4.5 stars. Both of these authors are fabulous on their own. Together? They're even better.

So many things in this series work so well.

Strong characterization: Even characters minimally present are easily seen as concrete people, Deanne the manager at Reginald's; Captain Singh from the other police station; Pitbull the loan shark. The more prominent side characters are even better, some of them endearingly so. Paula had better be Best Woman at the guys wedding, I swear!

Solid police procedural storytelling: hard work, doggedly digging for case details, and the occasional misstep all lend a nice reality to the book. Which is slightly scotched because the book takes place over too short an amount of time. This only knocked off half a star for me, because, technically, they were picking up cases another investigator had spent a really long time on and they'd realized there was a pattern to them the other person had missed and they were all actually one case.

Heartfelt romance: Darren and Andreas are two strong but very different men. If you're looking for erotica, look elsewhere. There is a sex scene and it is hot, but not because they're doing anything ground-breakingly wild. It's hot because of the emotions they're feeling and expressing, their intimacy, and how into each other they are. Painfully real life is battering these men just about unconscious, but, through it all, they have each other's backs. It's beautiful.

I have become seriously attached to these characters. I mean I 'watch' their lives unfold as if I'm living it with them kind of attached. They are such complex characters and so individual that their personalities leap off the pages. This second book in the Bad Behavior series was fantastic. This series really needs to be read in order to be appreciated and all the plot and background information to make the impact it needs to.

I loved this book even more than the first and the first book was mind-bogglingly awesome. This book had its own epic twist and I have to tell you it was HUGE! I loved it! I was on the edge of my seat most of the time during this book, the tension was ratcheted up so tight. I am in desperate need of the third. I very highly recommend this book and most definitely this series.

Detectives Andreas Ruffin and Darren Corliss might have felt good about solving a high profile crime, but not when it turns the entire police force upside down. While Darren is still recuperating from a stabbing, desk duty finds him and Andreas working cases from Precinct 32, the hub of the dirty operation they uncovered. Andreas and Corliss are still being harassed and labeled as snitches within the force, and the homicide cases they’ve been assigned are connected to the number one suspect in the dirty operation, former Detective Trent Newberry.

Darren is more than ready to do his part in researching the homicides. He was bored on desk duty while recuperating, and is also facing a critical time in his brother’s life. At thirty-five, his older brother, Asher, has early-onset Alzheimer’s, and has become more difficult for his parents to handle. Asher’s being moved to a nursing home, and it’s tearing Darren up. He also has to make a decision whether to take the test to see if he might meet the same fate as his brother.

Andreas is doing well with his new HIV medication, but he still gets harassed for being a drug addict by hostile cops. His daughter has also become a great concern to him, but his biggest concern is Darren; he worries about him in so many ways and with so many issues to deal with, especially the personal ones, he feels like he doesn’t know how to give Darren what he needs.

This sequel to Bad Behavior is definitely a more emotional storyline. Both Darren and Andreas are facing family issues, but I found Darren’s to be just heartrending. His love for his brother is so great, and to have it deteriorate before his eyes breaks his heart. Both Darren and Corliss are physically and mentally exhausted, and the beginning of their relationship hangs in the balance.

As for the homicide plot, again it’s suspenseful, action packed, and we get to watch Corliss and Darren go through the pains of staying focused and following the process of investigating a mind-boggling murder spree. I have to admit the first novel in this series was good, but L.A. Witt and Cari Z. outdid themselves with Suspicious Behavior. I highly recommend this series and am looking forward to the next installment.

5 Stars!!!

Suspicious Behavior is book 2 in the Bad Behavior series and it needs to be read in order, so don't skip the first book!

Andreas and Darren are dealing with the consequences of putting away their fellow police officers in prison. Darren is struggling with trying to heal from his nearly life-threatening wound and dealing with his brother's illnesses, which keeps progressing at an alarming rate. And if that wasn't enough, they're given a stack of cold cases to investigate and after finding a pattern, they realize they're dealing with a serial killer, who they will have to try to stop before he disappears again.

I've always loved Detective series that manage to combine action, a realistic police investigation and romance. The romance sort of takes a backstep in this series to everything else happening, though. Still, we get enough of Andreas and Darren being there for each other and the small gestures that tell so much about their growing feelings, like Darren melting every time that Andreas is interacting with his daughters, especially Emily, and truly, who can blame him? It was adorable to see the Big Bad Detective Ruffner turn to putty in his 4-year-old daughter's hands.

