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Title: Thug Guard

Subtitle: A Cozy Cash Mystery #1

Author: D. D. Scott

Narrator: Michele Jansen, John Farrell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-20-13

Publisher: D. D. Scott

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Hollywood stylist to the stars, Zoey Witherspoon, is a wanna-be Stephanie Plum, and to that end, she's now moonlighting as a badge-toting Private Investigator. But on her way to style one of her infamously diva-esque clients, she discovers her first dead guy in the Range Rover parked next to her. And this isn't just any dead guy... It's one with a Russian mob connection, and the one hired by her former client, Ponzi-scheming King Bernard McCall, to kill her.

Roman Bellesconi, a James Bond-style Double Agent, is hell-bent on bringing down the Ponzi-scheming King Bernard McCall. Why? First, because that's his job. And secondly, because he's got a lot more at stake than just job security. If he doesn't bring down Bernie, his family monarchy will be destroyed.

As the dead guys keep piling-up around them, Zoey may be damn sick of Roman's deep and very dark secrets, but she's also convinced that perhaps, as Roman's keeps repeating, it's only because he's keeping those secrets, that they're both still alive. Is there any chance that their covers will be blown, Roman's secrets revealed, and each of them will live to tell?

Members Reviews:

Audio feces

What disappointed you about Thug Guard?

a real piece of @#$!! waste money and time listening. The story made no sense! It ended with out a finish.

Author DD Scott must have paid to have this published. I cannot understand how this trash was actually made it to print.

Has Thug Guard turned you off from other books in this genre?

YES!!!

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

It was OK

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger because I wasted the money for the purchase. Disappointment because the description offered much more than the book could deliver

Any additional comments?

AVOID ALL WORKS BY DD SCOTT. Calling Scott and author is like calling me a brain surgeon.

I could do the operation but the patient would not live.

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Title: Follow the Money

Subtitle: A Cliff Hardy Mystery, Book 36

Author: Peter Corris

Narrator: Dino Marnika

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-01-13

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When beautiful young women kiss you on the cheek you know you're over the hill, but I didn't really feel like that. As Wesley said, "I still had the moves."

Cliff Hardy may still have the moves but he's in trouble. The economy's tanking and he's been conned by an unscrupulous financial advisor and lost everything he's got. Cliff only knows one way, and that's forward, so he's following the money trail. It's a twisted road that leads him down deep into Sydney's underbelly, into the territory of big money, bent deals, big yachts, and bad people. Cliff's in greater danger than ever before, but he's as tenacious as a dog with a bone.

Critic Reviews:

"Once again Corris has captured both the zeitgeist and the rhythm of what long-defunct inner-west rock band the Stotting Tommie's once described as 'the city of emeralds and dust'." (Sydney Morning Herald)

Members Reviews:

Wrong Narrator

After listening to Peter Hosking brilliantly narrate previous Cliff Hardy novels, Dino Marnika is a big disappointment. Lilting and slightly breathy, the narration doesn't suit the narrative and character at all. I would strongly recommend the earlier Cliff Hardy novels where Hosking brings the goods every time.

The narrator doesn't fit the character

If this book wasnt for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Having listened to the Cliff Hardy series since forever I've experienced Cliff through the wonderful narration of Peter Hosking. Hosking and Hardy are one in the same. Dino Marnika simply does not sound like a tough, street-smart, cynical Aussie maverick. If you have NOT heard Peter Hosking in the earlier books I suggest you don't and let Dino become Cliff for you.

Would you be willing to try another one of Dino Marnikas performances?

Not as Cliff Hardy although I have bought 3 titles with Dino as narrator.

You didnt love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The story is classic Cliff Hardy. So I stayed to the end despite being annoyed/frustrated with the narration.

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Title: Pale Horses

Subtitle: A Jade de Jong Mystery, Book 4

Author: Jassy Mackenzie

Narrator: Justine Eyre

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-16-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

At first, the case appears to be one of simple misadventure. Sonet van Rensburg, a base jumper, falls to her death while attempting to parachute off a newly built 65-story Sandton skyscraper. But Sonets jumping partner, Chris Theron, insists that this was no accident, and he hires private investigator Jade de Jong to uncover the truth.

