Fool’s Errand by Chris Quinton

Title: Fool’s Errand
Author: Chris Quinton
Publisher: Manifold Press
Length: Novella (40k/158 pgs)
Buy the book: Publisher

Blurb:

When Xavi becomes an accidental witness to the murder of a wealthy woman he knows exactly what to do – get the hell out of there, fast! Xavi lives on the edge of the law; he and the police don’t exactly mix. Unfortunately the cop who is sent after him turns out to have some rather unusual abilities, so it isn’t long before their paths cross – which is roughly when Xavi begins to realise that getting caught may be the very least of his troubles.

Review:

Right away, the reader is thrust into a different setting than the usual fare. The story begins in Barcelona, in the year 2042, and young gigolo Xavi Escudero is in the bedroom of his latest partner when a door shuts downstairs. Convinced it’s her husband come home early, Xavi hides, only to witness her murder. The killer leaves without seeing him, and Xavi makes a run for it, stealing some of her jewelry to help fund his necessary disappearance. The case gets assigned to Detective Aguilar, and through a new arrangement, vampire Andreas Rousakis gets placed as his partner. When Xavi calls in to report what he knows, he does so believing that’s the only way he’ll stay alive. Aguilar and Andreas are ordered to find and keep him safe until the killer is caught, a killer who has become aware his crime did not go unseen. Andreas finds him with little effort, and proceeds to keep him in protective custody, even when Xavi keeps trying to escape.

The two heroes are an interesting study in contrasts. Though Xavi has grown up on the streets, he brings an unexpected innocence to the page that belies his tough upbringing. It’s not in what he knows. He reacts out of fear and a strong sense of self-preservation, but beneath it all, a feeling of hope and idealism permeates his thoughts and actions. On the other hand, Andreas has a world of experience behind him, knowledge that steadies his nerves and actions. This is a vampire that knows what he wants, and as he fights his attraction to Xavi, this measured approach controls the pace of the romantic development, each step of the way. Of the two, I was drawn to Andreas more than Xavi. His intelligence and careful control were compelling, intriguing me into wanting to know more. Since this marks the first book in a series, he would be the primary reason I would choose to follow. There’s so much I want to learn about him, as well as being the character I responded to the strongest on an emotional level.

The romance between Xavi and Andreas has a wonderfully slow build-up throughout the first half of the book, mostly because Xavi doesn’t get involved with men unless it’s absolutely financially necessary, but then it seems to take off with a bang, accelerating so quickly into something deeper that I had some serious doubts buying it. I wanted to, but mostly because I wanted Andreas to get what he wanted. However, that acceleration becomes necessary to drive the action of the latter half of the story, so for that, I forgive it to a degree.

Because it’s this relentless blend of action and exposition that is the real attraction of this short novel. Choosing to set it in a futuristic Barcelona creates a unique milieu from the onset, and the author milks this for everything it’s worth. The setting crackles, rich with details, and the pacing barrels forward from plot point to plot point with little room to breathe in between. Since Andreas isn’t actually the primary investigator, this is more action than mystery. The real developments in determining the facts behind the murder come from Aguilar, and often off-screen, so if a reader is looking for a whodunit type of story, this isn’t it. The focus is on Andreas and Xavi, and the constant machinations of their romance and Andreas’s efforts to keep Xavi safe. The end result is an engrossing, entertaining read, with promises of what is yet to come.