Title: Late in the Day
Series: The Vault: Book Two
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: Greg Tremblay
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 5 hours and 41 minutes
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: In addition to how much I love listening to Greg Tremblay perform, I know a large part of my enjoyment came from learning about Darius and his history after being introduced to him in Mine, his appearance in Parting Shot, and learning more about his job as The Vault that was introduced in A Day Makes.
Reviewed By: Jovan
Blurb: Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name – and the people associated with it – behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his 40-plus years…but that’s now changing.
The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go…and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day.
Review: Warning: This book is definitely for the fans.
Late in the Day tells the story of Darius Hawthorne (aka Conrad Harris/Terrence Moss) and Efrem Lahm, two men who loved each other fiercely but were torn apart by a violent attack that turned deadly. Sixteen years later, Darius is ready to begin a new life outside of being a government assassin and contract killer when a chance encounter lands him back into the hands of the man he loves. As an agent for Homeland Security, Efrem is given the opportunity of a lifetime when Darius turns up at one of his raids and is taken in for questioning. Knowing that his past and current job can endanger Efrem’s career and, potentially, his life, Darius is conflicted—on the one hand, he is overjoyed to be in Efrem’s presence again but on the other, he believes they can have no future given that their jobs seem to ensure there can be no real trust between them.
The majority of Darius and Efrem’s history is told in flashbacks during the interrogation, and most of the book follows Darius as he adjusts to his changed circumstances and the increasing amount of friendships and meaningful attachments this change allows. This being the case, Efrem’s character isn’t as well developed. You know he comes from a good family and that he desperately loved Darius and has loved him for the past sixteen years, but other than that, there isn’t much to him. However, since it’s Darius’s life that is changing so completely, the fact that the reader does get to see how powerful their bond was, and the strong supporting cast, I actually don’t mind as much as I normally would. Writing compelling secondary characters is one of Mary Calmes’s strengths (exemplified by Darius’s transformation to an MC), a strength that is very important and fully showcased in a book where, arguably, the reader spends more time with them than with Darius and Efrem as a couple.
The amazing Greg Tremblay/Boudreaux brings these myriad interactions and relationships fully to life and manages to hit just the right tones and inflections in scenes that can contrast serious situations with the humorous and sometimes the downright ridiculous. Listening to him perform some of Calmes’s dialogue magic, particularly in the scene where Darius and his neighbor Susannah discuss her husband’s infidelity as they watch said husband’s boat and prized possessions burn, is almost worth buying the book on its own. The downside of Tremblay’s ability is that it can highlight shortcomings in the dialogue as well. Efrem’s desperate, almost frantic behavior during his interview with Darius, while spot on in delivery, comes across as a bit one note and grating at times. Let’s just say one can quickly tire of hearing “Darius!” or “Tell me where you’ve been,” yelled.
In addition to how much I love listening to Greg Tremblay perform, I know a large part of my enjoyment came from learning about Darius and his history after being introduced to him in Mine, his appearance in Parting Shot, and learning more about his job as The Vault that was introduced in A Day Makes. As a reader just picking up the book on its own, the large amount of information at the front end about who Darius is and his position as The Vault as well as the little amount of “real time” romantic interaction between the two MCs may be a bit off-putting for some. However, as this is a second chance story with an established history, for me their past romantic interactions make up for the limited amount of current ones and doesn’t detract from their reconnection and romance. Seeing Darius as a fully realized character, and character cameos from so many other Calmes stories, was fun, so while I’m not sure how well the book lands as a standalone for those who haven’t read much of her work, but I was thoroughly entertained.
You can buy Late in the Day here:
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