What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadow of the Templar #4
Shadow of the Templar: High Fidelity
A fellow FBI agent with an old grudge picks Simon as the instrument of his revenge. And he knows the hidden truth behind one of Simon's closest-kept secrets... or does he? On the other side of the world, two steps ahead of a ruthless, implacable foe accidentally set on his trail by Simon, Jeremy Archer is running for his life... or is he? Now Simon finds himself torn between his job and his responsibilities, forced to make the ultimate choice, and no matter what he decides, he'll lose something important... or will he? Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity... or Jeremy? The fourth and final novel in the Shadow of the Templar series, newly revised for the trade paperback edition!
529 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2009
29 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
About the author
M. Chandler
52 books218 followersM. Chandler is a lady of a certain age, currently wandering around the Seattle area. Whenever she manages to make her way home, she writes action-oriented fiction that tends to be heavy on the gay themes.
She has a website with lots of free fiction, a Facebook fan page, and, God help us, a Twitter.
She has a website with lots of free fiction, a Facebook fan page, and, God help us, a Twitter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
May 1, 2022
omg… i cannot believe i’m finished with this series!
it was such an enjoyable ride with lots of great characters (who you also occasionally want to kick in the ass when they act like complete lunatics) that i didn’t even realise how long some of these books were.
i feel like some of them could have been shorter, because there were moments where it occasionally dragged and nothing much happened in multiple chapters, but it still was a very enjoyable read.
Jeremy was my absolute favourite from the very beginning. his british charm, his love of everything black, his cute lil smirks, his occasional showing off, his jacket that was constantly full of his illegal gadgets… that sneaky lil thief had my heart from the beginning.
Simon though… i hated him for most of the books, which is HILARIOUS if you think about it, since most of the series is written from his POV.💀 he did kind of finally win me over in the end, when he FINALLY vaguely admitted to Jeremy that he deserves to be treated better by him, came out to not only his team, but also his boss and the people working for the OPR, and did that absolutely ballsy manoeuvre there at the end.
great series overall. i will definitely miss this world and my baby boy Jeremy. hope he’s somewhere out there stealing priceless jewels from some museum and pissing Simon off every chance he gets.<3
it was such an enjoyable ride with lots of great characters (who you also occasionally want to kick in the ass when they act like complete lunatics) that i didn’t even realise how long some of these books were.
i feel like some of them could have been shorter, because there were moments where it occasionally dragged and nothing much happened in multiple chapters, but it still was a very enjoyable read.
Jeremy was my absolute favourite from the very beginning. his british charm, his love of everything black, his cute lil smirks, his occasional showing off, his jacket that was constantly full of his illegal gadgets… that sneaky lil thief had my heart from the beginning.
Simon though… i hated him for most of the books, which is HILARIOUS if you think about it, since most of the series is written from his POV.💀 he did kind of finally win me over in the end, when he FINALLY vaguely admitted to Jeremy that he deserves to be treated better by him, came out to not only his team, but also his boss and the people working for the OPR, and did that absolutely ballsy manoeuvre there at the end.
great series overall. i will definitely miss this world and my baby boy Jeremy. hope he’s somewhere out there stealing priceless jewels from some museum and pissing Simon off every chance he gets.<3
March 29, 2016
4.5 stars This book was my favorite of the series, except... it was a little like the great dessert at the end of a fascinating multi-course meal. With the whip-cream left off. I don't know if the author originally intended to write another book in the series (this is a 2009 release so I'm not holding my breath.) But the two scenes I wanted most were hinted at but didn't appear on the page.
In this installment, Simon has two crises at once. First, a call out of the blue from Jeremy, who says he is in trouble with the arch-villain of the first two books, and on the run. He asks Simon to do one thing for him, and Simon waits until it's too late. He was playing it safe for his career, and then must face the idea that he condemned an innocent person to kidnapping, perhaps torture and death, by putting his fear for his FBI career above his trust in Jeremy. Then Simon is also called on the carpet to explain discrepancies from the lies he told at the end of the previous book. Although his intentions were good and part of the issue is departmental politics, he's trapped by the evidence and suspended until the answers can be worked out.
So, with nothing else to do, he sets out to Europe to find Jeremy, and maybe help out the person he endangered. If Jeremy will even let him get close again. When the action starts, his team shows up, theoretically "on vacation" to help him out.
This was full of thriller-spy movie action, with suspenseful story lines, and some real emotion. I liked meeting a couple of the other people in Jeremy's life. The team once again plays a strong role, but it didn't feel as intrusive to the Simon-Jeremy story as in the last book. There were surprises, and some fun, and although a couple of times the childish/Bond nature of the characters seemed out of character with their professional skills and goals (where there might be a negative impact on their case) it was much less so than in the previous book. And we got more of Simon and Jeremy together.
And more overwhelming impulse to shake Simon hard. And maybe hit him a few times. Aaargh.
Where it lost half a star for me was at the end - if this is the last book, then it should have the payoff for all the build-up and tension in the personal arena through the previous three and a half books. And it sort of does. But two vital things for my satisfaction, But these are not my characters, and just for once I'd have liked to get the satisfaction of seeing the thing happen on the page with some depth to it.
I did really enjoy the series. I may well read it again. I liked, more than I hated, how dense Simon is, how stubbornly he clings to his self-delusions, and how forgiving and accepting Jeremy is of that. But really, I wish there had been just a tiny bit more closure at the end, as this wraps up the series.
