Cherry Mischievous

for the love of SciFi/Fantasy

CURSED WOLF

 

Cursed Wolf by Brogan Thomas
Book 1 in the Creatures of the Otherworld series
Narrated by Poppy Royana
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook

 

 

About Cursed Wolf:

Loathed by those who should love her, can one fierce woman discover the secrets of her unique blood in time to be her own rescuer?

Forrest Hesketh desperately clings to humanity. Trapped in an infuriatingly inept wolf form since she was nine years old, the traumatised girl’s hope of regaining her ability to shift is slowly fading. But as her abusive pack plots to kill her, her desperate act to help her kind stepbrother finally triggers the broken young woman’s transformation.

Stunned that suddenly everyone wants her after fourteen years of horrific treatment, Forrest struggles to relearn basic skills while dodging kidnappers and assassins. And with a powerful shifter councilman determined to claim her as a mate, even the protection of a gorgeous dragon can’t guarantee her safety.

With monsters closing in, will Forrest’s undaunted courage be enough to keep her alive?

Source: Info in the “About Cursed Wolf was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54817962-cursed-wolf on 26/06/2021.

 

Book Trailer :

 

 

Buy Link(s):

 

  Audible Books

 

My Thoughts:

This is my first Brogan Thomas book and I am so very glad that I stumbled into her! I like her author’s voice! The sassy sarcasm and the way she weaves a wonderful world and her characters are loveable! Though the plot has tiny little holes in them and kinda predictable. However, I can forgive that because this is urban fantasy after all, not crime fiction. And the first chapter took a little bit of perseverance on my part to get through. A more forgiving reader might not struggle as hard….

This is also my first Poppy Royana listen and I like the way she reads! Her British accent and young voice fits Forrest to the T! I like the way she reads her lines with sarcasm and vive!

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 4
Narration = 5

 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries

 

Books In The Creatures of the Otherworld Series:

 

 

Books In The Rebel of the Otherworld Series:

 

 

Meet The Author

 

About Brogan Thomas:

Brogan lives in Ireland with her husband and their eleven furry children: five furry minions of darkness (aka the cats), four hellhounds (the dogs), and two traditional unicorns (fat, hairy Irish cobs).

In 2019 she decided to embrace her craziness by writing about the imaginary people that live in her head. Her first love is her number-one favourite furry child Bob the cob, then reading. When not reading or writing, she can be found knee-deep in horse poo and fur while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

broganthomas.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | bookbub | pinterest | youtube | amazon | goodreads

 

The Narrator

About Poppy Royana:

Born and raised in the South East but finding her home in the North, Poppy is a bi British Narrator based in not too sunny Manchester. With experience in musical theatre, Poppy is both a singer and a book lover and teaches singing when she’s not found narrating in her booth.

Poppy’s voice could possibly be mistaken at times for Olivia Colman’s so we’d like to think that, in our opinion, Poppy has an award-winning voice. She sounds warm and uplifting whilst being articulate and crisp; and not only that but she can nail sarcasm to a T. There’s really not much Poppy can’t do!

www.poppyroyanaaudio.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | linkedin | goodreads

 

 

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

10/09/2023 Posted by | 5 cherries, audible, audible.co.uk, audiobook, audiobook review, audiobooks, book review, Brogan Thomas, Cherry's review, Cherry's reviews, Creatures of the Otherworld, dragons, ebook, ebook review, kindle ebook, kindle ebook review, magic, Poppy Royana, review, reviews, urban fantasy, werewolf, werewolves, witches | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SHADOWS IN DEATH

 

SHADOWS IN DEATH by JD Robb (US cover)

Shadows In Death by JD Robb
Book 51 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books

 

 

About Shadows In Death:

Lt. Eve Dallas is about to walk into the shadows of her husband’s dangerous past.

