Genre/Tags: Policing, Gay Romance, 

Author: Nicky James

Story Rating: 5 Stars

Narrator: Nick J Russo

Narrator Rating: 5 Stars

Length: 12 hours and 44 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Audible

Quaid is adrift in MPU. With his partner on extended leave, he’s alone and unsure if he wants to continue working on missing persons cases now that his sister’s case is closed. When the missing teen he’s been seeking for a week turns up dead, it’s the icing on the cake.

Maybe it’s time to explore a different career path.

Aslan and his partner, Torin, take over Quaid’s case, but Quaid can’t help but get involved. He wants justice for the girl. Justice for her grieving family.

Is homicide the career change he’s been looking for?

The trio makes a solid team, and their banter takes the edge off a serious case. Working alongside Aslan again is fantastic. They have found a balance that works, but for as comfortable as they have become as a couple, for as inevitable as their future together seems, something’s missing.

Aslan is ready to take the next step in their relationship, but Quaid needs certain feelings to be disclosed first.

Do actions speak louder than words? Or is there magic in saying I love you?

Inevitable Disclosure is the fourth book in the Valor and Doyle Mystery Series. It is a same-couple series that should be listened to in order. Although each book has a self-contained mystery with no cliff-hangers, the romance is overarching and progressive throughout the series.

Review:

Even though the book cover above and rating are for book #4, Inevitable Disclosure, this review briefly discusses and rates the first four Valor and Doyle (audio)books – Temporary Partner, Elusive Relations, Unstable Connections and Inevitable Disclosure

I haven’t read Nicky James for a while but I wanted a murder/mystery and I know James can write but the real clincher was Nick J Russo as the series narrator. Honestly, Russo is the most amazing narrator and creates more emotional range to a story than reading it alone. So, Russo is a big part of why I started this series, and definitely a big part of why I’m now completely invested in it. James does a really good job of writing these characters, and the psychology behind each character is pretty damn good. The mystery or murder/mystery elements certainly keep me on my toes. 

I’m absolutely enjoying the missing persons or murder cases. The romance. I’m deeply invested in the MCs. I liked Aslan from the get-go. I have a soft spot for Quaid because he’s been through the wringer in terms of his Family of Origin. His sister, Juniper, went missing three decades ago as a six-year-old and Quaid’s father, Ambrose Valor, joined the Missing Persons Unit because of it. Ambrose is now retired and Quaid followed in his father’s footsteps in search of what happened to his sister. Quaid very much wants to give his father closure, whatever that looks like. There’s no real moving on while this case is left unsolved. However, there’s another missing person’s case to look into in this book. A baby. That’s the focus here, as well as Quaid having a selfish, cheating partner, and that Aslan is a single, flirty playboy. But, you know, the series title is Valor and Doyle, it’s not rocket science to know what’s going to happen with them but it’s all the other stuff in between that makes it so enjoyable.  

Aslan Doyle is a Homicide detective and for reasons I may have overlooked, MPU and Homicide do not get along. Like, there is a deep dislike between the two divisions. Apparently there was a prequel and maybe that explained it… or maybe I slept through that bit.

In book #1, Temporary Partner, Quaid has a boyfriend, Jack, who fools around on him. A lot. As established, Quaid comes from a household where’s there’s been a disappearance of a child, the mind goes to the worst places, and those families often break down at a higher rate than usual. His mum left after Juniper disappeared, so he’s been raised by a cop father who’s rigid and certainly not tender. Jack and his behaviour fits as a partner for Quaid and also why Quaid stays in a toxic relationship. There is a crossover between Homicide and the MPU in this instalment and Quaid and Aslan are put together… which leads to them being closer. Aslan loves the grumpy scowl that Quaid gets on his face pretty quickly. He likes to remind him, ‘there it is,’ when Quaid gets surly face. Others see ‘leave me the fuck alone,’ but Aslan sees behind Quaid’s demeanour. He knows he’s insecure and hurting. Its hard to live in the shadow of a sister, trying to ease his father (in particular) by finding out what happened at a parade over thirty years ago when Juniper went missing. Also the effects of dealing with a perennially cheating boyfriend. This story was 4 stars with Russo’s narration at 5.

