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An Auden & O'Callaghan Mystery #2
A Friend in the Fire
After solving the mystery behind the death of his former friend in July, ex-Army Sam Auden has been aimlessly wandering the country. Everything had gone sideways in New York City, so when his phone rings three months later, the caller is the last person Sam expected to be asking for help.
Confidential informant Rufus O’Callaghan has been struggling. His NYPD contact was murdered over the summer, and the man Rufus is head over heels for was driven away by his own undiagnosed trauma. But when he receives an anonymous letter that promises information on his mother, life goes from dark to dangerous in the blink of an eye.
Sam and Rufus must dig into Rufus’s rough and turbulent past in order to solve a series of contemporary murders connected to his mother. And if the two can’t expose who the killer is in time, they will most certainly become his next targets.
Confidential informant Rufus O’Callaghan has been struggling. His NYPD contact was murdered over the summer, and the man Rufus is head over heels for was driven away by his own undiagnosed trauma. But when he receives an anonymous letter that promises information on his mother, life goes from dark to dangerous in the blink of an eye.
Sam and Rufus must dig into Rufus’s rough and turbulent past in order to solve a series of contemporary murders connected to his mother. And if the two can’t expose who the killer is in time, they will most certainly become his next targets.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2021
84 people are currently reading
396 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Ashe
135 books1,784 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
December 2, 2022
Audiobook review 12/1/22
Story: 4.5 stars
Narration: 5 stars
Garrett Kiesel is such an amazing narrator! He drew me into this book and while I wasn’t that impressed the first time I read it, listening to it with him narrating was an entirely different experience! His voices are so good, especially for Rufus. He just brings these characters to life so well.
I still liked this mystery and the relationship between Sam and Rufus evolves a bit. I’m still not totally sold on Sam but I’m liking him better. I really cannot wait for the next book to come out!
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3.75 Stars
I love both C.S. Poe and Gregory Ashe, they both have such great writing styles and I am always sucked into their stories. This series is good but I feel like I should love it and I just don’t. I feel like something is missing. I felt this way with the first book but I figured that was because it was the first in the series and I would get more out of the second book. Unfortunately I still feel like something is missing.
First I want to talk about what I like about this book, because there is a lot to like. One thing I love about this series is Rufus. Rufus is a guy who has lived a tough life, his mom was a prostitute who was murdered. Rufus is now an informant for the police but he is a high school drop out. He’s extremely smart, even if he doesn’t think he is, and reads whatever he can get his hands on. He was dealt a pretty crappy hand in life but he’s caring and deserves so much more. I enjoy his POV so much. He’s funny and brings so much levity to the story. I give the book 4 stars just for Rufus.
The setting of New York City is a huge part of the book and is really a character in its own right. I both love this and get aggravated because I feel like most of the book is where Rufus and Sam are going in the city and directions on how they get there along with descriptions about their surroundings. I felt this in the first book and it was the same in this one. It definitely enhances the story but I feel as though it also is too much. It feels almost like filler for what is missing for me.
I thought the mystery of who killed prostitutes, including Rufus’s mom 17 years before, was interesting and the legwork Rufus and Sam did to uncover the killer was great. I wasn’t surprised at how the story wrapped up but it was more about how it ended as opposed to being a whodunnit.
I have to say that while I like Sam, I don’t like him as much as Rufus. He’s gruff and more of the strong and silent type but he does admit his feelings for Rufus. I feel like there should be more to him and I hope we get his backstory soon. There isn’t much romance at all in these stories and I think if there was more focus on the relationship and less on the descriptions of the city I would like this more. Maybe that’s what’s missing for me. I think it is. There is a lot of chemistry between Rufus and Sam and we see it in how well they investigate but I would love to see more outside of that. We get glimpses but I feel the story would be more complete if we had more personal interactions between the two men.
This series is really good but it’s teetering at the edge of being great. I hope it takes the leap in the next book because I know I can really love it. Two broken men who fall for each other and help the other to heal while solving mysteries wrapped up in their personal lives has all the components for a mind blowing story. I have high hopes for the next book.
ARC received from author in exchange for review
Story: 4.5 stars
Narration: 5 stars
Garrett Kiesel is such an amazing narrator! He drew me into this book and while I wasn’t that impressed the first time I read it, listening to it with him narrating was an entirely different experience! His voices are so good, especially for Rufus. He just brings these characters to life so well.
I still liked this mystery and the relationship between Sam and Rufus evolves a bit. I’m still not totally sold on Sam but I’m liking him better. I really cannot wait for the next book to come out!
__________________________________________________
3.75 Stars
I love both C.S. Poe and Gregory Ashe, they both have such great writing styles and I am always sucked into their stories. This series is good but I feel like I should love it and I just don’t. I feel like something is missing. I felt this way with the first book but I figured that was because it was the first in the series and I would get more out of the second book. Unfortunately I still feel like something is missing.
First I want to talk about what I like about this book, because there is a lot to like. One thing I love about this series is Rufus. Rufus is a guy who has lived a tough life, his mom was a prostitute who was murdered. Rufus is now an informant for the police but he is a high school drop out. He’s extremely smart, even if he doesn’t think he is, and reads whatever he can get his hands on. He was dealt a pretty crappy hand in life but he’s caring and deserves so much more. I enjoy his POV so much. He’s funny and brings so much levity to the story. I give the book 4 stars just for Rufus.
The setting of New York City is a huge part of the book and is really a character in its own right. I both love this and get aggravated because I feel like most of the book is where Rufus and Sam are going in the city and directions on how they get there along with descriptions about their surroundings. I felt this in the first book and it was the same in this one. It definitely enhances the story but I feel as though it also is too much. It feels almost like filler for what is missing for me.
I thought the mystery of who killed prostitutes, including Rufus’s mom 17 years before, was interesting and the legwork Rufus and Sam did to uncover the killer was great. I wasn’t surprised at how the story wrapped up but it was more about how it ended as opposed to being a whodunnit.
I have to say that while I like Sam, I don’t like him as much as Rufus. He’s gruff and more of the strong and silent type but he does admit his feelings for Rufus. I feel like there should be more to him and I hope we get his backstory soon. There isn’t much romance at all in these stories and I think if there was more focus on the relationship and less on the descriptions of the city I would like this more. Maybe that’s what’s missing for me. I think it is. There is a lot of chemistry between Rufus and Sam and we see it in how well they investigate but I would love to see more outside of that. We get glimpses but I feel the story would be more complete if we had more personal interactions between the two men.
This series is really good but it’s teetering at the edge of being great. I hope it takes the leap in the next book because I know I can really love it. Two broken men who fall for each other and help the other to heal while solving mysteries wrapped up in their personal lives has all the components for a mind blowing story. I have high hopes for the next book.
ARC received from author in exchange for review
April 12, 2025
Love being in the same world as Everrett Larkin again, even though we just hear references to him by name but something felt disjointed here and I think I’d have preferred this to have been written by one author.
