CORPSE ROAD

Corpse Road by David J. Gatward
Book 3 in the DCI Harry Grimm series
Narrated by Aubrey Parsons
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Corpse Road:

Picturesque hills stained with blood. An MO like no other. Can this senior officer draw on his paratrooper past to catch a twisted mind?

DCI Harry Grimm is still grappling with the Yorkshire Dales custom of eating cheese with cake. But the seasoned big-city cop has more than enough experience getting pulled out of bed in the middle of the night for the grisliest crimes. So the gruesome early-hour discovery of a woman’s savaged remains on the bleakly beautiful terrain has the detective keen to slam an ugly killer behind bars…

With both a clear motive and an obvious offender firmly in his sights, the dedicated policeman hunts relentlessly for the killer. But when the prime suspect goes missing and Grimm reworks the scene, he fears he sees signs of meticulous military planning and a culprit with a long list of victims.

Can the tough investigator get into the head of a murderer before he’s called to the next kill zone?

Source: Info in the "About Corpse Road" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55970213-corpse-road on 12/08/2023.

Buy Link(s):

 

Fly

My Thoughts:

And I have a new favourite side-kick! Fly!

I am looking forward to how the author is going to spin the side plot of Harry's brother and father in subsequent books...

I also like the fact that Harry is getting more entrenched into his temporary post at Wensleydale...

I am also really hoping that the author will kill off Detective Superintendent Swift soon! Really!!...

This book also made me look up Airsoft gun playing which lead me to this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5epVEvzMM4. It turns out, Airsoft gun playing in the UK is more heavily regulated than it is in the US. You have to be a real hobbyist of Airsoft gun playing to be able to buy one.

Aubrey Parsons again is being his wonderful self with his masterful narration!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 3
Pace = (7 hrs and 9 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The DCI Harry Grimm Series:

 

Meet The Author

About David J. Gatward:

David J. Gatward grew up in Wensleydale and is the award-winning author of the DCI Harry Grimm crime novels. He has also written numerous books for children, teenagers and young adults.

www.davidjgatward.com | blog | twitter | facebook | instagram | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Aubrey Parsons:

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.

www.aubreymusic.co.uk | twitter | facebook | facebook artist's page | youtube | linkedin | vo-artist | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

ZERO DAY

Zero Day by Bobby Adair
Books 1 in the Slow Burn series
Genre: zombie apocalyptic fantasy
Format: ebook

About Zero Day:

Survive the infection! Survive the Infected!

A new flu strain has been spreading across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Disturbing news footage is flooding the cable news channels. People are worried and frightened.

But Zed Zane is oblivious. He needs to borrow rent money from his parents. He gets up Sunday morning, drinks enough tequila to stifle his pride and heads to his mom’s house for a lunch of begging, again.

But something is wrong. There’s blood in the foyer. His mother’s corpse is on the living room floor. Zed’s stepdad, Dan is wild with crazy-eyed violence and attacks Zed when he comes into the house. They struggle into the kitchen. Dan’s yellow teeth tear at Zed’s arm but he grabs a knife and stabs Dan, thirty-seven times, or so the police later say.

With infection burning in his blood, Zed is arrested for murder but the world is falling apart and he soon finds himself back on the street, fighting for his life among the infected who would kill him and the normal people, who fear him.

Source: Info in the "About Zero Day" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18633274-zero-day on 07/04/2023.

Buy Link(s):

My Thoughts:

Zombie apocalypse story.

The story parallels closely to the covid pandemic that you can't help but feel it! But this book was first published in 2013. Earily prophetic? Almost...

I wasn't sure if this book was fast-paced because I was reading it on my holiday and didn't have to put it down because I gotta go to work, or not... But I got through with it pretty quickly.

Plot. Now, there isn't much of a plot. The world as we knew it ended. Zed and company are trying to survive. And they are still trying. That's it. However, I was not looking for plots in fantasy stories. It is different when it comes to crime stories, for example. Or mystery thrillers. It would have been good to have a plot, but it is not the end of the world if it doesn't (pun intended). This book was still an enjoyable read.

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 3
Pace = 4
Plot = 2

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Slow Burn Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Bobby Adair:

A bio is a weird thing to write.

Just trying to imagine presenting the highlights of ME sets off alarm bells in my head. Why would anybody want to know anything about me? What about me is remarkable enough to tell?

When I think about these questions, I recall lying on my bed back in high school, headphones muffed over my ears, heavy metal blasting through my head. As with most teens, music’s power seduced me, and as I listened, I found myself admiring the albums' cover art (yeah, I’m old enough that I used to by LP’s) and I found myself reading about the singers and guitar players and drummers in the liner notes. Why? Because those musicians had created something that was deeply personal, passionate, and wonderfully emotional, and they’d shared it with the world. They’d shared it with me.

It made me want to know them through more than just their music. So, I read.

Through the years, I found myself reading about writers I’d enjoyed, historical figures I’d admired, politicians who weren’t dipshits, and business leaders who’d built great companies. Again, why? Who the hell knows? We’re all just people. I think we find each other interesting. We like to feel connected.

And that was my answer, at least as to the WHY.

On the WHAT I can say about me, for those who feel moved by my work: I’ll give it a quick go.

I was born an Air Force brat and lived in a dozen states before I graduated high school. I’ve worked my way through a wide variety of jobs, left most on a whim, owned businesses, lived through times when I had more money than I knew what to do with, and worried my way through times when I wondered how I’d pay the rent.

