The Fairest Show

The First Quarto, Book 3

De: Gregory Ashe

Narrado por: J.F. Harding

A murdered coach. His missing daughter. A sadistic killer.

After a summer apart, Theo and Auggie reunite at the beginning of another school year, determined to make a relationship work in spite of their age difference—and other obstacles. When Wroxall College’s athletic director strongarms Theo into tracking down the school’s missing football coach, Theo is determined to keep Auggie safe, no matter how much they hate it. Theo has lost too much already.

Everywhere Theo and Auggie go, someone seems set on stopping their search. First, a masked man attacks them and steals important financial paperwork. Then, a small-town cop tries to run them off. Even the football players seem determined to keep their silence. And the deeper Theo and Auggie dig, the more they suspect that something much darker is taking place.

An attack on Auggie’s roommate raises a terrifying possibility—that the killer has targeted Auggie as his next victim. Theo and Auggie must hurry to uncover the truth before the killer can silence them, but even if they succeed, the pressure of the investigation and the danger to Auggie’s life may shatter the fragile bond they are building.

©2022 Gregory Ashe (P)2023 Gregory Ashe

Great story. Great narration.

Phew. That was intense. Gregory Ashe's series tend to ramp up in emotional intensity with each volume. This series is no exception. Both Theo and Auggie are dealing with the aftermath of the last book, and life isn't going to give them a break because they have another mystery to solve.

So much of what happens in this story is a reflection of real-world everyday conflicts. Issues such as managing substance abuse, dealing with sexual assault, managing unhealthy family relationships, and navigating under the table deals in college athletics are all explored in a careful and realistic manner. It is easy to relate to many of the situations that Theo and Auggie encounter as they navigate the changes in their relationship and try to find a missing football coach.

I found myself getting a bit stressed every time Auggie returns to California for school breaks. I could relate to his older brother's frustration because I had siblings who seemed determined to get into trouble in college. (Thankfully not as much trouble as Auggie). Poor Fern really needs a break.

I was touched by how Theo and Auggie are learning to navigate the difficult parts of their relationship. Gregory Ashe has done a wonderful job of creating a strong emotional and physical connection between them, and JF Harding does an amazing job of adding personality to their characters with his excellent performance. I am looking forward to the next audiobook and I will be rereading/listening to this series many times.

Another great book by GA

I was so excited when I saw this book was available to listen to. I love this series and after seeing a glimpse into Theo and Augie's future in another series by GA, I couldn't wait to continue this storyline. Having read all of Shakespeare's plays, it was fascinating how GA used Pericles as inspiration for this book. Great mystery and relationship development. J. F. was amazing at narrating as usual.

More Mystery and Murders

In this book Auggie and Theo admit they love each other and try working on their relationship.
Once again Auggie and Theo find themselves involved in solving a mystery that turns into murders. This time I did NOT figure out who the bad guys were. Really enjoyed this audio.

These two are a hot mess and I'm addicted

School is back after summer break and Auggie and Theo are making a go at a relationship despite everything. Theo has been coerced into finding the missing football coach and despite trying to protect Auggie they find themselves once again working together to solve the mystery.

This was a good installment in this series. I enjoyed the mystery though it turned out to be all a lot darker than I thought. Theo made some good steps towards the end of this book. Why he hadn’t been in therapy all along was beyond me. But I still really hate how poorly he treats Auggie. It’s like reverse ageism. Is that a thing? I could psychoanalyze these two forever so maybe that’s why I can’t stop reading this story. I’m addicted and it’s such good character development. I love Gregory Ashe’s ability to write flawed characters you root for even when it makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes.

JF Harding can do no wrong when narrating.

Amazing and Disturbing

This is the third book in The First Quarto series featuring my favorite dysfunctional couple. Auggie and Theo are back and still putting the “fun” in. I have to be honest, this is NOT for people who want a nice sweet MM romance book. This is a messy, complicated telling of the relationship between two mean that tests the patience of the reader. Many times I questioned whether these two should even be together. And oh yeah, there is a murder mystery entwined between the assaults, murders, murder attempts and arguments - that basically boil down to “Stop treating like a child!” and “Stop acting like a child!” Both men have a point.

The murder mystery is really disturbing, focused around a missing football coach and the two most ill-suited detectives in history. Seriously, there are a few TSTL moments in their handy work. The murder reveal secrets and corruption within the college Theo hopes to have a career. But Theo’s need for money and job security launches the couple into a lot of danger. Poking into this murder results in not only physical danger, but an emotional whirlwind that brings out Theo’s demons. It is very clear that they deeply love each other, but the 10 year gap in their ages is on full display. We also get a glimpse into Auggie’s very dysfunctional family life.

This said, as usual, I needed to trust GA to somehow make sense out of what seemed like a dumpster fire. And, as usual, he does. After a very disturbing resolution of the murder mystery, that I did NOT see coming, I was satisfied with the HFN ending and look forward to the next installment.

J.F. Harding gives another amazing performance. I can’t imagine any other voice for these men.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review.