Wham Line

The Last Picks, Book 10

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Andrew Gibson

Grief is the price of love.

When an upscale restaurant opens in Hastings Rock, Dashiell Dawson Dane (just Dash) and his friends are excited to get reservations for the soft open. After all, winter on the Oregon Coast is the quiet season, and Dash is looking forward to a little excitement. (And, of course, dessert.)

Instead, their arrival at the restaurant brings them face to face with Indira’s ex-husband, Mal. And when Mal ends up dead, Indira is the chief suspect.

Dash is sure he can prove Indira’s innocence, but before he has the chance, tragedy strikes Bobby’s family. With Bobby drawn back to Portland, Dash finds himself torn between helping his boyfriend and saving Indira.

And the killer isn’t done yet.

©2025 Gregory Ashe (P)2025 Gregory Ashe

Indira's Story...Bobby's grief..a LOT.

I loved learning more about Indira, each novel continues the development of The Last Picks group. A restaurant opening, a family death, a murder are nuanced and emotional ( a few tears w Bobby) that make every scene hit harder. Listening always elevates my experience and emotions thanks to Andrew Gibsons performance. Book 10, waiting for 11 & 12. WooHoo

Wham!

There is a lot to this story. The mystery of who killed the restaurant owner. The loss in Bobby's family. The relationship between Dash and Bobby. The latter was my favorite. The growth between these two men and how they work out their frustrations was perfectly written. Loved it. Andrew Gibson continues to provide a consistent voice to these men that bring the passion to life.

Dash & Bobby try to help Indira

Indira is a suspect in the murder of her ex husband. Dash tries to figure out who really killed him, and a woman associated with him. Bobby is almost dies trying to help the woman. Some surprising news and information is given in this book.
The narrator did a wonderful job.

I really loved it.

I love this group more with each book

After a mystery involving Keme, and another mystery involving Millie, now we get to Indira's turn. Indira has been a steady character so far in this series. There isn't a lot we know about her. She was the former cook for author Vivienne Carver. After Vivienne went to prison, Indira agreed to stay on at Hemlock House to cook for Dash, thought not in a paid position. She lives in Hemlock House instead and has been sort of a mother figure to Keme, who is going just a little bit crazy about Indira becoming a suspect in the murder of her ex-husband. Not that he's ever been even-tempered. She's been a great friend to Fox and has doled out advice to Dash a few times over the course of this series. I've always seen her as kind of stoic and reserved when it comes to her personal life, so it's a surprise to find out she was married at all, and used to own a restaurant...

When Indira's ex comes to town as an investor/part-owner of a brand new restaurant, Indira is angry, but not angry enough to kill. It's too bad that she's chief suspect and the local sheriff wants Dash to mind his business on this one. It's kind of funny after all the crimes he's solved that they refuse his help just because it's someone he's close to. Still it doesn't help that there is another ex-wife and current wife that might both have reasons to want him dead. But that's not all, I say in my game show host voice, It seems there is no shortage of real suspects including someone holding a years long grudge and a secret child.

I really enjoy all the mysteries in this series and am generally unable to solve them myself, and I do appreciate that things are rarely blaringly obvious. Of course Indira didn't do it, and of course Dash and Bobby catch the real killer, and get in a little bit of hot water doing so.

Dash and Bobby... *sigh*.  The growing relationship of these two characters has definitely drawn me in. In this book Bobby gets a call in the middle of all the sleuthing telling him his mom died. Desperate to be a good and supportive boyfriend, Dash does take a break from the case to accompany Bobby home. But things are stressed and Bobby is closing himself off more than ever. I know I have a bias for Dash. He is the main character and all of his feelings are laid bare. Even though I know in my head that Bobby is probably trying to compartmentalize his pain, his refusal to share his hurt with Dash was frustrating to my heart. I have lamented about their lack of communication and I was feeling angry on Dash's behalf. I could understand his stubbornness and why he ran away. So I was so thankful when Bobby found Dash and I feel like the two really cleared the air. I was left feeling as if their relationship was finally on firm ground. (Of course I also know that can change in the next book.)

I think this was one of the happiest endings in this series so far. I got to know Indira a little bit better, though I feel like she will still be the backbone of this crazy group and we won't get to see all that she does with everyone else's antics. I will try to pay attention though. I look forward to the next book in the series. The narration by Andrew Gibson was great as always. He brings the books to life so very well.

My new favorite in the series!

Dash needs to solve a mystery to prove Indira's innocence, but he also needs to be a good boyfriend. The conflict between those two tasks keeps Dash on edge for the entire story. I was right there with him, cheering him on and consoling him when he couldn't find the right balance. For most of this book, Dash struggles to find a break, yet his handling of the most challenging moments demonstrates the growth in his character. At this point in the narration of the series, I am almost convinced that the narrator, Andrew Gibson, is Dash. Gibson's emotional performance feels authentic, and the energy in his voice matches my expectations of Dash's personality. I was so engaged with listening to this book that I was almost mad when the story had ended. Sigh, I know there are a few books left in the series, but I want to listen to them right now!!!!!!!!!!!