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Domestic Animals

Hazard and Somerset: Arrows in the Hand, Book 3

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Domestic Animals

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

Sometimes, the most dangerous animals are the ones you let inside.

When a man hires Emery Hazard to track down a teenager who, he claims, robbed him, Hazard isn’t convinced. The story has holes in it, and the client seems eager—too eager—to keep the authorities from getting involved. But Hazard is willing to play along; he suspects something much darker is going on, and he wants to know what it is.

Then his husband, John-Henry Somerset, connects the boy in question to an ongoing suspicious death investigation, and both men realize they’ve stumbled upon something much more complicated. There are too many loose threads: missing money, stolen jewelry, a husband back from the dead, and a string of violent assaults on men paying for sex. And there are too many people with their own agendas.

After Hazard’s client turns up dead, though, the pressure is on. The killer isn’t done yet, and the closer Hazard and Somers come to unearthing the connection between the victims, the greater the danger. They find themselves in a race to uncover the truth before another victim is claimed—and, if Somers is really lucky, in time for him to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day.

©2022 Gregory Ashe (P)2022 Gregory Ashe Literature & Fiction Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Police Procedural Fiction Marriage

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All stars
Most relevant  
I was given this audiobook as an advanced listener.

We have a complex murder mystery to tangle with; one in which I get changing my mind as to who did what and wondering if I should feel sympathetic towards any of the main suspects. Once again you wonder why people have children and also how they don't understand that belittling others, and acquiring more and more material things won't make you any happier.

So, that storyline alone would have kept me interested but we also get the backdrop of Hazard and Somerset's everyday life, which it can be argued is still messy but I would argue not as painful as the other books in the series. We see growth for Somerset, Hazard and Colt, both as a family but also as individuals. Best of all you can't miss out on Hazard giving advice on how to maintain relationships. You may laugh but you see him demonstrate this in how he supports Somerset as he works out if he has what it takes to be police chief or is he going to continue being other people's puppet of punchbag.

Chapter 22 and the final chapter have been added to my list of comfort reads as they contain some of hardest but most beautiful moments in the book. Aah, the power of love. Gregory Ashe I salute you and Tristan James' you nailed the narration as always.

Hazard and Somerset rock

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Love burns hot. Revenge, cold. Hatred can go either way. And of course, there can be times when the flame, any flame, seems to die down almost to nothing. This is one way of looking at the complex web Gregory Ashe weaves in this novel.

If the previous arc of novels laid Hazard bare, this one seems to be zeroing in on Somers. Life as chief of police isn't a bed of roses. Far from it. And then there's his husband, and their foster son, both of whom seem to attract trouble with ease.

As ever, Ashe skilfully combines a painfully truthful look at family life with police procedure and an intriguing, all-too-plausible mystery.

Burning hot and cold

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

Enjoyable Story

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Listener received this title free

I’m never quite sure where each Hazard and Somerset book will take me. Dark places? Sure. Morally repugnant characters? Pretty much guaranteed. Shocked? Well, yeah, that too.

Hazard’s upstart detective agency is always in need of clients, so when one comes along whose story is dubious, Hazard takes the job, but has his suspicions. Those suspicions are confirmed when the guy turns up dead. On Hazard’s turf. The more he digs, the more he discovers things are not as they seem. But when are they ever?

Somerset, meanwhile, is dealing with disgruntlement in his ranks. He’s the chief, but his authority is forever being contested and Dulac’s drinking problem isn’t helping matters. Can John-Henry be both a friend and a boss to his former partner? And of course Somers’ father is making a pest of himself. Every time the man shows up, my hackles rise. I must insert a note that Tristan James’s portrayal of the man is perfect. His voice for the loathsome creature puts me on edge. As it should.

When it becomes clear Hazard and Somerset are looking for the same person (or persons), they team up again. People around them are in danger. I was never quite sure who was a good guy and who was a bad guy. Motives were suspect as well. And, finally, their foster son Colt became entangled with new kids while on the outs with his ‘friend’ Ashley. That hurt my heart because I know Colt and Ashley are so good together. Even if just as friends.

Eventually things wrapped up. I didn’t see the killer coming, Or killers. I didn’t foresee this dénouement. And, of course, I got a satisfactory ending, although even that was in question. Somers was definitely off his game. But the men are happy. Apparently there are at least two more books in the series, so I’ll keep enjoying them.. And, another plug for Tristan James – he’s made for these books and I adore his narration of them. Worth a listen.

Another mystery

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Listener received this title free

Hazard and John Henry never fail to completely and utterly grab my attention and keep me hooked until the very end of the book. Domestic Animals is full of deadly intrigue mixed with greed, lies, and a mystery full of twists and turns. While solving the case, Hazard and Somerset have to also work on their own relationship and keeping their son safe. There’s so much raw emotion and human fallacies - Hazard and Somerset have to work for all their happiness. Gregory Ashe does such a fantastic job of balancing angst and grit with tenderness and humor. I loved this book so much.

The audiobook was well done and I could hardly put it down. I highly recommend it.

Love It!

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