What do you think?
Rate this book
Witte & Co. Investigations #1
The Weeping Lore
December 1925. St. Louis, Missouri.
Out of cash, out of luck, and soon to be out of a home, Cian Shea scours the Irish neighborhood of Kerry Patch for work. When a job falls into his hands, it seems easy deliver a small, unmarked box to a rich man’s home. The job, however, proves far from simple. Framed for the murder of the local mob boss, Cian’s only chance at clearing his name is to recover the mask and identify the killer. Unfortunately for Cian, he discovers that many people want the box—and, more importantly, the secret it contains.
Being hunted by gangsters, bootleggers, and Prohibition agents is bad enough, but Cian finds his steps dogged by sorcerers and spiders and golems who wouldn’t mind pulling him apart (something he’d prefer to avoid). His search leads him to the beautiful Irene Lovell, suffragette and flapper, who is determined to find the box for herself. When a team of supernatural investigators comes to their rescue, Cian learns that there is a great deal more to the world than he had ever imagined and that the box holds an artifact that will rouse an ancient and terrible evil. Before that evil can awaken, they must recover the mask—and they must do so without succumbing to the madness of the weeping lore.
Out of cash, out of luck, and soon to be out of a home, Cian Shea scours the Irish neighborhood of Kerry Patch for work. When a job falls into his hands, it seems easy deliver a small, unmarked box to a rich man’s home. The job, however, proves far from simple. Framed for the murder of the local mob boss, Cian’s only chance at clearing his name is to recover the mask and identify the killer. Unfortunately for Cian, he discovers that many people want the box—and, more importantly, the secret it contains.
Being hunted by gangsters, bootleggers, and Prohibition agents is bad enough, but Cian finds his steps dogged by sorcerers and spiders and golems who wouldn’t mind pulling him apart (something he’d prefer to avoid). His search leads him to the beautiful Irene Lovell, suffragette and flapper, who is determined to find the box for herself. When a team of supernatural investigators comes to their rescue, Cian learns that there is a great deal more to the world than he had ever imagined and that the box holds an artifact that will rouse an ancient and terrible evil. Before that evil can awaken, they must recover the mask—and they must do so without succumbing to the madness of the weeping lore.
ebook
First published March 31, 2015
29 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Ashe
135 books1,790 followersI'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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 7, 2023
[3.5 rounded up]
Well. That was quite the ride!
Gregory Ashe never disappoints, even with his older backlist; even, it seems, with one of his only remaining m/f stories (never fear -- there may be some queer side characters hanging abouts).
It didn't flow quite as well as his later writing, but given how early on it was, I feel like that's to be expected. It still featured his most infamous character descriptions (painful in how visceral they are at times) and his eloquently gorgeous prose.
So, while the pacing might meander a tinge, give it some time. Because -- 1920s gangsters, noir-esque feeling paranormal investigations with sassy ladies. What's not to love?
Aside from maybe the massive spiders. That's a nightmare I can do without, thanks.
Irene and Pearl are awesome. Irene may be a touch mad -- enjoying shedding the debutante life to be a little bad maybe a bit too much sometimes -- but her spunky independence, especially at a time when independence amongst women was quite frowned upon, was pretty great. But Pearl was my favorite of the two. Just an all-around badass. Her "not even sure Freddy remembers I'm a woman" comment made me laugh. Because that's kind of how they treat her -- like one of the guys -- because she's just as good as they are, if not better given everything stacked against her.
Cian must be protected at all costs. He's an outwardly cranky, brutish-seeming large Irish fellow with unruly red hair. But he's also got a heart of gold, when he actually lets it out.
And Harry. Oh, Harry. I love and adore him. Any character who can shoot someone without even looking and then casually ask a question is a badass in my book.
The consistent use of slurs was a bit rough to get past sometimes. I do understand the times, but it was so casual that it occasionally made me grimace. But not enough to keep me from enjoying the overall story or from continuing on with the series.
Now onto the next one, because GA loves his cliffhangers and I gotta see what happens next.
Well. That was quite the ride!
Gregory Ashe never disappoints, even with his older backlist; even, it seems, with one of his only remaining m/f stories (never fear -- there may be some queer side characters hanging abouts).
It didn't flow quite as well as his later writing, but given how early on it was, I feel like that's to be expected. It still featured his most infamous character descriptions (painful in how visceral they are at times) and his eloquently gorgeous prose.
So, while the pacing might meander a tinge, give it some time. Because -- 1920s gangsters, noir-esque feeling paranormal investigations with sassy ladies. What's not to love?
Aside from maybe the massive spiders. That's a nightmare I can do without, thanks.
Irene and Pearl are awesome. Irene may be a touch mad -- enjoying shedding the debutante life to be a little bad maybe a bit too much sometimes -- but her spunky independence, especially at a time when independence amongst women was quite frowned upon, was pretty great. But Pearl was my favorite of the two. Just an all-around badass. Her "not even sure Freddy remembers I'm a woman" comment made me laugh. Because that's kind of how they treat her -- like one of the guys -- because she's just as good as they are, if not better given everything stacked against her.
