The Fury by Alex Michaelides – #BookReview – #suspensethrillers

in Murder Thrillers (Hardcover)

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (Kindle)

Book Blurb:

This is a tale of murder.

Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.

I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

His Review:

A mentally disturbed playwright is marooned on an island with the cast of his play. He is egocentric and his world revolves around his plays and the actors that bring them to life. He has fallen in love with the leading lady but unfortunately, she has another love interest. Why does this feel like a Greek tragedy?

The main character is an artist and a great writer in his mind. His narrative develops as the play progresses. All of the characters are involved in his play and as the work develops he becomes detached from reality. He writes the dialogue as the changes to the play develop.

Although the leading lady loves another, he is sure she will learn to love him if she just gives him the chance. The other man, however, seems to hang on and always spoils his plans. What can he do to become the leading man in her life?

I found this book to be slow at times and a little Edgar Allen Poe-ish in some of the scenes. He talks to himself and the reader as the plot develops and it does, indeed, defy the reader to keep up with the twists. 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Celadon Books
ISBN-10: ‎ 125075898X
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1250758989
ASIN: B0BXTB6HSN
Print Length: 295 pages
Publication Date: January 16, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The rights have been sold in a record-breaking 51 countries, and the book has been optioned for film by Plan B. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been optioned for television by Miramax Television and Stone Village.

Enjoy Your Sunday!

Payback in Death by J D Robb – #BookReview – #policeprocedurals

An Eve Dallas Novel

Book Blurb:

A retired colleague’s suspicious death puts Lt. Eve Dallas on the case in Payback in Death, the electrifying new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb.

Lt. Eve Dallas is just home from a long overdue vacation when she responds to a call of an unattended death. The victim is Martin Greenleaf, retired Internal Affairs Captain. At first glance, the scene appears to be suicide, but the closer Eve examines the body, the more suspicious she becomes.

An unlocked open window, a loving wife and family, a too-perfect suicide note—Eve’s gut says it’s a homicide. After all, Greenleaf put a lot of dirty cops away during his forty-seven years in Internal Affairs. It could very well be payback—and she will not rest until the case is closed.

My Review:

Hard to believe you can write fifty-seven of these and still have it be fresh and exciting—but seems it is. The last time I read and reviewed one of this series was Golden in Death released in February of 2020. Of course, J D Robb is a pseudonym for Nora Roberts—the latter being her romance series—this one more serious. Back then, Roarke was a significant other that I couldn’t decide if I liked or not.

Perhaps he’s mellowed.

This unique police procedural is also set in 2061 and as in my last review, I didn’t see a whole lot of difference in the forty-plus years to contemporary police procedurals, albeit a few changes in technology.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas, protagonist, and now hubby Roarke have just returned from a vacation. No rest here at all when she is called in the middle of the night to a possible suicide of a retired IA police captain. Yeah…no. She doesn’t think so! And as an internal affairs captain, the list of those who might want him dead is as long as he served.

Eve follows her gut while also sticking to the book. Roarke seems more supportive this time, not quite so annoying, offering his opinions gleaned from years of his own experience. Eve’s partner, Delia Peabody gets more print time, initiating and taking on more responsibility. I like the support characters. They add a strong sense of department intelligence and professionalism.

What shines through is the procedures, the laws that hamper or control their actions, particularly in the investigation of other officers. Payback, being the theme of this novel, pings back and forth in the narrative, along with the sense of responsibility to victims, relationships, and reverence.

It’s well-plotted, generally fast-paced with twists and few interruptions off the main plot (romance). If you enjoy police procedurals, particularly one from a few decades hence, you’d enjoy peeking into future crimes.

I received a copy of this book from my local library which in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Women Sleuths
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
ASIN: B0BQGJ182N
Print Length: 364 pages
Publication Date: September 5, 2023
Source: Local library

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: J.D. ROBB is the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. She is the author of over 200 novels, including the futuristic suspense In Death series. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Nothing But the Bones by Brian Panowich – #BookReview – #SmallTownandRuralFiction

Book Blurb:

With lyrical prose and hard-hitting depictions of the hardscrabble life in the rural south, Brian Panowich, author of Bull Mountain, Like Lions, and Hard Cash Valley, delivers a gripping new chapter in his tales of McFalls County in Nothing But the Bones.

