Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Expanded Universe
SERIES: The Last Picks
AUTHOR: Gregory Ashe
PUBLISHER: Hodgkin & Blount
LENGTH: 339 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 29, 2025
BLURB:
All the other stuff.
Expanded Universe is a collection of short stories from The Last Picks. It includes the
“Engineered Public Confession”
A glimpse into Dash’s life before his move to Hastings Rock.
“Mystery of the Week”
Someone steals Dash’s ice cream cone, and things…escalate.
“New Neighbors”
Dash adjusts to his new life in Hastings Rock—and to his budding friendship with Deputy Bobby.
“Friends on the Force”
Taking advantage of a local perk, Dash does a ride-along with his favorite deputy.
“Thanksgiving Episode”
On Dash’s first Thanksgiving with his new friends, things don’t go quite as planned.
“It Runs in the Family”
Dash’s sister arrives for an unexpected—and unwelcome—visit.
“Sheep in Sheep’s Clothing”
Bobby is most definitely not perfect. But why is it so hard to prove it?
“Chekhov’s Wig”
A box of stolen wigs. Jewel thieves on the run. What could go wrong?
“Birthday Beginning”
The Last Picks are determined to make Keme’s birthday a memorable one.
“The Odd Couple”
Dash and Keme might not be the original odd couple, but they’re odd enough.
“Home for the Holidays”
It’s Dash and Bobby’s first Christmas together. They manage to make it interesting.
“Good Cop, Bad Cop”
When Dash discovers someone is stealing Keme’s lunch, he’s determined to help. He’s just a little too late.
“Insufferable Geniuses”
Dash and Fox share the highs and lows of the artistic temperament.
“Found Family”
The Last Picks celebrate Keme’s graduation.
“Skip to the End”
Dash and Bobby celebrate their big day.
Please note that the first fourteen stories were distributed previously in various formats.
“Skip to the End” is exclusively available in this collection.
REVIEW:
Note: This is a collection of short stories that proceed along the timeline of the entire series. These were available in various places with the exception of the final story which is only available in this collection and takes place after the events of Retool. Each story is clearly marked with where they fall in the timeline, so if you are currently making your way through the series, these stories can be read in the appropriate place.
Dash and Bobby have come a long way. These short stories give us additional glimpses into Dash’s and the rest of the Last Picks journeys. Somehow I missed many of these as they were shared earlier as the books were being published so not just the last story was new to me 😉 I particularly enjoyed the first and last stories because they so nicely bookend the series.
The first story illustrates why Dash left for his cross-country adventure to Oregon and a new solo path. While Dash explains as best he was able to his parents and friends about why he couldn’t stay with Hugo, this story brings that point home. Good call Dash 😉
One of the more entertaining stories is Chekhov’s Wig. Once again, no good deed goes unpunished and Dash’s attempt to help Fox out embroils him in another mystery and Dash finds himself in danger again. This one is a doozy too 😉
The last story takes place after the timeline of the final book in the series. I don’t want to spoil either the events of that book or this story except to say that it’s a happy ending that I hoped for that perfectly fit Dash and Bobby and their families and friends. What a delightful cap on such a fun series 🙂
This has been such a fun series and these little nuggets just add to the fun. I am sad that this series has ended and I’ll miss this found family and universe. I hope that maybe we’ll get more of these gems in the future 😉
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
