When I started reading Dash of Peril, I saw what for me are red flags and worried I’d chosen the book poorly. I shouldn’t have. This is an explicit novel. No question about that. But it doesn’t go beyond light dominance games, and most importantly, though it started to sound like it would treat their desires as twisted and broken, that didn’t happen. Even better, the story makes a point of demonstrating the difference between consent and abuse.

This is not a light, happy read. It lives up to the thriller genre with dedicated people putting themselves at risk to stop a group committing violent rapes, taping them, and then murdering some of the victims. The story doesn’t pull punches in the description here either, leaving no doubt as to what is play and what is a crime. It’s enough to turn your stomach at times.

The case they are on combined with revealing how Margaret Peterson had a lousy childhood made me suspect the portrayal would anger the real community into such games. I was set up for another story of how messed up people have to be to want such things. It’s not my scene, and I usually avoid books that go there, but I know enough to understand it’s not about being damaged goods.

Imagine my surprise to discover Dash of Peril is a book about acceptance, love, and overcoming childhood trauma. It’s about taking a moral stance and living up to that standard no matter who has to be held accountable. It’s about doing the right thing and giving yourself the right to be happy. Serious themes, and ones that are important to me.

I kept reading despite my early reservations because the writing is excellent. As much as the dark world it sucked me into made me want to recoil, I didn’t want to stop because of the glimmers of light driven by Margaret and the man she didn’t want to care for, Dashiel Riske.

Margaret is a police lieutenant who has risen quickly through the ranks by leading the fight against corruption in the force. She even pushed her own father out because of his choice to look the other way. She’s hard working, hard-nosed, and just generally considered lacking in any element of softness. Many of the other officers are almost scared of her, though her immediate team has her back, respects her for what she’s doing, and will happily lay their lives on the line for her.

Dashiel is the brother of one of her team, which puts him out of the running as far as she’s concerned. He’s not so willing to put thoughts of her aside. He’s tried, but it didn’t work. A classic issue I have with thrillers is relationships built under pressure don’t seem very strong. Not only have both of them already recognized an attraction before all this comes down, but also they are actively working through their issues in the story while under threat of retaliation from the group Margaret and her team are trying to take down. Dashiel has to learn to temper his protective instincts while Margaret has to admit he can handle himself in a crisis. There are quite a few rocky moments as they figure things out, but their connection is one of the bright lights in this darkness.

The book is, as I said, explicit. It contains detailed descriptions not for the faint of heart on any side. But this very characteristic helps demonstrate the difference between two people in love and people who use sex as a power play. Even more, though, the community dynamics also demonstrate how people should behave when contrasted with the corruption Margaret worked to root out of the police force but which has feelers still lingering in the story. The way the characters, even some minor ones, are forced to grow, the honor and willingness to risk for positive change, and the large cast of wonderful characters make this book one not to miss…as long as you can handle explicit sex and seriously dark evil.

I’m glad I kept going. I’m glad for having my assumptions thrown back in my face. This is a complex, dark statement about the corruption in some and the need to stand up for your friends and neighbors, to make the world a safe place for the good people and an unwelcome one for those who intend harm. It’s a powerful read.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.