Corpses and Cognac | Book 2 of Deadly Drinks | ARC Review

Thank you to Dorian Graves for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

An ancient leviathan lies buried under the town of Arcata, California—which isn’t a problem until its head goes missing and its ghost threatens to destroy the entire town. Sounds like a typical case for possessed hairdresser Retz and cursed bounty hunter Jarrod, the half-huldra Gallows brothers. But the case soon turns complicated with a string of disappearances, a madcap carnival promising eternal bliss, and a motorcycle gang of minotaurs plotting against mysterious strangers that are neither human nor monster.

Lucky for the Gallows brothers, they have staunch allies…or at least they have Nalem, the necromancer ghost who “borrows” Retz’s body, and Farris, Jarrod’s daredevil boyfriend coming to grips with his new un-life as a Faerie. Everyone else they thought of as friends show a different face in the funhouse mirrors, and old foes beg to be saved from “The Happiest Place Out of This World”.

This case will shake Retz and Jarrod to their cores, forcing them to question everything they know about themselves and their loved ones. It’ll be a struggle to save the day with their bodies and minds intact…which means it’s the perfect time for a drink. Sit back and raise a glass—the Gallows brothers ride again!

When Dorian Graves contacted me to review their book I internally screamed. Bones and Bourbon is one of those books that stuck with me since 2018 when I read it, and I had been eagerly awaiting its sequel.

Corpses and Cognac jumps us straight back into action when the Gallows brother are working on a case. Jarrod, a supernatural investigator, has to finish every quest asked of him or he turns into a rosebush. A curse given to him by his loving father. His brother Retz in the mean time is inhabited by a necromancing spirit called Nalem who sees himself as a god and wants his body back. And Jarrod’s boyfriend Farris who is newly dead and fae is still searching for his long lost memories. You can imagine the things they get up to. They don’t even have to try. It makes them unique and creates very interesting dynamics.

This time the foursome step into a bit of Nalem’s history as they try and return a dead Leviathan’s skull before its ghost wrecks the town that is build on its skeleton. And along the way they uncover a bit more. More about Nalem and his purpose. More about the relationship betweeen the Gallows brothers and their father. About the motives of those surrounding them. There is some interesting tid bits that now link Farris and Nalem together in some way. But I won’t go into any of that because I would spoil you.

I don’t think this installment was as funny as the first book, but at the same time I am completely invested in these characters. It delves more into their relationship and their dynamic. Especially the dynamic between Retz and Nalem is changing. They are become more amicable towards one another. While Jarrod is discovering how his father has changed and learning to stand up to him. For himself and others. They are important bits.

I honestly can’t wait to read the next instalment. This whole setting is just so interesting and unique. There are so many supernatural creatures and things that rarely get the time other (urban) fantasy books. It is so exciting. There is always something new around the corner. And even the fae t,hat are a well known supernatural portion, have new and different takes in this series.