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Unstable Connections
- Valor and Doyle Book 3
- Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
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Unstable Connections
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Summary
Missing children are reappearing, and the ties to a 30-year-old cold case can’t be ignored.
Detective Quaid Valor has too much on his plate. Between his shaky, brand-new relationship with reformed office playboy Detective Aslan Doyle, his sister’s case going from cold to hot overnight, his father insisting on being involved, and his boss breathing down his neck, Quaid is on edge.
The stress of the case is impacting Quaid’s whole life. He isn’t eating or sleeping, and every time he and Aslan are together, he is overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy which threaten to ruin the one good thing he has. Aslan’s patience seems unending until something happens to turn his life upside down too.
Can their relationship survive the personal and professional pressures they’re facing, or will it crash and burn?
Between media rumors and unstable connections, Quaid and his team need to hustle and piece together a complicated case before more children fall victim to their unknown serial kidnapper. Maybe once everything is solved, Aslan and Quaid will have time to work on their rocky relationship and find stable ground once again.
*Unstable Connections is the third book in the Valor and Doyle Mystery Series. It is a same-couple series that should be read in order. Although each book has a self-contained mystery with no cliffhangers, the romance is over-arching and progressive throughout the series.
What listeners say about Unstable Connections
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gordon / steven
- 09-01-23
love this book series
so we'll written feel like this has been one of the best series I have read in a long time. I couldn't wait to get it and sad it's finished
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amelia
- 03-01-23
An engaging, emotional mystery to solve
I knew Quaid and Aslan were in for a rocky ride after that bombshell about Juniper dropped at the end of the last book, but Nicky James absolutely blew my mind with this fantastically engaging mystery to solve. All the questions I've had about what happened to Quaid's sister thirty years ago were finally laid to rest in this book, and the truth was as thrilling to uncover as it was heartbreaking. Nick Russo was the perfect narrator for this story--his delivery was expressive, sincere, and helped build a sense of urgency as the storyline progressed.
I felt every ounce of Quaid's stress and tension as he threw himself into investigating new leads, re-interviewing past witnesses, and struggling to make the pieces fit together. If you thought you'd seen stressed-out, overworked Quaid before, it was nothing compared to his mental state in this book, and the resulting strain it put on all his close relationships was noticeable. Aslan and Quaid started off the story on a somewhat hopeful note--getting Quaid's father's begrudging approval and making little inroads on building trust--but sadly the heavy weight of the case revealed cracks in the foundation of their relationship. Quaid fell back into old habits learned from Jack, like not reaching out for support in fear of being seen as weak or clingy, and it made me ache to see all the things he left unsaid. Aslan did his best to keep open lines of communication between them, but with both their jobs being so busy and stressful, it was inevitable that they'd reach a breaking point. It certainly didn't help that Aslan got blindsided by the reveal of an incident from his past, and it gutted me to see how hard he spiralled in response. Thankfully, both Quaid and Aslan were committed to working things out, and no matter what ugly things they said in the heat of the moment, they always came back together, apologized, and worked to build each other back up. It was honestly really nice to see how self-aware these characters were, because it meant they didn't hold themselves or each other to an impossibly high standard to meet.
I'm genuinely impressed by how well Nicky James developed Aslan and Quaid's romantic relationship without taking any focus away from the MP cases, and I remained equally captivated by both as the story progressed. The more links to Juniper that were revealed, the more my brain kept spinning with theories and possibilities. I've said it before, but I love the way Nicky James puts her readers directly into the headspace of her detectives, including all dead ends, incorrect theories, and breadcrumbs of information that lack just enough clarity to keep everyone in the dark. I fell into all the clever traps of misinformation she laid and didn't guess who the real culprit was until Quaid had finally put the pieces together himself, and even then the truth was so unexpected I almost couldn't believe it. Juniper's kidnapping was one piece in a much more twisted story, and my heart hurt for all the innocent people that were involved. I'm glad that Quaid and his father got some closure at last, but that didn't take away from the emotional impact of the ending. Aslan and Quaid are going to need each other's support more than ever to move forward, and that's part of why it made me really happy to see them take some steps forward in their relationship and reaffirm their commitment to making it work.
**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mandy Tunstill
- 10-01-23
Absolutely Outstanding ❤️
Simply brilliant can't get enough of this amazing series by Nicky James and her two special men Quaid and Aslan love both of them and with the narration of Nick J Russo it's absolutely fantastic can't recommend enough pure perfection ❤️
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M B.
- 09-05-23
Amazing
The slow burn is killing me, but the plot is so compelling that I can’t stop listening. The cases they work are interesting and keeps me on my toes. Highly recommend
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wendy
- 26-01-23
Fabulous ongoing series
Nicky James continues her brilliant Valor and Doyle detective series with an absorbing and addictive third instalment. It’s clear she’s enjoying herself immensely with her ongoing development of these two detectives judging by their witty, funny interaction and banter. Valor and Doyle have come a long way on their romantic journey since their reluctant collaboration as detectives in Temporary Partners. Originally forced to work together they have discovered a mutual liking, respect… and more for each other.
Finally the mystery surrounding the missing child, Juniper, is solved and we were not short changed as this gifted author led us by the nose, and had us - or me specifically - suspecting every poor soul… but that, of course, is exactly what she intended.
The denouement was thrilling, intelligently executed and utterly satisfying, and at no time did I have a clue where she was leading us. I’m so glad that Valor can finally have some peace and desist from his constant searching because it’s clear he needed to set down his burden.