Little things jarred me out of the story often, same as in book 1 - often Sam’s actions or dialogue. I think these are pretty characteristic of GA’s writing (warning for casual sex with other characters and the ever present inclusion of a twink in booty shorts).
Also Sam’s Essential Tremor was a major issue and mentioned often in book 1 but now seems to have disappeared. It says he is now medicated with fluoxetine for his sensory processing disorder. My understanding is that fluoxetine isn’t used to treat SPD, is known to cause tremors and actually make Essential Tremor worse as well as sensory processing issues. Normally I’d let this stuff go but so much of his identity is his disorders - it’s mentioned all the time and there is a fair amount of page time spend on it, so it’s frustrating it didn’t appear to be better researched.
Although I liked the relationship more in this one, the last book ended with a tense moment and there was another scene here in the hotel room where things were escalating relationship-wise but then it just kind of got swept away.
In terms of the plot things still felt unfinished from the first book and I thought they would be wrapped up here but it seemed to just be dropped. I wasn’t really invested in the mystery this time either.
Something about this plotting felt messy, leaping from scene to scene. I’m not sure I bought some of the more convenient things that happened, there is also a lot going on that isn’t fleshed out. It feels like this could be full of plot holes but Im not smart enough to grasp the intricacies and I tried not to overanalyse it. It really was like a whirlwind.
The sleuthing is entirely amateur, chaotically unplanned, highly illegal and I’m not sure that’s how CI’s actually work. The rule follower in me cringed a lot and couldn’t help thinking the whole time that these guys were just making all the evidence inadmissible and tramping their footsteps through all the crime scenes but, once again, fun for entertainment purposes.
Very abrupt ending. So many unanswered questions. Very mixed thoughts on this but still keen for book 3.
Little things jarred me out of the story often, same as in book 1 - often Sam’s actions or dialogue. I think these are pretty characteristic of GA’s writing (warning for casual sex with other characters and the ever present inclusion of a twink in booty shorts).
Also Sam’s Essential Tremor was a major issue and mentioned often in book 1 but now seems to have disappeared. It says he is now medicated with fluoxetine for his sensory processing disorder. My understanding is that fluoxetine isn’t used to treat SPD, is known to cause tremors and actually make Essential Tremor worse as well as sensory processing issues. Normally I’d let this stuff go but so much of his identity is his disorders - it’s mentioned all the time and there is a fair amount of page time spend on it, so it’s frustrating it didn’t appear to be better researched.
Although I liked the relationship more in this one, the last book ended with a tense moment and there was another scene here in the hotel room where things were escalating relationship-wise but then it just kind of got swept away.
In terms of the plot things still felt unfinished from the first book and I thought they would be wrapped up here but it seemed to just be dropped. I wasn’t really invested in the mystery this time either.
Something about this plotting felt messy, leaping from scene to scene. I’m not sure I bought some of the more convenient things that happened, there is also a lot going on that isn’t fleshed out. It feels like this could be full of plot holes but Im not smart enough to grasp the intricacies and I tried not to overanalyse it. It really was like a whirlwind.
The sleuthing is entirely amateur, chaotically unplanned, highly illegal and I’m not sure that’s how CI’s actually work. The rule follower in me cringed a lot and couldn’t help thinking the whole time that these guys were just making all the evidence inadmissible and tramping their footsteps through all the crime scenes but, once again, fun for entertainment purposes.
Very abrupt ending. So many unanswered questions. Very mixed thoughts on this but still keen for book 3.
November 13, 2021
Sam and Rufus are back together in A Friend in the Fire! After three months of radio silence, Rufus finally reaches out to Sam, but it remains to be seen how these two mavericks can make it work. In the meantime they've got one heck of a mystery to solve, and this time it gets personal. A Friend in the Fire is the second installment in Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe's An Auden & O'Callaghan Mystery series. So start with A Friend in the Dark so you can follow along and find out what makes Sam and Rufus such an extremely fascinating couple.
The authors set the stage for a tentative reunion by letting us know the current mindset of each character. Rufus’ life is still in extreme disarray, and Sam got right back to ambling around the country. (In fact, there’s a lively scene when Sam spots characters from one of Gregory Ashe’s earlier series, which is pretty fun.)
The ball has been in Rufus’ court as far as contacting Sam to work out their relationship, and Rufus has stubbornly resisted reaching out. Instead, he’s spent time digging around for information about his mother’s long ago murder, which has ruffled some serious feathers, and Rufus’ priorities quickly shift when he’s attacked by a baddie with a grudge! This is the phone call Sam has been waiting for, and he literally drops everything to rush to Rufus' aid.
So many aspects of Sam’s personality intrigue me in A Friend in the Fire. Gruff on the outside, but with a heart as big as the five boroughs, Sam is receptive to exploring his emotions. He has some interesting challenges, but I’m impressed with his method of coping, especially with all of the triggers in New York CIty.
Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe craft a fantastic romance here. The more we get to know about these characters, the more intriguing their dynamic becomes. As each man offers up a piece of their story, the bond between them deepens… and even more questions arise for their future.
In the preface of A Friend in the Fire the authors quote, “Love is friendship that has caught fire,” and that’s a great description of what has happened to Rufus and Sam. Their unlikely friendship became sexual in A Friend in the Dark, and it morphed into love over the course of this story. I’m certain we’ll continue to see their relationship put through the paces in future episodes of the An Auden & O'Callaghan Mystery series.
The authors set the stage for a tentative reunion by letting us know the current mindset of each character. Rufus’ life is still in extreme disarray, and Sam got right back to ambling around the country. (In fact, there’s a lively scene when Sam spots characters from one of Gregory Ashe’s earlier series, which is pretty fun.)
The ball has been in Rufus’ court as far as contacting Sam to work out their relationship, and Rufus has stubbornly resisted reaching out. Instead, he’s spent time digging around for information about his mother’s long ago murder, which has ruffled some serious feathers, and Rufus’ priorities quickly shift when he’s attacked by a baddie with a grudge! This is the phone call Sam has been waiting for, and he literally drops everything to rush to Rufus' aid.
So many aspects of Sam’s personality intrigue me in A Friend in the Fire. Gruff on the outside, but with a heart as big as the five boroughs, Sam is receptive to exploring his emotions. He has some interesting challenges, but I’m impressed with his method of coping, especially with all of the triggers in New York CIty.
Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe craft a fantastic romance here. The more we get to know about these characters, the more intriguing their dynamic becomes. As each man offers up a piece of their story, the bond between them deepens… and even more questions arise for their future.
In the preface of A Friend in the Fire the authors quote, “Love is friendship that has caught fire,” and that’s a great description of what has happened to Rufus and Sam. Their unlikely friendship became sexual in A Friend in the Dark, and it morphed into love over the course of this story. I’m certain we’ll continue to see their relationship put through the paces in future episodes of the An Auden & O'Callaghan Mystery series.
