HOPELESS
Hopeless by Melissa Haag
Book 1 of the Judgement of the Six series
Narrated by Julie McKay
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook
About Hopeless:
Gabby’s brain is like a human fish finder. It comes in handy when she wants to avoid people. Mostly men. They seem to like her a bit too much. It’s lonely being different, but she’s adapted to it. Really. She just wishes she knew why she is different, though.
In her search for answers, she discovers a hidden community of werewolves. She immerses herself in their culture, learning about their world until she meets Clay. He’s unkempt, prone to mood swings, intense without saying a word, and he thinks Gabby is his.
It’s going to take every trick she knows to convince Clay to go away, and every bit of willpower not to fall for him when she discovers the man beneath the rough exterior.
Judgement has begun…
Source: Info in the About Hopeless was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20985371-hope-less on 19/08/2019.
My Thoughts:
I first met this author with the Of Fates and Furies series and I liked the way she tells a story. So I thought I’d seek out her other works… Thus this book got bought and read. Like the other series, the books in this one also has multiple cover arts. For this particular book, the cover arts are apropos to the story but not high up in the “grab-me-now-and buy-me” scale.
I like the way Julie McKay reads. She sounds so much like Therese Plummer, another favourite narrator. Kudos to the narration! However, even with the convenience of the audiobook format, I would still say that this book is not a fast “read”. I find myself needing breaks from it from time to time. I contribute this to the tstl (too stupid to live) and whiny-ness of the heroine which I find royally annoying! However, the premise of the story is intriguing enough to keep me reading until the next book.
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 3.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = (10 hrs and 55 mins)
Plot = 2
Narration = 4.5
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries
Books In The Judgement of the Six Series:
About Melissa Haag:
I love to write! Sharing the worlds I’ve created is beyond amazing . Want to read a book for free? Check out my website at:
http://melissahaag.com/free-ebookConnect with me on:
https://www.facebook.com/author.MelissaHaag
I also write adult books under the pen name M.J. Haag. Happy reading!
About Julie McKay:
Julie is an Audie-nominated audiobook narrator of nearly 300 audiobooks. Her work has also been favorably reviewed in the industry magazine Audiofile.
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.
SAINT JUSTICE
Book 1 in the Christopher Wren series
Narrated by Jeff Harding
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook
THEY TRIED TO PUT HIM IN A CAGE. BIG MISTAKE.
Chris Wren was the ultimate black-ops warrior — a relentless killer highly skilled in psychological warfare. As an elite Marine then CIA assassin, he infiltrated and destroyed the world’s darkest terror cells, jihadi threats and criminal cartels — all to keep the homeland safe.
But the darkness took a toll on his family. When his wife takes the kids and runs, fearing Wren’s enemies, he goes AWOL to keep them safe — until a biker gang in Utah tries to put him in a cage.
Big mistake.
Now Wren’s out for payback in the desert. But as the body count rises and the heat soars, a stunning national conspiracy unravels, with the clock ticking on a devastating attack. To save his country, Wren must plunge deeper into the darkness than ever before — and risk losing his family for good.
But justice must be done, and soon…
This is my first Mike Grist read and I like the way he tells a story.
I do not understand the psychology, the basis, nor the system of Wren‘s Foundation. Or why it works. It is so much simpler to just accept that it does, whether it is realistic or not.
While the ending resolved the current dilemma in the book it is also a cliffhanger that points to the next book at the same time. An incentive to encourage readers to buy book 2. While a very good marketing ploy, I do not like it. I do not like cliffhangers.
I’ve been listening to Jeff Harding as Charlie Parker by John Connolly for more than ten years now. Every time I hear him it is like hearing Charlie Parker talking. It takes a lot of adjusting to hear him as Christopher Wren.
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (7 hrs and 49 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5
Mike Grist writes the bestselling Christopher Wren and Girl Zero thriller series.
