LITTLE WITNESS

Little Witness by S.A. Dunphy
Book 1 in the DI Tessa Burns series
Narrated by Melanie MacHugh
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Little Witness:

They took her parents.

When Detective Tessa Burns was a little girl, she hid, terrified, as her father was murdered. The face of the man who killed him is lost in her memory — but from that moment she vowed to protect the innocent, just like her father had done. Now, when she hears that seven-year-old Aisling Connolly has been found hiding all alone on an isolated farm, she’s determined to help her.

They came in the dark.

Tessa and her child-centred team are the best in Ireland. It’s not long before red-haired Aisling trusts them enough to reveal the terrifying truth: two days ago, the men came. Aisling’s mammy told her to run like she’d never run before, to not look back. Alone and petrified, she hasn’t seen her parents since.

And now she is the only one who can save them.

As Tessa uncovers more about Aisling’s parents, she realises details of the case mirror her own father’s death. Desperate that Aisling won’t end up orphaned like her, Tessa throws everything at the investigation. But just as she thinks she’s cracked it wide open, Aisling’s neighbours — a young family — are murdered, in a horrific warning to Aisling not to speak. And to Tessa, to let the case go.

But time is running out, and any hope of finding Aisling’s parents alive is rapidly fading. Tessa must do everything in her power to ensure the little girl isn’t next…

Source: Info in the "About Little Witness" was taken from amazon on 08/05/2024.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

You must know that if you go into the kidnapping business, that it is fraught with dangers with people gunning for you from all directions. Least of all, the law enforcement. You gotta have contingency plans, over contingency plans, or you are one heck of an idiot. But your contingency plan is to lead the police to your prisoners and get the hell out of dodge?? What kind of plan is that?? Okey, there might honestly be stupid criminals like that. However, by the way this story was told, it was not very convincing that this particular criminal is that stupid. It feels too orchestrated so that the protagonists can play heroes and save the world. The believability factor is not too high. Not at all!

And what about that number plate? Why didn't they followed up on it? If the vehicle ownership did not point to the Moynihans, then they should at least say so and not just, nothing came of it....

I like the theme. Saving children. I like the bad-ass heroine! I like the world building! But plot-building is not this author's forté.

Melanie MacHugh reads with a slight singsong but I choke it down to as part of her Irish accent.

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 3
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (8 hrs and 20 mins listening time)
Plot = 2.5
Narration = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The DI Tessa Burns Series:

 

Meet The Author

About S.A. Dunphy:

Childcare expert, author, teacher, journalist, broadcaster, musician, nerd, husband, Dad, Grandad. Shane Dunphy (S. A. Dunphy) was born in Brighton in 1973, but grew up in Ireland, where he has spent most of his life. A child protection worker for 15 years, he is the number one bestselling author of 20 books. His first nine titles dealt with his time on the frontline of social care work, and include the number one bestseller Wednesday’s Child. His bestselling series of crime novels (written under the name S. A. Dunphy) feature the emotionally damaged criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his series of True Crime books written for Audible, has been critically acclaimed as well as being an audio-bestseller. He has also ghost written two biographies. Writing as S. A. Dunphy his exciting new series of crime novels, set in Ireland, feature Criminal Behaviourist Jessie Boyle and detective Seamus Keneally.

shanedunphyauthor.org | twitter | facebook | instagram | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Melanie MacHugh:

Audiobook narrator / voice-over artist

goodreads

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

FORBIDDEN MAGIC

Forbidden Magic by Stephanie Foxe
Book 4 in the Witch's Bite series
Narrated by Laurel Schroeder
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Forbidden Magic:

Join Olivia Carter one last time in the final installment of the Witch’s Bite series.

Loyalties tested. Prophecies fulfilled. And magic’s final price.

After being kidnapped, shot at, blown up, and barely escaping a collapsing building…I'm done following orders; and the threats don’t scare me anymore.

My trust in Reilly has grown since the attack on the Summit and meeting his clan. But when he suggests the unthinkable, I realize I must find my own way to kill this God.

Source: Info in the About Forbidden Magic was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39809577-forbidden-magic on 24/10/2019.

My Thoughts:

Like all the books in this series, this one is also short and sweet with 252 pages long. This is the finale of the series and I liked it! However it was not the big bang that I expected. That may only be because my expectation bar was a little higher than it ought to be. My bad! Furthermore, the ending although not a cliffhanger, but also hints of possibilities that there might be more stories coming of the Olivia Carter world. And like the previous book, I read this ebook more than I listened to it. Still not a fan of Laurel Schroeder's singsong reading. At the end of it, I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to all urban fantasy readers! However, to get here, you need to read the previous books in the series!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 5
Plot = 3.5
Narration = (N/A)

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Witch's Bite Series:

(TBC)

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

(TBC)

Meet The Author

About Stephanie Foxe:

Stephanie Foxe was born and raised near Houston, TX. She grew up playing in the pond and woods in her backyard, and devouring every book she could get her hands on.

Her teen years were spent transitioning slowly from reader, to writer. She spent most evenings on the phone with her cousin writing the first few pages to many books that would never be finished.

Her adult years were spent toiling away at a corporate job until one fateful day when she heard about a little writing project called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). From there, the idea of writing a book went from a fanciful dream to a finished manuscript. The first book in the Witch’s Bite series was written, and Stephanie was addicted.

Now, she has plans to publish everything from paranormal fantasy to science fiction.

One book at a time.

Join the Newsletter to be kept updated on any new releases. Sign up today to receive Unsteady Magic, the short story prequel to the Witch’s Bite series, for free!

stephaniefoxe.com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Laurel Schroeder:

Laurel Schroeder is a classically trained actor who received her MFA in acting from the University of Houston. She's narrated over 100 audiobooks, and although her genres vary widely, she's particularly fond of narrating young adult and mystery novels. When not in the booth working on her latest project, she can sometimes be seen in film or on stage, most recently in the world premiere of Good for Otto, by Tony Award–winning playwright David Rabe. A Colorado native, she now lives in Chicago with her boyfriend and their dog, the cutest little troublemaker you ever did see.

tantor | twitter | facebook | linkedin | goodreads

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

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:

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Meet The Author

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-ebook

Connect with me on:
https://twitter.com/MelissaHaag
https://www.facebook.com/author.MelissaHaag

I also write adult books under the pen name M.J. Haag. Happy reading!

melissahaag.com | twitter | facebook | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

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.

www.missjuliemckay.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | goodreads

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