December 9, 2024
Reread November 2024
I guess I enjoyed this more this time round. I think we are getting to see more of what's going on inside Rufus here, and I couldn't love the guy more. Still really like Sam, too, and that he is willing to tackle Ney York for the sake of being with Rufus.
I wonder where this will be going ...
original review
Warning: minimalist review ahead.
I enjoyed this.
I like Sam and Rufus a lot.
There is some really fabulous banter going on.
These guys actually manage to mention their feelings, even if they don't really talk about their 'relationship.'
The case is captivating, as it’s about Rufus’s mother.
After the rather dramatic ending of book 1, I might have expected some more tension between the guys when they meet again.
I’m not sure why Rufus is so upset about the case, after the way his mother treated him.
I missed a bit of the chemistry the guys had in book 1. They get on, they support each other, they are there for each other, but what happened to that bit of sparkle?
Verdict: An enjoyable read, but it didn’t rip me off my chair.
I guess I enjoyed this more this time round. I think we are getting to see more of what's going on inside Rufus here, and I couldn't love the guy more. Still really like Sam, too, and that he is willing to tackle Ney York for the sake of being with Rufus.
I wonder where this will be going ...
original review
Warning: minimalist review ahead.
I enjoyed this.
I like Sam and Rufus a lot.
There is some really fabulous banter going on.
These guys actually manage to mention their feelings, even if they don't really talk about their 'relationship.'
The case is captivating, as it’s about Rufus’s mother.
After the rather dramatic ending of book 1, I might have expected some more tension between the guys when they meet again.
I’m not sure why Rufus is so upset about the case, after the way his mother treated him.
I missed a bit of the chemistry the guys had in book 1. They get on, they support each other, they are there for each other, but what happened to that bit of sparkle?
Verdict: An enjoyable read, but it didn’t rip me off my chair.
Read
October 22, 2024Buy Links:
Ebook, Paperback, and Audio
audio narrated by Garrett Kiesel
coming soon... Italian edition with Ikigai Collettivo
Ebook, Paperback, and Audio
audio narrated by Garrett Kiesel
coming soon... Italian edition with Ikigai Collettivo
September 4, 2021
4.5 stars/B+
There are spoilers for book one, A Friend in the Dark, in this review.
A Friend in the Fire is the second book in Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe’s series of suspense/mystery novels set in NYC featuring Rufus O’Callaghan (a confidential informant) and Sam Auden (formerly of the US Army but otherwise of nowhere in particular), who, in book one, A Friend in the Dark, teamed up to solve the murder of the NYPD detective Rufus had worked for. In doing so, they uncovered a child sex-trafficking ring with a number of dirty cops linked to it - but while the case was solved by the end of the book, the situation between Sam and Rufus didn’t end as successfully. After a heated argument following Rufus’ confession to thoughts of suicide, Rufus told Sam to GTFO – and Sam did.
When A Friend in the Fire opens three months later, Rufus isn’t doing so well. He’s depressed, lonely and too tired to give a fuck; he ordered the only person who gave a damn about him out of his life and hasn’t heard from him since. Which isn’t surprising, given that Rufus never gave Sam his number.
Rufus is on the way out of his crappy apartment building when he sees a piece of paper sticking out from his mailbox. It’s a note in handwriting he doesn’t recognise offering “information on Daisy” – his murdered mother - if Rufus turns up at a specified location on Saturday night. Of course, Rufus can’t stay away; Daisy’s killer was never found, and even though she was far from a good mother, she still deserves justice. But when Rufus turns up, someone goes for him with a knife and he realises it was a trap; he manages to get away with only a ripped jacket, but it’s a close thing.
After that… well, there’s only one person he wants and trusts to help him.
Rufus is the last person Sam expects to hear from, especially considering how things ended between them. But when Rufus asks for help, Sam isn’t going to turn him down, and makes his way back to New York (from some shit hole in Missouri whose name he couldn’t even spell – hah!) as quickly as he can, to find Rufus is a mess… well, more of a mess than before, anyway.
Their reunion is kind of awkward to start with, but it’s not long before the pair have regained the equilibrium they established in the previous book, their snark and teasing underscored by a strong undercurrent of affection and an even stronger one of longing. Rufus tells Sam about the attack and finally opens up about his past; his mother was a prostitute who was killed when he was sixteen, and while she didn’t want or care about him, she was all he had. What happened over the summer made him realise he wasn’t really over her death and needed answers, so he started poking around the NYPD to see if anyone would help him find out the truth – but heard nothing until getting the note which set him up. It’s too much of a coincidence, surely, that someone tried to kill him just weeks after he’s started asking questions – so… who wants him dead? And why?
As Sam and Rufus start digging, they learn that Daisy’s death wasn’t an isolated incident, and that it was the last of a string of murders of sex-workers that happened in the late 90s and early 2000s. But when some of the other working girls in the area are murdered, and some of Daisy’s former ‘colleagues’ are killed, it seems that whoever was responsible for the earlier slayings is back. They’re desperate to cover their tracks completely… and Rufus is in their sights.
As I’d expect from two accomplished mystery writers, the plot is tight and well put-together, but what draws me to these stories are the characters and their evolving relationship, which are just as important a part of the novel as the mystery. I really like both Sam and Rufus, although at this stage Sam, despite his tendency to be brutally honest, is still a little bit of an enigma. Rufus is kind of adorkable, but he’s also damaged and struggles with anxiety and depression. He’s lived a tough and very solitary life; he made money as a petty thief until he turned CI for Detective Jake Brower, who was the first person who ever showed him any sort of kindness or friendship, and the only person who ever believed in him, which is why Rufus took his death so hard. He’s sweet, funny and whip smart but doesn’t think he is, and his longing to be something to someone is incredibly poignant.
Sam is his total opposite in many ways. He’s big, gruff and intimidating with very little by way of a verbal filter, but he’s insightful and can be really tender and affectionate when it comes to Rufus. We don’t know much about Sam’s past yet; he’s ex-army and didn’t leave on good terms, he lives with PTSD and there’s something dark in his past he’s not willing to talk about – which causes friction between him and Rufus. They have terrific chemistry and I love the way they work together – there’s a great kind of reciprocal energy that bounces between them and a real sense of connection and trust, too.
Those things carry over into their personal relationship. I like how honest they are with each other about how they feel; they own up to having missed each other badly after Rufus threw Sam out and to how much it means to them both that Sam came back. They’re complete misfits, but somehow – and both authors are a dab hand at creating misfits-who-fit pairings – they work; two broken men who, in falling for one another are helping each other to want to be better and to heal.
A Friend in the Fire is another entertaining outing for Auden and O’Callaghan, and one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a fast-moving, clever mystery with a well-realised setting and a couple of complex, likeable protagonists. I’ll definitely be back for the next instalment in the series.
There are spoilers for book one, A Friend in the Dark, in this review.
