Dangerous Pursuits

Hazel Best & Gabriel Ash #7

by Jo Bannister

When Gabriel Ash comes across a terrified young woman fleeing a brutal attacker, he and Hazel Best are drawn into a complex and baffling investigation. Rachel Somers, running . . . Something appalling happened in the wood. When Gabriel Ash and his dog come to her aid, she thinks she's safe. But this is Norbold, where things aren't always as they seem. Detective Chief Inspector Gorman thinks this is his worst nightmare: a predatory paedophile who's prepared to kill rather than be taken. Constable Hazel Best thinks she's helping both the Somers family and her friend Ash, but her tendency to follow her heart rather than her orders is about to get her into trouble again. And the people of Norbold have noticed that descriptions of the attacker, sketchy as they are, fit Ash better than they fit anyone else. With panic stalking the town, DCI Gorman needs to make an arrest before more young girls are attacked, before someone else dies, before the vigilantes who burned Ash's shop decide to burn him too. But the parameters keep shifting, and almost none of the facts he's relying on will turn out to be true. The solution to the mystery is more shocking, and more tragic, than even these three could have imagined.

Genres: Mystery, Crime

236 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2020

About the author

Jo Bannister lives in Northern Ireland, where she worked as a journalist and editor on local newspapers. Since giving up the day job, her books have been shortlisted for a number of awards. Most of her spare time is spent with her horse and dog, or clambering over archaeological sites. She is currently working on a new series of psychological crime/thrillers.

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriel Ash and his dog, Patience, while walking in the woods, is surprised to see a terrified girl running toward him. She has obviously been attacked and needs help.

Calling Detective Chief Gorman, an investigation is begun. However, the description of the attacker strongly resembles Ash. And things really get muddled when a man's body is found close to where the girl ran from. He turns out to be her mother's lover.

Vigilantes try to burn down Ash's second-hand bookstore, more girls are attacked. Ash is in the cross hairs. Along with Hazel Best, his friend, and Gorman, Ash hopes the killer, the attacker is found soon. His own life may depend on it.

Although 7th in the series, this is easily read as a standalone. However, I strongly recommend starting at the very beginning. Strong character development, along with a tightly woven plot make this a compelling read. There are surprises along the way leading to a very unexpected ending. What I found of great interest were the conversations between Ash and Patience.

Many thanks to the author / Severn House / Netgalley for the digital copy of this cozy mystery. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Homerun2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This was an interesting read, and I regretted not having read the previous six books in the series. That being said, it works as a stand alone, but obviously the history of the main characters is explained more fully in the earlier books.

Gabriel Ash is a mild-mannered bookseller. He has lived through some desperately hard times and deals with PTSD after having suffered a breakdown years ago. He is an odd but endearing character, warm, sympathetic and intelligent. His dog Patience is a key piece in his recovery. His friend Constable Hazel Best is a bright and ballsy young policewoman who sometimes leaps before she looks. The two of them together are well-intentioned, but not always on target.

This time out, Gabriel and Patience are walking in the woods when they stumble across a hysterical teenage girl whose torn clothing and story indicate that she was attacked. Gabriel calms her down and calls the police. When they arrive back at her home, her mother shows up, and it is discovered that the mother's male partner is missing. It doesn't take long to discover his dead body in the woods.

We follow along with the police as they try to sort out the scene: Who attacked the girl and where did he go? Was this a random attack or was she targeted? Why was her "stepfather" in the woods? Was he attacked by the same man?

The girl's caustic relationship with her mother and the mother's protectiveness but also heavy-handed sarcastic hand with the daughter make the investigation very difficult. And Gabriel is just quirky enough that some local suspicion falls on him.

Nice character development and many plot twists and turns make this an enjoyable read. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Randal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thinly plotted, which is about the most damning thing I can say of a detective novel. I figured out the conclusion -- not just who, but how and why -- on page 93, or a little over one-third of the way through. And it's not that I'm a genius puzzle solver, it's that the author doesn't really try. There's a handful of possible suspects and it's the least likely one. Bannister throws in a couple of half-hearted red herrings, but this clearly isn't a whodunnit, it's part of an ongoing romance series with murders.

