Dana and Erryn review Lethal Control ( The DuPage Parish Mysteries Book 3) by Gregory Ashe (Ebook published by Hodgkin and Blount, October, 31, 2022. 274 pages. Audio released December 30, 2022. Narrated by Declan Winters. Length: 8 hrs 8 minutes) An audiobook was provided in exchange for an honest review.
To read the duo review of Stray Fears (The DuPage Parish Mysteries, book 1) click here.
To read the duo review of Cascade Hunger (The DuPage Parish Mysteries, book 2) click here.
Blurb:
Werewolves. Witchcraft. Wildlife. It’s all different in the bayou.
A year after Eli and Dag survived their second encounter with a monster, things are finally going well. Really well—as far as Eli is concerned, anyway. He’s lost weight. His energy is up. His hair is on point. There are the little things, like the occasional flare-ups of temper and the urge to murder the kids down the street, but that’s just part of living by teenagers. Right?
But when Posey, a man they met the year before, shows up on their doorstep a few nights before Halloween, everything starts to go wrong. Posey needs their help: his boyfriend has disappeared. Worse, his boyfriend might have committed murder. Oh, and even worse? His boyfriend is a werewolf—a special kind native to Louisiana, known as a rougarou.
Eli and Dag begin their search for the missing rougarou, but it turns out, they’re not the only ones on the hunt: the mob, a gator-man, an implacable monster hunter, a witch, and a few bonus werewolves are all looking for him too. The rougarou, they learn, is the key to a ritual—a ceremony to summon a lwa, a powerful spirit. As time runs out, Eli and Dag must hurry to find the rougarou before the others. If they’re too late, the end of the world might be only the beginning.
Buy links: Audible | Amazon | B&N | Add to Goodreads
Dana:
I’m not sure why, but I had to sit on this review for a little bit before writing it. This book has so much going on and is so action packed, I had to process it all and figure out what was important to say about the book to anyone who hadn’t read or listened to it yet. This isn’t a series in which this book should be read as a stand-alone so if you haven’t read or listened to the first two books, I highly recommend it. Especially, since things that occurred in the first book have come back to affect Eli, in particular, in this one.
Eli is a complicated character who I feel a lot of sympathy for. His family was killed by a monster, his previous relationship was beyond abusive, and he has an eating disorder and a host of other neuroses that make it hard to believe anyone can really love him. In this book, he discovers that his ex had a more lasting impact on his life, bringing about physical and emotional changes, and violent thoughts that can get quite graphic in detail.
Dag has the patience of a saint, in my opinion. He puts up with Eli’s attention seeking antics, and sees the real good under Eli’s act. Dag’s family is real comic relief in the story, and I love how accepting and supportive they are. As an ex-cop, turned student, he has saved Eli’s life, supported Eli through his problems, and faced down monsters, I’d say Dag is pretty perfect. His only problem is his nervousness that Eli will run from their relationship. It’s not an unwarranted fear, but this small mistrust in Eli seems to make Eli’s own fears spike. That, and the fact that these two stubborn men aren’t great at communicating with each other when it counts. Though their romance does have a very promising moment right at the end.
Still, I really like these two characters together and I have high hopes for them. In this book they find themselves fighting a voodoo woman who has collected a group of half human/half paranormal characters to secure her authority in the bayou. A blood sacrifice is wanted to help a demigod rise and Dag and Eli find themselves in the middle of an epic battle. There is some resolution to the ending, but I feel like something bigger is evolving, so I hope there will be more to this series.
I definitely recommend listening to this book, the narration by Declan Winters is spot on. He does a great job bringing the characters to life and does his best to bring a unique voice to each character.
8.5/10 Pots of Gold (85% Recommended) – Compares to 4.25/5 Stars
Erryn:
I’ll admit this isn’t my favorite Gregory Ashe series. That being said, I’ll listen to anything he puts out, so I was happy to snap this one up. I don’t know if it’s the paranormal elements that I find so unsettling or the actual content – be forewarned, there are some graphic violence scenes. Don’t want to give too much away, just giving you the heads-up.
Eli and Dag are an improbable team. Dag is a former police officer who is studying marine biology. Eli is…dealing with an eating disorder, worried about his looks, and always siding with Dag’s over-liberal parents. They view supporting their gay son as a competitive sport and are always trying to make sure they’re the best.
It’s kind of cute.
Poor Dag.
Despite all this, Dag and Eli are pulled into the hunt for the Rougarou – another mythical creature. As always, things aren’t as they appear, and it’s up to the men to solve the mystery before it’s too late. A wild ride, for sure.
I want to give a shout out to Declan Winters who does a great job with narrating this unique story – he makes it so much better.
8.5/10 Pots of Gold (85% Recommended) – Compares to 4.25/5 Stars
I’m a long-time Midwesterner. I’ve lived in Chicago, Bloomington (IN), and Saint Louis, my current home. Aside from reading and writing (which take up a lot of my time), I’m an educator.
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