ETA: Idamus pointed me at the freebies on Chandler's website : http://mooncalf.org/sott/stories.html. Read this one right after book 4: High Fidelity Chapter 50.3. There is the sex that was fade to black, which is nice because I always figured these guys would be hot together, but more than that, there is a little of the tenderness, the wonder, that I wanted to see from Simon. Not a lot, but enough to round out that ending. I wish a couple paragraphs of this had been in the novel itself, but I'm grateful to have been pointed that way. Read Escort Service and What Comes Naturally after that, to see the guys shaping a relationship.
In this installment, Simon has two crises at once. First, a call out of the blue from Jeremy, who says he is in trouble with the arch-villain of the first two books, and on the run. He asks Simon to do one thing for him, and Simon waits until it's too late. He was playing it safe for his career, and then must face the idea that he condemned an innocent person to kidnapping, perhaps torture and death, by putting his fear for his FBI career above his trust in Jeremy. Then Simon is also called on the carpet to explain discrepancies from the lies he told at the end of the previous book. Although his intentions were good and part of the issue is departmental politics, he's trapped by the evidence and suspended until the answers can be worked out.
So, with nothing else to do, he sets out to Europe to find Jeremy, and maybe help out the person he endangered. If Jeremy will even let him get close again. When the action starts, his team shows up, theoretically "on vacation" to help him out.
This was full of thriller-spy movie action, with suspenseful story lines, and some real emotion. I liked meeting a couple of the other people in Jeremy's life. The team once again plays a strong role, but it didn't feel as intrusive to the Simon-Jeremy story as in the last book. There were surprises, and some fun, and although a couple of times the childish/Bond nature of the characters seemed out of character with their professional skills and goals (where there might be a negative impact on their case) it was much less so than in the previous book. And we got more of Simon and Jeremy together.
And more overwhelming impulse to shake Simon hard. And maybe hit him a few times. Aaargh.
Where it lost half a star for me was at the end - if this is the last book, then it should have the payoff for all the build-up and tension in the personal arena through the previous three and a half books. And it sort of does. But two vital things for my satisfaction, But these are not my characters, and just for once I'd have liked to get the satisfaction of seeing the thing happen on the page with some depth to it.
I did really enjoy the series. I may well read it again. I liked, more than I hated, how dense Simon is, how stubbornly he clings to his self-delusions, and how forgiving and accepting Jeremy is of that. But really, I wish there had been just a tiny bit more closure at the end, as this wraps up the series.
ETA: Idamus pointed me at the freebies on Chandler's website : http://mooncalf.org/sott/stories.html. Read this one right after book 4: High Fidelity Chapter 50.3. There is the sex that was fade to black, which is nice because I always figured these guys would be hot together, but more than that, there is a little of the tenderness, the wonder, that I wanted to see from Simon. Not a lot, but enough to round out that ending. I wish a couple paragraphs of this had been in the novel itself, but I'm grateful to have been pointed that way. Read Escort Service and What Comes Naturally after that, to see the guys shaping a relationship.
June 7, 2017
(2015) still adore but yes still with the homophobic comments :/
Man, I turned the last page and almost cried. I loved this series SO FREAKING MUCH. I mean, it's like someone sat down with a list of things I loved:
* things blowing up
* kickass women
* crime! and capers!
* gadgets
* things blowing up
* adorable dorks
* subtext becoming text
* crime-fighting
* things blowing up
* plans that come together
* secret hidden love affairs with angst
* snappy banter
* and even things blowing up
This series is made of ALL THESE THINGS in copious amounts. It's not perfect by any means, but it is having a hell of a good time, and I did too.
(is it too early to reread?)
Man, I turned the last page and almost cried. I loved this series SO FREAKING MUCH. I mean, it's like someone sat down with a list of things I loved:
* things blowing up
* kickass women
* crime! and capers!
* gadgets
* things blowing up
* adorable dorks
* subtext becoming text
* crime-fighting
* things blowing up
* plans that come together
* secret hidden love affairs with angst
* snappy banter
* and even things blowing up
This series is made of ALL THESE THINGS in copious amounts. It's not perfect by any means, but it is having a hell of a good time, and I did too.
(is it too early to reread?)
July 28, 2017
3.5 stars
When I first saw that this was over 700 pages I was excited. Now that I've finished, I wish it had been a lot shorter. There was so much unnecessary stuff written (sooo much traveling and just lurking around) and this book would've still been good if a lot of that had been cut. I did still enjoy this book and love these characters so much. I kinda wish there'd been multiple POVs again but sadly there weren't.
Overall I'm sad this series is over now and I will miss Simon and Jeremy a lot.
When I first saw that this was over 700 pages I was excited. Now that I've finished, I wish it had been a lot shorter. There was so much unnecessary stuff written (sooo much traveling and just lurking around) and this book would've still been good if a lot of that had been cut. I did still enjoy this book and love these characters so much. I kinda wish there'd been multiple POVs again but sadly there weren't.
Overall I'm sad this series is over now and I will miss Simon and Jeremy a lot.
