GOLDEN IN DEATH

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

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.

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.

GABBY

Gabby by Sherry Foster
Book 1 in the Safe Haven Wolves series
Narrated by Jacq Ainsworth
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Gabby:

Shifter females have become scarce.

Protected at all cost.

When a strange young female shows up in his territory all alone Trey, and his pack are shocked. But Trey knows his duty, protect the female at all cost. Then he meets Gabby and finds she is his mate. Now he must find out where she came from, what she is running from and then convince her to stay. That may be easier said than done when he finds she has no knowledge of the shifter world.

Gabby found a place to stay. Something deep inside her insists the area is safe, but she has been on the run for five years, she knows no place is safe for long. They always find her. She doesn't know how, she doesn't know who, or even why, she just knows, they will find her. On top of that worry, she is sure she is going crazy, she has no explanation for the events occurring around her. And the wolves, they keep showing up around her cabin. Are they hungry?

Can Trey convince Gabby he is her mate, and she is not going crazy? And what will he do to keep her safe?

Gabby is book one of a series and was previously published under the same cover and title in July of 2018. Additional chapters were added to the book to enhance the story. (September 2019) The books each focus on one couple, but the books must be read in order for the over-all story. The books contain a dash of mystery, suspense, intrigue and humor with a touch of romance. No heat.

The reviews on the book do not reflect the current book. This book has undergone an extensive rework. The reviews were mistakenly pulled to the new version.

Source: Info in the About Gabby was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47979111-gabby on 02/11/2019.

My Thoughts:

A promising start to a new-to-me series! The wolf theme has been used several times already, so the story is not that original. However, I like the premise and the way the author tells a story is not bad either. The world building is beautiful! The character development is quite good, except the main heroine. For some reason she feels stupid sometimes. **sigh!** Anyway, for an audiobook which is 5-hours long, this ought to be a short book. However, it took me longer than I expected to finish the book, even with the convenience of the audiobook format. The plot is quite straightforward, but at least there is a plot! It seemed to me that I have been reading urban fantasy books lately that did not have any which is sad. And of course it ended in a cliffhanger pointing to the story of the next book. However, there was a resolution to the plot in this book. Kudos! This is my first Jacq Ainsworth audiobook listen and I like the way she reads. Another Kudos for this book!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3.5
World building = 4
Cover art = 3
Pace = (5 hrs and 42 mins listening time)
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries

Books in the Safe Haven Wolves series:

               

Meet The Author

About Sherry Foster:

Sherry fell in love with reading when she was young and never lost her love of words on a page. She enjoys fantasy and science fiction along with a few other genres. She has two grown children and eight grandchildren who keep her on her toes.

She writes fantasy but has plans to branch out into other genres eventually.

www.sherryfosterauthor.com | twitter | facebook | facebook page | instagram | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Jacq Ainsworth:

Jacq works as an actor and theatre director in the Vancouver area. She has done voice work for Knowledge Network and radio and internet commercials, and has acted in indies and commercials. Jacq works as a producer for Audible, is on the board of Bard in the Valley, and is often found entertaining select crowds at murder mystery events.

website | facebook | imdb | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

LEVERAGE IN DEATH

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

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.

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.

Review: ALL THE LITTLE LIARS

All The Little Liars by Charlaine Harris
Book 9 of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries
Read by Therese Plummer
Format: ebook & audiobook
Genre: murder mystery

About All The Little Liars:

#1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris returns to her Aurora Teagarden mystery series with a fabulous new book featuring the small-town Southern librarian.

Aurora Teagarden is basking in the news of her pregnancy when disaster strikes her small Georgia town: four kids vanish from the school soccer field in an afternoon. Aurora’s 15-year-old brother Phillip is one of them. Also gone are two of his friends, and an 11-year-old girl who was just hoping to get a ride home from soccer practice. And then there’s an even worse discovery — at the kids’ last known destination, a dead body.

While the local police and sheriff’s department comb the county for the missing kids and interview everyone even remotely involved, Aurora and her new husband, true crime writer Robin Crusoe, begin their own investigation. Could the death and kidnappings have anything to do with a group of bullies at the middle school? Is Phillip’s disappearance related to Aurora’s father’s gambling debts? Or is Phillip himself, new to town and an unknown quantity, responsible for taking the other children? But regardless of the reason, as the days go by, the most important questions remain. Are the kids still alive? Who could be concealing them? Where could they be?

With Christmas approaching, Aurora is determined to find her brother…if he’s still alive.

After more than a decade, #1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris finally returns to her fan-favorite Aurora Teagarden series with All the Little Liars, a fabulously fun new mystery.

Source: Info in the About All The Little Liars was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220808-all-the-little-liars on 15/05/2017.

My Thoughts:

I read this series, like, donkey's years ago! Then all of a sudden I come across another book in this series more than ten years later! Whoa! That is a long hiatus!! And only Charlaine Harris can revive back to life a series that long dead. I wonder why she decided to write again in the Aurora Teagarden's world, after all this time... Speaking of which, I find the story flow a little bit sluggish... Sluggish?! ...heck! It's a little bit under crawling pace... at less than a snail's pace!!... The main reason being that I have already forgotten a lot of the characters and events from previous books. So I had to stop and think, who was who? And did Roe got married before?? Yeah, that was how long ago I've read this series... But I remember Therese Plummer's sleepy voice! And am very happy to be listening to it again! But after a while, it all comes back more easily this time... after an annoyingly interminable time.... *sigh* ... did I say it was a long time ago??...

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 3
Cover art = 1
Pace = (7 hrs and 51 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


Books In Aurora Teagarden Mysteries:

 

About Charlaine Harris
	Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing for over thirty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area. Though her early works consisted largely of poems about ghosts and teenage angst, she began writing plays when she attended Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She switched to novels a few years later, and achieved publication in 1981 with Sweet and Deadly. After publishing two stand-alone mysteries, Harris launched the lighthearted Aurora Teagarden books with Real Murders, a Best Novel 1990 nomination for the Agatha Awards. Harris wrote eight books in her series about a Georgia librarian. In 1996, she released the first in the much darker Shakespeare mysteries, featuring the amateur sleuth Lily Bard, a karate student who makes her living cleaning houses. Shakespeare’s Counselor, the fifth—and final—Lily Bard novel, was printed in fall 2001. By then, Harris was feeling the call of new territory. Starting with the premise of a young woman with a disability who wants to try inter-species dating, she created The Sookie Stackhouse urban fantasy series before there was a genre called “urban fantasy.” Telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse works in a bar in the fictional northern Louisiana town of Bon Temps. The first book in the series, Dead Until Dark, won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery in 2001. Each subsequent book follows Sookie through adventures involving vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. The series, which ended in 2013, has been released in over thirty languages. Sookie Stackhouse has proven to be so popular that Alan Ball, creator of the HBO television series Six Feet Under, announced he would undertake the production of a new HBO series based upon the books He wrote and directed the pilot episode for that series, True Blood, which premiered in September of 2008. In October 2005, the first of Harris’s new mystery series about a young woman named Harper Connelly debuted with the release of Grave Sight. Harper has the ability to determine the cause of death of any body. After four novels, this series is on hiatus. Now Harris is working on a trilogy of graphic novels with Christopher Golden and artist Don Kramer, “Cemetery Girl.” On her own she is writing a new series set in the small town of Midnight, Texas. Harris has also co-edited a series of very popular anthologies with her friend Toni L.P. Kelner, aka Leigh Perry. The anthologies feature stories with an element of the supernatural, and the submissions come from a rare mixture of mystery and urban fantasy writers. Professionally, Harris is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the American Crime Writers League, Sisters in Crime, and the International Crime Writers Association. She is a past member of the boards of Sisters in Crime and MWA, and she has served as president of the MWA. She is also a member of Science Fiction Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and Romance Writers of America, just to make sure she’s covered. Personally, Harris has been married for many years. She mother of three wonderful children and the grandmother of two. She lives in central Texas, and when she is not writing her own books, she reads omnivorously. Her house is full of rescue dogs.
charlaineharris.com | facebook | twitter | goodreads | amazon | google+ | instagram

The Narrator
	Therese Plummer is an actor and voice over artist living and working in New York City. Favorite roles to date include TV: Rose Nerrick, The Good Wife, Andy in Law and Order SVU. Stage: Celebrity Row; New York Theatre Workshop, Under Tillage, The Irish Repertory Theatre. Off-off Broadway credits include The Vagina Monologues, Suzanne in Twilight of the Gold’s and Madeline in the Award Winning Samuel French Short play The Sweet Room. Comedy Credits include Improv at Upright Citizens Brigade and Stand-up at Caroline’s Comedy Club. Therese also performed her one woman show, Ribbons Undone, at the Here Arts Center. Therese records audio books for Audible.com, Recorded Books and Talking Books, Inc. As an adolescent counselor, Therese spent five years utilizing Drama therapy techniques in individual and group settings before moving to New York. She shares a passion of creating, helping and entertaining and feels incredibly lucky to do all three.
www.thereseplummer.com | twitter | facebook | goodreads | google+ | audible

FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.