The Same End

The Lamb and the Lion, Book 3

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: J.F. Harding

Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Teancum Leon is pretty sure that if he plays his cards right, he can have it all: his childhood friend and former lover, Ammon Young; his best friend (although Tean is loath to admit it), Jem Berger; and his family. A boyfriend might even be in his future, although he’s having a heck of a time getting a second date with the guys he meets on Prowler.

Then the key suspect in a murder investigation asks to speak with Jem, overturning the precarious balance Tean has worked to maintain. A girl Jem knew in childhood is dead, and the man believed to have killed her was one of Jem’s tormentors at Decker Lake Juvenile Detention Center. Antonio Hidalgo insists he is innocent, and he begs Jem to find the real killer, a man Jem knows very well, the man who masterminded his torture at Decker: Tanner Kimball.

When Jem decides to check out Antonio’s story, Tean insists on helping. Their search takes them into Utah’s high desert, a land of redrock cliffs and hoodoo stones. But everything changes when they find a dead man in a remote canyon. He carries Tanner’s wallet, but the body has been disfigured, making identification difficult - if not impossible. Jem is convinced that the scene has been staged, and he’s determined to find Tanner and make him pay for the bodies in his wake.

Warnings begin piling up from the chief of police, the sheriff, a Bureau of Land Management special agent, even a Utah Highway Patrol trooper. Everyone wants Tean and Jem to understand that it’s in their best interest to go back to Salt Lake before they dig any deeper. A shipment of illegal drugs - several million dollars’ worth - might be the motive. But Tean and Jem begin to suspect that something else is driving events: a motive darker and stronger than money. Learning the truth, though, will take both men on a collision course with the past.

©2021 Gregory Ashe (P)2021 Gregory Ashe

Loved it!

Loved the outdoor settings, loved the character growth and the author let us see the difficulty of breaking from what isn't good for us. And the fear we all feel trying to stop us from our dreams. All 3 books are a favorite re-read for me!

Fighting the Past

The past is here and it needs facing. Ammon has recovered his freedom and his beauty, he is talking to Tean of love and relationships. The Decker people (those who had tortured Jem during his juvie years, and taught him hopelessness) are also back on the stage. Tean and Jem have to face them and see whether they can find a way for the both of them, through the ghosts and shadows.
I like they way the story is told, the weight of the past, the fact that it doesn’t simply go away, but has to be pushed out through decisions and choice. The friendship between Tean and Gem is a shinny thread, solid enough to keep them together even when they both push in other directions.
There are 11 hours of laughing and figuring things out, the story of a nice friendship and letting go. It’s worth the time.

What A ride!!

Audiobook and Story - 4.5 stars

"For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other. - Ecclesiastes 3:19"

Book 3 - Adventures of Amateur Sleuths, Tean and Jem and it delivered.

The Character

Like all the other Greg books, we have complex characters. Tean- I love this Vet. He is so loyal, lovable and everythin in between. I love how his mind works and the way he just blurts out thing that can go on and on and ooon! I can never get bored when it comes to Tean. In this book we get to see Tean find himself. Letting go off things that he held dearly that keeps him from experiencing life to the fullest. I loved this soooo much.

Jem- Oh boy! I didn't expect that!! Jem my beautiful, kindhearted, loyal drifter. I really didn't need to read all that. His past broke my tiny peanut heart. I am so happy the way it was handled. It wouldn't be Greg's writing without the grit. Jem has grown so much as a character. I love Tean's influence on him. Together they make the best hilarous combo.

"Sighing, Jem took Tean by the shoulders, turned him back toward the lobby, and gave him a gentle push. “Go home, please. Give Scipio extra treats for me.”
“I’m not going home. I’m going to wait here until I know they’re not trying to do something to you.”
“Like probe me anally,” Jem said.
“Like—no, not like that. What in the world is wrong with you?"

Love these two.

Scipio - Best supporting character ever.

The Mystery
Woooo! This was intense. It had something to do with Jems past. GAAAHH!! I wanted to jump into the book and strangle everyone except Tean and Jem, ooh and Scipio. The rest can go to the depths of purgatory. I enjoyed the way the inestigation was done. So many twists that kept me glued and looking for clues. Kudos Greg. Jem got his revenge. Me lovey so much.

The Relationship
Dear Lawd!! The freaking wait was worth it. Good thing they were already best friends/normal friends according to Tean. Thes two fit together.

Ammon! He doesn't desrve anything. UGGHH!! Go away!

Overall, I had a good time wlistening to this book. JF Harding owns the narration and took me to places I've never been.

Disclaimer! A copy of the Audiobook was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Your Killing Me Smalls

So yeah, I don’t think this is the last book in this series. At least I hope not as the ending seems to indicate there will be others. I loved and hated this book at the same time. No surprise there as GA frequently elicits that reaction from me. He is so adept at weaving a narrative that you can’t put down, even though it is like being on a roller coaster – a slow moving roller coaster. And then he leaves you hanging, wanting more. Thus is the journey of Tean and Jem. YES!! They finally admit their feelings for each other. But then OF COURSE it get “complicated.” UGGGGGHHHHH!!!\

In this installment, Jem’s past at the detention center comes back fast and dark. We learn of the horrors he faced there and wonder how he is still sane. His tormenter come back into his life in a surprising way. And Tean FINALLY faces his feelings for Ammon, the s**thead. It’s a wild and at times uncomfortable story. And, of course, has a surprise twist in the mystery that ONCE AGAIN I didn’t see coming. J.F. Harding once again knocks it out of the park with his performance. There is a series of short stories published after this book and as I read them, I hear his voice in my head. That is the mark of an amazing performance.

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

Did you know there is this newfangled contraption called the cell phone and it has a record feature?

I'm not yet done with the final installment of the series, And don't get me wrong, I really love it. But I feel compelled to pause and write this mini review just to ask a question that I've asked myself over and over and over again from the very beginning of the series. Why oh why oh why has Jem not recorded Any of Ammon's horrible bullying verbal attacks on him when Tean is not around? I pretty much scream that question to the heavens every time 10 bus out with that other horse shit that goes a little something like, "trust me, you don't know him. he means well. he's a good guy... Because I'm no expert, but Ammon is NOT a good guy in any sense of the word. Get him the EFF out of here post haste, Before I fly into a psychotic rage and eat my phone.

Great Series, Fantastic Story

Gregory Ashe writes such perfectly imperfect characters, and I am always wholly engaged in them and their relationship. Jem and Tean are flawed, and are better together because of it and the support they offer. While the series may conclude, I hope we get more of them in the future. The mystery in this story held my attention throughout, full of enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Reliably, JF Harding gives a great performance, camping up the suspense while still managing to provide an emotional impact. Both story and narration are so well done.

Great story. Great narration.

There were so many feelings in this book. So many. I wanted to give Jem a big hug for learning to read, overcoming trauma that no one should have to experience, and getting back up every time he gets knocked down.

This was an amazing story with excellent narration.

Loved this Book!!!

Gregory Ashe knows how to write character driven stories that take hold of you and never let go. Tean and Jem are both broken in their own way. And while love doesn't fix everything, being supported by the person you love goes a long way in healing the pain. The differences in the way Jem and Ammond both try to help Tean is a stark reminder of this. And while Jem and Tean's love story is amazing, let's not forget this is a mystery. The twists and turns kept me listening until the very end, and it's one of the things Gregory Ashe does very well. The narration was perfect. I loved the way JF Harding portrayed the characters, especially Tean and Jem. Perfect book to end the series.

Wow. Just wow. What an ending.

This was the best ending....at first I thought Jem and Tean weren't going to make it and boy was I mad at Gregory Ashe-for a long time through this book. The story gets better and better but when they MC kept having set back after set back I was UUGGHHH. But he makes it all better by the end :) I HIGHLY recommend this author and this series-or literally ANY of Gregory Ashe's other series.

Oh good lord! Glorious! My heart, my heart ...

There is a poignant, lyrical beauty to this series that devastated my heart in all the best ways that good literature should. The book is replete with a consuming sense of desolation to Jem and Tean's lives, both together and as individuals. Ashe, literary wonder that he is, changes the register yet again, introducing a melancholic tone and rhythm to the narrative that adds to the sense of solitary forlornness that is embodied by Jem and Tean. Your life will be all the richer for listening to this incredibly beautiful story. The best part of any Gregory Ashe novel is the brilliantly conceived parallel mystery plotline, and this is also true of this series which, as always, is intriguing and captivating, blended seamlessly with the personal relationships plotline.

J. F. Harding was the perfect choice for this series, his voice is absolutely sublime and his storytelling is such that the nuances of the story are clearly articulated and drown you in the sentiment of tale. This is yet another one of Ashe' series that I have listened to several times and can never get enough of Harding's dulcet tones. Glorious pairing once again. Loved! Loved! Loved!