3.5 starsSince this is the second in the series, I will compare it to the first book [b:Cop Out|12919441|Cop Out (Toronto Tales, #1)|K.C. Burn|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347678857s/12919441.jpg|18074600] and say it certainly didn't have the emotional component that the first one did, but nonetheless I did enjoy Ivan and Parker, and catching up with the characters from the first book.
This one overlaps the end of the first book and starts with the shoot out where Kurt is shot. When Ivan returns to work immediately from the shooting, he is immediately sent out on an off the radar undercover operation by his immediate supervisor. While the whole situation, does not sit well with Ivan, he nonetheless complies. He is installed as the housemate of Parker, a young gay man believed to be an up and comer in a Russian drug operation and Ivan is to get the evidence that will lead to his arrest. While getting to know Parker, Ivan starts to believe that there is no way Parker can be the man his boss believes he is, all the while falling for him.
The investigation plot is a bit outlandish, but serves to connect the characters from Cop Out with Ivan and Parker, and to reaffirm relationships for the next book in the series. Parker and Ivan are a good couple, and while the undercover aspect of Ivan's work required him to lie and be evasive, there still was the stumbling block of failure to communicate about the most basic issues. There is also Ivan's PTSD from the shooting, that allowed me to somewhat forgive the crappy police work and complete failure to see what was right in front of him.
Overall I enjoyed the relationship between Ivan and Parker, but if you are looking for an intriguing mystery, you won't get it here since the bad guy is obvious from the beginning and the wrap up was a bit of stretch on several fronts. I am, however, looking forward to reading Rick and Ian's book next.
