Great book but...

If you are looking for a romance with an HEA this isn't for you, however this is a grwat book.
The main characters are both in the police but that's really where the similarities end.
A lot of hurt in his life and a lifetime of angst gives the main character a flawed outlook on families.
With lots of twists this is a very good book to read or listen to, if your looking for M/M action though the first kiss is on chapter 29. A very long wait.

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A great series, great characters, great narration

Firstly, I loved the characters. They are well fleshed out over the book, and series.

The characters were allowed to breath and form as individuals, leading up to the two main characters developing their attraction and relationship.

The background characters are a good support to the story. The romance and sexual aspects are part of the main story and plot, rather than the main theme. It's all quite tasteful and well written.

The setting is unique and you get the feel and sense of the local community, that whole thing becomes a character of it's own.

The narrator is wonderful. I find some of this genre of books have rather waspy monotone narrators, Michael Dean is NOT one of these. He managers to give great unique voices to each character and has the emotional range to handle some of the more distressing aspects of the characters story.

I loved the books so much, I ordered the next two before I finished the first one.

Elle Keaton has to be one of the best writers of this genre that I've come across and will need to have a look at some of here other books.

Awesome mystery romance

Niall is done working on Seattle as a homicide detective. He goes back to his home, the home his grandparents left for him. Then it all begins, murders, mistery and mayhem in a town where the most criminal activity is petty theft and drugs. He seems to be drawn to the Sheriff and together they discover something they never imagine would come to their doorstep. This book kept me hooked from the beginning til the very end. A hot simmering romance in the midst of solving crimes. Awesome!
Well written with a great plot and a very complementary narration.

Swept away

I read and enjoyed the ebook and was delighted to then get the audiobook a week later.

The story has very little heat, which concerned me at first, but then I got swept away by the complexities of a well thought out plot. It certainly isn't one of those where I had worked out "who done it" by halfway through.

The attraction between Mat and Niall is present all through the book, and started from high school years. The slow growth to a hfn acceptance is an absolute pleasure to read and leaves me wanting to read the next book in the series.

The narration by Michael Dean is very good. He superbly captures the characters of Mat and Niall and the ever present rumble in Niall's voice is particularly apt.

Seriously good !

This story was a little different from my usual reads. Having read from this author before l knew it would be a good story.
Man did It have much to keep me happy. A great storyline which had me on the edge of my seat, lots of colourful residents with historic feuds, and two very hot and angry alpha men with explosive chemistry. Fabulous, but l need more.

Michael Dean's narration was so, so good. His gravelly voice gave the story and characters so much depth, l didn't want the book to end.

Brilliant Mystery had me on the edge of my seat

What a gem, loved this book from an author I never knew existed, I just wanted something to listen to for the evening. I loved that the mystery wasn’t all bullets flying and mad car chases. That the story was pulled along by the case and not the romance. And I did not predict the “who” done it at all! Seriously this is a great book.

Fantastic start to the series!

Niall is grumpy and prickly, understandably so after all he's gone through since he was a little kid. He suffered a traumatic experience before coming to live with his grandparents at Piedras island and then had to suffer through his schoolmates' bullying, so it makes sense that he escaped from it as soon as he possibly could, even if it took him away from the only home he knew. Now, disillusioned from his work as a homicide detective in Seattle, he's back at Piedras to try to fix his grandparents's cabin to live in it, but trouble might be following him.

Mat returned to Piedras after working at the SFPD for a while, where he was out and proud, to care for his mother after his dad died, and now that he's the island's sheriff, Mat is back in the closet. After all, there's no one there at Piedras that is worth coming out to his mother, so why bother? But when Niall Hamarsson returns to the island, he's wondering if perhaps it's time for him to finally make the effort, especially since his mom seems really taken with the gruff detective. However, there are a lot of things happening on the island and suddenly they're dealing with things that they haven't seen in ages, if ever and a lot of it seems to be somewhat related to Niall.

First things first, if you're looking for a romance, this book is definitely not it. But if you're looking for a well-thought police procedural story, with some mystery and suspense, some UST between the MCs and a slow-burning developing relationship that I can't wait to have more of in the next installments in the series, by all means, you're on the right track here with Hamarsson & Dempsey.

Add to that the amazing performance by Michael Dean (aka Michael Pauley) and Conspiracy Theory is definitely a book you don't want to miss out on. He nailed Niall's gruffness and Mat's more optimistic views, and managed to convey their explosive chemistry and the suspense of the case they were working on. Highly recommendable! I can't wait for more in this series!

Gritty and Gripping

I found Keaton's Conspiracy Theory absolutely riveting and engaging. I enjoyed the plot as well as the steam between both main characters. Dean's narration is truly gripping and enjoyable, a perfect fit.

The Sheriff and the retired Homicide Detective

Elle Keaton is new to me as an author, but I do love a good police thriller, and this one is narrated by Michael Pauley who is one of my all-time favourite narrators.
Having inherited his grandparents' cabin some years ago, Niall Harmarsson finally turns in his shield as a Homicide Detective after a gruelling last case, and returns to Piedras Island, and finds more trouble than he initially bargained for, bringing his to the attention of the island's sheriff, Mat Dempsey. The two men clash initially, but when Niall lends his expertise in homicide to assist in a murder case that is causing waves in the community, the two come together and their chemistry is undeniable.
Highly recommended Mystery/Thriller with Contemporary MM romance.

Interesting murder mystery

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars
🔥🔥 Heat Level: 2.5 (a super slow burn)
🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration: 4.5

Interesting second chance mystery/romance with more mystery than romance.

I was drawn in from the start and enjoyed the “who done it” accepts of this somewhat twisted and layered, murder mystery. I felt both male leads were really strong, bold characters. Each with their own flaws. I loved the small-town life and the colorful “townies”; some truly awesome characters! I really liked the crime-solving and mystery aspect and it did keep me guessing or at least going back and for on who the “bad guy” was that I was able to really enjoy the ride.

I felt for Niall and his harsh upbringing. I feel he’s a really good character we can learn more about and has great depth beyond what we’ve already witnessed. As I mentioned earlier the story is mostly ALL mystery and a bit of back and forth for Mat and Niall with them finally “coming together” in that last 7 minutes or so, so a very slow burn on the romance front but has left me thoroughly intrigued for what's next for this “crime-fighting” pair, so I’m looking forward to the next book as theses characters navigate these feelings and their connection further.

As ever Michael is awesome and I look forward to the rest of the series being narrated by him!!

Thanks for reading!