A Friend in the Fire is the second book in Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe’s series of suspense/mystery novels set in NYC featuring Rufus O’Callaghan (a confidential informant) and Sam Auden (formerly of the US Army but otherwise of nowhere in particular), who, in book one, A Friend in the Dark, teamed up to solve the murder of the NYPD detective Rufus had worked for. In doing so, they uncovered a child sex-trafficking ring with a number of dirty cops linked to it - but while the case was solved by the end of the book, the situation between Sam and Rufus didn’t end as successfully. After a heated argument following Rufus’ confession to thoughts of suicide, Rufus told Sam to GTFO – and Sam did.
When A Friend in the Fire opens three months later, Rufus isn’t doing so well. He’s depressed, lonely and too tired to give a fuck; he ordered the only person who gave a damn about him out of his life and hasn’t heard from him since. Which isn’t surprising, given that Rufus never gave Sam his number.
Rufus is on the way out of his crappy apartment building when he sees a piece of paper sticking out from his mailbox. It’s a note in handwriting he doesn’t recognise offering “information on Daisy” – his murdered mother - if Rufus turns up at a specified location on Saturday night. Of course, Rufus can’t stay away; Daisy’s killer was never found, and even though she was far from a good mother, she still deserves justice. But when Rufus turns up, someone goes for him with a knife and he realises it was a trap; he manages to get away with only a ripped jacket, but it’s a close thing.
After that… well, there’s only one person he wants and trusts to help him.
Rufus is the last person Sam expects to hear from, especially considering how things ended between them. But when Rufus asks for help, Sam isn’t going to turn him down, and makes his way back to New York (from some shit hole in Missouri whose name he couldn’t even spell – hah!) as quickly as he can, to find Rufus is a mess… well, more of a mess than before, anyway.
Their reunion is kind of awkward to start with, but it’s not long before the pair have regained the equilibrium they established in the previous book, their snark and teasing underscored by a strong undercurrent of affection and an even stronger one of longing. Rufus tells Sam about the attack and finally opens up about his past; his mother was a prostitute who was killed when he was sixteen, and while she didn’t want or care about him, she was all he had. What happened over the summer made him realise he wasn’t really over her death and needed answers, so he started poking around the NYPD to see if anyone would help him find out the truth – but heard nothing until getting the note which set him up. It’s too much of a coincidence, surely, that someone tried to kill him just weeks after he’s started asking questions – so… who wants him dead? And why?
As Sam and Rufus start digging, they learn that Daisy’s death wasn’t an isolated incident, and that it was the last of a string of murders of sex-workers that happened in the late 90s and early 2000s. But when some of the other working girls in the area are murdered, and some of Daisy’s former ‘colleagues’ are killed, it seems that whoever was responsible for the earlier slayings is back. They’re desperate to cover their tracks completely… and Rufus is in their sights.
As I’d expect from two accomplished mystery writers, the plot is tight and well put-together, but what draws me to these stories are the characters and their evolving relationship, which are just as important a part of the novel as the mystery. I really like both Sam and Rufus, although at this stage Sam, despite his tendency to be brutally honest, is still a little bit of an enigma. Rufus is kind of adorkable, but he’s also damaged and struggles with anxiety and depression. He’s lived a tough and very solitary life; he made money as a petty thief until he turned CI for Detective Jake Brower, who was the first person who ever showed him any sort of kindness or friendship, and the only person who ever believed in him, which is why Rufus took his death so hard. He’s sweet, funny and whip smart but doesn’t think he is, and his longing to be something to someone is incredibly poignant.
Sam is his total opposite in many ways. He’s big, gruff and intimidating with very little by way of a verbal filter, but he’s insightful and can be really tender and affectionate when it comes to Rufus. We don’t know much about Sam’s past yet; he’s ex-army and didn’t leave on good terms, he lives with PTSD and there’s something dark in his past he’s not willing to talk about – which causes friction between him and Rufus. They have terrific chemistry and I love the way they work together – there’s a great kind of reciprocal energy that bounces between them and a real sense of connection and trust, too.
Those things carry over into their personal relationship. I like how honest they are with each other about how they feel; they own up to having missed each other badly after Rufus threw Sam out and to how much it means to them both that Sam came back. They’re complete misfits, but somehow – and both authors are a dab hand at creating misfits-who-fit pairings – they work; two broken men who, in falling for one another are helping each other to want to be better and to heal.
A Friend in the Fire is another entertaining outing for Auden and O’Callaghan, and one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a fast-moving, clever mystery with a well-realised setting and a couple of complex, likeable protagonists. I’ll definitely be back for the next instalment in the series.
November 27, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
Too much CS Poe, not enough GA.
Really frustrating that the one moment of high-stakes tension in the relationship is just completely dropped. Like, might as well have never happened, for all the impact it had on their behavior and actions for the rest of the book. The moment itself was well written enough, but why bother putting it in there if there if it doesn't catalyze anything and there is no catharsis?
Also, what happened to Sam's tremor? We know he's on drugs for his sensory processing disorder, but there is nary a mention of the essential tremor. Does this magic drug work on both? Who knows? Not us! Given how big of an issue the tremor is in book 1, it's utterly bizarre that it disappears without even a passing acknowledgement.
Also, I don't think this is how CI's work.
The mystery was actually pretty good, but relationship- and sloppy plot holes-wise, this has all the hallmarks of a CS Poe book (negative). If I didn't have an ARC for book 3, I'd call it on this series; but hope, it springeth eternal.
Too much CS Poe, not enough GA.
Really frustrating that the one moment of high-stakes tension in the relationship is just completely dropped. Like, might as well have never happened, for all the impact it had on their behavior and actions for the rest of the book. The moment itself was well written enough, but why bother putting it in there if there if it doesn't catalyze anything and there is no catharsis?
Also, what happened to Sam's tremor? We know he's on drugs for his sensory processing disorder, but there is nary a mention of the essential tremor. Does this magic drug work on both? Who knows? Not us! Given how big of an issue the tremor is in book 1, it's utterly bizarre that it disappears without even a passing acknowledgement.
Also, I don't think this is how CI's work.
The mystery was actually pretty good, but relationship- and sloppy plot holes-wise, this has all the hallmarks of a CS Poe book (negative). If I didn't have an ARC for book 3, I'd call it on this series; but hope, it springeth eternal.
June 22, 2023
4.5 Stars…AWESOME AUDIOBOOK!
Serial killer mystery
Not a standalone
Can’t wait for the next one!
Serial killer mystery
Not a standalone
Can’t wait for the next one!
June 28, 2021
Rufus is a cutie ... and I'm a big softy for MCs coming from very disadvantaged childhoods. The big HOORAY in this read is my very first 2021 sighting of Emory and John-Henry (in the Pretty Pretty club @ Wahredua of all places!!) ... their cameo non-speaking appearance is an amuse bouche for their next series launch (I seem to recall reading somewhere this is to be later on 2021 I believe). Anyhoos - this forensic investigation into Rufus' mother's unsolved murder was engaging enough, and swinging the romantic arc for our MCs back to a positive score. Let's hope things stay that way. 3.5 stars.