Darren's family's storyline is heartwrenching and seeing Asher, his brother, deteriorate even more with each installment is awful. I just can't imagine how hard something like this must be for the family or even for the person, when they're lucid enough to realize that they're slowly forgetting everything about themselves and their loved ones.

The serial killer angle was amazing. It was interesting, action-packed and had me guessing until the end. There were some things I didn't see coming at all and I loved to be surprised.

As secondary characters go, Paula is such a badass, she's awesome and I adore every scene she's in. Erin and Emily were lovely, too and it was a great way to show us Andreas' tender side.

Overall, to me, the series just keeps getting better and better and I just can't get enough of Andreas and Darren! Highly recommendable!

*** Copy provided to me by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley for my reading pleasure. ***

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
The second book in this series is an exciting and often emotive read. After their first investigation together revealed systemic police corruption – and with colleagues still losing their jobs as a direct consequence – Detectives Corliss and Ruffner don’t have many friends left in the police department. When they are assigned to investigate cold cases at another precinct, they manage to make themselves even less popular.

This book works for me on every level. The hunt for an active and prolific serial killer is alternately terrifying and exciting. The police politics are frustrating. And Andreas and Darren’s personal lives just keep getting messier. Like all great detective stories, the investigation is intricate and fast paced. As with all great detective series, we are very slowly drawn further into the characters’ lives with each book. The police corruption storyline didn’t finish with the first book and I’m pretty sure it will extend into the next book.

I still love the partnership between Andreas and Darren. The older, jaded detective lends his experience and insight while the younger, politically connected newbie offers a fresh perspective. But things feel a little bit more equal between them this time around.

Romantically, these two feel solid in this second book and I love how they are becoming true partners as much in their personal lives as they are in their professional lives.

I am loving this series and I can’t wait for the next one!


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
After bringing down the Mayor and a bunch of corrupt cops, Andreas and Darren are now pariahs in the police force. They take a bunch of unsolved murders from another precinct and discover they have a serial killer on their hands. And so begins the hunt for the murderer.

I love a book where the crime solving is mixed with romance and this book does it brilliantly. In between hunting for a serial killer and dealing with family dramas on both sides, Darren and Andreas struggle to find time for themselves and their relationship. With so much going on, the story moves at a fast pace and there was never a dull moment. I was completely sucked in to the story, action, and romance that it was over before I knew it. But there is still so much to learn about Andreas and Darren and so many more crimes out in the big wide world I'm hoping the authors have many more books planned for our detectives because I want more. I absolutely loved Suspicious Behavior.

This gritty story drags you into the world of Detectives Corliss & Ruffner who are struggling to deal with the aftermath of their last case, their investigation resulted in several cops losing their badges making them universally vilified. Their personal lives are taking up the rest of their energy, stretching them thin before the added pressure of trying to stop the next murder in a series they uncovered. I’ve not read this series before but enjoyed the tension as it built up throughout the story. Really wanted them to get a break from their relentless problems, hope they get one in the next instalment.

Andreas and Darren are back! I loved Suspicious Behavior even more than I did the first book in the series, Risky Behavior. Police detectives Darren Corliss and his partner and lover, Andreas Ruffner are now pariahs in the police department. They’re given a file of several unsolved murders to keep them busy and away from the other police officers. When Darren finds a link between the murders, they realize they’re actually searching for a serial killer. The twists and turns in the case, plus the frustration and high stress of the detectives made this a page-turner for me. The police procedural is the focus, but the relationship between Darren and Andreas, as well as their respective family issues, play a large part in the overall story. As a fan of mysteries and police procedurals, I loved this book and highly recommend it to all other fans of the genre. I can’t wait to see what’s next for these two!

As I finish reading Suspicious Behavior, I find myself sighing with a silly smile for about a heartbeat and already I am chomping at the bit for the next installment. Authors L.A. Witt and Cari Z have once again outdone themselves with this new installment in their bad behavior series. Mystery, suspense and a race against time will have you struggling to put this book down.

This book picks up shortly after the previous book in the series, Risky Behavior, left off. If you haven’t read book 1, put this book down and start from the beginning. Things aren’t going so well for the guys this time around. After their last case, Detectives Darren Corliss and Andreas Ruffner are now on most everybody’s poop list. Doesn’t matter they exposed a lot of bad cops, you don’t squeal on your brothers. Now the guys are working in a hostile precinct. Darren is trying to recover from a near-fatal wound while dealing with Asher’s fast deteriorating memory. All the while, Andreas wants to help but he doesn’t know how. How could things get any worse? How does a stack of unsolved homicides and a possible serial killer sound! Talk about edge of your seat excitement.