November 18, 2011
After the debacle that was book 3, I was wary about moving onto this one. I was pleasantly surprised, needless to say. Simon did the groveling that he needed to do, though he was still an asshole at times. Going after Jeremy overseas was probably the smartest thing he'd ever done (though, I can admit to a flash of raging annoyance when the rest of the team showed up, too; but, since they were in Italy, I kept hoping Sandy would get struck by a Vespa. No dice.) The ol' heartstrings got a tug or two by the last few pages, which I thought was nice. The series was good as a whole and I'd recommend reading it.
March 22, 2011
Excellent m/m romantic suspense in which our FBI agent ends up in his jewel thief's world for a while. I cried an awful lot near the end, even though I was pretty sure it would turn out ok, and stayed up too late because I absolutely had to finish.
September 1, 2018
I do not know that I will ever be able to put to words my aggravation in regards to these books. Particularly the third book. I am giving this a four for the capability of this series and this author to hold my attention and interest for so long and so completely, even if, in the end, I feel unspeakably and indelibly and intolerably frustrated.
April 26, 2018
Jeremy Archer is an art thief and cat burglar who's been working part time with the FBI to help them solve some cases. But he hasn't only made friends in his life, and recently things have gotten quite tight. His life in peril, Jeremy turns to his unacknowledged friend and occasional bedmate, FBI agent Simon Drake, for help, asking him to make one single telephone call which would grant his dispatcher's safety. But Simon, being Simon, wants to make sure Jeremy didn't lie about the threat to his life, and thus the telephone call becomes delayed for twenty-four hours. When Simon finally comes around to call, he has to realize that he took twenty- four hours too long. Annabelle, Simon's only link to Jeremy is gone, and so is Jeremy. On top of this, Simon gets in trouble with the FBI Bureau of Internal Affairs, ending up with him on temporary leave. Shaken from watching his life falling to pieces around him and ridden with guilt, Simon sets about finding Jeremy and righting his wrong.
This last instalment in the Shadow of the Templar series was the best.
There are actually two tightly connected storylines, one about finding and rescuing Annabelle and one about making sure Jeremy is safe. Both are fast and action packed like ever a James-Bond-movie. And since Simon's team is involved, there's a lot of hilarious banter, blowing up things and modern computer magic. But there's also a shift in Simon's and Jeremy's relationship. Jeremy learns to trust Simon, and Simon finally figures out that there are more important things to life than his precious job.
Self-edited and self-published, this book is far from perfect. It has its flaws and plot holes, particularly the lengthy description of Simon's clandestine voyage around half the world where the story almost comes to a standstill, or in the unlikely behaviour of the FBI agents and their superiors. Nevertheless, it's a great read and a satisfying conclusion to a fine series by an unbelievably approachable and generous author.
In order to learn more about the series and the author and for free bonus material go to http://mooncalf.org
In case anyone wonders about the "read" date: All four Shadow of the Templar novels plus the bonus material have been available for free on the net years before they were published through Lulu as physical books
This last instalment in the Shadow of the Templar series was the best.
There are actually two tightly connected storylines, one about finding and rescuing Annabelle and one about making sure Jeremy is safe. Both are fast and action packed like ever a James-Bond-movie. And since Simon's team is involved, there's a lot of hilarious banter, blowing up things and modern computer magic. But there's also a shift in Simon's and Jeremy's relationship. Jeremy learns to trust Simon, and Simon finally figures out that there are more important things to life than his precious job.
Self-edited and self-published, this book is far from perfect. It has its flaws and plot holes, particularly the lengthy description of Simon's clandestine voyage around half the world where the story almost comes to a standstill, or in the unlikely behaviour of the FBI agents and their superiors. Nevertheless, it's a great read and a satisfying conclusion to a fine series by an unbelievably approachable and generous author.
In order to learn more about the series and the author and for free bonus material go to http://mooncalf.org
In case anyone wonders about the "read" date: All four Shadow of the Templar novels plus the bonus material have been available for free on the net years before they were published through Lulu as physical books
July 6, 2011
4.5 stars
I enjoyed this one just as much as the first two in the series. It was still funny and I loved the way we got to see a bit into Jeremy's world for once. It was interesting and held my attention throughout the book. We also got to see Simon take responsibility for his actions (which he usually does) but this time it's with Jeremy and his personal relationship with him and it was just refreshing to see everything come to light.
My only problem with it was, at times, I was confused. Mostly it had to do with why Jeremy, Simon and the team were doing something but within ten pages or so my questions would be answered and things would start to clear up. Still, after the second time that happened, I was a bit annoyed because I wanted to know what happened before they started taking action instead of trying to figure it out and wait until it was explained (Yes, I'm impatient sometimes). Lol. I still wanted to beat the shit out of Sandra. She was even more annoying in this one especially when she'd get angry (when she had no right to be! Bitch!)
Overall, I loved this series. I had a rough time with the third book but the series in itself is a great one filled with action and humor with a side of realistic manly romance. Definitely recommended.
I enjoyed this one just as much as the first two in the series. It was still funny and I loved the way we got to see a bit into Jeremy's world for once. It was interesting and held my attention throughout the book. We also got to see Simon take responsibility for his actions (which he usually does) but this time it's with Jeremy and his personal relationship with him and it was just refreshing to see everything come to light.
My only problem with it was, at times, I was confused. Mostly it had to do with why Jeremy, Simon and the team were doing something but within ten pages or so my questions would be answered and things would start to clear up. Still, after the second time that happened, I was a bit annoyed because I wanted to know what happened before they started taking action instead of trying to figure it out and wait until it was explained (Yes, I'm impatient sometimes). Lol. I still wanted to beat the shit out of Sandra. She was even more annoying in this one especially when she'd get angry (when she had no right to be! Bitch!)