He was born in the UK to a British father and American mother, and spent his childhood winging between the family farm in Kentucky and a terraced house in Manchester. At 18 he finished his last year of high school in Indiana, took Greyhounds across the US coast-to-coast then worked at a summer camp in Massachusetts.
Fascinated by the extremes of human behavior, Mike got his undergraduate degree in Psychology then followed up with a Masters in motivation theory. After backpacking through India, he taught English in Tokyo, Japan for 11 years, also documenting the dark side of the country’s gangs, cults and abandoned places. His photography and articles about urban exploration have been featured in the Guardian and the Daily Mail.
Now based in London, UK, Mike enjoys working out, eating out, running his local writers’ group, playing ultimate frisbee and spending time with his wife and two cats.
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The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
TOE THE LINE
Book 1 in the DC Jake Tanner series
Narrated by Aubrey Parsons
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook
The owner of a jewellery store has been kidnapped.
The people responsible are known as The Crimsons, an organised crime group the police have been hunting for years.
A deadly collar bomb has been attached to her neck.
To save her, DC Jake Tanner, on the first day of secondment from the Met, must answer a series of riddles and clues to defuse the device.
The countdown to save her has begun…
But as the investigation develops, two things become clear: this is The Crimsons’ last height, and they’re willing to do anything to ensure their survival; and two, not everyone is on Jake’s side. A knot of corruption operating deep within the heart of Surrey Police is working against him every step of the way.
Without knowing who to trust, Jake must decide whether to toe the line of duty or turn against his colleagues and solve the case that could cost him his life…
When I bought this book, I did not realise that this book has been sold before under a different title. That made me a bit apprehensive going into this story. Like there might be something dodgy. Or perhaps the author upgraded the story so it changed title?…
Besides, what does “Toe The Line” got to do with the story?! I could stretch my imagination to make a pretty good guess. But, it would be a stretch!
I got confused with Mark/Murphy. The narration is confused too. I read Murphy in the ebook but I hear Mark. Or I read Mark in the ebook but I hear Murphy. Only to find out that his name is Mark Murphy in chapter 15. The script that the narrator was reading is obviously not the same one as the kindle ebook that amazon is selling. I hate it when that happens!
I like the twisty plot. That one was a pleasure to read! Even though there are plot holes in there. Like, if a character is involved in the plot/scheme, it shouldn’t make her faint in fright because she knows what is going on already. Holes…
The story telling quality though… I find myself needing frequent little breaks in between. This made the pace a little slow despite the convenience of the audiobook format.
Aubrey Parsons narrated this book and that is what made me buy this book to begin with. Obviously I am an old Aubrey Parsons fan.
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (10 hrs and 15 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5
Jack Probyn hasn’t experienced the world. He’s never even owned a pet. But he’d like to; there’s still time. His twenty-two years on the planet have been spent in the United Kingdom, with a few excursions overseas — a particular favourite of his was Amsterdam. Or Norway. Both of which were lovely.
But what Jack lacks in life-experience, he more than makes up for in creative ingenuity. His Jake Tanner series is the birth child of a sinister and twisted mind, and a propensity to assume the worst will happen in even the most mediocre situation.
Finding himself pigeon-holed as a millennial, Jack decided to stick with the stereotype and do things his own way. After all, he felt entitled and he wanted to destroy industries.
Enter: writing.
The love of writing was rekindled in Jack’s life when he (briefly) entered the corporate world, and the passion snowballed from there. No more will the millennial writer find himself working 9-5, indulging in the complexities of business life, or wearing a M&S suit.
He will take the world by storm with his pen(keyboard) and his ability to entertain and enthral readers.
Professional voice over artist and singer for over 20 years. Based in the UK, I have a very neutral British accent. However, I can mimic most UK & Irish accents along with General American and various U.S. regional accents. In addition to voiceover work I am a professional singer.
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
TAKEN TO THE HILLS
Book 1 in the Luke Sackville Crime Thrillers series
Narrated by Aubrey Parsons
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook
Abductions and murder are not what ex-DCI Luke Sackville expected when he left the police after tragedy struck his family.
