Reviews

A Vision of Murder: Psychic Eye Mysteries, Book 3 Audiobook Review

March 18, 2012 By Maggie Leave a Comment

My Rating:

Author: Victoria Laurie

Narrator: Elizabeth Michaels

Length: 9 hrs., 14 mins.

Publisher: Audible, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary: Professional psychic Abby Cooper has invested in a fixer-upper, hoping to make a killing in the real estate market. But a killing of another kind puts her plans awry, as the ghost of a murdered woman and some troublesome poltergeists lead her into a mystery that stretches all the way back to World War II.

My Review: Abby Cooper can’t seem to catch a break in the third installment of the Psychic Eye Series by Victoria Laurie. A Vision of Murder starts off with a bang when a character is shot and Abby is asked to care for them during their recovery. Lovely… Abby isn’t the greatest caretaker and her patience is wearing thin quickly.

The other big action in this audiobook? Abby, her sister Kat and her handyman Dave have purchased a fixer upper house on Fern St. The house’s awful appearance and lack of TLC are far from their biggest problem. The house is haunted and Dave refuses to do the repairs. Sometimes being a psychic isn’t easy…

Then there’s a backhoe running over a fancy car, Abby and Kat’s mother, Dutch’s old college buddy and some fancy jewelry. There’s so many things going on in this audiobook but they’re strung together very nicely. I couldn’t turn A Vision of Murder off and and finished it before I knew it! Great listen and another great story by Laurie.

Narrator Review: Elizabeth Michaels’ narration of Abby is so fitting. She seems to have her personality down pat and she keeps your attention during the entire audiobook. She did another amazing job with A Vision of Murder and all of the different characters. Loved it!

Download A Vision of Murder now!

Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook from Audible.com. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: A vision of murder, abby cooper, audible inc., book 3, elizabeth michaels, psychic, psychic eye series, real estate, victoria laurie

Audiobook Review: Kill Shot by Vince Flynn

March 15, 2012 By John T Leave a Comment

My Rating:

Author: Vince Flynn

Narrator: George Guidall

Length: 10 hrs 49 mins

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

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Publisher’s Summary: #1 New York Times best-selling author Vince Flynn is back with another nail-biting political thriller that follows the young Mitch Rapp on a deadly mission to hunt down the men responsible for the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack.

For months, Mitch Rapp has been steadily working his way through a list of men, bullet by bullet. With each kill, the tangled network of monsters responsible for the slaughter of 270 civilians becomes increasingly clear. He is given his next target: a plump Libyan diplomat who is prone to drink and is currently in Paris without a single bodyguard.

Rapp finds him completely unprotected and asleep in his bed. With confidence in his well-honed skills and conviction of the man’s guilt, he easily sends a bullet into the man’s skull. But in the split second it takes the bullet to leave the silenced pistol, everything changes. The door to the hotel room is kicked open and gunfire erupts all around Rapp. In an instant the hunter has become the hunted. Rapp is left wounded and must flee for his life.

The next morning, the news breaks in Washington that Libya’s Oil Minister has been killed along with three innocent civilians and four unidentified men. The French authorities are certain that the gunman is wounded and on the loose in Paris. As the finger pointing begins, Rapp’s handlers have only one choice – deny any responsibility for the incident and pray that their newest secret weapon stays that way, avoiding capture and dying quietly. One person in the group, however, is not prone to leaving things to chance. Rapp has become a liability, and he absolutely cannot be allowed to be taken alive by the French authorities. But it will soon become clear that nothing is more dangerous than a wounded and cornered Mitch Rapp.

My Review:

Don’t you love it when you finish a book and you immediately want to read everything the author has ever written? That is the kind of experience I just had with Kill Shot. Flynn’s excellent writing paired with Guidall’s incredible narration really immersed me into the life of an assassin.

Though the overall theme of an assassin forced to operate on his own and unable to trust his handlers has been done many times before, Kill Shot never bored me. Vivid character development and intense action really anchored me to this story.

