Ink and Bone

Ink and Bone

Tuesday, 7 June 2016

Author: Lisa Unger

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Australia)

Edition: Paperback

ISBN 9781471150487

Source: NetGalley

3 STARS

Missing child, desperate mother, a private detective who uses a psychic to help his investigations. The cool looking student who can only quieten her head by riding her Harley at high speed.

Review

A paranormal mystery which tiptoes in to the world of darkness and horror. Finlay lives with her grandmother, a world renowned psychic. Finlay is learning to deal with her own psychic abilities as well as her studies, her grandmother is her mentor. Apart from her unusual abilities, Finlay is typical of many young women who are trying to establish an identity, they get themselves a cool look. She has the usual multi coloured hair and tattood skin but she is luckier than most as she has a parent wealthy enough to buy her a Harley motorcycle.

Finlay and her Gran become involved in an investigation instigated by the Gleasons, Merri can't accept that she will never see her daughter again. She and her husband Wolf are having marital problems ......

Though I quite enjoyed parts of the book there are far too many characters and some didn't really contribute much of any interest. For me a good story doesn't need quite so many tangents.

I'd recommend this book to a younger reader

ARC provided by NetGally and Simon & Schuster (Australia) in return for an honest review

 

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Elective Procedures: Elle Harrison

Elective Procedures: Elle Harrison

Monday, 18 January 2016

• Written by: Merry Jones
• Narrated by: Cindy Piller
• Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
• Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:10-22-15
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Audible
3 Star Review

Publishers Summary

Elle Harrison is back! She and her pals Jen, Becky, and Susan travel to Mexico where Jen has arranged cosmetic surgery, after which she will recover in a plush hotel suite. But more is going on at the hotel than tummy tucks. Soon after they arrive, Elle sees the woman in the suite next door fall from her sixth floor balcony. When the room is later occupied by another patient, Elle finds her brutally mutilated body on that same balcony. Police question Elle as the last person to see these women alive. Their doctor also takes an interest in Elle; a woman staying at the hotel asks Elle to help her fend off a creepy stalker; a veiled woman sneaks into Elle's suite at night; and her late husband, Charlie, reappears (or Elle imagines that he does) when Elle gets pushed under water in the ocean and nearly drowns. As dangers swirl and intensify, Elle is forced to face her unresolved issues with Charlie, even as she races to find the connections between killings before more patients - including Jen - can be murdered. And before she herself becomes prey.

©2014 Merry Jones (P)2015 Oceanview Publishing

My Review

The story begins in Mexico where we discover Elle in a very dangerous, perilous predicament, we then flash back to several days prior to the trip, Becky and Elle are on their way to a girls night out, Becky has the hankering to consult with a fortune teller who tells her she is about to meet her special man. Against her better judgement, Elle was persuaded to also have a reading where she was given a strange but vague forecast:

"If you are wise, you will protect yourself", Elle immediately assumes the fortune teller is referring to the dead.
"You are stronger than you think, this is why they come to you"

Back to Mexico, where, as the blurb tells us, Jen has undergone her plastic surgery, despite having a private nurse to attend her, she constantly calls upon her friends to pander to her real and imagined needs. Jen is a bit of a fool, or else her surgeon omitted to gain an informed consent because she seems to have had no idea that undergoing invasive surgery, by its very nature, involves a degree of post operative discomfort. She does not suffer it well and there are some amusing passages involving her petulant demands and the begrudging responses of her friends!

The scenario set, the story then takes us back to the opening passage of the book, which, as it turns out, is Elles' attempt to save the life of the female stranger in the adjoining hotel room, a failed attempt. The woman's death quickly turns in to a police inquiry, where Elles explanation of the sequence of events is viewed as being an unlikely story by the investigating officer. Many strange occurrences follow, she can't help but recall the fortune tellers prediction. Sometimes it seems easy to believe that Elle is, indeed, quite mad, she has conversations with her dead ex husband (who is, as it happens, quite the voice of reason). She reports some strange goings on, both to her friends and to the police,which are always disproved or discredited to the point where even she wonders what is real.

