Note: A Breath of Life is book four in a same-couple series in which the relationship arc is ongoing. The previous three books should be read before this one.

This fourth book in Nicky James’ Shadowy Solutions series picks up a few months after Reading Between the Lines ended, and it finds Tallus and Diem (and Diem’s new service dog, Echo) living together and Tallus, having completed his PI qualification, splitting his work week between his job as a records clerk for Toronto PD and working for Shadowy Solutions. Their relationship is on an upward trajectory, too, with Diem slowly working through his issues surrounding intimacy and trust and learning to communicate better. Half the time he still wonders what on earth a gorgeous guy like Tallus – who could have anyone he wanted – is doing with someone so damaged and difficult as he is, but the other half, well, he’s hopelessly, head-over-heels in love and trying hard to be a good boyfriend.

They’ve gone out to pick up dinner one evening when a man dressed in what Tallus quickly identifies as Edwardian costume stops them to ask what time it is. It’s unusual, for sure, but perhaps he’s an actor or on his way to a party… they dismiss it and move on, but when they’re on the way home, they encounter the man again – he’s been beaten to within an inch of his life and stabbed. Tallus calls 911 and while they’re waiting for help to arrive, the man, who is in a pretty bad way, urgently insists that Diem find something in his pocket, and once he’s found it (a small leather pouch) tells him to “Throw… away… Bad.” Diem doesn’t understand and tries to replace the item, but the man is desperate, and before Diem can do or say anything else, the police and EMTs arrive and Diem and Tallus have to give statements as the man is driven away in the ambulance. Later, when Diem makes to throw the pouch into a nearby dumpster, Tallus, curious about its contents, stops him, but Diem refuses to take out what’s inside while they’re in the street.

Clearly distressed, Diem tries to ignore the pouch once they’re home, but Tallus’ curiosity is seriously piqued, and he insists they take a look at whatever is inside. This proves to be a beautifully crafted playing card – the Ace of Spades – made out of what appears to be precious metals and gemstones. It’s unique – and likely valuable – and Tallus is adamant that they can’t just chuck it away; there might even be a reward if they can find out who it belongs to. Diem is not at all pleased about any of this; he’s already unsettled at having a man almost die in front of him and at riffling through his pockets, no matter that he’d been asked to, and is finding it hard to regain his equilibrium. To keep Tallus happy, he agrees to have the card valued and, if they discover it was stolen, to follow the correct procedure to claim any reward that’s been offered.

The card is indeed valuable (which leads Tallus to start thinking about selling it and using the proceeds to refresh his wardrobe (!)) – but Diem can’t forget the desperation of the injured man or stop wondering why he wanted the card thrown away. With things still a bit rocky between them following the events of the previous evening, Diem fans the flames of irritation Tallus has been harbouring by putting his foot down and telling him that if the card hasn’t been reported stolen they’re going to get rid of it. Conversation over. And there’s nothing more guaranteed to put Tallus’ back up than being told what to do.

Five days later, they’re no closer to finding out if the card was stolen or who it might belong to, and Tallus’ resentment at Diem’s refusal to give him any say in what they do with it has started to fester. He knows Diem, knows he can be stubborn, high-handed and uncommunicative, but Tallus is hurt and angry at having his opinions dismissed and ignored and reaches a point where he can’t rein in his frustration any longer. Tempers flare and a heated argument ensues that ends with Diem walking out, with Echo in tow, to visit his Nana at her new nursing home.

Diem hates arguing with Tallus, which has put him even more on edge than he already was, but their problems are about to get a lot bigger and much harder to solve. The Ace of Spades turns out to be dangerous in a way neither Tallus nor Diem could ever have expected, and leads them into the murky world of organised crime where everything has its price and nothing – except life – is cheap. With Tallus’ safety – and that of Diem’s beloved Nana – on the line, Diem is given a task he absolutely can not fail to complete, while at the same time he must prevent his intuitive and impulsive boyfriend from suspecting anything. Hiding things from Tallus is something Diem has never found easy – but this is one secret he’ll have to keep if he wants to keep his boyfriend alive.

However, his desperation to keep Tallus safe by keeping him in the dark has the opposite effect. Infuriated by Diem’s overbearing overprotectiveness, Tallus becomes even more determined to find out what’s going on, and once he’s calmed down enough to see past what Diem is saying and doing and starts thinking about why, he begins – with some help from his cousin Costa Ruiz and his friend and colleague, Kitty – to put the pieces together. He and Diem have become mixed up with some extremely dangerous people who will stop at nothing to protect themselves and get what they want – and they’re running out of time.

In A Breath of Life, Nicky James has crafted an utterly compelling story filled with nail-biting tension and high-stakes action and drama in which the romance and suspense are perfectly intertwined. The plot is, as always, clever and well constructed with lots of twists and turns along the way, but what makes this one of the best books in this series so far (and one of my favourite books of 2025) is the superb character work. Diem’s stress levels are through the roof (and so were mine at times!) and his distress is so well rendered as to be palpable. He’s a very troubled man who bears a lot of emotional and physical scars thanks to his abusive father and who carries a lot of anger and frustration at the best of times, so it’s not surprising that the situation he’s thrown into pushes him close to breaking point. Under immense pressure, he starts to spiral quickly and his constant worry and overwhelming rage sometimes impair his judgment and get in the way of his making any real progress with his task – which (in a neat bit of role reversal) gives Tallus the chance to use that keen intelligence of his to solve the mystery and work out how to save the day.

While we’ve seen Tallus and Diem have disagreements before – they’re both incredibly stubborn and quick-tempered – this is the first time their arguments have turned deliberately hurtful. It’s visceral and yet realistic; relationships aren’t all sweetness and light and I appreciated that the story reflects that while it also never allows us to doubt that these two love each other deeply and shows them to be mature enough to work through their differences without compromising anything of themselves. Tallus and Diem really are an odd couple, but they’re a perfect fit.

A Breath of Life is a gripping read and a terrific addition to the Shadowy Solutions series. Diem goes through his own personal version of hell in this story, but by the end, he’s in a better place – although still a work in progress – and ready to take an important step in his relationship with Tallus. Although Nicky James’ next release (Kismet – December 2025) will be a standalone featuring new characters, I’m eagerly anticipating more adventures with Tallus and Diem next year.