Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day is a very great novel in the San Amaro Investigations series by Kai Butler. It follows on the last novel,Cypress Ashes, the Sun God battles and its ramifications for Nick and Parker.
This is an excellent story, we get to see where both men are after the battle at the World Tree. Nick in his professional career as a paranormal police officer and Parker as a PI and in his complicated role in the Fae community.
Butler’s ability to bring multiple perspectives, some of which are hostile towards the main characters, and still present a balance between all the different groups and their roles makes this a realistic portrayal of how the world works.
It’s a harrowing murder investigation with implications towards a bigger impact on the current situation and horrifying consequences for the community . And the dramatic scenes are emotionally charged so that we feel that impact along with the characters.
I thought it was exciting, suspense filled and the ending was very satisfying and perfect.
This was one of my favorite series of the Authors and I was so glad to see a new chapter in the universe.
Highly recommended. But also not a standalone. You need to have read the series.
Cover by Natasha Snow
Content Warning: past child neglect, torture, violence.
San Amaro Investigations :
A Haunting at Midwinter (audio by Greg Tremblay)
A Debt Unpaid (audio by Greg Tremblay)
Wormwood Summer (audio by Greg Tremblay)
The Oak Wood Throne (audio by Greg Tremblay)
A Belated Burial (audio by Greg Tremblay)
A Gilded Iron Blade (audio by Greg Tremblay)
A Shattered Silver Crown (audio by Greg Tremblay)
The Heart’s Blood Arrow (audio by Greg Tremblay)
Saffron Wilds (audio by Greg Tremblay)
Cypress Ashes (audio by Greg Tremblay)
Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day (audio by Sean Crisden)
Buy link
Blurb
Nicholas King has three problems:
1: Someone just turned into red goo in the middle of San Amaro.
2: The police don’t have a murder weapon or a motive.
3: Their only suspect is Parker Ferro.
Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day is a 48,000 word novella set after the events of the main series.
Of the three series in Arden Steele’s connected universe, I find Hunter’s Hollow to be the most interesting. The characters have complex histories, and often dangerous pasts that follow them into their new lives here.
Much like the original series, each has a fated mate, instant connection relationship story between the two main characters. What I appreciated here was that there wasn’t an instant love or in heat sort of connection. More an acknowledgment of its existence and let’s see what happens type of thing. A very different kind of story from previous books and it makes sense given the dramatic circumstances under which both Sammy and Dominic Rivas are operating. Each has their own individual investigations that need to be conducted, highly dangerous ones with short time frames.
The suspense and emotional moments are well written and the drama is ramped up to new levels as each character becomes more invested in each other’s lives and the outcome of their quests.
I think this is one of the best of the series. A excellent story and another recommendation.
Cover Art by Poisoned Ink Studios
Another recommendation!
Check out the full list of same universe connected/crossover series and stories below.
Everyone in Hunters Hollow has a story. Some are running from a past that won’t stay buried. Others are searching for a new beginning. For Sammy Leeds, the truth resides somewhere in between.
Opening a bakery in the bayou was supposed to be the first chapter of his happily ever after, and for a while, it worked. Until a single phone call reminds him that family is complicated and his freedom is only a temporary reprieve.
Maybe trying to start a new life on the smoldering ashes of his old one hadn’t been the best idea.
Dominic Rivas doesn’t make promises, and he damn sure doesn’t make mistakes. Yet the moment Sammy enters his life, he’s suddenly in danger of doing both. Alpha to a pack of hardened outcasts, he’s built a reputation on a foundation of bad ideas, but falling for a changeling with trusting eyes and a sweet smile might be his worst one yet.
Callous. Remorseless. Savage. He knows what people say about him, and frankly, they aren’t wrong. While gentleness and mercy don’t come naturally, things like loyalty and integrity run as deep as his magical roots. Nobody messes with the people he loves and lives to talk about it.
Sammy needed a hero. Instead, he got a wolf with trust issues and violent tendencies.
But with fear mounting and time running out, he’s just desperate enough to make a deal with the devil.
I’ve read M. Tasia before in her fantasy novels and enjoyed them, so I picked up Apollo not realizing it was part of a larger universe. Starting with Fire Lake series and continuing with The Noah Project, both are focused on the survivors of a hidden, government agency science project. One that used soldiers, and kidnapped civilians in horrific lab experiments to create paranormal mutations in the military’s secret weapon branch. It was called The Noah Project.
