Indirection
Borealis: Without a Compass, Book 1
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Indirection
Narrated by:
Charlie David
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Narrated by:
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Charlie David
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By:
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Gregory Ashe
About this listen
Rabid readers. Backbiting authors. A romance convention from hell.
Shaw Aldrich and his best friend, boyfriend, and partner, North McKinney, are doing great, thanks. The aftermath of their search for the Slasher has finally settled down. Their private investigation agency is thriving. And after years of missed opportunities, they’re finally together. Sure, work might be taking up every spare minute, and their time together as a couple might have evaporated - but that’s normal, right?
When an author asks for their help investigating threats against a gay romance convention, Shaw sees an opportunity to shake up their routine and maybe have some fun. But the convention isn’t what he expects. Between the rabid fans and the backbiting authors, the death threats - which seem totally baseless - are the least of North and Shaw’s worries.
Until, that is, a best-selling author is poisoned in the middle of a panel. Then Shaw and North must race against the clock to find the killer before he (or she) escapes - and before the convention ends. But romance authors are more complicated than either North or Shaw expects, and a treacherous web knits the suspects together.
Shaw and North will have to unravel a skein of lies and half-truths to uncover the killer. It doesn’t help that, on top of everything else, Shaw just wants to find his next favorite book - and, if it isn’t asking too much, have sex with North at least one more time in his current incarnation.
Indirection is the first book in a follow-up series; listen to North and Shaw’s first adventures in The Borealis Investigations, beginning with Orientation.
©2021 Gregory Ashe (P)2021 Gregory AsheListeners also enjoyed...
Why entitled this review 'crazy ride'? Well because Shaw and North cases take you to some ridiculous places. Some will make you laugh and some despair. It is always interesting.
You need to have read/listened to the original series to understand Shaw and North's dynamic and some of the recurring characters. The backdrop to the story is North and Shaw learning to accommodate one another as we delved into the world of gay romance writers. Bitchy much!! As for North's uncle Ronnie - you will have to listen to find out.
Lastly, I am pleased that Gregory Ashe has managed to keep Charlie David as narrator as he inhabits his characters so well that the translation from the book doesn't miss the nuances.
Are there some more challenges ahead for North and Shaw? Well we'll have to get book 2 to find out......
A crazy ride
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Apart from that, the story of a murder at a Gay Romance convention amused me greatly. Ashe clearly used the story to have a dig at the ridiculousness of the con circuit, the outrageous behaviour of readers, and egotistical crazy authors. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the content was true as lots of stuff has happened at GRL that people in the MM community know about! It's why I'd never attend!
The relationship between North and Shaw continues to be dysfunctional. both of them have so much baggage that it will probably take the whole of this new series for them to end up on the same page! Fun, good writing, shame about the narrator.
Enjoyable Story, annoying narration
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Listener received this title free
Shaw’s note – like the time North got wasted at a Sigma Sigma party and tried to walk home and got stuck in a hedge for two hours until I found him
North’s note – better example: or like the first time Shaw used a Dab Pen and got lost inside his own sweater
Erryn’s note – I had to go look up what a Dab Pen was (thank you Google)
I adored the Borealis Investigation series and was sad to see it end. At the time, there was promise of more and this author tends to write prolifically when he zeroes in on a couple worthy of his attention. Shaw and North are such a couple. Although their respective arcs felt complete after the last book in the previous series, a few cracks let daylight through, so I wasn’t surprised to see my two favorite private detectives back. They’ve put the slasher behind them and are busier than ever with the business – especially the work they’re doing for Shaw’s father. They’re not getting rich, but things are at least comfortable.
When Shaw is approached by the organizer of a gay romance convention, Queer Con, to help solve the threats to the con, he grabs the opportunity because it’s something new. Something shiny. And he gets to pull out his manuscript about gay library sex (and a debate about whether you can return a book you’ve uh, you know…if it’s library hardback and you’ve cleaned it. (Hint – no ahem way.)
I have heard a few stories about cons over the years and have attended a few myself (although never a gay romance con, despite having always wanted to.) I’ve heard rumours about things going on behind the scenes, but I’d like to believe nothing as extreme as what’s going on in this story. That being said, I wonder how much is imagination and how much is rooted in those rumours. I was never quite sure.
Now, along with murder, there is a lot of humor in this book. Like at some points I laughed out loud (not common for me) and a couple of times, I actually snorted. Usually at Shaw’s antics. I can never quite figure him out. He seems almost ditzy at times and at other moments, he has great ideas. That being said, I’m firmly in Camp North. Shaw would drive me nuts. Sometimes I wonder why North puts up with him. Then Shaw does something super sweet and I think, yeah, I get it. Or he does something ridiculous (the red pen incident) and I think, OMG, I’d lose my, uh, stuff..
There is a lot going on in this book. Not just the con. And Shaw and North are in for a nasty surprise when they try to take down a criminal. North’s past might not be as clean as he’d thought.
Okay, and through all this, I had Charlie David. I adore him and his narrations are always brilliant. He has the couple nailed, and did a good job with the secondary characters as well. Obviously there are more books to come in the series and I can’t wait. And although you can listen without having enjoyed the last series, I would recommend tossing it in to the mix – if only for the sheer entertainment value.
North and his Shaw
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Listener received this title free
The business is going well; Borealis is making money and a name for itself, but it's clear straight away that both men have different views as to where it should be going and what cases they should be taking. When the woman who runs Queer Expectations – a gay romance book convention – turns up with tales of threatening emails and begs for their help, Shaw is chomping at the bit to take the case and get out of their current rut of corporate drudgery. North isn’t wild about the idea – they’re slammed with other jobs and – but, well, he’s putty in Shaw’s hands, and of course they take the case.
The case is pretty bonkers, with North and Shaw getting the run-around several times over, and then again when one of the big-name authors at the convention is poisoned in front of everyone. Setting this story at a romance convention is very meta and there's definitely some fun being poked at the prejudices held about the romance genre (and, it has to be said, m/m readers in particular).
If I have a complaint it's tthat at times it's all a bit TOO crazy; there's too much going on and it was difficult to take it all in. But there are also some lovely, tender moments between North and Shaw that show how much they care for each other - and others in which the cracks are starting to show.
North's awful "uncle" Ronnie continues to menace in the background; we find out exactly what his hold over North is, and all I can say is it's going to get worse before it gets better. (IF it gets better. Please!)
I really enjoyed Charlie David's performances of the first three Borealis books and was pleased to see he's back for this new series. He's an excellent vocal actor and he's completely nailed North and Shaw, from North's sometimes exaggerated grouchiness to Shaw's wide-eyed (not at all) innocence, and his comic timing in their banter is spot on. I noticed quite a few mispronunciations here that should have been picked up, however which is a shame in an otherwise excellent narration.
Looking forward to more!
The Borealis Boys are Back!
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Enjoyable Story
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