Kill Shot really impressed me. It had me so hooked that I didn’t realize how much time had passed. I distinctly remember looking down at my iPod to see how much time was left in the book and being blown away by the fact that I only had another 45 minutes.

Audio Production: Since I was a Vince Flynn/Mitch Rapp newbie I was excited to learn that there are several other Mitch Rapp novels out there for me to enjoy. However it is a little disappointing to see that George Guidall isn’t narrating these novels until the 4th book. Guidall was perfect in Kill Shot. So it will be a little difficult for me to go back and start the other books with a different narrator. Though I think this series will be worth it.

Overall: Very entertaining! Well worth a listen.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Download your copy of Kill Shot today! Kill Shot by Vince Flynn

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: george guidall, kill shot audiobook review, mitch rapp, vince flynn audiobook

Storm Runners #3: Eruption Audiobook Review

March 8, 2012 By Maggie Leave a Comment

My Rating:

Author: Roland Smith

Narrator: Ramon de Ocampo

Length: 3 hrs., 34 mins.

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary: The adventures aren’t over yet for Chase Masters and his dad. In this third installment, Chase heads south of the border with his friend Nicole Rossi to track down the Rossi Brothers Circus – lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes and all – after a massive earthquake hits Mexico. With a volcano threatening to erupt as a result of the disaster, Chase has never faced such a serious threat to his survival!

My Review: Eruption is the third and final audiobook in the Storm Runners series by Roland Smith. Geared at middle-schoolers, Smith has created a fast-paced, action packed novel to keep their minds captivated.

We left things in the previous audiobook The Surge with Chase Masters being reunited with his Dad after Hurricane Emily moved through the area followed by torrential rain and flooding. Even more dramatic, Chase and his friends Nicole and Rashawn have had bigger problems than staying dry. They’ve managed to survive run-ins with a lion, a temperamental leopard and other circus animals.

Also in for more excitement is Chase’s dad, newly dubbed “Lightning John”. John comes by that name honestly as we learned in the first book that years ago he was struck by lightning and survived. What we don’t know is what lies ahead for him…

As if surviving Hurricane Emily wasn’t enough, the crew and friends head to Mexico. Tomas, John’s assistant and long time friend, needs to get home to his wife and kids. Why you ask? Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and more. It’s madness in Mexico and Chase, Nicole, John, Tomas and the TV crew are heading right to the scene.

Eruption was a great ending to this trilogy. Smith tied up a few loose ends and left me feeling fulfilled. As I’ve said in my previous reviews of The Wind and The Surge, these would be a great listen for middle-schoolers. This series is fast-paced and captivating from the first minute. If you’re a librarian or teacher, grab this series, your student will love it!

Narrator Review: Ramon de Ocampo is such a great narrator for this series. The teenager’s voices are perfect and never seemed whiny, even though a grown man was narrating. Another great performance for this young adult audiobook.

Download Storm Runners #3: Eruption now!

Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook from Audible.com. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: audiobook review, book review, chase masters, lightning john, middle school book, Ramón de Ocampo, roland smith, scholastic inc., storm runners series, young adult

Murder by Mocha Audiobook Review

March 5, 2012 By Maggie Leave a Comment

My Rating:

Author: Cleo Coyle

Narrator: Rebecca Gibel

Length: 10 hrs., 54 mins.

Publisher: AudioGO

Publisher’s Summary: Clare’s Village Blend coffee beans are being used to create a new java love potion: a “Mocha Magic Coffee,” billed as an aphrodisiac. The product, expected to rake in millions, will be sold exclusively on Aphrodite’s Village, one of the most popular online communities for women. But at its launch, one of the website’s editors is murdered. Clare is convinced a bitter killer wants the secret formula. Can she catch who’s gone loco for mocha?

My Review: Murder by Mocha is the 10th audiobook in the Coffee House Mysteries series by Cleo Coyle and brings the same quirky “coffee house lady” Clare Cosi. Clare’s till hard at work running the Village Blend and is still madly in love with policeman Mike Quinn.

