Two Audiobooks Mini-Reviews – Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride: A Novel by Will Leitch and Our Last Wild Days: A Novel by Anna Bailey

Still catching up on audiobook reviews, here are two more, one of which is getting quite a bit of attention. (Links on individual covers are to Amazon.)

LloydMcNeil’s Last Ride: A Novel by Will Leitch

Editors’ pick Best Books of the Year So Far 2025

Soon to be a major motion picture.

HarperAudio
May 20, 2025
Narrator: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Four Stars

Police officer Lloyd McNeil has been given a death sentence. Not by his job. And in no way could he have expected.

The big problem is that McNeil has a son, if there can be a bigger problem than dying young. And that problem is a young, dependent son.

I don’t remember specifically if the main character actually went through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). What pulled me in was the prognosis, what kept me reading was how he was going to solve the problem of taking care of his son after his death. Given the time frame, he didn’t have a lot of time to solve that and seemed more like he went from denial straight to acceptance.

The novel becomes a final, loving, teaching, philosophical tome to his son. The narrative is infused with a sense of humor, which I appreciated, as there were also times when the philosophical pages became a bit long and heavy, points repeated with slightly different wording that slowed the pace.

McNeil hatches a plan that goes awry more often than not. It’s a heavy character-driven story that takes a unique circumstance and tries to instill the depth of emotion the plot would demand. Well written, although I was a bit underwhelmed with the ending.

Our Last Wild Days: A Novel by Anna Bailey

Simon & Schuster Audio
May 20, 2025
Narrator: Kate Handford

Three Stars

I’m one of those readers who enjoys stories of Louisiana, usually colorful and colloquial.

I thought it might be atmospheric. And it was. Just not the way I expected.

Loyal Mae returned to Jackknife for her mother who is rapidly declining. She finds an ally in Sasha, another journalist. When Loyal’s childhood friend is discovered dead in a bayou, she becomes embroiled in getting to the truth of her death. Cutter had two brothers, neither of whom was particularly crushed by the loss of their sister.

It’s a slow burn of a plot and then turns dark, nasty even, getting into topics I’d never have considered had I known they were all included. These are often graphic depictions, one of which I’d never heard of that almost turned my stomach.

This might be the darkest that mankind can hand out. Perhaps we haven’t left barbarism behind us after all.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these books. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Happy Listening!

Random Run: The Boston Clairvoyants by Annabelle Lewis #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

The Boston Clairvoyants Series Book 4

Book Blurb:

Boston has a new crime syndicate terrorizing the city. The Delarosa mob, headed by someone unknown, has been on a spree of deadly carjackings, loan sharking, and murders.

Frustrated, Boston Police Detective Samuel Bodine seeks the help of Sidrah Keeling and her psychic powers for seeing the future in the hopes of catching a lead on the organization. In so doing, a portal is opened, forcing the Delarosa organization and Sidrah’s family of psychics onto a collision course.

Only one can survive. And innocents will die.

Destiny has a new plan. A new chase, as Sidrah, Max, Jenny, and the dog, Bones, run to keep up with the twists that come their way. Meanwhile, Delarosa is in disbelief as his destined path is challenged, too.

It’s a fast-paced rollercoaster of a ride. Let the powers begin.

My Review:

The Boston Clairvoyants, who found each other earlier in the series, include Bones, a golden retriever also in possession of extraordinary abilities.

I seem to gravitate towards these types of novels and this is one of my favorite authors, so, yeah, the main characters and the dog all have special talents. Sidrah Keeling is able to see into the future, her partner Max uses a sense of touch, and they are supported by Jenny and Leon. The dog is pretty much a dog but with those special senses we sometimes see in dogs and a little something extra. In this installment, Bones gets to shine.

The group becomes embroiled in a local crime family who are engaged in high-end carjacking among other nefarious activities. Thwarted more than once, they begin to believe they have a plant and in a way—they do.

Oh, it’s twisty and compelling! I loved Bones’ part in this story, as well as the “innocent” teens. The author manages to weave the various lives together that leave the readers holding a collective breath.

It’s fun to imagine that some people might be so gifted or had you been born with the talent, how you might use it. This is well plotted and paced with layered mysteries, engaging characters and, bonus, a special dog.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychic Mysteries, Organized Crime, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
ISBN: 979-8986281674
ASIN: B0FBLTSNXN
Print Length: 301 pages
Publication Date: June 1, 2025
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Annabelle Lewis—a pseudonym for the author—lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Regrettably? Perhaps. She still believes she’s a Texan even though the math no longer supports that. Nor her birthplace. Nor her residence. No offense, Minnesota. You’ve got your good points too, but only about six months of the year.

In her youth, Annabelle was a complete failure. Ask anyone who knew her. Any of her teachers and family would tell you this. High school graduation was a sad day for all when Annabelle walked proudly off the high school stage, her thoughts consumed with boys, beer, and after-parties, and later into the arms of her parents. Her father’s laughter and singular remark? “I didn’t think you’d make it. Get a job at the post office, they have a good retirement plan.”

A high bar and words to live by, but Annabelle wanted more. She needed to flunk out of college too. But damn, she sure did have a good time. Trivial arrest records not-withstanding, it was a growth period for our girl. And if you look closely, you’ll see a bit of what was to come when she majored in criminal justice. Her lifelong aspiration was to become a judge. Hmm.

For better or worse, Annabelle didn’t graduate from college but did find gainful employment and a fulfilling career. This path ended when she became a mom. Married to her wonderful George, who to this day can hardly remember an actual proposal, Annabelle finally became a mother. She didn’t have a clue how hard she would need to work to keep those self-imposed requirements of Downey-fresh, iron-pressed sheets, home-baked meals, and mom-of-the-year awards arriving. She composed a small self-affirmation song and made her children sing it to her for money. She was a very good mom.

After clearing the largest hurdles of motherhood and regrettably, begrudgingly, and not-without-tears, launching her children onto the world, she looked around and realized she had a lot to say. Picking up a laptop, she got to work.

Annabelle spends her days continuing to tackle the challenges of motherhood, for both her humans and canines. She also writes. And reads. And cleans. And cooks. And bakes. And cleans again. She also supports her husband, George, in an administrative capacity for their small business. She’s in charge of payroll and cuts George’s checks. This leads to no marital acrimony.

In the beginning, with the blank page staring at her and possibly in a hostile mood after being literally mauled by a dog and by the world in general, she had an idea. What if she could wield a force of good upon unsuspecting evil-doers? What if she had the resources to get the job done without dealing with committee and anyone else’s whiney-ass opinions?

It was gold. It took off. Annabelle sat down and began to write and couldn’t stop. To date, having written over a million words in the Carrows Family Chronicles and her second series on the Boston Clairvoyants, several items have become quite clear. Annabelle had a lot to say. Annabelle really enjoys writing. And although she hates all things technology, she begrudgingly pounds her head on her desk daily as obstacles are thrown in her path. Almost a hero.

Since entering her world of make-believe, she has rebelled against all intrusion of real-world responsibilities. Her house is a mess, but she tries. Her family is fed, but more often than not, on takeout. She vows to shower every day, but no, it’s a vow she’ll never keep. Her friends are neglected, but not in her heart.

Read her mordacious blog! Read her books! Follow her on social platforms! Sign up for her newsletter! These are all good things. What are you waiting for? Jump into bed with Annabelle. She’s having a swell time. You should join her.

#TuesdayBookBlog