Sylver and Gold by Michelle Larkin | ARC Review

Sylver and Gold by Michelle Larkin

• Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, August 11th 2020
• Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+
• Format: Paperback (eARC)
• Page Count: 242 pages
• My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

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CW: off-screen child abuse, sexual assault, and physical torture.

I finished this book in two sittings and would have in one if not for a scheduled dinner. Since I tend to get sucked into a book and forget about reality, I am happy to say that me being hyper-alert of my surroundings in-between sittings is an indication that the suspense had really got to me. Sylver and Gold is that enthralling.

The book follows a series of calculated murders where the serial killer attempts to bond with Reid in hopes of being truly understood. Over the last thirteen years, Reid has solved every single murder case, thanks to her gift of communicating with the dead. Adding her new partner and trainee London into the mix, both with a lot of childhood trauma, things escalate fast. And so do the duo’s dynamics.

Since I cannot resist gorgeous, smart women who know what they are doing, I love Reid Sylver and London Gold. Judging by their last names, these two homicide detectives are predestined to be together. This age-gap pairing between the perfect-record homicide detective Reid and her new trainee London is wonderful, and I am so glad these two with troubled pasts can pour their hearts out to each other. I love their eventual honesty. The pair also quip, banter, and get under each other’s skins a lot. These are the happier parts of the otherwise darker story. Though their relationship arc near the end kind of left me confused and slightly frustrated, the actual ending was great.

I particularly love London because she is incredibly strong-willed and loving and amazing. She has a big heart that leaves me in awe. I also enjoy that the crimes involve technology breaching. With consumer electronics everywhere in life, these aspects of the crimes almost read like horror and made the book really thrilling.

Sylver and Gold is a rather heavy book. The story deals with a serial killer and the crime scenes are repulsive. There were so much darkness lurking in Reid’s and London’s personal histories that I still feel a little down after finishing, despite it ending on a light note.

There are a few random things that were left unaddressed, including Sunday mass and softball. I am still a little curious about those. Also, I do have to acknowledge that perfect-cop stories aren’t time appropriate, if they ever were. Every reader should keep that in mind while reading.

Sylver and Gold is a paranormal crime/mystery/thriller that kept me on edge throughout the entire reading. It is intense with great leading characters and somewhat sympathizable motives of the murderer. While I don’t think romance is the main storyline, the connection Reid and London has is crucial to the plot. If you’re looking for a riveting suspense, this is your choice. [19 Jul 2020]

I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.