Luke’s return to the workplace was meant to be a soft landing but when a woman vanishes after being accused of taking bribes, he is assigned a disparate team and tasked with tracking her down.
Their search becomes more urgent when her disappearance is linked to the death of a second woman. When a third goes missing the hunt becomes a race against time. Luke’s return to work presents him with the most challenging case of his career as the murder victims mount.
Promising start to a new-to-me series!
Luke’s world is chuck full of bad guys! If I say anymore it would be spoilery-ish. So, I’ll stop there. I am definitely a fan of this series now!
This is my first S J Richards book and I would definitely look out for more works by this author.
Interesting perspective for a story from a, sort of, outside point of view. Luke is no longer police. So that is an added challenge to his investigation. He no longer have access to things he usually had as police and he has to get used to that.
I’m an old Aubrey Parsons fan. So, of course, his narration was wonderful!!
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (7 hrs and 30 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5
Let’s get one thing straight: my name’s Steve. I’ve never been called ‘SJ’ but Steve Richards is a political writer hence the pen name.
I was born in Bath and have lived at various times on an irregular clockwise circle around England. After university in Manchester my wife and I settled in Macclesfield before moving to Bedfordshire then a few years ago back to Somerset. We now live in Croscombe, a lovely village just outside Wells, with our 2 sprightly cocker spaniels.
I’ve always loved writing but have only really had the time to indulge myself since taking early retirement. My daughter is a brilliant author (I’m not biased of course) which is both an inspiration and – because she’s so good – a challenge. After a few experiments, and a couple of completed but unsatisfactory and never published novels, I decided to write a crime fiction series as it’s one of the genres I most enjoy.
Professional voice over artist and singer for over 20 years. Based in the UK, I have a very neutral British accent. However, I can mimic most UK & Irish accents along with General American and various U.S. regional accents. In addition to voiceover work I am a professional singer.
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
DRAGON’S REACH
Book 1 in the The Keeper Origins series
Narrated by Kate Reading
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook
Sable would do anything to protect her younger sister Talia from Kiva, the ruthless gang boss — including keeping secrets: a money stash, a family secret, and her own magical ability to sense the truth in people’s words.
But when Sable disobeys Kiva and he begins to unravel her secrets, her entire world unravels with them.
With Talia torn from her and Kiva’s henchmen at every corner, Sable stumbles into the most unexpected help — a traveling theater troupe. Far more than a means of escape, the mismatched band of actors quickly becomes the family Sable so desperately needs.
And with their help, the true power in her magic begins to awaken.
When Sable and the troupe come face to face with a looming danger that threatens the entire land, they risk everything to return and warn the city. Against time and her own self-doubts, Sable must perform the lead role in a play powerful enough to gain the attention of the entire city — including Kiva, who’s still hungry for her blood.
At the first sign of too stupid to live (tstl) element in the story, I was very apprehensive! But, I continued on reading in the hopes that it won’t appear again…
Unfortunately that is not to be…
The story telling quality is good enough for me to keep reading. However, I also needed frequent breaks from it. Some breaks are longer than others. When I have forgotten my annoyance, I’d pick this book up again. Because the world building is beautiful!
And then there is Purnicious. The best way to describe her is Harry Potter‘s Dobbie. Same character. Only this time Purn is a kobold instead of a house-elf.
PurniciousMight not be the most original of ideas. Might be a Harry Potter rip-off. However, Purn is still loveable as all get-out!
Then the ending is a cliffhanger. I don’t like cliffhangers!
I am an old Kate Reading fan and she gave a wonderful performance with this book!
Character development = 4
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 3
Ending = 3
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 3
Plot = 3
Narration = 5
A Andrews is a writer, wife, mother, and unemployed rocket scientist. She doesn’t regret the rocket science degree, but finds it generally inapplicable in daily life. Except for the rare occurrence of her being able to definitively state, “That’s not rocket science.” She does, however, love the stars.