Glad of the distraction from her conflicted and seemingly doomed relationship with police superintendent David Patel, Jade immerses herself in the case. She discovers that Sonet worked for a charity that helped impoverished communities become self-supporting farming units. Sonets ex-husband, though, has nothing good to say about his wife or the work she has done. He tells Jade that Sonets efforts were a useless waste of money and that the farming projects were not sustainable.

When Jade travels out to the Siyabonga communitys farm in Limpopo, hoping to prove him wrong, she finds it not just abandoned but razed to the ground. Digging deeper for answers about where the residents went and why they left their fertile valley, Jade finds out that one man died from a terminal illness. Then, to her concern, she learns about more sicknesses and more deaths - a fatal but unknown disease that swept through the entire community.

Jade then discovers that Sonets sister, Zelda, a journalist, was investigating this mystery, too. Zelda had discovered that one woman and her son had survived the plague and had left the area, and she was doing her best to track that woman down so she could hear her story.

But now Zelda is missing, and Jade will have to race against time in order to find her. A deadly harvest has been gathered in, and the only person who knows the real truth about it has been forced to become collateral in its trade.

Critic Reviews:

GrippingAs the novel hurtles toward a devastating climax, Mackenzie pumps up the suspense. (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

another interesting South Afric murder mystery

This is the 3rd book in the Jade de Jong series that I've listened to. I've enjoyed them all even though I wouldn't call them the greatest crime thrillers ever written. I enjoy learning about life in SA (as South Africans refer to it), I empathize with Private Investigator Jade as she is one tough PI but lonely and needing some love and, finally, the crimes themselves and the investigations are solid. My goal in a book is to be entertained and this series and this book have done that. In this story Jade is pulled into an investigation she initially doesn't want to get involved with as she's still tired from her last one. But she gets sucked in and in her typical style she gets involved, moves forward despite dangers, and gets to the bottom of the crime. Sometimes it is hard to hear the narrator clearly, I think due to the South African English accent. I have to pay close attention in listening and still feel like I miss some but I enjoyed the story in spite of this small lapses. It was a quick listen and one that's easy to get and stay interested in. I hope there are more in the series. I do see the author has some other stories out that I will try.

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Title: Between Dusk and Dawn

Subtitle: A LaShaun Rousselle Mystery, Book 2

Author: Lynn Emery

Narrator: Quiana Goodrum

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-12-13

Publisher: Lazy River Publishing

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

LaShaun Rousselle is as famous, and infamous, as her ancestors for being a psychic and voodoo expert. After a bad girl life, she's finally settled down in her small hometown of Beau Chene, Louisiana. She's content to have a few true friends, and a new love with Deputy Chase Broussard, the chief criminal investigator with the Vermillion Parish Sheriff Department. LaShaun is determined to live simply and quietly, no more trouble.

But trouble arrives on her doorstep in the unlikely form of two middle-aged ladies bearing unsettling suspicions about weird happenings in the parish. In short order, LaShaun and Chase are once again caught up in trying to stop gruesome killings with a supernatural connection to the notorious Blood River Ripper.

Members Reviews:

cajun occult

I am giving t h is a 4 :) because someone Seriously needs to proof read these books. But I like the story and the character's.

Awesome!

This was my first LaShaun Rouselle book and I absolutely loved it! You can start anywhere in the series, but I am looking forward to reading the earlier books. I really enjoyed the heroine, the storyline, and learning a little bit about Creole culture.

Great buy!

This is the second LaShaun Rousselle novel. I am completely drawn into this couple. The mystery of Louisiana and its dark voodoo culture has me captivated! LaShaun and Chase keep the story hot! Great buy!

Five Stars

Love it love it so good

She has done it again!

I love this series! LaShaun and her lover face more than just ghouls and goblins but they face the harsh reality of their love affair. Could it ruin ones career?