Each series has what’s left of the survivors trying to discover to the others, rescue them and destroy the remnants of The Noah Project that continues to operate unchecked.
It’s a couple per book type of story and series. And the length, here 200 pages, doesn’t really give the characters adequate space for a relationship of any depth to develop to at a realistic level. So it’s an instant/lust/love type of relationship. Which is acknowledged, a mystical connection.
It develops very quickly, the drama and the resolution. And the next couple is highlighted at the end.
It’s entertaining and quick. But I wasn’t as connected to the characters here as I have been in similar situations and storylines. Not enough depth for the story.
A Soul Forged in Shadow, A Heart Found in the Light
For years, Apollo was nothing more than a number. A perfect weapon crafted in the cold, sterile labs of the Noah Group. He knew only the grey of concrete walls and the sting of betrayal until the day he finally escaped his chains and claimed his freedom.
But even though he broke free from the group’s stranglehold, he couldn’t deny the isolation of being a “mutant” in a world that feared him. Now he’s a leader with a fearsome burden on his shoulders.
Then Rocko comes calling.
A weary detective who’d walked away from everything, Rocko wasn’t looking for a hero. And he certainly wasn’t looking for a man who could sense the hum of the world around him. But in Apollo’s guarded eyes, Rocko sees a soul worth protecting.
And in Rocko’s steady presence, Apollo finds the one thing the Noah Group could never manufacture: a reason to hope.
As they lead a band of survivors against the shadowy organization that still hunts them, the battle becomes personal. In the quiet moments between the gunfire and the narrow escapes, a bond forms that is more powerful than any genetic enhancement.
Apollo has spent his life fighting to survive. Now, with Rocko by his side, he’s finally learning what it means to live.
I have read several of this author’s series before and enjoyed them, so I grabbed up his new cozy fantasy book that starts his newest series.
It’s a dungeon quest cozy fantasy adventure where Braiden Beadle’s family craft store is heavily in debt. A new dungeon has appeared in town and none of the travelers or dungeon crawlers have need of his knitted wares, or woven goods. What good is a rainbow sweater in a dungeon?
Then Augustin Arcosa, the Wizard of Weathervale appears to shut down the dungeon, just as Braiden has hatched a new plan to keep his store afloat. But he needs the dungeon.
It’s an enemy, sort of, to romantic interest tale as the two men navigate the dungeon, Augustin’s grandmother, and a host of other characters.
It’s fun, non-spicy, adventurous, and magical. A princess and magical creatures are introduced that will carry over into the next book.
Braiden Beadle’s craft shop is on its last legs, even though it’s filled with the plushest yarns and the finest fabrics. Nobody cares for crafts anymore, not since the dungeon appeared outside Weathervale. Adventurers have swarmed the seaside city, eager to discover the dungeon’s treasures… and not a single one of them needs any knitting needles.
Desperate to save his shop, Braiden prepares to brave the mysterious dungeon for its riches. But Augustin Arcosa, the Wizard of Weathervale, has deemed the dungeon a threat to his hometown. He wants to seal it away forever.
Armed with only his wits and his impractical magic of weaving, Braiden must convince the haughty and annoyingly handsome wizard that the dungeon poses no danger to Weathervale. And there’s only one way to be certain: they must explore its depths together.
Can an unlikely adventurer and a windbag wizard find common ground underground? Join Braiden, Augustin, and an evolving party of quirky colleagues as they embark on the cozy quest of a lifetime. A humorous, heartwarming MM cozy fantasy perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Terry Pratchett.
Everyone loves a good yarn.
Braiden Beadle’s craft shop is on its last legs, even though it’s filled with the plushest yarns and the finest fabrics. Nobody cares for crafts anymore, not since the dungeon appeared outside Weathervale. Adventurers have swarmed the seaside city, eager to discover the dungeon’s treasures… and not a single one of them needs any knitting needles.
Desperate to save his shop, Braiden prepares to brave the mysterious dungeon for its riches. But Augustin Arcosa, the Wizard of Weathervale, has deemed the dungeon a threat to his hometown. He wants to seal it away forever.
Armed with only his wits and his impractical magic of weaving, Braiden must convince the haughty and annoyingly handsome wizard that the dungeon poses no danger to Weathervale. And there’s only one way to be certain: they must explore its depths together.
Can an unlikely adventurer and a windbag wizard find common ground underground? Join Braiden, Augustin, and an evolving party of quirky colleagues as they embark on the cozy quest of a lifetime.
