#audiobookreviewer – Page 18 – Rosepoint Publishing

Dead West by Matt Goldman – #AudiobookReview – #ThrowbackThursday

The Nils Shapiro Series, Book 4

Editors’ pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

In the words of Lee Child on Gone to Dust, “I want more of Nils Shapiro.” New York Times-bestselling and Emmy Award-winning author Matt Goldman happily obliges by bringing the Minneapolis private detective back for another thrilling, standalone adventure in Dead West.

Nils Shapiro accepts what appears to be an easy, lucrative job: find out if Beverly Mayer’s grandson is foolishly throwing away his trust fund in Hollywood, especially now, in the wake of his fiancée’s tragic death. However, that easy job becomes much more complicated once Nils arrives in Los Angeles, a disorienting place where the sunshine hides dark secrets.

Nils quickly suspects that Ebben Mayer’s fiancée was murdered, and that Ebben himself may have been the target. As Nils moves into Ebben’s inner circle, he discovers that everyone in Ebben’s professional life―his agent, manager, a screenwriter, a producer―seem to have dubious motives at best.

With Nils’ friend Jameson White, who has come to Los Angeles to deal with demons of his own, acting as Ebben’s bodyguard, Nils sets out to find a killer before it’s too late.

My Review:

Well, hang on, bc it doesn’t take long with this sometimes over-the-top audiobook narrator to promise a wild ride!

Apparently the normal setting for this ex-cop now private detective is Minneapolis, Minnesota, a complete world away from SoCal. Like a NorCal native plunked into the moss-draped trees of the south, it’s a culture shock—very much what happens to Nils Shapiro when he travels to Hollywood to check on the grandson of matriarch Beverly Mayer. I love a good storyline peppered with humor throughout and this narrative pushes that button often.

Grandson, Ebben Mayer’s financée was obviously murdered, but perhaps she was not the intended target. As Nils talks, pretty much non-stop, investigative steps are explained and easily followed but the complex mystery isn’t so easily solved. The characters are well developed and the LA basin becomes a moving visceral part of the well-plotted and paced tale.

I really enjoyed the Minnesotan as he valiantly tries to understand the LA mentality, come to terms with time on the road rather than miles and of course the suntanned beautiful people and their quirky Hollywood culture.

New author and series for me, but I guess if you have to bumble into the one-off (an MC definitely out of his normal haunt) as I did, you might well enjoy it too! Guess I’ll have to go find one where he works a case in his own backyard so I can compare.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Jewish Literature, Private Investigator Mysteries, Jewish Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
ISBN-10: ‎ 1250191343
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1250191342
ASIN: B0844J45RJ
Listening Length: 8 hrs 5 mins
Narrator: Bronson Pinchot
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Dead West [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

The Author: Matt Goldman is New York Times Best Selling author and Emmy Award winning TV writer. He has been nominated for a Shamus Award and is a Nero Award Finalist. His TV credits include Seinfeld, Ellen, and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

The Narrator: Bronson Alcott Pinchot (born May 20, 1959) is an American actor and narrator of many novels. He has appeared in several feature films, including Risky Business, Beverly Hills Cop (and reprising his popular supporting role in Beverly Hills Cop III), The First Wives Club, True Romance, Courage Under Fire and It’s My Party. Pinchot is probably best known for his role in the ABC family sitcom Perfect Strangers as Balki Bartokomous from the (fictional) Greek-like island of Mypos.

#ThrowbackThursday

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell – #AudiobookReview – #Suspense

in Women Sleuth Mysteries (Audiobooks)
Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (Kindle)

Rosepoint Publishing: Five stars

Book Blurb:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author known for her “superb pacing, twisted characters, and captivating prose” (BuzzFeed), Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?

My Review:

Talk about unreliable narrators! The hair goes up on the back of your neck almost at the beginning of his immersive, compelling audiobook.

Two women both celebrating their forty-fifth birthday at a local restaurant to celebrate the occasion. Josie Fair notices the happy conversation from the other table and introduces herself to Alix Summer. They also discover they were born at the same hospital—“birthday twins.”

Both women have vastly different stories, but Josie is aware of Alix, a renown podcaster. Josie has hit the wall with her life—looking to completely change her story and she sees an opportunity with Alix, who is currently winding down her podcast thread—looking for a new subject.

