Nothing but Good by Kess McKinley

Narrated by Kirt Graves

Kess McKinley’s début novel Nothing but Good is a well-constructed and enjoyable mystery/procedural in which a tightly controlled, buttoned-up FBI agent investigating a number of serial murders encounters an unexpected complication in the form of the former best friend on whom he’d had a huge crush. I read this one when it came out back in May, and when I saw that Kirt Graves was narrating the audio version, I decided to revisit it.

Special Agent Jefferson Haynes and his partner, Special Agent Caroline Pelley, are called in when the body of a young man is pulled out of the water in Boston Harbour, another victim of the “Smiley Face Killer”, so-called because he leaves a very distinct calling card which, in this case, is a huge painted smiley face on the wall just by where the body was found. The SFK has killed a number of young men – all of them found in bodies of water – over the last decade, but has so far eluded capture.

Jefferson and Caroline begin to build a profile of the killer, looking into the previous murders at the same time as they question the witnesses and friends of the most recent victim. One of the things the author does really well in this story is show the often painstaking and laborious nature of the work involved in an investigation like this. Not that we’re subjected to hours and hours of people sitting in offices looking at maps and security footage, but the less glamorous “grunt work” isn’t just glossed over or ignored and we get a real sense of the level of detail that needs to be observed. But for Jefferson, pouring over maps and security footage is no substitute for getting out and actually walking the crime scenes to get a feel for the locations, which is why he and Caroline have to approach a couple of local government agencies to request their cooperation with the investigation.

They’ve arranged to meet with someone from the DPM – the Massachusetts Department of Parks Management – and Jefferson is stunned to see his old college roommate and former best friend Finny Ashley standing there, looking every bit as shocked as he – Jefferson – feels. Jefferson and Finny had been really close throughout their college years until they had a massive row just before graduation – and they haven’t seen each other since. Jefferson said some pretty horrible things at the time – and judging by Finny’s manner and expression, he hasn’t forgiven or forgotten.

Knowing just how reserved and unflappable her partner usually is, seeing him thrown off his game by Finny immediately alerts Caroline, who senses the chilly atmosphere between them – but Jefferson isn’t very forthcoming. Caroline suspects there’s more to it – and is careful to remind Jefferson that just because he and Finny have history, it doesn’t mean they can rule Finny out as a suspect. He fits certain aspects of the profile, and although he hasn’t lived in Boston until recently, the long intervals between the murders could point to the culprit being someone who has visited the city rather than someone who lives there. (Although I was pretty sure Finny wasn’t the villain – this is part romance, after all – the author nonetheless does a good job of planting the seeds of doubt!)

Jefferson is an engaging narrator, a highly competent, dedicated agent who, as is often the case with fictional LEOs, has practically no personal life. He hasn’t had many romantic partners and doesn’t do one-nighters (I observed in my review of the ebook that the way he is described as someone who likes to form an emotional connection before embarking on a physical one made me think that perhaps he’s demi-sexual – which the author confirmed), and the most important relationship in his life when we first meet him is the one he has with Caroline. They’ve been partners for several years and know each other really well; they’re obviously great friends, but their relationship becomes strained as Jefferson finds himself torn between the case and his feelings for Finny. Caroline is a very strongly written character and I liked her a lot, although there’s the sense that Jefferson occasionally finds her rather overbearing!

Jefferson and Finny are appealing characters, and I liked the way the author reveals the details of their past relationship over a few chapters but doesn’t drag it out for too long. (I will admit, however, that I expected their ‘break-up’ to have been over something… bigger.) It’s clear that Jefferson knows he screwed up and deeply regrets what happened and that Finny is still strongly affected by it but again, the author wisely doesn’t draw out their animosity for too long, using their early encounters to build the tension between them before having them discuss what happened and agree to move past it. That said however, their romance does feel somewhat under-developed, as they pretty much pick up from where they left off eight years earlier (although they weren’t romantically involved back then) which, considering they haven’t so much as spoken to each other in all that time, feels a little unlikely.

Kirt Graves is a narrator I listen to regularly, so I know I can always rely on him to deliver a performance that will keep me engaged throughout. His pleasantly modulated, slightly husky voice is easy on the ear, his pacing is good and he differentiates effectively between the various characters in the story, so there’s no confusion between them in conversation and they’re easy to identify aurally. I really liked his portrayal of Jefferson; he’s described as a big man physically, and Mr. Graves conveys that very well by means of a low, gruff tone and adds a hint of a Boston Southie accent, which works well to ground the story in the city (although it has to be said that he doesn’t use one for any of the other characters.) He does a terrific job with Caroline, too – she gets a lot of page time (unlike in a lot of m/m, where the female characters are peripheral) so it’s essential she sounds convincing, and she really does, just the right amount of tough and ballsy. Their dynamic is expertly realised, and the same is true of the connection between Jefferson and Finny; the initial hostility and awkwardness between them is palpable and the moments of sweetness and affection that occur later on are nicely done.

I enjoyed Nothing but Good when I read it, but Kirt Graves’ accomplished, nuanced performance certainly makes a strong case for experiencing this story in audio. It’s a very promising début and one I’d definitely recommend to anyone looking for a tightly-plotted murder mystery with a side-order of romance.

Caz

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