Dana and Erryn review Mystery Magnet (The Last Picks Book 1) by Gregory Ashe (Audiobook released June 4, 2024. Narrated by Andrew Gibson. 5 hours and 53 minutes in length. Ebook published by Hodgkin & Blount, April 29, 2024. 181 pages.)
An audio code was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
He was born to write mysteries. Now, he has to solve them.
When Dashiell Dawson Dane moves across the country to a small seaside town called Hastings Rock, he has one goal: get away from his ex. Okay, two goals – because he wouldn’t mind a little help from his new boss, celebrity mystery author Vivienne Carver. With Vivienne’s mentorship, Dash is sure he can get over this blasted case of writer’s block and start telling his own stories again.
The only problem? Vivienne is murdered on Dash’s first night at Hemlock House. And when police find a secret passage that connects Dash’s bedroom to Vivienne’s, they’re sure they know who did it. Now Dash has to prove his innocence – and the only way to do that is to figure out who really killed Vivienne Carver.
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Erryn’s review:
I admit it – I don’t read many cozy mysteries. I enjoy thrillers, on occasion, and I’m big on romance. But a story with a mystery? I’ve read a few, enjoyed them, and so grabbed Greg’s latest story. I admit this is a huge departure from Greg’s other books. No violence. No graphic descriptions. No sex scenes. I thought I’d be bored with the wholesome – but I wasn’t.
I loved Dash. Or Dashiell as he prefers. He’s living under the weight of his parents’ accomplishments and an ex-boyfriend he was never all that happy with. An escape to the west coast seems like the solution to all his problems. Oh, until his new boss is murdered on his first night in residence. And, of course, he becomes the prime suspect. To prove his innocence, of course, he needs to solve the mystery of who really killed Vivienne. Depending on the point of view, there are possibly many suspects or possibly few. Dash has to figure it out before the killer decides he’s getting too close to the truth.
This is also a typical small-town story. One I might almost want to visit. This is just book one and I can’t wait for the next one. I will say Andrew Gibson did a great job narrating and I’d be happy to continue listening to books written by Greg and narrated by Andrew.
9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars
Dana’s review:
I have to start by saying that I am a huge fan of this author. After listening to and reviewing books in over 9 different series so far, I haven’t found a book of his that I haven’t loved. Though I haven’t read too many cozy mysteries, there just aren’t that many with gay male protagonists, the few I have checked out, I have enjoyed. So I was confident that I would enjoy this series, and I was so happy that it was released on audiobook.
First, I think there was a little bit of playfulness on the author’s part in writing this cozy mystery. The main character, Dashiell, isn’t a big fan of them, anyway. In the world Dash lives in, solving mysteries in real life is something mystery writers do, or at least want to do. I feel like the story lightly pokes fun at all of the amateur sleuth stories but also tells an interesting story of an amateur sleuth trying to clear his name after he finds his new mentor, a mystery writer dead.
Like most of Gregory Ashe’s stories, there are twists and turns making it difficult to figure out “who done it”. Things were not what they seemed for sure. There are a whole group of side characters that bring entertainment to the story as well. It definitely wasn’t as gritty as some other stories that the author has written, and because it’s a cozy, there won’t be any sex on page, but like other books by the author, there is a possible romantic interest, and it’s gonna be a real slow burn. That’s how the author does it and I love that the couples have to work for their happy ending, it makes it so rewarding.
I am really looking forward to the rest of the books in the series after reading their blurbs and I am looking forward to the narration by Andrew Gibson. I haven’t listened to him before, but I thought he did a great job bringing the story to life.
9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars
Rainbow Gold Reviews 