Hi all!

I was recently given the opportunity to work with the talented author Ryburn Dobbs and read his fantastic novel: The Comfort of Distance. Today, I am sharing a spoiler-free review of his story. A big thank you to Ryburn for sending me a copy. He is such a lovely and fascinating person. You will understand why after reading his interview (click here). Without further ado, lets get into it!

THE PLOT 

Deep in the forests of the Black Hills, human remains are being discovered – one bit at a time. Rumors of a rogue man-eating mountain lion are spreading through the county and panic is starting to swell. Sgt. Hank LeGris of the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, is feeling the pressure. He needs to find out who the dead are, and how they got that way. Hank suspects the bodies are the result of a more sinister predator. But in order to solve the mystery, he will have to reach back into his own dysfunctional family history, pulling in the only person who can get to the bottom of these strange cases – his estranged and disordered brother, the brilliant forensic anthropologist, Dr. Sebastien Grey. When Sebastien arrives, he takes his brother and Detective Tiffany Reese, on a whirlwind tour of forensic thinking and deductive reasoning, not only solving the mystery of the human remains, but the murder of a local thug as well. In the process, Sebastien himself is forever transformed by his own success and the charm of the lovely Detective Reese: “One day, I hope you give yourself permission to be different, Sebastien. You’ll be happier.”

THE CHARACTERS

Sebastien Grey is definitely the highlight of the story. He is an incredibly intelligent man, with a crippling social phobia. Although never labelled by the author, it could be surmised that our protagonist is on the spectrum. I really appreciated that representation. It meant more to me than the author will understand. His brother, Hank, is basically his complete opposite. Confident, charismatic and a natural born leader. However, the pair compliment one another perfectly. There is a tension between them but also love and admiration. Detective Tiffany Reese is an independent and feisty woman, that warms to Sebastien. Despite their differences, a romantic connection is formed. I became very fond of the characters. They all stood apart from one another.

THE WRITING STYLE 

The writing style was easy and relatable, with legitimately funny dialogue between the characters. I liked how informative the story was as well. Ryburn’s past as a forensic anthropologist, provided plenty of interesting facts and insight into his former profession. I certainly learned a lot about differentiating between female and male skeletons. I believe the author incorporated the perfect blend of fact and fiction into his novel. My one issue (which really stems from more of a personal preference) was hoping the reveal of the killer would be slightly more supernatural and horrific. I felt the ‘bad guys’ were a bit cheesy. Other than that, it was a great start to a series.

STAR RATING 

I gave it 4/5 stars. It was really enjoyable and highly entertaining.

The Boxwood Torso (The Sebastien Grey Novels Book #2) was released in July 2021. Where the Blood is Made (The Sebastien Grey Novels Book #3) was released in Spring 2022.

Once again, a huge thank you to Ryburn for giving me such a great opportunity. I hope you liked my review. If you’re interested, please order a copy here. Don’t forget to leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads!

Thank you for reading

Peace & Love xoxo