Jack: Grime and Punishment

By: Z. A. Maxfield

Narrated by: Joe Arden

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Brothers Grime is Jack Masterson's way of helping people in crisis after disability ends his career as a firefighter. Jack's people get to a scene long after the physical trauma ends. They don't solve crime or rescue the victims. They help people move on. The new job is all Jack wants or needs, until he gets the call about old flame Nick Foasberg's suicide. Ryan Halloran's cousin Nick has been on a downhill slide for a long time. Despite that, Ryan does everything he knows to help. Ryan only understands part of what happened between Nick and Jack in high school, but after Nick's suicide, Ryan agrees both he and Jack need closure. They work together to clean the scene and despite the situation, heat flares between them. Jack is keeping a painful secret and fighting his attraction to Nick's lookalike cousin, Ryan. Ryan calls himself a magnet for lost causes and worries Jack might be the next in a long line of losers. Despite his misgivings, despite the past and the mistakes they've both made, Jack gives Ryan something to look forward to, and Ryan gives Jack a reason to stop looking back, in Grime and Punishment.

©2013 Z. A. Maxfield (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

A nice story...

I liked this book. This was a story that could actually have occurred, making it real-to-life. The journey that Jack and Ryan find themselves on is an interesting one and each has to deal with certain aspects of life in order to meet at the end, together. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, even Dave. Joe Arden did a great job bringing the characters to life and enhancing the story. The details of Jack's profession was a new and inventive surprise and I learned things I did not know I wanted to know! Enjoyable story...

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

A lot better than most MM romance....

I really liked this a lot. Characters are well drawn, great dialog, just the right amount of fun stuff. Narration excellent. Also, concisely told. Very enjoyable and deeper than the usual fluff. If you like the genre, pick this one.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Surpringly entertaining

Any additional comments?

I read this story a while ago and I must admit Joe Arden brought life to these characters that endeared me to them on a level that had me caring for them deeply, well, except for David. Even after the apology, I'm still angry at him.

This romance broaches on some very tuff topics but it was told beautifully and Ryan 💖 Jack definitely deserved a 'Happily Ever After'

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Grimy!!

I enjoyed this just as much the second time around. Z.A offered up a story with a profession that I’ve never read in m/m before and it just makes it so interesting, and plus I really enjoy the authors writing.

The Story: 4 Pants Off

Jack is one of the owners in The Brothers Grime, a crime scene clean up service. Once a firefighter, an accident left him unable to continue the job of his heart but was able to find another way to help others. One wouldn’t think about what happens after the cops leave but Jack and his crew think about all that comes. They make it easier to clean up so the family, or maybe a spouse won’t have to deal with the hard reality of worrying about getting blood off the walls and out of a carpet.

When he gets the heads up from his detective on and off lover that his first love Nick from his teen years committed suicide Jacks knows he needs to bid for the job no matter that he’s too emotionally connected to the case. How he and Nick ended was very tragic and Jack still carry the scars of it all but deep down he knows he needs do the cleanup even though it will bring old hurts to the forefront. All that’s left is convincing his cousin Ryan who happens to be Nicks lookalike. Cleaning up what’s left of Nick while looking into eyes and face that’s a dead ringer to his once lover now dead is a bad idea of epic proportions.

As I said. I love the crime cleanup part of the story. No one ever thinks about what happens to crime scenes and the care that’s needed to cleanup. Thinking about blood born pathogens and all that isn’t even on people’s radar but Z.A brings it up here and gives you something to think about.

The relationship between Jack and Ryan wasn’t hot fire but I liked it well enough. What bothers me is how Ryan viewed Jack in the beginning without knowing anything and how Jack took everything on like it was his fault. I also didn’t understand why the story revolves around Nick and yet I know nothing about him expect he was a drug addicted punk. He obviously was dealing with somethings and his story intrigued me because I just wanna know “why”.

Overall, another solid book by ZAM. I’ve never really disliked a book by this author and this one had that dark morose element that doesn’t exist much in the other author’s work. It was a new type of pace.

The Narration: 3.5 Pants Off

The narration wasn’t horrible but I did find it forgettable. It’s a good thing the story is so enjoyable. The was no strong difference between the voice of Jack and some of the other characters. While not incredible I still enjoyed Joe Arden's narration. There was a lot of emoting and no actual strong emotions coming across and that stopped it from getting a higher rating.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sweet, short, relatively low-angst

Audible Escape. This was a sweet, short, relatively low-angst book. Obviously there was some drama/conflict but it didn't drag on forever like some books. I don't really feel like I was "wowed" into a 4 or 5 star rating, but it was good. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Joe Arden is generally a favorite narrator of mine, but he felt off here. Delineation of characters voices was lacking at times. The worst was that it was difficult to tell when Jack was switching from internal musings to conversation with others in the story. It's not like the narration was terrible, but it could have been better.

Fantastic!

I loved this book. It is unusual compared to a lot of romances because it starts immediately after the suicide of someone who’d had a huge impact on each of their lives. It’s touching to see how they each individually move through the impact the suicide has on them, and ultimately come together. It’s not a gloomy book at all, and there is humor throughout, which moves the story along with hope underlying. Great narration too!

Good story and good narration.

Relaxing night time read/listen for someone who enjoys crime and mystery novels a bit too much, but still needs to be able to sleep at night.

great suspense

characters likeable rough not whimpy the cat was a nice add. word word word word