Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Up Close and Personal

SERIES: Auckland Med Book 3

AUTHOR: Jay Hogan

NARRATOR:  Gary Furlong

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 10 hours and 29 minutes

RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2021

BLURB: 

Detective Mark Knight has a serious problem – one that comes in the form of Auckland Med’s brand-new forensic pathologist. Six feet of delicious blond-haired, scary smart, stern, and disapproving hotness – Dr. Edward R. Newton.

The man is miles out of Mark’s league – completely opposite in almost every way and shockingly immune to Mark’s flirtations. Mark should just let him go. But the alluring doctor has taken residence in Mark’s brain and is messing with his life’s plan – in particular Mark’s determination to skirt attachments and all the self-absorbed drama that goes with them.

Mark has spent two years watching his friends drop like flies to the white picket virus, only to suddenly find himself hankering for a hammer and some white paint. Edward, however, doesn’t want a bar of Mark’s roguish charm.

But it’s not like Mark can avoid the sexy pathologist – death brings them together on a regular basis. So, when a string of murders threatens both their lives and sends them into hiding, something has to give.

REVIEW: 

Jay Hogan’s Up Close and Personal, the third book in her excellent Auckland Med series, delivers a riveting mystery/suspense romance that is elevated by the audiobook featuring the exceptional narration of Gary Furlong.  In this story, Detective Mark Knight, the best friend of Josh from Book 1, First Impressions, and Dr. Edward Newton, Auckland Med’s new, sexy forensic pathologist, engage in a prolonged slow burn that ultimately ignites into undeniable passion and love.  

Both Mark and Edward fear intimacy, albeit for different reasons.  So they avoid it, but in diametrically opposed ways.  Edward’s not interested in hook-ups.  Mark’s an unrepentant flirt whose goal is to get Edward in bed.  Edward avoids anything casual.  Mark avoids anything meaningful.  Edward won’t expose his vulnerabilities and risk his heart without the security that comes from commitment.  Mark doesn’t want to expose his vulnerabilities and risk his heart, so he doesn’t stick around.  

As a result, the two men develop a tortured relationship dynamic best described as a “cat and mouse game”.  We then see that play out across a large swath of the book.  Mark pursues, fails, and gets frustrated.  Edward avoids, remains on guard from Mark’s advances, and gets annoyed.  But despite what it looks like, from the very beginning of the book, we see the strong tether between them and the obvious undercurrent of attraction and inevitability.  

Personally, I would have liked less “cat and mouse” and more “MarkandEdward”.  The game went on for quite a while, causing the focus of the story to shift away from the romance.  Instead, the story focuses on the mystery and drama surrounding evidence tampering and a string of murders that force Mark and Edward to partner together.

Notwithstanding, the lopsidedness of the story does not detract from Ms. Hogan’s writing or her characters.  She is a master at dialogue and bringing to life complex, layered stories through crisp, thoughtful, impactful words.  Her characters are always given dimension and life.  You almost forget they are fictional.  Indeed, Mark and Edward come to life before us.  We also get colorful cameos from prior characters like Josh and crowd favorite, Cameron Wano, Auckland Med’s fierce, militant charge nurse from Book 2, Crossing the Touchline.

Adding to the enjoyment of the story is Gary Furlong, who is at the mic again for the audiobook, and as per usual, does a stellar job.  Mr. Furlong’s exceptional talent and skill continue to blow me away.  No matter how good Ms. Hogan’s words are on paper, Mr. Furlong elevates it by telling her story in surround sound.  He creates an unparalleled, immersive experience for the reader which makes you feel like you’ve walked into the book.

Mr. Furlong captures the complex personalities of the two leads through his vocalization.  He gives Mark a higher-pitched tone with a lightness to it that matches Mark’s mischievousness and constant flirting.  He gives Edward a lower tone and slower delivery that is reflective of his seriousness and loneliness.  At times, Edward gets a bit saucy, turning the tables on Mark.  When that happens, Mr. Furlong shifts Edward’s voice into one that’s a bit sharper, with more emphasis.  He then layers it with some of the playfulness we typically hear from Mark.  

Mr. Furlong’s narration is dynamic and impactful, with clear thought and intention in his delivery of emotional content.  He also delivers the words with the appropriate inflections, intonation, and emphasis to match the physical actions and reactions that accompany them.  

Every time I listen to Mr. Furlong’s narration, my admiration of his talent and my enjoyment of his work grows.  His voice pairs perfectly with Ms. Hogan’s words, making every audiobook in the Auckland Med series a must-have. Up Close and Personal is no exception.  Enjoy.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon

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