January 11, 2022
These characters need so much therapy. I do like them together, but have trouble visualizing Rufus.
September 2, 2021
***4.5***
(4.00 for the story / 5.00 for the AB)
If you read and enjoyed A Friend in the Dark (and I'd recommend it before reading this one) you'll be thrilled that Sam & Rufus are back. I was. Garrett Kiesel does a fantastic job giving each character a distinct voice and personality and generally bringing another layer to the story. The pacing issues from the first book (not his fault) are nowhere in sight. Pure audio bliss.
Three months have passed and our MC are each, and separately, licking their metaphorical wounds. Rufus is back to his usual life, and distinctly unsatisfactory life while we catch up with Sam, in of all places, the Pretty Pretty. Yes, the one in Wahredua. And yes there's a sighting of the 'guys' and Nico too 😂. Trouble finds Rufus, he calls Sam, and soon they're pounding the streets of New York digging up the past and trying to figure out who murdered Rufus's mother 17 years ago.
Though there are some heinous cases in the books, and the MC have some serious issues that are just being teased out in the series (Sam less so than Rufus) there's also lightness and humor to these stories. That's mostly down to Rufus, his sense of humor and openness which manages to tame, even without trying, the wild beast that is Sam. Sam who's always two steps from coming apart due to ET (essential tremor) and other, as of yet unexplored issues, which being in a city like New York are exacerbated. But Sam is drawn to Rufus and Rufus needs him.
I loved the story, it's a good combination of grit and humor. Rufus is just adorable and you want to wrap him in a Snuggie. Sam is like a feral tom cat you just know will make the best lap cat once he trusts you. I loved that NYC, a leading character in the story, was done right. Giant sigh of relief.
Things are not settled by the end of this book but it is a distinct HFN ❤️
I was given a copy of the audio for an honest review, but I bought the ebook
(4.00 for the story / 5.00 for the AB)
If you read and enjoyed A Friend in the Dark (and I'd recommend it before reading this one) you'll be thrilled that Sam & Rufus are back. I was. Garrett Kiesel does a fantastic job giving each character a distinct voice and personality and generally bringing another layer to the story. The pacing issues from the first book (not his fault) are nowhere in sight. Pure audio bliss.
Three months have passed and our MC are each, and separately, licking their metaphorical wounds. Rufus is back to his usual life, and distinctly unsatisfactory life while we catch up with Sam, in of all places, the Pretty Pretty. Yes, the one in Wahredua. And yes there's a sighting of the 'guys' and Nico too 😂. Trouble finds Rufus, he calls Sam, and soon they're pounding the streets of New York digging up the past and trying to figure out who murdered Rufus's mother 17 years ago.
Though there are some heinous cases in the books, and the MC have some serious issues that are just being teased out in the series (Sam less so than Rufus) there's also lightness and humor to these stories. That's mostly down to Rufus, his sense of humor and openness which manages to tame, even without trying, the wild beast that is Sam. Sam who's always two steps from coming apart due to ET (essential tremor) and other, as of yet unexplored issues, which being in a city like New York are exacerbated. But Sam is drawn to Rufus and Rufus needs him.
I loved the story, it's a good combination of grit and humor. Rufus is just adorable and you want to wrap him in a Snuggie. Sam is like a feral tom cat you just know will make the best lap cat once he trusts you. I loved that NYC, a leading character in the story, was done right. Giant sigh of relief.
Things are not settled by the end of this book but it is a distinct HFN ❤️
I was given a copy of the audio for an honest review, but I bought the ebook
April 29, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Jay and Michelle are doing a Buddy Review of A Friend in the Fire, the second book in Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe’s Auden & O’Callaghan Mystery series. The book continues the story for Rufus and Sam, but features a new mystery.
A Friend in the Fire picks up three months after the end of A Friend in the Dark, and reunites us with Rufus and Sam. While the story features a new case, it continues the relationship between the men. It also includes a variety of side characters from the first book, not all of whom I found well explained, so I think having read the first book will make this one more enjoyable.
Read Jay’s and Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Jay and Michelle are doing a Buddy Review of A Friend in the Fire, the second book in Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe’s Auden & O’Callaghan Mystery series. The book continues the story for Rufus and Sam, but features a new mystery.
A Friend in the Fire picks up three months after the end of A Friend in the Dark, and reunites us with Rufus and Sam. While the story features a new case, it continues the relationship between the men. It also includes a variety of side characters from the first book, not all of whom I found well explained, so I think having read the first book will make this one more enjoyable.
Read Jay’s and Michelle's review in its entirety here.
November 24, 2023
I've given this a B- for narration and a B+ for content at AudioGals.
When we last saw Rufus O’Callaghan and Sam Auden at the end of Gregory Ashe and C.S Poe’s A Friend in the Dark, they had a blazing row which ended with Sam walking out of Rufus’ apartment and his life. Well, as A Friend in the Fire is book two in the Auden and O’Callaghan series, it will come as no surprise that they’re destined to meet again, but after a bitter argument and three months apart, it’s going to take a while for them to trust each other again.
After Sam left, he went back to his somewhat nomadic lifestyle, and when we catch up with him, he’s pitched up in a back-of-beyond town with an impossible-to-pronounce name (!) in deepest Missouri. He hasn’t heard from Rufus once in the past three months (Rufus never gave Sam his number, so Sam can’t reach out) – so the last thing Sam expects is a call from a panicked-sounding Rufus asking for help.
Rufus hasn’t been doing so well since Sam left. His issues with anxiety have worsened and he’s fallen into depression; he’s tired, lonely and even more of a mess than before. Sam was one of the few people ever to genuinely care about Rufus, he was someone he felt he could risk being himself with – and he misses him a lot. On this particular day, he’s on his way out of his crappy apartment building when he sees a piece of paper sticking out of his mailbox. It’s a shock when he sees what’s written there; in an unfamiliar hand is a note offering “information on Daisy”, his mother, who was killed seventeen years earlier. She was far from a good mother, but even so, she deserves justice, and Rufus, determined to find out what he can, arrives at the assigned time and place only to be set upon by a thug with a knife. He recognises his assailant as someone he helped put behind bars – and barely manages to get away with his life.
Sam and Rufus’ reunion is a little awkward to start with, but they soon start to fall back into their old pattern of wisecracking (Rufus) and grumpy snark (Sam). Rufus explains that the case they’d solved during the summer had made him realise that he wasn’t really over his mother’s death – and that no matter that she was a terrible parent, he needs answers so he can find closure and move on. After Sam left, Rufus started asking around the NYPD to see what he could find out, but had turned up nothing – until he received the note a few days earlier. It can’t be a coincidence that just weeks after he started asking questions, someone tried to have him killed. But who – and why?
