Reviews for The Truth of Yesterday

Out in Print

Aterovis piles on the plot points but manages to balance them all nicely. Just when you think the story is sprawling too large, he fits a couple of pieces together and melds them into the whole like a master. This is the first of Aterovis’ mysteries I’ve read, but his command of the genre is impressive, and his writing chops are sufficient to make me eager for the next adventure. The Truth of Yesterday makes a fine addition to any mystery shelf. Read the full review

Reviewer

Jerry Wheeler

OutSmart

Killian is a young man with many irons in the fire: he is a student, he is training to be a private investigator, and he is beginning to navigate the land of adult relationships. Oh yeah, there is this problem with his “gifts” and a ghost who may ruin the two men who took him in when his family forced him to leave his home. Beautifully plotted, these story lines and more are skillfully woven into one of the best mystery novels of the year. Mystery and non-mystery readers alike will appreciate this artfully crafted tale of action and suspense.

Reviewer:

Angel Curtis

Book Marks Book Reviews

Young Killian Kendall, the teenage PI who made his debut at 16 in Bleeding Hearts (followed by two more books), is now 18, and one busy youngster. He’s a college freshman, juggling classes while staking out a case of domestic infidelity for Novak Investigations, where he now works. He’s still a virgin, but deeply involved with boyfriend Micah, older by a few years and very patient. He’s reluctant to engage with the mystery of his metaphysical Gifts, despite pressure from an equally Gifted aunt. And, hovering over his life is the ghost of his high school friend Seth, materializing at odd times with cautionary but confusing advice. Enter mystery one: Micah’s former boyfriend, an escort agency callboy in Washington, D.C., has been murdered, and despite the strain it puts on their relationship, Micah – whose own past as a hustler unsettles Killian – asks the young sleuth to take the case. Enter mystery two: boyhood friend Jack is involved in something skeevy. Aterovis links the two storylines together with a bracing blend of appealing characters and intricate plotting.

Reviewer:

Richard Labonte

Lavender Magazine

He’s only 18, but he has a boyfriend, Micah, (almost) to die for, and a history of solving murders. He also has Gifts, unwanted but persistent, allowing him to see and talk to the dead. Truth is Aterovis’s fourth book featuring detective assistant Killian Kendall, and the author pulls out all the stops. Micah’s past comes home to roost, and Killian is plunged into the seamy—and in this instance fatal—world of male escorts, while also trying to find out what is happening to a good friend. Add to this the ghost of a young woman haunting his father’s B&B, and you’ve got the recipe for mayhem, chills, and a gripping read with this seriously overbooked and extreme-sleuthing young hero.

Reviewer:
E.B. Boatner

Echo Magazine

18 year old gay college student, and private investigator in training,
Killian Kendall is back, and busy as ever. He's going through
relationship growing pains with his boyfriend Micah, trying to help a
friend whose son is suddenly secretive and estranged from everyone else
he knows, and excited about working his first actual case, trying to
find some leads in the murder of a DC gay escort who was a friend of
Micah's. In between, Killian is still dealing with his psychic "gifts,"
which occasionally manifest themselves at inopportune times, and makes
his guardian and his life partner want his help in dealing with a ghost
disturbing guests at their new bed-and-breakfast.

This is the fourth of the author's Killian Kendall mysteries, and -
having read earlier installments - I believe this is the best yet. He
unfolds this mystery as one would an intricate tapestry, skipping around
to cover the latest developments and theories, all sandwiched in between
Killian's otherwise normal life as a college student. The characters are
realistic and believable, and the riveting plot will keep you reading
(No joke, I was late to an appointment, because I could not put it
down!) Outstanding effort, and a solid five stars out of five.

Reviewer:
Bob Lind

Reviews by Jessewave

The Killian Kendall Mysteries have all sucked me right in and not let go until the last page. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what happens with these Gifts in future installments of the series. The Truth of Yesterday is a fun, energetic ride with enough twists and turns to keep you interested, and enough humor to keep you entertained. I have very much enjoyed getting to know Killian and his world and I’m sure you will, too. Highly recommended. Read the full review

Reviewer:

Buda

Top 2 Bottoms Reviews

There is an art to character development. An author who excels at it will create a character or characters who evolve over time. S/he will introduce characters who are relatable, not in their prefect lives and their perfect worlds; rather, we readers are able to empathize with them in their flaws, in the imperfections we all possess that endear them to us. They might be people we recognize in our own lives, or perhaps they might even be ourselves.

I’ve found that I have developed a deep fondness for Killian Kendall, not because I know anyone like him, but because I’d like very much to know someone like him. He was introduced in Bleeding Hearts as a boy at a crossroads in his life’s journey. Sometimes he directed his own travels; sometimes fate directed him, but either way, there is no question that Josh Aterovis has truly excelled in bringing Killian along from a boy to a young man who, though still developing, is a character whom I’ve come to rely upon to engage my full attention and entertain me every step of the way through his adventures.

The Truth of Yesterday is the fourth book in the Killian Kendall series. Killian has graduated from high school and is now a young man in college, working for private investigator Shane Novak and exploring the metaphysical talents with which he has been gifted—or cursed, depending on how one looks at them. Killian’s insights and intellect continue to influence his investigative skills as the mystery he is hired to unravel in this installment has also graduated into a realm of political corruption, drugs, and sex for hire.

Killian’s fledgling relationship with Micah Gerber is tested, as Killian discovers things about Micah’s past that threaten to tear the young men apart. The murder of a male escort from Micah’s days in Washington DC sends Killian directly into danger, as he accepts the challenge to find the murderer. Discovering that his friend Jake Sheridan is also somehow connected to the mystery reels Killian even deeper into danger as Killian fights, at the expense of his own safety, to rescue Jake from a man whose power, influence, proclivities, and criminal activities might cost the boys their lives.

Josh Aterovis has upped the suspense factor to a new level in The Truth of Yesterday, in both the natural and supernatural realms, while at the same time, offering readers an element of romance that brings everything into a wonderful balance. Each new character who is introduced has a distinct and compelling voice, particularly Tad Yoder, a teen runaway who Killian rescues, as well as Chris Silver, a young woman who helps Killian on his investigation. I sincerely hope they will each make appearances in the books to come.

Danger and intrigue from the present, as well as from the distant past influence Killian, his choices, and the outcomes. “Like echoes returning from a great distance or ripples in a pond, the past can come back to haunt us with truths we tried to ignore, tormenting us with losses too great to absorb.” How Killian handles those distant truths remains to be seen. One thing is certain: I’ll be there to find out.

Reviewer:

Lisa

Teen private eye Killian Kendall is on the job, and as usual up to his handsome neck in trouble: trailing a philandering husband, working to help a troubled teen friend and solving multiple murder cases—one of them more than a century old! Author Josh Aterovis once again serves up a generous helping of his trademark blend of romance, mayhem, supernatural creepies, and a bevy of hotties along the way, to keep everything at the boil. A winning read.

Reviewer:

Victor J. Banis

LGBT Literary Pioneer and Author of The Man From C.A.M.P.