Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Disrupted Engagement is part of an ongoing series and doesn’t work as a standalone. The series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment.

Quaid Valor and Aslan Doyle, detectives for the Toronto PD, return in the sixth installment of Nicky James’ excellent Valor and Doyle series. As the title suggests, Aslan is trying to come up with the perfect time and place to propose to Quaid, but things aren’t working out as planned. Knowing Quaid is a romantic at heart and will want a special memory to share with possible children and grandchildren, Aslan makes dinner reservations at a very swanky restaurant and plans to propose after dessert. Unfortunately, Quaid can tell Aslan is nervous about something and can’t help worrying that Aslan has taken him out to a fancy place because he’s about to confess something Quaid doesn’t want to hear. For his part, Aslan is so distracted trying to get everything right that he fails to see how anxious Quaid is. Quaid has major self-esteem issues due to his cheating ex, so instead of cluing in on the romantic setting his mind goes straight to the worst case scenario. Dinner ends up being tense, and when wine gets spilled on Aslan’s pants, he decides to nix the proposal plan and they head home in uneasy silence.

The next day Aslan and his partner, Torin, are glad to have a new case land on their desk, until they realize it’s going to take them out of town for an undetermined amount of time. For Aslan and his proposal plans, it’s the worst timing imaginable. The case involves the discovery of a body dump site in Cornwall, and they will be taking over the investigation from the local PD. It’s an unusual situation because the bodies have been buried there over a long time span. The first body was buried between thirty and forty years ago and the newest less than a year ago, plus the ages and genders of the victims vary widely. Working with the resentful local police department gets even more touchy when the latest victim is identified as one of their own police officers who recently disappeared. As always, Ms. James populates the book with well-developed side characters and provides plenty of red herrings and blind alleys that make the mystery interesting and twisty.

The separation only adds to Quaid’s anxiety, especially when he realizes Aslan has lied to him. Aslan made a snap decision to lie about what he’s doing when Quaid unexpectedly walks in on him hiding the ring as he’s packing for Cornwall. Even separated due to the case, Aslan continues on his quest to give Quaid the perfect proposal, determined not to do it in a rush before he leaves or over video chat. Unfortunately Aslan’s prevarications leave Quaid more confused and anxious. Nicky James skillfully writes the complex and conflicting emotions of both characters, making the situation all too believable. I admit I have some issues with the proposal arc, mainly that it goes on a little too long. Aslan’s continued secrecy feels selfish in the face of Quaid’s obviously growing anxiety. Even Torin gets frustrated with Aslan’s behavior and advises him to just get it over with so Quaid can relax.

Nick J. Russo has been the narrator for the Valor and Doyle series from the beginning, and has done an incredible job keeping the voices of the sizable recurring cast distinct and consistent. In each new book, he seamlessly adds the new characters into the mix, again giving each a unique voice. Mr. Russo is equally successful portraying the wide range of emotions the characters are experiencing, such as Quaid’s growing anxiety over Aslan’s behavior. A narrator with the ability to voice old and young, male and female, distinct dialects and believable emotions is what makes listening to audiobooks such a wonderful and immersive experience.

Throughout this series, Ms. James has proven her ability to balance the ongoing romance between Quaid and Aslan with the engrossing suspense plots in each book, and that sets this series apart from the crowd. Combined with the narrative skills of Mr. Russo, this makes the Valor and Doyle series a rare and wonderful treat for romantic suspense audiobook fans.