Intimate Bondage

The Kate Dawson Thrillers, Book 1

By: John L. Flynn

Narrated by: Chaz Allen

Someone has a fetish for murder.

Detective Kate Dawson is willing to go undercover to catch a serial killer. But this time, undercover may be exactly what the killer wants.

Two very rich and powerful men in San Francisco have been murdered by a mysterious woman, nicknamed “The Angel of Death” by the press. Stephen Collins is targeted as the third victim. Naked, Collins welcomes a red-headed woman, dressed as a dominatrix, into his Pacific Heights home, and together they engage in sadomasochistic play. The play turns deadly when she produces a blade, hidden in the handle of her whip, and slashes Collins’ throat.

When this rich, politically-connected CEO is found murdered - shackled in his own private dungeon - on a foggy San Francisco morning, Detective Kate Dawson and her partner, Frank Miller, are assigned the case. Dawson was once an up-and-coming star of the San Francisco police department, but her daughter’s senseless death with Kate’s own service revolver put her on a downward spiral. Now, she sees the murder investigation as a chance to redeem herself. Miller, an African American who is a few weeks short of retirement, is looking for one last, big win. Their only lead is a provocative email from “Crystal Rose” with an IP address at the University of San Francisco.

Before long, Kate's on the trail of a serial killer who uses the seedy underworld of porn shops, internet sex sites, and S&M clubs to target victims. She knows the only way to catch the killer is to become part of that world. Her investigation is further complicated by a psychology professor with a penchant for playing mind games.

John Flynn is the three-time, Hugo-nominated author of the Kate Dawson thrillers, a series about a good but tormented cop who walks the dark side and knows its shadows all too well. The other books in the series include The Architects of Armageddon, Murder on Air Force One, Terror at G-20, and Merchants of Death.

©2014 Bell Bridge Books (P)2019 John L. Flynn

Solid Mystery! Naughty Fun!

I had read and enjoyed this book in 2014. I also enjoyed listening to this book again on audio. I liked the mystery aspects of the story, and now understand so much better. Lots of naughty fun as well. Ladies, you will it. Trust me.

Batten down the Hatches! A Hurricane of a Mystery!

My family and I had just battened down our shudders in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian. We had a couple of long days and nights ahead of us. So I ordered a new mystery from Audible, and settled in for the long wait. Intimate Bondage turned out to be one incredible potboiler, one that every member of my family enjoyed. I had listened to Flynn's Merchants of Death already, so I knew him to be a very capable writer. What I wasn't prepared for was just how remarkable this story truly was! Even better than his first audio book. I loved it, and the time passed quickly, like Hurricane Dorian. I'll be reading more of Flynn's Kate Dawson mysteries in the future!

Cool, Modern Detective Story!

I don't normally write reviews, but after having listened to this audio book on a recent trip I have nothing but praise for it. My wife and I went to visit inlaws in St. Louis. We started the book just outside Chicago. We were spellbound for our entire trip. Great story. Interesting characters. A cool, modern detective story. Thanks Audible!

Entertaining! Enjoyable! Exciting!

As an audio book, Intimate Bondage was entertaining, enjoyable and exciting. I was entertained by the twists and turns of the plot. I found the diverse group of characters enjoyable, especially Kate Dawson's broken police detective and how she turned the crisis of a serial killer to her advantage in solving the killer's larger plans. I was riveted by the exciting race against time in the last few moments of the book...You know that, if Kate can't stop the serial killer, more people are going to die, and it comes down to a showdown between the two of them. A car chase, and Kate's car is at the impound lot. How exciting and fresh. I would highly recommend this book to whoever enjoys well-plotted murder mysteries.

Shhhh! Don't Reveal the Solution to this Mystery!

Shhhh! I still don't believe it! I just got through listening to the end of this audio book, and I can't believe the answer, but I promise I won't reveal to the solution to this great mystery! This review will not include any spoilers. Let me say, I love mysteries, particularly ones like this that keep me guessing until the final page. The clues were all there, right in front of me. I should have put them altogether, but I didn't. The author snookered me, but in a really brilliant way. The characters were first rate; the setting was extraordinary, like a great travelogue. The book starts off with a startling murder, and with each development of the plot, lures you in hook, line and sinker. I plan to listen to the audio book again tonight. I'm sure I missed a key detail the first time I listened to it, and maybe this time, I'll be shaking my head when the solution is finally revealed. Do your friends a favor: Don't breathe a word about this book, particularly the ending. Just tell me that it's the best damned mystery ever! They'll thank you later.

Wickedly, Decadent Thriller!

From the opening lines of this brand new audio book, Intimate Bondage by John Flynn, it's impossible not to get sucked into this wickedly decadent thriller about a serial killer, nicknamed the "angel of death," stalking her victims in San Francisco's fetish underground and the broken detective who must pull herself back together again in order to stop the killing. Do people really live like this? Well, I guess they do, and the many details about their BDSM lifestyle make our hero's journey into Dante's ninth circle of hell all the more interesting and dangerous as she goes. I must admit that I fell in love with Kate Dawson and the spiritual nature of her quest to make amends for the loss of her daughter as well as those others who keep dropping dead around her. This is a murder mystery that tops all other murder mysteries. I doubt seriously if you will see the end coming until narrator Chaz Allen says "the end." I thought the writing style was very entertaining. The overall plot was complex, with its detail, local color and descriptions, but not overly complicated to keep you from guessing. A great book. Very entertaining. So good, in fact, I plan on buying all the audio books featuring Kate Dawson.

