Detective Brandon Carr has two things on his mind, working on the Task Force and spending time with his lover Nevada Gaming Control Agent Nicholas O’Malley.

Having his car ‘Querida’ in impound gives Nicky a reason to visit with his lover while he’s out on disability. Nicky misses his ride and is ready to bring it back home to Nevada.

When Brandon’s two worlds collide and Nicky becomes part of the Task Force, Brandon gains more fear than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Brandon is so far in the closet he cannot find the door, and Nicky, well Nicky is just plain out. Nicky’s isn’t flame on, but he’s not in denial and doesn’t like lying to cover up who he is not for anyone including Brandon. Will this spell the end of their relationship?

Guns, hits, and the Task Force hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface of the depth or illegal activity going on. The trail leads to places they never expected.

James Buchanan’s Inland Empire is the sequel to Cheating Chance. Nicky loves Brandon and wants a future with the detective. He knows Brandon isn’t comfortable with others knowing his preference, and to be honest, I could understand his reluctance. Being ostracized as a police officer is too dangerous for words. Not knowing if you have backup, I doubt I would be so quick to come out myself. Nicky has had more time to live out of the closet than in, and works in an environment where his level of danger doesn’t come close to what Brandon experiences.

The characters are wonderful written. Their desires, personalities, and internal issues all give me such a human feeling and appeal it was hard not to connect with them. The supporting characters did their jobs well by adding to the story and not removing the focus from the main characters. The setting and plot add the perfect balance to the story, and the sex is better than any five-alarm chili I’ve ever eaten. I’ll admit I read those scenes twice because it’s against to law to read them only once and go to the next page. I found Inland Empire to be a fantastic read and look forward to reading more stories from James Buchanan.

Reviewed by: NeNe