In this installment Clare finds herself in the middle of a business deal with Madame and Alicia. If you’re not familiar with this series, Madame is Clare’s ex-mother-in-law and business partner. Clare’s ex-husband Matt is also still in the picture as a business partner. Alicia, Madame’s old dear friend, has created a potent aphrodisiac using the Village Blend’s special coffee beans and names the concoction “Mocha Magic”. Mocha Magic manages to add that extra “pep” to the drinker’s steps but something isn’t right. People are turning up dead, disappearing and reappearing. What the heck is in Mocha Magic?

Before I go on, let me say that I did enjoy this audiobook. That said… It was an easy listen but never drug me into the story. The audiobooks I’ve listened to lately (and the ones I love dearly) grab me and suck me into the story, make me fall in love with the characters and keep me asking for more. Murder by Mocha left me feeling ho-hum. I could take it or leave it. There was wayyyyy to much talk about coffee, bakery treats and how to make them. I really didn’t care! In the end, I just wanted to find out who the murderer was and why.

Narrator Review: Rebecca Gibel was amazing in her narration of the Murder by Mocha audiobook. She really knocked my socks off with the various characters, accents, highs and lows. Gibel’s narration kept me moving through this audiobook and was the only reason I was able to finish. Top notch performance!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the Publisher. The opinions stated in the review are mine and mine alone.

Download Murder by Mocha now!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: audiobook, audiobook review, audiogo, clare cosi, cleo coyle, coffee house mystery, mike quinn, murder mystery, rebecca gibel, series

A Grand Murder Audiobook Review

February 24, 2012 By Maggie Leave a Comment

My Rating:

Author: Stacy Verdick Case

Narrator: Justine Huxley

Length: 5 hrs., 9 mins.

Publisher: Before the Fall Books

Publisher’s Summary: When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Catherine O’Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit and her partner Louise are given two days to find his killer.

They soon discover their victim had a list of people with motives to murder him, including his fashion designer ex-wife, his mistress’s husband, and the chief of police. The only evidence they have to go on is a missing cell phone, a stolen book, the victim’s letter opener, and an ugly pair of Alpaca wool mittens.

My Review: A Grand Murder is the first audiobook in the Catherine O’Brien mystery series by debut author Stacy Verdick Case. Stacy has created vibrant characters and a mysterious story that will keep you spellbound.

Catherine O’Brien is a homocide detective in St. Paul, Minnesota and isn’t your average cop. She’s startled by her own shadow and ashamed of her 5’1″ frame. Most of the time Catherine plays the “bad cop” while her partner Louise plays the “good cop”.

Louise is well groomed, well dressed and put together. She’s level-headed and can manage to keep her cool after pulling an all-nighter on a case. Put Catherine and Louise together and they’re almost unstoppable. Almost.

A Grand Murder jumps right into the action after our homicide detectives are thrown onto a fresh case. Fancy, smancy business man Nathan Stanley is dead and the killer has covered their tracks well. Catherine and Louise are forced to use all of their skills to nab a killer without being killed themselves.

This audiobook is extremely fast paced, which I loved! I was never bored and always intrigued. Catherine is such a lovable character and I seemed to mesh with her really well. I understood her thoughts and feelings and could easily relate. (I really related to her not managing well without sleep… I suck in that category!)

Overall, this was a great listen with all the things I love. A strong main character that is and I’m anxious for the second book in the series, Murder is a Family Affair that is set to be released this Spring. I can see this being another series I’m completely addicted to!

Narrator Review: Justine Huxley’s young and spirited voice was great for the narration of A Grand Murder. Huxley kept a great pace with the story and dialogue. She also managed to hit the timing of the humor perfectly.

Download A Grand Murder now!