“OPERATION VOLCANO IS BASED OFF THE OLD IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF FIONN AND THE FIANNA.
Magic, legends, and a brotherhood who’ve been waiting for their High King!”
Annabella Stone writes vividly and meticulously about those who have fought and brotherhood of soldiers, the tight loyalty of the unit and their commitment to each other in her many terrific military series.
But this is my favorite. Stone’s Operation Volcano series combines her Special Forces military forces storytelling with a mirror realm of mythological Irish warriors , two sets of believable soldiers and tight brotherhood of warriors who find their hearts love. Their Grá Croí. One from each side who will battle for the other.
This is a military action story and these men, whether they are soldiers, snipers or a Hound of Fionn, see action on the battlefield. Guns and swords, teeth and bombs, bloody and realistic in its scope and its ability to convey the sounds and chaos of battle.
Reaper, Number four of the Special Forces unit, has been hiding a deeply personal secret, one that has scarred him physically and emotionally. An abusive relationship from his recent past.
So during his team’s stay in Tír na nÓg, when Hound of the High King of the Fianna, Cian Mac Dian Cecht, tells Reaper that he’s his Grá Croí, or fated mate, that’s the last thing Reaper wants to hear.
All the ways these two come together, the struggles, the respect, and the long journey to love is such an amazing read. It includes battles, naturally, a new paranormal aspect for Reaper that I hope is more fully explored in the future, and hints for the next couple coming forward.
It’s richly told, full of fantastic details, especially in the great halls of Fionn, when the the smells of venison hangs heavy over the whole room, the sounds of music and the drums send the blood rushing, and the reader is transported into another world.
Just incredible.
Don’t miss out on the Irish Guide and the information the author has on the characters and series at the beginning.
A fantastic book, grand series and one I’m highly excited to recommend.
A warrior from the past. A SEAL running from his. And a bond that can destroy them both.
US Navy SEAL Michael “Reaper” Rodriguez has faced down terrorists, survived ambushes, and cheated death more times than he can count, but nothing prepared him for the ancient warrior who just declared him his fated mate.
Hound of the High King of the Fianna, Cian Mac Dian Cecht, has been waiting centuries to find his Grá Croí. Now that he’s found him, he isn’t about to let a little thing like Reaper’s stubbornness stand in his way.
“Our courting will become the songs of the bards and the legends of the Seanchaí.”
With the full moon just days away, Reaper and Cian must navigate a minefield of ancient grudges, modern threats, and their own damn pride.
The clock is ticking.
“You can fight it all you want. But you’ll lose, or we will both die when the full moon comes.”
Reaper doesn’t believe in fate, and Cian doesn’t do rejection, but when their worlds collide—one steeped in modern warfare, the other in myth, legends, and magic—their connection becomes a battleground neither wants to escape.
I’ve reading Neil S. Plakcy’s Mahu series since the beginning, where the tag line, was simply “Surfing detective Kimo Kanapa’aka uncovers crimes in the shadowy parts of the Aloha State.”
Mahu, book 1, which has since been reprinted and retitled 18 times that I can find, was originally published in August 15, 2005, when I first read it.
What struck me then and is still now as applicable, is how great Plakcy is at pulling the reader deep into the Hawaiian island identity and culture. From the moment we meet Kimo Kanapa’aka, a police detective, and journey with him, the reader begins to hear the voices of the island. The colloquialisms, the gestures, and fluidity of the island sounds as Kimo interacts with everyone around him, be it family, friends, colleagues or those he’s arresting or investigating for cases.
Plakcy has an intimate connection with the people and places here, not just with the beaches and touristy areas but the back lots, off the track areas, and zones most aren’t familiar with.
And as a reader who’s followed Kimo’s journey through his struggles with coming out in the first book and with the rejection of the traditional law enforcement community through his real shaky history with firefighter Mike, to finding themselves finally a HFN partnership as a family, with an adopted troubled teenager and shared parenting of twins. That’s decades of realistic daily life struggles amidst law enforcement cases and firefighter duties. And in-law problems.
So here we are at Blood Code, book 14, Kimo and Mike are older, their children are older, and they are facing new challenges in their lives.
So too is Hawaii. The use of AI here within the storyline, the setting down of pros and cons with the Technological World (as relayed by a scientist here) and the views by those who have seen their work co-opted, is extremely current. And sure to stir up discussion.
The murder investigation is interesting, but I really loved being back in Kimo’s world again. The way the various people and races are portrayed, and the spiritually that’s woven into the land and the culture.
