Excellent. I am always a sucker for books that delve into my home town but this truly is a gem. The main book is a great mystery that makes solid progression from a curious start to a satisfactory ending. But there is another book within which has a ring of truth but which is totally divorced from the main story. ( )

There must be something really wrong with me…I actually read the first book of a series…FIRST:) The story starts out grabbing your attention right away…but it while it doesn’t flounder exactly it does badly “wobble” from there on. I can’t say I didn’t like the story or that it was a bad read…after all getting to take a look into the secret lives of rich people is always fun and always revealing. I just wanted Ashe Cayne to be more accepted for what he was. For him to not have to feel that he needed redemption for anything. I liked the man and I believe this is gong to be a series well worth reading…but please we don’t need to know in glorious detail everything the man eats, and we don’t need another badly broken police detective. Just “slightly dented” would be acceptable. ( )

Overweight

I have not read any of Dr. Smith's other writing, which seems largely to focus on his successful diet plan, and I will not be reading anything else of Dr. Smith's if I can help it. In the ARC I have received, Dr. Smith's tortured writing style has me rolling my eyes so often I am dizzy. Why use one clear word when we can add a few unneeded (and sometimes weird) descriptives? Asides, flashbacks, all the ornaments in abundance. Mickey Spillane didn't write like this.

I received a review copy of "The Unspoken: Ashe Cayne, Book 1" by Ian K. Smith from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley.com. ( )

This was my Amazon First Reads pick for September 2020. I find the First Reads offerings are hit or miss. I debated between this one and at least one other title--now I wonder if I should have chosen one of the others.

It took me a while to get into this book. In some ways, Cayne reminds me of other fictional PIs: the inability to drop a case even when he's been fired and when it's obvious that dangerous people don't want him on it.

While I admire his tenacity to find a missing girl, the subplot about the Catholic priest made me question Cayne's character. Yes, I agree that what the priest did was wrong, and yes, I agree that the priest should have been punished for what he did--and he should not have been allowed to be in any position where he might be around young children again. But I do not agree about taking vengeance into one's own hands and especially not in the torturous manner Cayne and Henderson did. ( )

Ashe Cayne is a former police officer who left the force after refusing to participate in a cover-up. He left with quite a settlement and good investments means that he can choose his own cases as a private investigator while still trying to improve his golf game.

When Violet Gerrigan comes and asks him to look for her missing daughter Tinsley, he isn't very interested. But the more Violet tells him about Tinsley, the more his curiosity is aroused. So he begins an investigation. Soon he is led to the best friend - Hunter Morgan - who was supposed to host her friend the night she disappeared but says she didn't arrive and hasn't called to let her know why.

Morgan does mention a boyfriend - Tariq "Chopper" McNair - who is the nephew of a well-known gang lord in town and who is Black and not what people from the best part of Chicago want as a son-in-law. Ashe meets Chopper who is worried about his missing girlfriend and paints a picture of a strong, lasting relationship. Soon thereafter, Chopper is found shot to death in an abandoned alley and decorated with gang marks to make it look like he was killed by a rival gang of his uncle's. Now his uncle comes to Ashe because he wants to know who killed his nephew. He has revenge in mind.

The story was filled with interesting information about the city of Chicago, Chicago politics, and the activities of the very wealthy. Ashe is a smart, competent investigator who's as comfortable with gang leaders as the most wealthy in town. He is persistent and has a strong sense of justice. He is also something of a smartass.

A subplot about what he does to a former priest who abused a number of boys but seemed to evade justice was jarring but understandable considering Ashe's sense of justice and dislike of bullies.

I liked the sidekick characters too. Carolina provides a lot of information and seems like she'd be good girlfriend material once he finally gets over his fiance running off to Paris with another man and Mechanic is also an intriguing character.

I enjoyed this story and am eager to read more of Ashe Cayne's adventures. ( )