A Friend in the Fire

An Auden & O'Callaghan Mystery, Book 2

By: C.S. Poe, Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Garrett Kiesel

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

After solving the mystery behind the death of his former friend in July, ex-Army Sam Auden has been aimlessly wandering the country. Everything had gone sideways in New York City, so when his phone rings three months later, the caller is the last person Sam expected to be asking for help.

Confidential informant Rufus O’Callaghan has been struggling. His NYPD contact was murdered over the summer, and the man Rufus is head over heels for was driven away by his own undiagnosed trauma. But when he receives an anonymous letter that promises information on his mother, life goes from dark to dangerous in the blink of an eye.

Sam and Rufus must dig into Rufus’s rough and turbulent past in order to solve a series of contemporary murders connected to his mother. And if the two can’t expose who the killer is in time, they will most certainly become his next targets.

©2021 C.S. Poe, Gregory Ashe (P)2021 C.S. Poe, Gregory Ashe

The book is great

The book is great. The narration not so much. A bit flat. Sometimes I find it difficult to hear who says what. But the story? Brilliant.

Great Narration& Story

Love these 2 guys together. their just perfect. The story was interesting and narration great.

Good story. Good narration.

Another action packed murder mystery. I enjoyed it. Mostly, I like the characters. Rufus and Sam are an interesting team. The last book ended on a disagreement between them, but a reunion seemed inevitable.

I keep getting Jack Reacher vibes from Sam, but I am not complaining. I am just very amused by the idea. Sam is still hiding most of his backstory, but we do get hints in this book. Rufus needs help with his past so he calls Sam. Things go about as well as they did in the first book. Mayhem happens.

I am looking forward to the next book. I want the rest of the mystery.... I am also enjoying the narration. Garrett Kiesel has a much better performance in this book. There are still a few awkward pauses here and there, but I like how he voices the characters.

the narrator nailed it

I've read the first book and didn't really like it much. The plot was alright, but the dialogues between the MCs... idk they just sounded strange. I can't imagine real people talking like that lol

Same thing with this book. the only difference is that I liked the narrator - he nailed the sound of the characters, but it's a pity that I don't like the characters lol

yeah, I think I gave this series a fair shot, but gonna stop in this book.

Sam Auden and Rufus O'Callaghan are back and bette

After their horrible argument three months ago, Sam Auden finally get the call he's been hoping for. Rufus needs him. Someone who claims to know something about Rufus's mother's death contacted him, and asked to meet. Instead of learning more about the night Daisy died, Rufus is brutally attacked and barely manages to escape.

He needs Sam's help. Daisy might have been a prostitute and would never have won Mother of the Year, but she was the only family Rufus had and he won't find peace until he knows exactly what happened to her.

I've never heard Garrett Kiesel before this series, and I can say I'm a huge fan. He portrays Sam exactly how I thought of him, but Rufus! I love it! Well done!

I love Sam & Rufus

A Friend in the Fire by Gregory Ashe & C.S. Poe was given to me in exchange for an honest review. We pick up 3 months after the first book in this series where Rufus starts looking into the death of his mother Daisy. When he runs into a knife wielding man who wants him dead he calls Sam for help. As Gregory and C.S. weave a wonderful and intriguing murder mystery while keeping the snarkiness of both Sam & Rufus you can't help but get caught up in all the craziness these two create. I loved this book narrated by Garrett Kiesel and really brings these two to life.

Past and Some Boundaries

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Here it is.
This instalment of the series focuses on the adventures our heroes encounter when trying to figure out what had happened, all those years ago, with Rufus’ mother. Somebody from the past, who should have been in jail, appears one day in Rufus’ way and tries to stab him. This attack makes Rufus call Sam and ask for his help. And Sam comes back, and together they start putting together the sombre memories that might help them disentangle the past. This search carries them through Manhattan, the NYPL, the Brooklin, and some parts of Jersey. They ponder on what it means to be a victim of a crime when you come from a low status profession, and how easy it is to let people like that slip into oblivion.
The relation between the two MCs enters into the boundary negotiation stage. Rufus takes steps towards treating his illness, and we are offered a short blink into a possibly violent past Sam might have.
The narrator is perfect - it has a default quality that leaves the story intact.

Loved it

Loved this story. Fell in love with Sam and Rufus in A Friend In The Dark and loved them more in A Friend in The Fire. The story developed well and the dialogue was great.
I just love Garrett Kiesel, his interpretation is spot on and I could listen to him read anything!

Brilliant

This is a brilliant series, characters are amazing. Great plot, can't wait for more of this.

LOVED

Sam and Rufus are back together again and that can only spell TROUBLE! Of course they find themselves in the middles of danger. What else have we come to expect from these two!
While these two had parted on less than the best of terms, when Rufus needs him Sam is there.
A current day situation harkens back to a decades old history.
With danger and intrigue surrounding them, who can they trust?
I loved the slow build of this case. As a reader you will become immersed in this world, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Garrett Kiesel does a terrific job narrating this story.