Narrated by Rowan Scott
The “extended novella” Dealing in Death revisits the events of Why the Devil Stalks Death from Ethan’s PoV, which means we get to see what he was doing while he was away from Jack, learn more about him as an individual and get his perspective on his feelings for Jack and their relationship. It’s impossible to say much about this book without reference to earlier books in the series, so please be aware there are spoilers in this review.
We learned a lot about Ethan’s past in the previous book – the existence of the Cabal, his relationships with his remaining ‘siblings’, how he was brutalised by Two (who is obsessed with him) and that he made his first kill when he was just fourteen – but there’s a lot more to the story than what we saw in WtDSD, and even though I already knew how things turned out, I still enjoyed the hell out of this ‘extra’. And of course, in audio format, there’s the extra bonus of getting to listen to a whole six-hours of Rowan Scott’s sexy AF Ethan voice ;)
When Ethan returns to Sydney and to Jack to start their new life together, he’s both excited and scared. He’s never felt this way about anyone, never tried to have a ‘normal’ life or relationship and knows he hasn’t a clue what he’s doing. Unfortunately, his arrival coincides with Jack’s secondment to the Infinity Task Force and the search for The Judge, so they don’t get a chance to spend much time together, leaving Ethan at a bit of a loose end. He finds himself a new car to restore and also a job – of sorts – providing protection to someone who is as well connected as anyone in the Cabal and who promises to help him to sever all ties with them completely in return for his help. He can’t face telling Jack just how short his ‘retirement’ has turned out to be – and it doesn’t take Two long to track him down and start using his usual brand of persuasion (i.e. mind games and violence) to try to get Ethan to leave Sydney and go back with him to the Cabal.
Ethan knows how the case Jack is working on is wearing him down and he tries to be supportive and offer any insight he can – but the more Jack talks about it, the more suspicious Ethan gets as he starts putting the pieces together and works out who is really behind it all. But he can’t tell Jack for fear it will get him killed, and instead keeps letting Two have his ‘fun’ by meeting and fighting with him, hoping to keep him away from Jack until whatever Two is doing in Sydney is finished. As the extent of Two’s machinations starts becoming clear, Ethan becomes more afraid for Jack than ever, and keeping a secret that big from Jack starts driving a wedge between them, a wedge that widens as Ethan starts closing off, all his old insecurities about not being good enough for Jack rushing back as he starts hearing the connections Jack is making between the actions of a serial killer and the actions of an assassin. Ethan is sure Jack will hate him if – when – he ever finds out what Ethan is doing, but he can live with that as long as Jack is alive and safe.
Dealing in Death gives us a lot more insight into the psyche of the complex, damaged man that is Ethan Blade, and really brings home just how much he’s struggling to adjust and work out who he is now he’s no longer an assassin. I like how honest he is with himself about his wants and desires – even though he’s not always honest with Jack – and it’s heartbreaking to hear him thinking about all the ways he isn’t good enough for the man he now admits to himself that he loves.
We get to see a bit more of Ethan’s relationship with his ‘sister’, Nine, in this book – she’s tough and takes no shit, but is the closest thing to a real sibling he’s ever had – and there’s more of the psychotic Two as well, as we learn the real extent of the trap he’s laid for Jack. A few scenes from Why the Devil Stalks Death are repeated, but I enjoyed listening to them again from Ethan’s perspective so I never felt short-changed.
Even though L.J. Hayward has done a fantastic job of bringing Ethan to life through Jack’s eyes, he has nonetheless remained something of an enigma, so I loved having the opportunity to get inside his head for a change, and to witness him realising the truth of Jack’s feelings for him and his determination to claim the life he wants and to be the man he wants to be – for himself and for Jack.
Rowan Scott is doing such a great job in this series – his performances are well-paced and expressive and his interpretations of Jack and Ethan are just spot on. This one is Ethan’s show of course, and everything that makes him such a fascinating character – the odd yet endearing mixture of ruthlessness, supreme competence and innocence – comes through strongly in the portrayal as does that deep vulnerability he tries so hard to ignore, but which he can’t always hide around Jack. Mr. Scott is a terrific vocal actor who isn’t afraid to pull out the stops in the big emotional scenes, and is equally good in the quieter moments of introspection and intimacy; the action scenes are well-paced with just the right sense of urgency, he injects a real warmth into Ethan’s relationship with Nine and a genuine, deep affection and longing into his emotional connection with Jack.
Could you listen to the rest of the series and skip Dealing in Death? I suppose, at a pinch, you could, but I can’t see why you’d want to; if you’ve got this far into Death and the Devil series then I imagine you’re invested in the characters, the plot, and that there’s no such thing as too much. And… did I mention that Rowan Scott’s Ethan = sex on legs? (/shallow)
Caz
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