Alix is interested, though wary—fascinated but repulsed at the same time by Josie. Still, she sees a possible successful podcast thread. Follow a woman in her prime as she reinvents herself, the steps she takes. What is her backstory? How did she get here?

The reader was put on alert at the beginning. None of this is true, right?

Has either woman been truly successful at finding the right man, career, or motherhood? Perhaps Josie engineered her life, the marriage with a much older man, responsible for her now estranged children. As her story escalates, the plot line turns dark and Josie successfully invades Alix’s family. Aren’t they almost as dysfunctional, Alix’s husband being an alcoholic?

But no, not as damaged as the toxic relationship between Josie and her husband or her kids who have searing stories of disturbing family events of their own.

The well-plotted and fast-paced narrative veers sharply off the original intent of following a woman overcoming a life of abuse and control. The atmosphere is menacing, traumatic, manipulative—and Alix lost control of it some time ago.

The characters are well-developed. It becomes shocking to realize where this is going. Or, think you know where it’s going. Both Alix and the reader lose control of the situation at this point. I couldn’t begin to get into the terrifying mind of Josie. She is warped.

The conclusion lets fly with another twist and comes as a gut punch.

Oh no!

I can’t believe this is my first book by this author. I’ll certainly be on the lookout for another of these psychological thrillers. Totally disturbing, out of my realm of thinking and dark.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Women Sleuth Mysteries, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
ASIN: B0BHFBQ76G
Listening Length: 10 hrs 20 mins
Narrators: Lisa Jewell, Kristin Atherton, Ayesha Antoine, Louise Brealey, Alix Dunmore, Elliot Fitzpatrick, Thomas Judd, Dominic Thorburn, Nicola Walker, Jenny Walser
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: None of This Is True [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: LISA JEWELL was born in London in 1968.

Her first novel, Ralph’s Party, was the best-selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, The Family Remains and The Night She Disappeared, all of which were Richard & Judy Book Club picks.

Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over thirty languages. She lives in north London with her husband and two daughters.

Happy Thursday!

Audiobooks! Listen, Not Read, the Most Recent #NYTimesBestseller #TuesdayBookBlog

#Audiobooks

It’s always a challenge to find a good audiobook and I must admit to choosing and getting fifteen minutes into the narration only to find I can’t stand the narrator, the pace, or the rude, crude, and socially unacceptable (at least to my generation) dialogue.

The good news is that my audiobooks (almost without exception) are downloaded from my local library and I’m neither required to review nor explain why I dnf’d it. The best part is that they can be enjoyed in the car, in your ear at the store, or in the kitchen on that little portable speaker.

So, to my surprise, trying to choose a book for my regular Thursday audiobook post, discovered I had a number of audiobooks backlogged to review (or not). Those I did finish ranged from literary fiction, crime fiction, police procedurals, medical, and legal thrillers, coming of age, to cozy mysteries.

Yeah, I even surprised myself.

I’ll go ahead and mention that of these seven, my favorite would be Michael Connelly’s The Crossing. The man can write—and never fails to capture and keep my attention. Still, you may find one here that captures your attention. I hope you do, so here, in no particular order:

The Keepsake: A Rizzoli and Isles Novel by Tess Gerritsen. Rizzoli being a Boston homicide detective, Isles a medical examiner, are off on the mystery of what appears to be the switch of a recent body with that of a mummy in a local museum. This novel released in September, 2008 by Random House Audio and narrated by Deirdre Lovejoy is deemed a medical and forensic thriller. And btw, Rizzoli & Isles also happens to be a drama TV series that appeared between 2010-2016 starring Angie Harmon as Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as Dr. Maura Isles. While I enjoyed to an extent, I did find my mind wandering a bit, but it is a unique storyline and I always appreciate medical and legal thrillers. 4 stars

I just read The Spy Coast by this author, her new series The Martini Club.

