Fae Detective Nico Spruce has been unsettled lately. A recent undercover operation gave him reason to question his self-image. Then, while recovering from a bullet wound that ended the undercover job, his boyfriend cheated on him. But there’s no time to think about that now. A dead body has been found on the beach. There’s no clue to the identity of the young man, nor can anyone explain exactly what caused the big hole in his chest. When a stranger emerges from the sea, things get even more complicated. The striking man, Cobalt, explains the dead man is Indigo, prince of the selkies. Cobalt has been sent by the selkie court to investigate the death. The clues lead the pair back into the world of people trafficking for extreme sex, an underworld Niko thought he would never see again.
“Out of the Blue” is a mystery set in an alternative reality much like our own contemporary world, but where fae, wizards, warlocks, werewolves and selkies are real. Specifically, the story takes place in a fae enclave where Nico is a detective on the police force. The central mystery revolves around a criminal enterprise that kidnaps young people to sell as sex slaves to the rich and powerful. Note that while there is mention of extreme, unsafe BDSM, all the on-page kink is essentially safe and sane. Still, this is a somewhat dark tale that could be triggering.
The story is told entirely from Nico’s point of view. He is a very complex character. On the one hand, he’s a very determined police detective who wants to solve his cases regardless of the personal cost to him. Nico very much wants to be in control, but his recent undercover operation uncovered the fact that Nico has a strong submissive streak that is a glutton for pain. The desire for pain, especially in the context he discovered it, makes Nico think he’s a freak, not worthy of anyone’s love.
Nico’s kink self-shaming is a common archetype in stories featuring BDSM. Another common cliché, this one from the romance world, is a character that is totally clueless about how much someone else is attracted to them. Everyone can see how much Cobalt cares for Nico, except for Nico himself. He’s so convinced he is unlovable that he refuses to believe Cobalt is attracted to him.
We only know Cobalt through Nico’s eyes. Much about him remains a mystery, but he seems to understand what Nico needs and is okay with giving it to him, with consent. Cobalt isn’t perfect, like some fictional heroes. He’s much more believable. Perhaps we’ll learn more if there’s ever a sequel to this book.
“Out of the Blue” is available from Smashwords.