Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Doom Magnet

SERIES:  The Last Picks

AUTHOR:  Gregory Ashe

PUBLISHER:  Hodgkin & Blount

LENGTH:  208 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 15. 2024

BLURB:  

They say bad things come in threes. Usually, they don’t mean murder.

After several months (and a few murders), Dash is finally starting to feel at home in Hastings Rock. He’s enjoying the quiet after the end of tourist season, he’s comfortable at Hemlock House (the jury is still out on whether it’s haunted), and most importantly, he has friends.

Friends, unfortunately, who have a tendency not to take no for an answer. Which is how Dash finds himself at a cold-water surfing competition only a few days before Halloween—and, even worse, attending a costume party at the surf camp later that evening.

When Dash stumbles across the body of a predatory local real estate developer, he’s the only one who believes it’s murder. Worse, Dash’s friend Deputy Bobby (they’re just friends, thank you very much) is on leave from the sheriff’s office while he and his fiancé prepare for their move to Portland. But Dash is determined not to let a murder go unsolved. And as Dash works to prove that the death was anything but accidental, the killer turns their attention to him.

REVIEW:

Well well well.  Once again, Dash manages to stumble over a dead body.  Worse, he knows he saw someone on the cliff above where the body is found.  Never mind that this same person was making him really uncomfortable at a party that he didn’t even want to go to. Never mind that this person felt the wrath of Deputy Bobby.  Never mind that West and Bobby have a fight.  Dash is convinced that the man was murdered, but the Sheriff seems uninterested in pursuing a murder investigation.  And she certainly doesn’t want Dash going off on his own and poking into things he shouldn’t.  But Dash can’t help feeling like if he doesn’t, then even though the guy was NOT a nice man, it would be an injustice to let someone get away with his murder.

Of course he enlists the usual suspects here – Millie and Keme and Fox.  Deputy Bobby seems to be involved whether he wants to be our not.  Certainly West would prefer not.  Dash and Bobby’s friendship is on shaky ground though after they work together to determine what motive someone might have for wanting the victim dead.  And of course it turned out a LOT of people have motives to shut this guy up.

Meanwhile West and Bobby are on shaky ground too.  Dash is devastated that he’s done the wrong thing.  However he’s still determined to bring the killer to justice 🙂

This is another fun story.  I love Dash’s inner monologue.  And his PG-13 asides 😉  Bobby and West have their issues and Dash is determined to be a good friend to him.  Even though it’s clear to anyone with eyes that Dash and Bobby are more than friends – even if neither one of them knows what to do about it.  I loved that Keme finally yells at Dash 🙂  Dash is still trying to figure out his place in Hastings Rock, but after the resolution of this murder, it seems like he is resigned to the fact that this is indeed where he belongs.  I can’t wait to see what happens next.  This circling he and Bobby are doing is more intense than ever.  Plus the Last Picks always seem to find trouble, so I’ve no doubt there will be more mysteries in their future.  Recommended.

RATING: 

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