Broken Bird

The Last Picks #4

by Gregory Ashe

All’s fair in love and…publishing?

It’s nearly Christmas, and Dashiell Dawson Dane already has enough on his plate finding a present for his parents, coming up with excuses not to hang the Christmas lights, and finishing this stupid story he’s been writing (okay, maybe he needs to start writing it). On top of all that, Bobby has been acting…well, strange. The last thing Dash needs, in other words, is to play host when Marshall Crowe—celebrity author and, worse, a friend of Dash’s parents—comes to town.

When Marshall dies in the middle of a public reading of his latest novel, Dash can’t bring himself to believe it was an accident, but he’s determined to stay away from the investigation. Until, that is, the prime suspect shows up on his doorstep, begging for his help. The catch? It’s the same woman who accused Dash, not so long ago, of murdering Vivienne Carver—Hastings Rock’s resident cozy mystery author, Pippi Parker. And helping Pippi might just be the death of Dash.

Genres: Mystery, M M Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, Romance

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2024

About the author

I'm a long-time Midwesterner. I've lived in Chicago, Bloomington (IN), and Saint Louis, my current home. Aside from reading and writing (which take up a lot of my time), I'm an educator.

While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!

My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.

Reviews

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎧 Nov 8: Audiobook release! https://www.audible.com/pd/Broken-Bir...

[4.5] Work may have blended my brain into mush, but you bet GA’s decision to cut to black and close the curtains with that jolted me wide awake. I was feverishly flipping through my copy, half-hoping, half-expecting I accidentally skipped a page or two. The cheeky audacity…

This installment decided to play nice and take several steps back from the pain levels we’ve been regularly served, instead drawing more heavily on the fun potential of this seaside town’s comedic shenanigans and quirky occupants. In some ways, the smoother roads made the book go by much quicker in my eyes. But that doesn’t mean a lack of progress on the main fronts: new opportunities open up for other members of our Last Picks crew to shine, and communication earnestly begins to lay its foundations. It helps to know GA has plans for more robust Last Picks development in the second half of the series - for now, I’ll just be over here relishing how they support and wrangle our lovable, anxiety-ridden Dash (with so much love and exasperation!). But above all, I most enjoy watching Dash’s steady progression through his spiritual growth spurt as he hops about Hastings Rock and unravels more of himself - as a community member, as a writer, as a son, as a friend, and as a human being.

I’ll try to come back and say more once I’ve collected my scattered brain cells, but boy oh boy, my appetite for the next book is whetted to the extreme.

Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book; this is my honest review :)

——pre-release thoughts——

Sep 2! GA instantly pulling my attention with a direct mention of the Broken Bird trope. let’s take this moment of surreal clarity to remind ourselves that the first book is officially out next week - the wait to meet Dash and the crew is almost over!

in the meantime, if you’re an Advanced tier patron or Kickstarter backer: check your email for instructions on how to obtain your early copy of the first book Mystery Magnet! KS backers should’ve also gotten a link to the first Hemlock House puzzle to test their wits. i’ll be pondering it on the next 20+ hours of travel 👀

------

ETA: Keep track of GA's production schedule here: https://bit.ly/hazardverse

The Last Picks release schedule so far is a true beaut:

0.5) “Engineered Public Confession”: Apr 28, 2024 via newsletter (~Oct 2025 in the forthcoming short story collection Expanded Universe)
1) Mystery Magnet : Apr 29, 2024 (Apr 20 for KS backers / Advanced tier patrons)
1.5) “New Neighbors”: May 31, 2024 via newsletter (~Oct 2025 in the forthcoming short story collection Expanded Universe)
2) Dude Magnet : Jun 1, 2024 (May 18 for KS backers / Advanced tier patrons)
3) Doom Magnet : Jul 15, 2024 (Jul 6 for KS backers / Advanced tier patrons)
4) Broken Bird : Sep 2, 2024 (Aug 24 for KS backers / Advanced tier patrons)

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5***** stars


Dear Gregory Ashe, are you for fudging real?? (you know I didn’t say fudge. —inside joke end) We’ve waited 4 fudging books for this! Unbelievable.


Anyway. I loved it.

The tension between Dash and Deputy Bobby is unreal. I loved the mystery and I can’t wait to return for the next one.

****************
The Last Picks Series

Book 1 - Mystery Magnet - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Dude Magnet - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Doom Magnet - 4.25 stars
Book 4 - Broken Bird - 4.5 stars
Book 5 - Between You and Me - wait for audio
Book 6 - Again with Feeling - release 12/24
Book 7 - By the Book - release 02/25

[Kathleen in Oslo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

After the delicious pining and seeming progress of the previous installment, this was a reminder that GA readers are meant to suffer.

While book 3 primarily focused on the Dash-Deputy Bobby dynamic, this one centered more on the crime plot and the Last Picks. And while I have plenty of time for Indira and Keme, a little bit of Fox and (especially) Millie goes a long way -- even before the re-appearance (from book 1) of Pippi, the mercenary, middling author and (one of) Dash's arch-enemies. Having such a ridiculous character on the crime side, in addition to Millie being dialed up to 22 the whole time . . . well. I may have audibly sighed. More than once.

