Relative Justice

Hazard and Somerset: Arrows in the Hand, Book 1

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Tristan James

An impossible son. An impossible murder.

The honeymoon is definitely over.

When Emery Hazard and his husband, John-Henry Somerset, arrive home from their honeymoon, they’re shocked (understatement of the year) to find a boy waiting for them on their doorstep. Colt, 15 and eager to pick a fight, claims to be Hazard’s son. It’s almost a relief, then, for Hazard and Somers to be called out to assist the Dore County Sheriff’s Department with what seems to be an impossible murder: a man has been found stabbed to death in a stretch of woods, and the only set of footprints in the soft ground belong to the victim.

The more Hazard and Somers learn about the dead man, the more confusing the case becomes. While searching his home, they discover a secure room from which several high-end computers have been stolen. A woman makes a daring theft as the house is being secured and escapes with valuable documents. The dead man’s neighbor, who found the body, is obviously lying about how she discovered him. And something very strange is going on with the victim’s sons, who are isolated at school and seem to have found their few friends through the youth group at a local church - and in a close relationship with the hip, young, attractive pastor.

An attempt on Colt’s life leaves Hazard’s (possible) son in the hospital. When Hazard and Somers learn that the attack came after Colt tried to investigate the murder on his own, they realize he is now in the killer’s crosshairs, and Hazard and Somers must race to uncover the truth. The results from the paternity test aren’t back yet, but father or not, Emery Hazard isn’t going to let anyone harm a child.

©2021 Gregory Ashe (P)2021 Gregory Ashe

Great story. Great narration.

I really hope that Gregory Ashe can keep writing this series for a very long time. Every new book seems to draw me even further into this world. I don't even like the Midwest. I escaped. I don't want to go back, but if I could visit Hazard and Somerset's corner of the world I might consider it. If Tristan James voices the tour, I might even take one of those touristy bus trips through the Ozarks.

The mystery is fascinating, the characters have very real personalities and problems. The settings are so vivid that I can easily imagine myself in Hazard and Somerset's house or out in the field observing the crime scene. The conflicts are real world problems that the characters deal with in insightful ways, and I have yet to predict the entire plot resolution.

Long story summarized, this is a great start to what promises to be my favorite series in the Hazard and Somerset universe, but I have made that declaration before...

Suspenseful but great!

I truly love every book in this series. Gregory Ashe is an amazing author and Tristan James is a great narrator. This one was full of suspense and I had to pause many times to get through it but it was well worth it!

Continued greatness

I’ve loved Gregory Ashe’s stories for years. This addition to the life and times of Hazard and Sommerset just gets better and better. I enjoy the detective story but love the characters. Their personalities grow and adjust and I wish I knew them in real life. The addition of Colt and Evie’s emerging personality are engaging. The narration is dry which is exactly right for Hazard and a wonderful counterpoint to Sommer. It highlights when the emotions start ramping up, especially when Hazard loses it! This fan was not disappointed and I look forward to the next installment of their story.

Garrrrhhhh!

This book twisted me up!

Here’s why:
Stubborn Hazard
Placating Somers
A kid as stubborn as Hazard
Colt
Colt
(The stubborn kid)

While I loved Hazard and Somerset (as always) throwing Colt in the mix didn’t work for me as much as a standard murder would have.

I know things are always in flux on the home front with they two men, but I’m looking forward to things settling down so we can get back to good old death and mayhem in Wahredua.

As always, a SENSATIONAL NARRATION!!

Another amazing addition!

Unlike so many others series, I'm 11+ books in and not showing any signs of loosing interest. Tristan James and Gregory Ashe are a dream team that I hope never breaks up!

Hazard Does Have Feelings!

I loved revisiting this series in audio. The story is is very well done and the narration is top notch. Hazard gets some surprising news and instead of the usual grumpy Hazard, we start to see more and more that he does have feelings and by the end, it is evident that his life is changed. By far one of the better books (all of them are great, though) to showcase these characters. I look forward to the next in the series.

Great Listen

Good story. What the victim/Villanova were doing is a true story ripped from the headline. Tristin James does another excellent preformance.