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Title: Beauty Dies

Author: Melodie Johnson Howe

Narrator: Romy Nordlinger

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

As elegant, enigmatic private eye Claire Conrad and her very independent assistant Maggie Hill prepare to fly to L.A., a young woman appears at their hotel bearing an unusual message: a legendary fashion model who died recently did not commit suicide. When the messenger is stabbed to death, Claire and Maggie decide to stay in New York to further investigate her claim.

Members Reviews:

Why couldn't Sherlock have been a woman?

This book was a worthy follow-up to The Mother Shadow, as hard as it was to read about the many ways in which men and women screw up their lives. But I agree with Michael Avery -- let's see more of Claire Conrad and Maggie Hill!

This is a series with great potential - Nero Wolfe-like!

We need more Melodie Howes! The characters are clever and eccentric but still quite believable. The plots are interesting without seeming contrived. The two books in the series are fun and never insult the reader's intelligence. Howe handles the 90's well without resorting to cliche, shock, or political correctness - pretty rare. My favorite mystery authors are Rex Stout, Jan Willem van Wettering, and Sjowall and Wahloo - and Howe has the potential to be right in there. Please, Melodie, write some more!

Sex and the City meets Jane Austen

The contemporary wit of this novel and of THE MOTHER SHADOW is appealing and refreshing. The mystery female protaganist genre is well represented by Ms. Howe and is in ways surpassed by her unique and engaging characterizations. Grafton, Paretsky, Barnes and Pickard write amusing, sometimes riveting tales, but Howe kicks it up a notch creating her Everywoman Maggie Hill. Another novel by Howe would find a wide, appreciative audience.

Hilarious and provoking

I'm writing this review in case the author ever takes a look. I love this mystery, and its predecessor, THE MOTHER SHADOW. Claire, Maggie, and Boulton are lively, intriguing characters, and the sarcastic asides about gender roles are delightful. MJH, please, please write more!

Hilarious and provoking

I'm writing this review in case the author ever takes a look. I love this mystery, and its predecessor, THE MOTHER SHADOW. Claire, Maggie, and Boulton are lively, intriguing characters, and the sarcastic asides about gender roles are delightful. MJH, please, please write more!

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Title: Scratchgravel Road

Subtitle: A Josie Gray Mystery, Book 2

Author: Tricia Fields

Narrator: Nicole Poole

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-06-13

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

It was pure luck that police chief Josie Gray spotted the car, abandoned out in the desert off Scratchgravel Road. If she hadn't stopped to investigate, then she'd never have found the young woman, lying nearly dead of heatstroke on the sand - and the corpse of an older, Mexican man beside her. Cassidy Harper may be grateful to Josie for saving her life, but she still can't explain why she was out for a walk in the midday desert heat, let alone how she happened upon the body. And once Josie sees the ominous wounds on the man's arms, she knows she needs to find the answer fast, because the evidence points to a death that is not only unnatural, but could be the first of many.

Set in the unique world of small-town Texas, Scratchgravel Road confirms Tricia Fields's place as a talented new mystery author and chronicler of the Southwest.

Members Reviews:

Cheers for a 5 star winner!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. It is chock full of a good set of characters, good plot, fast-paced, with even some modern forensics thrown in. Can't speak for the whole series, but this one was very modern in topic, dealing with nuclear waste as a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Josie Gray is the sheriff of a small Texas town near the border, and she uses a good balance of know-how for the job and interesting interactions with other characters. One nice thing about this book, is that since it is book 2 in a series (and book 1 not yet available), I wondered if it would be confusing to catch up on who's who and what occurred in the past. The author did a nice job of blending in the necessary info without it being overly obvious that that was what she was doing, so it all felt very smooth in that regard.

This is a very good book, if you like mysteries that move along, but still develop the characters very well. The narrator is quite good as well. She does a better than average job of creating men's voices in my opinion, which can be tricky for some female narrators. None of the characters sounded forced or off-putting in any way.

Holds your attention to the end. Highly recommend!

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Title: How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Author: Gillian Roberts

Narrator: Susan Denaker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-08-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

After a tough year of teaching at Philly Prep, Amanda Pepper decides to go to Atlantic City with her friend Sasha Berg. Yet a beach vacation turns deadly when a bludgeoned corpse shows up in their hotel room - and Sasha is the prime suspect.

