Off Duty

Hazard and Somerset, Book 1

By: Gregory Ashe

Narrated by: Tristan James

Off Duty is a collection of short stories. It includes the following:

Tickets to the Gun Show

Emery Hazard just wants to take his boyfriend to a concert, but some people are assholes. (Takes place before Guilt by Association)

When the Road Rises Up

Hazard and Somers go on their first vacation as a couple, but when no one can explain the sound of a crying child at night, Hazard decides to investigate. (Takes place before Reasonable Doubt)

Little Stoics

Somers is going to get a book signed by Hazard’s favorite author. He just has to keep Hazard from escaping physical therapy first. (Takes place before Criminal Past)

Off Duty

Six vignettes featuring Hazard and Somerset in daily life. (Takes place after Criminal Past)

Please note that three of these stories were distributed in a preliminary form to mailing list subscribers.

Off Duty is exclusively available in this collection.

©2019 Gregory Ashe (P)2025 Gregory Ashe

Going back in time

Wow, it was a trip and a treat to go back to these early(ish) Hazard and Somerset days. I liked the stories a lot (though I Don't Do Kids, which makes me the one person on the planet who would gladly see Evie sent off to boarding school, never to return). I also prefer long stories (novels/series/the longer the better), but Greg manages to pack a lot of characterization and other goodness into small packages. If you read this series, you'll enjoy these tidbits.

My thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

Love these short mysteries

I loved the first series of Hazard and Somerset series though I didn’t listen to it for review. This collection of short stories starts about halfway through the main series. At the time of the first story, Hazard and Somers where living with each other and working together as partners. Hazard is dating Nico who later works for him, and Somers is split from his wife, but it seems like they are trying to work things out. It’s hard seeing them not together after listening to so many books where they are. In Tickets to the Gun Show, it really reminds me how rough it is living and working in Wahredua. When your tickets to a concert go missing from a police station and no one can tell you who took them… or choose not to.

The second story does occur after Hazard and Somers decide to explore the feelings for each other. On vacation, Hazard hears a baby crying, and ends up uncovering a whole bunch of secrets about the hotel they are staying at, and the nefarious actions of the owner. The two things aren’t related, separated by years, but the mystery was great and I feel like the author could have written a whole book about the hotel’s past.

Little Stoics is a Somerset-centric story. Hazard is attending physical therapy strongly against his own will. John Henry decides to surprise Hazard by having one of his favorite authors sign his series of books, just to have the author kidnapped as he gets there. It is a fun bit of action and mystery.

The vignettes were good, but flew by for me. After listening to this collection of short stories, I am inspired to listen to the series again. I want to relive Hazard and Somerset leaving their enemy status in the past, becoming friends, and deciding to give romance a try. I know their path isn’t easy but that is what makes the payoff so great and why they are my favorite Gregory Ashe couple. The narration by Tristan James was great. He has always brought life to the characters and series and it’s good to hear him continue.

I listened to this one twice.

I ended up listening to this audiobook twice. The Hazard and Somerset short story collections have a feel that is challenging to describe. The two main characters' experiences in the core of the series are not always pleasant. Emery and John Henry themselves aren't always pleasant throughout the books, but the short story collection offers a glimpse of the moments where these characters switch from being fictional badasses to being vulnerable human beings with more than a few insecurities. I enjoyed reading the shorts, but I enjoyed listening to Tristan James narrate the stories even more. His pleasant voice and excellent character performance give the story more depth. I have already listened to this audiobook twice, but I know I will be listening again and again. The "angry toddler 2" art installation scene continues to stand as one of my favorite selections of a character's internal dialogue, and Tristan James' delivery makes the scene worthy of multiple listens. If you enjoy a good cop drama with a dash of romance between two very prickly law enforcement officers, I would absolutely recommend reading the Hazard and Somerset series, then listening to it, and then finishing up with the short stories. They are too much fun to miss.

Another great group of "In- between " stories!

When you love characters in a Universe, all the EXTRAS-behind the scenes episodes and dialogues soothe all your cravings and feels!! Tristan James is wonderful bringing these two to life. <3 There are several I would love to see in an expanded version....pretty pretty please ☺️

Blast From The Past

Well, this is a blast from the past. This is a collection of short stories from the Hazard and Somerset series, a.k.a. the first series of books. This is not a standalone, but it for fans of the first series of books. It’s been so long. I’d almost forgotten how they initially got together. But the first story is a cute story of when Hazard was with Nico; before he and John Henry got together.

The second story is at the very beginning of their relationship and they have an adventure at a bed-and-breakfast. It’s very funny and they solve a mystery. The other others are great short stories and vignette highlighting a day in the life and takes place in between books. Usually, after they’ve gotten hurt in a book and are recovering. All the stories Focus on their relationship and how much they mean to each other. I really enjoyed this collection.

Tristan James does a magnificent job, per usual. A++++

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review