Overall, I loved this series. I had a rough time with the third book but the series in itself is a great one filled with action and humor with a side of realistic manly romance. Definitely recommended.
September 6, 2017
~ 4.5 Stars ~
Fidelity: implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty. ~ Merriam-Webster
I don’t know which came first, the title or the plot, but bravo to M. Chandler for scribing the very definition of ‘fidelity’ in a brisk (?—it felt brisk, at least) 529 pages. This fourth and, sadly, final book in the Shadow of the Templar series bears a direct relationship to the events in Double Down, book two, as well as to book three, With a Bullet, and brings the relationship arc between Templar and his Shadow to a…semi-circle finish. I don’t want to say full-circle because, honestly, they almost went so pear shaped in this novel that the author graciously supplied a series of short stories afterwards so readers could see how Simon and Jeremy carried on the relationship that Simon ends up challenging the FBI for. Go Simon!
The catalytic events that prompt and prod this final novel along revolve around a Russian mobster whose dastardly deeds were thwarted by Jeremy and Team Templar in book two. Aided by a now deceased FBI mole, one of Simon’s own, Viktor Karpol had employed Jeremy’s foster brother to carry out those crimes, but then everything went arse over tea kettle, and now Karpol has it bad for Jeremy—wants him dead, as a matter of fact—and knows exactly how to hit Archer where it will hurt the most. No, not with Simon. It’s Annabelle, Jeremy’s friend and personal answering service, who ends up as the bait sure to lure Jeremy out of hiding. And, lo and behold, yes, in a way it’s Simon’s fault that Annabelle is kidnapped. So, after gnawing off heaping hunks of guilt from the humble pie he finds himself gorging on, Simon vows to do everything he can to get to Jeremy and help him rescue Annabelle. And let me tell you, the getting there was so fun to watch, in a sadistic sort of way, but it showed Simon’s level of commitment to righting the wrong, especially since he must convince Ethan, Jeremy’s mentor/father figure, that he only has Jeremy’s best interest at heart. Well, that and Simon has a conscience to assuage, but it all goes a long way towards polishing his tarnished reputation.
How convenient, then, that Templar was put on temporary suspension while he’s being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for his version of the events at the end of the last book. There’s a question of ballistics and forensics, but it’s not at all used as a contrivance by the author to manipulate things or to unrealistically ease this book towards its conflict. Rather, it’s a faulty misrepresentation of the facts on Simon’s part, with the best of intentions, of course, that’s prompted his suspension and offers a plausible means to the freedom he needed to carry out this under-the-radar, off-the-record mission. And, it folded neatly back into With a Bullet to tie up that storyline, as well as offering Simon a nice salvo in the end against the guy who’s out to get ‘Upstairs’, Simon’s boss, through Simon.
All the physical action in this novel occurs on foreign soil in High Fidelity, and while the focus is on Milan, Genoa, and the surrounding countryside, Chandler pays just enough attention to detail to allow readers a sense of the setting without it becoming a travelogue of Italy. Yet again, she does a brilliant job of leading readers through every scene in a sensorial way—there’s a scene at the opera that is absolute dynamic perfection. Honestly, if there’s ever been a book series that could translate to film, it’s this one, and I adore that I was able to participate in the reading of these books in that way. It upped my investment level and allowed me to cheerfully suspend my disbelief when Team Templar all decide to take a sudden joint vacation and then show up in Italy to lend Simon an assist.
The Shadow of the Templar series has been nothing less than 1500+ pages of manic and frenzied, and was such a delight to read. I grew to love the camaraderie of this group of sharp, if not a little offbeat, characters—even when they weren’t always lovable ::coughsSimoncoughs::. The series is chock full of memorable moments and exceptional action/suspense sequences. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the scenarios into which Chandler entrenches her characters are so impressive—inventive, intelligent, and any other ‘i’ adjectives you can think of that equate to impeccable.
Chandler’s writing is plot-centric, so all of you dedicated romance loving readers who prefer a storyline built upon an outcome which promises the happily-ever-after, please know that there are no eloquent expressions of love and devotion between Simon and Jeremy, but even in that lack, there is no less a romantic resolution to their relationship. Simon learns a valuable lesson in not knowing what you’ve got until it’s gone in this final installment, which was satisfying in every way because I suspected it was coming but wasn’t at all sure how Chandler would get me there, and I delighted in watching Templar stake a claim on his Shadow. Of course, he does so in typical Simon style—ballsy and out to win.
Suffering from a severe case of book hangover is the price we pay for allowing characters to consume large swatches of our time and consciousness. It’s a small price, though, when compared to the hours of fun I had spending time in Chandler’s world.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
Fidelity: implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty. ~ Merriam-Webster
I don’t know which came first, the title or the plot, but bravo to M. Chandler for scribing the very definition of ‘fidelity’ in a brisk (?—it felt brisk, at least) 529 pages. This fourth and, sadly, final book in the Shadow of the Templar series bears a direct relationship to the events in Double Down, book two, as well as to book three, With a Bullet, and brings the relationship arc between Templar and his Shadow to a…semi-circle finish. I don’t want to say full-circle because, honestly, they almost went so pear shaped in this novel that the author graciously supplied a series of short stories afterwards so readers could see how Simon and Jeremy carried on the relationship that Simon ends up challenging the FBI for. Go Simon!