Life has been boring at times, and it’s been plenty exciting, too. So far.

I’ve traveled to India, stood atop the tallest mountains around, swam with sharks, smarted-off to cops, and been arrested. I’ve tried beer and weed, but never made a thing of either one. I’ve been brushed too close by death a few times. Thankfully, doctors, EMT’s, and nurses were kind enough to put all the pieces together again. I've ridden my bike so deep into the mountains it felt like I was alone on the edge of heaven, and I've watched the red sun sinking on an evening so clear it looked like it was falling off the edge of the world.

I’ve always had a hard time being where I am, wherever that is. My daydreams forever call from just over the horizon.

I’ve been asked by a dozen bosses where I see myself in five years, and I've lied every time, always telling them what they wanted to hear. Because the only thing I knew for sure, was that I wanted to be anywhere but there.

www.bobbyadair.com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | amazon | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The various copy(ies)/format(s) of this book were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

SINISTER MAGIC

Sinister Magic by Lindsay Buroker
Book 1 in the Death Before Dragons series
Narrated by Vivienne Leheny
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Sinister Magic:

I’m Val Thorvald, and I’m an assassin.

When magical bad guys hurt people, I take care of them. Permanently.

This doesn’t make me popular with the rest of the magical community — as you can tell from the numerous break-ins and assassination attempts I’ve endured over the years. But thanks to my half-elven blood, a powerful sword named Chopper, and a telepathic tiger with an attitude, I’ve always been able to handle my problems with aplomb. Maybe some cursing and swearing, too, but definitely aplomb.

That changes when my boss is afflicted with a mysterious disease, a government agent starts investigating me, and a godforsaken dragon shows up in the middle of my latest job.

I’ve taken down vampires, zombies, and ogres, but dragons are way, way more powerful. And it doesn’t look like this one is going to like me.

Worse than that, he wants to use his magic to compel me to do his bidding, as if I’m some weak-minded minion.

That’s not going to happen. I’d die before being some dragon’s slave.

But if I can’t figure out a way to avoid him, save my boss, and get rid of the government spook, I’m screwed. Or dead. Or screwed and dead. And that’s never comfortable.

Source: Info in the "About Sinister Magic" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51474324-sinister-magic on 15/08/2021.

Buy Link(s):
 

My Thoughts:

I was beyond bored so a trawled amazon for something to read. As if my TBR piles are not taller than me! Anyway, I came across this book and it has an audiobook version so it got bought. I was glad I did because I enjoyed it. However, it also had the same pitfalls a lot of the urban fantasy books I've read before, i.e., Sookie Stackhouse. Meaning the heroine has a tendency to run headlong straight into trouble and had to be rescued. **sigh** But, she is kind-hearted and honorable. All gristle and raw hide on the outside and a big softie on the inside. Plus, the story also got dragons and magic and Sindari the magical silver tiger sidekick! So the next book got bought. Besides, I also wanted to know if Zav and Val finally killed each other or fall in love!

This is my first Vivienne Leheny listen and she is not too bad at all!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 5
Pace = 4
Plot = 3
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In Death Before Dragons Series:

                   

Meet The Author

About Lindsay Buroker:

Full-time indie fantasy/scifi author who loves hiking, tennis, and vizslas.

lindsayburoker.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | pinterest | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Vivienne Leheny:

For over two decades, Vivienne Leheny has worked professionally in New York City and Los Angeles as an actor, voiceover artist and writer. She’s appeared on Off-Broadway and regional theatre stages, been screened at numerous film festivals (including Sundance in the 2019 opening night film: AFTER THE WEDDING), toured the northeast doing stand-up, and her writing has been published in national publications.

Vivienne has built a successful audiobook narration business, reading under her own name as well as under the pseudonyms, “Nola Zandry” and “Lily Collingwood.” She has a home studio and records using punch & roll software. Currently narrating six ongoing series, she also has numerous stand-alone book narrations, all of which are doing brisk sales on Audible, Amazon and iTunes. She’s narrated titles for Harper Collins, Macmillan, Recorded Books, and Simon & Schuster, among other audiobook publishers.

Vivienne will soon be recording her 150th audiobook narration.

Her audiobook narration course, The Voice in their Ear, has been a sell-out Maine Media Workshops+College, where she’s also taught her Putting Your Voice to Work: Building a Career in Voiceover curriculum, while her Breaking Into Audiobooks seminar for the SAG Foundation fills up quickly and with long wait lists. She’s also taught audiobook narration at the Caymichael Patten Studio.

She’s recorded over a thousand promotions for NBC programming (Saturday Night Live, Nightly News, Days of our Lives, Late Night with Conan O’Brien), including over a decade with The Today Show. She’s also done promotional spots for HBO, Showtime, and Bravo. Vivienne has voiced numerous national commercial campaigns, including Coca Cola, Fruit of the Loom, Florida Orange Juice, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Maxwell House and Revlon.

Her narration work has run the gamut, from Chain Gang Girls on Oxygen to Charles and Di: Once Upon a Time on TLC, from Fine Living’s Esquire’s Man at His Best to the six-part series Killer Outbreaks on Animal Planet, where she was the voice of the Bubonic Plague and West Nile Virus. She’s also the voice for the mysterious and disturbing “Phoenix Project” in the popular video game Assassin’s Creed, Unity.

www.vivienneleheny.com | twitter | facebook | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.