Can a reader come into this without having read the other books? Yes. But reading the other novels gives you such a rich history and foundation that I highly recommend it.
Just remember that although it says that book 1 was published in 2018, that the latest edition and doesn’t accurately reflect the time period it was written in. That would be 2005. Yes , it makes a difference.
Mahu Investigations (18 book series):
Mahu: Mahu Investigation #1: A Hawai‘i Crime Thriller of Identity, Murder, and Coming Out
Mahu Surfer #2
Mahu Fire #3
Mahu Vice #4
Mahu Blood #5
Zero Break #6
Natural Predators #7
Children of Noah #8
Ghost Ship #9
Deadly Labors #10
Soldier Down #11
Unruly Son #12
The Virgin Homicides #13
Blood Code #14
Accidental Contact #15
Mahu Investigations 1-3: 3 gay police procedural mysteries in Honolulu Book 16
Mahu 1-6: Six Full Gay Mystery Novels: Hawaiian Homicide with Aloha Flair (Mahu Investigations Book 17)
A cutting-edge startup. A dead founder. And secrets that shouldn’t have been coded.
When tech entrepreneur Noah Kim is found murdered outside his Honolulu office, homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka and his partner Ray Donne are called in to investigate.
Kim’s company, Kahola.ai, promised to transform medical care for Pacific Islanders—blending artificial intelligence with traditional knowledge.
Now someone wants that work buried.
As Kimo digs into the world of startups, research labs, and competing interests, he uncovers a network of ambition, secrecy, and ethical lines pushed too far. What began as innovation may have crossed into something far more dangerous.
And someone is willing to kill to keep it hidden.
At home, the pressure is just as intense. When fire investigator Mike Riccardi is injured on the job, Kimo is left juggling the investigation with caring for their twelve-year-old twins—forcing him to confront what it truly means to be a parent, and how far he’ll go to protect his family.
As the case spirals from high-tech labs to deeply rooted Hawaiian traditions—and into the volatile landscape of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park—Kimo realizes the truth could change more than one life.
MJ May is one of those authors whose books and enlarging universe get keeps getting better and more intriguing with every new addition.
First, May introduces us to the fabulous world of the Perfect Pixies, which wasn’t frankly all that wonderful but full of past trauma and a series plot of enormous horror and unimaginable violence. One that carries over subtly into the next series. We meet incredible characters and their moving stories.
Then it’s the next series.Necromancer Tales, where a character we’ve met, Erasmus Holland, the son of a human woman and one of the world’s most powerful warlock, Nikodemus Holland, gets his story told. It’s a fantastic tale of family, magical creatures, deathly powers and an unexpected path to a great loving relationship with a police detective.
And many of the fantastic characters will cross over into this series, because of the intense storylines, the interconnected plots that the author continues to weave together throughout this universe, and how each of them are part of each other’s lives now.
Warlock’s Menace starts with Nikodemus returning home from Erasmus and Franklin’s wedding. That’s his necromancer son from the series and his detective SIL. And the warlock has picked up an unexpected surprise from the wedding.
Well, not unexpected for anyone who read that last book. Because we’ve been waiting for this.
The Kitsune, Hikaru, who is a tragic character, has taken a very serious interest in Nikodemus. Why is a great element of the story and magical world.
The magic that surrounds the warlock and the usage is revealed and seen from Hikaru’s perspective, which makes him even stronger a character.
The plot, or plots are again tied to various events and other aspects of the world, this is simply one angle that will be explored by May. Its suspense filled, emotional and so well written.
I absolutely adore the way the characters were allowed to build their relationship. And bring in other characters too that Nikodemus usually isn’t well acquainted with.
It’s just another fantastic story and great start into expanding on this outstanding universe. Can’t wait to see more.
Warlock Nikodemus Holland is a master of his craft. Arrogant, powerful, and reserved, Nikodemus is the epitome of a warlock in every way save one—his love and commitment to his necromancer son, Erasmus Boone.
Hikaru is a seven-tailed kitsune still mourning the loss of his eighth tail and the betrayal that took it from him. Crafty, mischievous, and easily bored, Hikaru needs a distraction, and he needs it now. Lucky for him, he’s found the perfect candidate in a handsome and stuffy warlock. Hikaru just knows he’ll be oh-so-good for his Niki.