Silent Night, Deadly Night: A Year-Round Christmas Mystery, Book 4 by Vicki Delany. My annual bow to a Christmas cozy. Yes, I got it because of the promise of a dog, a Saint Bernard, on the cover. And he is included in the storyline. It’s categorized as an animal cozy, released in March, 2023 by Tantor Audio narrated by Amy Deuchler. This one is about the protagonist’s mother throwing a reunion for her college buddies and the unexpected and suspicious death of one at a potluck. Perhaps this would be better read than listened to—the narration really got on my nerves. 3.5 stars

Betrayal: A Robin Lockwood Novel, Book 7 by Phillip Margolin. An author and series I enjoy, also read Murder at Black Oaks last year. This audiobook is narrated by Thérèse Plummer and was just released November 7, 2023 by Macmillan Audio. It is classified as a legal or crime thriller. Because the protagonist is now a prominent defense attorney in Portland but was a rising MMA fighter, I have a little difficulty identifying with her. She takes on the case of a fighter up for the death of an opponent following a fight in which she took a performance-enhancing drug. I liked it, but I’m not in love. 4 stars

The Crossing: Harry Bosch, Book 18 by Michael Connelly also an Amazon Editors’ pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. Since Bosch’s ostensible retirement from the LAPD, the novels have been borrowing from another Connelly series, his half-brother defense attorney Mickey Haller. I love the Haller series and with the Bosch series narrated by none other than Titus Welliver, does it get any better than that? This audiobook released in November, 2015 by Hachette Audio. Of course, it’s a police procedural, crime fiction genre but I’d say if Haller’s in it, would also be a legal thriller as well. So 5 stars both for novel and narrator. Of course, there is a Bosch: Legacy TV series starring Titus Welliver developed by Michael Connelly, Tom Bernardo and Eric Overmyer. “Bosch: Legacy season 2 continues plot lines from season 1 and then uses The Crossing (2015) as the main storyline.” https://www.michaelconnelly.com/bosch-tv/

I last read Desert Star, a Renee Ballard book in March this year. Another good Connelly series.

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson, an Amazon Editors’ pick for Best Literature & Fiction. This is a short audiobook (6 hrs 13 mins), but packs a punch. Narrated by Kevin Wilson, and Ginnifer Goodwin it was released last November 2022 and is a Southern Fiction, Coming of Age Fiction novel. Wow. Once again, the critics loved it, but the general reading public is divided between 4 and 5 stars. It began rather slowly. I got hooked on what started a fascinating look into what can happen with “word of mouth.” Rumor. Stories. Pretty soon they don’t even resemble the original chronicle. These are kids. The full story may be exposed twenty years later. It’s an exploration of imagination and interpretation. I enjoyed it. So, 4.5 stars—but I can understand the slow start.

Endangered Species: Anna Pigeon by Nevada Barr released on May 5, 2022, and narrated by Cindy Williams, published by Phoenix Books. Yes, I do believe that is Cindy Williams, the actress who died in January this year at the age of 75. This audiobook is a real shorty at only 2 hrs 46 mins. That’s good, as Cindy, bless her heart, definitely could not replace Barbara Rosenblat who totally sells the part of Anna Pigeon, the US park ranger. I’ve always enjoyed this series and I enjoyed this location storyline as well—picture-perfect but isolated Cumberland Island off Georgia–just not as much as usual. A plane crash on the island is the result of sabotage. A victim and—collateral damage? 4 stars

In September, this year, I listened to A Superior Death. The series is a good one and I can always find another I haven’t read/heard before.

Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin, narrated by Julia Atwood. It was released last October, 2022 by Dreamscape Media, LLC and is a police procedural mystery. Yes, there’s a dog—Huck. Corporate lawyer Ava Burch gave up the big city to move near Big Bend National Park (Texas). She grew up raising search and rescue dogs. Her dog catches some attention when he finds an abandoned campsite that leads to a cold case. Those who are familiar with my preferences know I’m not big on romances. This one morphs into a romance when she meets Grant Wycoff. Not my cup of tea. Those who enjoy that play of tension and release might very well love it. I signed up for a police procedural. 3.5 stars

I’m currently listening to None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell. Listed as Amazon’s #1 Best Seller in Women Sleuth Mysteries, it also has a mixed review by regular readers like you and me. Not quite sure why it’s classified as a women’s sleuth mystery, but guess we’ll both find out when I review it on Thursday, December 7.

What about the audiobooks listed above. Find one that interests you? Have you already read or listened to one? What did you think? I’d love to know.

The Stolen Coast by Dwyer Murphy- #AudiobookReview – #NoirFiction

Book Blurb:

Adrift in a sleepy coastal Massachusetts town, a man who ferries fugitives by day gets twisted up in a plot to pilfer diamonds in this Casablanca-infused heist novel.

Jack might be a polished, Harvard-educated lawyer on paper, but everyone in the down-at-the-heels, if picturesque, village of Onset, Massachusetts, knows his real job: moving people on the run from powerful enemies. The family business—co-managed with his father, a retired spy—is smooth sailing, as they fill up Onset’s holiday homes during the town’s long, drowsy off-season and help clients shed their identities in preparation for fresh starts.

