Friday 30 December 2016

A Fine Fix: A Trudie Fine Mystery #1 by Gale Deitch (2013) Narrated by Kristin James (2014)



Publisher's Summary

Things couldn't be better for Trudie Fine and her partner, Zachary Cohen. It's the first big job for their catering company, A Fine Fix, and everyone who's anyone in the Washington, D.C., area will be at the Schwartzes' backyard Mexican fiesta. With the tables set, the food prepared to perfection, and the Mariachi band sizzling, Trudie is mellow as a Margarita smoothie... until a dead body is discovered floating in the pool. When Zach is arrested as the prime murder suspect, Trudie sets out to clear him and find the real murderer. Life gets spicier than a jalapeno pepper when she realises she's the focus of three men's affections, including the unnerving detective handling the case. Soon, however, Trudie is reaching for her favourite knife, but not to chop vegetables. Recipes included!

Audio book length: 5 hrs and 54 mins


Review 

A fantastic start to the series. 
I really enjoyed this fun mystery. A faster pace than the traditional cosy and filled with much more suspense and drama make the Trudie Fine series a real page turner.

 Trudie is a delightful character and a breath of fresh air. The mystery had me guessing and I happily trundled along with her as she investigated the murder and fell into one scrape after another. 
I loved the humour in the story as Trudie wrestled with the romantic attentions from three men whilst trying not to hurt anyone's feelings. The final chapters were exciting and suspense filled which had me at the edge of my seat. 
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator did a great job and I couldn't wait to get back to listening to the story after each time I had to press the stop button.

Purchase links


Book Depository (Intl Free Shipping) 

Friday 23 December 2016

Winter's Revenge (The Guy Winter Mysteries Book 2) by James Phillip (2014) Narrated by Melanie Fraser (2016)





Winter's Revenge is the second full length Guy Winter mystery. It is set in England in the Second World War at the time of the Battle of Britain and the beginning of the devastating night Blitz of London in September 1940.

London reels under the onset of the Blitz as every night hundreds of Luftwaffe bombers unload their cargoes of death over the beleaguered city.

On the ground as the new brutal realities of the war are brought home to every citizen, the Ripper continues his rampage and the last secrets of Guy Winter's life are stripped away. As the bombs fall the mystery man unravels one mystery after another, knowing that sooner rather than later he must confront his deadliest foe.

This time it is not just Guy Winter's life and loyalties that are under the microscope. Under the Luftwaffe's reign of terror the past mistakes of friends and enemies alike suddenly come home to roost, but Guy Winter never stops hunting his man.





Review


The excellent narration by Melanie Fraser made listening to Winter's Revenge most enjoyable. The story picks up where it left off in book one and it gently unfolds as Guy Winter's hunts the person responsible for his wife's murder. There is some rehashing of events that happened in previous books, slowing the pace of the plot a little bit too much for me, however the twists and turns kept my interest in the story and the suspense towards the end of the book had me on the edge of my seat.


Audio version available to download from Audible   

Also available for Kindle 


Monday 5 December 2016

To Trust a Wolf (Unnatural Alliances #1) By Danielle Hardgrave (2016)


Does he want her, or is he after something else?

As an archivist in a small museum, the biggest thing Helen Jurist has to deal with each year is the Annual Donor Gala. When her museum becomes a flurry of activity, due to the nearby discovery of a large Viking hoard, Helen finds the additional responsibility more of a pain than an honour. She doesn’t know anything about Vikings, or what makes the hoard so unusual. She just wants to get through the gala without her boss catching the drapes on fire. 

Nobody from the public is supposed to have access to the find, but try telling that to Rune Helsen. A handsome Dane with wolfish desires, he walks around like he owns the place. He’s Helen’s worst nightmare—if only her traitorous body wasn’t so attracted to him. 

But Rune has a secret, one that brought him to see the artefacts for more than just scholarly interest. Unknown to Helen, there’s so much more at stake than just pulling off a successful evening. A whole world she never knew existed, a world of vampires and shifters, stands on the precipice—and there’s something in the Cutler Hoard that could burn it all down. 


Review 


I can't wait to read the rest of this series having read this first installment. For a short book (76 pages) it managed to tick all the right boxes for me. The characters were likeable, charming and mysterious and I'm interested in finding out more about them in the next books. I loved the idea of the magical historical artefacts. There was plenty of drama, action and romance in this short novel. 
Loved it. I'm hooked!

Thanks to the author who provided me with a review copy.

Buy for 99p at Amazon also available on Kindle Unlimited

Saturday 3 December 2016

The Rebels of Cordovia (The Rebels Series #1) The Highwayman of Cordovia (#2) by Linda Weaver Clarke


Publisher's Information
There was a time when swashbuckling men and brave women engaged in daring and romantic adventures, those who fought with bravery and valour. These courageous men and women were looked up to because they defended the people. A group of men and women who called themselves Robin's Rebels realise they must help the people survive this oppression. In this battle for freedom, a love story begins to blossom. Daniel, a rogue and a leader of the Freemen, doesn't realise that the sweet feminine woman he has met and is falling for happens to be the leader of Robin's Rebels. Realising the importance of uniting all the rebel groups, Daniel tries to recruit Robin's Rebels but they refuse. Now he has to find a way to convince them. When he finds out the leader is actually a woman, what will his reaction be? 


Review
Younger readers who like romance and adventure will surely love this Robin Hood style story. My eleven year old self would have happily spent a few hours reading this series on a rainy day. 
I liked the fact that the author wrote the leader of Robin's Rebels as a girl and made her character strong, independent, brave and equally as capable as the men in the story.
This family friendly tale entertains with its gentle romance and high adventure as the rebels fight to overthrow an evil king to bring peace and harmony to the land.

    Available at Amazon

This exciting saga continues in Book 2, The Highwayman of Cordovia

The Highwayman of Cordovia from Linda Weaver Clarke on Vimeo.

Centuries ago, valiant men and courageous women engaged in daring adventures as they helped their fellow man. In the country of Cordovia, the people enjoy their new-found liberty, but all is not well. A group of powerful men plan to take over the small country and replace the leader with a king.

With the help of a bold highwayman and a pastor’s daughter, they try to save their country from being taken over by a power-hungry leader. As they strive to stop the Kingmen and thwart their plans, Christine finds herself falling in love with Austin Knight. The only problem with their relationship is that she thinks he is her knight in shining armour instead of a highwayman. If she finds out his trade, what will her reaction be? As a pastor’s daughter, will love override her values?


Buy now at Amazon