A review by mollyreadsandcrafts
By the Book by Gregory Ashe

3.75

When Dash's parents turn up to Hastings Rock at the same time a valuable book goes missing, Dash has to help solve the case while trying not to commit his own familial murder. 

I love reading about Dash and whatever shenanigans he gets up to, but this wasn't my favorite of The Last Picks series. The focus of this installment was on Dash and his relationship with his parents more than anything. And I did not like his parents. Dash has some abandonment issues because they were pretty crappy parents when he was growing up, and I don't really think they really acknowledged that enough. They realized they made mistakes in the present, but didn't really touch what happened before. But maybe I'm just not an evolved enough human to forgive and move on, and they aren't my parents. The whole situation did show how much Dash has grown since the beginning of the series, more ready to face his issues head on than run away and bury the problems. Yay progress! 

The case was okay, but it seemed a bit irrelevant. Just a bit of background noise. I'm so happy that Bobby and Dash are finally together but I really wish we got more of their relationship now that it's in a good place! However, they did have some great moments of communication. I also wish we had a bit more of the Last Picks. It seems this book left me wanting, but overall I did like it. I like how Ashe writes his cozy series - the humor is always a good time and character development is always great to read. I say this every review but I love the setting and how all the side characters, no matter how small, round out the story so well. And that bonus epilogue? Absolutely adorable. I hope we get more of those types of moments in the next book!

Read if you like: 

• small town        

• cozy mystery     

• found family      

• friends to lovers     

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