Re-read as I want to continue the series. Det. Emery Hazard returns to Warhedua, the town he grew up in. Tormented, bullied, outcast, and where his boyfriend took his own life. As a token gay officer he needs to work with one of his former tormenters, Det. John-Henry Somerset, on a case of hate crimes against the growing queer community. While I vividly remembered the right-wing extremists, and the attacks against Hazard, I did forget the depiction of the left-wing extremists who are just as equally disgusting. The character of Prof. Fukuma is absolutely no different to Naomi or other Ozarks in her blind hatred, power-hunger, inability to take responsibility for her actions, and her anti-democratic viewpoint. Very representative of what we see screaming out loud today. On a different note, can I give the hurt big grumpy a hug, please? 💙

The characters are once again really great, but somehow the cases and the blatant fixation on sexuality (of all the characters; e.g. homophobia and so on) have become too much for me. It's just a recurring theme that is a constant in Ashe's books and it's starting to bother me. I'm not saying that I don't like the subject matter per se, but it's just too much. I don't need that in every detective story >-<