The catalytic events that prompt and prod this final novel along revolve around a Russian mobster whose dastardly deeds were thwarted by Jeremy and Team Templar in book two. Aided by a now deceased FBI mole, one of Simon’s own, Viktor Karpol had employed Jeremy’s foster brother to carry out those crimes, but then everything went arse over tea kettle, and now Karpol has it bad for Jeremy—wants him dead, as a matter of fact—and knows exactly how to hit Archer where it will hurt the most. No, not with Simon. It’s Annabelle, Jeremy’s friend and personal answering service, who ends up as the bait sure to lure Jeremy out of hiding. And, lo and behold, yes, in a way it’s Simon’s fault that Annabelle is kidnapped. So, after gnawing off heaping hunks of guilt from the humble pie he finds himself gorging on, Simon vows to do everything he can to get to Jeremy and help him rescue Annabelle. And let me tell you, the getting there was so fun to watch, in a sadistic sort of way, but it showed Simon’s level of commitment to righting the wrong, especially since he must convince Ethan, Jeremy’s mentor/father figure, that he only has Jeremy’s best interest at heart. Well, that and Simon has a conscience to assuage, but it all goes a long way towards polishing his tarnished reputation.
How convenient, then, that Templar was put on temporary suspension while he’s being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for his version of the events at the end of the last book. There’s a question of ballistics and forensics, but it’s not at all used as a contrivance by the author to manipulate things or to unrealistically ease this book towards its conflict. Rather, it’s a faulty misrepresentation of the facts on Simon’s part, with the best of intentions, of course, that’s prompted his suspension and offers a plausible means to the freedom he needed to carry out this under-the-radar, off-the-record mission. And, it folded neatly back into With a Bullet to tie up that storyline, as well as offering Simon a nice salvo in the end against the guy who’s out to get ‘Upstairs’, Simon’s boss, through Simon.
All the physical action in this novel occurs on foreign soil in High Fidelity, and while the focus is on Milan, Genoa, and the surrounding countryside, Chandler pays just enough attention to detail to allow readers a sense of the setting without it becoming a travelogue of Italy. Yet again, she does a brilliant job of leading readers through every scene in a sensorial way—there’s a scene at the opera that is absolute dynamic perfection. Honestly, if there’s ever been a book series that could translate to film, it’s this one, and I adore that I was able to participate in the reading of these books in that way. It upped my investment level and allowed me to cheerfully suspend my disbelief when Team Templar all decide to take a sudden joint vacation and then show up in Italy to lend Simon an assist.
The Shadow of the Templar series has been nothing less than 1500+ pages of manic and frenzied, and was such a delight to read. I grew to love the camaraderie of this group of sharp, if not a little offbeat, characters—even when they weren’t always lovable ::coughsSimoncoughs::. The series is chock full of memorable moments and exceptional action/suspense sequences. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the scenarios into which Chandler entrenches her characters are so impressive—inventive, intelligent, and any other ‘i’ adjectives you can think of that equate to impeccable.
Chandler’s writing is plot-centric, so all of you dedicated romance loving readers who prefer a storyline built upon an outcome which promises the happily-ever-after, please know that there are no eloquent expressions of love and devotion between Simon and Jeremy, but even in that lack, there is no less a romantic resolution to their relationship. Simon learns a valuable lesson in not knowing what you’ve got until it’s gone in this final installment, which was satisfying in every way because I suspected it was coming but wasn’t at all sure how Chandler would get me there, and I delighted in watching Templar stake a claim on his Shadow. Of course, he does so in typical Simon style—ballsy and out to win.
Suffering from a severe case of book hangover is the price we pay for allowing characters to consume large swatches of our time and consciousness. It’s a small price, though, when compared to the hours of fun I had spending time in Chandler’s world.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
April 24, 2015
HIGH FIDELITY is the last book in the Shadow of the Templar series--also the best--the one-liners are great--also the author has several short stories on her web site that are almost better than the books--
October 18, 2023
I was entirely sure that this was too long and dragged everything out, but then I was hooked and read about 65% of this book in one go and oops?
I just.
Love Jeremy Archer so much.
I just.
Love Jeremy Archer so much.
March 11, 2021
I hate myself for reading this series. Jeremy deserves so much better than Simon freaking Drake
July 20, 2023
4,5 stars
November 14, 2017
Oh, this one is definitely my favorite of the series. Simon goes through a lot of emotional growing up - well, not too much. This is Simon we're talking about.
Simon gets a call from Jeremy, asking him for a favor, as he tries to elude the grasp of Karpol, the Russian crime boss that they swindled and thwarted in Double Down. Protecting his own career and not truly trusting Jeremy, Simon waits for conformation, which places someone in mortal peril.
Add to that, his official and creative report that he gives following the conclusion of his team's case in With a Bullet has royally screwed up his career, giving him time for some serious soul-searching. Deciding to atone for his screw ups that have placed two people in danger, Simon appeals to an reluctant ally to help him find Jeremy so that he can reach out and help protect him.
