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Custody Battles

Hazard and Somerset: Arrows in the Hand, Book 2

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Custody Battles

By: Gregory Ashe
Narrated by: Tristan James
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About this listen

Some parents would die for their children. Others will do a whole lot worse.

Emery Hazard and his husband, John-Henry Somerset, are settling into their new normal - at home, with the latest addition to their family, and at work, as Somers adapts to his new role and Hazard manages his expanding agency. The only thing Hazard is worried about is getting through dinner with his in-laws.

When his father-in-law requests that Hazard and Somers join him for a weekend deer hunting, it sounds simple enough: Spend a night camping, give their foster son a chance to spend time with his friend, and - possibly - prevent a parental kidnapping. But nothing is ever as simple as it sounds. At deer camp, Hazard and Somers find themselves drawn into a toxic family feud between parents battling for custody.

After the husband is shot and killed deep in the forest, detectives from the sheriff’s department are convinced that the killer is a local extremist - a member of the neo-Nazi Ozark Volunteers. Hazard and Somers, though, aren’t so sure, and as they probe deeper into the killing, they find that many people had a reason to want the victim dead, and the killing itself might not be what it seems.

Then a drive-by shooting almost claims the lives of Hazard, Somers, and the victim’s wife. The killer’s work isn’t done, and Hazard and Somers must race to find the truth before the killer strikes again.

©2021 Gregory Ashe (P)2022 Gregory Ashe
Mystery Police Procedural Marriage Fiction Outdoor Suspense
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Fantastic

This is the book in which John Henry Somerset comes face to face with the man he cannot fight, Colt's biological father. The man is a bully, he is manipulative, he is vain - traits John recognizes in himself, and in becoming a foster father to Colt, these are traits John does not want to pass on. He wants to be the boy's friend and co-parent with Hazard. He knows how damaged the boy is and so this story is littered with neurotic teenage angst, nonsensical hatred toward John, and Hazard not losing his marbles for once. What John does to earn Colt's respect had me in tears.
This story was unputdownable and I continue to adore Tristan James reading Gregory Ashe's characters. He may not have the range of other narrators but he has fantastic delivery and makes Somers and Hazard not only masculine and hot but vulnerable and human. There were parts of this book near the end where I had to pause the book to take a breath. It was a fantastic listen.

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Enjoyable Story

A well written story with and interesting  concept.  The characters are likeable and the narration is very good.

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Battle royal

I was given this book as an advanced listener.
Take it as a given that we have more of Gregory Ashe's sublime writing and Tristan James' excellent narration..
Hazard and Somerset are the gift that keep on giving. You may think that you have experienced everything with them but once again this book proves this is not the case and I believe there is yet more to come from these guys.
The title encompasses the essence of the story, as not just Hazard and Somerset battle for their family and for some this leads to murder or extreme violence. For the young there are several with trouble identities and some of their actions stir up past memories for both Hazard and Somerset which affects their actions. Colt is natural fit for their family but this requires a readjustment of their roles and the need to reflect on how their own upbringing. informs their parenting.
The story has two strands to keep you interested the crime story and other people families.
A riveting listen.

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Brilliant

I can't get enough of these two characters. The narrator is fabulous. I could listen to him all day.

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Well, married life can be so boring

When we last left Emery and John Henry, the men were settling into married life. They had a new foster son and were integrating him in with their daughter Evie. Everything was going swimmingly. Until John Henry’s parents show up. Now, Emery has a contentious relationship with his in-laws. His father-in-law in particular. I loathe the man. And I have to say, Tristan James’ interpretation of the man makes me hate him more. A great narrator can do that. As he made me hate one of the other villains in the book.

To me, the title was self-explanatory. Of course the custody battle has to do with their new family member, Colt. The teenager came from a horrific home with a father who regularly abused him and regularly abandoned him. Emery and John Henry taking in the boy was a lucky break for the kid – even if he doesn’t always appreciate how good he’s got it. His treatment of John Henry put my teeth on edge and I wanted to figuratively slap the kid. John Henry didn’t deserve the abuse.

Anyway, so Emery’s father-in-law is imposing on the men. John Henry is facing a blackmail threat. And everyone is supposed to pack up and go deer hunting. A very southern thing to do. Now, as an animal rights supporter, this part of the story didn’t sit well with me. Until the murder. Talk about a guy who deserved to die. I mean, all life is sacred and all that, but some guys are just scum.

The case isn’t within their jurisdiction, but of course Emery and John Henry get dragged into it. And they’re almost shot for their trouble. But things aren’t as they seem (are they ever?) and as the story progresses, I wasn’t sure who was on who’s side. I did know there were some loathsome characters who I suspect are going to be back. I shudder. The men solve the murder, almost get killed, and everything turns out okay in the end. Except John Henry still has the blackmailing problem. Oh well, that works itself out as well.

I have to say there were a couple of times when I questioned the men’s intelligences. They both made some dumb moves – although John Henry was particularly annoying this time. Oh well, the story was intriguing, there were secondary characters I hated, and the men strengthened their relationship. Things with Colt might have even gotten better. For now.

I know there are more books to come and I’ll pounce on them as well. And I’ll shout out to Tristan James who just does a fabulous job with narrating this series. He’s perfect for it.

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Great Addition to the Series

Another interesting mystery mixed with intense family drama equals another fantastic Hazard and Somerset book. Custody Battle was full of tangled relationships and high emotions that kept me on the edge of my seat. Not only did the book have it’s dramatic and tense moments, there was also a lot of humor which at moments had me laughing out loud. I like how complex and layered all the characters are – the “bad guys” are just bad because they are evil – they have real motivations and character flaws that explain their behaviors. And on the flip side, the good characters aren’t really good – they are also complex humans who have their own flaws. This is what makes the book so addicting and the series one of my favorites.

The audiobook was narrated by Tristan James who does a fantastic job. He has the perfect book for the characters and voices them very well. The performance was outstanding and paired with the great audiobook production created a great listening experience.

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