As it often did since he’d married a cop, murder interrupted more pleasant activities. Then again, Roarke supposed, the woman lying in a pool of her own blood a few steps inside the arch in Washington Square Park had a heftier complaint.

When a night out at the theatre is interrupted by the murder of a young woman in Washington Square Park, it seems like an ordinary case for Detective Eve Dallas and her team. But when Roarke spots a shadow from his past in the crowd, Eve realises that this case is far from business as usual.

Eve has two complex cases on her hands – the shocking murder of this wealthy young mother and tracking down the shadow before he can strike again, this time much closer to home. Eve is well used to being the hunter, but how will she cope when the tables are turned? As Eve and the team follow leads to Roarke’s hometown in Ireland, the race is on to stop the shadow making his next move . . .

Source: Info in the “About Shadows In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49127524-shadows-in-death on 16/06/2020.

 

Buy Link(s):
 

  Audible Books

 

SHADOWS IN DEATH by JD Robb (UK cover)

Review:

The bad news is, that there is no Bella. The good news is that the staying power of JD Robb‘s story telling quality is still going strong!

The readers are told exactly who the perpetrators are, right at the outset. So this book is not so much as looking for who the murderer is, but, how the investigation was carried out to bring down the murderers with side stories on the way, like, Roarke‘s past coming to the fore.

I probably have said everything I have to say about this book in my reviews of previous books in this series. However, that doesn’t make it any less true that the story telling quality is compelling. The character development is wonderful. The world building is beautiful! 51 books down the line and I am still a fan! Even though Shadows In Death is not the greatest book in the series, it is still an enjoyable read!

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (10 hrs & 59 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4.5

 

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

 


 

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

12/02/2022 Posted by | 4 cherries, audible, audible.co.uk, audiobook, audiobook review, audiobooks, book review, crime fiction, ebook, In Death series, JD Robb, kindle, kindle ebook, kindle review, Lt. Eve Dallas, review, reviews, Roarke, science fiction, Susan Ericksen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FESTIVE IN DEATH

 

 
FESTIVE IN DEATH by JD Robb

 

 

Festive In Death by JD Robb
Book 39 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books

 

About Festive In Death:

Personal trainer Trey Ziegler was in peak physical condition. If you didn’t count the kitchen knife in his well-toned chest.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas soon discovers a lineup of women who were loved and left by the narcissistic gym rat. While Dallas sorts through the list of Ziegler’s enemies, she’s also dealing with her Christmas shopping list — plus the guest list for her and her billionaire husband’s upcoming holiday bash.

Feeling less than festive, Dallas tries to put aside her distaste for the victim and solve the mystery of his death. There are just a few investigating days left before Christmas, and as New Year’s 2061 approaches, this homicide cop is resolved to stop a cold-blooded killer.

Source: Info in the “About Festive In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20821249-festive-in-death on 16/02/2019.

FESTIVE IN DEATH by JD Robb
 

Re-Read Review:

I love that this book opens with Trina, who Dallas fear with something close to a phobia! What does that say for my psyche? Yeah, I know, sucker for a teddy bear!

As the title “Festive” denotes, this In Death episode centers around the holiday season, and Dallas does not like Christmases much! It is fun to see her squirm! Sadistic much?!

Another reason that this book is my favourite in the series, is because it is not only Lt. Eve Dallas who knows who the killer is. But it turns out that her favorite suspect is not it after all, which is a deviation from the usual pattern in these books. Kudos to this installment!

Susan Ericksen sound like she sort of have a cold with this book. I could hear the thickened sinuses. But, she still reads with her usual gomp. Blocked nose or not, Susan Ericksen is still a star narrator.