I can see fans wanting to read along for the personal stories, but the main romance only advances incrementally here Ash decides to seek a divorce toward the end; otherwise Hazel & Ash are pretty much in relationship stasis. And the author spends way too much time and energy on the backstory from the previous titles for this one to really stand alone.

If you like your murder mysteries second to your soap opera plot lines, this might be for you ... but start at the beginning of the series, because the constant rehashing will give away everything of import that has come before.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the 7th book in a beloved series during anxious times is like putting on a warm sweater when you feel a chill. The resolution of the mystery I found far-fetched and rushed, but as always I enjoyed time spent with Gabriel Ash, Hazel Best, and Patience (the dog).

This series presents a really interesting take on someone with PTSTD, told with compassion and understanding.

One weird thing about this series is that we see and hear virtually nothing from Gabriel's two sons. Maybe the author doesn't like to write children.

Loved this line: "marriage meant having someone to share the problems you wouldn't have had if you'd stayed single" (p. 183)

I read an advance reader copy of Dangerous Pursuits from Netgalley.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise is a serious one. Gabriel Ash and his dog Patience are out for a walk when they rescue a terrified teen.

The main characters, Constable Hazel Best and Gabriel Ash (second-hand bookseller in his shop Rambles With Books) perfectly complement each other despite the difference in age and just about every other thing going. Gabriel has a dog he named Patience who talks back to him.

This is a well-plotted and fast-paced mystery and the mystery never leaves center stage while fully involving the characters from the offices of DCI Gorman and the other close contacts owing to Constable Best. Chewing on the lack of clues, they bounce one theory after another off each other. And just when you think you can see where this is obviously going, there's another twist.

These two main characters are immensely engaging and the author's writing style entertaining and immersive. This is an easy and comfortable book to take your time and enjoy or gobble up and enjoy the chuckles between the occasional serious contemplative philosophical hypotheses. Dialogue is typical English. I enjoyed the colloquialisms, metaphors, and similes as well as the Irish sense of humor. Lively entertainment!

The conclusion is one you've seen coming, but denied, hoping it wasn't so. A familiar theme but one we must keep seeing. Such an important, and topical, concept. Still, it's been a delightful ride and I can't wait for the next. Heartily recommended.

See my full review at https://rosepointpublishing.com/2020/...

[Martha Brindley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cosy and comfortable series to read featuring Gabriel Ash and Hazel Best. It is well written and gives a good insight into someone suffering from PTSD. I love Patience, the dog, and the conversations between dog and owner. This is a cosy mystery, rather than a police procedural but the series is definitely worth reading. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Henry McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the latest in Jo Bannister's Hazel Best and Gabriel Ash series.
This series is one of my favorite crime series. The main characters are brilliant but flawed. They're quirky, humorous, and genuine. Hazel is a police constable who desperately wants to be a detective. Gabriel is a betrayed intelligence analyst recovering from years of mental anguish. Together they make a most unlikely team, but one that eventually catches the culprit.
This novel opens with the attempted rape of a 17-year-old girl and the murder of her mother's boyfriend who was coming to rescue her.
The girl, Rachel, meets Gabriel as she runs away. His decision to help her leads to all kinds of complications in their relationship, his relationship with Hazel, and the investigation of the murder.
Hazel is the police liaison with the family. This leads to awkward entanglements and stress as Hazel tries to help them navigate the turmoil of emotions and as evidence mounts about who the killer may be.
Gabriel is attacked and his book store is burned because he vaguely resembles the description of the alleged rapist. Haxel gets in trouble with her superiors and the family trying to do what she thinks best in light of what she discovers.
The team of Best and Ash stumble a bit as the evidence points in several directions. But, they do come to the right conclusion.
Ms. Bannister does a commendable job of creating a complex plot and complex characters to go with it. Her books are well worth the read. To truly appreciate the characters of Hazel and Gabriel, I recommend reading the series from Book 1. You will not be disappointed.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabriel Ash is almost run down by Rachel, a teenage girl who is fleeing a man who attacked her in the woods. He's a solitary man (although he has two boys and a housekeeper) whose best friend is Hazel Best, a copper who really wants to be in CID. Oh and he talks with his dog Patience, a lurcher. Rachel, though, feels comforted by him. A search of the wood by the police turns up a body- the body of Rachel's mother Pru's partner, Gethin, whose head has been bashed in. Then two girls report seeing a man on the canal coming for them and more seriously, a teen reports being raped. The CID is at a loss for what happened- Pru's not helpful, Rachel didn't see anything- and now to add to it, Gabriel has to deal with harassment because he fits the general description of the attacker. No spoilers from me on this one. There are some very good twists but best of all I had the same aha moment as the police near the end. This is the 7th in a series that I've loved- I love the characters, I love how Bannister is able to convey so much with so little sometimes, I love how she builds suspense, I love how you won't see some things coming, and the plots will make you think. I also think she's included enough info to make it fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It might seem odd to say that a murder mystery was a ray of light during the bad pandemic news but this one did it for me. Excellent read.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but I am so glad this one caught my eye...and I was not disappointed. This well written tale with well developed and interesting characters as well as vivid descriptions of place. Gabriel runs a used book store and talks to his dog...no really talks to his dog and the dog talks back. Of course no one else hears. He was a detective and he teams up with a young constable to solve a mysterious crime. Gabriel rescues a young girl who has just been attacked and Hazel Best, the young constable, is part of the investigation. The reader travels with them as they follow tenuous leads and focus on several suspects as the fear mounts in the small village of Norbold. Finally, they do get to the bottom of the crime that is both shocking and tragic. When I fell in love with Patience, the cover dog, I had no idea how much I would enjoy this book. This is actually book #7 in the series, and it was a great stand alone. Now I want to read this series from the beginning!

