Fish and Chips is the third installment in the successful Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux Cut and Run series. In this episode of the series, Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are back on the job in Baltimore and trying to settle into their relationship. These two dynamic and interesting men have their work partnership down, the personal relationship is the one that worries them.
As they feel their way around how to establish an ongoing relationship and love life, the Bureau sends them off undercover on a Christmas Caribbean cruise. Their assignment is to impersonate two out and proud gay married men, Corbin and Del Porter who are part of an international smuggling ring. Ty and Zane are two men used to assignments that require a lot more action from them. Sitting around the pool portraying two wealthy gay men forces the two of them to examine their relationship as their assumed personalities begin to affect the way they treat each other in private. Ty starts to worry about how little he knows about Zane’s past, while Zane discovers a softer, more sensitive depth to Ty.
Still the couple faces several perils on this assignment with aplomb while struggling to figure out each other. There are some real trust issues here. Ty and Zane will face down mountain lions and inject themselves with drugs they expect to kill them, but neither can come forward and say, “I love you.” They spend a great deal of their time on this assignment second guessing the other’s feelings. Not being able to trust what’s coming out of the other’s mouth places both Ty and Zane in some hazardous situations.
At this stage in the series, Urban and Roux have two very strong characters that area so realistically evolved that they have personal traits that conflict with each other. This richness of character does not often occur with fictional characters. I very much like Ty and Zane and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of their story.
Stars: [rating=5]
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Image courtesy Dreamspinner Press