Narrated by Gomez Pugh
Criss Cross is a strong second instalment in Jordan Castillo Price’s Psycop series which sees our hero, Victor Bayne, temporarily housing his new lover, hot shot “stiff” (i.e, non-psychic) detective Jacob Marks while the latter looks for a new apartment (his own became a crime scene at the end of the previous book). Vic is pretty happy with the way things are going between them – although he still can’t help being surprised that a hot, popular guy like Jacob actually wants to be with a messy, fucked-up individual like himself.
Vic is a level 5 medium – which is the highest rating there is – and he Sees Dead People on a daily basis. Not surprisingly, being continually accosted and yelled at by ghosts isn’t a pleasant experience; Vic and others like him regularly take anti-psyactive drugs so they aren’t driven completely crazy by it, but Vic’s talent is so strong that the normal doses don’t do much for him, so he takes more than he should and spends much of his time doped up on anti-psyactives and sedatives. While on a fishing trip with his former work partner, Vic is unnerved even further to realise that his ability to communicate with the dead has somehow been amplified, and even the large doses of medication he takes routinely aren’t working.
His next medical check-up reveals even more bad news; the drugs have affected his liver, and he needs to stop taking them – and he doesn’t know how he’s going to cope with having hundreds of ghosts popping up and talking at him everywhere he goes at all hours of the day and night. Well, he knows he won’t be able to cope… which is when Jacob’s work partner, Carolyn, suggests taking Vic to see a new-age-type healer who might be able to help him. The snag? He’s Jacob’s ex. And he thinks Vic is full of crap.
And as if all that isn’t bad enough, Vic is having to adjust to a new (and way too perky!) work partner; his former partner, Lisa (who is in California undergoing psycop training) keeps leaving him cryptic messages and telling him to trust no-one, and he’s started attacking Jacob while in his sleep. Vic is even more of a mess than usual; he’s always a bit of a shambles, really, but endearingly so, and it’s a wonder he isn’t crazier than he already is – and the stress of it all causes him to make some ill-advised decisions and judgments that could have life-threatening consequences.
The suspense element in Criss Cross is possibly the least interesting thing about the book (and the most frustrating, because Vic is so oblivious to what’s going on). But he’s what’s hooked me in to this series; he’s a wryly humorous, self-deprecating narrator whose rambling inner monologues are unique for the genre, funny and very entertaining. In this story we get to know a bit more about him and why he’s the way he is, and I really like the way we’re shown the reality Vic has to live with in a subtle way; the guy is literally haunted by ghosts and memories of his time at Camp Hell (the psycop training facility) and it’s obviously taking a huge toll; yet he’s still relatively sane and continues to maintain his quirkiness and sense of humour. The moment he asks himself:
“I wondered if I was ever totally present for Jacob, or if he always had to search for the real me between the crack of all the drugs I took.”
was one of those ‘woah!’ moments because it really brought home that this is a guy who has never had what the rest of us would call a normal life and for whom ‘normal’ is something to aspire to!
His relationship with Jacob – which I thought was kick-started a bit too quickly in book one, Among the Living – is gradually evolving, and although Jacob is still a bit of an enigma (the novels are all written in the first person, so we’re never in his head), it’s easy to tell he thinks a lot of Vic and is truly invested in their relationship. He does come across as a bit too good to be true, but this is a long series (currently nine books and several short stories and novellas) so I’m expecting to find out more about him as I continue.
I’ve only listened to the first few books so far, but Gomez Pugh completely inhabits the persona of Victor Bayne throughout this series. His portrayal is perfect, especially when it comes to those rambling internal monologues I mentioned; his pacing and delivery are spot on and he flawlessly captures Vic’s self-deprecating, dead-pan, shambolic self. Jacob is described as being a fairly large man, and the deeper, rounder tone he’s given conveys that very well, and Vic’s new partner, Roger sounds like an eager puppy, with dialogue performed at a higher pitch and faster tempo. Mr. Pugh’s female voices are sound, too, and the accent he employs to portray Lisa Gutierrez sounds authentic to my British ears.
Coming in at just over four hours, Criss Cross is a quick listen, but it’s an entertaining one. It could be listened to as a standalone, although the series opener, Among the Living is just as enjoyable, and contains useful information about Victor himself and the psycop world in general. That’s even shorter, coming in at just under three hours; and I suspect that for some the short length will be off-putting; an Audible credit for just three or four hours of listening time won’t appeal to all. But I’d urge you to consider it anyway, if you’re interested in trying something a bit different that doesn’t quite fit into one specific genre; not quite paranormal, not quite romantic suspense and not quite police procedural. Fun and quirky with a nice bit of steam on the side and excellent narration – you could do a lot worse!
Caz
Buy Criss Cross by Jordan Castillo Price on Amazon
