Power of the Mind cover art

Power of the Mind

Shadowy Solutions, Book 2

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Power of the Mind

By: Nicky James
Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
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About this listen

It’s not a real case, he’s not my boyfriend, and we aren’t partners. Three lies I told myself for survival.

After ten months of shamefully stalking and showing up randomly on Tallus’s doorstep at midnight (for reasons), the sinfully hot records clerk decided he’d had enough of my games.

In fact, he went out of his way to bring me the most ridiculous case (it was not a case) on the planet as an excuse to push me over the line (he wanted a date). Our arrangement (hooking up) didn’t suit him any longer.

Could I say no? Of course not (this was Tallus).

Five days, I told him. Five days to prove his silly theory, then we were done.

Little did I know, Tallus had a deadline of his own.

Investigating a mind-controlling-murdering psychic was hard enough (because it was not a thing), but resisting Tallus’s charm was the real challenge.

It turned out, I was wrong about a few things.

The case might be a case after all.

Tallus had potential as a partner.

And after all was said and done…I wasn’t sure I could let him go.

©2024 Nicky James (P)2024 Nicky James Literature & Fiction Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Romance Romantic Suspense

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Listener received this title free

The very sassy Tallus and grumpy Diem are back together in that “partnership you have when you’re not having partnership” way. A non partnership non boyfriend way. Tallus finds himself needing Diem’s assistance when he comes across a possible “case” requiring a lot more investigative skills than he has. Tallus can still ramble and talk nonstop and Diem still has major communication problems and limited social skills but during this very intriguing mystery with all its little twist and turns, Diem slowly and begrudgingly begins to open up. Between his boundaries being pushed and his desire to be better, Diem’s personal growth in this instalment is a mix of heartbreaking and hopeful with a very warm and satisfying HFN ending.
Nick J Russo always gives an outstanding performance from start to finish without missing a beat and I am once again so appreciative of his skills. He transported me into the world of Tallus and Diem and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next for these two wonderful men.

Loved it 🥰

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Listener received this title free

listening to nick j russo bring tellus and diem's story to life was absolutely perfect and made me feel every emotion that tellus and diem were going through I felt every part of this story

emotional and beautiful narration

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Listener received this title free

Power of the Mind, the second book in Nicky James’ Shadowy Solutions romantic suspense series, takes place around three months after the events of Skeletons in the Closet – and hard-boiled PI Diem Krause is no closer to shaking his fascination with Tallus Domingo, the gorgeous records clerk at Toronto PD. As has been established, Diem is a deeply troubled individual who struggles to relate to people on pretty much every level who doesn’t have friends and doesn’t do relationships - but Tallus has got under his skin and is turning Diem’s carefully controlled world inside out.

When the story begins, Tallus stumbles across information that leads him to suspect that a local psychic healer is somehow getting into her client’s heads and manipulating them into killing themselves. Maybe there’s something in it or maybe it’s an excuse for him to spend time with Diem again – but regardless, he takes his concerns to the big man, who is sceptical to say the least. But they both know he can’t say no to Tallus, and he agrees to give Tallus a week of his time, secretly convinced they’ll find a bit fat nothing.

Nicky James does a great job here of creating an intricate mystery that appears to be one thing but which turns out to be something else. Both Tallus and Diem are aware they’re dealing with something more mundane than auto-suggestion or psychic manipulation, and as they look deeper into the histories and backstories of their victims and suspects, they expose an operation that’s much more complex than they’d originally assumed it to be.

The chemistry between Tallus and Diem crackles but Diem is a big ball of doubt and insecurity when it comes to anything personal, and he knows he can’t be the man Tallus both wants and deserves. He can’t figure out why Tallus is interested in him, and his life-experiences have made it incredibly difficult for him to relate to others or express affection. He knows he’s seriously messed up and knows his limits, yet with Tallus, Diem wants, for the first time, to try to break out of his comfort zone. We get to learn more about Diem’s past and why he is the way he is, and I loved watching him encouraging and helping Tallus to hone his investigative skills, to slow down and think things through and shape his thoughts into leads for them to follow, which is surely an act of love on Diem’s part.

Their relationship is evolving slowly but surely, although there’s still a way to go before they are in anything like a healthy relationship. But they’re in a much better place by the end of this book than they were at the end of the last one; it’s baby steps but I’m here for it.

Nick J. Russo delivers another terrific performance (apart from one scene in which he’s called upon to adopt a Scottish accent, which is pretty excruciating!). His interpretation of the leads is excellent – a real sense of leashed anger just below Diem’s surface comes through strongly in those deep gravelly growls and Tallus’ flirty, mercurial nature is portrayed perfectly – and I loved his portrayal of Kitty, Tallus’ colleague the records dept. who has no hesitation in calling him out when it’s deserved.

Power of the Mind is a great mix of sloooooooow burn romance and off-beat mystery – and another fabulous listen from this favourite author/narrator combo.

Wonderful addition to this addictive series!

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Listener received this title free

I love a slow burn and you can’t get slower than Diem!! But he doesn’t stand a chance with Tallus. That guy is a force of nature.

This pair is amusing. Tallus talks so much he forgets to listen, and Diem struggles to speak with anything other than single words. And you might wonder why Tallus shows Diem any interest, the man has more problems than most, but you can see what he sees. A man deserving of love and care.

Their not-partnership solving cases is beyond chaotic and wild. Especially when it involves possible mind control. Okay probably not mind control. Maybe mind control-ish. Definitely something hinky.

