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Overview
A reading challenge for Gregory Ashe’s interconnected MM contemporary mysteries—the Hazardverse.
The challenge books are listed in the cameo-focused reading order from Ashe’s website, where you can also find a chronological reading order, Hazardverse timelines, and information about each series. For this challenge, I’ve focused on the “main series” and included “other” Hazardverse books and stories as bonuses. The main series’ short story collections (e.g., Hazard and Somerset: Off Duty) are bonus books, too.
Ashe has released a lot of extra/exclusive content through his newsletter, patron site, Facebook group, and Discord server. Many of those stories have since been published as part of collections. The stories that are not currently part of a short story collection are not on The StoryGraph, with the exception of “Side Piece” and “Sick Day,” and therefore not included in this challenge. To track all of his books and stories, I recommend using the Gregory Ashe Backlist Tracker spreadsheet linked below.
Suggested reading order to make the most of cameos:
The challenge books are listed in the cameo-focused reading order from Ashe’s website, where you can also find a chronological reading order, Hazardverse timelines, and information about each series. For this challenge, I’ve focused on the “main series” and included “other” Hazardverse books and stories as bonuses. The main series’ short story collections (e.g., Hazard and Somerset: Off Duty) are bonus books, too.
Ashe has released a lot of extra/exclusive content through his newsletter, patron site, Facebook group, and Discord server. Many of those stories have since been published as part of collections. The stories that are not currently part of a short story collection are not on The StoryGraph, with the exception of “Side Piece” and “Sick Day,” and therefore not included in this challenge. To track all of his books and stories, I recommend using the Gregory Ashe Backlist Tracker spreadsheet linked below.
Suggested reading order to make the most of cameos:
- The Hazard and Somerset Mysteries
- The Borealis Investigations (North & Shaw)
- A Union of Swords (Hazard & Somerset)
- The Lamb and the Lion (Jem & Tean)
- Borealis: Without a Compass (North & Shaw)
- The First Quarto (Theo & Auggie)
- Arrows in the Hand (Hazard & Somerset)
- Iron on Iron (Hazardverse crossover)
- Bonus books: Hazardverse: Sidetracks
Links to additional references (all fan-made, not by me):
- Hazardverse Chronological Reading Order (Google doc)
- Cameo Database (Notion site)
- A Beginner’s Guide to Gregory Ashe (Notion site)
- Gregory Ashe Backlist Tracker (Google sheets)
Challenge last updated: 22 March 2025 (to add Body Count).
Gregory Ashe’s Hazardverse
25 participants (34 books)
Overview
A reading challenge for Gregory Ashe’s interconnected MM contemporary mysteries—the Hazardverse.
The challenge books are listed in the cameo-focused reading order from Ashe’s website, where you can also find a chronological reading order, Hazardverse timelines, and information about each series. For this challenge, I’ve focused on the “main series” and included “other” Hazardverse books and stories as bonuses. The main series’ short story collections (e.g., Hazard and Somerset: Off Duty) are bonus books, too.
Ashe has released a lot of extra/exclusive content through his newsletter, patron site, Facebook group, and Discord server. Many of those stories have since been published as part of collections. The stories that are not currently part of a short story collection are not on The StoryGraph, with the exception of “Side Piece” and “Sick Day,” and therefore not included in this challenge. To track all of his books and stories, I recommend using the Gregory Ashe Backlist Tracker spreadsheet linked below.
Suggested reading order to make the most of cameos:
The challenge books are listed in the cameo-focused reading order from Ashe’s website, where you can also find a chronological reading order, Hazardverse timelines, and information about each series. For this challenge, I’ve focused on the “main series” and included “other” Hazardverse books and stories as bonuses. The main series’ short story collections (e.g., Hazard and Somerset: Off Duty) are bonus books, too.
Ashe has released a lot of extra/exclusive content through his newsletter, patron site, Facebook group, and Discord server. Many of those stories have since been published as part of collections. The stories that are not currently part of a short story collection are not on The StoryGraph, with the exception of “Side Piece” and “Sick Day,” and therefore not included in this challenge. To track all of his books and stories, I recommend using the Gregory Ashe Backlist Tracker spreadsheet linked below.
Suggested reading order to make the most of cameos:
- The Hazard and Somerset Mysteries
- The Borealis Investigations (North & Shaw)
- A Union of Swords (Hazard & Somerset)
- The Lamb and the Lion (Jem & Tean)
- Borealis: Without a Compass (North & Shaw)
- The First Quarto (Theo & Auggie)
- Arrows in the Hand (Hazard & Somerset)
- Iron on Iron (Hazardverse crossover)
- Bonus books: Hazardverse: Sidetracks
Links to additional references (all fan-made, not by me):
- Hazardverse Chronological Reading Order (Google doc)
- Cameo Database (Notion site)
- A Beginner’s Guide to Gregory Ashe (Notion site)
- Gregory Ashe Backlist Tracker (Google sheets)
Challenge last updated: 22 March 2025 (to add Body Count).
Challenge Books
25

Misdirection
Gregory Ashe
To read after Misdirection: “Just Friends” (North and Shaw: Out of Office Volume 2)
26

Redirection
Gregory Ashe
To read after Redirection: “Boyfriends” (North and Shaw: Out of Office Volume 2)
27

Codirection
Gregory Ashe
To read after Codirection: “North and Shaw: Out of Office” (North and Shaw: Out of Office Volume 2)
28
(bonus)

North and Shaw: Out of Office Volume 2
Gregory Ashe
Collection of short stories connected to Borealis: Without a Compass series.
29

They Told Me I Was Everything
Gregory Ashe
To read before They Told Me I Was Everything: “The Slightest Folly”; To read after They Told Me I Was Everything: “As School-boys from Their Books” (both included in Thuggiana)
30

Yet a Stranger
Gregory Ashe
To read after Yet a Stranger: “The Woodsong Fog” (Thuggiana)
31

The Fairest Show
Gregory Ashe
To read after The Fairest Show: “We Fools of Nature” (Thuggiana)
32

A Fault Against the Dead
Gregory Ashe
To read after A Fault Against the Dead: “Thuggiana” (Thuggiana)
33
(bonus)

Thuggiana
Gregory Ashe
Collection of short stories connected to The First Quarto series.
34

Relative Justice
Gregory Ashe
To read before Relative Justice: “If Your Friends Jumped Off a Bridge”; To read after Relative Justice: “Don’t Tell Your Dad” (both included in Hazard and Somerset: Off Duty Volume 3)
35

Custody Battles
Gregory Ashe
To read after Custody Battles: “Wait Till Your Father Gets Home” (Hazard and Somerset: Off Duty Volume 3)
36

Domestic Animals
Gregory Ashe
To read after Domestic Animals: “Under My Roof” (Hazard and Somerset: Off Duty Volume 3)