Disclosure: I received this audiobook as a review copy from the author. All opinions expressed above are mine and mine alone.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: audiobook review, before the fall books, book review, catherine o'brien, catherine o'brien series, justine huxley, minnesota, murder, mystery, stacy verdick case

A Canticle For Leibowitz – Audiobook Review

February 23, 2012 By John T 1 Comment

My Rating:

Author: Walter M. Miller

Narrator: Tom Weiner

Length: 10 hrs 59 mins

Publisher: Blackstone Audio

Publisher’s Summary: Winner of the 1961 Hugo Award for Best Novel and widely considered one of the most accomplished, powerful, and enduring classics of modern speculative fiction, Walter M. Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a true landmark of 20th-century literature – a chilling and still-provocative look at a postapocalyptic future.

In a nightmarish, ruined world, slowly awakening to the light after sleeping in darkness, the infantile rediscoveries of science are secretly nourished by cloistered monks dedicated to the study and preservation of the relics and writings of the blessed Saint Isaac Leibowitz. From there, the story spans centuries of ignorance, violence, and barbarism, viewing through a sharp, satirical eye the relentless progression of a human race damned by its inherent humanness to recelebrate its grand foibles and repeat its grievous mistakes.

Seriously funny, stunning, tragic, eternally fresh, imaginative, and altogether remarkable, A Canticle for Leibowitz retains its ability to enthrall and amaze. It is now, as it always has been, a masterpiece.

My Review:

A Canticle For Leibowitz is one of those books that I could never make it through. Each time that I tried to read the book I would immediately get hooked and engrossed until I was about a third of the way into the book. As soon as the first part of the book titled “Fiat Homo” (Let There Be Man) ended and “Fiat Lux” (Let There Be Light) began I would always hit the wall.

The problem that I kept having here was that the book suddenly jumps 600 years into the future. So there is a completely new cast of characters to learn. As well as a new landscape and political atmosphere. All of this together overwhelmed me and spoiled my reading. I would always get frustrated and put it down with the intention of finishing it later. Of course that never actually happened.

Flash forward a few years and I unexpectedly found the audiobook version of A Canticle for Leibowitz sitting on my doorstep. I was thrilled! I had an opportunity to redeem myself!

I was very encouraged to notice that this book is narrated by Tom Weiner. I had recently become an instant fan after hearing Weiner’s narration of Farnham’s Freehold.

Listening to the first part of A Canticle For Leibowitz was very encouraging. Tom Weiner’s performance was excellent. When the end of “Fiat Homo” arrived and “Fiat Homo” began, Weiner’s narration kept me anchored to the book.

Overall: A Canticle For Leibowitz turned out to be a huge surprise to me. The second and third parts of the book that I had never managed to read on my own were incredible. If I had only known what I was missing! “Fiat Homo” merely lays the ground work for the thought provoking action of “Fiat Lux” and ”Fiat Voluntas Tua”. A Canticle For Leibowitz manages to link each section together in such a way that the listener becomes excited when minutia from the previous section are discovered sprinkled throughout the rest of the work.

It really makes you think about what our descendants will value thousands of years in the future. Will they be puzzling over obscure blueprints full of doohickii, squiggles, quids, laminulae, and thingumbobs?

A Canticle For Leibowitz is a great listen that results in long lasting contemplation!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Download your copy of A Canticle For Leibowitz now!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: A Canticle for Leibowitz, audiobook, Blackstone Audio, tom weiner, Walter Miller

Cinder, Lunar Chronicles Book 1 Audiobook Review

February 23, 2012 By Maggie Leave a Comment

My Rating:

Author: Marissa Meyer

Narrator: Rebecca Soler

Length: 10 hrs., 6 mins.

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Publisher’s Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl….

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My Review: I really enjoyed listening to the Cinder audiobook by new author Marissa Meyer. Cinder is a strong, futuristic retelling of Cinderella. You’ll notice a few very similar aspects in this audiobook… Evil stepmother (aka guardian), evil step-sister, a prince (aka emperor) and an upcoming ball.

The characters in Cinder are so strong and so involved in the story that you’ll be hooked within a few short minutes of listening. The main character Cinder is a teenage cyborg. She’s renowned throughout New Beijing for being a great mechanic and for fixing androids, portscreens and other futuristic contraptions. She runs a booth during the town’s festival that keeps her and her android Iko plenty busy.

Cinder lives with her step-mom, two sisters and of course, her android and best friend, Iko. Iko is a great little character! Even though she’s a fancy robot, she is madly in love with Prince Kai and is completely devoted to Cinder. On the other hand, her step-mom and one of her step-sisters are completely evil. This vile step-mom needs to be put down like an old horse.

This audiobook wrapped me up instantly! From Prince Kai showing up at Cinder’s booth, Cinder sitting at Peony’s bedside and then running from the evil Lunar queen, I was totally enthralled.

Cinder is packed with great, complex characters. Keep in mind, you’ll hear some similarities to Cinderella, but they’re so logically constructed that you don’t realize them until it’s minutes later. I’m looking forward to the second book in this series, Scarlet, set to release in 2013.

Narrator Review: Rebecca Soler did an outstanding job narrating the characters in the Cinder audiobook. I loved the cute voice she gave Iko and that made her 10x more lovable for me. She balanced accents, male, female, young, old and everything in between. Outstanding work and I sure hope she’s on board for book two!

Download Cinder, Lunar Chronicles Book 1 now!

Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed above are mine and mine alone.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: audiobook, audiobook review, book review, cinder, cinderella, cyborg, iko, lunar chronicles book 1, macmillan audio, marissa meyer, prince kai, rebecca soler, young adult

Sticks and Stones Audiobook Review

February 20, 2012 By Maggie 1 Comment

My Rating:

Author: K.J. Larsen

Narrator: Vanessa Hart

Length: 7 hrs., 18 mins.

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary: Sticks and stones may break my bones – or they might actually kill me.

What does a woman do when she discovers her husband is an incurable cheater? If she’s Cat DeLuca, she launches the Pants on Fire Detective Agency. Now Cat does what two years of unholy matrimony taught her to do: she catches cheaters. When a client, Cleo Jones, shoots her cheating husband’s bum full of buckshot, he disappears, taking her money, dog, and sister with him. Private Investigator Cat DeLuca promises to retrieve the dog and money if her client stops shooting at Walter. Cleo agrees. The detective finds the dog and a mysterious bag full of cash. And then she finds Walter. His very dead body is still warm.

The case is a slam dunk for the cops who arrest Cleo for the killing. She had motive and opportunity, and a dozen witnesses heard her scream bloody murder. One even made a video.

Cat DeLuca is determined to prove her client’s innocence, and it’s not an easy job. Walter was an unsavory character. Over the years he had acquired numerous enemies. Now, Cat will have to sift through all the ones who didn’t pull the trigger. Her investigation leads to four players with secrets: a childhood friend, a gambler, a construction tycoon, and a legendary Chicago designer.

When forensic evidence suggests the detective knows more about the murder than she’s telling, Cat faces the certain loss of her agency.

Cat DeLuca is smart and charming, but she’s an unlikely heroine, and her partner, a beagle named Inga, is quite likely to eat the evidence. Sticks and Stones delivers steamy romance, intrigue, and laugh-out-loud humor for a wickedly delicious read.

My Review: Cat DeLuca is up to her old tricks in the second audiobook in her series written by K.J. Larsen. She owns her own company, The Pants on Fire Detective Agency where she hunts down scummy husbands and cheaters and produces an 8×10 glossy of the dirty deed.

In Sticks and Stones, Cat’s assistant Cleo finds herself in a heap of trouble when her estranged husband Walter is murdered. If that’s not enough, Cat and Cleo are at the scene of the crime when the police show up. Cat is knee-deep in family and friends at the police department and they take it fairly easy on the pair. Cleo is bonded out and now they have to find the real killer.