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs & 25 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4.5

 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries

 

 
FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

05/12/2021 Posted by | 4 cherries, audible, audible.co.uk, audiobook, audiobook review, audiobooks, book review, Cherry's review, Cherry's reviews, crime fiction, ebook, In Death series, JD Robb, kindle, kindle ebook, Lt. Eve Dallas, review, Roark, science fiction, Susan Ericksen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GOLDEN IN DEATH

 

GOLDEN IN DEATH by JD Robb

Golden In Death by JD Robb
Book 50 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books

 

 

About Golden In Death:

In the latest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas investigates a murder with a mysterious motive ― and a terrifying weapon.

Pediatrician Kent Abner received the package on a beautiful April morning. Inside was a cheap trinket, a golden egg that could be opened into two halves. When he pried it apart, highly toxic airborne fumes entered his body ― and killed him.

After Eve Dallas calls the hazmat team ― and undergoes testing to reassure both her and her husband that she hasn’t been exposed ― it’s time to look into Dr. Abner’s past and relationships. Not every victim Eve encounters is an angel, but it seems that Abner came pretty close ― though he did ruffle some feathers over the years by taking stands for the weak and defenseless. While the lab tries to identify the deadly toxin, Eve hunts for the sender. But when someone else dies in the same grisly manner, it becomes clear that she’s dealing with either a madman ― or someone who has a hidden and elusive connection to both victims.

Source: Info in the “About Golden In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046771-golden-in-death on 17/02/2020.

 

GOLDEN IN DEATH by JD Robb audiobook

Narrative:

Book 50 in the series. So that’s what, at least 25 years running? Have you ever heard of such a thing? I haven’t either, except this one. And I’m still a fan. However, by now, it is not as exciting as I seem to remember it to be donkey’s years ago. Still, books in this series are an auto-buy and pre-ordered. And loving every single one of them. Even those I rated not so high. Now why is that?? I can only say that it gotta be the way the author tells a story. JD Robb is a masterful story teller. My greatest regret with this book is that I did not get to see Bella! Now, that one is a bit of a downer. However, it looks like we are getting two Bellas in the succeeding books, yay!! We’ll see how bad-ass Dallas holds up to two sets of those big blue eyes and quivery lips!

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs & 50 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4.5

 

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

 


 

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

05/10/2020 Posted by | 4 cherries, audible, audible.co.uk, audiobook, audiobook review, audiobooks, book review, Cherry's review, Cherry's reviews, crime fiction, ebook, In Death series, JD Robb, kindle, kindle ebook, Lt. Eve Dallas, review, Roark, science fiction, Susan Ericksen, Uncategorized | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

LEVERAGE IN DEATH

 

LEVERAGE IN DEATH by JD Robb

Leverage In Death by JD Robb
Book 47 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books

 

 

About Leverage In Death:

Lieutenant Eve Dallas puzzles over a bizarre suicide bombing in a Wall St. office building in the latest in the #1 New York Times bestselling series…

For the airline executives finalizing a merger that would make news in the business world, the nine a.m. meeting would be a major milestone. But after marketing VP Paul Rogan walked into the plush conference room, strapped with explosives, the headlines told of death and destruction instead. The NYPSD’s Eve Dallas confirms that Rogan was cruelly coerced by two masked men holding his family hostage. His motive was saving his wife and daughter — but what was the motive of the masked men?

Despite the chaos and bad publicity, blowing up one meeting isn’t going to put the brakes on the merger. All it’s accomplished is shattering a lot of innocent lives. Now, with the help of her billionaire husband Roarke, Eve must untangle the reason for an inexplicable act of terror, look at suspects inside and outside both corporations, and determine whether the root of this crime lies in simple sabotage, or something far more complex and twisted.

Source: Info in the “About Leverage In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36630002-leverage-in-death on 09/09/2018.

 

LEVERAGE IN DEATH by JD Robb

My Thoughts:

I am totally blaming my 2009 Book Bloggers Holiday Book Swap secret santa for giving me Naked In Death which started me off to become a fan of this series. And I have been a fan for a very long time… however, 47 books down the line and it is eventually starting to wane on me. But, still interested enough to buy it for the foreseeable future though… wane or not. At this point, I believe that I have said everything I have to say about this series, and this book is no different from the rest of the series. Well, other than that I feel that it’s staying power is starting to wane, just a little bit. I am also happy to see a little bit of Bella. I wish that JD Robb would give us a little bigger chunks of her in the future books! She is a bright spot any day! I think it is also good that there is only one or two books per year for this series. It is just enough time to make fans miss the characters like old friends but not enough to get bored of it totally yet. Another great installment in the In Death series!

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs & 25 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4.5

 

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

 


 

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

11/09/2020 Posted by | 4.5 cherries, audible, audible.co.uk, audiobook, audiobook review, audiobooks, book review, Cherry's review, Cherry's reviews, crime fiction, ebook, In Death series, JD Robb, kindle ebook, Lt. Eve Dallas, review, Roark, science fiction, Susan Ericksen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

WONDERMENT IN DEATH

DARK IN DEATH by JD Robb
 

Wonderment In Death by JD Robb
Book 41.5 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook Audible Books

 

 

About Wonderment In Death:

Things aren’t what they seem when Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates what appears to be a routine murder/suicide. When friends of Darlene and Marcus Fitzwilliams insist Darlene would never hurt her brother, Eve digs deeper.

Eve learns that Darlene sought help from sensitivities, psychics, and doctors of paranormal studies in an attempt to contact her dead parents. After clues mimicking Alice in Wonderland repeatedly turns up, the case gets curiouser and curiouser…

Racing against the clock, Eve must travel down the rabbit hole to stop a madman’s murderous tea party.

Source: Info in the “About Wonderment In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25217301-wonderment-in-death on 03/03/2018.

 

Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books

 

DARK IN DEATH by JD Robb (UK)

My Thoughts:

This is a short sweet instalment in the In Death series. Plot follows the same pattern as the full length books, just shorter story. So no room for twists. Quiet straightforward, but still enjoyable. In fact I like this better than Dark In Death which started to feel boring to me. It might be the book or might be just me reading too many JD Robb books. And I guess because it is not just Dallas alone knowing who the bad guy is intuitively. Although the supernatural element is stronger in this story than in full novels, like all short stories in this series tends to be, it is still good to read that it is not just Dallas alone who knows the plot. That kind where only she knows, kinds of gets old fast. So even though this is just a short story in the series, I would still rate this book a five.

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = (3 hrs and 32 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 4.5

 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries

 


 

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

05/03/2020 Posted by | 5 cherries, audible, audible.co.uk, audiobook, audiobook review, audiobooks, book review, Cherry's review, Cherry's reviews, crime fiction, ebook, In Death series, JD Robb, kindle, kindle ebook, kindle review, Lt. Eve Dallas, review, Roark, science fiction, Susan Ericksen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DARK IN DEATH

 

DARK IN DEATH by JD Robb

Dark In Death by JD Robb
Book 46 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books

 

 

About Dark In Death:

It was a stab in the dark.

On a chilly February night, during a screening of Psycho in midtown, someone sunk an ice pick into the back of Chanel Rylan’s neck, then disappeared quietly into the crowds of drunks and tourists in Times Square. To Chanel’s best friend, who had just slipped out of the theater for a moment to take a call, it felt as unreal as the ancient black-and-white movie up on the screen. But Chanel’s blood ran red, and her death was anything but fictional.

Then, as Eve Dallas puzzles over a homicide that seems carefully planned and yet oddly personal, she receives a tip from an unexpected source: an author of police thrillers who recognizes the crime — from the pages of her own book. Dallas doesn’t think it’s coincidence, since a recent strangulation of a sex worker resembles a scene from her writing as well. Cops look for patterns of behavior: similar weapons, similar MOs. But this killer seems to find inspiration in someone else’s imagination, and if the theory holds, this may be only the second of a long-running series.