Cian must be protected at all costs. He's an outwardly cranky, brutish-seeming large Irish fellow with unruly red hair. But he's also got a heart of gold, when he actually lets it out.
And Harry. Oh, Harry. I love and adore him. Any character who can shoot someone without even looking and then casually ask a question is a badass in my book.
The consistent use of slurs was a bit rough to get past sometimes. I do understand the times, but it was so casual that it occasionally made me grimace. But not enough to keep me from enjoying the overall story or from continuing on with the series.
Now onto the next one, because GA loves his cliffhangers and I gotta see what happens next.
December 4, 2020
I'm not going to lie, this was a strange book. It took me several tries to read it and once I started it was hard to put down. There were a lot of interesting characters who circled around each other during the winter months while chasing after an evil artifact all the while avoiding some super creepy paranormal things. Ugh. The main two characters were a strong, mercurial Irene, and the mick Cian, shattered from the war, circling each other. Then there was Harry and his group or band of misfits looking for evil and saving or destroying them. The ending was a surprising, horrible, shocker. Now I need to know what happens next to all these characters.
April 8, 2021
One of Gregory Ashe's earlier works, this is unlike any of the newer books.
It's a bit slower paced and the characters are less charismatic. Definitely worth the read.
It's a bit slower paced and the characters are less charismatic. Definitely worth the read.
February 20, 2020
It centers on a m/f relationship but is very action packed and fun, one cara is gay which is how I think it ended up in the m/m list I found it on. But none of the relationships were too in your face so the plot of the book could still be happily read by anyone else who finds it in the same listopia I did.
It's based in the old days and has strong female characters and funny interactions between them that make it a hard read to put down. And has an amazing plot twist at the end that makes you desperate for the next book. Deff one of my new favorite authors because of the world he builds around the characters and also keeps the relationships between them at a realistic pace (I'm not a fan of the "we're in the middle of a battle but I'm alone w someone I like so nows the perfect time for hot steamy sex' trope. Instead these charas all know the importance of what they have to do and keep it in their pants for the most part which greatly helps you as a reader also keep your mind focused on the task at hand
Deff worth the read and it's easy to finish in a day or so at only 280 or so pages
It's based in the old days and has strong female characters and funny interactions between them that make it a hard read to put down. And has an amazing plot twist at the end that makes you desperate for the next book. Deff one of my new favorite authors because of the world he builds around the characters and also keeps the relationships between them at a realistic pace (I'm not a fan of the "we're in the middle of a battle but I'm alone w someone I like so nows the perfect time for hot steamy sex' trope. Instead these charas all know the importance of what they have to do and keep it in their pants for the most part which greatly helps you as a reader also keep your mind focused on the task at hand
Deff worth the read and it's easy to finish in a day or so at only 280 or so pages
February 10, 2023
[3.75] at long last, i've reached the final leg in my quest to master all four elements (aka conquer GA's backlist in its entirety): the Witte & Co. Investigations series. a noir-inspired adventure with a cosmic horror twist, it's one of his few remaining m/f relics still out in the wild today (but if you were wondering, gay side characters do make an appearance in some capacity).
our two unlikely heroes (and pov characters) are Cian, an alcoholic war veteran running from past deeds, and Irene, a sassy gal vying for her independence while shouldering a major father complex (she has daddy issues in spades and rightfully so; he's a nasty piece of work, and there’s a humorous irony to their family name being Lovell when we can guarantee there is no love lost there 💅). their worlds collide when they’re caught up in an all-out scramble to seize a mysterious box. multiple parties are at play - gangsters, supernatural entities (hound-sized spiders 🥴), the list goes on - in ways bound to get your brain cells in a twist, but bottom line is, everyone is willing to kill to get their hands on the prize.
admittedly, it took a stretch of time before i could consider myself fully immersed in the storyline’s flow. being one of Greg’s first books, i’m more than willing to offer grace when it comes to the choppy pacing, particularly in the first quarter, but once i dallied on over that speed bump and let the vibes carry me forward, it was fun times from there. the long-winded nature of some chapters didn’t come without its own perks either: once again, i had the privilege of witnessing some of the most original, vividly lush descriptions i’ve encountered on mother earth. his expressive eloquence, endearing characters, and love of cliffhangers (hence my immediate jump into book 2 *shakes fist*) are so quintessentially Gregory Ashe, and i'd do anything to slip on a pair of Greg Goggles™ to see the world the way he does.
even if i did my fair share of lamenting in a childish "i told you so [headdesk]” crescendo every time a character made a TSTL decision and survived to tell the tale, what can i say? they grew on me.