So Amanda hits the boardwalk to track down the real killer, chasing down clues around the surf and in the casinos, and discovering along the way that appearances are more than deceiving: They can be criminal and, sometimes, downright murderous....

Members Reviews:

This is not a comedy and yet the author's sense ...

This is not a comedy and yet the author's sense of humor that is artfully woven throughout the book in so many ways.

Two Stars

Slow going

Good story line and good writing

Ms. Roberts always comes up with interesting messes for Amanda to solve. The author writes well and does not get involved into too much detail where it is not needed to keep up with the story line.

Amanda Pepper Does Atlantic City

Gillian Roberts never fails to impress me with her Amanda Pepper series. The further into the series I delve, the more I enjoy her. She's not as timid as I once believed her to be. And her naveté is slowly disappearing. I do feel bad for her sine she can't even seem to get through a short vacation in Atlantic City without a mishap - or three! And her relationship with CK Mckenzie seems to be on the verge of non-existent. Amanda never seems very secure with where she stands with the man with no first name. I like that they are going to be having a "Talk" and don't forget the capital T. CK seems utterly frightened by this prospect like most men would be if they were put in the same position.

I do have a lot of questions left unanswered by the time this book ended. What happens to Georgette the homeless lady? Does she join the class-action suit? Do they ever put a class-action suit together? Who do they get to sue? Did the police find any of the money? Did they have any evidence to charge the murderer or was it just Amanda's word against theirs? What happens to Lucky and his gambling mother? I'd like if Gillian decided to revisit Atlantic City and have Miss Pepper reunite with all her new friends. Does Lala really marry Tommy? Lots of questions, but I still loved book 5 (?) in the series.

Pepper is a Fun Read

This is a fun, easy read. I laughed out loud a few times (which was a little embarrassing at Starbucks). Besides the murder, I enjoyed the banter between Amanda and her friend Sasha, and the relationship between her and her non-boyfriend boyfriend Mackenzie.

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Title: Open for Inspection

Subtitle: A Courtney Frome Mystery, Book 2

Author: Carmel Bird

Narrator: Caroline Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-07-13

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

A tightly told tale of vengeance, violence, and very desirable residences.

Sassy freelance journalist Courtney Frome is on assignment counting bathrooms for the property pages. For Courtney the world of expansive bay views and renovator's delights is just another job...until Lizzy Candy is discovered dead in her spa while Courtney is inspecting the Candy mansion. Lizzie's faithless husband is a big player in real estate. But is he the obvious answer to the obvious question? Then a second body is discovered at another prestige address....

Critic Reviews:

"A fabulous writer, extremely original, pithy, and witty." (Thea Astley)

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Title: The Great Merlini

Subtitle: The Complete Stories of the Magician Detective

Author: Clayton Rawson

Narrator: Gregory Gorton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-27-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

A dozen compact puzzles from a master of the locked-room mystery

The Great Merlini waits impatiently at the door of the Hotel Astor. Inspector Church is late for his meeting with the famed magician, with whom he consults when homicide cases venture outside the realm of the possible. A ventriloquist has attempted suicide in the wake of his wifes mysterious strangulation. Among the suspects are a snake charmer, a nine-foot giant, a tattooed man, and a gaggle of crap players - and this is one of Merlinis simple cases. He will pick out the killer, with no more effort than he might a rabbit in a top hat.

In these 12 short stories, all originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Clayton Rawsons greatest detective confronts puzzles that would leave a lesser magicians head spinning. From vanishing blackmailers to murderous mediums, no cosmic crime can baffle the Great Merlini.

Members Reviews:

The Great Magician Detective

One of my favorite mystery writers, who unfortunately didn't write enough. Clayton Rawson was both an author and a very talented amateur magician. His detective, the Great Merlini, solved puzzles using the skills he applied to his magic shows and in creating magic tricks for other people. There is a great deal of light humor in his tales, and you get the impression that Merlini takes most of very lightly.

Clayton Rawson shared his detective's mischievous sense of humor. He sent a telegram for his assistant that stated, "THERE IS A BOA CONSTRICTOR IN YOUR BOTTOM DRAWER AND A NEST OF MADAGASCAR SPIDERS IN CONNIEâS DRAWERS. STOP. DONâT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS."

The stories are listed below:

1. "The Clue of the Tattooed Man" - Merlini investigates the murder of the snake handler.

2. "The Clue of the Broken Legs" - a theatrical producer is shot.

3. "The Clue of the Missing Motive" - a man is shot - did the killer get the wrong guy?

4. "From Another World" - "A man is killed in a supposedly sealed wrong - the only person present is an unconscious medium.

5. "Off the Face of the Earth" - "A chorus girl vanishes into the night after being told by a psychic that is exactly what would happen; weeks later, a judge also vanishes after being warned by the psychic; this time, though, there were also two cops watching the judge, and they can attest he never left the phone booth!

6. "Merlini and the Lie Detector" - two suspects, Don Sutton and Helen Lowe, are found with a dead boy; both blame the crime on the other person; it is up to Merlini to find out who's telling the truth.

7. "Merlini and the Vanished Diamonds" - a thief and cardsharp finds a very clever hiding place for stolen diamonds.

8. "Merlini and the Sound Effects Murder" - a well thought out murdered involving audio recordings, which don't fool Merlini long.

9. "Nothing is Impossible" - a man named North wants to spend all his money hunting UFOs, but someone else has a different idea - North is found dead and the only other person in his office is his son-in-law, who is unconscious - and nude. All his clothes have been turned wrong side out.

10. "Miracles - All in the Day's Work" - A very smart murder committed by the last person you would think of committing it; a wanted criminal walks into an office and never comes out.

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Title: King of the Corner

Subtitle: Detroit Crime, Book 3

Author: Loren D. Estleman

Narrator: Charlie Thurston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-17-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Even prison couldnt stop former big-league pitcher Doc Miller from playing baseball. Jailed after a teenage girl overdosed on cocaine at one of his house parties, the former Detroit Tigers ace became a star at the Michigan State Prison, bringing home the institutions first Midwestern Penal System championship. Now out on parole, his days of ballpark heroics are over for good. Millers brother gets him a job selling tractor parts for John Deere, work Doc finds even duller than life in the joint.

While moonlighting as a cab driver, he meets a bail bondsman who offers work as a bounty hunter. On their first job together, they find their target savagely murdered. His name was Ambrose X. Dryce, formerly Wilson McCoy, a Black Panther turned drug lord. Sucked back into the criminal underworld, Doc will need to make his best plays to stay alive without violating his parole.

Members Reviews:

Aren't there any directors for this series?

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The whole series needs a director who cares enough to learn something about Detroit people and places.

What other book might you compare King of the Corner to and why?

It has a noirish feel. Nearly all of the characters are close to the ambiguous line between shady and legit..

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Charlie Thurston?

Someone who could pronounce the words he's reading. And probably someone who is not so in love with the dialects he tries that he puts some effort into matching them with the character speaking.

Was King of the Corner worth the listening time?

Barely

Any additional comments?

Coming from Detroit, I had an interest in this series. However, it appears that no one other than Estelman who had any connection with it has any knowledge of the place at all. The stories are well written, the characters are are interesting and well-drawn. However, this narrator is even worse than the one who did Whiskey River. He mis-pronounced the most basic local names. This includes the Penobscot Building, a deco masterpiece that is Detroit's Empire State Building and even Al Kaline, Hall of Fame Baseball player and local institution, whose name he pronounced as if it were the opposite of acidic. (Of course this may not be solely because of local ignorance. He couldn't pronounce Tyrolean, either.) I actually like the way Estelman writes, and will probably read the Amos Walker series. But I will read, and not listen to them. There is just no pleasure in being irritated every few pages by people who don't care enough about their work or the reader to do even the most basic research. If I were Loren Estelman, I would be plenty upset at the amount of respect my words are given.