Talk about non-stop action! Honestly, I can’t decide what I enjoyed more; their professional or personal life. Things are continuing to go strong between Andreas and Darren. They have heavy personal issues that are pulling at them that could break them or make them stronger. Then there is the professional side. Hated by other cops or treat them like the plague and settled with a stack of unsolved cases. At first, I didn’t think too much of them and then all the puzzle pieces started to come out. Talk about crazy exciting. I’m usually not into mysteries but this one grabbed my attention. As Darren and Andreas start investigating and things start coming together, ACK! How did no one see it! It was all there. Everything keeps building and building, the anticipation, the reveal, the revelations.

There was no putting this book down. It’s 3am, I have got to know what happens next. The suspense is killing me. The big reveal! The ending! Oh man, what a rush! Suspicious Behavior was well worth losing sleep over. I can’t wait to find out what is in store for Darren and Andreas. Thankfully, the next book comes out in a few months. I can wait that long, right? Maybe…Possibly…



reviewed by Jac

When I reviewed the first book, Risky Behavior, I realized too late that it was actually part of an ongoing series, so I may or may not have judged the ending a bit unfairly because their relationship was sort of just left hanging. Okay fine, I initially picked this up because I felt bad for my miscalculation and wanted to atone myself, okay?! 🙂

Regardless of the reason, I’m glad I did because Suspicious Behavior was a great continuation of Andreas and Darren’s story. Just like in the previous book, this installment focused on their detective work (and other goings on in their lives), and kept the romance on a simmer. I thought the low heat level suited the story perfectly what with Darren still recovering physically from his injuries from book one and a slew of other things weighing on their minds. Plus there’s something to be said for heroes in suspense/thrillers who somehow manage to keep it in their pants when they’re smack in the middle of a dangerous situation. It might not be as steamy but it sure comes off as more realistic to me.

The serial killer plotline was gripping and kept the book going at a great pace. The book did a fantastic job at continuing to develop two very complex heroes in Andreas and Darren, and Darren’s struggles with his brother’s dementia in particular was just heartwrenching. I did not expect to enjoy this series as much as I have (when I didn’t even realize it was a continuing series, that is), but it’s fair to say that I am well and truly hooked. If you’re into cop dramas with romantic elements, this series is for you. Just be sure to start with book one in the series, Risky Behavior.

Suspicious Behaviour continues on from Risky Behaviour, detectives and partners in work and their private lives Andreas and Darren are now persona non grata with their police colleagues after investigating and discovering a number of rogue police officers and politicians that are now in prison or have left and lost their pensions.
Given menial paperwork to do and look at unsolved crimes they discover a link to many homicides. So begins a really good crime thriller.
The sexual scenes are much more restrained than in previous L A Witt novels but the story is better for this, there is more depth to the story and characters.
Andreas and Darren's relationship continues to grow as they slowly realise how much they mean to each other.
Well worth a read.
Thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book.

The dynamic duo of L.A. Witt and Cari Z never fail to deliver with multifaceted characters and exciting plots. Well done!

3.5*. The authors gave it away at 19% gone, with the mention of one thing, and then confirmed this at 23%. Grr.
This is not a bad book, but the balance wasn't quite right, and I do have to wonder what the editors were thinking on this one, tbh.

I'm not going to go into details and Spoiler it, but there was too much made of a eureka! moment at 19% gone, and then a few pages later, too much emphasis on another issue that then confirmed my suspicions.

That aside, the tale was not bad, with the guys' relationship becoming more personal, more shared and more emotional. I liked the shared family aspects and that one had the other's back in something more than a little rule-breaking and unorthodox. Book 3 should cement these guys' HEA, and luckily there's not too long a wait for it.

ARC courtesy of Riptide Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I made a prediction when I finished Risky Behavior, the first book in L.A. Witt and Cari Z's Bad Behavior series. I'm happy to say (and not surprised, I might add) that I was right. I'm not only really going to like this series, but by the end of Suspicious Behavior I had fallen head over heels in love with both Darren and Andreas and I can't wait until the next book is released. *sigh*

This book takes up pretty much where the last one left off. Darren has pretty much recovered from his close call and both he and Andreas are back at work. To say that they were welcomed back would be a stretch. Pretty much the entire police force has turned against them because of the fallout from their last case. Cops don't turn on cops and even though Andreas and Darren had no choice and did the right thing, their actions turned them into pariahs. They did have a few allies, which turned out to be a very good thing...