The reason that the LPs and the mystery got so much space in this one is because Deputy Bobby (who in this book is demoted to Bobby, I PROTEST THIS SACRILEGE!!!!!) is, literally, absent much of the time. Even though they're now living under the same roof, there is a Bobby-shaped hole in Dash's life: our diminutive deputy is either working extra shifts or sweating away at the gym or surfing in freezing water or hiding away in his room -- anywhere Dash isn't, in other words. Dash is baffled, hurt, and ashamed by this turn of events, unsure what he's done wrong and why this is happening. In the context of such an otherwise frothy and over-the-top confection, Dash's pain and confusion is poignantly done. And I really liked how, when they finally do communicate, there isn't this big, dramatic, ah-hah explanation. In the series so far, what we've seen of Deputy Bobby (HE WILL ALWAYS BE DEPUTY BOBBY TO ME, GREG!!!) has been Dash's infatuated, idealized version; the Deputy Bobby we get here is more flawed and human.

So: not my favorite installment -- leaning more into quirky-cutesy territory than I personally prefer (and yes, I am aware that reading cozies while having a low threshold for quirkiness is an invitation to despair; but if Greg's writing it, I'm reading it) -- but I still devoured it in a single sitting and was absorbed the whole time. And that ending!!! Friends, I screamed.

I got an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Smutty Sully · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars because I had to subtract a star for schizophrenia jokes (not okay)

This is my least favorite so far in the series. Of course, the dialogue and Bobby & Dash moments are still charming. Ashe writes that well, and the group dynamics are fun.

It just felt like Bobby's behavior, seemingly pulling away and Dash being hurt, didn't line up with the previous book and the short story. The back-and-forth doesn't need to be so back-and-forth. Let them be friends; let the pining build up naturally.

Don't get me wrong, I'm hooked on the series and happy to have well-written women side characters and a nonbinary side character by Ashe, it's growth and improvement from much earlier works.

I want to tackle the schizophrenia joke head-on. I have spent decades compartmentalizing what are everyday mental illness jokes ever since I can remember realizing how incredibly painful and hurtful they are. So, since I was a teenager. I have two uncles with schizophrenia and one of my ex-partners has bipolar. I grew up around mental illnesses (and have had plenty of mental health battles.)

Mental illnesses and mental health struggles are still somehow socially acceptable to joke about and mock. The reason I feel confident saying that is because when it's done, it is usually "unintentional." Meaning, it's secondhand nature to joke about it. I've been thinking a lot about this with the recent International Mental Health Awareness Day, and I've decided to stop compartmentalizing this shit so it doesn't hurt each time. No, I want to let it slice and then I'm going to point it out.

I am a big fan of Ashe's writing, and I highly, highly doubt he wrote the excerpt below and said, hey - how can I word this so it's mean and painful?

It still bothers me. Does that mean when people write and say this stuff they do not hear how it sounds? Do they not know anyone at all with a mental illness? Do people really need a personal anecdote from me to feel empathy towards others? It's so reductive, and it's dehumanizing to anyone who has a mental illness or loves someone with one.

Maybe I was having a schizophrenic break. People with schizophrenia often believed they were being recorded on camera, right?

So, for context, this isn't a side character saying something nasty that we can judge and say oh that guy is just an asshole. This is the main protagonist, Dash. And it's meant to be lighthearted and funny. It's amusing to reduce a very complex, misunderstood, maligned, and one of the harshest mental illnesses to live with, to one singular trait as a joke.

It's not funny. It's a severe, chronic lifelong illness that real people have.

One of my uncles just disappeared one day. He was missing for 15 years and was found living on the street. Delusional, unkempt, malnourished, confused. He is still pretty much homeless. (Don't give me that suffering from homelessness wording lecture, this is a permanent setting for him. He is without a regular home.)

I've met him twice. I'm not sure he knows who I am. But I know who he is. I know what his life was like before an illness came and knocked him off his fucking feet, permanently. I also know that there will not be some magical day when his life is significantly better or different. This is his reality.

Please, stop joking about shit like this, unintentional or not. I'd rather someone be a complete dick and purposefully say something they knew was disgusting and harmful than have someone say...oh, I didn't know it would bother you. I didn't know that was offensive. Just. Stop.

Sorry for the sideways mental illness rant, but a month later and this is what I remember from the book. A joke about a crippling illness that no one gets the choice of whether or not they have it.

Do better.

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3 stars ✰

​“I want to catch one break,” I said under my breath. “Just one.”

​I hear you, Dash. But, I think I am a bad fit with this particular brand of Gregory Ashe's writing of characters with temperaments that grate on my nerves.​ Let it never not be known that I gave his entire Holloway series five stars - each. 😤 It's not the cozy​ vibe that's irking me; it seems to be everything else that is gnawing at my own delicate sensibilities that is making it difficult for me to appreciate the finer points. It's really testing my patience of what to expect and appreciate.

I am not a patient person.

Well, I thought I was, but clearly this seems to be questioning that sentiment. From the romance to the character development, it reminds me of how reading books and watching tv series somehow are related. Long gone are the days of 22+ episodes where the otp took their time with meaningful interaction and tentative build-up before the final epic make-out scene. It's sort of like in reading, where I've been so accustomed to insta-love and immediate heat that I seem to have forgotten how to savor the smaller details in a couple's chemistry.

The Last Picks is reminding me of that feeling of waiting for something climatic to happen. It may have taken me four books to realize it, but it's finally sinking in why I'm having a difficult time accepting certain things.

But, I'm also stubborn.

And I did not sit through 12+ seasons and 4 TV Movies of Murder She Wrote to walk away from a long-term murder mystery series, despite how conflicted I may feel about a few aspects​! 🙂‍↔ Jessica Fletcher had her fair run of bad characters, but never ones which really aggravated her - or me - to the point that I felt like strangling someone. 😩 Plus, abandoning at book 4, right when the cliffhanger was such a cruel one - will we ever get to know what happened? - and the story is picking up?? Too lame?​ 😅

Be that as it may, I seem to be disliking Bobby with each installment...

