Broken Bird

The Last Picks, Book 4

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Andrew Gibson

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.

©2024 Gregory Ashe (P)2024 Gregory Ashe

Excellent Listen!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each one in the series gets better than the previous and are easy listens. The narration is great and Ashe writes a great story which allows the narration to sound believable. As always, the hallmarks of the series are intact: cakes, wonderful characters and a dead body. I enjoyed this over the course of a weekend and was sad when it ended but I’m looking forward to the next book already. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a cheeky ending!

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.

Pippi's back to cause havoc

Pippi was a character in prior stories and she's back and in need of help from Dash and his sleuth ways. Bobby's recovery from his breakup with West but still doesn't want to see Dash in danger. Another great mystery from Gregory Ashe. Andrew Gibson is starting to grow on me. I'm starting to associate his voice with Dash and the gruff sounding Bobby. Know there is a lot more to come and looking forward to it.

Not my fave of the series, but still enjoyable

Having revisited this book in audio a couple of times now, it still doesn't entirely work for me, and that's largely due to Pippi's slapstick behavior. I run out of willing suspension of disbelief very quickly when someone marches into another person's home uninvited and doesn't immediately get tossed back out—and that was only the beginning. I also continue to feel that this shorter, episodic form doesn't fit Greg Ashe's skills as well as longer books do. I keep wanting more space for the mysteries to play out.

All that nitpicking aside, I'm enjoying the series. No doubt about that!

My thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

A Dash of Murder

Dash and the gang are drawn into the case of a writer's murder. But this time Pippa and her podcast are along as well, getting in the way and causing rather hilarious havoc. The mystery was a good but not as engaging as previous books, hence the four stars. Because this is a Gregory Ashe book, that means that the story is better than most MM cozies. I enjoyed it and am always glad for another installment of the Last Picks. Bobby continues to break my heart but I love how supportive Dash is. While not my favorite in the series, it is still an enjoyable listen and not to be missed. Looking forward to what's next for the Last Picks.