REVIEW: The Devil Wears High Heels by Damien Dsoul

The Devil Wears High Heels is my first taste of Damien Dsoul, and you can rest assured I will be coming back for some sloppy seconds. On the surface, interracial erotica and hard-boiled detective fiction would seem to make for odd bedfellows, but Dsoul makes it work.

Thaddeus Black is an old-fashioned private investigator from the wrong side of the tracks. He is a man somewhat weary of his profession, but also one who knows how to take his particular bland of pleasure wherever and whenever it can be found.  When a snooty rich old man comes to him looking for help with a missing person's case, Thaddeus turns him down, as unimpressed with his condescending attitude as he is with the futility of such a case.

Everything changes, however, when Thaddeus is politely summoned to attend the man's employer, a rich widow who is desperate to avoid police involvement. Despite his best judgement, Thaddeus takes the case, only to find himself involved in a mess of family squabbles, adulterous affairs, and good old-fashioned double-crosses. The mystery angle is played out very well, with some really surprising twists along the way that make for an entirely satisfying read.

Like any great mystery, however, the case is only half the story. The detective himself is the other half, and Thaddeus makes for a strong, compelling, exciting hero. Honourable, with his own unique ethics, he is precisely the kind of man you would want in your corner when things are looking rough. He is also the kind of man you would want directly behind you when things are looking hot (if you know what I mean!). Thaddus is a man who would never cheat a client or turn down a friend, but he is also one who would never turn down the opportunity to cuckold a white hubby. Thaddeus is a black bull with a love for married white women, and those women are more than happy to share that love with their hubbies.

While the mystery is what drives the story, the erotic scenes really do accentuate it nicely, adding new depth and significance to the events. This is not just a matter of an author throwing in some cuckolding for shock or titillation value alone - the cuckolding illuminates Thaddeus' character, even as it ultimately provides him with the means of solving the case. It is exciting, erotic, and undeniably arousing.

Like I said, this is my first taste of Damien Dsoul, but it will not be my last. I already have Mr. Tibbs cued up for a read, and if it's half as engaging as this, then I know it will be a great read.

[Reviewed by Bobbi]