​“​Letting go of someone is hard. And it’s harder when your feelings​ are tangled. We all want to hold on to the things that are familiar​ because, even when we’re unhappy, it makes us feel safe.​”​

I know I should be looking at the tender way in which their friendship is building up. I should like that Bobby cares so deeply for Dash, that he's having difficulty expressing it. But, I did not feel that his reason for ignoring Dash the way he was - the way he avoided him and then explained his reasoning for it - I felt like Dash forgave him too easily, albeit with understanding. 😟​ Actually - as much as I feel like I'm being unreasonable, this is only my personal opinion and there is plenty to argue against it, but... My conflict is with Bobby's own personality and issues that allow him to get off the hook from his hot and cold behavior​. Allow may seem harsh, but it is frustrating to see how Dash seems to be doing more of the heavy work to keep their relationship - heck, even friendship afloat, even before Bobby's own personality kicks into place.

Dash was not being demanding or expecting too much; being brushed off like that hurts, and Bobby did not need him to spell it out for him. Yes, he was in his own cloud of hurt and dealing with it in a very unhealthy way - and I know that it is possible and believable side of human nature - but, Dash so readily accepted his explanation - that in, itself, felt like a self-martyr act that did not make me happy - ​at all​.​ 🙁 The whole lead-up to exclusion and ignoring him was just so hard to sit through that the pay-off of Dash forgiving him - while an act of love and kindness - made me even more upset.​ 🙎🏻‍♀️

​“It’s so much easier to be angry than to be in pain.”

​Welp, maybe that is me. Projecting my own pain in anger, instead - maybe I'm just the Broken Bird here. ​I do feel guilty, though, like I'm ​bringing down the curve with my own issues....

Honestly, Dash deserves better​.​ 😥 He's genuinely doing good, but faces so many obstacles in his wake that it gets agonizingly frustrating to see how much he has to get through to finally make it out - alive. And it hurts to see that as much as he enjoys the company of the last picks - it's that aching void of having someone to care for - that really hits home. It makes me sad for him, at how he has to rein in his emotions and want, in order to keep those he cares for close. It's a sad and heartbreaking combination, hence, my belief that he does deserve someone who can return that feeling - maybe, Bobby will finally come around. 😢

The mystery was decent enough; not too over-the-top or too original, even with me accepting that it's become a running joke that Dash will never really get the last word, while he tracks down the clues and narrows the suspects in order for him to piece it all together. It's nice to see him be a bit more confident in both his writing talents as well as his demand for space and respect - which is sorely lacking atm. 🥺 As much as it pains me to see how easily it is to target him in his own house, I like that Hemlock House plays such a big role in alleviating the danger and allowing Dash to appreciate it more - a 'quirky, eccentric, maybe even downright strange​ beautifully insane pseudo-Victorian mansion​' that has come to mean so very much to Dash, as both his sanctuary and his home.

I like that Dash wears glasses. I don't know why I hang onto that little detail, but whenever it's mentioned, it feels comforting, somehow. Maybe, because I am a megane, myself. 😊

“Well, of course,” Fox said. “But that doesn’t mean she’s wrong about the fact that you’re the best person to help her. I mean, technically, we work best as a team.”

Not that I saw much of them acting as a team in solving the case, but definitely saw them offering them a solid support system of encouragement and simply being there for Dash, despite how much he denies their affection and concern as signs of them being friends.​ ❤️‍🩹🫂 Christmas, a time for magic and 'tis the season of reflective thoughts,too, so it was nice to see this little found family share in the festivities, together. I am still lukewarm towards Bobby, so maybe if I don't think about him, I might be okay. 🙃

Millie's exuberance was toned down just a LITTLE BIT to pave the way for Pippi's less than favorable antics, which bordered on annoying rather than endearing. Honestly, how anyone could think there was something redeemable to her. 🤦🏻‍♀️ *shudders* And, as much as it pains me to admit it, perhaps, that is the vibe that this series is aiming for when no one is accountable for their tactics and attitude and it's supposed to come off as an endearing quirk rather than an annoyance. My heart goes out to Dash. 🙆🏻‍♀️

I hope we get to see Dash's parents make an appearance at Hasting Rocks; considering how much influence they've had on his life it would be a missed opportunity not to see them in all their grandeur.

Aside from that, I do have to give a shout-out to the top-notch editing that leaves me a satisfied customer and the sway of over-hyper emotions easy to navigate through. 👍🏻 It is aiming for its own particular style, which I do respect; I'm just having a hard time adjusting to it, so it is certainly a me problem. We do have seven more books to get through, so who knows, maybe it'll grow on me. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤞🏻

[ancientreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first: Is "Thunder Clap" an STI joke?
Second things second: Why does Hastings Rock have "such a dingy little library"?

And now to the two mysteries: 1. Who killed the egregious Marshall Crowe, self-inserting author of the Chase Thunder mystery series? (Pause here to appreciate GA's gift for comic naming. Pippi and Stephen, OMG.) 2. WTF is up with Deputy Bobby, who is refusing / canceling / no-showing for all social occasions and instead doing nothing but taking extra shifts, working out, and surfing? And this after Doom Magnet ended on such a promising note? I thought maaaaaaaybe he and Dash were done pining, though since this is Gregory Ashe we're talking about, deep down inside I knew better.