In book #2, Elusive Relations, there’s murder and attempted murder, at least it’s grievous bodily harm. Jack being the recipient of said attempted murder/GBH, and while Homicide work this case, Quaid has insight. So, Aslan and Quaid are back together, baby! Getting closer. Connections slotting into place more. The race is on to find out who killed the boy in Jack’s bed and why. Also why Jack was beaten within an inch of his life. This is a really solid murder/mystery book with plenty going on, including a well paced investigation, Juniper’s hold on Quaid, Ambrose’s disapproval, Jack’s emotional tendrils destabilising Quaid, how he’s jealous very easily, and his father doesn’t make him feel especially worthy. I liked the developing romance between Aslan and Quaid. I felt for Aslan as something major has occurred. Even though the case in this book is wrapped up, although I do wonder what’s happened to Jack, it ends with a couple of missing children found in a local park over the space of a few months, the last one with Juniper’s backpack. Ding, ding, ding! You know what’s up next. This story gets 5 stars for both writing and narration. 

Book #3, Unstable Connections brings a full blown investigation into the children that had been found at the latter part of book #2, meaning Juniper’s story is up to the plate. There’s a past indiscretion of Aslan’s affecting him in the most profound way professionally, he’s a recovering alcoholic, and Quaid’s in a spiral around the Juniper development. Aslan has to help unofficially on this case. The way his father treated Quaid toward the beginning of the story, near the end as well,  really pissed me the hell off. The way he behaves in general. I have compassion for him but I do not like him or the way he treats Quaid. The tabloids get their noses stuck well and truly into the Valor’s life too, with tabloids glomming onto circulating rumours. Aslan has to deal with parasites wanting to get to Quaid. They kick up paternity issues because there seems to be a link to paternity and other children who have disappeared, why not Juniper and Quaid?  Clearly this is something that creates a lot of hurt feelings. There are multiple suspects, some close to home, some not, and I thought this case lived up to what it needed to be. 

Quaid is also dealing with ongoing jealousy, post Jack, I wish he’d get some therapy. Despite his own problem re: work, Aslan totally supports Quaid and reassures him regularly. Aslan nails boyfriend material in this book. Quaid made me a little pissy because he needed to just take a moment and ask Aslan how he was doing, just a check in, because Aslan is there for him. He does get a clue but the missing children/Juniper’s case is understandably a huge deal. He’d love to know for his dad and for himself. If it’s at all possible, he’d like to get justice for his sister. It’s not easy with Juniper seeming so close now after thirty years but also feeling so far away. I felt more for Quaid than I did his dad, and that shouldn’t really be the case. Because of the subject matter there is quite a degree of emotion in this book. The romance is also moving along nicely. Like all the books so far, the title is really well suited to the story. This is also 5 stars for the writing and the Nick J Russo’s narration. 

Book #4, Inevitable Disclosure: Because this case starts out with a missing teen, Quaid finds himself partnering with his boyfriend, Aslan, and Aslan’s partner, Torin. When it becomes a homicide, they team up. I like the rough around the edges Torin, and the three working this case makes for some interesting banter. There is also another character who keeps growing alongside the MCs. It’s the departments tech guy, Ruiz. He definitely started out as a pain but now he has a much better relationship with Quaid and I’m interested to see how that keeps developing.

Dealing with the teens, and also some of their families, at the centre of the murder of a high school girl is driving the three of them nuts – hormonal, cutthroat group dynamic, bad attitude teens.

The romance between Aslan and Quaid is progressing but Aslan is stuck on those three words that would make Quaid feel more comfortable. Aslan is all about actions prove love, not words. He’s not wrong, but you can have both. It’s always going to work out and it does.

The case is pretty damn heavy, a young girl murdered, and listening to it unfold on audiobook made everything more intense. The ending is something. I knew that title was ominous, and not just about declarations of love. Once again, Nick J Russo nails the narration. 5 Stars for narration and story.

Overview:

Thus far I find this series all kinds of addictive. The MCs are really interesting – love them – the investigations and the romance are well balanced, plenty of police work with some sex, and a lot of romantic moments interspersed that help make everything in the Valor and Doyle series a cut above. It’s pretty important to read the books in order to get the overall vibe and overarching plots of this series.