As Sam and Rufus start looking into Daisy’s murder, Rufus is disturbed to learn it wasn’t an isolated incident, but was one of a string of murders of sex workers in the late 90s and early 00s in an area of Central Park known as The Ramble. Rufus knows some of the prostitutes who still work that patch – some of them knew Daisy and knew him as a kid, and he and Sam had asked some of them for help during their investigation into the sex trafficking ring they brought down in the summer. So they return to The Ramble now, seeking to find out more about Daisy and who might have killed her.
But when another working girl is murdered, and some of Daisy’s former ‘colleagues’ turn up dead, it’s clear that whoever was responsible for the earlier spate of killings is back – and they’ll stop at nothing to prevent Rufus from finding out the truth.
As with the first book, A Friend in the Fire combines an intriguing, well-constructed mystery with the continued development of the relationship between Sam and Rufus, and the authors achieve a good balance between the mystery and romantic elements in the story. Both men are likeable but damaged, misfits who somehow fit together and have found, in each other, someone who makes them want to do and be better. Rufus is kind of adorkable; he’s whip-smart (but doesn’t think he is) and a bit of a wiseass, he likes to read and learn, but he’s lived a very solitary life and has never had anyone in his corner – until Sam. Sam is big, gruff and surprisingly insightful, with almost no verbal filter and a tendency towards brutal honesty, but despite that, his past is still a bit of a mystery, and the fact that he’s not prepared to open up to Rufus about it becomes a bone of contention between them late in the book. Hints are dropped that Sam’s secrets are pretty dark (given his character is written by Gregory Ashe, I can’t say that surprises me!) and I really hope we’ll find out more in book three.
The thing I enjoyed most about Garrett Kiesel’s performance in A Friend in the Dark was his interpretation of the two leads, and I can say the same thing here. The gravelly tone he gives Sam is a good fit for the character, conveying his physical size and take-no-prisoners attitude; and he really seems to ‘get’ Rufus, infusing his snarky comments with just the right amount of cheek, but also communicating his vulnerability and deep-seated insecurities. The secondary cast is appropriately characterised, and although Rufus’ dialogue and the narrative still sound a little too similar at times, I didn’t notice that happening as often this time around as I did in the first book. Also absent this time – those long, unnecessary pauses. The pacing is perhaps a little on the fast side, but not horribly so, and overall, it’s a decent performance without any major problems. But I want a bit more than that in an audiobook, especially when I’m listening to books by authors I rate as highly as these two.
It probably sounds like damning with faint praise, but “good, not great” is my verdict on the performance in this one. Still, A Friend in the Fire is an intriguing and well-executed mystery featuring a pair of engaging protagonists who share a sense of humour and a deep and genuine emotional connection. I’ll definitely be back for A Friend in the Glass next year to find out what fate has in store for Auden and O’Callaghan next!
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
When we last saw Rufus O’Callaghan and Sam Auden at the end of Gregory Ashe and C.S Poe’s A Friend in the Dark, they had a blazing row which ended with Sam walking out of Rufus’ apartment and his life. Well, as A Friend in the Fire is book two in the Auden and O’Callaghan series, it will come as no surprise that they’re destined to meet again, but after a bitter argument and three months apart, it’s going to take a while for them to trust each other again.
After Sam left, he went back to his somewhat nomadic lifestyle, and when we catch up with him, he’s pitched up in a back-of-beyond town with an impossible-to-pronounce name (!) in deepest Missouri. He hasn’t heard from Rufus once in the past three months (Rufus never gave Sam his number, so Sam can’t reach out) – so the last thing Sam expects is a call from a panicked-sounding Rufus asking for help.
Rufus hasn’t been doing so well since Sam left. His issues with anxiety have worsened and he’s fallen into depression; he’s tired, lonely and even more of a mess than before. Sam was one of the few people ever to genuinely care about Rufus, he was someone he felt he could risk being himself with – and he misses him a lot. On this particular day, he’s on his way out of his crappy apartment building when he sees a piece of paper sticking out of his mailbox. It’s a shock when he sees what’s written there; in an unfamiliar hand is a note offering “information on Daisy”, his mother, who was killed seventeen years earlier. She was far from a good mother, but even so, she deserves justice, and Rufus, determined to find out what he can, arrives at the assigned time and place only to be set upon by a thug with a knife. He recognises his assailant as someone he helped put behind bars – and barely manages to get away with his life.
Sam and Rufus’ reunion is a little awkward to start with, but they soon start to fall back into their old pattern of wisecracking (Rufus) and grumpy snark (Sam). Rufus explains that the case they’d solved during the summer had made him realise that he wasn’t really over his mother’s death – and that no matter that she was a terrible parent, he needs answers so he can find closure and move on. After Sam left, Rufus started asking around the NYPD to see what he could find out, but had turned up nothing – until he received the note a few days earlier. It can’t be a coincidence that just weeks after he started asking questions, someone tried to have him killed. But who – and why?
As Sam and Rufus start looking into Daisy’s murder, Rufus is disturbed to learn it wasn’t an isolated incident, but was one of a string of murders of sex workers in the late 90s and early 00s in an area of Central Park known as The Ramble. Rufus knows some of the prostitutes who still work that patch – some of them knew Daisy and knew him as a kid, and he and Sam had asked some of them for help during their investigation into the sex trafficking ring they brought down in the summer. So they return to The Ramble now, seeking to find out more about Daisy and who might have killed her.
But when another working girl is murdered, and some of Daisy’s former ‘colleagues’ turn up dead, it’s clear that whoever was responsible for the earlier spate of killings is back – and they’ll stop at nothing to prevent Rufus from finding out the truth.
As with the first book, A Friend in the Fire combines an intriguing, well-constructed mystery with the continued development of the relationship between Sam and Rufus, and the authors achieve a good balance between the mystery and romantic elements in the story. Both men are likeable but damaged, misfits who somehow fit together and have found, in each other, someone who makes them want to do and be better. Rufus is kind of adorkable; he’s whip-smart (but doesn’t think he is) and a bit of a wiseass, he likes to read and learn, but he’s lived a very solitary life and has never had anyone in his corner – until Sam. Sam is big, gruff and surprisingly insightful, with almost no verbal filter and a tendency towards brutal honesty, but despite that, his past is still a bit of a mystery, and the fact that he’s not prepared to open up to Rufus about it becomes a bone of contention between them late in the book. Hints are dropped that Sam’s secrets are pretty dark (given his character is written by Gregory Ashe, I can’t say that surprises me!) and I really hope we’ll find out more in book three.
The thing I enjoyed most about Garrett Kiesel’s performance in A Friend in the Dark was his interpretation of the two leads, and I can say the same thing here. The gravelly tone he gives Sam is a good fit for the character, conveying his physical size and take-no-prisoners attitude; and he really seems to ‘get’ Rufus, infusing his snarky comments with just the right amount of cheek, but also communicating his vulnerability and deep-seated insecurities. The secondary cast is appropriately characterised, and although Rufus’ dialogue and the narrative still sound a little too similar at times, I didn’t notice that happening as often this time around as I did in the first book. Also absent this time – those long, unnecessary pauses. The pacing is perhaps a little on the fast side, but not horribly so, and overall, it’s a decent performance without any major problems. But I want a bit more than that in an audiobook, especially when I’m listening to books by authors I rate as highly as these two.