In McFalls County, local crime boss Gareth Burroughs runs everything on the mountain. And Nelson “Nails” McKenna has been his enforcer since he was a teenager, though his heart’s not really in the dirty work. Then one night in a local roadhouse, Nails goes too far, defending a woman, and even Burroughs’s reach can’t get him out of this one. With a dead body and countless witnesses, Nails and the woman become fugitives on the run, and unlikely partners.

But on the road to Jacksonville, where a possible escape awaits, there’s more than one interested party on the pair’s trail, and the glimpse they had of getting away scot free suddenly seems elusive. In the end, Nails must make one final stand for his freedom—or pay with both of their lives.

His Review:

Nelson McKenna is a very big, handicapped young man. He finds himself the target of every bully in the community. The community is small and a gang decides to entertain themselves with the community dimwit. He makes up for the handicap though with a very large frame and muscles that don’t quit.

The bullies make the mistake of trying to rekindle their high school fun by taunting Nelson. His boss (Burroughs) catches them, however, and the lead perpetrator wounds up in very bad shape. Nelson is given the opportunity to take care of the bully permanently but is relieved of the duty when it is taken care of without him.

When he confronts the gang again, it is in defense of Kate. She leaves the building, but not before calling him “handsome.” Nobody ever called him that before.

The McKenna name is very big in the valley. Nelson [nicknamed Nails] tries to distance himself from his father and live his own life. Unfortunately, most of the town works for his family.

The perp that attacked the woman will cause a show down and the town is going to pin it on Nails. He is given a bag of money and told to leave town and never come back. Nelson throws everything he owns in the back seat of his pride and joy, an early 1990s Ford LTD, and leaves. Kate has hidden under his clothes in the back seat. He allows her to stay in the car as he heads south to Florida.

Kate appreciates the way that Nails protected her from the others. She wants to stay with him, the only man who has stood up for her in her entire life. The relationship between Nails and Kate begins on the road to Florida.

C E Williams This book is a fast-moving read and the characters make you admire them. Enjoy! 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ASIN: B0C39XZR6N
Print Length: 336 pages
Publication Date: April 16, 2034
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Brian lives in Georgia but he dreams of Parma. [Amazon]

Author’s website

Christmas typewriter

Bayou Beloved by Lexi Blake – #AudiobookReview – #ThrowbackThursday

Butterfly Bayou #6

Book Blurb:

When a woman returns home to Louisiana’s Butterfly Bayou, her high school crush finally notices she exists, in a small-town contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Quaid Havery always planned to follow in his father’s footsteps. He went to law school and then came home to take over his dad’s legal practice. Being the only lawyer in small-town Papillon, Quaid is pretty sure he’s seen everything. After all, he was once asked to sue an alligator for defamation of character. He’s prepared for anything the town can throw at him, until he encounters Jayna Cardet. She’s gorgeous, smart, funny, and unlike any woman he’s met before….Except he has.

Jayna never thought she’d return to Papillon, but when her life gets turned around she must learn to live in the close-knit community again. She certainly never dreamed she would practice law in her little town, but she finds herself in the courtroom, and the opposing counsel is her former high school crush, Quaid. It wouldn’t be so bad if the man had developed a beer belly, but Quaid is more handsome than ever. And instead of ignoring her like he did in high school, he’s made it plain that he wants to get to know her.

Thus begins a courtship destined to end in a wedding or a war. Either way, the locals are popping some corn and eagerly awaiting the outcome.

My Review:

Another case for biting on the book because of the cover—a dog, of course. Still, once again I’d appreciate some kind of warning re content.

This is the MC moving back to her hometown of Papillon after her escape and vow never to return trope, including the old crush now looking just as fine as before, except that this time he’s looking back.

Jayna Cardet lived on the wrong side of the tracks but managed to go to law school. When she comes back to the small southern town, she discovers she’s on the other side of the courtroom from ex-crush, Quaid Havery, who was the only lawyer in town until she moved back. Her move is meant to be temporary. (She fled a high-powered firm in NY following a messy divorce.)

Of course, his childhood circumstances were better financially and he’s now enjoying a successful life in a town where he was born, grew up, and knows everyone. It’s a cushy life.

