Last Gasp

Kip O'Connor M/M Mystery, Book 1

By: S. C. Wynne

Narrated by: James Woodrich

Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Kip O’Connor lives a simple life in the little seaside town of Pearl Bay. Unless it’s tourist season, things tend to be pretty peaceful. There is, however, one never-ending source of irritation in the form of Police Chief Merrick Dawson.

Merrick is Kip’s older brother’s BFF, and nothing seems to bring Merrick more joy than nagging Kip about silly things. You’d think a police chief would have more important things to do than lecture Kip on parking tickets and picking up pet waste, but somehow Merrick always finds the time.

Kip decides to take an art class at the local community college, and he’s annoyed to find Merrick has also enrolled in the course. The instructor takes a shine to Kip, and soon they become friends outside of class. Merrick warns Kip of the dangers of blurring those lines and befriending his teacher, but Kip is flattered by the attention.

When his art teacher is found stabbed through the forehead with a palette knife, Kip is determined to figure out who killed his new friend. Merrick naturally thinks Kip getting involved in the investigation is a horrible idea, but when has Kip ever listened to that irksome, pig-headed Merrick Dawson?

This is book one in the brand-new Kip O'Connor M/M Cozy Mystery series. Each book has a cozy feel to it, and there is a strong romantic (slow-burn) story line in each book. No steam, but some mild violence is present.

©2021 S. C. Wynne (P)2022 S. C. Wynne

Cozy. Mystery

This is just a really enjoyable cozy mystery. Poor Kip can't get a break. Everyone is after him and he isn't sure why. He is surrounded by a great group of secondary characters. Merrick is the police chief and Kip's older brothers best friend. Some pranks when they were young has led to animosity, but Merrick is there to help him. Its and engaging mystery, with a few different things going on. It all comes together well. Though we get the seeds for romance this is an extreme slow burn. Its the first in a series, so we don't see any romance yet.

I have never heard this narrator before. I thought he did great. I was pleasantly surprised, and would listen to more from him. He did a great job and the story really flowed.

Looking forward the the next in the series on audio.

Enjoyable Cozy Mystery

I enjoy cozy mysteries since I get an interesting mystery without a lot of overly dark themes or violence. This was a good story with fun characters, a solid mystery and an enjoyable small town setting. I liked that the author included a romantic subplot, as I found the byplay between Kip and Merrick to be entertaining. The mystery was engaging and there were enough clues and red herrings to keep me guessing. This new-to-me narrator did a good job, with distinct character voices and a good sense of timing and pacing.

Intriguing start to a series

I initially had a hard time syncing with Kip, or any of the characters, partly because I had a difficult time always distinguishing who was talking or who’s thoughts I was hearing, and partly because I just didn’t connect with them. In the end, I was giggling at Kip’s family’s attempts to set him up with Merrick (and secretly rooting for it to happen). I was also surprised by the twists and turns S. C. Wynne managed to sneak into the story. I kept thinking “oh, I know where this is going” and was always delighted when it went elsewhere. Good book.

So enjoyable!

James Woodrich does a fantastic job of narrating this story.
Last Gasp is the first in the new cozy comfort series Kip O'Conner by S.C. Wynne. What a terrific start!
From the small town setting to the wonderfully written cast of characters, this book was a delight to read.
Merrick and Kip are the perfect compliment to each other. Having such a long shared history there is plenty yet to still discover about each other. I love the slow burn romance these two have going on.

Add in a murder mystery that has amazing plots and twists to it and I couldn't put this book down until I reached the very satisfying end.
I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Asmall town where everyone knows everyone

A small town where everyone knows everyone presents a lighthearted mystery. Kip has been holding onto his grudge against Merrick who is, now the police chief, from childhood to now. A murder occurs which slowly changes the relationship. All of a sudden Kip is being stalked and Merrick becomes his protector. the narrator was excellent. I received this free for an honest review.

Amazing listen!

I really love this cozy mystery! I love Kip, Merrick and all the characters in this little town. This story has mystery, murder and a slow burn romance that I love. Then James Woodrich does a great job with the narration of this story. He helps bring this amazing story to life. Can't wait for more!

Enjoyable Cozy Mystery

I really enjoyed this book. For me cozy mysteries are comfort reads and this books was no exception. I enjoyed getting to know Kip and Merrick. I'm looking forward to reading more about them. The mystery was intruiging and fun to follow. The plot held my interest through the whole book. I liked it so much I bought the ebook of the second book to read right away.
The narrator is new to me but I really liked him. I think he did a great job. I'm looking forward to listening to the other books in the series I they are released in audio and I hope they will be.

Loved it

I really enjoyed this audio. I had really liked the book so I was super excited when I saw it came out on Audio. The narrator did a fantastic job with the charters in this book. I loved how they came to life in my mindas I listened to there story. This is a must listen for sure.

Fun

Enjoyed it overall but at times Kip was annoyingly childish. I did enjoy the slow burn between Kip and Merrick though S.c left them in a unfulfilled area of their relationship.

Great start to a series!

This book was right up my alley, I basically didn’t stop listening from start to finish. I wished it was longer, but am hopeful for more installments of the series. The narrator was fantastic, very clear distinction of characters, and the story was intriguing and romantic at the same time. I love a slow-burn romantic gay cozy mystery, so I can’t wait for the next one!