Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: Ace in the Picture
SERIES: County Durham Quad #3
AUTHOR: Jude Tresswell
PUBLISHER: Rowanvale Books
LENGTH: 234 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2019
BLURB:
Polyamory and asexuality meet in this third tale about the North East England quad.
The police suspect Raith Balan of faking a painting. So do money launderers who sink profits into art.
Mike, Ross and Phil, the three men in Raith’s life, must prove his innocence. They’re hampered by their certainty that a member of the Fraud Squad is corrupt.
The senior investigating officer is Detective Sergeant Nick Seabrooke. He knows he is asexual, but is he aromantic too?
As Raith’s lovers struggle to keep Raith safe and find the fraudster, the sergeant struggles to understand why the quad is often in his thoughts.
REVIEW:
This is the third book in the County Durham Quad Series. I haven’t read the first three and had no difficulty reading this as a stand-alone. However, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it if I’d read it not knowing there were three previous books as there are things you just have to look at and say “Well, that doesn’t really make sense, but it’s because it was dealt with in previous books, so it’s okay to skate over”. If you want a complete picture and to wholly understand everything that goes on, then you have to read the previous books, which I intend to do.
The County Durham Quad, of Raith, Phil, Mike and Ross, comprise an artist, a doctor/scientist, a former police officer and a gallery owner. Quite a mix. One of the biggest strengths of the book is the uniqueness and individuality of the characters. In a book about polyamory it’s even more important to make sure the characters have very different voices, so they’re not lost into an amorphous whole. There were no worries about that here.
As well as the main four, we have many other unique voices, and my favourite was Nick Seabrooke. Initially there is a tension because Nick is a detective investigating a crime for which Raith is prime suspect. However, as we progress and both the reader and the quad get to know him, Nick comes out of the background.
Nick is the “Ace in the Picture” and he is struggling with how to define himself. He knows he’s ace, but he is he entirely aro? This in itself is a source of interest. The ace/aro rainbow, although in more muted colours has easily as much subtlety of hue as the rest of the rainbow, maybe as much as the rest of the rainbow put together. To say one is asexual can mean anything from being disgusted by the very idea of sexual contact with another human being, to enjoying some level of sexual congress (yes, asexuals can have children). Then, apply the shades of aro and you’ve got a whole complex palette going on. The author does a great job in casting an eye on whole range without getting too bogged down in explaining/examining it all.
Every single one of these men is fascinating in their own way, and work well on their own and together. It says a lot that I can easily see how Nick could fit within this group without the whole thing getting out of hand. In another situation it might feel like too many eggs being thrown into the same basket, but here it’s an omelette (*shakes head* did I really say that).
With such strong characters, the book needed a strong story, and didn’t disappoint. I learned a host of little things ranging from money laundering to tetrachromacy. The whole story was peppered with little nuggets on all kinds of subjects. It was a real treat. There was also a coherent story about money laundering, organized crime and shifty dealings behind the Iron Curtain. There’s more than enough to get your teeth into for fans of trivia, crime, romance and good old fashioned detective work.
And then, of course, there’s the quad. I have read quite a few polyamorous stories but only one I read before went beyond three, and the dynamics were very different. I love how the author makes pains to clarify what each person brings to the whole, that they’re not all equal in every way and they’re not all into each other in the same way. They’re a group of complete individuals who blend in all kinds of subtle and not so subtle ways.
There really isn’t much to criticise in this one. It’s difficult to speak about loose ends or muddy description because there are books coming before and after that may/may not deal with those things. I’ll be very narrow and say that the intrinsic story arc in this book seems cohesive and fully realised with enough roll over to lead smoothly into the next story. The characterisation was beautiful and the detail was enough to keep me interested in every page.
There was a little something with the storytelling style that I struggled with, but that’s entirely a matter of personal taste. The book won’t be for everyone but no book is. It’s very low heat but very high on detail and depth.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Thank you for your review, Cheryl. I’m glad you liked the book. I think that with Book 1 I was still finding my way through my men, though Mike and Ross were clear. By book 2, I ‘knew’ all four of them and could take their story much further. By book 3, I felt confident enough to add Nick, along with his issues. I feel that he could fit in with the group too – so I’m half way through book 4 and working on exactly that aspect!
I am so pleased you liked the background detail. I really enjoy investigating topics like tetrachromacy and art fraud (and asylum laws in book 2 and soccer regulations in book 1) Perhaps my penchant for factual things makes the writing somewhat dry; I’m actually more used to writing non-fiction.
Thanks again
Jude T