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Daniel Owen Welsh Mysteries #4
Too Many Fires
(Alternate cover edition of ASIN B098194T3V. )
DCI Daniel Owen is barely holding things together when an old flame crashes into his life, with a dead body and enough emotional baggage to sink a ship.
Then the fires start.
Who is Jonathan Cole, and why is he living at a run down holiday park? Did he kill the park’s owner? Daniel wants to believe Jonathan is innocent, and Jonathan wants to seduce Daniel. Mal, now Superintendent Kent, wants to come home. His undercover officer has disappeared from the same holiday park, and that can’t be a coincidence, can it?
No matter where they look, Jonathan’s past is engulfing them all in flames.
DCI Daniel Owen is barely holding things together when an old flame crashes into his life, with a dead body and enough emotional baggage to sink a ship.
Then the fires start.
Who is Jonathan Cole, and why is he living at a run down holiday park? Did he kill the park’s owner? Daniel wants to believe Jonathan is innocent, and Jonathan wants to seduce Daniel. Mal, now Superintendent Kent, wants to come home. His undercover officer has disappeared from the same holiday park, and that can’t be a coincidence, can it?
No matter where they look, Jonathan’s past is engulfing them all in flames.
181 pages, ebook
Published August 31, 2021
52 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 26, 2022
At the start, Daniel and Mal are apart. Daniel is really struggling with finding purpose.
He’s very depressed and it was painful to read but necessary.
The mystery in this one was a tangled mess. So much lies and hiding. Jonathan, a person from Daniel’s past, becomes a central figure to the mystery.
Mal then gets pulled into the case. He’s been living in London and Daniel and he are no longer together.
This book was much bleaker than the other books in the series but I think Daniel needed to go through some things to make him realize some truths. I cried when he got that letter. No spoilers but that was a very teary moment.
This book does end on a very happy note, thankfully. Daniel and Mal realize love can be enough.
He’s very depressed and it was painful to read but necessary.
The mystery in this one was a tangled mess. So much lies and hiding. Jonathan, a person from Daniel’s past, becomes a central figure to the mystery.
Mal then gets pulled into the case. He’s been living in London and Daniel and he are no longer together.
This book was much bleaker than the other books in the series but I think Daniel needed to go through some things to make him realize some truths. I cried when he got that letter. No spoilers but that was a very teary moment.
This book does end on a very happy note, thankfully. Daniel and Mal realize love can be enough.
September 15, 2024
This series keeps getting better and better.
I love my romances angsty and heartbreaking. I love two MC's with fears and hangups and this book shines with real messy feelings.
Even better that the mystery/crime plot is super interesting and thought through, there are a lot of twist and turns which kept me on edge and made this story un-put-downable.
I finished it in one day and I can't wait to read more.
I love my romances angsty and heartbreaking. I love two MC's with fears and hangups and this book shines with real messy feelings.
Even better that the mystery/crime plot is super interesting and thought through, there are a lot of twist and turns which kept me on edge and made this story un-put-downable.
I finished it in one day and I can't wait to read more.
October 20, 2022
Honestly this series is getting better and better as far as I'm concerned. Ripley Hayes manages to write a convoluted mystery with unexpected twists and turns along the way.
Daniel and Mal's relationship, well that's another convoluted mess, lol. I love how "real" it all seems. Like I could go on holidays to Wales and actually run into them. That in itself is one of the things that make this a 5 star book for me!
Daniel and Mal's relationship, well that's another convoluted mess, lol. I love how "real" it all seems. Like I could go on holidays to Wales and actually run into them. That in itself is one of the things that make this a 5 star book for me!
November 19, 2021
I loved all the books in this series.The main characters had chemistry and the story held to reality.BUT not in this last one. I did not like Dan at all in this book.He was a bitter,angry,annoying b**ch.There may be a lot of readers that disagree with me that it was ok for him to sleep with someone else(cause he wasn’t with Mal anymore,after he end it,cause he didn’t want to do a long distance relation,and Mal wouldn’t stay in the village, bla bla).He was a cheater and in the end what did he give up at in order to be with Mal(like he did)?Anyway the end was a bit unrealistic cause I don t know anyone who would react so amazing at being cheated,yelled and replaced so easily.Not to mention, that the other had to die in order for Dan to admit that he slept with him, and honestly it gave me the vibe that actually he didn't want Mal anymore , and in order to get them back together, it was a must Jon to be killed. I give 5 ⭐️ for the plot, which was great and that’s what matters the most.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2022
Interesting. But, I would never have read any of the books in this series if they were not free with Kindle Unlimited.