The small town setting is typical, everyone knows everyone and their business. Gossip is the major recreation and it makes for some interesting support characters. In addition to discovering they are opposing counsel, they also discover a contentious and steamy sparks-flying relationship.

Besides the case each is handling, both have major family issues and when they aren’t steaming up the windows, enjoy a lot of pillow talk. Having gotten his or her side of the problem, the other can view it dispassionately and share unbiased, helpful thoughts.

The case they are opposing is a hoot and probably what kept me reading despite the romance description that goes from Hallmark to X-rated pretty quick. Nooo, I don’t need the graphic details—I have an imagination—let me use it instead. Also, I got a little tired of her whining about how her plans were to leave town. Poor baby.

So, yes, if you enjoy hot and heavy in a fairly predictable storyline, you’ll enjoy this contemporary romance. The lawsuit is almost worth it. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

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

Book Details:

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
ASIN: B0BLJ87BFW
Listening Length: 8 hrs 53 mins
Narrator: Jessica Almasy
Publication Date: March 28, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Bayou Beloved [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

The Author: New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

For more information about her books, her appearances, and her wacky life, visit her Facebook page at AuthorLexiBlake.

To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

While not as famous as her older siblings Wilbur and Orville, the celebrated inventors of flight, Katharine Wright is equally inventive – especially when it comes to solving crimes – in USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower’s radiant new historical mystery series inspired by the real sister of the Wright Brothers.

December 1903: While Wilbur and Orville Wright’s flying machine is quite literally taking off in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with its historic fifty-seven second flight, their sister Katharine is back home in Dayton, Ohio, running the bicycle shop, teaching Latin, and looking after the family. A Latin teacher and suffragette, Katharine is fiercely independent, intellectual, and the only Wright sibling to finish college. But at twenty-nine, she’s frustrated by the gender inequality in academia and is looking for a new challenge. She never suspects it will be sleuthing…

Returning home to Dayton, Wilbur and Orville accept an invitation to a friend’s party. Nervous about leaving their as-yet-unpatented flyer plans unattended, Wilbur decides to bring them to the festivities . . . where they are stolen right out from under his nose. As always, it’s Katharine’s job to problem solve—and in this case, crime-solve.

As she sets out to uncover the thief among their circle of friends, Katharine soon gets more than she bargained for: She finds her number one suspect dead with a letter opener lodged in his chest. It seems the patent is the least of her brothers’ worries. They have a far more earthbound concern—prison. Now Katharine will have to keep her feet on the ground and put all her skills to work to make sure Wilbur and Orville are free to fly another day.

My Review:

Living in the shadow of her two upcoming famous brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, isn’t easy, especially for a woman at the turn of the century. Katherine is also the youngest of the Wright children in a progressive patriarchal household. Losing her mother at the age of fifteen has catapulted her into the role of household manager and caretaker as well as manager of their bicycle shop.

Back when women were thought to be best left uneducated, she was privileged to attend and graduate from Oberlin College. Her education and smarts have created a strong-willed woman at twenty-nine who is fiercely independent. She also teaches Latin at the local school in competition with a male teacher with less expertise in the language arts.

When her brothers triumphantly return from Kitty Hawk, they do not receive quite the accolades expected. When Wilbur decides to keep his unpatented plans with his wing-warping notes with him to a party, they go missing about the same time as the assumed main culprit is found murdered. As the problem solver, it falls on her to discover the truth.

For most of the book, Katherine is a solid intelligent woman and at times I found her grating though she becomes a bit clumsy near the conclusion. She could be both impressive and sad at the same time, assumed dedicated and accepting of the Wright family and home for life.

I enjoyed the historical tidbits of early flight interwoven into the storyline along with Katherine’s investigation of both the murder and the theft, drawn to a satisfying conclusion.

An easy, entertaining read, well-plotted and paced. I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Biographical Fiction, Historical Mysteries
Publisher: Kensington Books
ASIN: B0CGN3RCCL
Print Length: 301 pages
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Amanda Flower is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over thirty-five mystery novels. Her novels have received starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times, and she had been featured in USA Today, First for Women, and Woman’s World. She currently writes for Penguin-Random House (Berkley), Kensington, Hallmark Publishing, Crooked Lane Books, and Sourcebooks. In addition to being a writer, she was a librarian for fifteen years. Today, Flower and her husband own a farm and recording studio, and they live in Northeast Ohio with their two adorable cats.

Visit her at http://www.amandaflower.com

Happy New Year!

Pirate Trap by Matt Cost – #BookReview – #Hard-BoiledMysteries

A Clay Wolfe Port Essex Mystery Book 5

Book Blurb:

Did Black Sam bury pirate treasure in Port Essex 300 years ago?

After finding an incredibly lucrative Spanish treasure in the Keys of Florida, Black Sam Bellamy decided to leave the pirate life and return to his true love in New England. Before being shipwrecked on the way to retrieve her, he hid his booty with the Chbo So Clan in Port Essex.

“Well, Mr. Wolfe, to get straight to the point, we want you to help us find a lost pirate treasure.”

Clay Wolfe had been slouched in the desk chair of his P.I. office, but now he straightened up and sat forward. His normally natty attire was ruffled, stubble dotted his face, and his eyes were red. “In Port Essex?”

Clay Wolfe, devastated by the death of his grandfather, is hired by an antiques dealer to find a long-lost pirate treasure and finds himself pitted against an unscrupulous sex doll businessman, a motorcycle gang, a greedy salvage boat operator, and other mysterious entities. Also recruited for this treasure hunt is Clay’s crew: Westy, Crystal, Murphy, Cloutier, and of course, Baylee Baker.

And the spark between Clay and his partner, Baylee, finally bursts into flame…

His Review:

Let’s face it, Clay is not welcome in this town. The Chief of Police has informed him that he is not welcome and to get out of town. He would have been thrown in jail but the Chief couldn’t come up with charges that he thought would stick! Clay is staying to clear a friend’s name. This is really being caught between a rock and a hard place!

Someone is killing what looks like random people in town. When the latest victims become a young mother with three small children, Clay vows to eliminate the killer! Being suspected of the killing really makes his job harder. Thank God he has some of his investigative staff to assist. However, working for Clay can put you into the cross-hairs as well—and do.

Matt has written another complicated and engaging narrative, well-paced and guaranteed to keep the readers on the edge of their seats. Enjoy! 4 stars – CE Williams

I greatly enjoyed the last book I read in this series, Cosmic Trap as well as his novels in the Mainely Mystery series. Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my unbiased thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Hard-Boiled Mysteries, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Encircle Publications
ASIN: B0CPMCHWDG
Print Length: 302 pages
Publication Date: March 27, 2024
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Matt Cost was a history major at Trinity College. He owned a mystery bookstore, a video store, and a gym, before serving a ten-year sentence as a junior high school teacher. In 2014 he was released and began writing. And that’s what he does. He writes histories and mysteries.

Cost has published five books in the Mainely Mystery series. “Pirate Trap”, due out in March of 2024 is the fifth book in the Clay Wolfe Trap series.

For historical novels, Cost has published “At Every Hazard” and its sequel, “Love in a Time of Hate”, as well as “I am Cuba”. In April of 2023, Cost combined his love of histories and mysteries into a historical PI mystery set in 1923 Brooklyn, “Velma Gone Awry”.

Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.

Happy Holidays!

Cold Pursuit by Nancy Mehl – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They’re soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son, who disappeared four years ago. River knows there’s almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy’s trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. As River and Tony race to stop him before he kills again, an even more dangerous threat emerges, stirring up the past that haunts River and plotting an end to her future.

My Review:

I love it when I get to sample a new author (to me) as well as the first book in a new series. A couple of previous FBI partners now off to start a private investigation firm are approached by a mother whose son disappeared four years ago. They’ll work it while privately feeling there is very little hope of finding him—alive.

Main characters River Ryland and Tony St Clair bring PTSD baggage with them but work very effectively, each with their own expertise. It isn’t far into the case before POVs split into an antagonist named Brian. Brian is different. He has mainly untreated clinical schizophrenia, with the added complication of synesthesia. This is a new one to me and a fascinating study in itself, so those POVs devoted to him are shocking, eye-opening, and hair-raising page-turning disclosures.