Anyway, since in this installment of the Last Picks series Bobby is conspicuous mainly by his absence, the narrative spends most of its time on the mystery. This, to be fair, is perfectly entertaining -- I gulped down Broken Bird (yikes, that sounds terrible) as fast as I could, just as I do everything GA writes. There was much groan-laughing over Pippi and her true-crime ?podcasting? ?YouTubing? ambitions. But, like every other reader of Ashe's books, I've been trained to invest heavily in (read: obsess over) his couples, so the real payoff for me came not when Bobby and Dash arrested the murderer but when they finally had the conversation that cleared the air between them. -- Cleared it temporarily, I presume, because again: Gregory Ashe.

In the next installment, Bobby will find a therapist, right? RIGHT?

[ETA: I forgot to say how much I love it that in every book, when Dash confronts the murderer, they interrupt his analysis of the crime over and over and over again. Ugh so rude. Poor Dash never gets to lay out his analysis!]

Thanks, as always, to GA for the ARC, these are my honest blatherings, etc.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I'm enjoying this series a lot, but I gotta say, it doesn't really work either as m/m or as a mystery series. The focus is too much on just hangin' out with Dash and the gang.

I gather this is Ashe's first "cozy" series. While I've read "cozy" mysteries before, I've never focused specifically on the genre or sought it out, so I don't have nearly as firm an idea in my head of what constitutes a "cozy" as our writer MC in this one seems to, but first and foremost, it's a subgenre of mystery. (Yes. I am willfully ignoring the recent emergence of "cozy fantasy" and the ongoing vibe-ification of words that actually used to mean something specific. He says, knowing his working definition of cozy is basically "it gives Murder She Wrote vibes.")

Thing is, Angela Lansbury investigated the fuck out of those crimes. It never felt like something she just did to kill time because she didn't have a iphone full of social media to scroll through. It never felt like it was just a whim she indulged between bouts of angsting about her relationships or baking cookies. And I have to wonder if it isn't just the extended runtime of a novel that allows authors to water down the mystery element with "character" moments to the point the mystery itself feels like an afterthought in "cozy mystery" series like this, but the desire to give their beloved protagonists love interests and found families and recurring antagonists, and the subsequent need to ensure every one of those secondary characters gets their share of pagetime.

As to the relationship side of things, I admit, the odds of me picking up any specific mystery if it doesn't center some sad little gay dude I can relate to is slim to none. And I like that he's getting a love interest, and a nice little found family. And stretching out the relationship arc over a series of multiple separate mysteries is an infinitely better idea than the reverse. But OMG, you got to give me something!

To judge by the reviews of other m/m readers I see online, I'm far more tolerant than most of the stereotypical male inability or unwillingness to communicate as a major element of a story, but I was getting seriously fed up with that BS by the middle of this volume. It's starting to feel like the worst chain-yanking of shows like Nowhere Man or X-Files where the writers would periodically trot out Mulder's missing sister for Sweeps Week or a season finale only to turn around in the next episode like "SIKE! None of that was real! HAHA! Fooled you!" By the the end Ashe did make our prospective couple have a serious conversation (while still dancing around the real issue) and it did feel like a tiny crumb of progress had been made, but will it still be there in the next volume? Or will it be like Star Trek where we've seemingly forgotten that last week we quadrupled the output of the shields by reversing the polarity of the whackamajig and now we're in danger again cuz they're back to normal.

Don't be Star Trek.

So, anyway... This volume did feel more even than the previous one, and I'm giving it a 5 in spite of myself. I'll keep reading the series at least for now. I'll just have to keep in mind it's just a casual get together with friends, and not a serious mystery, much less a romance.

[Lily Loves 📚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say? In every series I usually have one book that doesn’t blow me away and this is the one in The Last Picks series. I enjoyed this but I just wasn’t that invested. I was actually kind of annoyed with everyone. Except I love Dash and this book made me love him more. Don’t ask, I don’t get it either.

Maybe it’s because Bobby was not around much and that he wasn’t called “Officer Bobby”. Maybe it was Pippi showing up, she was the most annoying ever. I also was annoyed on Dash’s behalf at everyone trying to get him out of his room. Sometimes you have to mope for a day or two and I need my alone time so I was definitely annoyed. I understood why his friends were engaging with him and I’m totally projecting my own feelings here.

The mystery in this one didn’t interest me that much. Maybe because the victim was such a jerk and we didn’t see any other part of him. I enjoyed Millie and Keme coming along, they’re very cute. I do wish the entire Last Picks group was more involved in the mystery solving. They really only hang around but don’t do much for the mysteries. They just point out things about how Dash feels about Bobby.

Of course I am still excited for the next book in this series. I just feel like this one was trying too hard to be a good, cozy mystery. I don’t feel like you need to always announce in a cozy mystery that of course the word they said wasn’t “fudge” and other sentences like that. I kind of feel like that makes the story feel like it’s a parody of a cozy mystery. I don’t know, this story just rubbed me the wrong way at times.

Well, you win some you lose some. I did love seeing Hastings Rock at Christmas through Dash’s eyes. He is also becoming more confident in his writing. He is such a sweet character and I do love him.


ARC received for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Don’t blame me if I steal this marketing whiz out from under your nose.”
“Coffins,” Millie said. “With your face on the INSIDE!”
“Good God.” Pippi grabbed her memo book and scribbled frantically. “You’ve been hiding in plain sight, my dear.”

Another banger, this one is a 4.5 rounded up but still really great!

We didn’t get as much time with our Last Picks crew or Bobby as Dash was mostly running around trying to solve things on his own or being plagued by a side character determined to get rich doing a true crime podcast by solving the crime with or before Dash.
I honestly felt annoyed on Dash’s behalf even though it was funny, poor Dash didn’t get to have a partner in crime solving things this time and that lady was such a thorn in his side! But the issues of true crime fans trying to “solve” cases and leak info can be a real issue in an investigation, so it was a fantastic premise.

