Crucify my Love: Gay Book Reviews: [141-ENG] Review: A Share in a Secret

Series: County Durham Quad

Volume: 5/?
Publisher: Self-published on Amazon KDP

Genre/s: LGBTQ crime and mystery

Length: 63 000 words

Pages: 227 pages

Read in: English
Review copy format: epub

Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✬

After recent dramatic events during which Ross could have lost his life, Mike and his partners, Ross, Phil, Raith and now also Nick, are leading a quiet life and their greatest concern is Mike and Nick's relationship. However, everything changes when homophobic verbal aggression touches Mike's nephews. What's more, the quad comes across a scam they would like to examine and expose, while the real threat turns out to be the past, which once again haunts them.

"A Share in a Secret" is our fifth adventure in the world of "County Durham Quad" series written by Jude Tresswell. I have to admit that to some extent this part differs from the previous ones, mainly in terms of the plot. Let's start with the fact that this time the novel doesn't focus on one very serious mystery problem that our characters have to deal with. "A Share in a Secret" is much calmer, the events are less risky for our boys, and the story doesn't concentrate only on one problem. In this respect, the novel can be divided into three parts, each of which has a different leitmotif, such as homophobia, helping Mike's wrongly accused brother, threat of disclosure of Ross's past and the reasons behind Mike's resignation from work in the police. Partly some of these motifs have a bit of a mystery vibe, so "A Share in a Secret" matches other installments of the series, however, the said vibe is rather faint in comparison with all the problems our characters have faced so far.

Homophobia is the topic that touched me deeply in this novel, as the way it was presented resembled the events that take place in my country every day. In some Polish cities you can see a car with a large banner stating that homosexuality and pedophilia are the same thing. The government considers sex education as a dangerous tool in hands of the LGBT + community, so they want to ban it in schools and imprison people who will teach children sex education. So was I surprised that such problems were raised in "A Share in a Secret"? No. I admit, however, that this is scary, because it shows how many limited and ignorant people we can still find, even in countries more developed and tolerant than my little Catholic sh*thole. But what is the most important in this case, Jude Tresswell makes us aware of the great harm homophobia can inflict on children, their sense of security and self-esteem.

I think it's really important that "A Share in a Secret" continues the topic of asexuality, which in the previous volumes of the series was already one of the most essential subjects. However, while those parts focused on the theme of an ace and their crush, now we are taking a step forward focusing on an ace in the relationship. I really like the fact that the author gives Nick the opportunity to think about his situation, his feelings and desires. The world around us pays particular attention to human sexuality. Sometimes you get the impression that people look at us through the prism of our genitals and what they can be used for. For an asexual person who avoids excessive physical contact, let alone sexual intercourse, relationships are full of unknowns. The world shows us a life full of desire, physical intimacy, not considering the option in which a person would like to live without all this. That is why I am very happy that the author depicted the problems of some asexual people in relationships in such a good and realistic way.

Another huge advantage of "A Share in a Secret" is the way the author weaves Nick into our quad. This volume focuses largely on the search for Nick's place in the relationship that until recently was perfect, or at least it seemed to be. The author managed, by constantly outlining Nick's relationship with Mike, Ross, Raith and Phil as the story unfolds, to find the perfect dynamics for their acquaintance, their relationship. Thus, she showed us and her characters that something is still missing in their quad and it is Nick who is able to fix these deficiencies, thanks to which our boys' relationship has the opportunity to grow. What's more, Jude Tresswell worked with admirable perseverance and skill on this relationship enriched by Nick to ultimately be able to create a strong, clear, but unique, due to Nick's sexuality, chemistry between him and some of County Durham quad members. The bond between the characters at the end of the novel is hard to describe in words, but reading this book you will feel it with every cell of your body.

In summary, "A Share in a Secret" is a really great novel, which, although different from the previous parts of the series, is equally amazing. The author addresses many very important topics, and does so in a way that touches us and makes us aware of the most important facts. In short, "A Share in a Secret" is a novel you must read! You'll fall in love with it in the blink of an eye and become addicted to the characters of "County Durham Quad".

Headcanon: Every week, Mike, Ross, Phil, Raith and Nick organize a "game night" during which they play some party games for entertainment, to get to know each other better and tighten their bonds.

Fanfiction idea: Nick spends 24 hours alone with each member of the County Durham quad.

AU idea: Pirates!AU

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Here's some more about:

Book Title: A Share in a Secret

Author: Jude Tresswell

Release Date: April 18, 2020

Trope/s: Sexual/asexual relationship; gay polyamorous relationship

Themes: Compromise, trust, honesty

Heat Rating: 2 flames

It can be read as a standalone, although it is Book 5 of the County Durham Quad series.