But when Elena, Jack’s former flame—a dedicated hustler who’s no stranger to the fugitive life—makes an unexpected return to town, her arrival upends Jack’s routine existence. Elena, after all, doesn’t go anywhere without a scheme in mind, and it isn’t long before Jack finds himself enmeshed in her latest project: intercepting millions of dollars’ worth of raw diamonds before they’re shipped overseas.

Infusing a fast-paced plot with sharp wit and stylish prose, CrimeReads editor-in-chief Dwyer Murphy serves up an irresistible page-turner as full of heart as it is of drama.

My Review:

My choice for audiobook of the week is usually gleaned from recommendations or suggestions from my local library. I chose this one reading the blurb. That might have been a mistake.

Living vicariously through book descriptions of the East Coast, I also chose this one to get that Atlantic flavor in the village of Onset, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, there appears to be a reason for Onset, set offside of the bay from Cape Cod considerably more affluent. And the inhabitants of Onset—those year-round—often engage in shady occupations to pay the bills in the off-season. One of these inhabitants is Jack.

Jack has a side hustle—moving people considerably more interested in doing so quietly—privately. Slightly illegally. He works with his dad who helps to fill vacation cabins with those seeking new identities. Dear ole dad is a retired spy.

To round out the main characters, Elena, an old love interest pops up in his life again with a whole new hustle. It could be a little dangerous, but doesn’t she thrive on that?

While it could be said that Elena is interesting, most of the rest of the characters are not. Contrary to popular opinion, multi-tasking (as I’ve mentioned before) while listening to a rather boring audiobook is just an invitation to tune out boring parts. Tuning in and out doesn’t really work.

The narrative just doesn’t pick up the pace. It may be well-plotted but moves at a glacier pace. I did enjoy the descriptions of the area and the characterization of the village’s lack of inspiration, but so much is left out that it feels incomplete. Elena, looking for a way to intercept (and steal) rough diamonds, is laser-focused and excited. But she’ll have to light a fire under Jack. Not a lot of action, I wouldn’t classify as noir—it’s not that dark. Maybe a shade of gray. Meh.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Noir Fiction, Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Penguin Audio
ASIN: B0BL9Q67DD
Listening Length: 7 hrs 1 min
Narrator: Robert Petkoff
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: The Stolen Coast [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Three stars

The Author: Dwyer Murphy is the author of An Honest Living, a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection, and the editor-in-chief of CrimeReads, Literary Hub’s crime fiction vertical and the world’s most popular destination for thriller readers. He practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, where he was a litigator, and served as editor of the Columbia Law Review. He was previously an Emerging Writer Fellow at the Center for Fiction. –This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh – #AudiobookReview – #TBT

Eddie Flynn Book 3

Book Blurb:

2019 Hudson Booksellers Best of the Year

The serial killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury.

It’s the murder trial of the century. And Joshua Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house – and to be sure the wrong man goes down for the crime. Because this time, the killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury.

But there’s someone on his tail. Former conman turned criminal-defense attorney Eddie Flynn doesn’t believe his movie-star client killed two people. He suspects the real killer is closer than they think – but who would guess just how close?

My Review:

Holy moly, how have I missed this author? I do enjoy legal thrillers, but this dual POV had me from the first page with two unique characters that kept me absolutely super-glued to the page. Alternate POVs between protagonist and antagonist. Not really anything new with that ploy—it was the characters; honed, crafted, molded into street-wise attorney and brilliant despot.

Eddie Flynn is the conman turned lawyer and he’s been asked to help defend one of the biggest names in the movie business on trial for murdering both his wife and her associate. Eddie is pretty sure that Robert Solomon didn’t do it. One thing Eddie is good at with his experience on the other side—people—and their “tells.” Bobbie is innocent.

Joshua Kane meanwhile has set in motion another of his well-crafted dramas. He loves it, the planning, the plotting, the manipulation—like marionettes on a string.

While the POV alternates chapters, the reader is soon embroiled in the diabolical cunning of the clever and cruel Kane and the push-back of Flynn. He may be a step behind but not for long. Flynn is great for leading the reader on his investigation in descriptive show, not tell, and we get an inkling of the mind that thinks out of the box with cunning reasoning and deductive power.

