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A review by mollyreadsandcrafts
Indirection by Gregory Ashe
4.0
In the aftermath of the Slasher case, life is settling down for North and Shaw. Work is picking up and they're busier than ever, leaving little time for their relationship. When they investigate a murder at a romance novel convention, they have to race against the clock to find the murderer before they get away.
I felt like this was more of a really extended short story. There was a fun premise and we get a little bit of insight into the state of North and Shaw's relationship, but nothing really dramatic happens and it's not really deep. North and Shaw have amazing banter and this great friendship, but you can definitely tell there are some cracks when it comes to their romance. North has his issues with money which reflects in how he puts work above everything while Shaw can be set in his ways, almost too giving, and constantly pushes the boundaries for what he wants. Even though it's difficult to find a balance, they are such a great team and care about each other immensely. They just seamlessly fit into each other's lives and have a unique relationship that's hard to find.
It was a surprisingly slow start for the series but a really entertaining story. The plot was fun and it set up the bigger picture of their relationship and work dynamics after finally catching the Slasher and starting to date. Everything with Ronnie makes me nervous though, and I don't like how it affects North and Shaw's relationship. This was by far the funniest Gregory Ashe book I've read yet. It was kind of meta with the case taking place at a gay romance convention and it was highly entertaining to see it from North and Shaw's perspective. It did poke fun at some of the narratives we see around the lgbtq+ romance community, but I think it was done really well. A little wary but curious to see how they figure things out as their series goes on.
Read if you like:
• romantic suspense
• private investigators
• friends to lovers
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