The crime and twists were interesting and engaging, and I loved various appearances by the local characters and their little reactions (like Dash’s arch nemesis the librarian).
Dash’s internal narration and insights were absolutely fantastic, and every interaction with Bobby and Dash’s continued growth as a person are top notch.
I love the way his perception and interactions with his work as a writer reflect him as a person as well, it’s just masterfully written.

And who doesn’t love such a relatable hero:
“Tacos were a reward for successful sneakery. As well as for making it to Fridays, or finishing a good writing session, or because it was Tuesday. Or anytime you were sad. Or if you weren’t sad, but a taco just sounded really, really good.”

I got an ARC copy from the author and am leaving this honest review. But tbh I’m a stan I kickstarted it too 😅

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun instalment, this time with a very good dose of pining, UST and heartache for Dash.

Oh Dash!
I feel for him from the bottom of my heart. He’s really totally fallen for Bobby, but so insecure, uncertain and totally clueless about pretty much anything, he doesn’t know what to do about it.
At least he’s getting a good nudge from one of his Last Picks friends. The way things are going (not) at the moment, we’re certainly in for an epic slooooooow burn!

As for Bobby, he seems to be as confused as Dash at times. But of course, he is still recovering from his break up and, tbh, he also isn’t one who does relationships easily.

Apart from all the tugging at my heart-strings, there’s aplenty of fun, chuckles and, naturally, another murder to be solved.

Love the feels.
Love the characters.
Love this series.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The murder rate in this quaint seaside town is truly astonishing! Like, someone should call Dateline to get Keith Morrison out there immediately. Dead bodies aside, this book was so much fun. I think this might have been the coziest of the series so far, or maybe it was just the Christmas vibes making me feel all warm and gooey inside (like one of Indira's hot chocolate cookies with marshmallows BAKED INSIDE!). After a couple of lackluster reads recently, this book was much needed and appreciated. I find Dash and his special brand of self deprecation ceaselessly endearing. Frustrating, too - like when he chooses to misinterpret every significant thing Deputy Bobby says - but mostly endearing. I also adore the rest of the Last Picks, especially Millie and Keme.

The mystery, while still being that of the murder variety, didn't feel as serious as those in the previous books and I really liked that. It was written with the kind of levity that draws me to authors like May Archer and Lucy Lennox, who excel at shenanigans, but imbue their stories with enough emotional weight to keep them from floating off into la la land. I laughed so many times while reading this (Keme vs Katniss had me dying), but I almost cried a few times too. It was a perfect balance (the book, not my emotions - those are in a constant state of imbalance). I think it's safe to say that this was a right book, right mood kind of experience for me.

I don't want to wait until October for the next book!😭

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complimentary audio was provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really LOVE this series! The audios are beautifully narrated, and I give all the stars to Andrew Gibson.

Of course, there wouldn't have been anything to narrate without Gregory Ashe's writing and hilariously goofy and fun cast of characters. Broken Bird is just as zany as the rest of the series and I loved every second. Yes, it's crazy. Yes, it's ridiculous. Yes, it's unbelievable. And yes, Dash should lock his friends up in the basement and never let them out. He doesn't need their "help," lol. This time around Dash doesn't so much discover a dead body as he (and others) witness someone dying. And not just anyone, a real a-hole who is so full of himself, you're kind of rooting for his demise. I kind of figured out the whole reason by why Marshall Crowe was killed, it's not a new motive, but that's not really the point. I don't know why everyone else reads this series, but I don't do it so much for the mystery but because these characters are so wild I have to know what they do next. The mystery and sleuthing is fun, don't get me wrong, I come for the whole party, but my driving motives behind continuing this series is I need to check in on this made-into-a-family group to make sure they're all in one piece. :D

What I did find disturbing, in the craziness of these people, is that Pippi, PIPPI! Comes to Dash for help. How clueless is this woman? Not only does she go to him for help to clear her name (read the blurb), she comes up with the most ridiculous way to monetize on her troubles, and you know, a murder, creating a reality type youtube video. I wasn't quite clear on what her whole end game was, but somehow she thought having her sons record her "helping" Dash solve the murder, she would become more popular and more famous. Anywho, Pippi is a very annoying character, which is fine because she is supposed to be that way. It's who she is. Dash, being a gentleman, and not being able to ignore a murder, he does indeed solve the crime, prove Pippi innocent (drat!), and on top of that, have some serious but ultimately unhelpful conversations with Deputy Bobby.

Dash and Bobby are circling each other and I don't even think they realize it. It's a kind of cat and mouse, obtuse brain/feelings situation. It's a cozy mystery so I expect nothing less. :) Their dance is getting close to a finish, and when that music stops, boy howdy will the FUN really begin, lol. Dash will probably put himself into a coma from his nerves.

I give this 4.5 stars for the story and 5 stars for the audio. Not a full 5 stars for the story because Bobby is kind of a jerk to Dash and instead of actually speaking to Dash, he ignores him and yells at him for once again being involved in a murder. *slaps Bobby on the back of the head*

I look forward to the next one so much!

[Ben Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

rtc

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Bird (The Last Picks, book 4)
By Gregory Ashe
Hodgkin and Blount, 2024
Five stars

Broken Bird makes two books from this series (so far) with titles and cover designs that actually refer to literary/film tropes; which, of course, also refer (obliquely or directly) to characters or moments in the book. I love that these books do not rely on alluring images of sultry young men on their covers.

It’s very clever, and this fourth installment in The Last Picks series is, like all the others I’ve read so far, smart. Smart and funny (clever being somewhere in between).

