Reasonable Doubt

Hazard and Somerset, Book 5

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Tristan James

After almost 20 years, Emery Hazard finally has the man he loves. But things with his boyfriend and fellow detective, John-Henry Somerset, are never easy, and they’ve been more complicated lately for two reasons: Somers’s ex-wife and daughter. No matter what Hazard does, he can’t seem to get away from the most important women in his boyfriend’s life.

While Hazard struggles with his new reality (changing dirty diapers, just to start), a bizarre murder offers a distraction. John Oscar Walden, the leader of a local cult, is found dead by the police, and the case falls to Hazard and Somers. The investigation takes the two detectives into the cult’s twisted relationships and the unswerving demands of power and faith.

But the deeper Hazard looks into the cult, the deeper he must look into his own past, where belief and reason have already clashed once. And as Hazard struggles to protect the most vulnerable of Walden’s victims, he uncovers a deeper, more vicious plot behind Walden’s murder, and Hazard finds himself doing what he never expected: racing to save the killer.

Only, that is, if Somers doesn’t need him to babysit.

©2018 Gregory Ashe (P)2019 Gregory Ashe

Love this series

I like Tristan James as a narrator. He did a great job with this series. I love this series. My only complaint is the level of bigotry and the vitriol that some of the characters spew. I kind of feel like the author could have expressed how ignorant the people were without all the name calling.

Having said that, the writing is great. I'm not a slow burn person but I loved this couple. One is a loveable butt and the other is a cheeky sometimes scared to act man.

This is my second go round on this series. the spinoffs for these books are just as good.
All in all great listen.

Favorite in the series so far

Ok the Hazard + Evie content has me hooked. I loved seeing the very hard outer shell angry broody MC turn into a puddle with toddler. Yes, yes, good, good.

Glad there is finally some romance! The slowest of slow relationship arc in this series. I love how in they both are, and it's nice seeing them happy (for once).

The religious cult element of this and conversion therapy was really hard to get through. I also would so love it if slurs stopped getting tossed around in everyday conversation, but it's the norm in this world it appears. Also, not sure if it's different in the ebook/physical book but I need to get a tally going of the amount of times 'scarecrow eyes' and 'turquoise/tropical eyes' are brought up. Pls, maybe the narration is just a bit noticeable for those phrases, lol.

Da*mnit, now I want more kiddo content, it's very sweet and refreshing with the constant pain, angst, murder, and general evilness going on in their world.

Quite amazing

I am filled with awe at this book. The story was extremely interesting, quite complex, lots of characters and it was a lot of fun to read. For me the biggest problem was that it was so verbose. He used 25 words to say what could have been said in 10. Way too sophisticated for my pea brain. I am glad it was audible because I would have fallen asleep if I’d been reading it.

Nakita Thomas

Loved it I will definitely be listening to it again and listening to book 6.

Gregory Ashe’s excellent writing continues to give me inspiration and fear I’ll never be a good writer

Love the story, sad that the arc where the two of them working together is at its end, but I understand that I’m sure Ashe wants the characters to get into her things, otherwise the books might end up being formulaic after awhile, sort of like a television series with the no real plot line, and that would be tragic. What makes me so jealous is his ability to weave their strong connection together with compelling,twisting cases, and then land such descriptive beautiful descriptions of dust motes and sunlight… I’m surprised he isn’t more popular. I’m sure it’s because Hazard and Somerset are men, so people think this book isn’t for them. This is, like all his H/S books I’ve listened to, about two people in love. What couldn’t be simpler and yet so complex? I’m eager to get into Hazard as a PI.

Love this series!!!

4.5 stars for me. This book was my favorites in the series. I absolutely loved best the tender moments between Somerset and Hazard and the thoughts Hazard had about their future. Hazard really showed his softer and nurturing side in this book and Somerset was the ever patient partner who gets Hazard like no one else can.
Have no fear, Hazard is still prickly to his co-workers so he's not getting that soft. LOL

Love it

I love this series so much. Honestly my only complaints are the repetitive comparisons. I was rolling my eyes whenever Somers eyes were compared to water-again. Hazard’s eyes were compared to scarecrows and autumn corn so many times I was surprised the narrator didn’t get annoyed.
With that being said—
This series is so raw and beautiful. Hazard needs to work on himself for sure but I feel as if he’s finally growing as a character and perhaps one day he won’t have blow out tantrums whenever he’s angry.
The mysteries are fun to follow and try to figure out based on context clues and the evidence they discover.

Kind of confusing, very intense

This book took me OUT. It had me ugly crying late at night trying to finish the book. It broke my heart and slowly tried to piece it back together.

Trigger warnings for cults, violence, murder, homomisia, emotional manipulation, mentions of abuse, sex with underage teens, PTSD from conversion therapy, attempted murder of a child, suicide, and a parent with terminal cancer.

I did try to read the ebook for this. I really did. But I think the author’s words are too long and winding and convoluted for me to read in text form. It’s not to say that I don’t like the author’s writing. BECAUSE I DO. But. My attention span just really isn’t that great. That’s why the audiobooks are so fantastic. I really couldn’t have read these books otherwise. The story of Hazard and Somers is fantastic and I wanted to love the story. So I waited for Tristan James to narrate the audiobook and it was SO worth the wait.

Something that I love that this series is that it doesn’t make Cora into the evil ex-wife and her, Somers, and Hazard get along great. Hazard even takes up babysitting Cora and Somers’s kid really well and IT’S SO CUTE.

The mystery aspect of this book is confusing. I’m just along for the ride. There’s a lot of twists and turns. Maybe a bit too many. But I am weirdly interested in reading about cults, so the plot kept me entertained. The cult storyline is SUPER messed up and I feel so bad for everyone who was manipulated into the cult thinking they were loved and that their sacrifices were worth it.

BACK TO HAZARD AND SOMERS. I really liked that the past isn’t swept under the rug. There’s too much with what happened between Hazard and Somers back in high school for it to all truly go away. Hazard was deeply affected, both physically and emotionally, by the scars he carried with him since high school and that isn’t something that just goes away and I like that it’s something Hazard and Somers really need to talk through and not keep ignoring.

JUST ONE MORE BOOK TO GO. At least, in this story arc. I believe there’s supposed to be more Hazard and Somerset books down the line, but as far as this story arc goes, there’s only one more book! As always, the e-book is already out but I’ll be waiting for the audiobook because the audio is 100% worth the wait.

How does GA keep doing it?

I’m not sure how this author keeps doing it, but I’m here for it. These two will be the death of me… and I didn’t see any of that ending coming.

Love every book of this series

I truly love every book in this series. Gregory Ashe is an amazing author and Tristan James is a great narrator.