It probably sounds like damning with faint praise, but “good, not great” is my verdict on the performance in this one. Still, A Friend in the Fire is an intriguing and well-executed mystery featuring a pair of engaging protagonists who share a sense of humour and a deep and genuine emotional connection. I’ll definitely be back for A Friend in the Glass next year to find out what fate has in store for Auden and O’Callaghan next!
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
May 6, 2021
These characters have grown on me but the story was middling. Hopefully third time will be the charm.
May 10, 2021
Review to come shortly ...... short review, WOW.
February 4, 2024
I love these two. I now officially will be joining the support group of those awaiting the third book hahaha.
May 5, 2021
3.75 stars
February 13, 2025
“Being here, in the club, was an acknowledgment of the central problem of Sam’s existence: no matter how far he went, he was still somewhere.”
again, i gotta point out how Actually Good this book is. i really like c.s. poe's memento mori series, but i think i'll check gregory ashe's stuff afterwards too, because this is really hitting all the markers. does things move slightly fast? perhaps. does the lack of detail in some parts bother me? yep.
still a pretty damn satisfying read.
again, i gotta point out how Actually Good this book is. i really like c.s. poe's memento mori series, but i think i'll check gregory ashe's stuff afterwards too, because this is really hitting all the markers. does things move slightly fast? perhaps. does the lack of detail in some parts bother me? yep.
still a pretty damn satisfying read.
November 13, 2021
4.5 stars from me. Once again, Rufus and Sam do a much better job than the boys in blue of the NYPD in tracking down the murderer/s of sex workers, both past and present...one of whom unfortunately was Rufus's mum. There are many threads in this read, and lots of characters to remember cos you can be certain they'll pop up somewhere else in the story. [Question...at the start of this story, Sam seems to be in Wahredua for some weirdly unexplained reason, and of course visits the Pretty Pretty where Nico is still shaking his booty in those shorts of his, and stalking H & S? What's all that about? 👀👀].
There is a HUGE background storyline yet to be aired insofar as Sam's 'departure' from the Army is concerned, and regardless of whether or not he wants Rufus to discover why he left the Army, surely the truth will come out eventually? Will they both still feel the same about each other when it does? Hopefully the answer will be yes, as they seem well suited.
Would love to find out whether the higher-ups in the trafficking ring from A Friend in the Dark were ever found and are to be prosecuted?
There is a HUGE background storyline yet to be aired insofar as Sam's 'departure' from the Army is concerned, and regardless of whether or not he wants Rufus to discover why he left the Army, surely the truth will come out eventually? Will they both still feel the same about each other when it does? Hopefully the answer will be yes, as they seem well suited.
Would love to find out whether the higher-ups in the trafficking ring from A Friend in the Dark were ever found and are to be prosecuted?
May 5, 2021
I'm addicted to these stories
I wonder if there is a 12-step program for fans/people addicted to C.S. Poe and Gregory Ashe? These two have done it again. I haven't been able to do anything except read the Auden and O'Callaghan series. Such a riveting story with characters and plots that are amazing. I can't wait for Book 3.
I wonder if there is a 12-step program for fans/people addicted to C.S. Poe and Gregory Ashe? These two have done it again. I haven't been able to do anything except read the Auden and O'Callaghan series. Such a riveting story with characters and plots that are amazing. I can't wait for Book 3.
November 28, 2024
I'm sorry for C.S. Poe because I usually love her works, but this once again proves that GA's writing does nothing for me 🙄🤷♀️
May 8, 2021
In this installment, Sam's on new meds that help with some of his issues, but what Rufus calls him for is a sticky, complicated serial killer case, and the final scene is a hair-raiser, so I'd like book 3 now... :)
October 18, 2024
I think this one is better than the first book. Kind of a cliff hanger going on.
September 16, 2021
Reviewed for Rainbow Gold Reviews. An audio code was provided in exchange for an honest review.
After Rufus and Sam worked together in book one of this series, though there was some attraction and connection between them, the two went their separate ways. I do believe that things will eventually work out for them, but I was okay with their hiatus because both men definitely had some issues to work out.
As we start out this book, Rufus is nearly stabbed by someone from his past, and it really kind of leads into the mystery that needs to be solved in this book. But he can't exactly solve it on his own so he makes a call to Sam. Sam has been hitchhiking his way around the country for some reason. Sam has PTSD and also some sensory processing issues that made him adverse to touch sometimes and left him with nightmares. Though he started seeing someone for help and taking medicine again, his behavior at the beginning of the story reminded me he is a little bit of a jerk, too.
In a nice cameo from one of Gregory Ashe's other series, Sam finds himself in Wahredua at the Pretty Pretty club and happens to see Hazard and Somerset before he takes home a bartender and leaves the man in tears just when the call from Rufus comes in. I was turned off by Sam's callous treatment of this side character, but also happy when he rushed off to help Rufus without hesitation. I definitely appreciate that characters are flawed just like people are in reality. Rufus is crap at taking care of himself so Sam's first action is to get him to finally sleep and then feed his malnourished body. Both of them clearly missed each other and proceeded to piss each other off with their trust issues and defensiveness. I do see some positive changed in the two men and I believe they will continue to get better as individuals and as a couple, but their happy ever after isn't in sight yet.
Which leads us to our mystery. There were a few moments that amount of players involved in the murder of Rufus's mother and several others was confusing. I got lost in what was happening a few times, but I also was able to sort it out in a short amount of time. The investigation and resolution of the crimes was exciting even though I felt bad for Rufus at the same time. I had no clue to who the killer was, but it wasn't really written in a way that I think the reader is able to figure it out. It was nice to be surprised. And of course the police department still has its share of crooked cops, but Rufus's new handler seems to be a good fit with him. Things are still a little bit up in the air of where Rufus and Sam are heading, but I am along for the ride for sure.
This is only the second time that I've listened to this narrator but I found his performance enjoyable and I hope to see him narrating more books in this genre. As for this book, I recommend it and the series.
After Rufus and Sam worked together in book one of this series, though there was some attraction and connection between them, the two went their separate ways. I do believe that things will eventually work out for them, but I was okay with their hiatus because both men definitely had some issues to work out.
As we start out this book, Rufus is nearly stabbed by someone from his past, and it really kind of leads into the mystery that needs to be solved in this book. But he can't exactly solve it on his own so he makes a call to Sam. Sam has been hitchhiking his way around the country for some reason. Sam has PTSD and also some sensory processing issues that made him adverse to touch sometimes and left him with nightmares. Though he started seeing someone for help and taking medicine again, his behavior at the beginning of the story reminded me he is a little bit of a jerk, too.
