Spider by Michael Dalton
I don’t normally review books. I’ll only do it in rare circumstances, usually when I want to share an author I really like, one I took the chance on reading when I have a TBR list that’s a mile high. I was intrigued by the title and the description of this book, thus I even went so far as to pre-order it on Amazon–another thing I rarely do.
An ex operative with a score to settle, his past was dark, gritty, and filled with dirty business. The women he targeted and encountered were dissatisfied with their supposed lot in life, willing to take the plunge when opportunity presented itself, no matter how strange it might have seemed.
Spider is the first book I’ve read by Michael Dalton, and I was never more impressed. I must say that I’ve never read so smooth an author. I never once got confused about who the characters were, and was able to keep track of them all with ease. The chapter transitions were smooth and logical; I didn’t have to go back and re-read to re-orient myself. The prose was clear and contained just enough information to set the scene and characters and pull me in. No extra fluff anywhere.
The erotica in this book was enough to make it fit nicely into the genre, and blended well into the story. The author seemed to have a good handle on BDSM and some of the philosophies behind it. Total trust, surrendering that makes you truly free. There was a good balance of story with erotic elements. Nothing was overdone or lacking.
This is not a sweet story, nor does it contain cheesy dialogue and silly actions that I sometimes find in books of this nature.
What I found interesting is that the author left an enticing trail of treats, pulling me in one nibble at a time, until I realized that I was halfway through the book and still didn’t have a handle on just what the big picture or the goal was. What’s more interesting is that it didn’t matter. I knew enough chapter by chapter that I wanted to keep reading to find out. Everything made sense.
The twist at the end was amazing and all in all I enjoyed how everything came together in one seamless action and chapter at a time.
Character development was concise and smooth. I knew just enough about each one so I could appreciate their past and subsequent behavior. I never grew bored and looked forward to each read until I reached the end. If you’re looking for a story that’s dark, mysterious, descriptive, and alluring, Spider will not disappoint. Purchase Book.