In the Solace by Hailey Turner

Narrated by Greg Boudreaux

Note: The Metahuman Files is a series in which overarching plotlines mean all the books need to be listened to in order; there are spoilers for earlier books in this review.

When I listened to In the Requiem, book five in Hailey Turner’s gripping series of action-packed, sexy futuristic thrillers, it was billed as the last (full-length book) in the series. The main couples got their HEAs, the bad guys were defeated and the group of characters I’d come to know and love over five brilliant books all got to head off into the sunset and pastures new. Ms Turner did, however, leave one major plot-thread hanging and has kept that going through the couple of novellas she’s published since In the Requiem came out, and I – along with many fans – was expecting that one of those novellas would tie up that loose end and also bring us Jamie and Kyle’s wedding. Earlier this year, the author sprung a very well-kept surprise on us by announcing that there would be a sixth (and this time, definitely final) book in the series – and it not only ties up the plot, and shows us the wedding, it also gives us a story for Liam Wessex, a major secondary character in the series who quickly became a favourite with readers – who just as quickly started to ask when Ms. Turner would write a story for him.

In the Solace is that book, and while it doesn’t top the last couple in the series, it’s a great last hurrah for all concerned – Ms. Turner and Mr. Boudreaux included!

When In the Requiem ended, Jamie Callahan and Alpha Team – assisted by Liam Wessex, captain of the Royal Legion of the United Metahuman Guardians (UMG – the UK equivalent of the MDF) – had neutralised the threat from the Russian mob and the Sons of Adam terrorist group who were manufacturing and selling Splice (a deadly chemical weapon) on the black market. But their victory didn’t come without a cost, and with their identities as metahumans exposed during the final showdown, and the resultant political fall-out (Jamie’s father was running for President) Alpha Team can no longer fight. And Liam, a member of the British Royal Family knows his days as a field officer for the UMG are numbered.

As In the Solace opens, Liam arrives in Washington D.C., where he is to act as Jamie’s Best Man for his wedding to Kyle Brannigan. They’ve been close friends for many years, and have more in common than their being metahumans, though; both are members of powerful, high-profile families, and they have an acute understanding of what it means to be constantly under the media spotlight, both of them bound by public perception that never saw the real person behind the smile. And now Jamie is ‘retired’ from the MDF, he’s also in a position to understand exactly where Liam is right now; loathe to give up the job he is so dedicated to and more than that, to – as he sees it – abandon the close-knit team he works with who have become his family.

Once Jamie and Kyle are married and off on their honeymoon (and yes, have that bucket of ice handy for the wedding night!) the focus shifts to London and the plot proper kicks in. The hanging thread I mentioned is the one that was set up back in In the Shadows, when the scheme to infiltrate and destroy the black market Splice operation was blown apart by a double agent high up in the CIA. He got away and has been on the run ever since, resurfacing in the novella Fire in the Heart, in which Alexei and Sean (on their honeymoon) are roped in – by Liam – to help the UMG and Mi6 on a joint mission to apprehend the traitor. This story introduced us to MI6 agent Oliver Archer, whose relationship with Liam was clearly somewhat strained, despite the showers of sparks flying between them. After Jamie’s wedding, Liam arrives back at UMG HQ to the news that there are strong indications that former CIA Director Carter Bennett is intending to sell mobile Splice labs to the Reborn IRA. With Royal Ascot just days away and indications that the Houses of Parliament are at the top of the list of potential targets, the clock is ticking, and Liam is given the go-ahead to lead his team for probably the last time, to find the Splice labs, capture Bennett and shut down his illegal operations once and for all. In this, he’s going to have a little extra help in the form of Jamie and Kyle who, returned from their honeymoon, have been specially invited to attend Ascot by Liam’s grandmother Queen Mary III – but who are determined not to be left out of this last fight.

As usual, Hailey Turner brings us an exciting and deftly-plotted story containing plenty of fast-paced action and steamy moments. She has a gift for writing incredibly vivid action scenes that play out like mini-movies, and for creating strong connections between her characters; even though we only really meet the individual members of Liam’s Royal Legion in this book, there’s a strong sense of camaraderie between them, and the friendship between Liam and Jamie is warm, brotherly and obviously one of long-standing.

When it comes to the romance, Liam and Oliver have terrific chemistry and have known each other almost all their lives, so there’s a lot of shared experience there, even though they’ve not been on the friendliest of terms for the last decade or so. Their paths have crossed occasionally over the years, and although Liam knows he behaved like a total shit towards Oliver when they were younger, he doesn’t realise that the repercussions of his actions continue to dog Oliver even now.

Oliver’s recent assignment as the liaison between MI6 and the UMG puts him back into Liam’s orbit, but he’s a professional; he’ll do his job and just avoid Liam as much as he can. What he hasn’t bargained for however, is a Liam who wants very much to apologise and try to repair their friendship… or that he’d still be so strongly attracted to him. Their romance does perhaps move a little quickly, but the UST is delicious and the fact that they have so much shared history counts in their favour and makes it easier to believe they could fall for each other within a fairly short timespan. I liked them individually and as a couple; Oliver is clearly up to Liam’s weight and I liked that Liam was prepared to do whatever it took to earn Oliver’s forgiveness and was so clearly aware of his flaws and past mistakes.

As a side note, with the book set almost entirely in London with an almost entirely British cast, I was so pleased to hear British terminology (plenty of cuppas and kips) and that the dialogue had a strongly British idiom and rhythms of speech. Ms. Turner has a clear grasp of London geography and how to get around on the Tube as well – brownie points for getting all that right!

Greg Boudreaux brings his A-game to this one (like he ever does anything else!) and delivers another absolutely captivating performance. I’ve listened to him voicing English characters before and have been impressed with his accent, so I wasn’t worried, going in, that I’d be listening to something out of the Dick van Dyke School of English accents! This might be the longest Mr. Boudreaux has had to sustain the accent and the largest number of British characters he’s voiced in any one book – and one of those is the Queen! – but other than a handful of tells and mispronunciations, he does a terrific job. One of Liam’s team is a Scot, Mr. Boudreaux throws in some very respectable Irish accents along the way and also voices a couple of Londoners with a more than decent Estuary accent. In addition, he performs Jamie and Kyle consistently, differentiates subtly but clearly between Liam and Oliver and switches seamlessly from accent to accent without breaking a sweat (or so it seemed!) As always, his emotional connection to the material and characters communicates itself to the listener and definitely added an extra layer of enjoyment to my overall listening experience.

In the Solace turned out to be one of the best surprises I’ve had all year, and I’m sure fans of the Metahuman Files will love it.

Caz

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