December 31, 2021
My biggest frustration with this series is the unstable relationship between Mal and Dan; just when they seem to get their act together - everything goes pear-shaped. At least there's a light at the end of a very long tunnel by this book's end - but what a lot of drama we had to get through to get there.
Wrapped around this on-going saga is a murder plot that stretches across decades and was far too convoluted for my brain to work out what the hell was happening. I gave up trying to figure things out by mid-way actually and just settled in for whatever happens next; parts of the explanation at the end still escapes comprehension LOL.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 in the end.
Wrapped around this on-going saga is a murder plot that stretches across decades and was far too convoluted for my brain to work out what the hell was happening. I gave up trying to figure things out by mid-way actually and just settled in for whatever happens next; parts of the explanation at the end still escapes comprehension LOL.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 in the end.
April 14, 2022
A Tangled Web
There was so much going on with this one and I have to say the ending left me disappointed. Not only was the mystery not demystified but the Mal and Daniel took a pretty big step in their relationship that I find ill advised to say the least. There is a lot going on and I can only hope this tangled web gets untangled in the next book in the series...
There was so much going on with this one and I have to say the ending left me disappointed. Not only was the mystery not demystified but the Mal and Daniel took a pretty big step in their relationship that I find ill advised to say the least. There is a lot going on and I can only hope this tangled web gets untangled in the next book in the series...
October 29, 2021
Great story
A convoluted plot. An emotional story with the past being tied to the present. I am a fan for life. Can’t wait to read more of these books in the future.
A convoluted plot. An emotional story with the past being tied to the present. I am a fan for life. Can’t wait to read more of these books in the future.
June 26, 2023
Warning: this book is a freaking ROLLERCOASTER of overt emotions (bordering on manic), dubious decisions, and frustrating interactions*. Which makes it a hell of a read and 3++ stars.
* and that's just the stuff involving Daniel . . .
In reviewing the previous book, I said Daniel was a train wreck. In this book, the train not only goes off the rails, it also falls off a cliff, sinks to the bottom of a dark, cold lake, and then explodes. There are things that Daniel thinks, says, and does that boggle the mind and clearly display how out of control he is about his job and his personal life. It can be downright painful to read.
The plot in this book involves an ex of Daniel's, where "ex" is equivalent to:
If it could even be called an affair. A few evenings in Manchester clubs and a day out in Blackpool. And lots of sex.
Once the ex appears, Daniel is drawn (inexplicably, in my mind) like a moth to a flame. This attraction is on top of Daniel's continued emotional/psychological spirals. Mal is in London, but comes back to town because something he's working on is tied up in the crimes Daniel is investigating. Mal attempts to talk to Daniel, but Daniel gives him the total cold shoulder to the degree that you'd think Mal was the one who walked away from the relationship (hint: it was Daniel, but he neatly reallocates the blame to Mal.)
Daniel does many things in this book that are pretty mind-boggling - like sleeping with a witness-who-turns-possible-suspect and blatantly ignoring anything that might tie this person to the crime, all in the face of his peers, who know that Daniel is crossing a very large, serious, dangerous line.
Daniel knew that his history with Jonathan was affecting his judgement, but what did he really know about him? They’d met in a bar, been out together a few times, and then Jonathan had stopped answering his calls.
Even Daniel knows that what he's doing is totally messed up, and yet he appears unable to curb his unrealistic/unhealthy sexual and emotional attachment to this person. Ironically, Daniel is wallowing in guilt about what he's doing when he knows he's still in love with Mal, which pushes him even further into a psychological tailspin.
Spoiler alert
This one was a rough ride, and very unforgiving in it's depiction of the choices Daniel makes, but that just makes the relationship deeper, stronger, and sweeter at the end. I think Mal is going to be one of my favorite characters by series end.
Highly recommended, best of the series so far.
* and that's just the stuff involving Daniel . . .
In reviewing the previous book, I said Daniel was a train wreck. In this book, the train not only goes off the rails, it also falls off a cliff, sinks to the bottom of a dark, cold lake, and then explodes. There are things that Daniel thinks, says, and does that boggle the mind and clearly display how out of control he is about his job and his personal life. It can be downright painful to read.
