Criminal Past

Hazard and Somerset, Book 6

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Tristan James

It all starts to go wrong at the shooting gallery. Emery Hazard and his boyfriend, John-Henry Somerset, just want to enjoy the day at the Dore County Independence Fair. At the shooting gallery, though, Hazard comes face to face with one of his old bullies: Mikey Grames. Even as a drugged-out wreck, Mikey is a reminder of all the ugliness in Hazard’s past. Worse, Mikey seems to know something Hazard doesn’t - something about the fresh tension brewing in town.

When the Chief of Police interrupts Hazard’s day at the fair, she has a strange request. She doesn’t want Hazard and Somers to solve a murder. She wants them to prevent one. The future victim? Mayor Sherman Newton - a man who has tried to have Hazard and Somers killed at least once.

Hazard and Somers try to work out the motive of the man threatening Newton, and the trail leads them into a conspiracy of corrupt law enforcement, white supremacists, and local politicians. As Hazard and Somers dig into the case, their search takes them into the past, where secrets have lain buried for twenty years.

Determined to get to the truth, Hazard finds himself racing for answers, but he discovers that sometimes the past isn’t buried very deep. Sometimes, it isn’t dead. Sometimes, it isn’t even past. And almost always, it’s better left alone.

©2018 Gregory Ashe (P)2019 Gregory Ashe

Really good book

This series is so addictive because you just want to know what happens next. I started the series before Covid and had to stop reading/listening because they are so intense. I knew I was coming out of the anxiety caused by 2020/2021 when I was ready to read more about Somerset and Hazard. Ashe is a very good writer. Start with the first in the series and dive in! I also like Tristan James a lot and enjoyed his narration.

Love these guys

This was extremely satisfying. The first few in the series didn’t do a whole lot for me, but I wanted to be here for these two guys. This one definitely delivered great mystery, great side characters, and of course I loved the development of the relationship between Hazard and Somerset. Also love that they come off extremely human. Excited to move onto the next this series is what convinced me to hold onto my subscription. I was right on the brink of canceling.

Enjoying the series

Enjoyed the series but was disappointed in the characters’ actions in the final big drawn out scene. The characters are too smart to have made the crucial mistakes. The guns or rifles got away from their hands too many times. Mikey became like a super hero while Somers and Hazard weakened. Still a good read.

Love these two

This series is t to be best I’ve read since the series “the end” by Gregory Ashe as well. Very slow romance and that’s my only piece of contention. I’d love to see these two more in love ,showing their love physically. Narrator is good but if it were JF Harding narrating this would be a perfect 5. Gregory Ashe is a very talented man. Onto next books. But please use Jf Harding. He doesn’t sound like a 60 yo man.

Jeff Langham

Of all of Gregory Ashe’s characters, I think that Jeff Langham has the most moving and tragic fate. Really sticks with you.