Things start to get even more complicated when the cold case falls in their laps. Not only are things not exactly what they seem, but they have to rely on turning enemies into allies and use deception to gain the truth, more than once. If those complications weren't enough, real life keeps barging in and making things not only more complicated but heart wrenching.

There were so many layers to Suspicious Behavior that I think that's what drew me in even more. There was the romance, the mystery, the family issues on both sides, the conflict at work and the lack of peer support - which escalated more than once. All of that combined help turn this series up a notch. Readers have to wait until January of 2018 for Reckless Behavior, but knowing L.A. Witt and Cari Z, I have no doubt it will be well worth the wait. ;)

I love these guys so much! This is turning out to be such a great series. This book picks up right after the events in Risky Behavior, with Darren and Andreas dealing with the fallout from their actions. Things are definitely difficult around the precinct, and both guys are frustrated with the way they are being treated. Their investigative skills are put to the test as they work together to find a serial killer. The highs and lows these guys went through while working this case definitely kept me interested.

Andreas is in full on daddy mode throughout the story. Even with Darren - he's watchful, overprotective, and caring. I loved seeing this side of Andreas because it was really lacking in the first book. In fact, I had a hard time believing he actually was a father in the first book. So it was good to see him in action.

Darren is still trying to recover from his injury in the first book. He's getting physically run down by the new case, and dealing with his brother is becoming more difficult. Luckily, Andreas is right there to keep him from falling completely apart. In turn, Darren is supportive of Andreas' parental obligations.

Challenges with their personal lives are keeping both men busy, so sexy times are definitely at a minimum. Their feelings for each other have strengthened, and that added intimacy and depth to the relationship. I enjoyed the slow steady burn of Andreas and Darren's attraction to one another. I actually really love the May/December aspect, so their age difference intrigues me.

Engaging dialogue, a varied supporting cast, and the dual pov brought me right into the story. I enjoyed getting down and dirty with Andreas and Darren during their investigation. I really love both guys and how they played off each other both personally and professionally. They're just so darn likable! I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Suspicious Behavior is the second in the Bad Behavior series by LA Witt and Cari Z, and I have to say I am glad to see that there will be a book 3, Reckless Behavior in 2018. I'm enjoying this series on multiple levels.
I really love the relationship between Andreas and Darren. They are great offsets for each other. In book 1, so much was about how Andreas was dealing with the issues in his life, leading up to the culmination of the book where...well, I don't want to give that part away in case you haven't read this series, but if you have, you know what happens. :)
In book 2, we see more of their relationship blooming from a support level. Darren is crumbling inside, as more and more stressors build for him. Throughout the story, they are working to catch a serial killer, yet real life doesn't give them even a moments break. Seeing how heart-wrenching it is for Darren to deal with Asher's debilitating disease, knowing he can only be supportive is tough for Andreas, but he works hard to be whatever Darren needs him to be. We see that these two men are not merely F-buddies (and in fact there really is only one sex scene in book 2), but a growing relationship that they are building to last.
Andreas, of course, has his own issues...mostly of his own making...to deal with, but manages to muddle through with only a minimum amount of pain to himself and his children. And seeing how he reacts to his children, allows the reader to see that he isn't just a hardened detective, who scowls and growls, and doesn't care what anyone thinks. He is a man who loves his children, despite not seeing them often, and having tried to shut them out of his personal life on many levels. His daughter Erin doesn't allow it, and he learns that maybe opening up isn't going to carve him to pieces.
Although much of the focus of this book was working through all the circumstantial evidence to find the killer, and seeing how cops can easily turn their backs on other cops, it still manages to make these two men, who realize how much they need each other, a priority to each other. Finding stolen moments together may be all they have, but they know that time is precious and will take whatever they can.
Looking forward to book 3!

After the case in Risky Behavior, Darren and Andreas are due for some down time, but that doesn’t happen when they realize that some unsolved murders over the years might actually be the work of a serial killer. It’s early on that they think they have their man, but they can’t do anything without evidence, so much of the book is figuring out how to prove who the killer is before they kill again. It’s a high stakes operation, once again, and it definitely lends itself to some fast reading. I love the mystery and suspense in these! I also like the added side stories, especially concerning the detectives’ families. Readers are introduced to Darren’s brother in the first book but his condition – early onset Alzheimer’s disease – is getting worse and it wears on Darren. As for Andreas, readers finally get to know more about his exes and children, causing some “aww” moments for Darren, who gets to see a different side to Andreas when dealing with his kids, especially his youngest who is only four.

