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Custody Battles

Hazard and Somerset: Arrows in the Hand, Book 2

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Custody Battles

By: Gregory Ashe
Narrated by: Tristan James
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Summary

Some parents would die for their children. Others will do a whole lot worse.

Emery Hazard and his husband, John-Henry Somerset, are settling into their new normal - at home, with the latest addition to their family, and at work, as Somers adapts to his new role and Hazard manages his expanding agency. The only thing Hazard is worried about is getting through dinner with his in-laws.

When his father-in-law requests that Hazard and Somers join him for a weekend deer hunting, it sounds simple enough: Spend a night camping, give their foster son a chance to spend time with his friend, and - possibly - prevent a parental kidnapping. But nothing is ever as simple as it sounds. At deer camp, Hazard and Somers find themselves drawn into a toxic family feud between parents battling for custody.

After the husband is shot and killed deep in the forest, detectives from the sheriff’s department are convinced that the killer is a local extremist - a member of the neo-Nazi Ozark Volunteers. Hazard and Somers, though, aren’t so sure, and as they probe deeper into the killing, they find that many people had a reason to want the victim dead, and the killing itself might not be what it seems.

Then a drive-by shooting almost claims the lives of Hazard, Somers, and the victim’s wife. The killer’s work isn’t done, and Hazard and Somers must race to find the truth before the killer strikes again.

©2021 Gregory Ashe (P)2022 Gregory Ashe
Literature & Fiction Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Police Procedural Marriage Fiction Law Suspense
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Another interesting mystery mixed with intense family drama equals another fantastic Hazard and Somerset book. Custody Battle was full of tangled relationships and high emotions that kept me on the edge of my seat. Not only did the book have it’s dramatic and tense moments, there was also a lot of humor which at moments had me laughing out loud. I like how complex and layered all the characters are – the “bad guys” are just bad because they are evil – they have real motivations and character flaws that explain their behaviors. And on the flip side, the good characters aren’t really good – they are also complex humans who have their own flaws. This is what makes the book so addicting and the series one of my favorites.

The audiobook was narrated by Tristan James who does a fantastic job. He has the perfect book for the characters and voices them very well. The performance was outstanding and paired with the great audiobook production created a great listening experience.

Great Addition to the Series

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I can't get enough of these two characters. The narrator is fabulous. I could listen to him all day.

Brilliant

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I was given this book as an advanced listener.
Take it as a given that we have more of Gregory Ashe's sublime writing and Tristan James' excellent narration..
Hazard and Somerset are the gift that keep on giving. You may think that you have experienced everything with them but once again this book proves this is not the case and I believe there is yet more to come from these guys.
The title encompasses the essence of the story, as not just Hazard and Somerset battle for their family and for some this leads to murder or extreme violence. For the young there are several with trouble identities and some of their actions stir up past memories for both Hazard and Somerset which affects their actions. Colt is natural fit for their family but this requires a readjustment of their roles and the need to reflect on how their own upbringing. informs their parenting.
The story has two strands to keep you interested the crime story and other people families.
A riveting listen.

Battle royal

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A well written story with and interesting  concept.  The characters are likeable and the narration is very good.

Enjoyable Story

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This is the book in which John Henry Somerset comes face to face with the man he cannot fight, Colt's biological father. The man is a bully, he is manipulative, he is vain - traits John recognizes in himself, and in becoming a foster father to Colt, these are traits John does not want to pass on. He wants to be the boy's friend and co-parent with Hazard. He knows how damaged the boy is and so this story is littered with neurotic teenage angst, nonsensical hatred toward John, and Hazard not losing his marbles for once. What John does to earn Colt's respect had me in tears.
This story was unputdownable and I continue to adore Tristan James reading Gregory Ashe's characters. He may not have the range of other narrators but he has fantastic delivery and makes Somers and Hazard not only masculine and hot but vulnerable and human. There were parts of this book near the end where I had to pause the book to take a breath. It was a fantastic listen.

Fantastic

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