Broken Bird

The Last Picks, Book 4

De: Gregory Ashe

Narrado por: Andrew Gibson

All’s fair in love and…publishing?

It’s nearly Christmas, and Dashiell Dawson Dane already has enough on his plate: finding a present for his parents, coming up with excuses not to hang the Christmas lights, and finishing this stupid story he’s been writing (okay, maybe he needs to start writing it). On top of all that, Bobby has been acting…well, strange. The last thing Dash needs, in other words, is to play host when Marshall Crowe—celebrity author and, worse, a friend of Dash’s parents—comes to town.

When Marshall dies in the middle of a public reading of his latest novel, Dash can’t bring himself to believe it was an accident, but he’s determined to stay away from the investigation. Until, that is, the prime suspect shows up on his doorstep, begging for his help. The catch? It’s the same woman who accused Dash, not so long ago, of murdering Vivienne Carver—Hastings Rock’s resident cozy mystery author, Pippi Parker. And helping Pippi might just be the death of Dash.

©2024 Gregory Ashe (P)2024 Gregory Ashe

What a cheeky ending!

This installment decided to play nice and take several steps back from the pain levels we’ve been regularly served, instead drawing more heavily on the fun potential of this seaside town’s comedic shenanigans and quirky occupants. In some ways, the smoother roads made the book go by much quicker in my eyes. But that doesn’t mean a lack of progress on the main fronts: new opportunities open up for other members of our Last Picks crew to shine, and communication earnestly begins to lay its foundations. It helps to know GA has plans for more robust Last Picks development in the second half of the series - for now, I’ll just be over here relishing how they support and wrangle our lovable, anxiety-ridden Dash (with so much love and exasperation!). But above all, I most enjoy watching Dash’s steady progression through his spiritual growth spurt as he hops about Hastings Rock and unravels more of himself - as a community member, as a writer, as a son, as a friend, and as a human being.

Pippi's back to cause havoc

Pippi was a character in prior stories and she's back and in need of help from Dash and his sleuth ways. Bobby's recovery from his breakup with West but still doesn't want to see Dash in danger. Another great mystery from Gregory Ashe. Andrew Gibson is starting to grow on me. I'm starting to associate his voice with Dash and the gruff sounding Bobby. Know there is a lot more to come and looking forward to it.

Excellent Listen!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each one in the series gets better than the previous and are easy listens. The narration is great and Ashe writes a great story which allows the narration to sound believable. As always, the hallmarks of the series are intact: cakes, wonderful characters and a dead body. I enjoyed this over the course of a weekend and was sad when it ended but I’m looking forward to the next book already. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not my fave of the series, but still enjoyable

Having revisited this book in audio a couple of times now, it still doesn't entirely work for me, and that's largely due to Pippi's slapstick behavior. I run out of willing suspension of disbelief very quickly when someone marches into another person's home uninvited and doesn't immediately get tossed back out—and that was only the beginning. I also continue to feel that this shorter, episodic form doesn't fit Greg Ashe's skills as well as longer books do. I keep wanting more space for the mysteries to play out.

All that nitpicking aside, I'm enjoying the series. No doubt about that!

My thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

A Dash of Murder

Dash and the gang are drawn into the case of a writer's murder. But this time Pippa and her podcast are along as well, getting in the way and causing rather hilarious havoc. The mystery was a good but not as engaging as previous books, hence the four stars. Because this is a Gregory Ashe book, that means that the story is better than most MM cozies. I enjoyed it and am always glad for another installment of the Last Picks. Bobby continues to break my heart but I love how supportive Dash is. While not my favorite in the series, it is still an enjoyable listen and not to be missed. Looking forward to what's next for the Last Picks.

Death of a writer

Dash and the Last Picks have another murder to solve, but this time it’s a writer friend of Dash’s parents that’s been murdered. Dash and Officer Bobby have had a strained relationship after Bobby broke up with his boyfriend, they do work it out.

Once again Dash figures out who the killer is but this time when he confronts them he’s not really in danger because Officer Bobby and the Sheriff are there to help.

Great story and this time I didn’t have an inkling of who the killer was, with the other two books I had suspicions.


The narrator Andrew Gibson did an excellent job, I loved listening to it.

Series continues to entertain!

Even in this lighter, more jovial story telling, Gregory Ashe still makes his guys work for it! As for the story, it is acknowledged that this little coastal town has a very high murder rate!

This might be my favorite performance by Andrew Gibson. With a large cast of real characters involved, Gibson has a lot to do. He effortlessly distinguishes between Millie - always speaking her outside voice, and an over the top Pippi, who plays an oversized role in this story. Dash also has some very emotionally charged moments, Gibson brings that emotion to life, believably Dash, nothing comical, but sincere and a bit fearful. This is JF Harding quality narration.

I have read a lot of Gregory Ashe, am a huge fan of his talent. It is on full display in this series. As I hold him to a very high standard, I wanted to ding the story a star for a couple of reasons. First, Bobby is a bit frustrating in this book. I fully understand that Ashe is testing Dash and Bobby, heightening the emotion around their very measured relationship. But as written, it is just a bit off. Dash doesn't need additional reasons for his mind to go to the default negative.

Another issue is that there is a bit too much of Pippi's antics. I don't know if she was supposed to offset the victim's wife, who is cool and sleek. I could have had a bit less, especially as later things with Pippi and her husband feel a bit rushed. Also, we get a lot of descriptions of what everyone wears. These aren't typical romance novel word filler descriptions, but occasionally they border on it. It makes sense to describe Millie's skirt, that is both representational of the holiday and a magnet for Keme's attention, or that Keme only wears slides. What Fox is wearing for every outing seems a bit much.

All that said, it it still an interesting mystery, Dash's connection to the victim, Marshall, adds to the intrigue. The last picks again close ranks as a quirky, yet loving found family. The tie in to Christmas is nice, and in classic Ashe fashion, you will chuckle at little details like the snow. Ashe is very well read, happily pulling from the classics, while still contemporary, something that keeps his writing interesting. He plays with the idea of relevancy in this book, and it works really well. Ultimately, the woven layers overcame my nitpicking, leaving this my favorite of the series so far. Absolutely recommended! What are you waiting for?

Love everything about this series

The narrator does a fantastic job with these stories, really bringing the characters to life. And the author does a fantastic job at finding balance with comedy, mystery and romance in this lovely gay cozy mystery series.

Dash does it again....!!

Book 4 is another great mystery. Each story has a separate mystery that the MC, Dashiell Dawson Dane (Dash),is "talked" into solving. Each book gives us a better glimpse into all the characters that make up The Last Picks family and each narration by Andrew Gibson cements them into my heart.
This is #4 in a planned 12 book cosy mystery series all revolving around Dash and his merry band of Last Picks. All stories have been fabulous and listening to them really brings home the nuances of speech and character from the novels.
Start at Book #1 Mystery Magnet and get lost in Hemlock House (class V haunted mansion!!!) and Hastings Rock-I HIGHLY recommend it!!

Better than a bomb cyclone...

I am starting to suspect that the Last Picks series has some prophetic qualities. Not long after this audiobook was released, the coastal Pacific Northwest was hit by a bomb cyclone. One day, I was listening to Dash contemplate the perils of storms in the region, and the next day, when I was planning to write this review, I found myself in the cold and dark agreeing with Dash that a generator would be handy to have. Sigh. I think it is safe to say that the setting for this series is disturbingly realistic. I also had way more fun listening to Andrew Gibson's narration than I did stumbling around in the dark looking for the linen closet full of blankets.

My favorite element of this particular book was Dash's inner dialogue. He is still adapting to life in Hastings Rock and figuring out his place on the Last Picks crew. His relationships with all of the characters are evolving with some surprising results that I was equal parts worried and elated about. He still uses his Will Gower character to help him resolve difficult issues, which adds an element of lightheartedness to the dark moments of the story and helps Dash deal with the trauma of another suspicious death in Hastings Rock.

I am enjoying the way the plots in this series intertwine the mystery of the day with the perils of writing and publishing. Being an author in Hastings Rock is starting to look like a dangerous job. If you aren't being accused of murder, you are at risk of being murdered. This time, Dash is working with Hastings Rock law enforcement to figure out who committed the murder of Marshall Crowe, a friend of Dash's parents. The ups and downs of trying to solve this case leave Dash a bit frazzled, but he is determined to find out who killed Marshall Crowe even if it puts his own life in danger. Dash's adventures are much more engaging than cleaning up the mess left by a bomb cyclone. I just hope he manages to acquire a generator before a storm hits his region, and I am looking forward to finding out in the next book.