Returning from his son’s wedding, Nikodemus has acquired an unwanted tagalong kitsune that he just can’t shake. Walking through his front door, Nikodemus discovers Hikaru is the least of his worries when he finds a letter from the Warlock Council informing him that they’re investigating damning allegations and threatening to bind Nikodemus’s powers if he’s found guilty.
Someone’s been tampering with Nikodemus’s charms, turning them deadly. Nikodemus has no idea what the Warlock Council’s endgame is or what it has to do with the struggling Magical Usage Council. What he does know is that he’ll be damned if he sits back and allows himself to be framed, or worse, his loved ones threatened. Oddly enough, that category has expanded to include an ornery kitsune.
If pressed too far, the Warlock Council won’t just have a livid warlock to contend with, but the unleashed fury of a smitten kitsune. Nikodemus’s enemies are about to learn the word menace isn’t always an endearing sentiment but can be a vicious threat.
Warlock’s Menace is a mm supernatural fantasy/mystery. Expect to find arrogant warlocks (some with redeeming qualities and some sadly lacking), a mischievously ornery kitsune who is confident he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Warlock Nikodemus Holland, an off the morality rails Warlock Council, seven fox tails that don’t know the meaning of personal space, misbehaving charms, the satisfaction proper payback brings, and HEA’s.
Warlock’s Menace is the first in the Magical Usage Council Misadventures series and is meant for adult readers. Each book will concentrate on a different couple. This is a spin off of the Necromancer series. While characters from this series are mentioned and/or make occasional appearances, one does not have to have read the Necromancer series to enjoy Warlock’s Menace.
Charming Puckboy is the 10th and final book in the wonderful hockey romance Puckboys series by Eden Finley and Saxon James.
It’s been a long and fabulous series, full of great characters and an amazing variety of colorful, dramatic romances that involve NHL hockey players and their journey to find their HEA.
It’s often been framed around their paths to the NHL as well as exploring their sexuality and coming out. The Queer Collective, a group of gay hockey greats and their partners that engage with each character and couple here is equally amazing and important in the series for its role in gay inclusion in sports.
Lachie Kikishkin, the youngest of the Kiki brothers and Sam from the animal rescue shelter (think Connor and Parker’s story) are the characters we are familiar with and will end the series with their romantic journey.
It’s often an hilarious story, filled with misadventures with the Stanley Cup, zombie squirrels, the Queer Collective, and family angst when the younger Kiki brother is the only one not playing in Colorado but clearly wants to. Despite a huge chunk of money. And contract.
And Sam, who remembers Lachie, the Disney Princess, as someone who animals can’t resist. And reconnects with him over the break.
This last story is everything. Engaging, funny, sexy, filled with puppies and love and gorgeous men on ice. There’s the couples we love back in scenes to add support to a romantic relationship that’s adorable and sweet.
If it ends a bit too quickly, well, the readers would probably have it go on forever. This has a really special feeling about it and a happy end for all. At 10 books, that’s fabulous!
Highly recommended. A grand read!
Cover design by Story Styling
Cover Designs Image supplied by Wander Aguiar Model: Chase
It doesn’t matter that I was the number one draft pick in the NHL or that I’m projected to be the next great generational player, because none of it is enough to impress my childhood crush back in my hometown.
Sam used to mock me for being like a Disney Princess with my uncanny knack for finding animals in need. And being home in Colorado for the summer, I’m bound to run into him now that he runs the animal shelter where I used to volunteer. Where I used to try to get his attention every chance I had.
He never noticed me then, at least not in the way I wanted.
But if there’s one thing my time in the NHL has taught me, it’s how to fight for what I want.
SAM
It’s been a few years since I saw the Disney Princess volunteer, but when he brings in a stray cat, I almost can’t believe it’s the same guy.
Damn, has he changed.
Gone is the gangly, pimple-faced teen, and in his place is a man who’s grown up and bulked out. He used to follow me around, asking endless questions about animal care.
Now he’s back, but instead of asking about animals, he’s asking about me. About my life.
Flirting with me. And he’s good at it, too.
There’s something about Lachie that’s undeniably irresistible. I’m willing to give in to his charms, even knowing all he can offer is a summer fling.
Turns out, my Disney Princess grew up to be a real Prince Charming.
Ghostly Force was interesting for several reasons, the first being it let many of the other terrific characters play the main roles in the murder mystery investigations, allowing for character development and more independence of character exploration for each of these people.