Cat’s cobalt blue eyed boyfriend Chance is back and still keeps her somewhat under control. Sadly, we didn’t see too much of Chance and I hate that. I love the character and him and Cat work so well together. Maybe in the third book?

This was a great listen! I really enjoyed the entire story and how things fit together into one neat puzzle in the end.

Another thing I wanted to add about the author… K.J. Larsen isn’t one person! Who knew right?! Before I started writing this review, I thought I’d read up a little and BAM! K.J. Larsen is a pen name for three lovely sisters! Kari, Julianne and Kristen combine their talents to give us this great series.

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s awesome to see these three come together and produce such great work. I only have one sibling, my older brother and fellow reviewer, John. We’re eight years apart and we work well together. We see eye to eye on most things, but I can’t imagine writing a book together! We have such different styles of writing, as you can tell in our reviews, and I can just see us squabbling over the ending. He’d want someone to live happily ever after and I’d want someone to die… or something like that, you get the point! I think it’s amazing that Kari, Julianne and Kristen have written such a brilliant book.

I can’t wait for book three! Bring it on ladies!

Narrator Review: Vanessa Hart’s voice fits Cat DeLuca to a “T”. She shows Cat’s sexy and smart personality with a hint of mystery in her voice. I love that she does a wonderful Italian accent for Cat’s family and it feels so real. On another note, I want a big Italian family to smother me in cannoli. Great narration, I look forward to hearing more from Vanessa Hart.

Download Sticks and Stones now!

Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed above are mine and mine alone.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: audiobook review, Blackstone Audio, book review, cat deluca, cat deluca mystery, cleo, k.j. larsen, kj larsen, mystery, series, vanessa hart

Third Grave Dead Ahead Audiobook Review

February 15, 2012 By Maggie 1 Comment

My Rating:

Author: Darynda Jones

Narrator: Lorelei King

Length: 9 hrs., 51 mins.

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Publisher’s Summary: Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she’s drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the parthuman, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hellbent on murder when the devil’s son just won’t give up?

My Review: Third Grave Dead Ahead is the third installment of the Charley Davidson series from Darynda Jones. If you haven’t started this series, get over to Audible and get rolling!

I love the way Darynda writes and this audiobook is the best in the series thus far. Charley’s character continues to grow and we develop more in depth relationships with our favorites characters, Reyes, Cookie and Uncle Bob.

Charley is a private investigator by trade but she’s also the grim reaper. She always manages to help her clients with any unfinished business before crossing to “the other side”. She’s a shining light, like a beacon to her ghostly friends.

This audiobook starts with Charley fighting to keep herself awake. Since binding Reyes to his corporeal body, he’s been visiting her in her sleep and “disrupting” her attempts to get a good night’s rest. He’s strong and sexy as usual and he’s not going to let Charley forget it.

After being up for more than a week, Charley’s BFF Cookie and friend Garrett repeatedly try to get her butt to bed with no luck. Charley knows what will happen the second she drifts off to sleep. Reyes appears and rocks her world.

There’s so many things going on in this audiobook that you’re constantly on the thrill ride that Darynda Jones has created. Charley harbors a fugitive, takes on a missing person’s case, hides from dogs and still manages to stay alive.

Don’t worry about being confused by all of the action, Darynda weaves this together perfectly. To me, her writing is very similar to Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum lovers will love Darynda’s audiobooks.

I’m already chomping at the bit for book four in this series! Hopefully they won’t make us wait too long to see what happens next. I wouldn’t say Third Grave Dead Ahead left us at a huge cliffhanger, but it definitely left me begging for more! Add this audiobook to your to-do list, you won’t be sorry.

Narrator Review: I’m so accustomed to listening to Lorelei King’s voice that it’s like listening to an old friend. She’s narrated a few of my favorite authors and I always smile when I get to listen to Lorelei’s work. She flows seamlessly between characters and makes my favorite character, Charley of course, shine throughout the performance. Lorelei can easily jump from male to female voices and you’d think there were two narrators working together. I can’t say enough wonderful things, Lorelei is a great narrator!

