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Custody Battles

Hazard and Somerset: Arrows in the Hand, Book 2

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Custody Battles

By: Gregory Ashe
Narrated by: Tristan James
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About this listen

Some parents would die for their children. Others will do a whole lot worse.

Emery Hazard and his husband, John-Henry Somerset, are settling into their new normal - at home, with the latest addition to their family, and at work, as Somers adapts to his new role and Hazard manages his expanding agency. The only thing Hazard is worried about is getting through dinner with his in-laws.

When his father-in-law requests that Hazard and Somers join him for a weekend deer hunting, it sounds simple enough: Spend a night camping, give their foster son a chance to spend time with his friend, and - possibly - prevent a parental kidnapping. But nothing is ever as simple as it sounds. At deer camp, Hazard and Somers find themselves drawn into a toxic family feud between parents battling for custody.

After the husband is shot and killed deep in the forest, detectives from the sheriff’s department are convinced that the killer is a local extremist - a member of the neo-Nazi Ozark Volunteers. Hazard and Somers, though, aren’t so sure, and as they probe deeper into the killing, they find that many people had a reason to want the victim dead, and the killing itself might not be what it seems.

Then a drive-by shooting almost claims the lives of Hazard, Somers, and the victim’s wife. The killer’s work isn’t done, and Hazard and Somers must race to find the truth before the killer strikes again.

©2021 Gregory Ashe (P)2022 Gregory Ashe
Mystery Police Procedural Marriage Fiction Outdoor Suspense

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Loads of angst but the payoff is worth it!

Hazard and Somers’ adopted son, Colt, tries their patience with a series of bad behaviours and dubious teenage decisions, but when Colt’s evil biological father tries to exhort money in exchange for Colt, Somers keep things quiet from Hazard—it’s the most dangerous decision of all. Meanwhile, an invitation to go hunting results in the death of another repellant father locked in a custody battle over his own wayward son.

Every time I start a Gregory Ashe story, I have big regrets about how big and deep he digs the holes that his characters must climb out of—it’s all so disquieting and depressing. And yet … by the time the book ends and the characters have triumphed over all their heartaches and setbacks, I’m cheering and ready for the next one.

The Arrows in the Hand series focuses on the trials of adopting wilful teenager Colt and the risks and rewards to Hazard and Somers as parents. Somers is constantly rebuffed by Colt and here he gets the chance to fight for Colt or walk away, it’s very moving. The only real clanger is Somers’ ridiculous choice to allow Colt’s father to walk all over him—I understand the dramatic reasons for writing it this way but absolutely no one would make this choice in real life! Tristan James does another amazing job on the audiobook.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.