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This is my favorite so far in the series.
Ash and Patience are having a walk and talk (as is usual between a dog and his/her human parent...lol) when a terrified teenage girl comes running out of the woods, crying hysterically after a brutal attack. This ends up being one of the most baffling mysteries Ash and Hazel Best (a police officer and Ash's best friend) have come up against.
With not a single clue left at the attack site, it looks like they might never find the truth.
I love this series, every book just gets better and better. Ash and Patience are wonderful, their 'discussions' really make me smile, and I'm glad Ash is doing so much better. Hazel's wish comes true - but is it a double-edged sword?
With a superb and surprising ending, this book is a must read, highly recommended!

[Patricia Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Rachel Somers comes running out of the wood Gabriel and Patience, his dog, are the first thing she sees. Obviously upset and scraped up, Gabriel gets her safely home while she explains that someone attacked her in the wood outside her gate. 

When her mother's partner turns up dead in the same spot, suspicions are cast on Ash. While Hazel tries to protect him and find answers on the Somer's family, she is also digging her own grave at the police station. Following orders isn't her strong suit.

I have read all of this series. This was not my favorite. By now I would have liked to see more of Ash with his boys and get some kind of grip on himself. I have to say I did figure this one out from Chapter One. 

I'm hoping for another one soon!

July 2nd, 2020 by Severn House Publishers/NetGalley Review

[Carolyn Crocker]

With their psychological astuteness, compassion and flashes of humor, the Hazel Best & Gabriel Ash mysteries do not disappoint. Norbold has the narrow small-town conventionality this pair is up against, and the crimes committed there are plausible, the lessons worth learning. These police procedurals, with their extra relationship subplot are orth starting at the beginning and reading in order.

'Rather like the Fourth Wise Man, expunged from history for lack of ambition in the gifts departement, Gorman followed the sounds of spanner on engine, spanner on thumb and breathless nautical swearing....conducting a war of attrition with the narrowboat's engine that would only end when one of them died." p. 69

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

A hysterical teenage girl has been assaulted, followed shortly afterwards by the bludgeoning murder of her mother’s partner. Gabriel Ash is presumed to be the perpetrator by a group of small minded, violent villagers who attack him and later set fire to his bookshop. Gabriel sends his young sons away for safety and cleans up the mess. His best friend, Hazel Best is anxious to get into detecting rather than routine policing with mixed results. The girl crime victim is a spoiled brat and her mother is violent, hostile, simultaneously aggressive and exceptionally defensive. The characters, including the talking dog are fairly interesting, the plot is fairly thin. It wasn’t a bad way to spend a snowy afternoon, but I’m glad it wasn’t longer.

