A review by claudia_is_reading
From the Ashes by Marshall Thornton

5.0

Well, after the previous book, I was a little afraid about what would happen to Nick. Strangely, he found himself with a reluctant mother. And it's credible!

She closed the album, and said, so quietly I wasn't sure I heard her at first, "I miss him."
"I miss him, too." 

I love the way in which Nick is grieving. Because he's angry, angry at Harker, who stole from him the time they could have had together, angry that there was a part of his lover that he didn't know and allowed this to happen. It feels real, that anger, that bewilderment.

And he's also doubting himself. He killed a man. He can't trust himself anymore. So he leaves everything behind: his identity as PI, his home, his work. He survives, but he's not living. 

Until Mrs Harker bullies him into taking a case. I never thought I'd say this but I loved her here. She might have not known it, but she saved Nick.

And the case! The case was fantastic, intriguing, convoluted in a good way, and with a quite surprising ending.

And, God! Brian! Yes, please! Condoms! Thank you! It finally came and I really hope that Nick will hear what his friend is telling him.

Because AIDS isn't a looming shadow anymore: it's right there, breaking havoc in his and his friends' lives. 

But Nick is who he is, so he chooses life.

And now it seemed to me that in the face of this sickness, in the face of possibly dying, the brave thing to do was to go ahead and have a life anyway. 

 
And the ending is beautiful. Moving and hopeful.

I really loved this book.