Amazing

This just gets better and better. I feel like Charlie David has found his pace.

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Love these guys more every book

4.5 stars. Well. 😳 A lot goes on in this book, and though in the previous ones GA gave all the frustration anyone should ever have to handle, this time he bought the pain. This one hurt me. Made me furious and then hurt me again.

Another catastrophe hits North and Shaw, and with this one, Shaw absolutely loses it. From reading the series this far, I know the real reason Shaw is going off the rails here. But because he still won't tell North what's going on in his head, North doesn't know the real reasons, he only knows what he sees. And what he sees looks and sounds really, really bad. Then North follows Shaw right off the rails too. On top of all this there are the problems that they're having with intimacy, which comes from the same place everything else does. In the beginning of this one, I thought there was a real chance they might break over all this.

Shaw is so desperate to find the slasher and escape the place in his head the trauma has created that he tries to almost become someone different. And not just looks-wise. There were places in the story where he was actually kind of scary with the things he did, and the way he acted. 😬 (view spoiler)

North is really struggling here. He always tries to make sure Shaw has whatever he needs and supports Shaw wholly but this time he has no idea what to do. North's pain and fear leads him to hurt Shaw right back and he almost ends up in a bad situation. * shivers* (view spoiler)

It isn't all hurt and pain though. North and Shaw do talk to each other, it's just like pulling teeth to get Shaw to spill anything. And no matter what, they do work well together as partners just as much as friends and lovers. Their banter is second to none, they make me laugh even when I don't want to. ❤️

When everything starts to go down and the dirty cops start to unravel, there managed to be a few surprises yet, and the slasher is finally revealed. By the time the dust settles and our guys manage to catch a breath, they're in a much better place, and things are looking brighter for them.

Until in true Ashe fashion, at the very end of the book, another asshole pulls the pin out of the proverbial grenade, and now I've got to sit here and wait to see what happens. But you can bet I'll be first in line for that book. Ashe's writing continues to be outstanding and his storylines and mystery are top notch every time. As a note for the audiobook, Charlie David did a great job with his narration, giving excellent voice to North and Shaw and keeping me in the story. I'm looking forward to more. Really love these men that Gregory Ashe has brought to life here, no matter how crazy they make me! 🥰

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Great I thought end to the series

I was thinking this would be the last book to a series that has been pretty good. But a cliffhanger in the last act points to more to come from Shaw and North. If you've gotten this far you already know - great well developed characters, gripping evolving storyline, hilarious banter, and beautiful moments. A great, middle or close to the end or who knows, to a great series.

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What a ride!

It’s taken them years, but North and Shaw are finally together. It’s not easy or without issues. For one Shaw still have many hang-ups from his attack by the slasher, and naturally so, and it’s something they are still trying to learn to navigate. For the most part they are doing good, but then Jadon is attacked (again) and the hunt for dirty cops and the West End Slasher intensifies. All of this has Shaw spiraling in ways we’ve never seen, I mean he’s on a trip and a half and North is trying his best to calm him – not always succeeding. But it isn’t always going downwards, there are some really moving and honest moments between them and they make you believe that they will actually make it.

Like the previous books, Declination is mostly a procedural and a hunt for answers. An intense and dangerous hunt, and I would say at times even stupid. I mean after everything these two have been through, and considering who they are hunting they do take some pretty idiotic risks, to the point where I actually marveled that they were still alive. But I guess that’s a bit of luck and a huge dose of tenacity for you. There are so many threads and clues to keep track of that you’ll probably won’t be able to. But in the end it all fits – well, after a few twists and turns. Well, there is that cliffhanger muddling things up…

The production of this audio wasn't ideal. It sounded like Charlie David was speaking in a tin can. You got used to it pretty quickly, but it is noticeable every time you start listen. Once you get into the story the narration was great. David is talented and he brings out Shaw and North and makes them real. He modulates his voice and intensity after the events taking place; if a character is shouting, for sexy times etc. It grounds the listener to the story and holds you captive.

I think I read somewhere that this would be the last book in this series, but considering the ending of it, I’m wondering if Ashe don’t have more stories in mind for these two.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review for Love Bytes,

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Terrific, authentic relationship problems

and believable mystery with lots of surprises! Loved it, highly recommend this book and all the authors works!

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Enjoyable Listen

It was great. A lot of vulgarity but I guess that's the way folks talk. Can't wait to hear what's next for these characters. Been a fan of Charlie's great acting and am now one of his great narrating.

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Tying up the West End Slasher

This book was brilliant and it is a further example that I love North and Shaw!! I kinda guessed the who that was part of this long mystery involving the West End (but not British) Slasher case, but not the WHY and HOW so it was nice seeing it all come together, even if all of it seemed a little convoluted at first.

Content notes include misgendering a character, violence, mentions of domestic abuse, dirty cops, murders, alleged suicide, and unresolved PTSD.

The start of the book introduces a new character we've never met before and I wondered how this character would even factor into the storyline because the whole thing seemed so unrelated and random? But I really like this new character and how ze is worked into the storyline, and what hir means for another character going forward in the series. The character is gender nonconforming with ze/hir pronouns and hir goes by Truck. Truck is an interesting character in that ze is a scam artist, but I wind up liking hir a lot? Also, Truck is apparently the perfect person for Pari after Pari's fiasco of cheating partners, so I'm really happy for her.

I should note here that, and maybe I'm wrong, Charlie David (the audiobook narrator) pronounces "hir" wrong throughout the entire audiobook? By the time I'm writing this review, I've already gone through the second arc audiobooks as well, and I'm pretty sure he uses the wrong pronunciation for the entire series (which is 5 books where this comes up at this point). The pronoun "hir" should be pronounced "here" but what the narrator says is "her". Although, with all the issues I have with the pronunciations in the audiobook I'm not entirely sure if "here" is pronounced "her" in Canada (where the narrator appears to be from)? I would've expected the American pronunciation at least for a character's pronouns. Because it just sounds incorrect otherwise.

