Book Title: The Refuge Bid (County Durham Quad 8)
Author and Publisher: Jude Tresswell
Release Date: August 1, 2022
Genre: Contemporary crime/mystery, gay male protagonists
Tropes: Cold case investigation, self-awareness journey
Themes: Asexual/sexual relationships, respect and working together
Heat Rating: 2 flames
Length: 64 000 words
The crime/mystery stands alone.
The story does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
You’re tellin’ me that if this shiter buys St Stephen’s, there’s a chance we won’t have access to the graveyard! Over my dead body!
Blurb
The Refuge Bid is a gay mystery and relationships tale set in fictional Tunhead, northeast England.
Is there a link between a woman who has been missing for ten years and the people bidding to buy and redevelop Tunhead’s decommissioned church and graveyard? Can the County Durham Quad and their special friend, Nick, find out and stop the sale—one grave is special—and can they raise the cash to counter the bids with an offer of their own? Success involves their drawing on Tunhead’s quarrying industry past and on employing their very different skills but, also, they must acknowledge what it is that they really want from their unusual liaison.
Trigger Warning: references to a teenager’s suicide and to conversion therapy.
Check out the other books in the County Durham Quad series:
Mike Angells is an openly gay CID inspector based in North East England. There are three men in his life: Raith Balan, Phil Roberts and Ross Whitburn. Mike is particularly close to Ross.
Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK
(Mike’s obsession with the sale of St Stephen’s and its graveyard is affecting everybody. This conversation takes place in Nick’s bedroom. Mike is talking…)
“It’s Ross’s fortieth in a few weeks. I’d like to do somethin’ special but I don’t know what. Any bright ideas?”
“One. How about a meal and a drag club? He likes drag.”
“He does. I don’t.”
“What’s the problem? Does it offend your sense of masculinity? It was very affirming for gay men when AIDs was rife. I imagine it gave them something to smile about too.”
“I just don’t like it.”
“But you could force yourself for one night, couldn’t you?”
Mike pulled a face. “Used to go clubbin’. I’ve hardly been since Sam died.”
Nick sat up.
“Mike! For God’s sake, you have to work on letting this go!”
“What do you mean?”
“The whole…” Somebody needed to say it, but how, without getting Mike’s back up? There was no way. “The whole body in the churchyard thing,” Nick said bluntly.
Mike sat up. “Well you’re a great one to give advice, aren’t you?” he said derisively.
“Pardon?”
“Get your fuckin’ act together before you start tellin’ me what to do with mine.”
“My act? How do you mean?”
“You hate the thought of fuckin’, of anythin’ that even says ‘bodies’. What’s goin’ wrong in your head that you’re so repulsed by normal fuckin’ actions?”
“There’s nothing going wrong. You want sex with other people and I don’t. That’s all there is to it. Orientation. Just like you.”
“No. It isn’t like me. Sex is what’s normal. It’s what every fuckin’ animal on Earth does.”
“I don’t believe you’re saying that. I drag you out of a hole and you’re sitting there telling me there’s something wrong with me?”
“Oh! I’m goin’ to hear that for the next ‘N’ years, aren’t I? ‘I drag you out of a hole and now you’re bein’ bitchy. Boo hoo.’ ”
“Piss bloody off if you don’t like it. Go and sit in the graveyard. You talk about Ross’s birthday. I imagine he’s sick to death of hearing about the bloody graveyard and the only present he wants is for you to shut up about it. Ow!” Nick fell sideways and put his hand to his cheek, shocked.
“I… I’m sorry. Shite; I’m sorry Nick. Oh, for Christ’s sake… I’m sorry.”
Nick said nothing. He got up and walked into the bathroom. There was the sound of water running. Mike was sitting on the edge of the bed when Nick returned.
“Is your cheek okay?” Mike asked, shamefaced, standing up and reaching out a hand which Nick ignored.
“Yes. It’s not what you did,” Nick stated calmly. “It’s what you said and what you think. Not about Sam. About me. We’ve been through this before. There’s nothing wrong with me, Mike. I’m the way I am, but there isn’t any reason that I know of. I get aroused. I just don’t want to get aroused with people. You don’t want to fuck with women; nor do I. Most blokes don’t want to fuck with other men; nor do I. It hurts like hell to hear you saying what you said, much more than a punch on the cheek. And you know what? You’re the only one of the Quad who would say it. The only one who’d even think it.”
Mike looked at the floor. He knew that was true. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked.
“No.”
“Thank you.”
“Get back into bed.”
They lay down, in silence for a while.
“Presents. I didn’t think you and the guys went in for them.”
It was a peace pipe moment. Mike responded gratefully.
Jude Tresswell lives in south-east England but was born and raised in the north, and that’s where her heart is. She is ace, and has been married to the same man for many years. She feels that she understands compromise. She supports Liverpool FC, listens to a lot of blues music and loves to write dialogue.
Author Links
Dani and co, thank you for being so supportive of the County Durham Quad books. It’s much appreciated. Jude x