Kane has maneuvered his way bit by deadly bit to be part of the jury pool. The tension rises quickly as you realize how he will handle any further impediments to his succession into the box.

There are twists, gasps with totally unexpected turns and the already fast pace ramps up the urgency. Loved the courtroom drama, the behind-the-scenes action, and the blood pressure-spiking conclusion. More than a legal procedural, crime thriller, courtroom drama, it’s a heart-pounding ride through the mind of a one-of-a-kind character.

Coming in without reading the first two or three? So did I. But it made no difference. I had no problem following along other than now I’ll want to go back and play catch up.

Adam Sims does an outstanding job of capturing those opposing voices and making them real. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Suspense
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B07MTKTS23
Listening Length: 11 hrs 23 mins
Narrator: Adam Sims
Publication Date: August 13, 2019
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Thirteen [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

The Author: Steve Cavanagh is a critically acclaimed, Sunday Times best-selling author of the Eddie Flynn series which has sold a million copies in the UK. His third novel, The Liar, won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the year 2018. Thirteen won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime novel of the year 2019. FIFTY FIFTY was a Richard and Judy Book club choice, and the BBC Between The Covers book club choice. All of his novels have been nominated for major awards. His last four novels have all been Sunday Times Bestsellers.

The Eddie Flynn series can be read in any order, but the list in full in order of publication is as follows:

The Defence
The Cross (ebook exclusive novella)
The Plea
The Liar
Thirteen
Fifty Fifty
The Devil’s Advocate
The Accomplice
Standalone books – Twisted.

Find out more at http://www.stevecavanaghauthor.com or follow Steve on Twitter @SteveCavanagh_

The Narrator: Adam Sims trained at LAMDA. An award-winning and experienced stage actor, his credits include the West Yorkshire/Leeds Playhouse, the RSC, Royal Exchange Manchester and London’s West End. His screen credits include Band of Brothers and Lost in Space. As well as many recordings for BBC Radio, his voice-over credits are extensive and include computer games, animation, podcasts, television narration and corporates. He has recorded hundreds of audiobooks; titles ranging from Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe and Nathanial Hawthorne, to Haruki Murakami, Patricia Highsmith, Dennis Lehane, and Steve Cavanagh. He won the 2017 APA/Audible Audiobook Narrator of the Year for Flowers for Algernon.

#ThrowbackThursday

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris – #Audiobook Review – #TBT

Teachers’ pick

Book Blurb:

A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes the story behind the picture is worth a thousand more.

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE.

In 1931, near Philadelphia, ambitious reporter Ellis Reed photographs the gut-wrenching sign posted beside a pair of siblings on a farmhouse porch. With the help of newspaper secretary Lily Palmer, Ellis writes an article to accompany the photo. Capturing the hardships of American families during the Great Depression, the feature story generates national attention and Ellis’s career skyrockets.

But the piece also leads to consequences more devastating than he and Lily ever imagined – and it will risk everything they value to unravel the mystery and set things right.

Inspired by a newspaper photo that stunned readers throughout the country, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of ambition, redemption, love, and family.

My Review:

Okay, if you want to cry foul, I’ll understand. It’s not fair to come in third or fourth on the same theme and be discounted because it’s become so familiar. I get it.

And really, when the CE read The Ways We Hide last year, he loved the writing style and the storyline (historical fiction but not this premise).

The narrative begins with a sign that journalist Ellis Reed comes across in his search for a story. He takes a picture of two children on a porch with a for sale next to them. Then he doesn’t think too much more about it until Lillian Palmer working for the same newspaper sees the photo and it grabs her. She has a four-year-old herself, and single and struggling, can identify the heartbreak that must have ensued with the decision.

Lillian shows the picture to their editor who feels it could be built into a good topical story—it’s 1931 after all—and everyone can speak to the desperation the Great Depression has spawned. The problem is, the photo is destroyed. It’s the quest for getting another shot of the kids that starts the whole ball rolling with the discovery that the kids are gone. Sold?

I was listening to the audiobook. The plot was familiar and the pace was slowed somewhat by the relationship between Ellis and Lillian. While they pursued the whereabouts of the children, they made a few gut-wrenching discoveries, something all too true at the time. (Guess I could identify just a little here as my own mother was taken to an orphanage when my grandparents found themselves unable to care for two young girls. My mother’s experience was one that left her a bit embittered the rest of her life.)