The good news is that Eve and her billionaire husband Roarke have an excuse to curl up in front of the fireplace with their cat, Galahad, reading mystery stories for research. The bad news is that time is running out before the next victim plays an unwitting role in a murderer’s deranged private drama — and only Eve can put a stop to a creative impulse gone horribly, destructively wrong.

Source: Info in the “About Dark In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35466342-dark-in-death on 31/01/2018.

 

DARK IN DEATH by JD Robb (UK)

My Thoughts:

5% into the book and it had me thinking about that Sharon Stone movie where the crime author was the killer… However that sense of similarity to that movie soon faded as Dark In Death‘s story unfolded. Anyway, and just for fun, below is the trailer for Basic Instinct

I was looking forward to this book for a year but once I started reading/listening to it, it kinda got boring and I was afraid that the staying power of this series has finally started to wane on me. It probably is not the book, it’s most likely just me. But I guess it gotta happen sometime. Anyway, I still enjoyed the book but not as much as I used to with this series. Or even like the last book. For some reason this one is mediocre to me compared to previous books. Anyway, I still like meeting Bella again! That one I really liked! And the plot is quite solid with this book, too. This time its not just Dallas, all by her lonely self (again), who got the murderer. This time it was actually a team effort that they got the bad guy. I like that, rather than it’s only ever Dallas who got the antagonist in the end. That was ok for the first few books. After reading it like that, book after book after book, it kinda lost its novelty. Not only that, it also gets annoying. However, this book is not like that, so kudos to this book!

Just because I whinged doesn’t mean I not a fan anymore. I still am. And would still continue buying this series for some time to come. I just wished that I hadn’t gotten jaded yet… It was more fun then…

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs & 25 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4.5

 

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

 

BASIC INSTINCT Trailer:

 


 

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

19/03/2018 Posted by | 4 cherries, audible, audible.co.uk, audiobook, audiobook review, audiobooks, book review, Cherry's review, Cherry's reviews, crime fiction, ebook, In Death series, JD Robb, kindle, kindle ebook, review, reviews, Roark, science fiction, Susan Ericksen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SECRETS IN DEATH

 

SECRETS IN DEATH by JD Robb

Secrets In Death by JD Robb
Book 45 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books

 

 

About Secrets In Death:

The chic Manhattan nightspot Du Vin is not the kind of place Eve Dallas would usually patronize, and it’s not the kind of bar where a lot of blood gets spilled. But that’s exactly what happens one cold February evening.

The mortally wounded woman is Larinda Mars, a self-described “social information reporter,” or as most people would call it, a professional gossip. As it turns out, she was keeping the most shocking stories quiet, for profitable use in her side business as a blackmailer. Setting her sights on rich, prominent marks, she’d find out what they most wanted to keep hidden and then bleed them dry. Now someone’s done the same to her, literally—with a knife to the brachial artery.

Eve didn’t like Larinda Mars. But she likes murder even less. To find justice for this victim, she’ll have to plunge into the dirty little secrets of all the people Larinda Mars victimized herself. But along the way, she may be exposed to some information she really didn’t want to know…

Source: Info in the “About Secrets In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31824122-secrets-in-death on 30/04/2017.

 

SECRETS IN DEATH by JD Robb (UK)

My Thoughts:

Forty-five books down the line and and I am still buying the In Death series books. Shouldn’t it have waned by now? But the thing is, I still look forward to it every year. I like the way their lives evolved and its like meeting old friends again. Once a year. A lot of the scenes are unrealistic of course, something that would only happen in a book but never in real life, so why is it so easy to suspend disbelief? The only answer I could find to that, is that the author has a way of telling things and weaving a story that makes it easy for readers to believe in it. It’s masterful story telling quality! And that probably also explains the staying power of this series. However, this particular book seems to have a… just slightly…
a tiny tinee… predictable villain. Or maybe I am just reading too many In Death books…

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs & 2 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4.5

 

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

 


 

