I put off reading this book for so long but I’m not sure why. I loved it! I loved that London gave as good as she got and broke down Reid’s defences. I loved that Reid talked to spirits and in the end I even liked Boyle! I’m heading straight off to read the next one !

This book was so much fun to read! I loved Detective Reid Sylver and her newly assigned rookie London Gold. They have the kind of chemistry I like a lot. I don't really remember when I last had so much fun with a book. The dialogues had me laughing all the time and they allowed more serious topics of this story to be sad but not depressing. There is a serial killer on the loose who takes a special interest in Sylver and almost all of the characters involved had something traumatic happening to them in their past. I think it made them feel like real people. Looking at that cover though I almost didn't want to read »Sylver And Gold« but gladly the description of a lesbian homicide detective who can talk to the dead caught my attention. So if you are into crime storys with a bit of the supernatural AND you love a good laugh, please read this. It is so good!

Trigger Warning: Child abuse, detailed descriptions of gruesome crime scenes, torture, necrophilia, stalking.

Sylver and Gold by Michelle Larkin is a detective novel with a few twists that has been sitting on Sophie’s virtual TBR pile for several years. She finally picked it up in an attempt to clear some books from her Kindle backlist and ended up wondering why she put it off for so long.

Detective Reid Sylver works homicide for the Boston police department and maintains an unbelievable 100% case solve rate. A loner, her only partner is her disfigured dog Mug who she keeps as close as she pushes everyone else away. That is until her captain dies and her new lieutenant assigns a rookie—London Gold—as her new partner. Sylver is angry but mostly deeply concerned. Having a partner watching her back means it will be difficult to maintain the secret she has lived with since childhood that also accounts for her incredible record: Sylver can speak to the dead.

The same day, Sylver comes across a spirit who leads her to the body of an elderly woman killed in a disturbing manner. Soon, it’s obvious that a new serial killer is stalking Boston, but this particular killer appears to have a personal connection with Sylver and knows too many of her secrets. An expert hacker, the killer seems to have eyes and ears everywhere. At the same time, Sylver realizes she is attracted to her new partner and the young rookie seems to feel the same way in return. As the killer escalates in violence—threatening to reveal Sylver’s secret—and the attraction between the two detectives heats up, can they figure out who is behind the murders and deal with their own lust before the killer strikes close to home?

Sylver and Gold was a surprisingly short and enjoyable LGBTQ detective thriller with an interesting paranormal twist. The main character Sylver felt highly relatable and it was interesting to watch her secrets unfold and see how she approached the challenges thrown at her. The relationship between her and Gold did seem to grow a little too quickly, especially given Sylver’s well-established loner personality, but given the short length of the book that feels understandable. Sophie also loved the relationship between Sylver and Mug, enough that she feels inclined to drop a tiny spoiler here for anyone who might be concerned—the dog remains uninjured throughout!

The vibe of the book did seem a little confused at times. The writing style and pace felt more akin to a cozy mystery but the detailed descriptions of horrific crime scenes, references to necrophilia, and frequent mentions of child abuse give it a much darker tone, along with the stalker element that stemmed from a serial killer able to access seemingly any camera or microphone. Still, provided you have a reasonably strong stomach, this was an enjoyable and surprisingly light and fun (especially given the topics covered) read with some unusual elements that help it stand out from the crowd.

Loved this book, new author to me, action packed. Great drama and a wonderful rollacoaster of emotion, The main characters are well developed and i found it difficult to not be invested in the outcome.

Strong, entertaining, surprising. Three great things in a book.

The main characters in Reid and London were very different. Reid, who is very much 'what you see is what you get' and London who seems like a perfect counterpart. Supportive yet not submissive.

I enjoyed that this wasn't a spoon feeding session. Loved the pace, dialogue and Reid's connection with the afterlife.

