The Spicy Librarian’s Review: Unhinged Cain

Series: The Buchanan Brothers #1

 Vibe: Dexter meets Criminal Minds, but make it extremely kinky and medically questionable.

Cain Buchanan is a serial killer with a very specific hobby: he collects unique eyeballs. When he spots Kirby Lawson and her rare purple eyes, he doesn’t want her phone number, he wants to empty her ocular cavities. The problem? Kirby is the daughter of the FBI agent hunting him. After kidnapping her, Cain finds that for the first time in his psychopathic life, his "range of emotions" is flickering to life, much to the murderous jealousy of his twin brother, Abel.

• The Kinks: We are looking at a heavy dose of stalking, kidnapping/captive play, somnophilia, and domination.

• The "Unhinged" Factor: This isn't "dark-lite." There is gore, torture, and a specific scene involving a cucumber that has the community divided between therapy and laughter.

• The Steam: It’s a 2/5 on the literal "spice" scale but a 5/5 on the "depravity" scale. The tension is more about the psychological surrender than constant smut.

The Hot Take: If you like your "heroes" to be actual monsters who don't magically become good boys by Chapter 10, this is for you. Cain is cold, calculating, and obsessed. The dynamic with his twin brother Abel adds a layer of "Brother's Keeper" angst that makes the eventual betrayal hit harder. However, if you have a weak stomach for anatomical "collections," you might want to keep your eyes, and this book, closed.