Poor Diem - he had no idea how much Tallus would upend his life, but I don’t think he really minds in the end!

The Audiobook performed by Nick J. Russo really brings these two to life. You get all of Diem’s grunts and Tallus’ liveliness in all its glory.

Definitely, maybe, not mind control

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Listener received this title free

I'm so glad that I listened to this story as well as read it. NJR did a great job in elevating the suspense and bringing to life the characters, especially my growly broken Diem.

I seriously can't get enough of this author's writing, such dept of quality. With all of
the strong characters and the astonishing case that shouldn't be a case this is one roller coaster of a fab story.

In book 2 of Shadowy Solutions Tallus is still restless, he is desperate for more detective
work but Diem is just not calling him for help. Well that won't do, so when his friend announces that he is going to see a Psychic his hackles rise and off he goes digging. The deeper he looks the more he is sure that something is very wrong, sane people would never do those things...

Diem on the other hand is still battling his fears and is trying to keep his unhealthy cravings away from Tallus, but sitting outside his place day and night isn't wrong is it? So when he gets sucked into the case that is surely not a case lines become blurry again...

I really enjoyed the dysfunctional relationship between these 2 very different men and the case that turned out to be so unbelievable by the end, so good.

What A Case!!!

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Listener received this title free

Once again Nicky James worked her magic and delivered an engaging, totally unexpected case for Tallus and Diem to solve. This time Tallus was firmly in the lead investigator seat, driving Diem to investigate what sounded like a far-fetched mind control induced incident but turned into something much more difficult to unravel. I was thrilled to see the two of them team up again, even if Diem was only going along with it to make Tallus happy at first, and despite their stilted conversations and near-constant frustration with each other, their dynamic is really growing on me. Diem was still the grumpy, grunting man who couldn't express his feelings, but he had a couple of pivotal moments in this book where he tried his hardest to open up to Tallus and let him see his inner conflict. I felt so proud of him for pushing past his comfort zone, and what made it even better was Tallus slowing down to really listen, understand, and meet Diem halfway instead of charging ahead with his own agenda. Tallus is absolutely the kind of guy whose personality and charisma could talk anyone into doing what he wanted, but for the first time I saw him recognize that and try to reign it in to respect Diem's wishes. This book featured the most physical moments between them of the entire series, and I can see how much they're growing from awkward, conversation-less hookups into more intimate, touch-filled encounters. Diem and Tallus still have a long way to go to be in anything close to a healthy relationship, but where these two left off is night and day different from where they started and I'm so excited to see what's next.

In terms of the investigation, I had a blast watching Tallus and Diem trek all over the city to connect their clues together and build theories about what had happened to the victims. Unlike Valor and Doyle, Tallus is still very much a newbie when it comes to detective work, and his far-fetched theories and speculations without evidence showed his inexperience more than once during their case. I thought it was really sweet to see how Diem helped shape Tallus's instincts and suspicions into firmer leads for them to chase after, and even if Diem doesn't want to admit it the two of them would definitely be a powerhouse if they were official partners. By the time Tallus and Diem reached the end of their investigation, their evidence had exposed a much bigger operation than they'd initially assumed, and it took all of their spare time and attention to connect enough information to convince the police of their suspicions. I was really satisfied by the resolution of the case, and with Diem extending an olive branch to Tallus and unofficially/officially asking to team up again in the future, I can't wait to see what these guys will tackle next!

Diem & Tallus are back with another investigation

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Listener received this title free

Yeah, Diem and Tallus are investigating together again!
Nicky James has a wonderful writing style and I was once again captivated by the story very quickly. The story is written in the first person perspective, alternately from the perspective of Diem and Tallus, so that you get to know them both even better.
My heart broke for Diem the more I learned about him and his past. Diem is still the one who doesn't communicate very much and seems grumpy.
I really liked Diem and every now and then you get heartbreaking moments in flashbacks. Tallus is exactly the opposite. He is personable, open and talkative and he knows how to get along with Diem. Every now and then I had to smile at the way the two of them interacted with each other.
This time Tallus asks Diem for help because he has discovered something and comes up with an unusual theory. Since Diem Tallus can't refuse anything, they begin to investigate. However, it takes time for them to make progress with their case. The case is unusual but interesting, with surprising twists that cannot be predicted. The two also become closer. The combination of the case and the development of the relationship or non-relationship between the two captivated me from start to finish. The audio book entertained me very well, was exciting and had fantastic characters.

Nick J. Russo did a brilliant job as always. He nailed Diem with deep tones perfectly, as well as Tallus, who always seems cheerful and fun. The narrator also portrayed the emotions very well and brought the story to life.
I'm looking forward to read more about Diem and Tallus. Highly recommend!

Diem and Tallus are back!

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Love Tallus and Diem and this book was awesome . Tallus like a goofy golden retriever and Diem is the grumpy bull dog who doesn’t know how to act around anyone let alone Tallus . My heart hurt for Diem and the way he is because of his past but Tallus was patient and let him come around in his own time and it was perfect when he finally realised Tallus really wanted him and he was going to let himself be happy.

Amazing

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Listener received this title free

OH.... WOW......... Power of the Mind is Absolutely and utterly brilliant Nicky James & Nick J Russo have done it again truly outstanding the narration is superb all the emotions are spot on for Diem and Tallus it's beautiful and heartbreaking plus a intriguing mystery too its fantastic i recommend so much can't wait for more.

Diem & Tallus Absolutely Brilliant

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Been reading books for over 55years and this is one of the few that stands out. Great story. Narration fitted the content

Refreshing change to the usual

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