An absolutely thrilling paranormal detective story. An enemies to lovers, buddy cop romance between the closed off detective Sylver who closes every case and the enthusiastic rookie Gold she is forced to take under her wing all while trying to stop a serial killer who knows Sylver’s secret to solving every case, she can talk to the dead. Will it be enough to capture the killer? And how can she keep It from her intelligent and determined new partner?
Right from the start this book has all the makings of a perfect TV show. The story is so exciting and the characters are unbelievably perfect. The dynamic Between Reid and London is fantastic and I couldn’t get enough of their fighting and flirting. The mystery and drama hooked me and the supernatural twist was a perfect balance that I loved.
The romance was electric. Both women are so strong willed and good at what they do. Reid wants to push everyone away and London is determined to break down all of her walls. The back and forth banter is delightful and the steady progression of their relationship was amazing.
The overarching mystery was so exciting. Trying to catch a tech savvy killer who is always watching and knows all of Reid’s secrets made for a nail biting rush that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through.
Larkin did a phenomenal job with every aspect of this story and while I know this will likely be a stand alone like her other stories (and it does wrap up very well) I want a sequel so badly. I couldn’t get enough of these characters and this premise, and that ending opened up so many possibilities I want to explore.
If you enjoy thrillers this is an unequivocal must read. I laughed, I cried, and I swooned really freaking hard. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

This was the first book I’ve read by this author and promise you it will not be my last. I love mystery books especially with hot cops or detectives and this story did not disappoint. I could not put this book down and laughed several times throughout. I highly recommend this book.

I was given this ARC via NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. Many Thanks!

When I first read the blurb I was immediately interested in this book. While lesbian romance novels are no stranger to the crime/mystery genre, it’s quiet surprising to find one that adds a little bit of paranormal into the mix.

I enjoyed this book quiet a bit. It was quirky, thrilling, and steamy. The main characters were likable and I thought the plot, while a bit lacking, was engaging and kept me interested until the end. I would not mind seeing more from this universe and these characters.

Well, you've got to say that this book is different. The way it starts off with a bang...literally...was fascinating right from the start. I actually had to go back and re-read it again to make sure I was following along since it was so crazy. I feel like it didn't stop being kinda crazy.

Sylver is a homicide detective that can see and speak with the dead. Gold is her new partner who is trying to figure out how Sylver is able to collect and find out the details of a death before everyone else can. There is also the obvious attraction between the two, although it took longer for Sylver to realize that the reader.

This book has a nice mix of murder/serial killer on the loose and romance. Probably leans a little more towards the death aspect, but only because of the amount of ghosts that show up in the book.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty fascinating story. I wouldn't re-read it, but I enjoyed reading it while I was...

I enjoyed the slightly paranormal aspect of this book. The chemistry between the 2 main characters was immediate and really drove the development of their relationship. I loved the Mug character, I always love a good dog supporting character. The plot was interesting and developed at a decent pace. I wouldn’t call this a page-turner, because I was able to walk away from it. I finished it in a couple of days, so it would certainly fall into the category of a quick read. I had not read this author before and based on this title I would probably pick up another of their books.

A paranormal mystery with a touch of romance, throw in two super cool (and hot) cops and what’s not to love? I personally would have liked a stronger mystery, but I am hoping for more from these two ladies. Oh and the whole book was absolutely stolen by Mugshot!

I was surprised how much I liked this book. It seemed kind of cheesy with the 2 police officers being named Sylver and Gold plus with the supernatural twist thrown in. But it was really well written and I loved both main characters and their steamy chemistry.

Michelle Larkin worked an interesting supernatural theme into her detective story. The plot is well done and the romantic relationship between the two main characters is spicy and nicely developed. There are great secondary characters (including the ghosts), the best of which is the dog, Mugshot. I'm hoping there will be more with these characters!

on Amazon.com

So I wasn't sure how I felt going into this and I'm still not sure how I feel with having finished the book. It was a solid well written book but I don't know about the story itself.

Although there was murder and suspense, what a fun and enjoyable read. There is nothing like two strong and capable main characters. Detective Reid Sylver is very successful at her job solving every case she is assigned; even ones she is not assigned. Detective Sylver has a gift; she can talk to the dead. Detective London Gold, is looking forward to working with and learning from Detective Sylver. Her first day on the job, Detective Gold finds out quickly that Detective Sylver will not be easy to work with. But Gold has a gift, she is smart, talented, and eager to learn. As a result, the paring is awesome as they work apart and together to solve the mystery crime.

What is most appealing is the individual personalities and how they counter and balance each other. Also, I enjoy a good mystery and this read did not disappoint.

Detective Reid Sylver has a perfect record, attributable to her gift, but when she is partner with rookie London Gold, Sylver find herself not only fighting to keep her gift a secret but also fighting against the chemistry and attraction she feels for Gold as they look for a serial tech-savvy killer.

