The Comfort of Distance

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre,  however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different. Characters were so well developed that I felt as though I knew them. I love when a book draws you into the story and it feels like you are living it with them.

I am a sucker for. a thriller/romance combination and here we have the best of both worlds. In the comfort of distance we follow Dr Sebastian Grey, a forensic anthropologist, his brother Sgt. Hank LeGris and the sublime Detective Reese.
Together the trio must work to figure out what exactly is happening in the forests of Black Hills, what is it that is murdering people? Is it really a rogue man-eating mountain lion' or is it something else? Something that even the best of the best can comprehend.

Will they find the culprit? Will Dr Grey be seduced completely by Dectetive Reese? Read it and see ;)

The Comfort of Distance is an investigative mystery/crime story told from a multi perspective point of view. The plot revolves around human bones being found near an RV Park/Camping site leaving the local police and town folk to think it is a mountain lion preying upon unlucky hikers. In order to stifle rumors about mountain lions lurking near the site, Sgt. Hank LeGris calls on his brother, Dr. Sebastien Grey, to investigate the remains found and determine if these people were killed by an animal or if they were murdered. As the investigation proceeds, more remains are found and another possible crime is committed, leading police and Dr. Grey to believe the remains are from people who have been murdered. Succumbing to the pressure to preform well and solve these cases, Sebastien must lead the team on a wild chase littered with critical thinking, attention to detail, and overall brilliant reasoning.

This book was a really great depiction of a multi-genre novel. It hits on investigation, great character developments, some romance, and a lot of forensic study. The progress of the story was very well paced and the characters were all very vivid and developed realistically. There were a few cringe worthy moments when Sebastien was forced to face his 'awkward anxiety' yet it wasn't to the point of embarrassment, I didn't feel like he was just a ball of anxiety and I could see him coming out of his shell and becoming a more well rounded human. The other characters in this story are very likable as well, they felt like real people and weren't your average 'dumb cop' or 'lazy thug'. The romance aspect of this story was also very enjoyable, I am not a huge fan of romance but this one was very slow paced and didn't feel like it needed to revolve around the growth of the two characters relationship, they had things outside of their newfound liking to focus on.

Overall, this book was very good. I enjoyed reading it and I learned a little bit about anthropology and some of the process of what happens when human remains are found. The author did a really good job of incorporating reality into this story and it didn't feel like a huge information dump either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dandiprat Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good mystery, and this book was definitely that. If you love the show Bones, then you will love this book. It dove right into the mystery, grabbing me immediately. Dr. Sebastien Grey, a quirky forensic anthropologist and his brother Hank, a salt of the earth sergeant in the county sheriff’s office, are perfect foils for each other as they work together to solve the mystery around the crimes that seem to be piling up in rural South Dakota. There’s forensic science which rings true (no doubt thanks to the author’s expertise) as well as plenty of human aspects to solving a crime. Grey has hints of the famous Holmes without being a replica, which hit the right note for me. Overall, a great read if you’re in the mood for a mystery.

The Comfort of Distance by Ryburn Dobbs
A Sebastien Grey Novel #1

Excellent story that drew me in from the first page and kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning!

What I liked:
* Sebastien Grey: quirky, intelligent, forensic anthropologist, that has issues…or thinks he does. I can’t wait to learn more about him. Loved the way his mind worked problems. He intrigued me.
* Hank LeGris: detective, husband, father, brother to Sebastien – I like him at work and at home with his wife and daughter
* That both Sebastien and Hank were brilliant in their own way.
* Tiffany Reese: policewoman, good at her job, intrigued by Sebastien, excellent potential for her and Sebastien in the future.
* The supporting characters: have a feeling some will show up in future books
* The dynamics between Sebastien and Hank
* The plot, writing and story – couldn’t put it down.
* The location in South Dakota
* Learning about mountain lions and bones…always enjoy learning something new.
* That it was believable
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* The ease with which the MC members could be violent
* Having to wait for the next book in the series.

Did I enjoy this book? Definitely
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Without a doubt!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dandiprat Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars