Any good novel, even if it’s part of a series, should be able to stand alone. “The Overnights” by Ian K. Smith does, even if there is some background information about the main character that is missing if one hasn’t read the previous two books.
The story is a bit slow to get started, but once all the characters are introduced and brought into the picture, it really takes off. Police misconduct is one of the central themes in the book and is done very well.
Unfortunately, the main character, Ashe Cayne, a PI with a couple of eclectic sidekicks, is unlikeable and unrelatable. He is cocky and unnecessarily antagonistic, seeking out and provoking violence in situations where it could’ve been clearly avoided. Take the beginning of chapter 6, for example. He walks up to a building doorman - a person whose job is to guard the entrance and immediately turns the aggression up to 100.
Ashe is also very cruel and vindictive. What he does to Julia was gloatingly staged and wiped away any shred of character relatability. He could’ve come off “the bigger person” in that situation, but he chose to engage in what could only be described as “mean-girl behavior.”
Yes, the main character is a PI and has to have a “quirk” or two. And while I can (barely) get past all the golf, the constant quoting is just unbearable. It feels forced and makes the main character more annoying than anything. At times, Ashe is downright cringe. “El hombre sin nombre” anyone?
Now, despite the fact that I generally enjoy mystery/detective stories, I wholeheartedly accept that I’m not the target audience for this book. The objectification of women in this book is really prominent and unapologetic. The male gaze is leaking out of the pages! The repeated descriptions of women wearing “skin-tight jeans” and equally form-fitting tops.
The “twist” was both, predictable and out of place. The author seeded enough doubt throughout such that the reader pretty much expects the “final reveal.” Yet, the ending just felt forced and unsatisfactory. Would’ve much preferred for the book to end with Ashe on a golf course, finally enjoying the vacation he very well deserved.