Excellent

Once again there is a tight mystery, complex characters that Tristan James brings to life with exceptional style.

I am so glad for this second spin-off

I started out reading Gregory Ashe’s books with the Hazard and Somerset series, It's made them a sentimental favorite of mine. I am so glad the author brought them back in a second spin-off series with new twists and turns.

I’ve seen Hazard and Somerset weather all sorts of disasters and fight their way to a happy ending. I wasn’t expecting the strictly gay, never been with a woman Hazard to have a secret son show up at his door. Hazard definitely doesn’t expect it either, or believe it. Right away he reacts with his go-to distrust and anger. When Hazard is good, it’s hard to remember how cutting he can be, and I felt bad for the boy. Yes, how he came from Hazard’s loins is a mystery, but immediately Colt tries to impress and worm his way into Hazard’s affections.

That includes interfering in a case both Hazard and Somerset are consulting on. The case falls under the sheriff’s jurisdiction and not the police department Somerset is in charge of, but the sheriff trusts the two men and asks for help. God knows that his own deputies are just awful at their jobs. Their holier than thou attitudes and bullying natures are so off-putting. Hazard definitely crosses them during the course of the investigation so I’m not sure, but it’s possible we might see some more conflict with these goons in later books.

As far as mysteries go, this one was a good one. I think I had an inkling about who had committed the murder Hazard, Somerset, and Colt were trying to solve. It was just a hunch of the least likely suspect, but I had no idea what reasons lay behind the murder and the horrors surrounding it. Lets just say that the victim and his “girlfriend” were horrible human beings who had my brain imagining even worse scenarios than the awful acts that actually occurred. With the help of Colt and the confessions of the new pastor in town, but not the sheriff’s department, Hazard and Somerset solve the case like always. That means with Hazard getting hurt, of course.

After all Hazard goes through in this book with Colt; life threatening situations, bullying principals, and shared past experiences, the results of the paternity test cease to matter to Hazard. Whether Colt is his son or not, he comes to care for the boy. It doesn’t mean Hazard won’t still be harsh at times and demanding, but he wants to include Colt into his and Somerset’s lives.

I have to give Somers a lot of credit in this book. After coming home from his honeymoon, he is surprised by a boy claiming to be his husband’s son and he treats him with care and concern from the get go. Then there is the murder investigation, his own biological daughter, stepping into his new role as police chief, and trying to keep Hazard from blowing his lid. He is so calm and rational and was the voice of sanity in this story. Not always the case, but very refreshing.

I also want to quickly mention Nico, Hazard’s ex who appears in this book looking to work for Hazard. After what he went through in the last series, he seems to be a whole new Nico. He is subdued and wants to right wrongs he made in his past. I am looking forward to what happens with him in this series. I think I’m starting to feel for him and would love to see him find some sort of happy ending, maybe in a series of his own.

For fans of Gregory Ashe’s other series, there is a fun cameo from another series. I can’t wait for the next Arrows in Hand book to release on audio. I am a huge fan of this author and the narrator Tristan James is Hazard and Somerset to me. It was a great listen that I highly recommend.

Emery Hazard has the surprise of his life…

After a wonderful, relaxing honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands, our newly-married couple headed home, looking forward to their new marriage and new life. But they didn’t even make it through their front door—someone was waiting on their front porch, a teenager with scarecrow eyes who claimed to be Hazard’s son.

But there’s no time to deal with that bombshell. Sheriff Engels has a dead body in the woods and Hazard and Somerset are called in to assist. Desperate to prove himself, Colt wants to “help” solve the murder, and the boy follows the PI and new Police Chief into intrigue and mortal danger.

Who killed Scott Krower? And where did this boy that has insinuated himself into their lives come from?
Gregory Ashe’s first book in the new Arrows in the Hand series is superbly written, full of twists and turns and jewels of insight that only makes us love these boys more.

As always, Tristan James is a genius with Gregory Ashe's material. He nails the voices and personalities of John-Henry and Hazard perfectly. Well done!