This book was great! A quick fresh read that kept you engage all the way to the last page. both characters where interesting and the story was well developed, although I did find it was solved a bit too fast. Still, it was a good story and it was well written. Another win for Miss Larkin!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Reid Sylver Is a seasoned homicide detective with the recent loss of her confidante and mentor to death and is at a cross roads in her life because he was the only one who held her secret of being able to communicate with the dead. Because of this skill, she has a 100% case resolve rate and prefers her life to consist of work with and her dog, Mug. Instead of working alone she is assigned a detective in training: London Gold. London has long wanted to work with Reid, but Reid makes it difficult for her until she shows she can hold her own.

I thought of the TV show Psych multiple times as I read. I realized it was less about the content and more about the pithy comebacks and wits of the characters. Part of the reason that Sylver and Gold work well together is their ability to banter and the author writes fun dialogue. The other reason Psych came to mind is the convenience of information falling into just the right place at just the right time. It makes the story move forward quickly and serves the purpose of allowing the tension to be in a suspense plot rather than just between the two leads.

The issue I had with this is that there was so much banter and joking at pivotal moments, it made the romance feel inauthentic and casual rather than what I read this genre for: tension and progression. Having to match wittiness with so many scene partners (other detectives, people under investigation, nuns - yes, I meant to write nuns) detracts from the story. The tension and progression would build in a more satisfying way if the author did 25% less wit and replaced that with some tension and progression in the relationship between the two characters.

There was a lot that the characters had thrown at them, but it didn’t stick to them and that’s part of the magic of an easy read. Toning back some of the core issues of the characters would help as well to explore just one aspect of them rather than all aspects of them. There is also some casual mentions of horrible animal cruelty that knocked me out of the story for a bit and it was retold twice. In the framework of the story, I understand the idea behind it, but it didn’t serve the story. It just made me sad and felt unnecessary.

I would have liked to have been asked to stretch a bit more by the author. I like a book to make me reach for it a little instead of just wrapping it up and handing it to me, both in terms of the suspense plot and the building of the relationship. Michelle Larkin is a strong author and I do think there are some really good stories with a bit more depth that could be told from her unique and quick-wit perspective. It is an easy read with some fun moments.

I was given an advanced copy of this book with an agreement that I would do an honest review. The publisher is Bold Strokes Books and the service used was netgalley.com.

Nice book! Lots of tension and grit between our two lively main characters throughout, you are also in for some sexy romance and heart warming scenes drizzled in. It is evident that the author researched this book thoughtfully while writing this, the detail and descriptive nature of the scenes is excellent.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the story.

This book is is a whirlwind of action, romance, crime solving and oh yeah, talking to the newly murdered.

Reid's Sylver is a seasoned detective with an unbelievable case close Raye of 100%. She routinely solves cases that appear unsolvable. Reid's and her dog, Mugshot, both see and speak with the dead. Her biggest problem is making sure her evidence supports what the dead tell her.

Enter wunderkind, Londo Gold, looking for a mentor in Homocide.

They clash across work ethics, manners, upbrnging and education.

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES - the wo.en are principled, loyal, intelligent intent on solving crimes.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I usually avoid crime novels but I’d read another of Larkin’s books and enjoyed it, so wanted to give this a go. Having said that, it did remind me why I usually avoid crime novels, the killer in this book is really sick and I had to skim some of the stuff about him and what he was doing, cause it was just gross.

On the flip side, the two MCs here are awesome. First up is Reid Sylver, Boston’s top homicide cop, who has solved every case she’s had. She has an ace up her sleeve though, since she can talk to dead people. She’s partnered with homicide rookie London Gold on what turns out to be a serial killer case.

Both London and Reid are awesome in their own ways, and what I really liked was that London didn’t take any crap from Reid and more than shouldered her weight in the partnership. I did think their relationship unfolded too fast though, from what I could tell the whole case takes maybe two weeks to solve, and they get together very quickly. This is an insta-attraction turns to insta-love sort of thing.

There’s also some really good secondary characters, some of whom appear in a different fashion. I also adored Mugshot, Reid’s dog, but I’m a sucker for dogs.

The main flaw I felt this had was that the bad guy was too ‘omnipotent’ and the stuff he did and the way he did it was just too over the top. I didn’t believe some of the feats he managed to pull off. As mentioned before, I also didn’t like what he was doing, there was a high ick factor here. I also felt the ending was a bit too Hallmark cheesy.

I did enjoy this though, and would like to catch up with these characters again. 4 stars.