In a nice cameo from one of Gregory Ashe's other series, Sam finds himself in Wahredua at the Pretty Pretty club and happens to see Hazard and Somerset before he takes home a bartender and leaves the man in tears just when the call from Rufus comes in. I was turned off by Sam's callous treatment of this side character, but also happy when he rushed off to help Rufus without hesitation. I definitely appreciate that characters are flawed just like people are in reality. Rufus is crap at taking care of himself so Sam's first action is to get him to finally sleep and then feed his malnourished body. Both of them clearly missed each other and proceeded to piss each other off with their trust issues and defensiveness. I do see some positive changed in the two men and I believe they will continue to get better as individuals and as a couple, but their happy ever after isn't in sight yet.
Which leads us to our mystery. There were a few moments that amount of players involved in the murder of Rufus's mother and several others was confusing. I got lost in what was happening a few times, but I also was able to sort it out in a short amount of time. The investigation and resolution of the crimes was exciting even though I felt bad for Rufus at the same time. I had no clue to who the killer was, but it wasn't really written in a way that I think the reader is able to figure it out. It was nice to be surprised. And of course the police department still has its share of crooked cops, but Rufus's new handler seems to be a good fit with him. Things are still a little bit up in the air of where Rufus and Sam are heading, but I am along for the ride for sure.
This is only the second time that I've listened to this narrator but I found his performance enjoyable and I hope to see him narrating more books in this genre. As for this book, I recommend it and the series.
September 3, 2021
A Friend in the Fire (Auden and O’Callaghan 2)
Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe
Emporium Press, 2021
Five stars
Once again, the collaboration of two rather different writers has produced something that appeals to me greatly. Sam Auden and Rufus O’Callaghan are a marvelously mismatched, messed-up pair, as the unsatisfying (but logical) denouement of the first book in this series demonstrated. Ashe’s love of harshness, mixed with Poe’s love of gentleness, works with these two, because while both have lived lives of insecurity and violence, their souls both yearn for the opposite of that. They are beat up, but they aren’t hardened. .
This book starts off three months after the first left off—with Sam on the road again and Rufus doing his thing—but not very happily. In fact, they’re both miserable, not sleeping well, regretting the absence of the other. When a strange note drags Rufus out of his lethargy and nearly gets him stabbed, he finally reaches out to Sam who hightails it back to the crowded, overwhelming, gritty city that Rufus has (we discover) never once left in his lifetime. Their awkward reunion is contrasted with the immense relief they feel. They sleep well for the first time in months. Just sleep.
This is a high-stress story, filled with brutal deaths and bad behavior. Oddly enough, it is also filled with dry humor, as Rufus and Sam re-establish their rapport and begin to understand how much they really need each other. The banter is weirdly funny, as if somehow Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn were a couple of trampled-down 30-something gay men struggling not to be killed as they try to get an uncaring police department to pay attention. I loved it. OK, maybe it’s only easy for ME to picture that.
It is a gripping page-turner and a tender rapprochement between two wounded souls. What an odd mixture that works so very well. There seems to be another chapter in this series coming, and I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it.
Gregory Ashe and C.S. Poe
Emporium Press, 2021
Five stars
Once again, the collaboration of two rather different writers has produced something that appeals to me greatly. Sam Auden and Rufus O’Callaghan are a marvelously mismatched, messed-up pair, as the unsatisfying (but logical) denouement of the first book in this series demonstrated. Ashe’s love of harshness, mixed with Poe’s love of gentleness, works with these two, because while both have lived lives of insecurity and violence, their souls both yearn for the opposite of that. They are beat up, but they aren’t hardened. .
This book starts off three months after the first left off—with Sam on the road again and Rufus doing his thing—but not very happily. In fact, they’re both miserable, not sleeping well, regretting the absence of the other. When a strange note drags Rufus out of his lethargy and nearly gets him stabbed, he finally reaches out to Sam who hightails it back to the crowded, overwhelming, gritty city that Rufus has (we discover) never once left in his lifetime. Their awkward reunion is contrasted with the immense relief they feel. They sleep well for the first time in months. Just sleep.
This is a high-stress story, filled with brutal deaths and bad behavior. Oddly enough, it is also filled with dry humor, as Rufus and Sam re-establish their rapport and begin to understand how much they really need each other. The banter is weirdly funny, as if somehow Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn were a couple of trampled-down 30-something gay men struggling not to be killed as they try to get an uncaring police department to pay attention. I loved it. OK, maybe it’s only easy for ME to picture that.
It is a gripping page-turner and a tender rapprochement between two wounded souls. What an odd mixture that works so very well. There seems to be another chapter in this series coming, and I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it.
May 8, 2021
I am so addicted to this series about two dysfunctional men who just work with each other. Sam and Rufus each have issues which make life difficult for them. They exist outside "normal" with Rufus eeking out an existence as a CI for a police detective while Sam is transient, traveling from place to place with no connections or roots. Except he might be finding those in NYC of all places. But don't be fooled that their budding relationship puts them in danger of becoming mainstream. No, their sweet talk contains too many four letter words and they've yet to be on a date unless you count finding bodies or hunting clues to solve yet another mystery. While the last book left us with a not-quite cliffhanger and this time we're in a little better place , I'm still just as anxious for the next installment. Now please.
April 29, 2021
More sparks flying as Rufus escapes a murderous attack, and calls Sam back to New York to help him. Both of them have learned from their past experiences together, but now Rufus is desperate to solve the mystery of his mother's death. As they stumble from danger to danger, a bare step in front of the cops, and linking up the deaths and those connected, they begin to disclose more about themselves to each other.
November 28, 2024
Meh. Probably like 2.75. Why do Rufus &/ Sam actually like each other/want to be together? Why was the one moment of real tension in their relationship just glossed over with platitudes & dropped? Are they actual characters or just a collection of 3 quirks each? Why is the mystery just an excuse to see how many disparate neighborhoods in NYC they can visit in a day that make no sense? Disappointing- no idea when I will get to the third since I am so cool on these.
April 19, 2021
***I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review***
After a call from Rufus, Sam comes back to New York. Rufus wants to know what happened to his Mom 17 years ago, not knowing that this messing around will lead to more dead bodies.
The USP of this book is the ground work they do. The investigation they do and so much of legwork.
There is a character and relationship development which I was looking forward.
The book was intriguing and engrossing. I totally enjoyed the book.
Wish there was more romance.
After a call from Rufus, Sam comes back to New York. Rufus wants to know what happened to his Mom 17 years ago, not knowing that this messing around will lead to more dead bodies.
The USP of this book is the ground work they do. The investigation they do and so much of legwork.
There is a character and relationship development which I was looking forward.
The book was intriguing and engrossing. I totally enjoyed the book.
Wish there was more romance.
November 2, 2022
okayish, skimmed the most of it
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