Review - The Face in the Water by Gregory Ashe

Tean and his husband Jem are looking forward to some quality time together while Tean attends a conference in the Missouri Ozarks. But Jem has a nose for trouble and when he uncovers some illegal wildlife dealing on the sidelines, he can’t help trying to outsmart the bad guys. Things go sideways quickly, landing Jem, Tean and a group of other men in a mess of biker gangs and murders.

It took me a while to get into this story. Much longer than usual, and I had to really think about why that was since all the elements were there. It finally dawned on me that the problem lay in the presentation of the main characters. It was like we should already know them. As if this were a sequel. I even went to check that wasn’t the case. But, no, this is the first book of a series. It was a bit disconcerting, especially since Jem’s background plays such a significant role in the plot.

Eventually, we get to know both Jem and Tean well enough. They are an odd couple. Opposites in many ways, but that ultimately is probably why they work so well together. Most of the time. Tean is a classic lovable nerd. He’s introverted and has a head full of “interesting” facts. You wouldn’t want him on the other team in a game of Trivial Pursuits. In contrast to the straight-laced Tean, Jem is quite the bad boy. He’s a man with a troubled past on the wrong side of the law, which we really only get a glimpse of. Still, he seems to be a man that tries to do the right thing.

Three other couples help Tean and Jem with their investigation. As with the two main characters, the six secondary men are introduced in rapid fashion, such that you’ll have a hard time remembering who is who for a while. Subsequent books in the series are each told from a different couple’s point of view, so we’ll get to know all the men of this book a lot better.

While it took me a while to get into the author’s storytelling style, I did enjoy the book in the end. There are some really funny moments which help counter-balance the darkness of a murder mystery. Be warned, however, that while the basic question of whodunit gets resolved, there’s an overarching mystery of a mastermind that connects the books of the series.

“The Face in the Water” is available from Smashwords or Amazon (commissionable link).