Cian (technically my first love) being the kind of grown man who giggles when he hears the word "booby,” Irene having a whip for a tongue (could do with some rewording so it doesn’t sound so dirty 😆), and especially Harry. don’t get me wrong, i love the entire little gang (hi to my headstrong & lovely Pearl 👋🏼), but i have a new love, and that love is Harry Witte. while he doesn’t have his own pov in this book, he makes it clear from the get-go why this series is named after him. the alternate title i suggested (and unfortunately rejected in this fictitious scenario) was “Harry and his Band of Rowdy Children.” i can’t help but follow our all-knowing, dashing, witty, and whimsical leader who shows up whenever, wherever the going gets rough. it’ll be a treat once we gain more insight into his past and ~dark side~ behind his happy-go-lucky veneer(?)… i also highlighted every scene Harry and Cian shared on page together, because their dynamic was giving me my beloved grumpy/sunshine 🥺
*full disclosure: the genre itself might very well have influenced my interpretation of this book, as i don't consider myself much of a m/f or historical fiction reader to begin with (please ignore my currently-reading shelf and the fact that i’m out here reading three HRs at once. i swear i didn't time it this way 😂). i often find that there’s too much emphasis on roles, how one behaves or should behave based on gender roles. even if it does make perfect sense in the historical context, i’m brought back to the double standards and general imbalances that had me straying away from m/f books in the first place. that being said, i still plan on reading the rest of this series because it’s nowhere near as prominent as i have seen in other books, and let’s be real, i must know what happens to this motley crew after *that* ending!
our two unlikely heroes (and pov characters) are Cian, an alcoholic war veteran running from past deeds, and Irene, a sassy gal vying for her independence while shouldering a major father complex (she has daddy issues in spades and rightfully so; he's a nasty piece of work, and there’s a humorous irony to their family name being Lovell when we can guarantee there is no love lost there 💅). their worlds collide when they’re caught up in an all-out scramble to seize a mysterious box. multiple parties are at play - gangsters, supernatural entities (hound-sized spiders 🥴), the list goes on - in ways bound to get your brain cells in a twist, but bottom line is, everyone is willing to kill to get their hands on the prize.
admittedly, it took a stretch of time before i could consider myself fully immersed in the storyline’s flow. being one of Greg’s first books, i’m more than willing to offer grace when it comes to the choppy pacing, particularly in the first quarter, but once i dallied on over that speed bump and let the vibes carry me forward, it was fun times from there. the long-winded nature of some chapters didn’t come without its own perks either: once again, i had the privilege of witnessing some of the most original, vividly lush descriptions i’ve encountered on mother earth. his expressive eloquence, endearing characters, and love of cliffhangers (hence my immediate jump into book 2 *shakes fist*) are so quintessentially Gregory Ashe, and i'd do anything to slip on a pair of Greg Goggles™ to see the world the way he does.
even if i did my fair share of lamenting in a childish "i told you so [headdesk]” crescendo every time a character made a TSTL decision and survived to tell the tale, what can i say? they grew on me.
Cian (technically my first love) being the kind of grown man who giggles when he hears the word "booby,” Irene having a whip for a tongue (could do with some rewording so it doesn’t sound so dirty 😆), and especially Harry. don’t get me wrong, i love the entire little gang (hi to my headstrong & lovely Pearl 👋🏼), but i have a new love, and that love is Harry Witte. while he doesn’t have his own pov in this book, he makes it clear from the get-go why this series is named after him. the alternate title i suggested (and unfortunately rejected in this fictitious scenario) was “Harry and his Band of Rowdy Children.” i can’t help but follow our all-knowing, dashing, witty, and whimsical leader who shows up whenever, wherever the going gets rough. it’ll be a treat once we gain more insight into his past and ~dark side~ behind his happy-go-lucky veneer(?)… i also highlighted every scene Harry and Cian shared on page together, because their dynamic was giving me my beloved grumpy/sunshine 🥺
*full disclosure: the genre itself might very well have influenced my interpretation of this book, as i don't consider myself much of a m/f or historical fiction reader to begin with (please ignore my currently-reading shelf and the fact that i’m out here reading three HRs at once. i swear i didn't time it this way 😂). i often find that there’s too much emphasis on roles, how one behaves or should behave based on gender roles. even if it does make perfect sense in the historical context, i’m brought back to the double standards and general imbalances that had me straying away from m/f books in the first place. that being said, i still plan on reading the rest of this series because it’s nowhere near as prominent as i have seen in other books, and let’s be real, i must know what happens to this motley crew after *that* ending!
November 30, 2020
DNF at 53%, after once again trying to regain any interest. I'm bored. It doesn't matter how vividly scenes are written if nothing much happens, most of the time. I'm glad it's clear early on that I'll find Cian tedious and Irene boring. I want the story to move at least 60% faster than it does.
Want to read
September 11, 2019M/F?
February 22, 2024
Great to read one of Gregory Ashe's earlier works complete with his trademark engaging characters. This was a wild paranormal ride! A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews