One Dead Two to Go

One Dead Two to Go

Friday, 22 July 2016

Written by: Elena Hartwell
Narrated by: Moira Driscoll
Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins 
Series: Eddie Shoes Mystery, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:04-15-16
Publisher: Audible Studios
5 STARS

Publishers Summary
Private Investigator Edwina "Eddie Shoes" Schultz's most recent job has her parked outside a seedy Bellingham hotel, photographing her quarry as he kisses his mistress goodbye. This is the last anyone will see of the woman...alive. Her body is later found dumped in an abandoned building. Eddie's client, Kendra Hallings, disappears soon after. Eddie hates to be stiffed for her fee, but she has to wonder if Kendra could be in trouble too. Or is she the killer?
Eddie usually balks at matters requiring a gun, but before she knows it, she is knee-deep in dangerous company, spurred on by her card-counting adrenaline-junkie mother who has shown up on her doorstep fresh from the shenanigans that got her kicked out of Vegas. Chava is only 16 years older than Eddie and sadly lacking in parenting skills. Her unique areas of expertise, however, prove to be helpful in ways Eddie can't deny, making it hard to stop Chava from tagging along.
Also investigating the homicide is Detective Chance Parker, new to Bellingham's Major Crimes unit, but no stranger to Eddie. Their history as a couple back in Seattle is one more kink in a chain of complications, making Eddie's case more frustrating and perilous with each tick of the clock.
©2016 Elena Hartwell (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Review
This is great start to a new series, Edwina Schultz was right to change her name "Eddie Shoes" is a far more appropriate and cool name for a Private Investigator. She herself is cool and feisty, but she isn't one of those hard headed female P.I.s who are always making ridiculous choices that land them in predictably dangerous situations. 

I enjoyed the plot, being a relatively short book it moves along at quite a pace which keeps the reader interested. 
Eddie gets a lot more than she bargained for when she takes on the case of the wronged wife looking for hard evidence of her husbands infidelity. When Kendra, the mistress, turns up dead the action starts.

Just to add to Eddies problems Chava, her mother turns up. Chava, being a mere 16 years older than her daughter, has not been the most motherly of mothers. Now she has got herself in to a bit of a fix and needs a roof over her head for a while and decides to visit her daughter. She is a wonderfully written character, quirky and just as feisty as her daughter bringing a whole new and interesting dynamic to the story. I hope she stays around a long time as I loved reading about their evolving relationship.

Later in the story a mysterious hero comes to Eddies rescue, a fabulous chap, a real big fella whom I'm pretty sure we will all come to love. 

I thought that this was a thoroughly enjoyable story, well written with fresh and interesting characters, hopefully this is the first of a nice long series. 

Narrator
Moira Driscoll was an excellent choice for this book, she gave each character a distinctive and easily identifiable voice. I thought she captured Eddies character perfectly, lively and feisty when appropriate, I especially appreciated how she conveyed all the hidden undercurrents of emotion in the relationship between Eddie and Chava. An all round high quality production.

Audiobook provided by the author, publisher or narrator in return for an unbiased review

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Hill House: Harry Starke 3

Hill House: Harry Starke 3

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

• Written by: Blair Howard
  

  Narrated by: Tom Lennon

  Length: 8 hrs

  Series: Harry Starke, Book 3

  Unabridged Audiobook

  Release Date:02-24-16

  Publisher: Blair Howard

  5 STARS

  Publishers Summary (extract)

  For more than ten years, she lay beneath the floorboards of Hill House. For more than ten years, she waited. Who was she? Who put her there? Why? Harry Starke vows to find the answers to those questions, but to do so he must embark upon an investigation that will put him and those close to him in deadly danger, take him deep into the underground city, the Dark Web, murder, organized crime, prostitution, and human trafficking.
  

  ©2015 Blair Howard (P)2016 Blair Howard

  Review

  The beginning of this book is very atmospheric and just a little bit dark and it hooked me in straight away. Hill House was about to be demolished, some young fellas go in to help themselves to the floorboards hoping to make a bit of money by selling them. A grisly discovery is made. A body is found under the boards. The body has been there for some time and doesn't fit any of the missing persons descriptions.