[Steve Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it was the first time I'd read anything by Jo Bannister, I was impressed with her skills as a novelist after completing her Dangerous Pursuits. This is the way a mystery novel should be written with an emphasis on dialogue and a focus on the complexity of human relationships. The characters are believable, as are the situations in which they find themselves and Bannister's insights into the human condition. The detective work entails untangling the complexities of our interactions with others to reveal motivations and discover the killer. It's an excellent book, and I highly recommend it to mystery fans.

[Janecope · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I read anything by this author, so I wasn't familiar with the two main characters, Hazel and Gabriel, in this series. Even though the story alludes to things that happened in the past, it didn't feel as if I was missing something by not having read an earlier book.

The "who done it part" is pretty easy to figure out as the story develops. However, the reader is not too far ahead of the detectives in figuring out who should be suspected next. The clue that determines the killer is so simple and so clever.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dramatic start, a nice twisty plot through the middle, then as suspects are eliminated, eventually the perpetrator becomes evident. I enjoyed the book, especially Patience the dog, who unfortunately had more a bit part, and thought the characters were interesting to follow. As the suspects were eliminated, I felt like the author went to great lengths to try and generate some sympathy for the character who committed the crime, but to me it smacked of the "afluenza" defense and I was not concerned about the character going to jail, unlike Gabriel Ash.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting characters and premise but I felt I was missing something by not having read the previous books. I would have liked a bit more backstory --maybe as a prologue or forward. He an hazel have an interesting relationship but I knows there's more to it. Central to the story is judging a book by its cover. My opinion of the mother and daughter changed--the daughter much more than mother
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[Larry Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hazel and Gabriel make such an interesting, conflicted pair of friends that I am often stunned by the opaque vision they share. Surely they must understand they belong together as a couple. But the author may not share a fan's desire so we'll just have to keep hoping. The plots of these books are never really very convoluted, but still have interesting aspects. As for the dog, I guess I'll just have to have "patience" with her!

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always enjoyed this series because of the interesting characters and their relationships. Got a little peeved with this one because really these cops should have figured this out a whole lot sooner —I certainly did. I also think it’s time to move the relationship between Gabriel and Hazel forward a little faster please.

[Sally Salter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read every one of the books in the Gabriel Ash and Hazel Best series. While the police could not figure out this mystery until nearly the end of the book, I guessed the actual killer about half way through. Oh, well. Still enjoyed and I will continue with this series. I really enjoy these two characters.

[Vontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been enjoying this series, even if I didn't start until book 4. I see I missed book 6. Plan to carry on with the series. I'm not sure if I'll even go back to book 1, the 'origin story' although that might be helpful to fill in details, some of which 'drop in & fill in the past ' in subsequent books.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Getting into the book was hard because it seemed the author assumed one had read her previous books. I hadn't. I know it's hard to balance too much review vs skimpy review of past, but the balance made for a rocky start.

I thought this was more about the psychology of grief than it was a mystery.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and solid mystery, engrossing and entertaining, that kept me guessing till the end.
The characters are fleshed out and interesting, the plot flows and kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another awesome read - Gabriel is a suspect in an attack as the description of the attacker matches Gabriel’s physique. Hazel involves herself in the murder, sometimes to the extent of making matters worse, to free Gabriel of suspicion.

[JB · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Jo Bannister has written a great book. Love Ash, Hazel and especially Patience. I don’t feel a need to summarize the plot, everyone else does that, but if you are a fan already, you will enjoy this, if you haven’t read Jo Bannister, try it, you will want to read them all

[Corinne Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with Patience, Gabriel and Hazel are such endearing quirky characters. It was lovely to be reunited with them again.

[Don]

Did not finish

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky!

[Rita Gorra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smooth writing, but very little happening. Thought processes were overdone and this is almost a self help book. Halfway through I was going to give up.

[Margaret Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is little, it asks a lot of questions and tells a story which will keep you engaged. This series just keeps getting better.