The plot in this book involves an ex of Daniel's, where "ex" is equivalent to:
If it could even be called an affair. A few evenings in Manchester clubs and a day out in Blackpool. And lots of sex.
Once the ex appears, Daniel is drawn (inexplicably, in my mind) like a moth to a flame. This attraction is on top of Daniel's continued emotional/psychological spirals. Mal is in London, but comes back to town because something he's working on is tied up in the crimes Daniel is investigating. Mal attempts to talk to Daniel, but Daniel gives him the total cold shoulder to the degree that you'd think Mal was the one who walked away from the relationship (hint: it was Daniel, but he neatly reallocates the blame to Mal.)
Daniel does many things in this book that are pretty mind-boggling - like sleeping with a witness-who-turns-possible-suspect and blatantly ignoring anything that might tie this person to the crime, all in the face of his peers, who know that Daniel is crossing a very large, serious, dangerous line.
Daniel knew that his history with Jonathan was affecting his judgement, but what did he really know about him? They’d met in a bar, been out together a few times, and then Jonathan had stopped answering his calls.
Even Daniel knows that what he's doing is totally messed up, and yet he appears unable to curb his unrealistic/unhealthy sexual and emotional attachment to this person. Ironically, Daniel is wallowing in guilt about what he's doing when he knows he's still in love with Mal, which pushes him even further into a psychological tailspin.
Spoiler alert
This one was a rough ride, and very unforgiving in it's depiction of the choices Daniel makes, but that just makes the relationship deeper, stronger, and sweeter at the end. I think Mal is going to be one of my favorite characters by series end.
Highly recommended, best of the series so far.
September 29, 2024
Too many threads to weave together
As this book opens we find Daniel beginning a downward spiral into depression. He’s at the limit his body can take and the discovery of a murdered holiday park owner sets off a series of events that have been bubbling away under the surface over the past few books.
What hasn’t been bubbling under the surface over the past few books has been Ripley Hayes brilliant writing. Her imagination and skill at bringing fresh new Daniel Owen books out each time makes her a stunning and dazzling light in the stale gloom of serialised MM fiction. And in this book we get to see all of that play out.
Picking up one year after the end of the last book, both Daniel and Mal are in different places. Mal is now working and living in London and Daniel is in Wales hanging on by the skin of his teeth. No longer together in their relationship, Daniel finds himself drawn into to a relationship with an ex who is now living in a local caravan park. As both Mal and Daniel’s cases appear to be linked we start to see a complex web of lies and misdirection begin to play out.
As cases go, this one is a little complex with many strings that need to be drawn together to understand it. However, of all the investigations Ripley Hayes has written, this is probably the most “unbelievable” one, with too much “disbelief” that needs to be suspended. But you can forgive her for that because it’s a wonderful exploration of how depression can take hold of someone and affect their view of the world around them.
The breakdown of the relationship with Mal, which had been brewing in the background since he voiced his longing to return to city life, is not explored here except in retrospect. I wonder if that was a cop out by the author or a ploy to catapult Daniel forward so she could set up this “new relationship”. Similarly, the resolution with Mal felt too convenient and something I felt the author should have explored in more detail. A lot of the narrative was spent with Daniel wanting to rekindle a relationship with someone who was not much more than a very brief fling from his past. This was given way too much weight and felt quite contrived and something the author needed to happen. It never felt like something the character would have done despite the author trying to convince us he was only doing it because he missed the physical contact now that he wasn’t with Mal.
But all that said, they are both in a better place at the end of this book and hopefully their character arcs will move forward in a much better direction. Still this is a great book with lots of tensely written dramatic scenes that keep you turning those pages. We also get some very emotional scenes too. I found Daniel’s relationship with Jonathan quite heartbreaking and so sad. But it was the end scene that brought a tear to my eye, in particular the reminder of the great cast of characters the author has introduced over the past 5 books in this wonderful world of Daniel Owen. And just like with the previous books, I’m keen to see where she takes Daniel’s story next.
As this book opens we find Daniel beginning a downward spiral into depression. He’s at the limit his body can take and the discovery of a murdered holiday park owner sets off a series of events that have been bubbling away under the surface over the past few books.