  They find out that the old house was once a shelter for young people, but it's not as simple as tracing the owners. The investigations lead Harry and the police into some very disturbing situations involving some very dark and disturbing people. Yet even these people aren't quite as they seem.

  Harry comes up against an old adversary and things get violent, he is upset because his work has put his staff at risk of injury or worse. The way he deals with this particular situation gives us some real hard boiled "Harry Starke" moments, quite hair raising at times.

  Harry continues to work well with his former girlfriend the police officer Kate and I really enjoy the way she treats him, as usual, Harrys love life is perplexing him, he continues to get himself into some awkward "romantic" situations. There are some wonderfully witty interactions between Kate and Harrys newer interest, Amanda, and in this book, Amanda really steps up to the mark maybe compensating for her past mischief making.

  Each one of the Harry Starke novels has a unique plot and can from that point of view be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading them all so as to get to know the characters. It's not essential, I know, but I've enjoyed following the Kate and Amanda situation evolve, and I'm also very interested in the characters who make up Harrys staff, in each book these characters have been fleshed out a little more.

  The author has given his readers yet another excellent story.

  Narrator

  Another riveting performance by Tom Lennon who is, in my opinion, the perfect Harry. He gives each character a distinct and easily identifiable voice, something which is so important to the listener. I look forward to many more Harry Starke adventures

  Audiobook provided by the narrator, publisher or author in return for an honest review.

  
  

 

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Dead Is Dead

Dead Is Dead

Monday, 30 May 2016

Author: John Lansing

Publisher: Gallery Books / Karen Hunter Publishing

Source: NetGalley / Karen Hunter Publishing

Series: Jack Bertolino Book 3

ISBN: 9781501147562

Publication Date: 31st May 2016

4 Stars

Review

If you have ever watched the T.V. series Walker, Texas Ranger also written by John Lansing, then you will already know that he can write a darned good story. This is action, all the way from the beginning to the exciting climax

Hollywood producer George Litton wants to make a movie based on one of Jacks recent cases, he employs Jack as both technical advisor and protector of the female lead, Susan Blake who has a cyber stalker. Jack Bertolino, P.I. and retired police officer enters the world of Hollywood and movie making.

The film action starts on set, but a real life tragedy occurs nearby, a six year old little girl is shot dead in her own home, at the same time outside her house a drug dealer is also shot dead. At first, it looks like a drive by shooting, but the reader will know the truth from the beginning.

The shooter is a cold hearted, chilling villain but he feels justified, he "never killed a man who didn't need killing", but killing the child was a mishap, he regretted it but seemed more concerned that the murder of a child could create more problems for him and his brothers. Child murder motivated the police like no other crime, if he was caught it might also lead the police to his brothers. Add drug running to the mix and Jack Bertolino has his hands full.

I missed the second book in this series, but the author adds enough backstory for the reader to be informed. Despite the fact that there is an awful lot going on in this book the author never leaves the reader feeling confused as to what's happening, the writing flows beautifully.

The ending is very exhilarating and builds to a tremendous crescendo of excitement. It's a little too action packed though for my particular tastes, and I did find parts of the storyline to be quite chilling, but I highly recommend it to those who love a multi layered fast moving, filled to the brim adventure.

ARC provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review

 

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Torch Ginger

Torch Ginger

Friday, 4 March 2016

Written by: Toby Neil

Narrated: by Sara Malia Hatfield

Length: 9 hours 6 minutes

Series: Lei Crime Book 2

Unabridged Audiobook

Published by Audible Studios

Release date: 11/11/14

Available from Audible

5 STAR REVIEW

Publishers Summary

If J.D. Robb's In Death series went on location with Kaui Hart Hemmings's The Descendants, you'd have Toby Neal's Torch Ginger.

The island of Kaua'i is remote jungle, golden beaches, and ancient culture - but transients are disappearing in paradise, and only Detective Lei Texeira notices. Lei transfers to the island of Kaua'i, where she uncovers a pattern of disappearances that may be related to a bizarre cult - or is it just one madman at work? In Lei's world, everyone is guilty until proven innocent. In the midst of the biggest case sleepy Kaua'i has ever seen, Lei must also untangle the mysteries of her heart and discover who she loves.

My Review

I didn't read the first in the series, "Blood Orchids" but there is enough back story in "Torch Ginger" to ensure the reader doesn't feel bewildered by how and why Lei finds herself now working on Kaua'i.

Lei is the new girl, low in the pecking order and as such, gets all the boring jobs. She is working hard to fit in but after only two months on an island described as "a jungle paradise of secretive people and strange spiritual forces" Lei is finding life to be "slow and boring".

It's while plodding her way through one of her dull cases that Lei is asked to talk to Kelly Waterson, Kelly reports her boyfriend Jay as missing. It has only been 24 hours since she last spoke to him by 'phone, but the circumstances catch Leis attention. When a worried Kelly flew in and visited Pine Trees, the unofficial camp site, she discovered Jays belongings dumped in the rubbish bin. His wallet still held his credit cards and also some strange origami shapes, three stones were left on his shoe.

Now the story really begins! During the course of her investigation she meets many strange and intriguing characters and she becomes convinced that the disappearances aren't merely people who have simply taken themselves off the grid. Getting others to take her convictions seriously is a hard task.

There are so many threads to this story, yet they are woven skilfully to produce a story that is difficult to put down. The characters are all so well described that they seem totally believable, even the more way out types.

Mystery and intrigue abound, there is, in some characters, a sense of other worldliness which is at odds with Leis own world view.

I thought the reunion of Lei and her father beautifully written, his gentleness and his love for his daughter so sensitively described.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery set in a lush and exotic location and with many intriguing extras. I for one shall be reading more of Toby Neil's work.

Narrator

This is the first book I have listened to narrated by Sara Malia Hatfield, and what a wonderful voice she has. Sara has all the attributes of a good narrator, but, for this book, it took a special person to pull it off. Born and raised in Hawaii, she was the perfect choice to perform those subtle differences in accents. The more I listened the more fascinated I became by both her voice and the pidgin speak, just wonderful! I look forward to more.

Just a word about the Audible sample, should you listen to it, it in no way does justice to the audiobook, for some reason, the sample seems of lesser quality.

This audiobook was provided, without condition, by the representative of the author.

 
 

 

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Gods of Gold by Chris Nickson. KINDLE EDITION

Gods of Gold by Chris Nickson. KINDLE EDITION

Saturday, 13 February 2016

Author: Chris Nickson

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 982 KB
• Print Length: 224 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Digital; First World Publication edition (1 December 2014)
• Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00OERTV1O
• Introducing Detective Inspector Tom Harper in a brand-new historical mystery series.
• 5 STARS

• My Review

  A great read, and I was quickly drawn in to this story, the first in the Detective Inspector Tom Harper series set in Leeds during the gas strike of 1890.

  Despite the disruptions of the gas strike, Tom Harper is concerned by the disappearance of Martha, the beautiful little child of Col and Betty Parkinson, Betty is in jail so Col, a ne'er do well, tells people he'd sent Martha to stay with an aunt for a while because he couldn't care for her. Tom does not believe him and determines to find Martha. Because Martha is so young, people are more willing than usual to talk to him yet nobody seems to know anything. Then a man is murdered, he was one of many men brought in to replace the gas workers, Toms' superiors tell him he should be spending his time on that, rather than looking for Martha, but he doesn't give up on her. He eventually uncovers many fragile threads of information that lead to shocking discoveries.

  It's an absorbing story with some really good characters, Tom himself was raised to a life of poverty and back breaking work but manages to break free of it by joining the police force, doing well and rising in the ranks. He comes across as a good sort, willing to give others a chance and, because of his own background he well understands that people do what they have to in order to survive. His sergeant is an interesting character too, Billy Reed, an ex military man who still suffered the effects of the war horrors he'd witnessed, Reed likes to drink, which sometimes leads to aggressive behaviour, he dislikes himself for it. I was drawn to him because it seems like he is doing his best to overcome his troubles. Then there is Annabelle, Toms' fiancée. What a woman she is, a widow with her own business she is a strong independent type and she is fascinating, I'm sure that in the future she will be stealing the limelight from Tom. All the characters in this book are so well described that it's easy to picture them.

  For me, another draw is the historical aspect, the story is set during the time of the second industrial revolution, a time when industrialists were getting richer yet the poor remained poor. Chris Nickson weaves a great deal of social history into this book yet never resorts to using boring information dumps.

  Be sure to read the epigraph "A New Nursery Rhyme" written by Tom Maguire, a man who died too young, aged 29.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

 

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Dr. Pepper Prophecies

Dr. Pepper Prophecies

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

 

Written by: Jennifer Gilby Roberts
Narrated by: Elan O' Connor
Length: 7 hrs and 27 minsSeries: Chocoholic Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:08-20-14

Publisher: Jennifer Roberts
Chocoholic Series 1

Available from: Audible.com

Publishers Summary

Twenty-five-year-old Mel Parker has a few tiny problems: Her job is terrible. She's been dumped yet again. Her ex is now her boss. The one good thing in her life has always been her best friend, Will, who has seen her through every crisis from lost toys to pregnancy scares. But his girlfriend (who's prettier, better-dressed, more successful, and secretly evil) is determined to replace Mel as the woman in his life, and how is Mel supposed to compete?

My Review

British Chick Lit, so you know there will be chocolate. There is chocolate, tedious amounts of it. Mel is an annoying little whinger who constantly, well, whinges! This, like the chocolate becomes tedious. Her life is in a bit of a mess, a 25 year old woman (who holds a degree in administration) is working a poorly paid job where she deals with telephone complaints. She hates it of course, Then her workplace is made even less tolerable by her ex boyfriend, who due to a promotion, has become a pompous little prat overblown with self importance.
Melanie decides to help others by straightening out their lives for them, she is not good at it, not good at all. Finding herself jobless, loveless, short of money and forlorn, her life just lurches from one disaster to another. Her bestest friend Will has a serious girlfriend and she wants Melanie out of his life. On realising that she wants more from Will than friendship Melanie's chocolate consumption reaches alarming proportions.
I thought the story was well written and amusing in parts but it was too long, too many words, too many internet messaging conversations which may have worked better in print.
It was nice though to be reminded of all the British chocolate bars, particularly Yorkie, with its trucker sized chunks. When I finish my review I will read a few others in the hope of discovering the reason for the "Dr. Pepper" in the title - I don't understand!
If you like the modern "vaguely Jane Austin" format, you might like this

Narrator
Elan O' Connor certainly sped the whole thing up, I thought I had mistakenly put the speed on to 1.25, but no, she just talks fast! Pleasant voice, good characterisations, she does an excellent pompous little prat voice. I'm not so sure that the Standard British accent she used is the one she was raised with though! If it's not, then she did a darned good job. Sound quality and editing are up to scratch. I'd certainly be happy to listen to more of Elans' work.
This audiobook was gifted to me in return for this, my honest opinion
I give Elan 5 stars and the story 3 stars

 

 
 

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Murder Sometimes

Murder Sometimes

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Murder, Sometimes: Jason Callahan, Book 1

• Written by: Patricia Lee Macomber
• Narrated by: Scott Russell Test
• Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
• • Series: Jason Callahan, Book 1
• Unabridged Audiobook

Audible.com

Publishers' Summary

Fresh off the NYPD, Jason Callahan has his own detective agency, a nice apartment, and a secretary who doesn't drive him crazy. Jason is happy with his life. Until he meets Trina Dane, that is. Trina is that crazy lady you always worry about meeting. She's also psychic. From the minute Jason meets her, he finds himself spiraling downward into a world of ghosts, spells and demons. But Trina is also beautiful and funny and Jason can't quite force himself to stay away.
Jason and Trina's first case: The repeated attempted murder of one of the city's high rollers. Alarms haven't helped. Even video surveillance can't seem to detect the would-be assassin. Now, it's up to Jason and Trina. Can they catch the killer before he succeeds, or is he something beyond human, something beyond capture?
©2014 Patricia Lee Macomber (P)2014 David N. Wilson

