Cross & Crown

By: Abigail Roux

Narrated by: Brock Thompson

When Nick O'Flaherty arrives at the scene of a double homicide to find he has a witness to the crime, he thinks it's his lucky day. But when he realizes his witness is suffering from amnesia and can't even remember his own name, Nick wishes he'd gone with his gut and put in for vacation time. Then Nick's boyfriend and former Recon teammate, Kelly Abbott, joins him in Boston, and Nick finds his hands a little too full as the case and his personal life collide.

The witness he's dubbed "JD" is being tailed by Julian Cross, a retired CIA hitman. To complicate matters further, JD forms an attachment to Nick that Nick struggles not to respond to as they search for the key to JD's identity. Trying to determine whether JD is friend or foe as they investigate the crime puts them on the trail of a much older mystery. When multiple attempts are made on their lives, Nick is forced to turn to old enemies and new allies to solve a centuries-old crime before he and Kelly get added to the history books.

©2014 Abigail Roux (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Love Julian, love Abigail, love Brock. Love.

(See my review for Shock & Awe.) :)

By the time this book was released I was all on board the Minion bus. I was excited for it to be released (and am presently anxiously awaiting the arrival of Book 3 in the series). I am not one to write "fan mail", in general, but twice in recent history I have felt compelled to reach out with a note of gratitude and appreciation to an author whose works had particularly touched me. Abigail Roux is one of the two.

I wrote her a note that included an anecdote about one of my (now deceased) uncles. He was not a Sidewinder marine special forces guy, but a Green Beret. He told us many crazy and not-quite believable stories. When I saw the movie Big Fish I thought it could have been about him! And much like in that film, at his funeral, with no prompting what-so-ever from us, some of his insane and "that can't possibly be true" stories were independently verified by some of his old Army Buddies as they recounted fond memories and experiences they'd shared with the man. The Sidewinder Guys remind me of my uncle. I love their interactions, their antics, their "that can't possibly be true" experiences. And while I am fully aware that they *aren't* true because Sidewinder are fictional characters - in my mind they *could* be true and real - and are, just a little bit, because they remind me of that Uncle whom we all loved and doubted, ached for and partied with, and miss terribly.

*That* is what this book is for me. Screw suspension of disbelief and all of that. Abigail Roux and Brock Thompson have done a phenomenal job taking us on a fun, sexy, exciting, harrowing romp and I loved every moment of it. In my opinion, well worth the time and credit (though to be fair I paid actual money for this one, and again - no regrets.)

I loved this so much

Yessssss. I'm so happy that we get to read what happened for Cross to owe Kels and Nick a favor in the Cut and Run Series. I love this series.

Treasure Hunt, The Mob, Dubious Allies, & Romance

What did you love best about Cross & Crown?

So many things! Nick and Kelly, the treasure hunt, the mystery and suspense, characters that may or may not be allies, the deeper insight into Nick, and a Julian Cross crossover.

What did you like best about this story?

This was a re-read so this time, I enjoyed hearing it told to me and the cozy reunion feeling that gave to me- like I was back with friends.

Have you listened to any of Brock Thompson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I listened to his reading of the first book in the series which I thought was stellar. I felt this one was very challenging for him to do the variety of Irish and Boston accents of the characters surrounding Nick and Kelly. Just a little off, but not awful. Storytelling, timing, ability to engage the reader was all wonderful.

Who was the most memorable character of Cross & Crown and why?

The enigmatic JD. He may or may not be what he seems to be. He's a mystery and I was never sure about him. I like that feeling.

Any additional comments?

This book is a sequel, but it is also part of a larger world of the Cut & Run universe. It is my opinion that the reader would get more out of it reading it just after Ball & Chain in the Cut & Run series.

Nick and Kelly are a good couple. I enjoy how this story is exciting, but also grows their relationship.

Great story and performance!

I mean, what's not to love about macho men, romance, mystery and comrades. I also was very pleased that the narrator did a great job! This is the first time I heard Brock perform and I'll be adding him to my favs list!

Great story with strong narrator

I enjoyed this extension of Nick and Kelly's story. The narrator did an amazing job with the voices of so many different characters, making each easy to follow.