Ground Zero

Zero Hour, Book 1

By: Aimee Nicole Walker

Narrated by: Tristan James

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Heat, humidity, and homicide are things veteran Detective Sawyer Key expects to encounter on his first day with the Savannah Police Department, but the hostile reception from his new partner catches him by surprise. Sawyer isn't a stranger to heartache and recognizes that Royce Locke is a wounded man who's reeling from a devastating loss. Relentless and patient in all things, Sawyer is determined to make the new partnership work.

Savannah, Georgia, is known for her quirky people, oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and antebellum architecture. Beneath the Southern charm and hospitality, festering hatred and violence is soaring with the summer temperatures. Locke and Key find themselves at the epicenter when their first case involves the death of a former shock jock who appears to be the victim of vigilante justice.

Opposites in nearly every way, the two detectives set aside their differences to take back their city and restore law and order. From this reluctant truce, an intense attraction grows that will either tighten or shatter their tenuous bond. The fuse is lit, the clock is running, and the zero hour is upon them. Ticktock.

Contains mature themes.

©2019 Aimee Nicole Walker (P)2020 Tantor

Nice and cosy

like the story, the narration is easy to listen to.
i recommend it to anyone who likes an enemy to lovers cosy crime book.

Love Locke and Key

I LOVE the book series so much that I stalked the release date for the audiobooks a few months ago. Lol.

Aimee has written Sawyer and Royce in such a way that you can’t help but be attached to them, root for them. Specially because both are in the process of healing & the beginning of their partnership was a bit rough. But how it turned around and made both stronger together was magical.

I’m waiting for the second book. It’s gonna take time for the third book, but I’ll be here for it too.

Tristan James is a solid narrator, however I can’t help but feel like sometimes the narration had awkward pauses in them when it shouldn’t? And sometimes it sounded a bit flat when it calls for heightened emotions? Overall, he did good.

Ehh.. 2 1/2 hours left..

I have two and a half hours left on the book and I still dislike Locke. Emensly. Like so much I'm about to stop listening, he's got like one redeeming guality which isn't enough to save him. Even though Locke acknowledges his an a-hole that doesn't make it up.

Also about the crime; they have a couple of cases that are solved fairly quickly, no much tension or "solving".

I'll revisit this when/if I finish this book.

Great start with one minor hitch

This is entirely my own issue but I'm not a big fan of single pov romance novels. I always question what is going on with the other half of the relationship. I know the second book is from royces pov but sawyer was only somewhat compelling. I enjoyed the story but I felt like it would have been better with both povs. The two cases we see are interesting but I would have liked more substance with both of them. I'm gonna read book 2 so I can see royces backstory so yay!

Omg yes!

This made me so happy I loved it! Great story and great audio! I can't wait for the next one!

Ground Zero

This is one of my favorite series and I was so excited that it was going to be on audible. Unfortunately this narrator just didn’t work for me. His male voices all sound the same as does his female voices which don’t sound like female voices. There’s a lot of characters in the series and he just doesn’t seem to have the range needed to make this enjoyable. I highly recommend reading the books though be i they’re fantastic!

solid 4 stars

Would I listen to it again: yes ✔
Did the story keep me engaged: yes ✔
Was I invested in the characters: yes ✔

📖 Story comment: Good pace, entertaining story, interesting characters.
It took me a while to warm up to Locke, but Sawyer's character was strong and interesting enough to carry the story for me. Overall i'm glad I stuck with it, because i've listened to all three books in this series (plus the Sinister in Savannah spin-off) back to back and enjoyed them all.

🎧 Narrator comment: Tristan James can be a narrator you either enjoy or don't. Personally I love him, I go through phases where he's just what I need in a narrator. I enjoyed his reading of this series and the Sinister in Savannah Series spin-off and will happily listen to them again.

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📌 Where does it fall on my personal scale? 7

• 1 not my thing • 2 didn't like the narration • 3 didn't keep my attention • 4 was good, but once was enough • 5 enjoyed it • 6 will listen again if i'm in the mood for the narrator • 7 goes on the "re-listen" list • 8 kept me up past bed-time • 9 recommended to family/friends • 10 own it in multiple formats • 11 keep a copy with me at all times
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Wonderful

What an amazing read!!! I adored everything about this book. It’s a bit more somber than what I’m used to from Aimee’s books, although there are some humorous moments. Both of the main characters are dealing with loss...Sawyer(Key) is dealing with the death of his husband and Locke(Royce) is dealing with the death of his partner. Locke is confusing at times, his past and issues remain a mystery for most of this book, although there is some light shed towards the end. I enjoyed the investigations that went on during the story. I was a little disappointed with the end of the big conflict though. This is a great slow burn story. Highly recommend this one!

LOVED IT

I loved every minute of this book. Great read. More of these two guys please.

Awesome

Great story line, the best. Could not stop yhe narration Tristan James is excellent as well. Gave life to all the characters and their distinct personas. Highly, highly recommended read or listen.

Southern Charm, Heat & Homicide

Aimee Nicole Walker has hit gold with her new series, Zero Hour, and book one Ground One introduces us to the two hot as hell main characters, Sawyer Key and Royce Locke, of the Savannah Police Department. Both men have a ton of baggage and heartbreak in their pasts, making their meeting and subsequent evolving relationship interesting.
I really enjoyed how the plot developed and didn’t just jump straight into the main backstory (when you listen you will understand), this enables Key and Locke to grow as partners.
I loved the.pacing of the story and the romance, but I was a little disappointed with the final love scene,I felt it lacked the passion and importance it warranted. Apart from that, this was 5 stars all round!
I believe that the next book Devil’s Hour, is going to be from Locke’s point of view and I can’t wait 😊
I’m glad Aimee chose a different narrator despite, me loving Joel Leslie,
this needed someone to differentiate it from the Curl up and Dye series and Tristan James knocks it out of the ball park! Well done 👏👏👏

Sharpen your Bear Claws

Well written tale of goings on at the precinct when new cop arrives. So many twists and turns, humour and horror. When the going gets tough, the tough have to learn to co-exist with their new colleagues and the ghosts of lovers past, even when the chief only favours one of the team with her bear claws.

Well narrated to add grit and tension to this tantalizing tale. The length of the book allows you to really know your MCs.

ENJOYABLE

OK, but a bit predictable

The premise of the story seemed quite good but it was very predictable by the end.

The narrator had a bit of a bland boring voice and was hard to tell which character was talking as the two leads sounded the same.

I would love to give it a higher rating but this is a fair reflection.

Good story but awful narrator

I enjoyed the story and both main characters were interesting enough to make me teach for the next book in the series. However I am not a fan of this narrator and find his voice detracts from the experience instead of enhancing it.

Better than most

I liked the depth of the characters; the use of two subplots, which helped drive the story forward and the general quality of the writing, which was a relief after the past few books that I have suffered.