Indirectly, Dash Dane’s parents (successful mystery authors) get involved in this, which underscores the sort of meta aspect of this book: a murder mystery that is about murder mystery writers. Dash, after all, is a wannabe writer, and by this volume has actually succeeded in getting one of his pieces into an anthology overseen(?) by his parents. He also lives in a Victorian mansion that he, by bizarre circumstance, inherited from a mystery writer. Another central figure in this book is Pippi Parker, yet another mystery writer who’s a local in Hasting’s Rock.

And, as is true of everything in which Dashiel Dane is involved, it gets very messy very fast. Dash is not the messiest person here, amazingly, and his increasing feelings for sheriff deputy Robert Mai (Deputy Bobby) are not the messiest thing either. Bobby Mai is a calming figure—strong, smart, restrained—and yet he stirs up Dash something fierce. Gregory Ashe loves to torture his readers over the emotional subtexts (sub-currents? Sub tidal waves?) in his books. The only reason this isn’t more painful is because of the wry, smart humor that is generously laced throughout the narrative.

As always, The Last Picks (Indira, Fox, Keme, and Millie) are Dash’s Greek chorus, providing support that he needs and wisdom that he often doesn’t pay attention to. We learn a bit more about them as the books proceed, but there’s a lot we don’t know.

And all of this is why these books are such fun to read and so addictive. (I’m already halfway through book 5).

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a mystery,
but I don't care. Just bring me
Dash, Bobby, Keme.

[ML · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was more cozy. Christmas time in Hastings Rock.

Bobby is being distant and it’s upsetting to Dash and tbh it’s upsetting for me too!

A horrible person that happens to be a writer and is a friends to Dash’s parents comes into town. Ugh and ick…He’s quickly murdered. I was not sad about that 🤣🤣🤣

Pippi was a tad bit too much in this installment. She’s so awful that she’s a good type of character. Her family is absolutely ghastly as well 🤪🤪

The murderer was pretty easy to guess but not the real motive. Dash figures it out. He’s a regular Jessica Fletcher. 😬😬😬

Onto the next one… this has been a fun binge so far…

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this one a lot, it was my least favorite of the series so far, mostly because of the stage Bobby and Dash’s relationship was in during book four—although it was an inevitable if frustrating stage for a slow burn romance. However, I still love this series so much. It’s one of the best written cozy mysteries series I’ve ever read.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bit different, there is almost none of Bobby here, mostly because he seems to be avoiding Dash in a very proficient way. And Dash... well, you can imagine how this is affecting him.

Add to that the very public murder of a writer, who is an old friend of his parents, and a very scared but still deeply self-involved Pippi Parker begging for his help and to say he's not having a good time might be the understatement of the year :P

And yes, I said Pippi, Dash... arch-nemesis? Or would that be Mrs. Shufflebottom? Can you have two arch-nemesis?

Aaaanyway, this book has so much craziness in it that you can't even imagine it. Pippi is running around with a filming crew (well, they are her sons, but still) trying to monetize Marshall's murder, Molly is giving her even more ridiculously insane marketing ideas and the pool of suspects is big but unclear. And, with this premise, it's quite obvious that there will be many laughing-out-loud moments but there are also some very thrilling ones. Oh! And more secret passages! God, I want to live in Dash's house! :P

Regarding the mystery, I must say I suspected who was the culprit from the beginning, not because I actually had a clue about what was going on but because it's kind of a tale old as time, isn't it? a starry-eyed young woman meets a famed writer who she idolizes... And those words they had just before the conference began... even when there was no real proof, I was sure it was her Nevertheless, I still had moments when I was doubting myself. Soooooooo many red herrings *laughs*

And, the whole time, there is a current running under the story wondering about what people feel, how they feel it, why they feel it.

“That was unkind,” Ophelia said. “I never thought of myself as an unkind person, but love can turn you into someone you never thought you’d be, don’t you think? It feels like love right up until the moment you realize it’s hate. Maybe it’s been hate all along. Maybe that’s been the real you all along. Do you know what I mean?”

Again, I had to think. And I found myself thinking again of Bobby, of the night before. Of how angry I’d gotten with him over—what? A look? A half-glimpsed expression on his face, which, if I were being totally honest with myself, might have been nothing more than shadow—and, of course, my imagination.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m not particularly good at relationships, so I probably don’t qualify as an expert opinion. But I think there’s some truth to that. Love is a powerful emotion. Desire. Even friendship. And when we don’t feel like those feelings are returned, well, I think we all swing the other direction. At least for a little while.”

“Exactly,” Ophelia said, the word brisk with excitement. “Because those emotions are tied up with our sense of self. Because when we desire someone, when we extend friendship, when we offer love, we’re really offering ourselves. And being rejected, having your self be rejected—that’s true pain.” In a strange voice, she added, “It’s so much easier to be angry than to be in pain.”

All along these four books we've seen everything from Dash's POV and that makes us his accomplices, in a way. We take his side because we see things his way. And that, my friends, leads us to make mistakes. Like assuming we know why Bobby is never around anymore. Which, we don't.

I'm in awe that is MOLLIE the adult, emotionally intelligent one here. But she is, big time. She talks to Dash, she gives him sound advice and she makes sure that he has to follow it. Way to go, Mollie! *high fives Mollie*

And I love that we along with Dash get to see a less-than-perfect Bobby. One who is hurting and dealing with it in a very unhealthy way. A Bobby who shuts himself off and runs from his issues. Because Dash needed to see that, needed to understand that Bobby is human and might need someone who listens to him and offers him a hug ♥

Yeah, in a book which is almost all about the murder, Ashe manages to give us a wondrous advance in the relationship between these two fools in, what? three, four pages? This man is a genius *laughs*

And who'd have thought that “Look at that.” could be the most cliff-hanger-y end of a book? *dies laughing*

As always, a very good, very recommended book ♥

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

B / 4 stars

Broken Bird, book four in Gregory Ashe’s The Last Picks series of cosy mysteries delivers another enjoyable, fast-paced read that really showcases the author’s talent for balancing laugh-out-loud humour with heartfelt emotion. It’s a bit of a change of gear from Doom Magnet ’s Dash-and-Bobby-focused deliciousness, but it makes sense to slow things down(Bobby has a lot to work through), and with Bobby largely conspicuous by his absence, this story centres more on the mystery plot, Dash’s relationships with the gang, and his continuing personal growth.

Dash and the other ‘Picks’ are an event at the local library where famous author Marshall Crowe is making a personal appearance to promote his latest thriller. Dash is there to pass on a package from his parents (who have been friends with Marshall for years), although he’s mostly preoccupied with why Bobby hasn’t shown up. When Marshall arrives, there’s something not right – he looks drunk and seems to be getting even drunker - and he promptly begins saying nasty things about Pippi Parker, Hastings Rock’s resident author of cosy mysteries, criticising her books and saying she has zero talent and even less common sense. Not long after this, and amid a lot of noisy, affronted protests, Marshall keels over – and Dash doesn’t need anyone to tell him that the man is dead.

Next day, Pippi - who had been the loudest voice of those who accused Dash of murdering Vivienne Carver in = Mystery Magnet (book one in the series) - turns up at Hemlock House on a flimsy pretext, and then, as soon as Dash’s back is turned, starts rummaging through his study. When Dash confronts her, she confesses that she’s the prime suspect in the murder case – because she was overheard saying she’d like to kill Marshall – and asks for his help in exonerating her. Dash doesn’t want to get involved, although he has to admit that he’d like to know who killed Marshall… and thanks to what Bobby calls his “overdeveloped sense of justice” (which probably comes from reading too many hard-boiled detective novels), he can’t stand the thought of someone getting away with murder.

There’s a lot to enjoy about Broken Bird. It’s very funny and I love all the meta-y stuff about writing, Dash’s self-deprecating humour (his thoughts on a Dashiell Dane action figure – now with 60% more anxiety! Pick up Dash’s studio apartment (sold separately) so he can lie in bed all day!”) - and wicked observational humour (“at least I didn’t look like I got my hair shellacked at the same place Darth Vader got his helmets.”) - but Poppi is SO unlikeable and does so many completely unacceptable things (like breaking into Dash’s house or filming, without permission, for her true-crime podcast without thinking about possible consequences) that I couldn’t bring myself to care about her. I suppose guilt or innocence shouldn’t depend on whether a character is a nice person or not, and perhaps her antics were supposed to be funny, but she rubbed me completely the wrong way. I’d happily have locked her up and thrown away the key! I do, however, love the way Mr. Ashe upends the typical ‘great reveal’ in each book by having the culprit continually interrupting Dash as he’s trying to set out his analysis of the crime – it certainly beats your regular villainous monologue and gather-all-the-suspects finale.

For me, however, the mysteries are simply the vehicles the author is using to develop his characters and the relationships between them. There’s no doubt they’re well-written and thought-out and it’s clear Mr. Ashe is having fun using the various mystery stock-in-trades and tropes, but I’m here for the characters, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the way those relationships are progressing and getting to know each of the Last Picks better. Indira is still something of a enigma, but Dash’s brother-ish thing with Keme is going well (even though he thinks Keme probably hates him!) and Millie gets a bit of the spotlight here when she gives some surprisingly insightful advice about how Dash should approch the whole Bobby situation. From the bits and pieces we’ve learned about Dash’s past, it’s clear he’s never really felt as though he belonged anywhere and that now, for probably the first time in his life, he’s starting to feel as though he’s found somewhere he fits in, and we can see how much they all care about one another.

Amid the deepening friendships and mystery shenigans is a Dash who is deeply unhappy over what he fears is the loss of his best friend. It’s been a couple of months since Bobby (now minus the “Deputy”) moved in to Hemlock House after his split with West, but Dash is seeing even less of him now than he did when Bobby was living elsewhere, and he doesn’t know what to do or what he did wrong. His hurt and confusion is beautifully articulated, and it’s a measure of how far he’s come that he’s able to find the courage to face the problem head on, no matter that it’s one of the hardest things he’s ever done. It’s such a relief when they finally manage to get past their hang-ups and actually talk to each other honestly and clear the air… and then, that ending. GAH!

Broken Bird didn’t work quite as well for me as the other books in the series (I blame Pippi!), but it’s fast-paced, entertaining, and funny, and definitely worth a few hours of anyone’s time.

[Kassu · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐

Was this supposed to be cosy? Bobby is being a huge dick throughout the book, and while he has his reasons, we don't get his POV and it's just miserable. The whole book was miserable to the point of nausea. There's a small patch-up in the end, which doesn't save this book.

And it's even misleading. We get a mistletoe moment, but then next book is 2 months later and we don't even get a mention of the mistletoe.

I was considering dropping the whole series, though unfortunately I am also an anxious disaster or a human being (like Dash for those who don't immediately get it), and I can't let this anxiety go until I can get the story to a happier place. But I made a decision never to start another Gregory Ashe series again.

[Sparkle (Roronoa Zoro’s girl) {in the longest slump🥴} 💜Tortured Reader🤍 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery Magnet - 5 stars
Dude Magnet - 4.25 stars
Doom Magnet - 4 stars
Broken bird - 4.5 stars

[Antara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read that delivered all the coziness that comes with drinking hot chocolate, going to holiday markets, and falling asleep while watching a Christmas movie.