I confess there were times when I felt more of an emotional connection than others regarding the children, but never really did fully engage with either the male or female MCs. As usual, I felt the romance in some part let down the main thrust of the story. Who were the kids? What happened to their mother? Where did the kids go? Not so young they didn’t remember their circumstances—how are they coping?

The author does paint a circumspect picture of life during those depression years. There were some interesting support characters and for the most part a good ebb and flow of tempo. The conclusion pulled most strings together and provided a happy resolution for the budding couple.

This novel was a book club choice for the quarter. I didn’t tie it to the review the CE wrote last year at first, although it was apparent from the blurb that it would mirror Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours and Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds both of which I loved.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library for the club read. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mysteries, Family Life Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN-10: ‎ 1492663999
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1492663997
ASIN: B07GL3G1DX
Listening Length: 9 hrs 48 mins
Narrator: Brian Hutchison
Publication Date: August 28, 2018
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Sold on a Monday [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

The Author: KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and six historical novels, including the million-copy bestseller SOLD ON A MONDAY. The recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, she previously hosted weekly TV shows for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program, and owned a wedding-and-event-planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of “Y.M.C.A.” and chicken dances. Kristina lives near Portland, Oregon, where she somehow manages to be fully deficient of a green thumb and not own a single umbrella. For more, visit KristinaMcMorris.com.

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt- #AudiobookReview – #AnimalCozyMysteries

An Andy Carpenter Novel Book 28

in Animal Cozy Mysteries

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is at the Tara Foundation’s annual Christmas party. The dog rescue organization has always been his true calling, and this is one holiday tradition he can get behind because every dog that’s come through the rescue—and their families—are invited to celebrate.

This year’s party is no exception. But before the stockings can be hung by the chimney with care, homicide detectives ruin the evening. Derek Moore, one of the foundation’s best foster volunteers, is arrested for murder.

Andy discovers Derek—whose real name is Bobby—is in the witness protection program after giving evidence against his former gang. The police believe Bobby murdered a member. But Bobby swears to Andy he didn’t do this. He’s built a new life, a new business, has two new dogs after being a double foster-failure.

There isn’t much Andy likes about this case, but he likes Bobby. If he’s innocent, Andy wants to help. Before Andy can settle down for his long winter’s nap, he has a client’s name to clear, a murderer to catch, and two new dogs to look after: a golden and a Dalmatian. Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, will have to adjust to not being the only golden at the house while Andy gets to the bottom of this one…

My Review:

Once a year the Tara Foundation throws a Christmas party for the people and their adopted rescue dogs. Andy Carpenter is NOT a fan of eggnog and is relieved when Pete Stanton, homicide detective (and an old buddy of his), calls him outside. The problem is that he warns him one of his party guests is about to be arrested. Surely they can’t be talking about Derek, a foster failure for having decided to keep the two dogs he was fostering.

Andy, though supposedly retired and avoiding working as an attorney, ends up believing Derek’s (Bobby’s) story, and agrees to represent him. Andy’s cases are never simple and neither is this one. The investigation will become complex and uncover some ugly issues from mobsters and drugs to murder.

Andy has an unusual crew that includes his wife Laurie (an ex-cop) and her K-9 team, as well as Marcus, and a guy he calls on for quiet IT work. (Laurie loves Christmas and starts the season by Halloween (which Andy tries to avoid as much as possible—especially the music), so this novel won’t be including a lot of Christmas detail.)

And then there are the dogs, Tara, for whom the rescue foundation is named, Andy’s pug Hunter, and Sebastian, who does little besides warm a bed. While Tara may have featured more prominently in previous installments, not so much in this one. Still, I love the stories of the doggos that this time includes Bobby’s two foster failures, Sasha and Jake. I always remember with a chuckle the times I went to the breeder’s house when we were waiting for Frosty to be released, and the hubby would answer the door to a cacophony of barking and dogs scrambling to see who was there. He would merely sigh—“We have dogs.”

As always, I enjoy the courtroom scenes with Andy doing his best to alienate everyone including the judge with his legal wrangling of appropriate precedent. While he worries about how strong he’s made his case, he always keeps his eye on proving a plausible alternative to his own client.

Along the way is the signature Andy Carpenter sense of humor, the wise-cracking, snarky observation of events, and his interpretation delivered beautifully as only Grover Gardner can do. He has sold this character many times over and the author’s love of dogs shines through every time. You gotta love them.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and the publisher. These are my honest thoughts. This series is an easy go-to. My only problem is that they are too short.

