The One That Got Away

By: Nicky James

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

Someone is following me. I’m not imagining it. I’m not crazy.

Charlie Falkingham is convinced someone is stalking him. There are signs. There are clues. But no one believes him. After living through a childhood horror, Charlie suffers from a severe paranoia disorder, among many things, and the Hamilton Police Department has labeled him the boy who cries wolf.

When the only person in the department who ever listened to Charlie’s concerns retires, who can Charlie reach out to for help?

Arrogant and young, Officer Takoda Dyani has a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. He’s rude and brash and doesn’t play well with others. He has more enemies than friends. When his senior officer assigns him to be Charlie’s consultant, Takoda knows it will end badly. He doesn’t have time to coddle a prissy rich boy.

However, if he can’t calm Charlie’s paranoid delusions and act civil for once, he’ll lose his job.

But are they delusions?

The longer he knows Charlie, the more Takoda realizes something isn’t right.

Is someone really stalking Charlie, or is Takoda getting too wrapped up in Charlie’s world?

The One That Got Away is an MM romantic suspense thriller. Triggers for severe anxiety and panic disorder, OCD, dissociative episodes, and PTSD. The plotline includes a reference to a past child kidnapping and sex trafficking incident. Details of sex trafficking are NOT discussed in any part of the story.

©2021 Nicky James (P)2021 Nicky James

Suspenseful

Nicky James absolutely rocks the suspense romance genre. Her ability to capture the psychology of the characters is incredible.

Charlie is a fascinating character. A survivor of horrendous things when he was a child, he lives with the aftermath through anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, PTSD…you name it. You equally want to wrap him and never let anything hurt him again or build him up to be able to conquer all his fears. But Nicky also gives us an understanding of how hard it can be to interact with him.

Takoda. Takoda is a lot. This angry young man carries the weight of a world that is rarely cheering him on. He’ll make you cringe and you’ll probably want to yell at him, but as you get to know him, you will become invested in him finding happiness and some peace. Beneath his brash exterior is a heart of gold.

The story itself will have you o the edge of your seat.

PS. Nick J. Russo is fantastic in this. He really seems to understand both of these men.

Another winner by Nicky James

I loved the book, a definite five star. But when you combine a fabulous book written by a talented author such as Nicky James, and match it with an incredible narrator Nick J Russo the result is perfection. Nick takes a fabulous book and brings it to a higher level. This is what audiobooks are all about. Highly recommended.

Outstanding, Riveting, and More

Absolutely amazing story. My first time for this author but won't be the last. And Nick J. Russo was powerful and versatile in his performance. Win:win.

Great listen!

This audio was great! I loved the narrator and the story! I highly recommend this audiobook !

Loved, loved, loved!

Oh my gods.

This was perfect. I said it.

The only bad thing about this book is that it ends.

Sweet

I had no idea what to expect. This was a well-written story. Not much suspense but I liked the character development. It was also nice rooting for a sexy gay couple rather than the typical straight romance in cop thrillers.

Riveting, surprising, and touching!

If I could say only one thing about this book it would have to be that I was riveted from chapter one, and it never let up! This is a gripping mystery with characters that will tug at your emotions. Prepare yourself for a wonderful ride.

Due to a horrible childhood trauma, 29 year old Charlie suffers from OCD, anxiety and severe paranoia. As a result, over the last decade and a half, he’s been prone to reporting ”concerns” about his personal safety to the police. Often. Now, when the same white car begins to appear nearly everywhere he goes, Charlie fears he’s being stalked. Once again he goes to the police for help, fully expecting to speak to the detective who’s always been willing to listen and help him in the past. But, at the police station, Charlie is told that the patient detective he’s come to trust has retired.
Enter Takoda, a younger, cocky police officer with an explosive chip on his shoulder. As a punishment for bad behavior at work, Takoda gets assigned Charlie’s case. The last thing in the world Takoda wants is to deal with a rich boy, privileged complainer. But, over time, Takoda starts to wonder if, maybe, this time something really is wrong… is Charlie right? Could he be in danger?

Fairly early on I liked Charlie. His struggles, both mental and emotional, felt very raw and real… but I could tell there was more to him than just his fears and quirks. I quickly became invested in his well being. I cared about him and wanted him to be ok. My concern however was that I wouldn’t ever like the seemingly always rude, perpetually angry Takoda. And in a romance, I want to like both characters. I was happy to be wrong about our hotheaded cop. I began to love that he hated lying to Charlie. I loved watching him become protective. I found it beautiful that Takoda softened as he got to know Charlie… to become patient and respectful of his needs. I need never have worried that James would have given us an unlikable hero… that is not her style.

