Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: A Share in a Secret

SERIES: County Durham Quad #5

AUTHOR: Jude Tresswell

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 163 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 18, 2020

BLURB:

Mike, Ross, Raith and Phil are a gay, polyamorous quad who live in County Durham, North-East England. Mike’s nephews visit, and launch the quad into a tale involving inclusivity and investment scams, false arrest, and a desperate attempt to keep a dangerous secret hidden.

Nick Seabrooke is now living and working in the village. Can the quad navigate the complexities of a sexual-asexual relationship? They’d risk their safety for each other. Are they willing to do so for Nick?

This is the fifth County Durham Quad story. As always, background information is included for new readers.

REVIEW:

I’ve had a few people ask me about this series, and I will be honest now as I was then. I do really enjoy this series. Some are uncomfortable with it being poly, and PLEASE no comments about that. Everyone has their thing. My point is this, it’s not just about being a poly that intrigued me with this series. To me the poly is just part of the story. If you like good mysteries and murder mysteries all tied in one, then this is a great series to read. Plain and simple. And I love a good mystery/murder mystery. And these boys have gotten themselves wrapped up in something again.

During this whole series, one or more of the quad has had some kind of trouble with the law or the past coming to the front and so on. They’ve also had major issues with the fact that not only do people not like that they are gay, but can’t stand the fact that they are poly, and will do anything to destroy them. Including trying to trash their businesses or going after their families. And in this one, everyone is involved. Including the newly, possibly added Nick. Mike’s nephews are being bullied because of them, his brother, their father is being accused of murder, Ross’s business is an target of attempted destruction and hate crimes, and because of it Raith is in trouble for beating the snot of the homophobe. And when he does his community service, everything starts coming full circle in ways they didn’t think about. Especially when Ross’s past comes to light again as well. And with all that’s recently happened to Ross, what’s happening now, and Ross’s insecurities over Mike and Nick, everything is coming to a head and it may crumble the walls they’ve so tightly knit. And the question is, will they come back from this hit as well….and what about Nick?

This is one time where I really agree with Phil in this book. And I really empathize with Ross. About Mike. I love Mike, I do, but when he gets something in his head, he kind of bulldozes everyone into agreeing with what he wants to do, instead of doing the discussion they’ve always done and voting on it. And he’s doing it again. In several instances. With this stuff with his brother, which it’s family, so I get it. But when his brother was cleared, he could have left it alone and wouldn’t. He wanted justice for those wronged, whether it pertained to him or not. And then there’s Nick. Ross has been more than lenient in accepting Mike as being a poly man. And has learned to accept Phil and Raith and love them in his own way. Even though Mike did Ross wrong about them and something else. And now he’s expected to accept Nick as well. And it’s not that Nick is a bad guy. He’s working for Ross and has helped tremendously with so much. But with everything that has happened, it’s just one more nail in the coffin, so to speak. And I actually felt sorry for the other four as Mike just kind of does his thing without thinking. It’s not that Mike wants to hurt anyone. He just doesn’t think. 

So this has been more of an emotional book in a lot of ways. Not that the others haven’t been as well. Because these guys have been through the wringer in more ways than one. I still love the plot and storyline and I still recommend it. It’s a good series. A good set of mysteries. You definitely wonder how they are going to handle a lot that is being handed to them again. So, yes, even if poly may not be your thing, I recommend it for the mystery. It’s a darn good one and they work very well as a team.

RATING: 

BUY LINK: 

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