This was riveting from the start, and when Simon catches up to Jeremy, that just went up even more. This time, Jeremy has to call the shots for their capers, and once again, we are subject to Jeremy's brilliance in his "trade." The climax of the story was heart-stopping good, and I had to "cheat" my way to the end of the book in order to get to bed at a decent time.
But it was Simon finally getting a clue about what he had denied to himself and others. No, we don't get an all-out declaration of feelings here. Once again, this is Simon we are talking about. But as we learned in With a Bullet in the chapters from Jeremy's POV, he is very adept at reading Simon and parsing out what he isn't saying out loud.
I do have to say that I'm going to miss these characters, from Simon and Jeremy to all the great members of Simon's team.
Simon gets a call from Jeremy, asking him for a favor, as he tries to elude the grasp of Karpol, the Russian crime boss that they swindled and thwarted in Double Down. Protecting his own career and not truly trusting Jeremy, Simon waits for conformation, which places someone in mortal peril.
Add to that, his official and creative report that he gives following the conclusion of his team's case in With a Bullet has royally screwed up his career, giving him time for some serious soul-searching. Deciding to atone for his screw ups that have placed two people in danger, Simon appeals to an reluctant ally to help him find Jeremy so that he can reach out and help protect him.
This was riveting from the start, and when Simon catches up to Jeremy, that just went up even more. This time, Jeremy has to call the shots for their capers, and once again, we are subject to Jeremy's brilliance in his "trade." The climax of the story was heart-stopping good, and I had to "cheat" my way to the end of the book in order to get to bed at a decent time.
But it was Simon finally getting a clue about what he had denied to himself and others. No, we don't get an all-out declaration of feelings here. Once again, this is Simon we are talking about. But as we learned in With a Bullet in the chapters from Jeremy's POV, he is very adept at reading Simon and parsing out what he isn't saying out loud.
I do have to say that I'm going to miss these characters, from Simon and Jeremy to all the great members of Simon's team.
September 21, 2019
Overall, I really enjoyed this series. This one made up for the issues I had in book 3 and I really enjoyed Simon and Jeremy's growth. Even though Simon is still aggravating at times, his concern for Jeremy was tangible. I loved meeting Ethan and seeing where Jeremy came from.
I love the team, but damn they're meddlesome.
Satisfied with the ending and would definitely recommend.
I love the team, but damn they're meddlesome.
Satisfied with the ending and would definitely recommend.
October 29, 2024
Woha. Perfect conclusion to this series.
Loved the thief/heist/Bond vibes- where is my Martini??? Of course shaken and not stirred 🍸
Loved the thief/heist/Bond vibes- where is my Martini??? Of course shaken and not stirred 🍸
September 20, 2016
So this was definitely my favourite out of the series it had the emotion that I felt like I was missing. But I have to say I would love another novel with action packed angst after this one that shows us Simon and Jeremy about 7 years later wouldn't that be cool??!!!
In this final book, Simon has two crisis at once. First, Jeremy calls him up and says he is in trouble and on the run can Simon do him a favour. Simon waits until it is too late as he is playing safe worrying more about his career than having any trust in Jeremy. Thus putting an innocent in danger and must find a way to free her with Jeremy's help.
And secondly Simon's statement from the last book is put into question and he is suspended.
High Fidelity is a real action packed spy movie thriller that kept me on my toes as Jeremy tried to stay ahead of the Russian Mafia. Simon faced with Jeremy's potential death, becomes a little less of an asshole in some bits of this book but I still wanted more! Hence why another book is needed with a more open and less emotionally stunted Simon who has come to terms with having a partner.
Overall I liked this book the best out of the series and am glad that I read them.
In this final book, Simon has two crisis at once. First, Jeremy calls him up and says he is in trouble and on the run can Simon do him a favour. Simon waits until it is too late as he is playing safe worrying more about his career than having any trust in Jeremy. Thus putting an innocent in danger and must find a way to free her with Jeremy's help.
And secondly Simon's statement from the last book is put into question and he is suspended.
High Fidelity is a real action packed spy movie thriller that kept me on my toes as Jeremy tried to stay ahead of the Russian Mafia. Simon faced with Jeremy's potential death, becomes a little less of an asshole in some bits of this book but I still wanted more! Hence why another book is needed with a more open and less emotionally stunted Simon who has come to terms with having a partner.
Overall I liked this book the best out of the series and am glad that I read them.
November 1, 2017
Well, I finally finished this series and as I said before I will be talking about the series in general in this review.
First of all, I liked this series which I'm surprised because I wasn't expecting it. But at the same time, I had mixed feelings about it for some problematics aspects. This last book is for sure the best of the four and it is mainly because it lacks the things I didn't like the other books.
Some of these things that I didn't like were the used of words like "retarded" (literally in every single but the last one) and the f-word (and no, I'm not talking about the word "fuck") (the number of times they used this word is unbelievable, honestly). I also felt like to some extent this series was sexist and they treated every woman that appeared (except Sandra) as fucking stupid and extremely dumb. The grossed comments made by Mike also annoyed me so much and it felt as if the author was consenting sexual harassment. Also, in the third book, the "bad guy" had a stutter and it felt that the whole point of it was to make fun of said stuttering which I didn't like at all.
Another problem that I had with the books was that sometimes they were entertainment and other they were boring and the story dragged (especially in the third book when we had multiple points of views which, with the exception of Simon's and Jeremy's, I didn't care). The pace was all over the place and I never knew if the next chapter was going to be good or boring.
