where we meet Simon Kincaide’s best friend Erik as he starts his life over as the blogger for the Treasure Trail Blog and the new owner of ‘Trinkets’ antique store. We met Erik briefly via the phone in ‘Badlands’ the series that started all these ghostly adventures and in fact if you read the authors notes at the end of this book you’ll discover that as well as Erik and his best friend Simon, who were first introduced to us in ‘Badlands’, we are introduced to a few other characters from previous books by Morgan Brice/Gail Z. Martin.
I’m a total fan of having characters cross over into other series. I just love the challenge of reading a story and spotting a character or an event that connects one book or series to another it’s just one of those quirky things that I enjoy.
So far I’ve really enjoyed both the ‘Badlands’ and ‘Witchbane’ series but ‘Treasure Trail’ for me was just even more enjoyable than either of those first two series…make no mistake I have every intention of continuing to read both of those series, I just liked this one even better.
I loved Erik and Ben. It’s not that often that we get two characters with such similar backgrounds as they have and yet with enough differences to keep them each unique as well. Erik’s looking to escape the life he’s been leading for years travelling the world uncovering art frauds and relic thefts dealing with society’s worst…the wealthy side of it but still not the kind of people you’d want to have over for dinner. While Ben’s leaving behind a life as an undercover cop turned P.I. after leaving the police force after nearly getting killed when an assignment ended badly. Both men have also been burned by their life partners as well so they’re both guarding their heart’s but fates brought them both to Port May.
It doesn’t take long for Erik and Ben to suddenly find themselves with their hands full between trying to get settled into their individual lives in Port May, suddenly finding themselves at the center of 3 cold cases that seem to be heating up and trying to start a new relationship to see where their mutual attraction will take them it’s a small wonder that both men become frustrated at the number of rain checks they keep finding they owe each other…I’m pretty sure that it’s going to be one torrential down pour when they finally get to cash them in.
I absolutely loved this book from the minute I started reading the story had me hooked. As much as I enjoyed the interactions between Erik and Ben, I was also thoroughly enchanted with the town of Port May and it’s citizens…from Erik’s neighbor, Susan to the lighthouse keeper to the local constabulary and more than a few residents who all seem to have their own unique psychic abilities they all came together to create a reading experience that I can’t wait to get more of.
While I’m not usually a fan of paranormal stories and these stories definitely fall under that umbrella I don’t find them to be overly dark and depressing which makes them the kind of paranormal story that I enjoy reading.
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An ARC of ‘Treasure Trail’ was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author
Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.
On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.
Other books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, and Badlands. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!
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