But how does Ms. James follow what could have been the end of the series - but thankfully isn’t. Don’t get me wrong… I’m so glad the author is as enamoured with her characters as I am because…
I do not want this fabulous series to end…
and I know I shall have a massive book hangover when it does. But, as I said, how will Nicky James follow that ‘ending’? Brilliantly, is all I can say from what I know of her work. And so we wait for the next instalment.
Valid and Doyle continue with the building of their tentative relationship, stepping on egg shells all the way. Each went through the wringer in this book and I lost a few years and gained more grey hairs for my hairdresser to deal with, but both were there for each other and have become stronger for their efforts. One really tender moment for me was when Doyle produced Valor’s birthday present… it was a complete ahh moment… I loved it, and what it meant, but more importantly it was what Doyle had ‘seen’ in his grumpy boyfriend because not many people see past the walls Valor has erected to hide his tender soul. However, enough said, I leave it to you, to discover for yourself. Suffice it to say that these two adorable men are still working hard to build a life together and I’m definitely cheering them on.
Nick Russo has become the voices of Valor and Doyle for me and I’m rather afraid I’ll be unable to imagine him as anyone other than these two characters in the future. My initial ‘problem’ with separating the two men (book one) has now dissipated and I’m comfortable with the differences he uses in tone and nuances to differentiate between Valor and Doyle.
I particularly love his depiction of Torin Fox, Aslan Doyle’s partner in homicide… such a fabulous character - his wooing of Alison, which is done with a great deal of ‘help’ from Doyle, is hilarious. Nick Russo does a fabulous job with this character and I only wish it were possible for him to have a book of his own.
The author and her narrator are a perfect team for this fabulous series and I can hardly wait for Inevitable Disclosure which I shall no doubt gobble up as soon as it’s released.
Another 5* from me for both story and narration. Brava Ms. James and Bravo Mr. Russo.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katie townsend
- 28-12-22
like coming home
being back with aslan and quiad with nick j russo narrating unstable connections was absolutely wonderful I was hooked and loved it
mystery with romance is just perfect and following aslan and quiad's relationship develop more was a absolute treat
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Susana
- 04-01-23
Love it!!!
I can’t recommend enough this series!! The romance between Aslan and Quaid is amazing! Nick J. Russo is the perfect narrator for this books, I like so much how he brings these two characters to life! I like how much these two have grow and they are trying to work out, the case is very personal and important to Quaid and swoon every time Aslan is there for him. Can’t wait for more books!! Highly recommend it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mrs N
- 17-01-23
And the plot thickens!!
Having read the book when it first came out I knew the story blew me away initially and I was curious to see if I felt differently with the audio....
With such talent as Nick J Russo voicing Quaid and Aslan I felt everything deep in my soul. The nuances he put into each character was so good, Aslan's strong personality came through each time he had to pull Quaid back from one precipice or another. He definitely heightened the pleasure of this story for me.
This series is so good, Nicky James throws in enough red herrings to keep you guessing and wanting more. The plot thickens as more victims throw more questions into the already complex missing childrens case.
The precarious relationship between the 2 fabulous detectives has my heart in a spin, I'm really looking forward to much more....
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vicki Williams
- 24-12-22
Wonderful
The Story:
Another master class from Nicky James who has woven another intricate and intriguing plot balanced by the fledgling relationship between two strong but flawed main characters.
Quaid has his personal insecurities and those combined with a lot of work stress add pressure to his new relationship with Aslan. Include the possibly of a life changing event in Aslan’s life and this have the potential for the relationship to get messy.
We were left with a final line bombshell in the 2nd book and that investigation is the focus of this book. I was kept guessing all the way through and was amazed that the questions left over from book 2 were answered in such a mind blowing way. This was a binge listen for me and I loved every minute of it.
The Narration :
Nick J Russo gifts us with another flawless and captivating performance in the Valor and Doyle series. From start to finish his ability to bring all the characters to life doesn’t miss a beat.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- H. Spanarella
- 12-01-23
Fantastic Twists & Turns Along the Way!!
Wow! This latest book in Aslan and Quaid’s journey was a roller coaster of emotions! This was a must listen for me on the heels of their next book coming out. As expected Nick J Russo knocked it out of the park stepping back into the shoes of Aslan and Quaid. He brought out emotions and feelings in the narration that were more poignant than when I initially read the story. While the book was hard to put down, I felt myself savoring the audio as Aslan and Quaid’s relationship continued to grow and face challenges. I was drawn in so fiercely by the latest case that Quaid and Aslan found themselves involved in. Quaid is investigating a case involving a missing child, that hits close to home. The case starts to uncover ties to Quaid’s sister Juniper’s kidnapping from 30 years ago. The twists and turns we are treated to while Quaid and Aslan investigate their latest case kept me on the edge! I found myself saying, “OMG what is happening?!” several times while I tried to piece it all together. You know the lies we tell ourselves reading? “Just one more chapter, I’ll stop at 11:00, when the plot evens out?” Yeah those. In this book, one more chapter will never be enough. The end of every chapter is drama filled and you must continue to the next! On top of the fantastic mystery, is the Quaid and Aslan navigating their new relationship as boyfriends. I love both these men, and at points I think I adore one more than the other, and then I flip back! Poor Quaid is struggling to accept he’s worthy of Aslan after the number Jack did on him over the last year. But Aslan never fails to to soothe Quaid’s fears, and tell him he’s worthy and show him how much he cares. These two are absolute #goals and I am loving seeing their relationship evolve and grow. I love the fantastic connection they share, and their chemistry together only grows with each book. It’s hard to decide what I enjoy more - these two working cases together, or these two navigating their new relationship. I hope there is no end in sight for getting to know these two!
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