Never Hollowed By The Stare

Subtle Deceptions: The Drop by Elle Keaton

Curiosity might just kill Gabriel Karne after all.

A seemingly innocent peek into a stranger’s background, and Gabe is knee-deep in murder.
Again.

Roy Wilson, the exceedingly dead Westfort pastor, had more enemies than friends. Was the old man a bad guy turned good? Or was he, as Gabe and Elton suspect, still deeply involved in the illegal underbelly of Twana County?

The unsolved murder of Calvin Perkins nags at Casey Lundin’s conscience. The unlikable man’s killer remains at large, the new sheriff has no suspects, and her plate is overflowing with decades of internal corruption to unravel. Casey takes on tracking down the killer, even though he didn’t care for the guy. Not even Calvin Perkins deserved to be executed and dumped into an unmarked grave.

As Gabe and Casey become embroiled in their separate investigations, they start to see common threads between the cases.
A seemingly abandoned parcel of land in the Olympic Forest keeps popping up—Snowcap Estates, where Calvin’s remains were found and where Casey was attacked the previous fall. What is the forest hiding, aside from murder victims?

Gabe has yet to meet a rule he hasn’t tried to charm out of its pants, and Casey is an admitted stickler for them. But both men will need to bend a bit in order to solve this one.

It will be fine, everything will be fine.

The Drop is book 4 in the Subtle Deceptions series, small town, mystery+romance, amateur detective, Pacific Northwest setting, grumpy+sunshine, ex-grifter and Forest Ranger.

The Drop is the fourth book in Elle Keaton‘s Subtle Deceptions romantic suspense series. It follows ex-grifter Gabriel Karne and his boyfriend, forest ranger Casey Lundin, as they stumble across dead bodies and discover new ice cream flavors.

Once again, Gabe finds a body, this time a pastor who had called him about some mysterious business. The pastor turns out to have a connection to Casey’s brother, Mickey.

As always, Gabe can’t resist poking his nose into the investigation, following leads despite Casey’s frequent reminders to stay out of trouble. Meanwhile, Casey remains haunted by the Calvin Perkins murder, prompting an off-the-books investigation deep in the Olympic Forest that culminates in an unfortunate cave incident.

The story follows Casey and Gabe on separate missions, meeting only at the end of the day to compare notes and share ice cream. Later they discover their cases are connected, not only to each other but also to the area’s notorious crime family.

This thread links the series to West Coast Forensics, where a resort hotel’s chef is also a former family member. The novel features plenty of recurring characters, including some from the author’s other series, which made me want to read those books as well.

As I’ve mentioned before, Subtle Deceptions is a comfort series and this installment easily kept me hooked. It felt like catching up with old friends and I enjoyed tagging along Casey’s and Gabe’s investigations. The folks of their small town harbour plenty of secrets, including those surrounding Gabe’s late mother.The mystery is fascinating with threads from the previous books finally coming together.

My favorite character, old man Elton, still has plenty of pep in his step and even gets a a fresh start on his love life. Meanwhile, Casey and Gabe’s romance barely had any page time as they’re apart for most of the book. At one point, the FBI wouldn’t even let Gabe see Casey. Still, their relationship remains strong, steady, and reassuring despite the distance.

I loved how the writing balances suspense and humor, with Gabe’s snark and his mother’s acerbic voice punctuating the scenes. I love the cozy sweater weather vibes of the setting and how the small town has become so familiar.

The opening scene drops us right into the thick of things and the pacing rarely lets up. While the ending delivers a satisfying and thrilling resolution, it also leaves me wanting more. There’s still plenty of stories to tell about Casey and Gabriel and I’m looking forward to all of it.

I also recommend audiobooking this. Christian Leatherman’s narration really brought the already enjoyable story into another level. His voices were distinct and authentic. I especially love his portrayal of Heidi and Elton.

The Drop is a story of con-men and family secrets where the past never truly stays buried and family remains inescapable. Riveting and immersive, overall, a compelling blend of suspense, snark, and busy-bodies.

Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

Soundtrack: Revealed To Him In The Wild
Artist: Until They Burn Me
Album: A Carnival Of Reveries

P.S.

While the books can be read as standalones, Subtle Deceptions is best read in order. From the meet-grump to cozy ice-cream dates, follow Casey and Gabe’s adventures, starting with The Last Grift, Bait and Switch, and Skin Game.

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THE DROP: Amazon UK | Audiobook

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