What hasn’t been bubbling under the surface over the past few books has been Ripley Hayes brilliant writing. Her imagination and skill at bringing fresh new Daniel Owen books out each time makes her a stunning and dazzling light in the stale gloom of serialised MM fiction. And in this book we get to see all of that play out.
Picking up one year after the end of the last book, both Daniel and Mal are in different places. Mal is now working and living in London and Daniel is in Wales hanging on by the skin of his teeth. No longer together in their relationship, Daniel finds himself drawn into to a relationship with an ex who is now living in a local caravan park. As both Mal and Daniel’s cases appear to be linked we start to see a complex web of lies and misdirection begin to play out.
As cases go, this one is a little complex with many strings that need to be drawn together to understand it. However, of all the investigations Ripley Hayes has written, this is probably the most “unbelievable” one, with too much “disbelief” that needs to be suspended. But you can forgive her for that because it’s a wonderful exploration of how depression can take hold of someone and affect their view of the world around them.
The breakdown of the relationship with Mal, which had been brewing in the background since he voiced his longing to return to city life, is not explored here except in retrospect. I wonder if that was a cop out by the author or a ploy to catapult Daniel forward so she could set up this “new relationship”. Similarly, the resolution with Mal felt too convenient and something I felt the author should have explored in more detail. A lot of the narrative was spent with Daniel wanting to rekindle a relationship with someone who was not much more than a very brief fling from his past. This was given way too much weight and felt quite contrived and something the author needed to happen. It never felt like something the character would have done despite the author trying to convince us he was only doing it because he missed the physical contact now that he wasn’t with Mal.
But all that said, they are both in a better place at the end of this book and hopefully their character arcs will move forward in a much better direction. Still this is a great book with lots of tensely written dramatic scenes that keep you turning those pages. We also get some very emotional scenes too. I found Daniel’s relationship with Jonathan quite heartbreaking and so sad. But it was the end scene that brought a tear to my eye, in particular the reminder of the great cast of characters the author has introduced over the past 5 books in this wonderful world of Daniel Owen. And just like with the previous books, I’m keen to see where she takes Daniel’s story next.
April 30, 2022
Yep, things are ramping up! I'd probably give this 4.5 stars, rounded down only to illustrate how strong the final one is (by giving it the only 5-star rating).
It was definitely hard to read a few aspects of this:
Still, the ending made all the struggles worth it, and despite the sadness for some of the characters, it was good to see
It was definitely hard to read a few aspects of this:
Still, the ending made all the struggles worth it, and despite the sadness for some of the characters, it was good to see
September 24, 2025
Man Daniel is struggling. I was picking up on his lack of enthusiasm for his job and dreading reading the mystery. LoL
Bethan is so nosey. She feels free to give Daniel advice about his love life but I suspect wouldn’t accept Daniel commenting on her marriage. No matter how good her intentions are, Daniel’s personal life is none of her business.
Of course Daniel told Mal to go. He had to. Mal likes the city and city policing. Daniel does not. If Mal stays in the country then Daniel will always think Mal wants to be elsewhere.
Maybe I missed the explicit time reference. Meghan was supposed to be gone a year and now moved back. So I’m assuming a year has passed. Daniel and Mal have been split up for at least nine months? Split. You can’t cheat on someone you’ve broken up with. I totally understand Daniel feeling as if he had though. His heart is with Mal.
I would like more from Mal’s point of view regarding his feelings for Daniel. There’s not enough time spent in his head on that score.
Bethan is so nosey. She feels free to give Daniel advice about his love life but I suspect wouldn’t accept Daniel commenting on her marriage. No matter how good her intentions are, Daniel’s personal life is none of her business.
Of course Daniel told Mal to go. He had to. Mal likes the city and city policing. Daniel does not. If Mal stays in the country then Daniel will always think Mal wants to be elsewhere.
Maybe I missed the explicit time reference. Meghan was supposed to be gone a year and now moved back. So I’m assuming a year has passed. Daniel and Mal have been split up for at least nine months? Split. You can’t cheat on someone you’ve broken up with. I totally understand Daniel feeling as if he had though. His heart is with Mal.
I would like more from Mal’s point of view regarding his feelings for Daniel. There’s not enough time spent in his head on that score.