My Review

Only a 4 hour listen, but my goodness, this murder mystery is just chock-a-block full of lovely entertainment. There's no time wasted " getting in to the story" here, it hooks the listener in from the start. From the very beginning I had kind thoughts towards this audiobook, it reminded me of the plays they air on the wireless, Afternoon Theatre or Book at Bedtime, a touch of nostalgia on my part maybe, but nevertheless, it worked for me.
It's also a darned good story, a mystery, a whodunit, and clever too. You see, the plot was not so very complicated that those who insist on solving it all out would be left foiled and frustrated, nor was it so easy that the mystery eejits such as myself could accidentally work it out before the end.
I'm not too fond of the old psychic/ paranormal/spirit type genre, as all too often the paranormal nature of the tale allows for incredible plots with head scratching outcomes. Not so here, this is a story full of interesting characters such as Trina, there is something very special about Trina Dane, a woman with a prosaic flamboyance - which is, of course, grammatically meaningless nonsense, but there is something about her, something with which the ordinary mundane non- paranormal person can identify. She seemed to know just how to deal with everybody! Including the grumpy disbelieving side of Jason, I also loved the way she dealt with his brother.
The unlikely duo of Trina and Jason work so very well together despite the fact that Jason hates to think so. I enjoyed the presence of his brother in the tale, a bit of a lad with his own interesting story, and I look forward to more of their post case dinners together.
I thought this to be a quirky, interesting, funny and absorbing story, cleverly written. This audio book was a freebie, but if subsequent books are longer, ( by a lot) then I shall be spending my precious Audible credits on them.

The Narrator: Scott Test.

The narrator was well chosen, and I thoroughly enjoyed Scott's narration of this book, his voice seemed just the right one to portray the weary ex cop. After the first few lines I hardly noticed him! Believe me that is one big compliment, there's nothing worse, nothing, I say, than an bad narrator intruding so rudely into a story. Scott Test has mastered all the aspects a difficult job admirably, I just hope he is chosen to narrate all the Jason Callahan books or I won't be listening.

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Silent Night: A Raine Stockton Dog Mystery

Silent Night: A Raine Stockton Dog Mystery

Saturday, 17 January 2015

 

Silent Night: A Raine Stockton Dog Mystery

Written by: Donna Ball

Narrated by: Donna Postel

Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins

Series: Raine Stockton, Book 5

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:06-02-14

Publisher: Blue Merle Publishing

Audible.com

Publishers' Summary

It's Christmas time, and for Raine Stockton and her Search and Rescue dog, Cisco, Hansonville, North Carolina is just like a Norman Rockwell painting - except for the rash of thefts of baby Jesus figurines from nativity scenes, an abandoned box of golden retriever puppies that someone leaves beside her mailbox, and a mysterious gift from one of Cisco's a grateful admirers. Raine already has her hands full with her own misbehaving pooches, unexpected house guests, and a complicated new relationship. But when a newborn is abandoned in the manger of the town's living nativity and Raine walks in on what appears to be the scene of a murder, she has more to worry about than keeping the Christmas spirit alive.

©2011 Donna Ball (P)2014 Donna Ball

My Review

Prior to "Silent Night" I hadn't read any in the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series, I was assured however, that this Christmas story can be read as a stand alone. This is true, but I enjoyed it so much I wish I had started from Book One!

This is a story that hooks you in from the very beginning, I found the first chapter engrossing, chilling and full of the anticipation of something about to happen! Well, it certainly did, but not quite as I expected, which only added to my enjoyment.

Raine, our heroine is quite a woman, she is doing it really tough at the moment, suffering financial hardships and a degree of emotional turmoil. Her old love has a new love and this takes some getting used to, a bit more difficult perhaps than Raine had expected. I thought the author added a clever little touch when she mentions the way way in which the male colleagues of Raines ex now felt entitled to treat her with disrespect. Now, they somehow feel no compunction in being rude and snubbing her whenever they get the chance, this, despite the fact that Buck, her ex, treats her respectfully.

I loved how Raine, more used to dogs than children, adapted her dog training methods to modify the behaviour of a very unhappy little girl - the 10 year old child of her very new love interest. These methods worked too, (along with lots of human and puppy love thrown in).

This story moves along well, plenty of action to keep the listener interested, it's a Christmas feel good story, and also a darned good mystery.

Narrator

It never takes too long for the listener to know when they have found a new gem! Donna Postel is my new gem, I am a fussy listener, for me, the narrator is the most important element of an audiobook. Donna is master of narrative and of characterisation, no overacting here, a class act all the way. Talent and experience are the magic combination and Donna is now in my top three favourite narrators.

 

 
 

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