She began writing stories and creating coloring books because these sorts of things need an outlet. And now good markers are a deductible business expense.
She spends an inordinate amount of time at home, with her family, who she adores, and lives deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, where she can see more stars than she ever imagined.
Kate Reading is an Audie Award–winning narrator who has recorded hundreds of titles in many genres. She has received numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine, in addition to being named Narrator of the Year and Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy. She has been recognized as Reader of the Year by Publishers Weekly and has appeared on Booklist’s 2019 Top of the List for the American Library Association. She and her husband, narrator Michael Kramer, record at their home studio in Maryland, Madison Productions.
Born: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Spouse: Michael Kramer
Children: Vivian Kramer, Henry KramerOur home studio, Madison Productions, is located in Maryland.
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
HOUSE OF ASH AND SHADOW
Book 1 in the Gilded City series
Narrated by Vanessa Moyen
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook
“And what if I go dark?” I whimpered.
His face sobered. “Then I will jump into the shadows and pull you back to the Light.”Seventeen-year-old Fallon Bane was born with a a single touch from another person will always cause her excruciating pain. Thus, she has accepted that she will die without ever being kissed, without even hugging her own father.
But when her beloved father falls ill, she breaks into the magical Gilded City to find a healer fae that can save him. When handsome healer Ariyon Madden agrees to help, everything she knows about herself and her curse changes. Because during her father’s healing, Ariyon reaches out and touches her bare skin. She waits for the agony… but it never comes.
For the first time in her life, she imagines a new future for herself. However, that fantasy is short-lived, because not only does Ariyon flee from her in disgust when he learns of her curse; he also reveals her existence to powerful fae who want to hurt her.
Fallon is then swept away to a magical academy, there she learns the terrifying truth about her family history and her dark magic. Her life and the future of fae everywhere hang in the balance, and all the while Fallon is dreaming of being touched by Ariyon Madden one more time before she dies…
I like the premise! It appeals to the fantasy geek in me. However, I was not fond of the cliffhanger ending. Authors with a tendency for cliffhagners tend to be avoided. I bought the second book because I wanted to know what happens after the cliffhagner, but, I have only read about a quarter through it and I am not sure if I am going to finish reading it…
There isn’t much of a plot. The entire book is about Fallon going to school and finding romance and that is it! And yes, there is the usual teen angst, too.
This is my second series with Vanessa Moyen narrating and I still like the way she reads!
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 1.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (8 hrs and 20 mins listening time)
Plot = 2
Narration = 4.5
About Leia Stone:
Leia Stone is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Matefinder series which is optioned for flim, and the Hive Trilogy. She lives in Arizona with her husband, two kids and her dog. When she is not chasing around her twin son and daughter, or writing, she has her nose shoved in a book. She wrote her first book when she was 23 years old. Keep reading and live with purpose.
About Vanessa Moyen:
Vanessa is a voiceover actor living in New York City with her husband, baby boy, and fat pug princess, Olive. Her voice can be heard on national network TV, radio and video games for companies such as NBC, Nickelodeon, MTV, Noggin, Travel Channel, HGTV, and most recently for the MTV VMAs and 2021 Olympics! She’s narrated over 250 audiobooks, most of which fall in the young adult fantasy genre. A California native, Vanessa grew up tapping her toes in the theatre world and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College in Boston. She’s a fangirl of new adventures, DIY’ing, Mother Nature, and all things chocolate.
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
THE EYE OF THE WORLD
Book 1 in the Wheel Of Time series
Narrated by Rosamund Pike
Genre: high fantasy
Format: paperback, ebook & audiobook
The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
Moiraine Damodred arrives in Emond’s Field on a quest to find the one prophesized to stand against The Dark One, a malicious entity sowing the seeds of chaos and destruction. When a vicious band of half-men, half beasts invade the village seeking their master’s enemy, Moiraine persuades Rand al’Thor and his friends to leave their home and enter a larger unimaginable world filled with dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.