April 28, 2024
Daniel is speaking the words that are in my head every day. I wonder if the author has been in the position of being tied to a job you hate, making you unhappy, for years, because you need to pay the bills. It’s spot on. I’ve read plenty of books where the main character is depressed and it has always felt a bit off, trite or patronising, but this depiction feels about right. Really well done. I’m still jealous of this fictional character for having what I’ll never be able to afford, land in north Wales. The book feels really relevant and relatable to me, which is very, very rare in a book. If I had to nitpick and find a fault, it would be that I don’t enjoy reading the main characters fighting, it’s realistic in a relationship, but not nice to read, but it’s a very small part of the book. I’m loving this series.
February 24, 2025
I still love this author, I still love this series, and I still love these characters. This was not my favorite book of the lot. There is a greater emphasis on relationships in this to the detriment of the mystery, and for a large section it feels as if most of the plot is happening despite the main characters and that they are just kind of along for the ride. It also feels increasingly bizarre that Mal could ever have been bored in this small town with its frequent murders and large criminal conspiracies. This isn’t just someone poisoning the vicar, there’s almost always webs within webs.
January 1, 2022
Darker than the others
Daniel is sad in this one and you can feel the sadness as you read. I wanted Mal and Daniel back together and happy again, but it doesn't move that way right away.
Daniel is super smart but the job is wearing him down. Mal is hating being away from Daniel. Daniel winds up running into Jonathan, an old flame. Murders happen, fires, and more deaths.
I love this series. This one is just a bit sadder than the others.
Daniel is sad in this one and you can feel the sadness as you read. I wanted Mal and Daniel back together and happy again, but it doesn't move that way right away.
Daniel is super smart but the job is wearing him down. Mal is hating being away from Daniel. Daniel winds up running into Jonathan, an old flame. Murders happen, fires, and more deaths.
I love this series. This one is just a bit sadder than the others.
January 19, 2022
Feels like the final Daniel Owen story as there is a lot of closure and decisions made, by the end. Whilst there is a (almost) stand-alone murder at the heart of the story, there is a lot going on around it which won’t make much sense, if you haven’t read the earlier Daniel Owen books. The Welsh countryside provides the atmospheric background, as always, and the relationship between Daniel and Mal provides the heart. Really enjoyed this series and absolutely love Daniel.
August 23, 2022
I’ve been quite taken with this book series. The main characters are astoundingly talented as police detectives but also flawed as individuals and as a couple. This rings more true to me than 90 percent of the genre. I deeply care about Daniel as if I know him personally (and what more can you ask from a novel?) The background of Wales is an important part of the story and adds dimension you don’t normally find.
The author could use a copy editor. The typos are numerous and distracting.
The author could use a copy editor. The typos are numerous and distracting.
March 13, 2022
Portrait of a breakdown
Wow, Daniel is really going through some things and feeling his feelings in this one. Burnout is real, especially for people in helping professions. This book is all about the impaired judgement that comes with burnout and Daniel is really unmoored in this story. Mal is there to reconnect and the book has a real satisfying ending.
Wow, Daniel is really going through some things and feeling his feelings in this one. Burnout is real, especially for people in helping professions. This book is all about the impaired judgement that comes with burnout and Daniel is really unmoored in this story. Mal is there to reconnect and the book has a real satisfying ending.
March 25, 2023
A reuniting
Daniel and Mal had a checkered past. A stop and start relationship and ultimately separated. Daniel stayed in Wales and Mal went to London. Neither happy and both wanting to be back together, a couple of police cases brings them back in contact together.
Great characters and complex storylines makes for great reading.
Daniel and Mal had a checkered past. A stop and start relationship and ultimately separated. Daniel stayed in Wales and Mal went to London. Neither happy and both wanting to be back together, a couple of police cases brings them back in contact together.
Great characters and complex storylines makes for great reading.
November 18, 2021
well. a very satisfying conclusion to a very satisfying series. this writer definitely has some weaknesses, a couple of which also to seem to be fave devices (rip), and those are present here. the writing is so very compelling and visceral though. I found myself furious with Hayes for making Daniel and Mal—and, by extension, ME—so deeply miserable and while whinging at a friend about it had my own tendency to do similar things to characters pointed out 😅🥲
there’s just this whole sequence of Daniel not wanting to acknowledge certain things, and pretending to himself that he’s not acting one way or the other, while also being aware that he’s self-sabotaging that just… oooooof. I can’t say it’s not realistic—if anything it’s TOO realistic, too close to home, which makes me hyperaware of it being a conscious choice by Hayes. gorgeous stuff and painful af.
I feel like Hayes does a solid job of tying up various threads and forcing the characters to deal with the ouchy stuff they’ve been avoiding… AND there’s one thing that Hayes kinda gives them a pass on that I wish had been more on-page.
other than that—this book makes all the others in the series feel like “hashtag worth it”
there’s just this whole sequence of Daniel not wanting to acknowledge certain things, and pretending to himself that he’s not acting one way or the other, while also being aware that he’s self-sabotaging that just… oooooof. I can’t say it’s not realistic—if anything it’s TOO realistic, too close to home, which makes me hyperaware of it being a conscious choice by Hayes. gorgeous stuff and painful af.
I feel like Hayes does a solid job of tying up various threads and forcing the characters to deal with the ouchy stuff they’ve been avoiding… AND there’s one thing that Hayes kinda gives them a pass on that I wish had been more on-page.
other than that—this book makes all the others in the series feel like “hashtag worth it”
July 25, 2022
Lots of issues
I was gonna only give it two stars but I realized it was just spite.
The writing is really good but I have issues.
First off, I don’t understand why they broke up. I mean, the book seems to think it’s because one likes the city and one likes the country. If that’s true, nothings changed so I don’t get the big reunion bit. It’s been made clear in the other books just how much one of them hates the country.
I didn’t like the other guy being more than a friend and I didn’t like the sacrifice. Too cliche. Also didn’t like the loss of body parts.
Aren’t cops who go through traumatic shit basically forced into counseling? Why didn’t that happen? That bugged the crap outta me for the whole book.
It’s good but it’s depressing and definitely not satisfying. I thought the end was the stupidest thing that could possibly happen. I was totally invested before and now I’m not sure 🤔
I was gonna only give it two stars but I realized it was just spite.
The writing is really good but I have issues.
First off, I don’t understand why they broke up. I mean, the book seems to think it’s because one likes the city and one likes the country. If that’s true, nothings changed so I don’t get the big reunion bit. It’s been made clear in the other books just how much one of them hates the country.
I didn’t like the other guy being more than a friend and I didn’t like the sacrifice. Too cliche. Also didn’t like the loss of body parts.
Aren’t cops who go through traumatic shit basically forced into counseling? Why didn’t that happen? That bugged the crap outta me for the whole book.
It’s good but it’s depressing and definitely not satisfying. I thought the end was the stupidest thing that could possibly happen. I was totally invested before and now I’m not sure 🤔
April 10, 2024
Events take a darker turn in this instalment of the series, set a year after the last book, as Daniel reaches breaking point, both professionally and personally.
He's still struggling with the traumatic events in previous books, and having encouraged Mal, a natural city boy, to take a secondment in London, Daniel felt the long-distance relationship didn't work and did the decent thing and let Mal go.
At the start of this story, Daniel is heartbroken and struggling, which leads him to errors of judgement when a witness to a murder at a local caravan park turns out to be an old flame. Mal's return to the local CID doesn't help to diffuse stress and tension.
The clever, multi-layered plot was as complex as the emotions surrounding it, with equal weight given to puzzling out the convoluted mystery and the central romance. An excellent and absorbing read.
He's still struggling with the traumatic events in previous books, and having encouraged Mal, a natural city boy, to take a secondment in London, Daniel felt the long-distance relationship didn't work and did the decent thing and let Mal go.
At the start of this story, Daniel is heartbroken and struggling, which leads him to errors of judgement when a witness to a murder at a local caravan park turns out to be an old flame. Mal's return to the local CID doesn't help to diffuse stress and tension.
The clever, multi-layered plot was as complex as the emotions surrounding it, with equal weight given to puzzling out the convoluted mystery and the central romance. An excellent and absorbing read.
April 1, 2024
Just as I start to truly like a series, one of the main characters disappoints me. I did not like that Mal ended up with Daniel. I don't think Daniel deserved Mal because Mal deserved so much more. So much more. He deserved someone who would fight for him.
Daniel was easily swayed by some other dude and allowed that to cloud his professional judgement and ice out Mal, a man who genuinely cared for him. I could not respect Daniel for his choices and found the end with Johnathan to be such a cop out.
The only way Daniel could have been redeemed was if HE fought and groveled for Mal. Not the other way around. Daniel was weak, and I do not like characters like him. I wish Mal had a better partner.
Daniel was easily swayed by some other dude and allowed that to cloud his professional judgement and ice out Mal, a man who genuinely cared for him. I could not respect Daniel for his choices and found the end with Johnathan to be such a cop out.
The only way Daniel could have been redeemed was if HE fought and groveled for Mal. Not the other way around. Daniel was weak, and I do not like characters like him. I wish Mal had a better partner.
February 8, 2022
I spent a lot of this book annoyed with Daniel, felt he was a bit of a wet weekend (probably one in Llandudno!!).
The murder and mystery of who was doing what, for who and why was quite convoluted, not sure I fully understand all the ins and outs, and in the story, Mal and Daniel did admit that you don't always get to know exactly what was the motivation.
I was worried that both guys would be so worn down with guilt and doubt that there would be no return, but they bounced back with a vengeance ultimately.
Interesting to see the very severe effects of sepsis being highlighted in a story - all too real.
The murder and mystery of who was doing what, for who and why was quite convoluted, not sure I fully understand all the ins and outs, and in the story, Mal and Daniel did admit that you don't always get to know exactly what was the motivation.
I was worried that both guys would be so worn down with guilt and doubt that there would be no return, but they bounced back with a vengeance ultimately.
Interesting to see the very severe effects of sepsis being highlighted in a story - all too real.
November 15, 2023
Mixed feelings
Yes they are both idiots! Its the whole Daniel with Jonathan thing it wasn't right. All this anger at Mal was all misplaced and Daniel brought all the misery on himself. Its his lack of bending and his lack of communication that been the problem. He carries around this guilt for a crooked cop who would have killed him for the Villain who did actually wound up killing him. How is any of that on Daniels shoulders and enough that Daniel doesn't even want to work anymore. Everything in this case revolved around Marie and Jonathan, their rivalry. All these people died because of them.
Yes they are both idiots! Its the whole Daniel with Jonathan thing it wasn't right. All this anger at Mal was all misplaced and Daniel brought all the misery on himself. Its his lack of bending and his lack of communication that been the problem. He carries around this guilt for a crooked cop who would have killed him for the Villain who did actually wound up killing him. How is any of that on Daniels shoulders and enough that Daniel doesn't even want to work anymore. Everything in this case revolved around Marie and Jonathan, their rivalry. All these people died because of them.
April 27, 2024
In the meantime I've devoured the whole series. And I love it. I wish there were more books. The author creates interesting, complex crimes, well interwoven in the whole setting. In addition the MCs go through several personal developments, each on their own and as a couple. The writing is excellent, the atmosphere is spot on, the people are all real individual characters, each side character well fleshed out. Even the fact that sometimes not all crimes get punished as you wish as a reader fits perfectly in the whole setting.
Very satisfying read, love the romance as well as the crime plots. Higly recommended series.
Very satisfying read, love the romance as well as the crime plots. Higly recommended series.
October 9, 2025
Another great entry in this series. In this one we jump in a few months after the last one to find Daniel and Mal not currently together. An complicated death at a holiday park, and old flame, a bunch of awful people and the mystery takes off. Add to this that Mal's position in London has him looking into some of the same people who feature in Daniel's case and the whole things goes sideways. This is the most emotional of these books I have read, and it is Daniel who is suffering the most with regret and guilt. Greta story with a solid plot that races to a satisfying conclusion.
September 1, 2021
Too short for an end series book with so many open character threads such as book 4 Daniel’s desire to go forth and multiply and what happened to Mal’s raison d’étre in London?! Good bit of crime action. Overall great series and I want to read more from this author but this felt rushed where it mattered.
December 27, 2021
This book had a different feel about it. It seems that a year or so has gone since we last saw Daniel and Mal. It was quite a leap and I am not sure I liked how the story developed.
Daniel still loved Mal but got it on with Jonathan. No, just no.
The mystery was good and our two MCs saw sense in the end.
Daniel still loved Mal but got it on with Jonathan. No, just no.
The mystery was good and our two MCs saw sense in the end.
September 23, 2021
Another wonderful Daniel/Maldwin Welsh crime mystery!
Very satisfying. Well written. Characters alive and breathing and talking. Plot far ether than most m/m pot boilers. Highly recommended.
Very satisfying. Well written. Characters alive and breathing and talking. Plot far ether than most m/m pot boilers. Highly recommended.
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