Regarding the relationship between Simon and Jeremy, I liked it (I guess?)but I had also my problems. The f-word again. I didn't like Simon calling Jeremy the f-word and honestly, I don't think you had the right to called a person the f-word and at the same time fuck him. Saying the f-word if just wrong but saying it to the person you are fucking is so fucking hypocrite. Also, Simon hitting Jeremy for being right about something (second book) was such a bullshit thing to do.
This book, in my opinion, is the best one. It is the longest one of the four but it was more entertaining than not (even though the beginning did drag a little bit). But others reasons as to why is the best one is because there is no used of the "retarded" word (bless you) and, although I thought we were going to end the book without the f-word either, they did use it like two times (which is bad but at the same time better than the fifty times they have used it in the other books, so I considered that a win I guess).
My favourite thing about these books was Jeremy. He was the best and he deserved so much better. For me, the books became interesting only after Jeremy appeared in each one.
I wished there was an epilogue, though I know there are like fifty short story so maybe I'll read them some day.
I don't know if I'm forgetting something but I guess this is the gist of it. Overall, I think this is a good series but some problematics aspects kind of make the series not be as good as it could be.
First of all, I liked this series which I'm surprised because I wasn't expecting it. But at the same time, I had mixed feelings about it for some problematics aspects. This last book is for sure the best of the four and it is mainly because it lacks the things I didn't like the other books.
Some of these things that I didn't like were the used of words like "retarded" (literally in every single but the last one) and the f-word (and no, I'm not talking about the word "fuck") (the number of times they used this word is unbelievable, honestly). I also felt like to some extent this series was sexist and they treated every woman that appeared (except Sandra) as fucking stupid and extremely dumb. The grossed comments made by Mike also annoyed me so much and it felt as if the author was consenting sexual harassment. Also, in the third book, the "bad guy" had a stutter and it felt that the whole point of it was to make fun of said stuttering which I didn't like at all.
Another problem that I had with the books was that sometimes they were entertainment and other they were boring and the story dragged (especially in the third book when we had multiple points of views which, with the exception of Simon's and Jeremy's, I didn't care). The pace was all over the place and I never knew if the next chapter was going to be good or boring.
Regarding the relationship between Simon and Jeremy, I liked it (I guess?)but I had also my problems. The f-word again. I didn't like Simon calling Jeremy the f-word and honestly, I don't think you had the right to called a person the f-word and at the same time fuck him. Saying the f-word if just wrong but saying it to the person you are fucking is so fucking hypocrite. Also, Simon hitting Jeremy for being right about something (second book) was such a bullshit thing to do.
This book, in my opinion, is the best one. It is the longest one of the four but it was more entertaining than not (even though the beginning did drag a little bit). But others reasons as to why is the best one is because there is no used of the "retarded" word (bless you) and, although I thought we were going to end the book without the f-word either, they did use it like two times (which is bad but at the same time better than the fifty times they have used it in the other books, so I considered that a win I guess).
My favourite thing about these books was Jeremy. He was the best and he deserved so much better. For me, the books became interesting only after Jeremy appeared in each one.
I wished there was an epilogue, though I know there are like fifty short story so maybe I'll read them some day.
I don't know if I'm forgetting something but I guess this is the gist of it. Overall, I think this is a good series but some problematics aspects kind of make the series not be as good as it could be.
July 18, 2015
Grrrr, I HATE when GR's eats my reviews! Anyway, 4.5 stars for this strong ending to a really entertaining series. I enjoyed the third in the series, but this one was better, with a return to the focus on Simon and Jeremy. Simon's still an asshole too much of the time, but he actually shows some growth by the end, and Jeremy is still my favorite character by far.
This last chapter of the series is centered mostly in Italy, and Chandler's descriptions had me totally immersed in the sights and sounds of that country. The action is as OTT as any of them, but written in a way that held my interest through another long book - when the writing's this good, I love being able to live in the universe created for as long as possible.
Some folks were disappointed by the details of the ending. I never thought of any of the books in this series as primarily a romance; like many het crime novels, there happens to be a relationship, but the focus is on the action of the plot. It was nice to find the extra scene that the author had posted on her site, which should satisfy those who felt it was missing: Chapter 50.3. Overall, a really satisfying read, and one I'm sure I'll come back to in the future.
This last chapter of the series is centered mostly in Italy, and Chandler's descriptions had me totally immersed in the sights and sounds of that country. The action is as OTT as any of them, but written in a way that held my interest through another long book - when the writing's this good, I love being able to live in the universe created for as long as possible.
Some folks were disappointed by the details of the ending. I never thought of any of the books in this series as primarily a romance; like many het crime novels, there happens to be a relationship, but the focus is on the action of the plot. It was nice to find the extra scene that the author had posted on her site, which should satisfy those who felt it was missing: Chapter 50.3. Overall, a really satisfying read, and one I'm sure I'll come back to in the future.
August 22, 2016
And so I've come to the end again, 'High Fidelity' is my favourite in the series and at the same time has the most different tone to the rest of the books.
Brought for for questioning after the events for 'With a Bullet', Simon finds himself suspended pending investigation to take the heat of what really happened, he also has an aching conscience for not acting on a request from Jeremy that results in Annabelle's kidnapping.