These are some great books! I’d read L.A. Witt before and loved her work, but never anything from Cari Z. so it was cool to see their collaboration. It’s not often m/m books have direct sequels – following the same characters – so I do recommend this series for that alone. I can’t wait for the third book – due out January 1, 2018.

Corliss and Ruffner somehow survived the events of 'Risky Behavior' but at what price? Detective Darren Corliss is barely holding himself together between the injuries he suffered in their last case, going back to work at a precinct that's not only less than friendly but views him and his partner Andreas Ruffner as villains for bringing down enough dirty cops and politicians to cause a staffing crisis at several precincts and city hall. Darren's also got a brother who's suffering from early onset Alzheimer's which has left him with his own fears about whether or not he'll share his brothers condition. Along with a lot of Darren's worries. Andreas has a few of his own but he seems to be holding it together a little better.

But both men would definitely agree that what they need is to get back to work...or at least that's what they thought until they were handed some cold cases...cold cases that at first glance only had one connection...the killer. However, once they start to find the connections it quickly becomes clear that there's a clock ticking. One that they have to beat if they want to stop another murder from happening.

The mystery here wasn't really the who did it, I actually figured that part out fairly quickly it was all about the how and why of things. While I really enjoyed the mystery, it was the relationship development between Darren and Andreas that happened in this book that I really loved about the most.

Admittedly there wasn't a lot of sex in this story and that's ok because there was a lot going on and honestly in real life chances are pretty good that there really wouldn't be much going on in the romance department between the serial killer case, Andreas's kids, Darren's brother, recovering from injuries and the abuse they're being exposed to from their fellow officers, if they'd been having sex like bunnies I'd have thought I was reading a fantasy story.

I found that the relationship growth was shown in the emotional exchanges and immediate unquestioning support that Darren and Andreas gave to each other...when Darren was there to help Andreas deal with his ex and her problems and I maybe melted a little over Darren's internal and sometimes external gushing about Andreas with his kids and there was Andreas's support of Darren as he dealt with his brother combined with their support of each other as partners at work...there was no hesitation or questioning of whether or not they had each other's backs it was just a done deal.

Book #1 Risky Behavior laid the ground work for this series and the relationship between these two men as they dealt with corruption and found their way together as partners both on and off duty and now with book #2 Suspicious Behavior we're given more action and a closer look at Darren and Andreas as they deal with life as a team both on a personal and professional level.

I was totally hooked on this series with the first book and this one has not changed that decision even slightly...except for the fact that if anything I'm even more anxious to get my hands on the next book. I just read the blurb and holy hell, it's going to be good...seriously good.

I love a good steamy romance story as much as the next person but what I love even more is a story with substance...characters with depth who grow, a plot that I can follow but that also challenges me and most of all one that leaves me wanting more. 'Suspicious Behavior' does all this and then some.

Suspicious Behavior is book #2 in the Bad Behavior series and I HIGHLY recommend reading the first book before jumping into this one. This book is 80% police procedural and 20% romance so for those who love a great suspense/mystery with a bit of romance this is perfect. I admit I usually like a more even split but it worked in this book and maybe because I know there will be another book with the two MCs I wasn't disappointed in the small amount of romance in this book. Although there were only a few romantic scenes it was obvious throughout the book that these two men were in a solid and loving relationship.

This book takes off almost right after the end of the first book and both men are being thrown into another case but this time it's a serial killer. They don't have much too work with and they certainly don't have much support from fellow cops or leadership. I think that was the one thing that really bothered me was the portrayal of almost all the other cops. I can see that Darren and Andreas might not be the most liked and that they may even get a cold shoulder but some of the lengths the other cops went to was just a bit much for me. I understand cops are human but with an exception or two I like my cops to be good guys.

I really enjoyed the suspense in this book and the twists and turns that the case took. I also felt so bad for Darren and all the family issues that he is going through right now. I loved that Andreas was there to support him even if he didn't always know the right way to do that. I enjoyed the secondary characters especially Andreas' daughter and Paula.

I'm really looking forward to how the family stuff with Andreas plays out and of course Darren and his brother (although I think that is going to break my heart even more).