This book takes place two months after the end of Triangulation where we see Jadon on North and Shaw's doorstep very bloodied up and with a threat towards North. We don't see Jadon as much in this book, because his association to North and Shaw, and just being a good detective lands him in hot water for snooping too much into things he should've stayed out of. As far as ex-boyfriends go in Gregory Ashe books, he might be the one I liked the quickest after he became an ex. Like, Jadon is just a good guy. There's nothing really to hate about him. Ex-boyfriends in other series have had a lot more problems to overcome before I finally warmed up to them (looking at you, Nico).

Interestingly, while we have overlap between these Borealis books and the Hazard and Somerset books in that characters appear in one another's books due to their prolixity and just do to being in similar timelines, I don't think we've seen Jadon in the Hazard and Somerset books? So, I wonder if Jadon will ever cross paths with those guys because if Jadon thinks North drives him up the wall, what would a meeting with Emery Hazard do? I don't think Hazard and Jadon have crossed paths when Hazard was working in St. Louis before, but I could be wrong.

This story is unexpectedly very, very angsty, even between North and Shaw. There's a lot of unresolved issues between them even though they're now together. No one does angst between couples in an established relationship better than Gregory Ashe. Their big fight in this book was a stab to the heart, and I love a moment that can give me stabby heart feels.

This book has a puppy (!!!) that North and Shaw both say they don’t want but you can tell they absolutely adore it. They get the puppy on a case that's in a short story, I think? I need to go back and read it to make sure. It's not required reading before diving into this book, but it IS a fun little add-on. And you'll never guess who the puppy loves more. The puppy is so cute! The puppy also has no name (yet).

The Slasher storyline wraps up with this book, but this does end with a cliffhanger into the next story arc because you know who hasn't been dealt with yet? Uncle Ronnie, and most annoyingly, Tucker. They're a thorn in everyone's side and the fast they’re done away with, the better.

One thing I didn't notice the first time I read this because there was so much going on, is that Jadon is still in a coma by the time this book ends?? We never see him get better or get out of his coma. So, if I were to say one part of the ending was odd and left entirely unresolved, that would be it.

I really enjoyed this book and I liked this first story arc. I wouldn't say the audiobook narration is my favorite just because the pronunciations are really just all over the place, and not at all what I would expect from these characters in St. Louis and I find that it is distracting at times.

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I am torn...

... between the two series of North and Shaw (Borealis Investigations) and the Hazard and Somerset series. The stories are vivid, the suspense is keeping you on the edge of your seat and the plot is brilliant! I love the way the protagonists in Borealis are growing towards each other in their relationship. There is a lot of baggage to overcome and the way they overcome it and keep finding their way back to each other is simply beautiful. and their office manager is often downright irritating but also wildly hilarious! I can't imagine why I didn't find the books of Gregory Ashe sooner, but I'm so glad I did! Now they have become an automatic one-click for me.
As for the narration of Charlie David? I'm not a fan. I think his timbre often isn't right; even when the story gives a "directive" in how something should sound, he doesn't sound like it. His diction is a bit too refined, so even when the character curses up a blue streak it doesn't sound realistic to me. Then again I never had to close an audible narrated by Charlie David because I couldn't take it any longer. I just listen and think: oh well...

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4 people found this helpful

involving gay mystery about police corruption

As a rule of thumb, I like to listen to audiobooks on the shorter side, but I always make an exception for this author. A complex story of police corruption is told from the POV of two private investigators- one of them a former victim motivated by the desire to get to the bottom of the terrible events of his past. Plenty of twists & turns as well as a well-developed gay romance. Great narrator, you can tell he's having a lot of fun with the banter between the two lead characters.

Note: I received a free review copy from the author, however, a review was not required.

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A thoroughly entertaining audiobook, by turns riveting and funny, with exceptional narration

Declination veers from pitch-perfect humor (the really funny, belly-laugh kind) to life-or-death action, yet still manages to convey raw moments of tension, hurt, and passionate affection between the newly coupled private detectives, North and Shaw. Equally pitch-perfect is the crystal clear narration by Charlie David, who gives each of the supporting characters their own vocal style but who reserves his most impressive characterizations for North and Shaw themselves. David's dramatic and comedic timing is flawless, and his narration includes an entire palette of emotions that makes it hard to stop listening. For instance, North can ground and center Shaw's rapid-fire thoughts and manic feelings by simply saying "Shaw, Baby," two words that acquire layers and layers of nuanced meaning when uttered in David's deep, resonate base, two words that, in David's intonations, can mean anything from "I love you," to "Calm down," to "You're safe with me," to "Get ready to run!" (Note: a review copy of the Declination audiobook was provided to me by the author).

The story finds Shaw trying to open up to North but struggling with trauma from an encounter with a serial killer years earlier, a killer who targeted young gay men. It's an abyss preventing the couple from taking the next step in their relationship. But the slasher's story is far from over, and North and Shaw soon wonder if there's anyone they can trust, especially after a man from Shaw's past is nearly shot to death. Ashe's dialogue sparkles, and the plot takes enough twists and turns - both in terms of the search for the killer and in the detectives' love life - to keep you wanting more (at least, that's how I felt, from beginning to end). Ashe uses some tried and true tropes along the way, but because of the strong characterization, constantly evolving plot, and exceptional pacing, everything feels fresh and engaging. (I thought I'd take the week to finish the audiobook, but finished it in two days).

Declination is thoroughly entertaining, hits all the right notes, and I'm looking forward to more North and Shaw (fingers crossed).

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