Final Chapter of an Awesome Series

Okay, so I need to get this off my chest. Who doesn’t think Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever? Emery Hazard. Seriously, there’s something wrong with the man. Or maybe he’s just being contrary because that’s his nature. Somehow I think he secretly likes the movie, but just has to give his boyfriend, John-Henry Somerset, a hard time.

Things are ticking along in the relationship. Wedding preparations, raising their daughter, and work. Emery is being a PI and Somerset is being a cop and never far from their mind is the unsolved case of The Keeper of Bees.

Then a woman is murdered, and it appears to be the work of the killer, but Emery quickly realizes all is not as it seems. Too late, things unfold beyond the men’s control and the web is being spun so quickly, they can’t keep up. They are at risk of being ensnared. There are many suspects in this book – plenty of plausible scenarios. There are a couple I immediately dismissed while others piqued my curiosity. In the end? I can honestly say I did not guess the identity of The Keeper of Bees. That is the mark of a truly great suspense author – they surprise you and yet then you realize the clues truly were there all along. And, of course, I wondered if Hazard and Somerset were actually going to make it out alive.

And then I wondered if they were actually going to make it down the aisle. These books have contained moments of great pain – each hurting the other – sometimes intentionally and sometimes by accident. But they also know each other well so there are few surprises left in their relationship.

Okay, so obviously I’m saying this is an amazing series and I highly recommend it. One of those reasons is Tristan James. He narrated this series brilliantly and I enjoyed every moment of it. I’m sorry to see it go, but Mr. Ashe is prolific, so I’m not worried – there will be plenty more great novels to come.

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Great story.

I love the two main characters.The wit,the relationship, the navigation needed to get through their complicated dynamics. I have laughed out loud or have wanted to knock their heads together and I have felt the love. The story around them was something else,the murder,the mayham , the build up the the last possible minute,brilliant,clever and a page turner. Will always want to read,listen to books by Mr Ashe. Performance is steller.

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Fantastic ending to this series

Great finale to union of swords with classic elements of the long term story playing out. Real page turner!

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I wish these characters were real...

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series so much. The narrator brings them almost to life. It’s like they’re real people. I never want this series to end.

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When you think things can't get any better

I received this audible book as an advanced listener copy. Even though I had already read the book that did not stop me waking up early before work to finish listening to second half of the book. Gregory Ashe with Tristan James as the narrator are a listener's dream. I am giving the audible book 6/5, even if this is not permitted, as I felt the urgency even more through the narration than when reading the book and Tristan translated those romantic moments so well that I know I will be listening to them again and again and again.

Below you can see what I made of the storyline:

Well what can I say. Phew, we got there.
Gregory Ashe has taken us on this dangerous, painful and beautiful journey with John and Ree and has given them a fitting ending.
Ashe writes in a way that you hear, see and feel what the characters feel. This means your emotions must take on the highs and lows but with storytelling this good it is worth it.
I don't want to talk about the plot and spoil it for you but you really need to read the other books before reaching this point. They will be hours well spent. Meeting characters who will be forever in your heart and others who were too real when we know the low depths mankind can sink to. However, at the same time this a redemptive series which reminds us that it is never too late to work on ourselves.
Gregory Ashe, I salute you. This is now one of my favourite series. Nevertheless, I hope to see John and Ree in other guises. I think you left the door ajar!


Well, I'm adding a coda as I have now listened to audible book for which

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Fantastic.

I’m late to the Gregory Ashe party so have many delicious books to read and listen to. When I first discovered him it was one of those WTF moments - how did I not know he was out there, and writing such fantastic books? I’m furiously peddling to catch up but am also rather happy that he has a couple of completed series - I’m always extremely impatient waiting for the next book in a series I’m loving, and I LOVE anything he writes. Gregory Ashe is a phenomenal writer and I can’t praise him highly enough. He delivers everything I need; gut wrenching angst, twisty plots that I NEVER guess, beautiful, tender romances, but without the fluff. His characters are so real and their HEA is always extremely hard won, even when it seems they have won, he’ll throw in another curved ball. There’s little gratuitous sex on the page. There’s some, but it’s always tasteful and quite honestly, what there is, is enough. The simmering sexual tension and love between John and Emery positively hops off the page and hits you where it hurts.

The Keeper of Bees is the final book in this series, I had to gird my loins to listen to it, because the series, especially since we first encountered, The Keeper, has been intense, and when I finally got to the last few chapters where The Keeper is revealed, I was, “what?… no way”, stupidly I was driving at the moment of revelation and nearly ran a red light right outside my home town police station. I honestly did not guess… I thought I had, but this is Gregory Ashe and he’s a master of his craft.

I’ve now listened to the first two complete series of Hazard and Somerset (The Keeper of Bees is the final book), and am about to begin Relative Justice #1 Arrows in the Hand Series. Will my nerves stand it? Probably not. Can I not listen? Absolutely no way can I NOT put myself through hell!

Tristan James gets mixed reviews. For me he IS Hazard and mostly he’s the perfect Somers, light, airy, slightly jokey, but just occasionally he strays a little and I have to rewind to make sure I know who he’s voicing. His secondary characters are wonderful but I especially love the gritty way he voices Hazard, especially when Emery is not amused, usually when he’s on the end of John Henry’s slightly laddish sense of humour. I even love his Evie. The little girl is adorable and somehow, the gruff voiced Tristan James completely captures the funny, cheeky little girl who darts around mischievously like most children of her age, going to ballet, eating spaghetti shapes etc etc. And the tender way Hazard parents Evie. Oh my, it’s just so gut wrenchingly sweet. His love for her comes over and that’s in no small part down to Tristan James.

Apart from the one complaint I really love Tristan James’s performance. Narration is always a matter of taste and personally I love his H&S.

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So satisfying

Gregory Ashe does a great job of juggling short, medium, and long term story arcs. In this fast-paced, thrilling conclusion to A Union of Swords series, many plot strands are neatly tied up, some with a bow. Whether they've lasted one book, five, or the entire span of Hazard and Somers, their conclusion never feels forced or shoehorned into the plot. And not everything that happens relates to the case in hand. Our two heroes draw ever closer together, for example, and we see more of their friends.

While it's still Hazard and Somers who draw me back into their world, I appreciate the other recurring players. They're diverse, flawed, individual, and give me (for what it's worth) a great sense of a Mid-Western college town.

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interesting story

The concept is interesting and reasonable well written. The characters are likeable and the narration is very good.

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