Of course we get snippits of backstories for both main characters, particularly River, that add emotional investment to the investigation. Interspersed in the storyline are faith elements and strong Christian references. The narrative begins to paint the connection between Brian and the missing boy. It’s creepy.

While it remains clear of common four-letter words, there are triggers regarding the killings and mental illness. It’s not a story that can have a happy ever after but perhaps the conclusion is one the reader will expect.

A fast-paced, well-plotted suspense thriller, you will no doubt enjoy the series if you also enjoy Christian fiction. It’s a strong start to a promising new series.

I received a copy of this book from my local library that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance, Christian Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
ISBN-10: ‎ 0764240455
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0764240454
ASIN: B0BLW7L25W
Print Length: 336 pages
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Nancy Mehl lives in Missouri, with her husband Norman, and her puggle, Watson. She’s authored over fifty books and is currently at work on a new FBI suspense series for Bethany House Publishing.

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”

You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: http://www.nancymehl.com. She also is active on the Suspense Sisters: http://www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com and on FaceBook!

Happy Holidays!

Up on the Woof Top by Spencer Quinn – #AudiobookReview – #AnimalFiction

Chet and Bernie Mysteries, Book 14

Book Blurb:

Chet the dog, “the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction” (Boston Globe) and his human partner Bernie Little find themselves high in the mountains this holiday season to help Dame Ariadne Carlisle, a renowned author of bestselling Christmas mysteries, find Rudy, her lead reindeer and good luck charm, who has gone missing.

At Kringle Ranch, Dame Ariadne’s expansive mountain spread, Chet discovers that he is not fond of reindeer. But the case turns out to be about much more than reindeer after Dame Ariadne’s personal assistant takes a long fall into Devil’s Purse, a deep mountain gorge. When our duo discovers that someone very close to Dame Ariadne was murdered in that same spot decades earlier, they start looking into that long ago unsolved crime.

But as they reach into the past, the past is also reaching out for them. Can they unlock the secrets of Dame Ariadne’s life before they too end up at the bottom of the gorge? Is Rudy somehow the key?

Up on the Woof Top is a brand-new holiday adventure in Spencer Quinn’s delightful New York Times and USA Today bestselling series that the Los Angeles Times called “nothing short of masterful.”

My Review:

I’d forgotten the fun of listening to Chet (the dog) interpret his life with Bernie as they go about business in the Little Detective Agency. Chet is a police test failure. Chet very much, like all good dogs, lives in the present, although he does have a good memory for his history with Bernie and loves him like no other.

It’s the dog’s thoughts and memories from previous jobs that are called to mind, often humorously, as only a dog might view the world. While we humans tend to anthropomorphize our pets, the pets tend to view their human in terms of pack mentality. Hopefully, the human is alpha. In this case, Chet often reminds the reader how smart Bernie is. That’s good, because their new job is to find the missing pet reindeer of an aging author. Bernie’s client, Ariadne Carlisle, is experiencing writer’s block—a no-no for an author and it’s the reindeer who serves as her muse.

It’s Christmas time in the Colorado mountains, the author’s main theme. She owns Kringle Ranch and Rudy is one of nine reindeer. She figures surely Chet with his sensitive nose, will be able to find Rudy—money is no object.

When Chet and Bernie find her personal assistant at the bottom of a gorge, however, the case swings into an unsolved murder case—that of Carlisle’s only real love. The plot line has changed. But that isn’t the only surprise. There are twists and some amazing well-developed characters who provide a fast-paced multi-layered storyline. Things are changing.

There are moments of give and take between man and dog that melt the heart and act like a balm for those (like myself) who have recently lost their own fur baby. The serious is interspersed with Chet’s comic pearls of wit and wisdom as he navigates the mysterious and often confusing world of his human and those with whom they meet on their missions. If you haven’t checked out one of these uniquely narrated mystery installments, this would be a good one to start.

I’ve enjoyed the books I’ve read or listened to (not in any order), the last one The Dog Who Knew Too Much last year. Jim Frangione does a great job of narration. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point five stars

Book Details:

Genre: Animal Fiction, Animal Cozy Mysteries, Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Recorded Books
ASIN: B0C5P9QKV2
Listening Length: 8 hrs 13 mins
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Publication Date: October 17, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Up on the Woof Top [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo