Reading Between the Lines

Shadowy Solutions, Book 3

De: Nicky James

Narrado por: Nick J. Russo

Officially boyfriends and business partners, Tallus and Diem take on a new case in a small town outside of Toronto, where the police have deemed the death of a teen an accident, but the mother isn't so sure.

©2025 Nicky James (P)2025 Nicky James

Amazing!!!

This is my FAVORITE of Shadowy Solutions so far. I was absolutely hooked on the mystery, and I adore these two coming together so genuinely 😭 I feel like Diem made real strides forward while living with his struggles. And who can’t love Tallus? But let me tell you, the way Diem bodily protects Tallus in this one is one reason why Size Difference is elite.

A wonderful continuation!

I love opposites attract so much, and Diem and Tallus’s dynamic has filled that space for me from book 1. The mystery was intriguing, with no shortage of twists and turns, and the B&B from hell had me cracking up every time 😂

Major kudos to Nick J Russo for another stellar performance! I’ve started waiting for the audiobooks to experience these books for the first time, because I’ve been conditioned to need his accompanying narration! I’m especially in awe of his voice for Diem - it embodies gruff Diem to a T. Highly recommend these for anyone looking to jump into this series!

Great narration

Nick does such a great job on both Diem and Tallus’ voices. I love this series and this one may be my favorite so far.

Small town, BIG SECRETS. and lots of clocks?

i was never a murder mystery Girly, After reading these books more and more i don't know if its how Nicky writes them or if its how things go but they are really growing on me.... Like Talus is to Diem!
a small town having a big issue, with you guessed it A TWIST! from the beginning to the end its all right there but you just need to make the connections,
my ONLY Issue is that Talus, wont stop complaining, but once Diem complains talus jumps his bones about it. or does the Full steam ahead INTO DANGER! the Number 1 rule of murder mysteries! never go ALONE!.

They’re boyfriends!

Tallus and Diem are back! Woohoo!

Every time Nicky James publishes a new audiobook, I kind of lose my mind. I binge the book and soak myself in her men. Then I sit down to write a review and struggle to find the right words to convey how amazing the experience of listening to her audiobooks is.

So…Tallus is studying for his PI licence. And is just 10 hours away from completion – as he reminds Diem every 10 minutes when trying to justify his actions. Diem, for his part, has nabbed a job in a small-town outside of Toronto – too far to commute. It’s clear there’s no case. It’s also clear he needs the money. Since his new client is willing to pay…he goes. And brings Tallus with him.

Okay – quick aside. The description of the B&B had me in stitches because that was basically my grandmother’s house minus the clocks. Sorry, Nanny, had to be said. I hadn’t been comfortable in her place and I sure wouldn’t have been in the B&B. So Diem had my complete empathy.

Aside over.

Tallus is more empathetic to the victim’s mother than Diem is capable of being (or at least so Diem contends). Which is why Diem brought his boyfriend in the first place. Yes, they’ve actually upgraded from f- buddies to boyfriends. Half the time I don’t think Diem can believe this either.

Now, this case is all about high school students. They’re better than 8th graders – but not by much. I don’t miss high school and these mouthy teens give Tallus and Diem a run for their money.

But all is not as it seems and it’s up to the two sleuths to solve the mystery.

I’ll be honest and say I did guess at one element early on, but the rest came as a surprise to me. Again, as with all of Nicky’s mysteries, this was well done. I loved it.

Nick J. Russo is brilliant in his portrayal of the two men – especially Diem’s rough voice. Everything about these stories just clicks and I’m thrilled to see there’s another one coming! Woohoo. So yes, you want to grab this one. And all the others if you haven’t and thank you for the Valor and Doyle cameo. More please!

I Just Love These Two So Much

Loved It. I enjoyed the mystery, but my favorite part was the connection between Talas and Diem, their relationship was getting stronger and more captivating in this book. Although I think this book can be enjoyed as a stand alone, it is much better to listen to previous books before this one to appreciate the amazing character development Diem and Talas are going through. Narrator was amazing, I love his voices for all the characters and he made this captivating mystery a perfect listening experience.

Can feel the emotions

Tallus and Diem are back. About 6 weeks after the last book, this core of this story occurs. This story starts at the end and then begins the retelling of the recent past. Love how they get engaged in a new case. A case filled with many twists and turns to keep both the reader and the characters on their toes. There are multiple characters that the guys have to interact with to work through the case. All these characters add great value to the story. The romance between Diem and Tallus continues to grow. I love the evolution of their relationship throughout this story. There are a few other things that stick out. The dog, the clocks, and so much more. What a great story.

Updated for audio:
Just love Nick Russo's portrayal of these guys. He must get tired of doing the deeper voice for Diem. He did an excellent job of emphasizing the emotion in this story. You could feel the emotions. The audio was just as excellent as the read through.

So Happy Diem & Tallus Are Finding Their Way

I love the grumpy/sunshine dynamic and Diem & Tallus are one of my favorites. This third book in the series is great! Diem and Tallus' relationship is evolving into something solid. Diem continues to break my heart with his struggles and he fights so hard to connect. I love how Tallus supports him and helps nudge him to open up. Add in a really intriguing mystery with enough twists and turns to keep me engaged and I didn't want to stop listening. The narration was superb and I am so glad there is going to be more books in this series.

emotional

Nick J Russo's voice for Diem is perfection. Diem is learning how to deal with his emotions and it just bleeds through the voice acting. And even though I want to wring Tallus's neck a few times, one chapter in particular, he's so good for Diem. They're relationships develops significantly in this book. Can't wait for the next one.

The best!

Wow!! I loved the ebook but the audiobook is amazing!! This is another case where Tallus and Diem have to investigate an accident and find out if it was intentional or not, they discovered more information about a serial killer, I like the new status on their relationship and how they are more in tune with each other!! Am in awe of Nick J Russo narrating this story, he is absolutely amazing! Can’t wait for more of this series!!