Nicky James has easily become a favorite author of mine. Her brilliant writing is richly layered, full of emotion and truth. Her sensitive approach to mental illness is unsurpassed. As I’ve come to expect with her books, The One That Got Away is unapologetic in its gut punching hurts. It will drag you through some painful times, but rest assured you’ll relish the journey. You’ll want to know every detail she offers and then beg for more. James will have you dying to know what happens next and cursing any clock that tells you that you should stop listening for a while, to sleep… or eat… or go to work!

Nick J. Russo’s performance in this audiobook elevates an already incredible story to epic heights. He isn’t reading… he is performing as he tells you the story. His clearly distinct voices for every character add to the experience. I loved Charlie’s sweet, soft tone and Takoda’s gravelly deeper snarl. Every moment of witty banter, snark, fear, frustration, anger, joy, and steam is perfectly conveyed in this narration. The combination of Nicky James and Nick J. Russo is a gift, and I treasured it!

If you like a good mystery, two very different men, some hurt/comfort, and a beautiful romance that will sneak up on you, you’ve found your your book!! Happy listening!!

listened to in 3 sittings

I'm starting to gain a patter with all Nicky James books. Low number of sittings. if I didn't have to sleep or do other things that required my ears i would have had this be a one and done. Again

At first i wasn't to sure about Takota and Charlie, I should have known better but hey. i am wrong a lot. by the end of the book i was wanting them to win against everything. They both go on a journey that helps them both grow, and there might be a furball or two on the way. who knows.

i love Nick's voice for this book, he hit the emotional tones so well the anger the heart break, i forgot there was only one narrator. i was able to sink right in.if your a Nicky fan then this is another to add to your list to read. If your not already, What are you waiting for?

Talk about roller coaster ride

The raw depths of words. Touching. Could not put this book down. I found a new Arthur and I'm telling you the narrator Nick Russo made this story REAL!

This is my fourth book by Nicky James. I'm searching for another read. Nicky's dealing with mental health issues, anxiety, and sex child abduction is very touching and sad.

It's a mystery but be cautious-it's very disturbing but I just couldn't put it down.

Lovely angsty listen

I love me some Nicky James – especially when I’m in the mood for some good old-fashioned angst. Charlie is one of my favorite characters in Ms. James’ stable. I just wanted to wrap him up and hold him tight. He was a victim of sex trafficking as a boy (never discussed in detail), and that experience has colored how he sees the world. He sees patterns where none exist. He sees stalkers that aren’t there. For the past twenty or so years, he’s lived in fear. While his mother and sister have walked away from him, his father has remained steadfast. But even he worries about Charlie’s delusions.

All that being said, Charlie has made a good life for himself. He’s a fantasy author who has seen some success. There are a few things he is able to do on his own. But, for the most part, he’s stuck in his childhood home with demons who won’t quit.

For years, the cop who rescued Charlie was his point person at the Hamilton Police Department. Charlie could always bend the man’s ear and know he was being heard. When that cop retires, Charlie needs to be assigned to someone. His mother’s political connections along with a deep-seated guilt within the department for not having rescued him sooner (and for the horrific outcome for all the other victims) has the higher ups attempting to appease Charlie as best they can. When he comes in with another story of being stalked, he’s assigned a beat cop named Takoda. Charlie is Takoda’s last chance. Literally. His last call was to deal with a couple of drunk teenagers and when he went to the house to confront the parents who supplied the alcohol to the underage kids, he, uh, doesn’t do so well. Rich people aren’t his jam, and although everything he did appeared to be accidental, it endeared him to no one – least of all his boss. So Takoda is assigned to babysit rich and spoiled Charlie.

Now, although Takoda’s antipathy is never in question, Charlie’s perception of the world is. Is he really seeing someone out there? Is he being stalked? Or is it his imagination running off wild in all directions? Charlie’s father and the former police officer who used to help him both believe it’s the latter. So does Takoda…until a few strange things happen. At first, he writes off those incidents, but Charlie’s reaction to them demands attention.

Now, since this is a thriller, I suspect you know which direction this might be going. Alas, I will neither confirm nor deny your suspicions. I will say this is a smart book that had me questioning everything. I adored Charlie and empathized with him and his anxiety. I felt awful for what he endured as a child, even if details were never given. I worried that he wouldn’t even be able to have an emotional and physical relationship or that the right man might not even come along. But even people with mental illnesses and/or childhood trauma deserve happiness.

I also came to like Takoda, despite the attitude and chip on his shoulder. His family situation was rough and he’s fought to put together a life he can be proud of. He’s done a good job…if he can just keep his gig as a cop. As things deteriorate, that also came into question. You’ll have to read to find out what happens.

Quick shout out to Nick J. Russo for another stellar performance. He always nails it and he works well with Ms. James. Can’t wait to see where they go next.