Sunday 8 June 2014

Andrea's Review of Pearls of Asia by Lee Geiger

 


Published by TWCS PH
Released Date: 29th May 2014


Excerpt: 

“This is not a drag show, honey. There are no boys in skirts working here. All the beautiful ladies at Pearls of Asia are transsexuals. We also happen to be curvaceous, luscious, and all things deliciously glorious about being feminine. We’re Women 2.0—special girls with special equipment. That’s what makes us, as well as this place, unique. Pearls of Asia is more than just a restaurant; it’s about the quest for self-identity, about the right to own and control one’s body. We leave you questioning everything you think you know and see. If that’s not an outrageously fun night out, then I can’t help you, honey. Do you still want my phone number?”


Summary:

After beloved San Francisco anchorwoman Michelle Osher is found nearly decapitated in her palatial Nob Hill apartment, suspicion focuses immediately on her wealthy, arrogant husband, Paul. Inspector Mac Fleet and his partner are assigned the sensational case, and they quickly uncover an all-too-familiar pattern linking the widowed spouse to Sheyla Samonte, a part-time waitress enjoying a lavish lifestyle on Paul Osher’s dime. The pair of seasoned detectives assume she wanted a promotion from mistress to wife.
The investigation turns on its head when they discover Sheyla, a drop-dead gorgeous dancer born and raised in the Philippines, works at Pearls of Asia, a stylish restaurant featuring a cast of exotic transsexual performers who serve up flirtatious teasers along with delicious cocktails. Mac crawls down a rabbit hole and comes face to face with the restaurant’s uniquely captivating servers—Diamond, Reyna, Nadia, and Ashley—and unveils a fascinating lifestyle full of drama, humor, and high heels. 
When Sheyla refuses to cooperate unless Inspector Fleet takes her to brunch, he agrees even though he knows it’s outside the lines of police protocol. Mac soon finds himself dealing with his own set of personal demons, unable to decide whether to arrest Sheyla or ask her on a date.
The ensuing investigation reveals infidelities, betrayals, and a host of people who might want Michelle Osher dead. But as the case heats up, so does Mac’s romantic interest in Sheyla, whose stunning beauty and charming personality compel him to question her involvement, but not her courage, and to cross the line between his personal impulses and professional responsibilities. Convinced of Sheyla’s innocence, Mac devotes himself to finding the real killer. Ultimately, he is moved to take actions he never dreamed of to discover the truth about the case, Sheyla, and himself.

Andrea's Review: 


Inspector Mac Fleet of the San Francisco Police Department is the utmost professional. He is focused and has sacrificed for the job he loves and lives for  - that is until he is assigned to a high profile murder and the life he once knew is completely turned upside down.  Sheyla Samonte is a native of the Philippines. She is beautiful and wise beyond her years. She is instantly drawn to Mac and when she finds that she is willing to give up the life she has built for herself to have him as her own, the series of events that sets in place will either make or break them not only as a couple but as individuals.


Pearls of Asia was my ultimate trifecta … an actual ‘who done it’ that keeps you wondering, a story of personal growth and a love story. I loved how Lee Geiger pulled me into a world I never knew existed all the while sprinkling the underlying mystery of who brutally murdered the illustrious (and secretive) Michelle Osher. The number of suspects should have seemed daunting but in fact it only made the murder more interesting. The secret lives of the well-known and well-respected elite of San Francisco was almost expected -- those in glass houses and all.


Mac has had a tough go of it the past year. After, his wife walked out on their marriage and his partner and best friend was murdered on Christmas Day, he is back living with his hilarious and supportive mother and adjusting to life with a new partner. When he begins investigating the murder of Michelle Osher, he follows the clues to an infamous restaurant/bar known as Pearls of Asia. Unbeknownst to Mac, the beautiful and sexy women that he encounters there are anything but what they seem. As he is pulled into a world he doesn’t understand,, he becomes drawn to and ultimately falls in love with not only the most intriguing woman he has known but his number one murder suspect.

This story brought so much to the surface for me. Mac struggles with his feelings while solving a murder that only solidifies how difficult his life with Sheyla may be. He faces his past when his new partner is injured. He ultimately chooses the life that is best for him. The life that makes him a better man.


Rating:




Introducing Lee...

Pearls of Asia is Lee Geiger's debut novel. He is also the author of The Marginal Prophet (www.marginalprophet.com), a popular newsletter that is part information, part inspiration, and all entertainment. 
When he's not writing or trading stocks, Lee can be found wandering the streets of San Francisco in search of red wine and pasta, which he considers to be two of the four major food groups
Connect with Lee:
FB - PoAFB - LeeWebsiteGoodreadsTwitter

No comments:

Post a Comment