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A review by cspoe
Stray Fears by Gregory Ashe
5.0
This is another fantastic, gripping, spellbinding piece of fiction by Gregory Ashe that fits wonderfully into his backlist of phenomenal plot, strong character growth, and lyrical narrative. Honestly, I vibe 100% with Ashe's style and talent, and at this point, I don't expect to ever not be head over heels for one of his books. But this one stood out in stark contrast—not only for being a paranormal/horror when Ashe writes mostly mysteries, but he went all-out with the imagination, which was simply delicious to read.
Our story follows Elien Martel, a young man living in DuPage Parish outside of New Orleans, who's had his world turned upside down by tragedy. His older boyfriend, Richard, a psychiatrist, encourages him to attend a support group for those with PTSD—a plan that backfires when members of the group begin to die one-by-one. Elien is Suspect #1 for Mason, another member of the group and a local cop, so much so that Mason decides to try and take Elien out himself. When Mason becomes another victim of the mysterious deaths, Elien looks to Dag LeBlanc, Mason's partner on the force, for help, support, and most surprisingly—love.
The characterization in Stray Fears is where this book gets all its gold stars. Ashe time and again constructs original, believable, and lovable personalities that are flawed, broken, romantic, and complex. Elien is a beautiful and fractured soul, that on the surface, jokes and makes light of his mental health, but underneath the smart-mouth veneer he's desperate to be whole again and find closure from his past. Then there's Dag. He's the sweetest, most wholesome love interest and partner I think Ashe has ever written. A truly kind and caring man who does his best as a cop, excels at hunting down the horror behind the murders, and has an absolutely hilarious and awesome relationship with his parents. (Mom and Dad seriously stole the spotlight!)
Stray Fears is such a great book. I consumed the entire thing within a day or two—there's just never a good place to stop because every chapter one-ups in terms of danger, mystery, deaths, and terrifying details of the monster—yes, monster. But I'll say no more here, for fear of giving away even the tinniest sliver that ought to be savored when first experienced by the reader.
Another winning book full of complex and compelling storytelling. Ashe simply does not and cannot disappoint!
Our story follows Elien Martel, a young man living in DuPage Parish outside of New Orleans, who's had his world turned upside down by tragedy. His older boyfriend, Richard, a psychiatrist, encourages him to attend a support group for those with PTSD—a plan that backfires when members of the group begin to die one-by-one. Elien is Suspect #1 for Mason, another member of the group and a local cop, so much so that Mason decides to try and take Elien out himself. When Mason becomes another victim of the mysterious deaths, Elien looks to Dag LeBlanc, Mason's partner on the force, for help, support, and most surprisingly—love.
The characterization in Stray Fears is where this book gets all its gold stars. Ashe time and again constructs original, believable, and lovable personalities that are flawed, broken, romantic, and complex. Elien is a beautiful and fractured soul, that on the surface, jokes and makes light of his mental health, but underneath the smart-mouth veneer he's desperate to be whole again and find closure from his past. Then there's Dag. He's the sweetest, most wholesome love interest and partner I think Ashe has ever written. A truly kind and caring man who does his best as a cop, excels at hunting down the horror behind the murders, and has an absolutely hilarious and awesome relationship with his parents. (Mom and Dad seriously stole the spotlight!)
Stray Fears is such a great book. I consumed the entire thing within a day or two—there's just never a good place to stop because every chapter one-ups in terms of danger, mystery, deaths, and terrifying details of the monster—yes, monster. But I'll say no more here, for fear of giving away even the tinniest sliver that ought to be savored when first experienced by the reader.
Another winning book full of complex and compelling storytelling. Ashe simply does not and cannot disappoint!