Broken Bird sees the return of author and borderline grifter Pippi Parker, and this time we get an entertaining look at how her true crime podcast (only five dollars a month on her patronage platform!) is made. Bobby and the Last Picks are less prominent in this one as Dash does a lot of solo sleuthing to figure out the murder of a visiting author and Pippi gets a lot of page time with her shenanigans. Keme gets distraction duty once, but I'd like to see the Last Picks be more involved with the mystery solving and find out more about who they are beyond their quirks. I still have so many questions (especially about Keme and Indira) and am eager to find out what makes them tick, their past, their hopes/fears/dreams/aspirations - okay, I'm asking for a lot, but the series is named after the Last Picks, after all!

The Dash/Bobby slowburn continues to be delicious and unsurprisingly, my favorite scene in the book comes when (after some necessary meddling by Millie) they finally clear the air about Bobby's recent strange behavior. These two are the sweetest and I'm not even dying for them to get together because the build up is so enjoyable. The ending was a bit evil but I loved it :)

[Crystal D. Budy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic but, omg, that ending... I'm dead.

I swear, this series just gets better and better and I think all of that comes down to the characters and their chemistry. I want to be best friends with all of them--although Millie might give me sensory overload after too long. But she has actually quickly become one of my favorite characters. There's so much more to her than just being very loud, which we get to see another glimpse of in this book, and I can't wait to see her character unravels in the rest of the series.

One of the things GA is best at is complex, interesting characters and I'm looking forward to learning more about the Last Picks and what makes them tick. Like Indira and Keme and--okay, let's be real, just all of them. But with every book, we get another little hint at something about each of them and I long to know All The Things.

And can we talk about Dash's growth! Love to see it.

But my god, GA is going to kill me with these endings. I can't believe the next book isn't out until October. Let's hope September goes by super quick!

Thank you to the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[frannilys · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I wanted to write that I‘m glad Dash was finally finding some kind of back bone because it was exhausting seeing everyone just treating him so bad all the time but I had to remedy that statement like 40% in.
Come on Dash, enough is enough. Stand up for yourself. Because his friends and everyone else are not respecting him at all. I know it’s supposed to be funny and quirky but it’s just not for me.

And I still don’t like Fox because they are just mean and I don’t get why everyone is friend with them. They’re just obnoxious.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

five stars for humor, five stars for mystery, four stars for character development, three stars for romance, we'll call it four stars. As always, Ashe writes exceptionally well. I'd already pre-ordered the rest of the available series because this venture into lighter fare is something I'd love to see him do more of.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

Lovely! Bobby's a bit more absent in this one, but the confrontation at the end was great, and I'm still quite enjoying.

[Agalactiae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce quatrième opus nous offre une nouvelle intrigue, avec forcément un nouveau meurtre. Bien évidemment, Dash est concerné de près et va mener sa petite enquête !

Une nouvelle intrigue donc qui tient en haleine et nous permet de voir Dash dans des situations farfelues. Un tome que j'ai beaucoup apprécié où on voit Dash évoluer, au sein de son groupe d'amis, de cette ville. Il se pose pas mal de questions concernant ses sentiments envers Bobby aussi. Un Bobby que j'ai trouvé plus distant dans ce tome-ci, pour certaines bonnes raisons... Le pauvre n'est pas au meilleur de sa forme. Bien sûr, Dash cogite lui aussi et se demande pourquoi son ami agit de la sorte... Cela faisait de la peine à voir.
Nous avons droit à une belle discussion entre eux, une de celle typique de Gregory Ashe qui nous laisse encore dans l'attente de plus ahah, n'est-ce pas ? J'ai l'habitude, et j'aime ça donc tout va bien ^^

The Last Picks est une saga que je prends toujours autant plaisir à lire et j'ai hâte de découvrir le prochain tome !

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite how long it took me to finish this book (it's me, not the book!) I think this is my favorite one in the series so far. I liked that this one had a drop of angst for Dash, letting him wallow a bit in his insecurities (which I would have probably felt too, if I were in his shoes). But even with the feelings that made me want to give Dash a hug (or bring him some cake, which he'd probably prefer), this book is just so much fun, just like the others in this series. I love Dash's sarcasm and little asides whenever he tries to explain something. Lastly, I just love a good slow burn, and I don't think any author does it better than Mr. Ashe.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

Broken Bird is book four in Gregory Ashe’s Last Picks series and we join Dash and the gang as they enter the holiday season. Once again, a murder occurs in their small Oregon town and Dash finds his way in the middle of it. He has a family connection with the victim, not to mention that while he doesn’t particularly like Pippi, he doesn’t want to see her go down for a murder he is sure she didn’t commit. Plus, now that the sheriff has sort of given her blessing for some amateur investigating.

Overall, I really enjoy this series and I find Dash such an entertaining POV character. I love this group of sort of oddballs and misfits and there is such a nice found family vibe. I am definitely looking forward to more.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[StayCalm81 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio 5⭐️
Story 4,5 ⭐️

This always happens to me with Gregory’s books. I start out enjoying them, liking the characters, finding them a little quirky, getting entertained, getting frustrated…and then… bam… falling deeply in love. Now I’m hooked on these characters, this found family, this bunch of misfits, this town, this atmosphere, this coziness, and the slow, slow-burn romance. Gregory’s writing pulls me in like nothing else. I never thought I’d be a fan of cozy reads, but here I am ❤️ in love all over again.