Pulling Strings

Mystery and intrigue captivate you in Pulling Strings by Andrew Grey. The mysterious Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody is paying close attention to Devon Donaldson when he attends the annual National Multiple Sclerosis Society event his employer Coopers, Littman, and Mauer is sponsoring. What Devon can’t figure out is why… and it has him on edge.

Devon, the shy introvert, has set a goal to talk to at least ten people he doesn’t know at the event. But, Tall, Dark, and Broody, a security guy maybe, causes his skin to prickle and his insecurities to surface. What is up with this guy and why does Devon find himself interested in the mystery man? Devon is just an average guy living a pretty dull and colorless life. However, his dance moves do garner him a bit of attention. All Devon truly seeks is to work hard and maintain a peaceful and low-profile existence. Well, all is about to change!

Powers McPherson, aka Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody, is currently investigating a bout of industrial espionage that centers on the new banking system that Coopers, Littman, and Mauer has under development. He finds the shy, somewhat geeky Devon captivating, even distracting, and toys with him during the stuffy black-tie event he’s attending for the case.

Powers is thrust into Devon’s humdrum life when evidence points to the golden boy being involved in the theft. But enough on that, I don’t want to give away the plot twist that completely blindsided me. It doesn’t take long for Devon and Powers to team up, even with the distrust palpitating between the two of them. What isn’t lacking, however, is the heat and attraction sizzling away. The slow-build as they navigate the murky waters is endearing and tantalizing.

Having read a lot of Andrew Grey’s work Pulling Strings deviates slightly from the fluffy and sweet romance he is known for. With Pulling Strings he embarks on a suspense/thriller and does an excellent job building the intrigue and hiding the perpetrator. Don’t get me wrong, his Hearts Entwined Series has a bit of a mystery, but Pulling Strings takes things to a whole new level.

The secondary characters we meet are strong and very well could turn Pulling Strings into a series. Especially notable are Lucy, Powers’ sister, as well as Devon’s friend, Alexander. Several of Devon’s co-workers play a significant role so, maybe resolving the tension between these folks is another direction the sleuthing team will take.

While reading Pulling Strings I kept thinking about Ty Herndon and his recent album release, Got It Covered, but in particular the song “Living In A Moment” which he originally released in 1996 and Herndon is re-releasing with new pronouns to better reflect the man he is.

Andrew Grey's Pulling Strings is a fun thriller romance. If you're used to Andrew's books, you'll find this one is different from his other works.

When Devon finds himself innocently caught in a dangerous situation, Powers shows up to protect and help him. What follows is a sweet romance while the two men try to solve a mystery and fight for their lives.

It doesn't take long for Powers to become personally invested in keeping Devon safe. It's a fun conflict of interest as he's combining business with pleasure. Both men are likeable, and they work really well together. I love how different both are. The author does a great job in developing these two multi-dimensional characters.

Their story includes danger, action, and a whole lot of suspense. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery, and the surprise reveal. It also includes some great side characters, especially Powers' sister who will have you laughing a lot.

I definitely recommend Pulling Strings to anyone who's looking for romance mixed with intrigue.