Book Details:

Genre: Animal Cozy Mysteries, Animal Fiction, Traditional Detective Mysteries
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0BV8X894N
Listening Length: 6 hrs 33 mins
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: David Rosenfelt, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, is a graduate of NYU. He was the former marketing president for Tri-Star Pictures before becoming a writer of novels and screenplays. “Open And Shut” was his first novel; “First Degree,” his second novel, was named a best book of 2003 by Publishers Weekly. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife and 35 dogs.

Facebook
Website

The Narrator:

Grover Gardner’s narration career spans twenty-five years and over 550 audiobook titles. AudioFile Magazine has called him one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and features him in their annual “Golden Voices” update. Publishers Weekly named him Audiobook Narrator of the Year for 2005. His recordings have garnered 18 “Golden Earphones” awards from AudioFile and an Audie Award from the Audio Publishers’ Association.
http://grovergardner.blogspot.com/

Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose – #AudiobookReview – #TBT

Book Blurb:

Discover New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose’s brand-new series set in the sultry city of New Orleans and featuring a tough team of high-end private investigators who are after justice—no matter what they have to do to get it.

Good cops. Bad cops. Only one will win.

After completing her tours with the Marines in Iraq, Molly Sutton knew she could take down any bad guy she met. But when a family tragedy exposes the dark side of her local police, she joined up with her former CO Burke Broussard, who left New Orleans PD to set up a private investigative service for people who couldn’t find justice elsewhere.

Gabe Hebert saw the toll that working for the NOPD took on his dad and decided instead to make a name for himself as one of the best young chefs in the French Quarter. But when his father’s death is ruled a suicide after a deliberately botched investigation by his former captain, Gabe knows his dad stumbled onto a truth that someone wants silenced.

Gabe goes to his father’s best friend, Burke, for help. Burke assigns the toughest member of his team, Molly, to the case. Molly can’t believe she’s being asked to work with the smoking hot chef whose chocolate cake is not the only thing that makes her mouth water. Sparks fly as they follow the leads Gabe’s dad left them, unraveling a web of crimes, corruption, and murder that runs all the way to the top.

My Review:

I sure wish books came with the same kind of ratings as movies do. If they did, I might not have opted to listen to steamy sex scenes that greatly prolonged an already lengthy novel. This one went well beyond “romance” and straight to the sheets with sufficient description to curl your hair—or depending on who you are—heat in other places.

I chose the book because of the location, New Orleans, which I thought would be fun and reading the blurb, a good crime thriller mystery as well. There is suspense but after the hook and good start, high body count.

There is more than one POV that switches back and forth occasionally, putting you in the head of the perp, and in the meantime, the two main characters Molly Sutton and Gabe Hebert get to know each other really well.

An ex-Marine, Molly joined her former CO in his private investigation service. She is delighted when she is paired with Gabe, an accomplished chef, in the investigation of his father’s death. He is convinced his dad would never take his own life and neither could guess just where or how high this examination could take them.

Once again, the romance begins too quickly and escalates into the forefront of the storyline. When they surface, they pursue any leads that might have come their way even when it appears that the stakes are ever higher and they’ve ruffled feathers along the way.

Some very interesting support characters, although I also tired of the boy’s story of being saved during Katrina by the sacrifice of his mother, an oft-repeated backstory becoming very familiar.

Generally, it is fast-paced, well-plotted, descriptive, and atmospheric of the region. But Lordy, is it long! Could it be cut in half? If I hadn’t been multi-tasking as usual while listening, I’d have skipped through those graphic sex scenes. The narrator did a fine job with the accents and Southern drawl and I don’t think there are too many themes the author missed from murder to secrets and corruption.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery Romance
Publisher: Penguin Audio
ASIN: B09MDT37QL
Listening Length: 21 hrs 41 mins
Narrator: Lee Osorio
Publication Date: August 2, 2022
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Quarter to Midnight [Amazon]

The Author: Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn’t concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”

Her debut suspense novel, DON’T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published more than twenty-five novels and two novellas. Her twenty-sixth novel, QUARTER TO MIDNIGHT, will be released in 2022.

Karen’s books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London’s Sunday Times, and Germany’s der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!

To date, her books have been translated into more than twenty languages.

A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than thirty years.

Autumn at Rosepoint Pub