Again with Feeling

The Last Picks, Book 6

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Andrew Gibson

We might not be doomed to repeat the past. But it’s pretty likely.

When Dashiell Dawson Dane receives a phone call from his nemesis Vivienne Carver (okay, one of his nemeses), he’s caught off guard—to say the least—by her request: help solve the murder of her brother, who disappeared almost thirty years ago. His gut tells him to say no. But with Bobby preparing to move out of Hemlock House, Dash sees the perfect opportunity for them to spend more time together, whether Bobby likes it or not.

The local police seem convinced that Vivienne was responsible for her brother’s death—an opinion shared by some of her family. But the more Dash investigates, the more convinced he becomes that Vivienne is being set up. Secrets have been accumulating for decades, and the most dangerous lies, Dash knows, are the ones we want to believe the most. After all these years, answers might finally be within reach—and someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.

©2024 Gregory Ashe (P)2025 Gregory Ashe

About time!!!

Slow burn be thee thy name. And boy has this been a long fought after relationship. That plus a great mystery and you have the formula for a great Gregory Ashe book. Although I was leery about a cozy, I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. This so far is my favorite narration by Andrew Gibson - he's growing on me!

One of the best volumes in the series!

I could listen to these books all day long. Andrew Gibson is such a great narrator bringing these characters to life, and Gregory Ashe does an amazing job weaving the quirky town and its characters into the mystery. Also, getting to revisit a blast from the past was extra fun with this one. I'm ready for the serving, please!

At last!

I guess it wasn't really slow burn, given Greg Ashe's track record, but wow was I getting frustrated with the one-step-forward, three-steps-back dance at the start of this series. To me, this book is where the series really starts moving. I enjoyed the narration, though a couple of pronunciation choices were jarring. All in all, this is in my relisten-often rotation!

Sad mystery with lessons to be learned

Oh my goodness, the tension in this book!! In my review of the previous book, I said I wouldn't be holding my breath for a romance between Dash and Officer Bobby anytime soon, but everything really comes to a tipping point in this book

After Dash, waiting for Bobby to be completely free from his breakup with his former fiancé and also withholding his own feelings for Bobby, stays silent for too long, Bobby is looking to move out with the guy he's been seeing for about one month. I was angry for Dash and at Dash, really. Anyone can see Dash's obvious feelings for Bobby and even though he told Bobby to go ahead and date just to make sure that he wasn't the "rebound" guy, I hated that Bobby took him up on the offer. And Dash shouldn't have thought to know Bobby's feelings better than Bobby himself. My hopes for an eventual romance were falling apart.

Thank goodness for distractions! Dash's former mentor and attempted murderer Vivienne calls to have Dash investigate the death of her brother Richard. Vivienne, the former owner of Hemlock House is in jail for murder but when her family tries to say that she was responsible for the death of her brother, Vivienne doesn't want to be labeled a "kin killer." So Dash does what he normally does and jumps into the investigation. Was it indeed Vivienne who killed her brother? Or her flighty sister Candy? Or maybe Richard's wife, Jane? Dash is knee deep in suspects and someone doesn't want him to find out what happened to Richard. When he's almost killed investigating, the Last Picks surround him and won't let him go off on his own.

Well, the mystery in this book was different than those of the other books, and what we end up finding out is tragic. And the sadness of Richard's end is enough to spur Dash to make the most of the time he has because it's a lesson most of us humans have discovered, life is short. It's important to participate in life and not stand on the sidelines while things just happen around you. So does Dash stop Bobby from moving out? Does the tension finally have a bit of relief? I will let everyone read or listen to this book themselves to find out.

It was a good mystery and lesson wrapped up in one. The narration by Andrew Gibson was great and I can't wait for the next one to be released on audio.

Growth and Redemption

I’m so grateful that Dash has grown up enough to overcome his fears and tell Bobby how he feels. I especially appreciated his insight about how an author connects with readers forging a kinship of sorts. That and he’s got a cool idea for his book. Cozy noir. Hopefully this one makes it all the way to being published!