The first time I’ve read this book was donkey’s years ago. I have forgotten most, if not all, of the things that happened in this book. Back then, I stopped reading about halfway through Knife Of Dreams though I couldn’t quite remember why. Maybe because the author died and I got discouraged thinking that there would not be a finale or a continuation of the series, then. Luckily, Brandon Sanderson came along. And now I can continue reading this series. But first a re-read.
I started remembering the wonderful world building as I read on! I also remembered the too stupid to live (tstl) elements in the book.
Like you are running from danger. You are told (repeatedly) to trust no one and of the dangers. To keep your head down because of the danger. So what do you do? You tell somebody where you are staying and when you are leaving so that the enemy can find you. You laugh out loud in the middle of a crowded street that includes your enemies among the audience so that you get their attention. At which point, I want to cheer for the bad guys to get our heroes seeing that they are jumping over obstacles to get dead! **sigh** Perrin is the only sensible one among the lot, it seems… And those are not the only times that the tstl element showed in this book.
You are running for your lives with evil pursuing you and your companions. The man who saved your life and still trying to save your life screamed at you to douse the fire. So you just look at him. No, you do not douse the fire because you are waiting for the bad guys to catch you first…
One thing I appreciate about an audiobook is that I can speed it up so that I can whizz through the tstl episodes. Makes it a whole lot less painful!
This is my first Rosamund Pike listen and I like the way she portrayed different characters with various voices. I would buy audiobooks by her again.
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 3.5
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (32 hrs and 55 mins listening time)
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 5
Robert Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston. He was a graduate of the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics, and served two tours in Vietnam. His hobbies included hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool and pipe collecting. He died in September 2007.
Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike is regarded as a contemporary and multifaceted actress who has earned international acclaim for both her stage and film roles.
Rosamund recently starred in A United Kingdom opposite David Oyelowo which tells the true story of Seretse Khama, a member of the royal family in South Africa. Khama sparked international outrage when he married a white woman in 1948, and was exiled from his home country by the British Government in 1951. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2016 and opened the London Film Festival in October 2016. In the coming year, she will star in HHHH with director Cedric Jimenez and co-starring Jason Clarke, Jack O’Connell and Jack Reynor. The film tells the story of Heydrich (Clarke), the highest-ranked Nazi officer who was considered to be the mastermind of the “Final Solution” and was assassinated by two resistance paratroopers in 1942. Rosamund will play Lina Heydrich, an aristocrat who was married to Heydrich and reportedly introduced her husband to the Nazi ideology. Rosamund recently wrapped production on the film Entebbe, directed by José Padhila, about the Entebbe hostage crisis of 1976 where two Palestinians and two Germans hijacked an Air France plane en route from Tel Aviv and held 246 passengers and crew hostage at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. Rosamund plays Brigitte Kuhlmann, a German revolutionary who was one of the hijackers. Just before that, Rosamund finished production on Hostiles, directed by Scott Cooper, which tells the story of a legendary Army captain who reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory. She co-stars with Christian Bale.
One further film is completed that will also come out in 2017: Radar Pictures’ political thriller High Wire Act, in which Rosamund starts opposite Jon Hamm. Brad Anderson directs, in a script from Tony Gilroy, about a retired U.S. diplomat and CIA operative attempting a rescue mission in 1980s’ Beirut. Rosamund plays the field agent responsible for Mason Skiles’ (Hamm) safety, as he is called back into service to save a former colleague.
Rosamund recently starred in David Fincher’s film, Gone Girl, in which she played ‘Amy Dunne’, opposite Ben Affleck. Gone Girl was adapted for the screen by the best-selling book’s original author, Gillian Flynn. The film emerged as a box office hit in October 2014, earning over $215 million in global ticket sales. The movie and Rosamund’s performance both earned widespread critical acclaim. Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair wrote that the film is “Smartly shot, detailed … and performed” and called Rosamund’s portrayal as “a star-makingly good performance, spellbinding in its operatic mix of tones and temperatures.” Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter reviewed that Rosamund “is powerful and commanding … Physically and emotionally, Rosamund looks to have immersed herself in this profoundly calculating character, and the results are impressive.”
As such, Rosamund was nominated for an Academy Award, a SAG Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics’ Choice Movie Award and was honored in February 2015 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. She was also honored with the ‘Breakthrough Performance Award’ at the 26th Annual Palm Springs Film Festival for her role in Gone Girl as well as honored for her performance at the Women in Film & TV (UK) Awards. Additionally, Rosamund won many film critics’ awards for her portrayal including the Austin Film Critics Association Award, Utah Film Critics Association Award, and Oklahoma Film Critics’ Circle Award in addition to being nominated for a London Critics’ Circle Film Award, St. Louis Film Critics Award, Phoenix Film Critics Society, International Press Academy Satellite Award, Women’s Image Network Award, Georgia Film Critics Association Award, Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award and the Washington DC Area Film Critics Award.
Earlier in 2014, Rosamund starred opposite Simon Pegg, Stellen Skarsgard and Toni Collette in Peter Chelsom’s Hector and the Search for Happiness. Additionally, she starred in Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin’s part improvised BBC comedy What We Did on Our Holiday alongside Billy Connolly and David Tennant. Prior to that Rosamund starred in Barney’s Version opposite Paul Giamatti. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and went on to receive rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, is a love story poignantly captures the life of the politically incorrect, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky (Giamatti) and the women he has loved in his life. Rosamund’s work in the film earned her a London Critics’ Circle Award for “British Actress of the Year” and a Genie Award nomination for best actress.
Rosamund received critical acclaim for her work as Helen in Lone Scherfig’s Academy Award Nominated Film An Education, opposite Peter Sarsgaard and Carey Mulligan. Received well at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, An Education continued to garner critical acclaim with Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Film Critics nominations, and a win for Best Foreign Film at the Independent Spirit Awards.
Rosamund’s past film credits include A Long Way Down, Edgar Wright’s The World’s End opposite Simon Pegg, Jack Reacher opposite Tom Cruise, and Wrath Of The Titans, directed by Jonathan Liebesman. In 2010, Rosamund played Lisa Hopkins in the dramatic film Made in Dagenham with Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson and Bob Hoskins. She was later nominated for a 2011 London Critics’ Circle Award for “British Actress in a Supporting Role” for her role in the film. Others include, Johnny English Reborn, The Big Year, Women in Love, The Libertine, Pride and Prejudice, Fracture, Fugitive Pieces, Surrogates, Burning Palms, and Die Another Day.
Aside from her cinematic roles, Rosamund has continued to return to her roots in theatre on the London stage. She has starred in Gaslight, Patrick Hamilton’s Victorian thriller, at the Old Vic Theater, The Donmar Warehouse Production of Madame de Sade in The West End, opposite Judi Dench, and The Royal Court Theatre production of Hitchcock Blonde, directed by Terry Johnson. With its enormous success, the play was moved to the Lyric Theater in London’s West End. In 2010 Rosamund played the title role in Hedda Gabler, a performance for which she received rave reviews.
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
MURDER IN THE HOLLOWS
Book 1 in the Jake Cashen series
Narrated by Alexander Cendese
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook
One small town’s dark secrets lay hidden in the hollows…
Rumors have swirled around Jake Cashen his whole life. Is he crazy like his father? Is it true they booted him out of the F.B.I. right after he cracked a career-making RICO case? Was he dirty?
Only Jake knows and he’s not telling.
He came back to his tiny hometown at the foot of Ohio’s Blackhand Hills to serve as a deputy sheriff. He hopes to punch a clock and keep his head down until retirement.
It was a solid plan. Until someone put a bullet in the head of a revered county judge.
Jake’s new boss knows Jake has a particular set of skills. The Sheriff pins a detective badge on him whether Jake likes it or not. He could have said no. But as Jake watches the locals nearly bungle the case in the first five minutes, he knows he’s all in.
As Jake digs into the murder, he soon learns Judge Rand had enemies in every corner. And someone hiding in plain sight may be plotting to bring his investigation to a deadly end.
To bring a cold-blooded killer to justice, Jake’s forced to confront every truth he’s tried to escape. Even the ones that could bury him.
Murder in the Hollows is the gripping first book in the Detective Jake Cashen thriller series. A former police detective, author Declan James brings you authentic crime fiction that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Connelly, Box, Dugoni and Baldacci.
Crime fiction is not really my genre. But I sampled the audiobook and I wanted to listen to more. So, kudos to Alexander Cendese for selling this book to me!
For me to like this book given that it is not my kind of read means that the story telling quality must be compelling enough for me to read it. That is not an easy thing to do! But Declan James managed it! So now, of course I gotta go and buy the next book in the series…
The story of this book and that of Message In The Bones is so similar that I sometimes got the story lines of the two books confused…
I need to stop reading similar books!
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (7 hrs and 45 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5
Before putting pen to paper, Declan James’s career in law enforcement spanned twenty-six years. Declan’s work as a digital forensics detective has earned him the highest honors from the U.S. Secret Service and F.B.I. For the last sixteen years of his career, Declan served on a nationally recognized task force aimed at protecting children from online predators. Prior to that, Declan spent six years undercover working Vice-Narcotics.
An avid outdoorsman and conservationist, Declan enjoys hunting, fishing, grilling, smoking meats, and his quest for the perfect bottle of bourbon. He lives on a lake in Southern Michigan along with his wife and kids.
Alexander Cendese is a New York–based actor and narrator. He has performed on Broadway (A View from the Bridge) and in regional theater, and has narrated numerous audiobooks. His television and film credits include the CW’s Beauty and the Beast, Best Man in the Dark, and Catskill Park.
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
A LITTER OF BONES
Book 1 in the DCI Logan Crime Thrillers series
Narrated by Angus King
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook
A missing child. A tormented detective. A ticking clock.
Ten years ago, DCI Jack Logan stopped the serial child-killer dubbed ‘Mister Whisper,’ earning himself a commendation, a drinking problem, and a broken marriage in the process.
Now, he spends his days working in Glasgow’s Major Investigations Team, and his nights reliving the horrors of what he saw.
And what he did.
When another child disappears a hundred miles north in the Highlands, Jack is sent to lead the investigation and bring the boy home. But as similarities between the two cases grow, could it be that Jack caught the wrong man all those years ago?
And, if so, is the real Mister Whisper about to claim his fourth victim?
I’ve read JD Kirk‘s Robert Hoon Thriller series first before I started reading this book. I understand that this series came first and that Hoon was the off-shoot story. However, I love Hoon so much that I wanted to read more of this author. I just hope that I haven’t messed up royally by reading Hoon first before the DCI Logan series.
The main protagonist is DCI Logan and he is supposed to be the expert in the case having collared the original Mister Whisper. If it was Lt. Eve Dallas of the In Death series by JD Robb, then it would only be Dallas and Dallas alone who would know, catch and apprehend the perpetrator. Not the case here.
Logan might be the main protagonist, but catching the perpetrator is a team effort. I love the In Death series! But I like the “team effort” better!
I like the way Angus King pinched his nose to give Jinkies his character.
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (7 hrs and 31 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5
JD Kirk is the pen name of multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, and writer of comics, Barry Hutchison.
JD Kirk lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, two children, and a number of sturdy umbrellas. Despite writing from a young age, ‘A Litter of Bones’ is his first novel, and combines his love of the Highlands, crime thrillers, and cats.
#Actor #Audiobook narrator including Booker Prize Winner 2020 #Shuggiebain.
Not to be confused with US Senator @Senangusking
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
WEB OF LIES
Book 1 in the Detective Sebastian Clifford series
Narrated by Jonathan Keeble
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook
A trail of secrets. A dangerous discovery. A deadly turn.