Amidst all the mystery, Elle finds herself attracted to a very handsome fella, Jens' surgeon, and he gives every indication that she is very special to him, yet Elles' lack of self esteem prevents her from believing his feelings are genuine. Meanwhile, Becky, having found her dream man is getting on everyone's nerves by vacillating between her euphoria and her fears of losing him.

This story has many layers, many threads, A little humour, a nod to the paranormal, romance, moments of trepidation and, of course, mystery. I didn't, however, feel much affinity for Elle, some of her actions seemed out of sync with her character as I understood it. She certainly made some unexpected, not to say slightly improbable moves, to be truthful, I'm not sure I really liked her all that much. The group of girls worked well I thought, with their differing characteristics and, despite their little squabbles, all came through for each other, just as friends do. I'd be happy to read more of their adventures.

Narrator

Read by Cindy Pillar who I have previously had the pleasure of listening to. I said "read" but Cindy is more than a reader, she knows how to tell a tale and, as such, does any author the huge favour of making the best of the characters. She has a pleasing, easy to listen to voice, excellent characterisations, I particularly enjoyed our petulant patient, Jen. Cindy does a good creepy and chilling too!

This audiobook was provided by the publisher, author or narrator in return for an honest review

 

 

 

 

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Hound Dog Blues

Saturday, 21 February 2015

 

Hound Dog Blues

• Written by: Virginia Brown
• Narrated by: Karen Commins, Drew Commins
• Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
• • SeriesBlue Suede Memphis Mysteries: book 1
• Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:10-03-12
Publisher: Debra Dixon
Audible.com
Publisher's Summary
She's named after a motorcycle. Her dad's an Elvis impersonator. Her mom talks to spirit guides....
Someone's kidnapped the family dog - named King, in Elvis' honor. There's a ransom note....
And then things really get weird.
Memphis tour guide Harley Jean Davidson is about to enjoy a rare day off when her parents call with news that King, their border collie, has been dognapped. Harley Jean's mom insists the culprit is Bruno Jett, their next door neighbor. Harley Jean would rather run over her own foot with a motorcycle than talk to him. He's drop-dead gorgeous - with a dangerous attitude she'd like to avoid.
But King has to be rescued, so she sets off to find him. Harley Jean gets more than she bargains for when she finds a body, as well. Bruno Jett is definitely involved, but how?
The Memphis P.D. wants to pin the murder on Harley Jean's dad. Now it's up to her to clear his name...and avoid becoming the killer's next victim.
Virginia Brown is the author of more than 50 novels, including the bestselling Dixie Diva mystery series.
©2012 Virginia Brown (P)2012 Bell Bridge Books
My Review


Who but a hippy, bike lovin' Elvis fan would name his girl child Harley Jean Davidson? Well, that would be daddy, Yogi, now Yogi also has a dog, King, he loves this dog and feels a great spiritual attachment to him. The dog doesn't care much about all that stuff, as time after time he gets loose and causes chaos in the neighbourhood.
 
Harley, now a tour guide, gets the call. Find King. A simple enough request you may think, but wait! There's more ....... King hasn't simply gone missing, he has been dog napped! There's even a ransom note, very odd, thinks Harley, as everyone know Yogi and Diva barely make a living selling hippy stuff.
Harley immediately has a suspect in mind, Mrs. Trimble. King had taken to visiting her in the past, and they had developed a very unfortunate relationship. Mrs. Trimble also had no love for Yogi either, and so begins Harleys' outrageous adventure!
There is a body, there are missing jewels, and there is a missing Yogi and Diva who have now become prime suspects in a dreadful crime. It's all left to Harley to put right.
 
