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Here we are again! “Lethal Weapon” is on another break and we’re trying to fill that gaping void in our hearts. How can we best do this? True, there are other buddy cop TV shows. There are Steve and Danno in “Hawaii 5.0” as well as Sherlock and Watson in BBC’s “Sherlock.” If you’d like to get super old-school, however, you could actually turn to the pages of a book.
Crazy, I know.
So, while we’re waiting for our beloved Murtaugh and Riggs to grace our screens again, why don’t you try out one of these titles? I’ve made sure to only select ones featuring a law-related partnership. This might mean partners solving crimes, fighting alongside each other in the military, hunting down supernatural bad guys, or defending the very country from trouble within. No matter what, you can rest assured that every book mentioned will have two men who are at turns pains in each other’s asses and are at the end of the day, always loyal.
Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth
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Amazon Summary
Zach Barrows is a cocky, ambitious White House employee until he’s abruptly transferred out and partnered with Nathaniel Cade, a secret agent sworn to protect the president. But Cade is no ordinary civil servant. Bound 140 years ago by a special blood oath, Nathanial Cade is a vampire. On the orders of the president, he defends the nation against enemies far stranger-and even more dangerous-than civilians like Zach could ever imagine.
Personal Opinion
This is a kick-butt trilogy! The partner is between Zach and Nathanial Cade. In the early days, it is definitely a reluctant teaming-up. They don’t like each other and would prefer to work with anyone else. (Remind you of anybody else?) In the end, working together is pretty much the only way to save the day.
The Secret War by M.F.W Curran
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Amazon Summary
Daemons and angels, vampyres and knights clash for the future of mankind, and as the two sides wage war across the world, innocent people are caught up in the conflict—men like Captain William Saxon and Lieutenant Kieran Harte, two great friends who have recently survived the horrors of the Battle of Waterloo. But now they face a greater struggle, against the daemonic forces of Count Ordrane, and the clandestine ambitions of the Vatican. They must try to survive assassination attempts, political machinations, epic battles on land and sea, and above all the power of a mysterious bronze pyramid—the Scarimadean—that brings everlasting damnation to all who come into contact with it. Their only allies are an old man, a fading secret organization in the Church, and an enigmatic warrior, who may hold the key not only to the friends’ fates, but to the fate of all mankind.
Personal Opinion
This was pretty much my introduction to the “bromance” genre. These two men are fighting off a war of supernatural proportions. They might spend a good deal of the sequel apart, but with the twists, surprises, and great side characters, this is definitely not one to miss!
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Amazon Summary
Picking up a small, pink shoe from the grass forever changed young Jackson Lee’s life. Not only did its presence mean that his sister Tessa was dead—murdered and stuffed in the deep, black water of a narrow well—but the shoe itself told him so. Tessa’s death triggers an even more horrific family massacre that, combined with this new talent he neither wants nor can handle, throws Jack’s life into a tailspin. The years quickly take him from state homes to the streets to grifting in a seedy carnival, until he finally becomes the cynical All Seeing Eye, psychic-for-hire. At last, Jackson has left his troubled past behind and found a semblance of peace.
That is, until the government blackmails him. After Jackson is forced to help the military contain the aftermath of a bizarre experiment gone violently wrong, everything he knows about himself will change just as suddenly as it did with his little sister’s shoe.
And while change is constant . . . it’s never for the better.
Personal Opinion
Rob Thurman is essentially my favorite author, regardless of what she writes. If you like bromance, read anything she releases. If you like buddy-cop relationships that start out reluctant but eventually turn loyal like the one between Murtaugh and Riggs? In that case, definitely check out “All Seeing Eye.” The team-up is between the psychic Jackson and the government suit hired to oversee him. There is much snark, verbal barbs, and in the end, a partnership you wished had turned into a sequel.
And here a few self-published titles to take a risk on! A typo might have snuck into a few of these, but the plots and the characters themselves might still be worth a try!
Bartleby and James by Michael Coorlim
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Amazon Summary
Inventor James Wainwright’s greatest desire is to be left alone in his workshop, where he can focus on invention and engineering unsullied by the messiness of London society and the meaningless concerns of its upper classes. His financial patron, gentleman Alton Bartleby, has higher aspirations. To continue to receive funding, James will have to venture out into the outside world as a detective, turning his inventive genius to the creation of new forensic technologies.
Bartleby and James is a steampunk mystery collection that tells the story of the detectives’ foray into private investigation. In “And They Called Her Spider” they hunt an impossible assassin, trying to end her reign of terror before she can disrupt Queen Victoria’s Platinum Jubilee. In “Maiden Voyage of the Rio Grande” the detectives’ fight to clear James’ name aboard an airship before sabotage sends them crashing into the city below. “On the Trail of the Scissorman” sends the pair after a monstrous serial killer turning London’s children into orphans. Finally, “A Matter of Spirit” delves into the shadow world of séances and spiritualism as they look for a missing medium in the parlors of Knightsbridge… and beyond.
Bartleby and James is the first book in the Galavanic Century series of steampunk mysteries and thrillers, taking readers to an alternate 1910s where Queen Victoria yet rules and the psuedo-scientific beliefs of the Victorians work as they believed them to.
Personal Opinion
With a great supporting cast and incredible world-building, this is one book you won’t realize is self-published. While this book consists of short stories, the cases solved by the central duo never more like one long story than just snippets. As you read this, you might find yourself seeing flickers of Sherlock and Watson. I know I did.
Witches Protection Program by Michael Phillip Cash
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Amazon Summary
Wes Rockville, a disgraced law enforcement agent, is given one last chance to prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a 232-year-old secret government organization. The Witches Protection Program.
His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar Cosmetics company’s diabolical plan of using witchcraft for global domination, while protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds.
Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes must learn to believe in both witches and himself.
Filled with adventure, suspense and a rousing good time, Michael Phillip Cash creates a tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern day New York City.
Personal Opinion
Reluctant teaming-up? A rookie and an old-timer? A wise cop put with a reckless one? Now, where have we heard these themes before? This is one I haven’t read yet, but it’s sitting on my “to be read immediately” shelf! (Admittedly, this shelf is so full, it bows in the middle)
And a bonus suggestion: A manga!
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Ryo Saenagi
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Summary from Manga Updates
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