SF City Native Loves This Book!

I was born in San Francisco (Liberty Heights), and have lived here my whole life. I even attended the University of San Francisco. So, when a friend of mine told me about Intimate Bondage, which is set in San Francisco, I was eager to listen to the audio book. I was not disappointed. The local color of Liberty Heights, the Mission District, Fisherman's Wharf, Coit Tower, the Cable cars, Lombard Street was all right there, like a mini travelogue. The author may or may not be a native, but he certainly writes like he knows San Francisco well. The murder-mystery story, featuring a serial killer, was not particularly original; I've read and listened to others,, but Flynn offered enough twists and turns that I was more than satisfied. I was much more impressed with how the author captured native San Franciscans through his use of dialogue and characterization. The characters in the story are like people I know. It's rare that an author can make his characters seem so real, and yet be fictional creations at the same time. I'd swear the lead detective, Kate Dawson, is based on a woman I knew from the neighborhood. Even Doctor Monroe, the psychology professor, seems modeled after a favorite teacher I had at the university. I give high marks all across the board for this new audio book thriller.

Great Book! Once is Not Enough!

I love this book! I read it years ago on the advice of a friend who knew I liked 50 Shades of Gray and its sequels. She said Intimate Bondage had been written by Christian Gray's therapist. She was right. Dr. John Flynn did write Intimate Bondage. Well, after reading the book, I realized just how much better it was than 50 Shades. There's an actual mystery at the heart of the love story which develops between Kate Dawson, a police detective, and her psychologist lover/dominant. With the release of the audio book last week, I renewed my love affair with Intimate Bondage. The narration is excellent, and actually makes the story come alive with all the voices the narrator uses to portray the characters. Of course, at the heart of the story is the on-again, off-again love story between Kate and Dr. Monroe; he treats her so badly, but as a submissive, she keeps coming back for more because she just cannot get enough of his charm, intellect, and rugged manliness. Like most great romances, you have to wait until the last page, and the author does not disappoint. There's plenty of other great stuff going on...including a murder mystery worthy of Hitchcock. I just loved the book. Once is truly not enough...you'll want to keep returning to this audio book, particularly on a rainy, lazy Sunday afternoon.

Forget 50 Shades! This is the Real Deal!

I've been telling those fans of 50 Shades of Gray and its two sequels that the real deal is Intimate Bondage. Released about the same time, Intimate Bondage was written by Christian Gray's therapist, Dr. John Flynn, and it is the romance-mystery tale that 50 Shades should have been. Intimate Bondage is now available as an audio book. I'm on a mission to tell the world to buy this book if they want truly, extraordinary characters, a Dom-sub romance, a real murder mystery set in the fetish underground of San Francisco, and a well-constructed plot that will keep you guessing. I enjoyed reading it twice when it came out, and now that I've listened to it on audio books, my love for this book has been rekindled. Do yourself a favor, and cuddle up with a well-written work. You can thank me later.

Great First Book! Debut Novel for Kate Dawson!

Intimate Bondage was the first book in the Kate Dawson thrillers series. For a debut novel, it introduces the female homicide detective to readers/listeners, and charts the course for future adventures. Kate is new to the Homicide Bureau, but is keenly mentored by a 20+ year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department named Frank Miller. Like his rumpled trench coat and well-worn oxford shoes, the senior inspector has seen plenty of homicides in his day. This one - being a sex crime - is pretty gruesome, but he takes it in stride. Retirement for him is just around the corner, and this will likely be his last investigation. Both he and Dawson work with a handful of other detectives and the medical examiner - each developed with their own unique abilities and quirky behaviors. James Roberts, the head of homicide, does not get along with the veteran inspector and by extension mistrusts Kate as well. The City is also a major character in the story. Clues from the crime scene lead in a specific way, and before long, Frank Miller and Kate Dawson are plunged into San Francisco's dark underbelly of sex clubs, strip joints, and porn shops, in particular the Black Rose, a club that caters to the BDSM crowd. Kate meets a psychology professor who may be a person of interest because he has written a book about BDSM. Divorced, she is attracted to him, and finds herself playing a cat-and-mouse game with him, as she tries to catch her serial killer. The suspense from page one to the last page is incredibly intense as the bodies begin to mount up and her partner is taken off the case by the Chief of Police for impugning a witness friendly with the Mayor and the Mayor's costly redevelopment plans for the city. Like a pawn in a very elaborate chess game, Kate feels blocked at every turn, but still manages to keep after her killer. Dawson fights for every last clue, starting the story as a rookie homicide detective, and eventually earning her stripes as a fully-fledged investigator. This is a phenomenal debut novel, with plenty of twists and turns, and a surprise ending worthy of the great Alfred Hitchcock. With Dawson now fixed in place at the SFPD, she is ready to take on other homicides in future tales written by an impressive John Flynn. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to others who like well-written and plotted crime thrillers.