By the Book cover art

By the Book

The Last Picks, Book 7

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By the Book

By: Gregory Ashe
Narrated by: Andrew Gibson
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About this listen

A stolen book. A desperate killer. And two very meddlesome parents.

Dashiell Dawson Dane might have a problem. It’s not a huge problem. In fact, all things considered, life is good—he’s got a wonderful boyfriend, fantastic friends, and a home where he’s genuinely happy, maybe for the first time ever. He’s even writing regularly. (Okay, mostly regularly.)

There is, however, the teensiest issue with money—in that, he doesn’t have any.

And it turns out Dash isn’t the only one strapped for cash. The Hastings Rock Public Library has recently been defunded by the mayor and the city council, and the town is in an uproar.

To keep the library open, Dash hosts a charity auction at Hemlock House. But disaster strikes when an exceptionally valuable book is stolen before the fundraiser can begin. And when Dash finds the mayor dead—and Hastings Rock’s head librarian refuses to provide an alibi—he quickly becomes tangled in yet another murder investigation.

How could things get any worse? Oh. Right. A surprise visit from his parents.

©2025 Gregory Ashe (P)2025 Gregory Ashe Amateur Sleuths Cosy Crime Fiction Mystery Romance Money
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It's nice to see Dash and Bobby doing well, in spite of Dash's parents visiting.
Dash's parents, sighs, they accept him (sexuality wise) and I'm glad about that, but they were pretty terrible parents as he grew up and now they are just so annoying. They condescend and make jokes at his expense. Ashe made it all better by book's end but they were certifiably frustrating. I also hated the casualness about Dash's father and guns. I loathe guns. Do not know a soul who owns one in my part of the world.

I tuned out a lot of the murder/mystery in this one to save my sanity from Dash's parents tagging along to/already at every scene Dash wanted to check out for the murders.

There were a lot of funny lines like expecting levitating Brontes in Dash's self-appointed grade V haunted mansion that is Hemlock Manner.

It was nice listening after the emotionally fraught lead up to Dash and Deputy Bobby finally saying how much they care.

This series feels like home.

Mostly Funny and Comfortable.

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