Poppy Montgomery Gets Even
The Secrets We Hide
So easy to listen to audiobooks when you are trying to juggle multiple personal and business tasks. This summer has presented a number of challenges to my time. Below are two of the books that filled wait times, errands, and household and yard work. One is a humorous take on senior amateur sleuths and the other a crime thriller by your favorite author. (Links on individual covers are to Amazon-US.)
Poppy Montgomery Gets Even by Gordon Jack
Highbridge Audio
June 9, 2026
Okay, maybe written for an older generation, but it’s definitely a subject everyone is keen to do something about. The difference is that this granny has also had enough of scams as well, and when it’s obvious that her bestie Ginny is being scammed by an online dating service for seniors, Poppy is up for the fight.
Poppy is a great protagonist. Yes, some dialogue is geared towards the younger generation; she does have a mouth on her, but she is also smart and knows where to go for tech help—her grandson–and he’s a fun support character. Seniors are easy targets for cyber crimes. Poppy has determined it’s about time to turn the tables.
There are witty and humorous moments, mystery and suspense, and friendship support and chaos mixed into a fun and fast amateur sleuth mystery. The narrator, Elizabeth Wiley, does a super job adding full-hearted character to the engaging plot. This is one you need to check out! Recommended! 4.5 stars
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The Secrets We Hide: A North Falls Thriller by Karin Slaughter
#1 Best Seller in Crime Fiction
William Morrow
August 11, 2026
Yeah, if you have a chance to listen to a new Karin Slaughter book, will you pass it up? Nope. I did catch We Are All Guilty Here last year, the first in the new North Falls series, so thought I’d try Book 2.
Officer Emmy Clifton is the featured protagonist who is unfortunately grappling with a heavy number of personal issues. I’m just not a fan of Emmy. She has some crippling issues that tend to run interference with her work, in my opinion, a serious no-no. On the other hand, the ex-FBI gal, Jude, (her sister), is again the strong one here and I preferred her last time as well as this.
It’s the small town feel, everyone’s secrets, tension-filled family dynamics. That’s a signature storyline and in this case, I’m not liking that Emmy’s pushing a breakdown and obsessing over…well, just about everything. When neighbor and friend Allison is found dead and her daughter viciously injured, those small town people smile knowingly, sure they know who did it.
But nothing is simple. It’s complicated and layered along with the obsessing. I wasn’t thrilled. The narrator, Kathleen Early does a credible job, but tired of the domestic violence theme, tended to tune some of it out.
More character driven than police procedural, there is a mystery with twists and turns but also a deep dive into family dynamics. I felt it a slower pace than the first installment. As only the second in the series, I think you could read as a standalone. Actually, however, I think I preferred Book 1. 3.5 stars
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Many thanks to my local well-stocked library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review these recently released audiobooks. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
©2026 V Williams
Rosepoint Publishing 