Background information is included for new readers.

Add on Goodreads

Sooner or later, secrets will out…

Blurb

Mike, Ross, Raith and Phil are a gay, polyamorous quad who live in County Durham, North-East England. Mike’s nephews visit, and launch the quad into a tale involving inclusivity and investment scams, false arrest, and a desperate attempt to keep a dangerous secret hidden.

Meanwhile, Nick Seabrooke is now living and working in the village. Can the quad navigate the complexities of a sexual-asexual relationship? They would risk their safety for each other. Are they willing to do so for Nick?

This is the fifth County Durham Quad story. As always, background information is included for new readers.

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Excerpt

Here is the start of the story. It’s a typical exchange between the four men…

Late afternoon in ‘Cromarty’, a normally quiet home in Tunhead, County Durham. Phil and Mike were seated in the living room. Phil stopped typing the article he was preparing for a medical journal and looked in the direction of the kitchen. Mike stopped skyping his brother, looked up too and, not really expecting an answer, asked, “What the fuck’s he up to now?”
The ‘he’ was Raith, Phil’s husband. Raith was a successful artist and ceramicist, but he sounded like someone intent on demolition not on creation.
“I thought all our kitchen units were the easy-glide, silently-closing variety,” Phil commented as another cupboard drawer slammed shut.
“They are, but the manufacturers hadn’t met Raith, had they? Nuthin’s Raith-proof, is it?”
The banging stopped and voices took their place. Ross, Mike’s civil partner, had come into the kitchen from the garden. He walked through to the living room and met Mike’s and Phil’s enquiring eyes.
“He’s made a chart. He was looking for something to stick it up with,” Ross explained.
“Stick it up? It sounded like he was hammerin’ it up,” said Mike.
“A chart?”
“Yes. He’s fixing it on the wall now. It’ll either amuse you or horrify you. I’m not sure which. Possibly both. He wants us to discuss it before Nick comes round for his tea.”
“I thought we were involving Nick in all our discussions,” Phil remarked.
“Yes, but not this one. You’ll see why in a minute. Come on.”
Mike, Ross, Raith, Phil—and Nick. By their own definitions the first four men were four sorts of poly. Polydomestic: they shared the household duties. Polypecuniary: they shared their incomes too. Polydemocratic: they had equal say in decisions and tossed a coin if the vote was evenly split. And fourthly, they were polyamorous: they loved each other deeply, although Ross only had sex with Mike. Nick was Tunhead’s most recent inhabitant. He shared most of his meals and much of his spare time with the quad, but although he now lived in the village, he didn’t live in Cromarty. There were reasons for the need for a little separation. Hence Raith’s chart. Nick might be romantically and emotionally attracted to men or, rather, to one man—Mike—but he wasn’t attracted to anybody sexually. In fact, he was revolted by the thought of an intimately physical relationship.
Ross stood aside and ceremoniously waved Mike and Phil through to the kitchen. In place of the whiteboard that, ten minutes earlier, had indicated the week’s household duties list, there was a large sheet of cartridge paper divided into two vertical columns. The left hand column comprised extremely realistic drawings. The other, narrower one was partially filled in. It contained some ticks and some crosses.
“Are you plannin’ expandin’ into illustratin’ porn?” asked Mike as he studied the drawings. “That’s you, Phil! Bloody hell. That’s me!” he added, and pointed to a portrayal of two men indulging in frottage.
“Yes, I’ve already put a cross by that one,” Raith said. “I knew Nick wouldn’t like it.”
“Looks like you two liked it though,” Ross commented as, curious, he took a close look.
“So this is… what, exactly? And I’m not talkin’ about the drawin’s themselves. I can see what they are.”
“Well,” said Raith, “I thought it would save us a lot of future problems if we sorted out what we were allowed and not allowed to do when Nick’s in our home instead of in his place.”
“And you figured that a bloody big explicit poster starin’ at him over his tea was the best way to do it?”

About the Author

I’m married, I’ve grown-up children, I’m asexual (although a different sort of ace from Nick) and I do enjoy writing stories that aren’t constrained by hetero-norms.

The plots are always stimulated by something on the news – in this instance, the homophobic reaction of some people and groups to the UK government’s decision to introduce lessons on inclusivity into the school curriculum.

I enjoy writing light dialogue as well as dealing with serious issues, though, and I hope that some of the quad’s interchanges will make readers smile.

I talked about myself and my books on Brad Shreve’s Gay Mystery Podcast (an episode entitled Four Times As Much Mystery) in April, 2020. (Link below)