Police officer Sebastian Clifford never planned on becoming a private investigator. But when a scandal leads to the disbandment of his London based special squad, he finds himself out of a job. That is, until his cousin calls on him to investigate her husband’s high-profile death, and prove that it wasn’t a suicide.
Clifford’s reluctant to get involved, but the more he digs, the more evidence he finds. With his ability to remember everything he’s ever seen, he’s the perfect person to untangle the layers of deceit.
He meets Detective Constable Bird, an underutilised detective at Market Harborough’s police force, who refuses to give him access to the records he’s requested unless he allows her to help with the investigation. Clifford isn’t thrilled. The last time he worked as part of a team it ended his career.
But with time running out, Clifford is out of options. Together they must wade through the web of lies in the hope that they’ll find the truth before it kills them.
This is my first Sally Rigby read and I would read her again.
I am an urban fantasy geek, so, not really a crime fiction fan. However, having said that, I do cross over to the dark side from time to time. Like now. Plotlessness is endemic in urban fantasy. So, a little plot already impresses me. This book’s plot impresses me. Another thing… the names of the police staff in Market Harborough police force sounded like, dog names… Huh!…
Seb is an ex-copper. However, by the name of the series “Detective Sebastian Clifford“, I take it that he’ll be re-instated to his former rank in the police force at some point in the series… (?) …
This is my first Jonathan Keeble audiobook listen and I like the way he reads! I also like that he gave Freddie Evans, the pub manager, a Welsh accent!
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (9 hrs and 17 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5
Sally Rigby was born in Northampton, UK. After leaving university she worked in magazines and radio, before finally embarking on a career lecturing in both further and higher education. Sally has always had the travel bug and after living in Manchester and London moved overseas. From 2001 she has lived with her family in New Zealand (apart from five years in Australia), which she considers to be the most beautiful place in the world.
Sally is the author of the acclaimed Cavendish and Walker series, and the more recent Detective Sebastian Clifford series. In collaboration with another author, she also writes psychological thrillers for Boldwood Books.
Sally has always loved crime fiction books, films and TV programmes. She has a particular fascination with the psychology of serial killers.
Jonathan Keeble is an award-winning actor who combines his audio work with a busy theatre and TV career. Much in demand, his voice work ranges from the voice of God in the Sistine Chapel to the Angel of Death in the film Hellboy 2, with all stops in between. He has featured in over 700 radio plays for the BBC, appearing in everything from Shakespeare to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Who; he also played the evil Owen in The Archers. He has recorded over 400 audiobooks, for which he has won multiple awards.
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.
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This blog is a sister site of www.cherrymischievous.com. Content on both sites is more or less the same.
ABOUT US
Cherry Mischievous (CM) started out as a personal blog of Cherry. It still is, sort of, among other things. But now, we have evolved into a kind of blog where friends who share the same love of books also blog… to know more about us, click on our names to go to our profiles:
Please note that not all reviews here are positive, but then we do not expect the entire wide world to agree and have the same tastes as us. It would be an incredibly boring and monotonous world! Besides, even among ourselves we don’t agree! One would rate a book 4.5 while the other would rate the same exact book with only 3 or less… So have a look and see, especially if it is your genre of books, even though it garnered a low rating with us, you might find it interesting 🙂
Now, let me tell you about Cherry… I am an avid reader of SciFi/Fantasy/Romance books and always on the look out for a good book to read. I dabble in the black arts of light and shadow… err mmm… photography, I mean. I am also in great excess of 18 years old. I am a nurse and constantly getting in trouble because I refuse to live in a box of preconceptions of other people of how things are suppose to be. And let me tell you, nursing is dominated with “tradition” and “sacred cows“, as any nurse and nursing student will tell you. I love spaghetti, chocolate ice cream, coffee and of course, books! I positively abhor stories with cliffhanger endings and driving in London! I am slightly insane, sometimes sarcastic, can be obnoxious, and totally honest. And oh yeah, people call me tactless too 🙂 Welcome to my corner of the world!
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