Meanwhile she gets her fashion advice from her coworker Tootsie, who also works part time as a drag artist, he knows everything a girl would want to know about hair and make up. She annoys the heck out of certain officers of the law, takes advantage of friends' homes ... and eats a lot of bean burritos.
This story takes the reader on a rollicking adventure with Harley, naturally, she solves the mysteries providing us with plenty of fun along the way. I enjoyed the characters and I'm hoping to get to know them better. I also enjoyed my visit to Memphis.

Narrator
I must admit, I was a bit concerned, as this book has both a male and female narrators, Karen Commins and Drew Commins. Following a few less than satisfactory experiences I wouldn't normally choose to listen to a book with more than one narrator, I knew Karen would be good, she's always good, but what about this Drew fella? Well, actually he too is very good, excellent distinct characterisation, no overacting, good timing, pleasant listening.
However, there is a big difference in the listening experience when there is more than one narrator, and I'm still not sure I care for it. There always the feeling that one of them is speaking from another room, or as if we are listening to them on speakerphone, and, for some reason, it's always the male voice. I've noticed this on all my audiobooks that have more than one narrator.
I think it's just a matter of preference though, I do know other listeners love to hear both male and female readers, so, maybe I should just get over it!

 
 

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Unfinished Business

Unfinished Business

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

 

Unfinished Business: An Angela Panther Novel

5 STAR Performance by narrator Kathy Poelker
 

Written by: Carolyn Ridder Aspens
Narrated by: Kathy Poelker
Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Audible.com
Whispersync for Voice-ready

Publisher's Summary

Sometimes the dead need our help and sometimes, we need theirs.
Angela Panther has a perfect life: A lovely home, an attentive, successful husband, two reasonably behaved children, a devoted dog and a lot of coffee and cupcakes. But while her life might border on mundane, she's got it under control. Until her mother, Fran, dies - and returns as a ghost. It seems Fran's got some unfinished business and she's determined to get it done.
Now Fran's got some nifty celestial superpowers and isn't opposed to using them to levy a little ghostly retribution on her granddaughter's frenemies and even her own daughter, which doesn't make Angela happy.
While Angela's shocked and grateful to have her mother back, she's not thrilled about the portal to the afterlife Fran opened upon her return. Now every ghost in town is knockin' on Angela's psychic door, looking for help - and it's a royal pain in the butt. Now Angela's got to find a way to balance her family life with her new gift and keep her mother in line. And it's a lot for one woman to handle.
©2013 Carolyn Ridder Aspenson (P)2014 Carolyn Ridder

My Review

The publishers blurb summarises the bones of the story pretty well, what it doesn't convey though, is the wit in the telling (writing) of the story.
As with most lighthearted and entertaining books, it didn't take too long to get immersed in the story. Angela, it transpires, was born with the " gift" of seeing dead people, but she outgrew this. However, the ability hadn't gone away, it had merely remained latent only to be awoken again on the death of Angela's mother Fran. Mind you! Angela took some convincing that her mothers' spirit really was talking with her, and that she wasn't dreaming. It helped that her son Jake could also see, hear and speak with Grandma.
The fun really starts when Angela realises that not only can she see and communicate with other spirits, some of them actually needed her, albeit reluctant, help.
There are a few references of "going to the light", and Jake makes comparisons to Ghost Whisperer, one of his favourite television programmes.
It's not all fun though, the book does deal with both serious and sad issues.
Angela really is the star of the show, but there are some interesting characters just ready to shine in a sequel.
Although I did not find the book to be riveting, Angela is a bright and interesting character and I look forward to her future adventures - so long as she stops annoyingly referring to her son as "little man" - he deserves better!

Narrator Kathy Poelker

The narration is superb, the golden voice of Kathy Poelker simply enhances the story, I'm sure I would not have enjoyed just simply reading the book, I needed Kathy to bring them all to life.
This book was gifted to me in return for this, my honest review
 
 

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Murder Sometimes

Murder Sometimes

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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