Police Brutality

Hazard and Somerset: A Union of Swords, Book 2

De: Gregory Ashe

Narrado por: Tristan James

For the first time in a long while, Emery Hazard’s life is good. His new business as a private detective is taking off. Things are good at home. He loves his boyfriend, John-Henry Somerset; he loves their daughter. He might even love the new friends they’ve found. There’s only one problem: Somers has been talking about marriage.

When a former colleague, Walter Hoffmeister, comes to Hazard and hires him to look into a series of anonymous death threats, Hazard eagerly jumps on the distraction. Hoffmeister might be a jerk, but he’s a paying jerk, and Hazard isn’t convinced the threats are serious.

Until, that is, Hoffmeister is almost gunned down on Hazard’s doorstep. As Hazard investigates more deeply, he learns that more than one person in Wahredua has a reason to wish Hoffmeister dead. His search takes him to the Ozark Volunteers, reincarnated as the Bright Lights movement, but it also leads him into a sanctuary of radical Christianity. Meanwhile, an antifa activist has arrived in town, calling for Hoffmeister’s death and threatening total war with the Bright Lights.

As Hazard continues to look for answers, he becomes a target, too - and not just because he’s helping Hoffmeister. The Keeper of Bees is still at large, and the killer hasn’t lost interest in Emery Hazard. Not yet. Not, Hazard begins to suspect, until the Keeper has taken everything Hazard holds dear.

©2020 Gregory Ashe (P)2020 Gregory Ashe

Highly recommended

it's getting better and better with each new book! Cannot recommend highly enough. New mystery to solve and finally the M proposal at the end.

A series that really reflects the real world!

For as emotionally heavy as the last story was, this one felt like a fresh breath of air. That is to say, as much of a fresh breath of air trying to figure out who is trying to scare/hurt a police officer is; as much of a fresh breath of air is for a couple ready to move on to the next level while one seems commitment-phobic.

Hazard and Somerset definitely made strides into the problems they were having as a couple and individually in the last book. Hazard is continuing to work as a private investigator and the work definitely seems to help him with his depression. He has an added sense of guilt in regards to a former client who had been held by a serial killer. The mysterious entity calling himself the Keeper of Bees doesn't seem to be actively trying to terrorize Hazard in this book, but his guilt over his client and worry over what the killer might do over the future is affecting Hazard in a big way. His feelings for Somerset are strong but can Hazard risk making him a possible future target? I definitely can understand how he feels, but again with the men and their dislike for talking about feelings. Overall, I feel like the two men are at a good place in their relationship and on the precipice of being even closer even with their worries.

The cases that Hazard and Somerset and his new partner are investigating in this book aren't as tense to me as the previous book either. Though to be perfectly honest, Hazard's new client and the title of the book should make it feel like it is. The police officer that hired Hazard to look into threats into his life has engaged in excessive force while on duty. The things that are happening in these books are very relevant to what is happening in the world now. I know this book was written months ago, but really the issues of systemic racism and police brutality have been going on forever and thanks to social media have really been brought to light the last few years. It isn't quite a light subject, but the anti-facist protesters and the white supremacist hate group Bright Lights seem to be taking a little break in this book and it notched down the tension for me.

There are plenty of suspicious characters in this book though. Somerset's new partner comes off as young and kind of shallow. I was concerned about some of his behavior in this book, but I am waiting to see how things proceed with him before judging to harshly. The new pastor of the local church is also acting in strange ways and has a lot of hostility for Hazard and for the police department. I do believe we will see more drama from the situation in the future.

I thought this was a really good mystery and I did enjoy that the tension was a little less in this book. Not that I am against the angst and pressure and worry that I felt listening to the first book, but I am positive that there will be more in the future books, perhaps even the next one. I needed a moment to breathe between the strained situations so I don't feel on edge the whole time. I would definitely recommend listening to the books in order because so much of what these characters have been through have made them who they are in this book. However if you picked up this book without listening or reading any of the previous ones, I feel like the author does a good job of explaining their history while telling their new story. Either way, I definitely recommend the story and the narrator. Tristan James does a great job with this series.

Once you start you cant stop

I wish I could just buy thw entire series in one fell swoop because I already know that I will have a date with Hazard and Somerset for the foreseeable future. Narration is amazing!

It’s totally possible for ears to be beautiful

So our Hazard has found his new calling in life, being a private investigator and quite frankly, it suits him perfectly. After all, Hazard has always been a bit of a bad boy. And Ree is finally in a good place. The relationship between him and Somer is better than ever, he has found some new friends that he might like (more likely like he can tolerate .. lol 🤣) and his daughter is getting lovelier. However Somer has to disturb the calm water in his heart by mentioning about marriage so Hazard is in desperate need of a distraction. And he found it in Hoffmeister. Apparently, in the tiny town of Wahredua, more than one person wants Hoffmeister dead. Although they are no longer official partners, Hazard and Somerset have to once again unite to solve the trouble behind Hoffmeister.

You know why I love Gregory Ashe’s books? It’s because he can make me fall in love with the flawed, imperfect and very human characters. Neither Hazard nor Somerest are saints, they are flawed, they have their own shortcomings but they are so imperfectly perfect for each other. And Hazard’s stubbornness has driven me nuts plenty a times but at the same time, I love how unapologetically himself he is. And I’m also happy that Somers is being better at handling his drinks. I’m also super happy to see Hazard eating jelly (being jealous 😂😛) seeing Somers together with his new work partner who happens to be younger, handsome and very gay. And boy, these two are at each other’s throat for like 99% of the book. Talk about miscommunication! Idiots! 😂🤦‍♀️ But hooray for some angry sex! Lol 😋 Overall, this book truly ties up the loose ends perfectly and the ending was just perfect. I also like when Ree and Somers end up at. I mean it’s not there yet but these two will get a place of white picket fences, a minivan and 2.5 kids. Lol 😂 I’m also hoping for a book for a certain supporting character where he will get his happily ever after. Riveting, intriguing and as always enthralling. Looking forward to next audio in the series. 🥰


4.5 It’s totally possible for ears to be beautiful stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫




Audio rating

Story - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Narration - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Performance - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I love it …. Except…

I have two issues so far. 1- is the author claimed the Xmas tree as Christian in origin. It’s not. It’s Pagan in origin. It technically predates Christianity.
2- the reader, Tristan, while he does do a great job with the other characters- often mixes up the “voices” of Summers and Hazard. I have been through the entire 1st series of Hazard and Sommers and I freaking LOVE it. Great world building, character building. Sometimes a touch angsty but I get it. Great stories and relationships woven through the series.
I can identify with Hazard and his rage that he holds in.