What follows is a series of events worthy of an Ocean's 11 series, fantastic european locations, SPY THINGS, Ethan and in the end what matters the most, team. It's never enough, if this was really the end I'd be so unsatisfied but luckily all of the extra content on the site is enough to keep you going for at least 2 more books worth of story.
Brought for for questioning after the events for 'With a Bullet', Simon finds himself suspended pending investigation to take the heat of what really happened, he also has an aching conscience for not acting on a request from Jeremy that results in Annabelle's kidnapping.
What follows is a series of events worthy of an Ocean's 11 series, fantastic european locations, SPY THINGS, Ethan and in the end what matters the most, team. It's never enough, if this was really the end I'd be so unsatisfied but luckily all of the extra content on the site is enough to keep you going for at least 2 more books worth of story.
May 27, 2014
I feel like I've been reading this series for ages and now I'm sad it's over :(
It's filled with action and there is sexual tension both before and AFTER the main characters get together. There is also the fact that Simon is such a guy and barely acknowledges his own feelings, though he always "claims responsibility". I loved him and all the other characters and despite reading a LOT about them there still doesn't seem enough. I have a few more short stories to read (from the author's site) and I kind of want a side story or something about Nate (because I've always suspected him of having a crush on Simon) and he needs to move out of his mom's house and find happiness.
It's filled with action and there is sexual tension both before and AFTER the main characters get together. There is also the fact that Simon is such a guy and barely acknowledges his own feelings, though he always "claims responsibility". I loved him and all the other characters and despite reading a LOT about them there still doesn't seem enough. I have a few more short stories to read (from the author's site) and I kind of want a side story or something about Nate (because I've always suspected him of having a crush on Simon) and he needs to move out of his mom's house and find happiness.
January 2, 2013
This series. Hmm. Okay.
The writing's good, the characters are freaking hilarious, the plot's only average, but the characters...
AND it's a series I can carry around with me and set down and not worry that someone might pick it up and be like "O_o WTF IS THIS????"
Ambivalent towards the resolution because I tend to like more...definite resolutions, but it's realistic given the characterization, so w/e.
The writing's good, the characters are freaking hilarious, the plot's only average, but the characters...
AND it's a series I can carry around with me and set down and not worry that someone might pick it up and be like "O_o WTF IS THIS????"
Ambivalent towards the resolution because I tend to like more...definite resolutions, but it's realistic given the characterization, so w/e.
April 23, 2012
Even after a second read through the payoff is ridiculously grand. I love falling into this world, the plotting and timeline are so intricate and I can't seem to let go of Jeremy or Simon.
So of course the first thing I did was to dive into the short stories on the website :).
So of course the first thing I did was to dive into the short stories on the website :).
Want to read
March 24, 2012want to read - do not want it to be the last in the series :( ... maybe i'll reread 1-3 and then read 4 :) just to make it last a little longer :D
February 11, 2013
I'll miss these characters, that's for sure. All of them. They'll stay with me for a while. I super-enjoyed this whole series, the third book probably being my favorite, followed by the second.
June 24, 2016
I'm happy with this ending. Would I ever read this series again or recommend it to someone? Most likely not, but I don't regret reading it.
January 3, 2018
The perfect finale to a thrilling series. I can't believe this one was even better than the others!
(minor spoilers follow)
It was such a satisfying ending, I woke up this morning and literally felt happy that I read this series :)
(minor spoilers follow)
It was such a satisfying ending, I woke up this morning and literally felt happy that I read this series :)
Read
May 10, 2022I'll keep this brief, even though I could probably talk for many thousands of words about these books and my (furious) feelings about them.
August 31, 2017
First of all, I need to say that I fell completely in love for these characters. The whole team is amazing. Sandra is badass. Mike is so inappropriate and I love him for it--he's the FUNNIEST. Dave is my tol ginger son and I'm so glad he got accepted into the team. He's practically my fave. And, of course, JEREMY. I fell in love with Jeremy so bad, but tbh I gotta admit that I still don't get what he saw on Simon.
Simon is a fucking dickbag. I was so angry at him throughout the series. He's so fucking rude????? Jeremy never deserved a single thing that Simon threw at him. Jeremy was always nice, courteous and almost borderline sweet. And Simon always, always treated him badly. Thankfully on High Fidelity he does get better. The ending was sweet, I think he realized how he was such an asshole.
A thing that bothered me, too, was that the author didn't add LOADS of important scenes to the book. I was disappointed to find out that there was no smut in it too. I mean, then I saw the website and that we had these scenes there. The thing is that I don't get why the author didn't put those scenes that are on the website on the book. It just doesn't make sense???
But overall, it was a nice series. I got attached to the characters and the setting is interesting.
Simon is a fucking dickbag. I was so angry at him throughout the series. He's so fucking rude????? Jeremy never deserved a single thing that Simon threw at him. Jeremy was always nice, courteous and almost borderline sweet. And Simon always, always treated him badly. Thankfully on High Fidelity he does get better. The ending was sweet, I think he realized how he was such an asshole.
A thing that bothered me, too, was that the author didn't add LOADS of important scenes to the book. I was disappointed to find out that there was no smut in it too. I mean, then I saw the website and that we had these scenes there. The thing is that I don't get why the author didn't put those scenes that are on the website on the book. It just doesn't make sense???
But overall, it was a nice series. I got attached to the characters and the setting is interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews