Triangulation

Borealis Investigations, Book 2

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Charlie David

Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

After a recent case with a treacherous client, North and Shaw are ready to go back to work building Borealis Investigations. They’re also ready to go back to dodging their feelings for each other, with neither man ready to deal with the powerful emotions the Matty Fennmore case stirred up.

Everything is getting back to normal when their secretary asks for help: her girlfriend’s boss has gone missing. Shep Collins runs a halfway house for LGBTQ kids and is a prominent figure in St. Louis’s gay community. When he disappears, however, dark truths begin to emerge about Shep’s past: his string of failed relationships, a problem with disappearing money, and his work, years before, as one of the foremost proponents of conversion therapy.

When Shep’s body turns up at the halfway house, the search for a missing person becomes the search for a murderer. As North and Shaw probe for answers, they find that they are not the only ones who have come looking for the truth about Shep Collins.

Their investigation puts them at odds with the police who are working the same case, and in that conflict, North and Shaw find threads leading back to the West End Slasher - the serial killer who almost took Shaw’s life in an alley, seven years before. 

As the web of an ancient conspiracy comes to light, Shaw is driven to find answers, and North faces what might be his last chance to tell Shaw how he really feels.

©2019 Gregory Ashe (P)2020 Gregory Ashe

Slow Burn not for the faint of heart

Gregory Ashe doesn't write warm fluffy hot chocolate cozies with romance. His work reminds me more of Marshall Thomas's Boystown Mystery series with a serious overlay of angst-ridden slow burn between its detectives . At least in Borealis, we get to see the two break through to an actual relationship at the end of book 2. He made us wait three books in Hazard and Somerset.

Gregory Ashe's detectives work on bloody, gritty, messy mysteries that touch the lives of its detectives in bloody, gritty, messy ways. They are, at times, pretty dark. Some of the recurring characters aren't especially likable (I appreciate Shaw's loyalty to her, but I can't find anything to like in Pari), but they do provide color. Others (hi, Jadon) are good people who do pretty consistently good things.

I found listening to the story hard because it was so edge of your seat on every plot strand we've had so far. Twice I took a break and listened to another book entirely. Both times I came back to the story because...

1. Shaw and North have some of the best banter among characters ever. it's clever and funny and lightens up otherwise confrontational scenes. The dialogue in general is really well written.
2. Shaw and North are both good people with great chemistry. They are stupid towards each other sometimes, but they have an 8 year history they're untangling. I wanted them together. Ashe made me care about that.
3. It's well read. Charlie David's voice works for both Shaw and North. He is a good story teller. I didn't ever have to work out who was talking. His voices are distinct.
4. Nevermind Pari and Chuck and Shep et al. I want to know who is involved in the Slasher and see them all get what's coming to them. That's the really hard part of this series. Ashe is hard on his main characters (Hazard and Somerset make a cameo here, and they're both still recovering from the end of their first series.), and I feel like if I don't show up, who knows what he'll put them through. Gregory Ashe probably bathes in the tears of his readers, but he still writes a truly compelling novel, and Charlie David reads it well.

So emotional!

Now that wasn't nice.... I mean that cliffhanger... I might go bald from ripping out all of my hair waiting for the next book.. So… after finishing this book you might have guessed I'm not in the best of moods, and I blame it all on that bloody cliffhanger… But you know what, to save us all from insanity (and my major ranting), I think I'll just go away and write this review another day - when I've had the chance to calm down.

………..

It’s been a few days since finishing this book, and I’m still not happy about that ending. Calmer, but not happy. So I’m going to try to tell you about my feelings for the rest of the book. It did take me a while to get into this story, but once I did I couldn't stop listening. Before I knew it the book had ended, leaving me wanting, no needing, to know more. More about what happened next, but also more about Shaw and North.

There were many raw moments, charged ones in this book. To be honest they were stockpiled as if expecting a major sale somewhere. For me, Shaw especially touched me this time around. I don’t know why, but I had this idea that he was the stable one of the two. Sure he had hangups and issues, but with his past how could he not still be affected by it? But for some for some reason, in my mind, he’d found a way to deal with it, to function and not only on the surface. So it seems that I too fell for that act, that surface. My heart broke for him and I really wish he’d accept help to get better, because he really needs it. His facade is fraying at the edges and I fear what will happen to him when it crumbles.

Both North and Shaw are, for a lack of a better term, messed up. And majorly so. They have so many huge issues that sometimes I feel it was a wonder they even functioned. Then again, they didn’t really. They are both so good at hiding everything they feel. Hide it from each other but also from themselves.

Triangulation is not a book you pick up if you are looking for something pink and fluffy. Contrary to what the cover might suggest this book is mentally draining. It’s filled with emotions, angst and horrors and many that you’ll feel deeply. Wishing to know more at the same time you are wishing for it to stop.

The bath tub scene and the events leading up to it were the most raw moments I’ve come across in books for a long while. The feelings were just oozing from North and Shaw and Charlie David. In those moments there were so many emotions I don’t think I could name them all, the horror, despair and fear, the hopelessness, love, longing, want and need. It was all jumbled and Charlie David made you feel them all – and then some. He will have your head spinning in the best and worst ways.

After finishing this book you might want to look for something pink and fluffy to recover. Because this ride is insane.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review for Love Bytes

Slow Burn . . . so worth it!

Some listeners are put off by the slow burn that Shaw and North have going on throughout this book...typically I would be the same...cut to the chase...get on with it...but what I like was that their relationship wasn't filled with angst and longing (ok a bit of that) but really mutual respect...

Not going to tell you how that ends up...no spoilers here...but I will say that the length of the book scared me a bit (would it drag on) BUT it didn't... the story moved along (quicker than their relationship...lol).

I was given a copy of this book to review but it was on my list to purchase anyway...since I purchased the Audible the first Borealis Investigations Book and will also listen to the third one.

Shaw and North are moving up the ladder of favorite MM series...

Charles David did an excellent job especially with Shaw and North's "back and forth" I laughed out loud more than a few times!

4.5 stars- Great narrator who elevates the book

Triangulation is the second book in the Borealis Investigations series and is definitely one which should be read in order. I needed a bit of an adjustment period to warm up to Shaw and North when reading the first book, but the pair of friends and work partners really shown in Triangulation. I enjoyed their banter and silliness even ore this time and really loved the fast, fun pace that makes these books incredibly hard to put down.

I read the first book in the Borealis Investigations series and listened to the second, and I definitely think this narrator is a spot on choice for the series. In fact, I’d wager his performance played a big role in why I enjoyed the second book in the series even more than the first. His voice fit the characters, moments, and pace so very well, inputting emotion into the scenes without overplaying them.

The suspense element in Triangulation was well done with some good twists I didn’t anticipate at all. There’s still a bit of levity and luck involved with North and Shaw’s investigations, but the series is not lacking in suspense or action. I think what really won me over in Triangulation was the romance and character progression. I enjoyed getting to see more from both North and Shaw, including a good amount of insight into their past feelings and experiences, and I was incredibly happy that this book really furthered their relationship. Plus that ending…wow! I’m torn between wanting to dive into book three because I have to know what happens next and forcing myself to wait because I so enjoyed Mr. David’s narration. If you like some silliness with your suspense and mystery, I definitely would recommend giving this series a look or, better yet, a listen. I think many will develop just as much a soft spot in these two best friends turned PI partners as I have.

*Received ACX promo code via LesCourt Author Services. The author, narrator, and PA had no influence over this review*

Whoo Ha!

This just gets better and better. Wild, crazy, but so brilliant. Love these two, so hard. Charlie David is perfect.

Fantastic continuation

From my original review: From beginning to end, this is just an incredible exploration of mystery, romance, studying the setting as a character, and not being afraid to make North and Shaw get dirty to learn a thing or two about themselves and each other.

Charlie David continues to amaze in this second book of the Borealis Investigations. He delves deep into our main heroes, and between the excitable tangents of Shaw and the smoky rumble of North, I couldn't be happier with his performance!

Don't let the boring cover and name fool you

Another great book by Gregory Ashe. I liked this one better than the previous book. It gets much deeper into the storylines and characters and all the back stories start making sense. A great listen excellently narrated. Cant wait for the next one!

A sequel that is every bit as good as the first!!!

Please just for gosh sake, start with the first book of the series (Orientation: Borealis Investigation, Book 1) because of the complexity of the story, you simply must. And you'll be so very glad you did as it will increase your enjoyment immensely. Let's start with the synopsis, shall we? In Gregory Ashe's 'Triangulation: Borealis Investigations, Book 2', Shaw and North are approached about the disappearance of Shep Collins, who runs a halfway house for LGBTQ kids. Shaw looks into the man's background, they discover working with LGBTQ youth is nothing new for Shep as he has run a Conversion Therapy camp sometime in the past, though at present Shep Collins is an openly gay, happily married man. It seemed that the man had a habit of picking up and running when he decides to remake himself, so the guys are hard-pressed to determine if this is just another example of the same. When he is found stabbed to death and placed in the trunk of the car of the very person that hires Borealis to locate him, North and Shaw are divided on who is the likely culprit, especially when it is discovered that one of the Conversion Camp's past clients is currently working at the youth center. North and Shaw unearth additional information that Shep Collins wasn't as upstanding as was initially believed. This constitutes the major plot for Triangulation, Book 2.
Continuing with the plot for the series arc is Shaw's belief that the wrong man has been convicted and imprisoned as the West End Slasher. He goes to visit the prisoner only to find that he conveniently died the night before. North and Jadon Reck of the St. Louis Police Department (Shaw's current boyfriend), are not particularly thrilled about Shaw's decision to visit the convict but both agree that the wrong man was punished for the crimes. This prompts Jadon to do some digging on his own, as he is certain a coverup concerning the police department is at the heart of the prisoner's death.
As for Shaw's current boyfriend, things between them are complicated by Shaw's love for North that has continued unabated since their time in college. By North looking after Shaw during his physical and mental recuperation from the West End Slasher attack, his love is completely relatable. It is compounded by North's continued willingness to save Shaw's life, as was the case in the previous book when the betrayal results in an understandable setback concerning Shaw's disposition towards sexual intimacies. As demonstrated in the first book, Shaw is quite willing to protect North, too and he does so in a way that gives readers a glimpse of the ferocity of which Shaw is capable. For the most part, things do not work out with Jadon and their relationship ends while Shaw and North become lovers at last!
North's other relationships continue to an extent that other glimpses of his past and therefore insights into his character are on offer. There's the very crocked Uncle Ronnie who trying to track North down to have that favor returned. There's the truly despicable Tucker who is trying to get back together with North after he leaves. There's the father whose relationship with North is purely dysfunctional, being absent of anything remotely resembling paternal love. All give us empathy and admiration for North McKinney that is, in my humble opinion, the brightest spot of the series thus far.
Writer Gregory Ashe has this way of giving readers a blatant glimpse of 'who done it', yet he blind-sides us with so very many other titillating and tantalizing details that fully flesh out the narrative and leave one second-guessing. As is his usual, there is dynamic progress with the subplot in the novel as well as along the series arc. The resolutions of the subplots are satisfying without the conclusion of the conflict in the series. Yet again, he's given readers much to look forward to! Damn, the man is good.

Another brilliantly narrated installment in the North/Shaw series

Beautifully narrated by Charlie David, Triangulation is the second, very successful installment in Gregory Ashe’s Borealis Invesigations series (so far, my favorite series from this author - although he's been on a roll recently with new book series, so I have a bit of catching up to do).
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​​There's a certain misanthropic thread that runs throughout Ashe’s detective novels, both this one about North and Shaw but also in the Hazard and Somerset books. In some ways, I associate it with a kind of grim, mid-western American Gothic, where very few of your neighbors are really the nice people they try to pass themselves off as. That so many of the unpleasant characters in this book are LGBTQ could be off-putting if it weren't for the fact that almost no one comes off in a good light (except poor Jadon, a cop dating Shaw at the start of the book, maybe a couple secondary characters, and the kids struggling to grow up at a LGBTIQ youth center, which is central to the story).
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​​Scanning the other reviews of this book, is clear Ashe has hit a sweet spot among his fans. The reparte and dynamics between North and Shaw have a lot to do with this - they may each be dealing with their own, albeit different, traumatic pasts, but they're love and concern for each other shines through every page, more often than not with a humor that is both a mask and balm.
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​​I read the books out of order, so I've finished the first three - but the next book in the North and Shaw series, Indirection, is finally out! And, just as important, narrated by Charlie David, whose stamped his unique talents on this series to such an extent I can't envision anyone else ever narrating them.
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​​I'd like to thank the author for providing an ARC of the audiobook for an unbiased review of Triangulation. It's fantastic - time well spent.
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Great story. Great narration.

Where do I start... I am deeply engrossed in this series. Ashe is one of those evil authors who knows how to rile up the readers at the start and keep them incensed to the end. Vulnerable kids being put in jeopardy left me in protective big sister mode. I listened to the entire book slightly tense.

This book got only four stars from me on the first listen because I wanted to smack North and Shaw. Without any epic spoilers, I will just say that Jadon sums up their situation perfectly. Maybe the book deserve an extra star because I am so invested. I haven't decided yet.

Great mystery. Great characters. Witty dialogue. Nice conclusion. The narration was great. A few words pronounced in unexpected ways, but since I have a cowboy accent (Wyoming and western South Dakota not the Texas one) I won't judge.

I recommend this whole series. Especially if you liked Hazard and Somerset's series.

Not what I expected

DNF'D an hour plus into the audio. I can't listen to another 11 hours of this.
From the reviews I was expecting delicious UST but despite being alleged best friends I don't believe these two even like each other. They're unprofessional as PIs, breaking in the middle of questioning a witness to have a childish argument. And every other character was super high maintenance.
On a positive note the narrator was okay.

Enjoyable but ridiculous

These stories are enjoyable but get more and more ridiculous as I go on. I honestly believe that in real life North and Shaw would be dead - not only for crossing dirty cops, but for their annoying banter at moments that are supposed to be serious or push the story arc along. My biggest bugbear with this story is that North and Shaw were asked to find a missing person. WHY were North and Shaw even investigating after the man was found dead? Rightly, they should have dropped the case, job done, man found, the end. How do these guys even have a business when they just go off on a tangent like they did in this book and investigate even though they don't have the jurisdiction or a legitimate client.

I know Gregory Ashe seems to like dragging out angst and then adding layers and layers of angst on top but there's a point where it gets too much and becomes too unbelievable. I don't believe that in 8 years of spending nearly every day together that neither North or Shaw made each other aware of their attraction and love for each other.

I became uncomfortable and angry with the sex scenes and the behaviour of both of Shaw's love interests in this book. They KNEW Shaw had suffered a serious assault and was emotionally messed up from that. THEN his lover in the first book tortures and tries to kill him. SO WTF were Jaden and North doing in separately trying to pressure a deeply traumatized Shaw into having sex... and with Jaden it was rough sex that involved choaking. That was really messed up.

The best bit about this for me was the cameo by Hazard and Somerset even though the narrator wasn't a patch on Tristan James.

Good story

The concept is interesting and well written. The characters are likeable and the narration is good.

Best friends...still business partners?

So, this second book in the Borealis Investigations series by Gregory Ashe is quite gripping as narrated by Charlie David, who does an excellent job of bringing the guys and all the supporting characters to life. There is also an appearance by Hazard (from the author's Hazard & Somerset series), with his boyfriend, which I quite enjoyed, having listened to several books from that series previously.
There are issues which relate back to a trauma that Shaw went through about seven years prior to the events in this book involving a serial killer. There are also issues from their previous case that continue to haunt them.
This was another thrilling chapter in their saga as North and Shore try to figure out where they stand with each other as there are several ups and downs in their personal relationship which has a knock-on effect on their professional relationship/partnership.
Highly recommended if you have listened to the first book in the series as I have.

Awesome

This was such an entertaining audiobook.
I was hooked from the beginning and I didn’t want to stop listening.
I can’t wait to listen to more of this series.

Really great mystery thriller!

I haven't read/listened to book 1 in the series yet, but I have it in my queue, so I hope to make time for it soon. The author wove enough detail/background info into the story so that even if a reader jumped into book 2 first, they wouldn't be lost.

I really liked Shaw and North, even if there were several times in which I wanted to knock their heads together. OMG, but they could both be difficult sometimes! The banter and the out-of-this-world UST was more than enough to sell me into this pairing, despite all they had to go through in this book and what might be coming in the next installment for them.

This book ends in a cliffhanger, which I hate, and I wasn't aware of it, which somehow makes it worse, but at the same time, I could barely put down the audiobook until I finished it and I was completely riveted with the case and invested in Shaw and North's relationship, so there's that. Plus, Charlie David did such a great job with the narration and he was in a great measure the reason why I enjoyed the audiobook so much. Highly recommendable!

Amazing Characters & Splendid Mystery, I loved it!

The depth of these characters just increases exponentially with each interchange. The true level of the how deep the damage goes, how desperately these two need each other, and the whole mystery surrounding the slasher comes out in Triangulation. Or maybe Gregory Ashe is just scratching the surface.

Mr. Ashe is building something incredibly intense along with the wonderful mysteries in the Borealis Investigations. Shaw and North have so much history. It’s everything they’ve brought along with them over the past eight years, plus everything (and everyone) getting caught in their wake… I don’t know if I can wait to find out what happens next in Declination!

But wait I will, because I’ve so thoroughly enjoyed listening to Charlie David read these books to me and it wouldn’t be the same without him. So *fingers crossed* the audio version of Declination comes out soon!

Fans of Charlie David know what he brings to his performances, and if you’ve not had the opportunity to enjoy him yet the Borealis Investigations series is a great place to start. He definitely gets these guys and I love how he handles their banter (as well as all the drama and tension between them).

An excellent mystery, interesting characters, and a hearty dose of delicious angst, Gregory Ashe’s Borealis Investigations series is amazing.


an audiobook copy of Triangulation was provided to me for the purpose of my honest review

Fab mystery

Great mystery with the added suspense of a will they won’t they situation between the two main characters. This book had me hooked and I didn’t want to stop listening, I devoured this in a day!

This books is full of twists and turns, intriguing characters and an epic slow burn romance.

Charlie David provides a fantastic narration.

Will they or won’t they?

At first glance, this book is a mystery. A detective agency, a missing person, mysterious surroundings, and all is not as it seems. North and Shaw own Borealis Investigations and although they’ve been through some tough times recently with their agency, they’re still open for business. When their receptionist comes to them asking for their help with a missing person, they’re intrigued. When they get the full history of the missing man, Shep Collins, things take a turn. Shep used to run a conversion camp and is now married and living with his husband. So, yeah, a complete one-eighty. Turns out he hurt a lot of young men during his time running the conversion camp, and although some have forgiven him, others are downright peeved.

Although this investigation is personal for the men – they do support their receptionist after all – the St. Louis police become involved and suddenly things are a lot more complicated. Several bodies later and it’s clear this has gone way beyond just a missing man.

And although the book centers around a mystery, it’s the relationship between North and Shaw that is the most interesting. The thing that kept me hanging on. Each man is involved with someone else. Shaw is in a relationship with a cop named Jadon. Their relationship is…interesting. North is married to Tucker and that relationship goes sideways. There’s a lot to unpack and the split might be a good thing, but these things are always messy. And since North was the one doing the leaving, he finds himself homeless. Shaw, of course, offers up his couch, but that creates a whole other pile of complications.

North and Shaw have history. They went to university together and there’s been a weird push and pull ever since. Will they or won’t they? Can they admit how they feel? Will the other reciprocate? How will it affect their work relationship? Add in Shaw’s obsession about the West End Slasher, and things become even murkier. Like I said, there’s a lot going on.

This book ends on a breathtaking cliff-hanger although the main story is resolved. Now, I didn’t get a chance to listen to book 1 and I fully intend to go back. Does this book stand on its own? Yes. Is it clearly the middle book of a structed trilogy? Yes to that as well. And I plan to jump on book 3 when it comes out on audio. Man, this was a good story with great characterization. I also want to quickly mention the dialogue. The banter back and forth between the two men had me laughing out loud. And Shaw’s obsession with food was also fodder for more laughter. The humor added more layers to the story which I appreciated.

I want to mention the narrator, Charlie David. He’s a fave of mine and I always enjoy his performances. He definitely did this story justice and I’m glad I listened. So, needless to say, I’ll be waiting with bated breath for the finale of this story.

Interesting

Okay, I really enjoyed this story. The characters were thought provoking and made me slightly angsty with their level of love for each other. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat, and I truly didn't see it coming. This book can be a solid standalone, however it's better enjoyed when you have read/listed to the previous one. David is a new to me narrator, and I found it to be a slight struggle to listen for long stretches. Even though he did a good job, I did feel a bit of lacking emotional draw at times, but his narration grows on the listener.