Our series main couple, Lance and Angus, end up sidelined due to a horrific event at the beginning of the story. It basically takes both out of the plot for most of the time, especially Lance. Although there’s a very interesting dramatic side aspect to this that involves Angus and Betty that’s threaded throughout the plot. I wonder if that will have further impact going forward.
Lance’s brother, Jackson returns from his deployment with his ghostly friend, Kel. A new addition to the ongoing series since he’s here permanently as is Kel.
The mystery is sad, and not very complicated. Two murders actually. Each has a realistic plot, and an unfortunate ending for the families that feels believable .
Ghostly Force has Lance and Angus taking an important step forward in their relationship. And, indeed, Leya seems to be setting in motion so many elements for new aspects of the series, that I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
This isn’t your typical high suspense plot but one based on character driven development and overall community dynamics, even though some characters are ghostly.
When life explodes for Lance and Angus it’s up to Detectives Franks and Burns to find answers.
What started off as a celebration ends in an explosion that will change lives. Lance and Angus just wanted to welcome Jackson back to town, but the night is a catastrophic failure when everything goes wrong, leaving everyone wondering what happened.
With people dead and many others injured, it’s up to Detectives Franks and Burns to put the shattered pieces back together and figure out how an evening out ended in tragedy for so many of Fairway’s residents.
This case is personal, and Franks will do all he can to find answers and bring justice for those he is closest to.
Penny For Your Thoughts is the fifth book in Nicky James fantastic series , Shadowy Solutions. It’s a series that quickly became a hit with me, surpassing the original series it’s connected with, that of Valor and Doyle. I feel parts of Valor and Doyle became repetitive, although Aslan is a huge hit with me.
But the complexity of the dynamic between Tallus Domingo and deeply damaged PI Diem Krause, each with a legacy of parental violence, family domestic abuse, and childhood trauma. But one who carries the deepest visible scars as well as the emotional traumatic memories. Ongoing pain and PTSD. That’s Diem, who has tremendous anger issues and anxieties as well as substance abuse problems.
Over the course of 5 novels, James has built up, albeit slowly and realistically, a hard won relationship between these two very different men. It’s been compelling to watch and read about as Diem fights with his demons, and both have to devise ways to make their lives work for themselves.
Even here, Diem has to make the decisions about his use of alcohol and cigarettes, even as his father and family life has the greatest impact on his life.
I’m not sure if James is finishing the series with the story or not. I would be happy if this was the finale.
It’s got a terrific storyline. All the crossover characters are here from Valor and Doyle in meaningful scenes. Aslan, Fox, Quaid, Costa and Kitty Lavender.
Then there’s Darcy Gingrick, Echo, and Baby the snake, that actually gives both Tallus and Diem as touching family, of sorts. Especially, Darcy, what an incredible element he turns out to be.
This is one of my favorites of the series. And if it’s the finale, I’m absolutely satisfied with how everyone is left at the end.
There’s an extra bonus story, The Baby Visit, linked at the end of the book. Don’t miss out on this one. Sweet bonus and intimate window into a favorite side character.
Diem never thought he would have a steady boyfriend and enough cases to keep his business in the green. He never thought his nana would live to be ninety-three.
Life is, dare he say, good?
He could do to drink less, and he still needs to quit smoking, but he’s getting there.
He’s happy.
In love.
If he could manage his stress, life might even turn out to be… great?
But then Tallus arranges dinner with his parents, where Diem faces questions about commitment and weddings and a weekend bonding trip with a stepfather he doesn’t know.
And a resident of Nana’s nursing home ends up involved in a twisted version of a grandparent scheme, so Diem agrees to investigate. The police clearly aren’t doing their job.
It’s all downhill from there.
The case somehow leads to Diem figuratively adopting the most obnoxious teenager imaginable. A boy whose troubled life reflects Diem’s past. A boy who is deeply entwined in a con far more complex than he realizes.
One misstep tips their hand. The hunter becomes the hunted. Diem and Tallus—and their unfortunate sidekick—are in a race against the clock, desperate to nail the person responsible before he skips the country… or seeks revenge.
So much for reducing stress.
Amidst the chaos, Diem finds himself bonding with his petulant rescue-teen. Diem is nobody’s role model, but the boy’s incessant questions open Diem’s mind and heart to things he never thought possible.
Things that make him think that maybe life could be… amazing.
*This is the fifth installment in the Shadowy Solution series. It is a same-couple mystery series with mental health rep, size difference, and a sassy vs surly dynamic. The series should be read in order for full enjoyment*
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 