Download Third Grave Dead Ahead now!

Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed above are mine and mine alone.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: audiobook review, book review, Charley Davidson, Darynda Jones, grim reaper, Lorelei King, macmillan audio, reyes farrow, third grave dead ahead

Metro Girl Audiobook Review

February 13, 2012 By Maggie Leave a Comment

My Rating:

Author: Janet Evanovich

Narrator: C.J. Critt

Length: 9 hrs., 1 min.

Publisher: Harper Audio

Publisher’s Summary: Buckle your seat belts. New York Times best-selling author Janet Evanovich is moving into the fast lane with Metro Girl, a thrilling, high-octane misadventure with high stakes, hot nights, cold-blooded murder, sunken treasure, a woman with a chassis built for speed, and one very good, very sexy NASCAR driver who’s along for the ride.

“Wild” Bill Barnaby’s dropped off the face of the earth and big sister Alex heads for Miami, Bill’s last known sighting, on a harrowing hunt to save her brother…and maybe the world. Truth is, Alex has been bailing her brother out of trouble since they were kids. Not that Bill’s a bad sort. More that he acts first and thinks later. Unfortunately, this time around, Wild Bill will be Dead Bill if Alex doesn’t find him in time.

Alex blasts through the bars of South Beach and points her search to Key West and Cuba, laying waste to Miami hit men, dodging Palmetto bugs big enough to eat her alive, and putting the pedal to the metal with NASCAR driver Sam Hooker.

Engaged in a deadly race, Wild Bill has “borrowed” Hooker’s sixty-five foot Hatteras and sailed off into the sunset…just when Hooker has plans for the boat. Hooker figures he’ll attach himself to Alex and maybe run into Bill. Maybe Hooker can salvage what’s left of his vacation. And maybe Hooker’ll get lucky in love with Bill’s sweetie-pie sister. After all, Hooker is NASCAR Guy. And NASCAR Guy is good at revving a woman’s engine.

The race to the finish is hot and hard, taking Alex and Hooker into international waters, exposing a plot to grab Cuban gold and a sinister relic of the Cuban missile crises. Creative cussing and sexual innuendo included.

My Review: Metro Girl was another fun listen by Janet Evanovich. This audiobook starts a new series featuring two new hilarious characters, Alex “Barney” Barnaby and Sam “NASCAR guy” Hooker.

To be honest, yes they are a lot like her previous characters Stephanie Plum, Joe Morelli and Ranger, but still a great audiobook. I’d listen to audiobooks with characters like these all day long!

The laughs roll as we follow Barney and Hooker as they track down her brother and his beloved boat, The Happy Hooker. Things get more and more interesting as they deal with deranged Cubans, an old high school friend Judey and a few cigar rolling ladies.

I promise not to delve any further into the story since the publisher’s summary gives so much away, instead I’ll assure you this was a fun listen. Janet Evanovich has a knack for making lovable, funny characters and she’s done that in this audiobook. This would be a great listen for a road trip!

Narrator Review: It was great to listen to C.J. Critt again having previously listened to her in an early Stephanie Plum novel. Her narration of Metro Girl was great and she does an excellent “redneck” voice for Hooker.

Download Metro Girl now!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: alex barnaby, audiobook review, barney, book review, c.j. critt, cj critt, harper audio, janet evanovich, joe morelli, metro girl, NASCAR, ranger, sam hooker, stephanie plum, wild bill

A Vision of Murder: Psychic Eye Mysteries, Book 3 Audiobook Review

Audiobook Review: Kill Shot by Vince Flynn

My Review:

Storm Runners #3: Eruption Audiobook Review

Murder by Mocha Audiobook Review

A Grand Murder Audiobook Review

A Canticle For Leibowitz – Audiobook Review

My Review:

Cinder, Lunar Chronicles Book 1 Audiobook Review

Sticks and Stones Audiobook Review

Third Grave Dead Ahead Audiobook Review

Metro Girl Audiobook Review

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