FTC Disclosure:
Ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

09/09/2017 Posted by | 5 cherries, audible, audible.co.uk, audiobook, audiobook review, audiobooks, book review, Cherry's review, Cherry's reviews, crime fiction, ebook, In Death series, JD Robb, kindle, kindle ebook, Lt. Eve Dallas, review, reviews, Roark, science fiction, Susan Ericksen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

ECHOES IN DEATH

 

ECHOES IN DEATH by JD Robb

Echoes In Death by JD Robb
Book 44 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books

 

 

About Echoes In Death:

This chilling new suspense novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb is the perfect entry point into the compelling In Death police procedural series featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

As NY Lt. Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband Roarke are driving home, a young woman—dazed, naked, and bloody—suddenly stumbles out in front of their car. Roarke slams on the brakes and Eve springs into action.

Daphne Strazza is rushed to the ER, but it’s too late for her husband Dr. Anthony Strazza. A brilliant orthopedic surgeon, he now lies dead amid the wreckage of his obsessively organized town house, his three safes opened and emptied. Daphne would be a valuable witness, but in her terror and shock the only description of the perp she can offer is repeatedly calling him “the devil”…

While it emerges that Dr. Strazza was cold, controlling, and widely disliked, this is one case where the evidence doesn’t point to the spouse. So Eve and her team must get started on the legwork, interviewing everyone from dinner-party guests to professional colleagues to caterers, in a desperate race to answer some crucial questions:

What does the devil look like? And where will he show up next?

Source: Info in the “About Echoes In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31384635-echoes-in-death on 10/02/2017.

 

BROTHERHOOD IN DEATH by JD Robb audiobook

My Thoughts:

By now, Susan Ericksen‘s voice is firmly entrenched in my head as Eve Dallas‘ voice, just as Johanna Parker‘s is Sookie Stackhouse‘s. Flaws and all. So it no longer matter what previous dislikes I might have for the narration, it is all good now.

The plot is just a little on the side of fantastical rather than crime fiction this time. Or maybe it has always been like that and this is just the first time that I really let myself see it. I do have the tendency to want to keep my fantasy bubble and be obstinately blind. Or maybe I am becoming less enamoured by this series and start getting cynical (I hope not). Anyway, it is still a flipping good read.

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs & 43 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4

 

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

 


 

FTC Disclosure:
Ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

11/02/2017 Posted by | 4 cherries, audiobook, book review, Cherry's reviews, ebook, review | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: BROTHERHOOD IN DEATH

 

BROTHERHOOD IN DEATH by JD Robb
 

Brotherhood In Death by JD Robb
Book 42 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books

 

 

About Brotherhood In Death:

Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy…

Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.

Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze.

As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed — and locked — doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming.

Source: Info in the “About Brotherhood In Death” was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25337081-brotherhood-in-death on 19/09/2015.

 

BROTHERHOOD IN DEATH by JD Robb audiobook

My Thoughts:

42 books into the series… and one would expect “same old, same old” yet somehow, JD Robb manages to put a fresh spin to it all. It is a credit to her story telling abilities that this series’ staying power hasn’t faded on me yet. In fact, I am as enraptured with it as I ever was. I think waiting for the next book for a year may have contributed to it, that every time I get my hands on the next book it was like meeting a long lost friend again. Which is exactly what this book felt like. The down side is, I didn’t see Bella in this book. This book also reminded me why I don’t really like crime fiction… because crime fictions gotta have crime in it! Uglies in life is not my kind of thing. I’m an escapist reader. I read to escape the uglies! Having said that, JD Robb does make it worth my while to read through the uglies to read an enjoyable book! So it’s 4.5, not a 5 out of 5, only by virtue of it being a crime fiction!

 

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs and 37 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4

 

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

 


 

FTC Disclosure:
Ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 

06/04/2016 Posted by | 4 cherries, audiobook, book review, Cherry's reviews, ebook, review | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment