audiobooks

Review: Dead Tired (The Expectant Detectives #2) by Kat Ailes

~ megs14malloy

Dead Tired (The Expectant Detectives, #2)Dead Tired by Kat Ailes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Dead Tired is the 2nd-installment to the Cozy Mystery series, The Expectant Detectives. I had a lot of fun with the 1st-book and have been anticipating this release ever since.

The main character, and our narrator, is Alice, a new Mom, who lives with her boyfriend, baby, and high-spirited dog, Helen, in the quaint country village of Penton.

In the 1st-book, the couple had recently moved to Penton after discovering they were pregnant, and Alice ended up meeting the other characters, her now best friends, in a prenatal class. That’s where they solved their first murder.

As this story begins, it’s been a year and the women are closer now than ever. It’s on one of their regular picnics with the babies that they first encounter Rowan and Layla, eco-protesters, who are buck-naked at their first meeting.

In an awkward conversation, Rowan and Layla mention that they are prepping for a photo shoot to help bring awareness to a wind farm that will soon be overtaking this lush and vibrant natural countryside.

Alice and her friends agree to help with the protest, thus finding themselves shortly thereafter chained to trees on an overnight protest. Ah well, anything for a bit of rest, I guess.

The next morning, Layla is found dead, still chained to her tree and a new investigation begins. Can Alice and friends discover the killers before anyone else is cut down?

I had so much fun with this. As with the 1st-book, I listened to the audiobook and cannot recommend it enough. Kitty Kelly’s narration is Alice to me a this point. Her delivery, with the humor and everything else, is just so spot on!

I also love Ailes sense of humor. These books don’t take themselves too seriously and I cherish that. Ailes knows, we’re here for a good time. Let’s have some fun. Just because it involves murder, doesn’t mean it can’t be cute and cozy.

I’m so properly attached to these characters now, which is one of the best things about Cozy Mystery series. The longer they go on, the more attached to them I get.

Alice, Ailsa, Poppy and Hen (the other mum) are such a dynamic group of women. I love being with them and spending time with them. There’s a lot of differences among them, but they just fit so well together, as they navigate new motherhood, and amateur sleuthing, all at the same time.

This went by too quickly. I tried to savor it, but I just couldn’t. The mystery was so compelling, the hijinks and banter, so good, I just ate it up.

Additionally, Helen, Alice’s dog, is such a special treat. I appreciate so much the way she is written and Alice’s relationship to her. I can relate to the non-stop chaos those four dirty paws can sometimes bring. Even reading about Helen’s predictably wild ways puts a smile on my face.

Towards the final reveal, I did find it a little muddled. I was actually surprised by the whodunit, like so much so, I wondered what I missed; like, did we get all those clues?

Nevertheless, in the whole scope, I didn’t really care that much about all that. It was really the journey getting to that point that I loved the most.

The way this left off, I’m definitely anticipating a 3rd-book, and cannot wait for it. You’ll find me first in line!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This series is an absolute blast. I recommend it to all Cozy Mystery fans!

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Review: Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

~ megs14malloy

Daughter of MineDaughter of Mine by Megan Miranda
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

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It’s been a while since I last picked up a Megan Miranda novel, but once I read the synopsis for Daughter of Mine, I knew it was one that I would need to pick up right away.

I listened to the audiobook in a day and recommend that format. I got completely sucked into the story.

This story follows Hazel Sharp, as she returns to her hometown of Mirror Lake after close to a decade away. Her father, the town’s long-time detective has passed away, and Hazel returns to attend his services and see to his estate, along with her two estranged brothers.

Hazel has solely inherited her father’s home, which comes as a huge surprise to her brothers. As the tension rises amongst the Sharp family, the water level in town lowers.

The area is in the grips of a drought. When it hits Mirror Lake, the lake water level drops, and long-buried secrets are revealed.

As more comes to light, it seems that Hazel will finally get answers regarding her mother’s mysterious disappearance when she was just a kid. The story she was told has never sat right with her, so this could be her one chance to clear everything up.

Even though Hazel had only planned to stay in town long enough to pay her respects to her father, she decides to stay longer. She has unfinished business in Mirror Lake.

The Publisher’s synopsis keeps things rather vague regarding the content of this story, and I think that’s perfect. It gives you just enough to make you want to pick it up, without giving away anything significant that will ruin the mystery.

I went into this just knowing the info in the synopsis and I ended up being completely enthralled by all that unfolded in Mirror Lake. This story went so much deeper than I was initially anticipating.

I loved learning about Hazel. I thought she was a fascinating main character. Her life had a lot of different layers to it and I enjoyed unpacking it all right along with her.

The mystery of what is revealed as the water levels drop was also so interesting. I really wanted to know what had gone down in this town.

It’s true that sometimes the smallest towns house the biggest secrets. I feel like anyone from small town America, or elsewhere in the globe, can probably relate to that.

I feel like Miranda really showed off her writing chops in this one. The characters were great. The history of the town and the relationships amongst all the characters were extremely well developed, and the reveals were perfectly timed for maximum impact.

Perhaps some Readers may find this to be slow, but I loved the build. I thought it escalated nicely and the build in tension was perfect for me.

I also LOVED the clever way in which in the weather mirrored the plot progression; so good!

I still have a few Megan Miranda novels left to read. This has definitely motivated me to go back and check off some of those backlist titles.

I would recommend this to Megan Miranda fans, Readers who enjoy small town mysteries, Readers who enjoy characters traveling back to their hometowns to solve an old mystery ((one of my all-time favorite tropes)), or people who enjoy tense family mysteries.

I was really impressed with this!

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Review: Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham #2) by Benjamin Stevenson

~ megs14malloy

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham, #2)Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect is the 2nd-installment in the Ernest Cunningham Mystery series.

I read the 1st-book in this series, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, immediately preceding this one. I listened to the audiobook for both and absolutely loved the experience. Barton Welch, as Ernie, is bloody brilliant!

In this story, Ernie is now a published author, having written a book following the events of the 1st-novel. He continues directly addressing us, the Readers, so his recognition that he wrote about the events we read in the first book is all very meta. It makes these stories stand-out.

Ernie has been, in a way, invited by the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide. He accepts, hoping something will happen aboard that could inspire ideas for his next book — fiction, this time.

There are five other crime writers attending as part of the festival, in addition to Ernie. One of them ends up dead. After that happens, the remaining writers do what they do best, they investigate the crime.

There’s so much experience amongst them, they should be able to figure it out. Of course, this logic also works the other way. They are all students of crime. They can solve it, but they could also probably commit it; and well.

The train setting of course makes one think of Murder on the Orient Express. It was such a lovely doff of the cap to that classic, even bringing solid Locked Room Mystery vibes.

I loved having all the various writers, all thinking they have the expertise to figure everything out, bumbling around together, sleuthing it up left and right. At times it was utter chaos and I was delighting in every minute of it!

I’m a huge fan of this series. I think Stevenson has maintained such a sense of fun within these mysteries. They’re so clever and charming.

As with the 1st-book, I did feel like things got a little muddled towards the end, but honestly, I didn’t really care. I love Ernie Cunningham and I’m a devotee of this series for as long as it runs. Bring ’em on, Stevenson!

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Review: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1) by Agatha Christie

~ megs14malloy

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1)The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finally had the pleasure to pick up The Mysterious Affair at Styles with a Book Club I’m a part of. I read it over the course of the past 24-hours, and we had a Solve-A-Long with full discussion tonight.

This was actually Christie’s debut novel, which I was unaware of upon starting, and unsurprisingly, the Queen of Mystery had most of us stumped!!

This story features Hastings as our narrator. He’s gone to visit his friend, Jonathan Cavendish, at his family estate of Styles. It’s there that we meet all of Jonathan’s family, including the eventual victim, the elderly Emily Inglethorp, Jonathan’s step-mother.

It’s believed the lady was poisoned, but she was locked in her room at the time, so how exactly did that occur?

Hastings, knowing his good friend, the ever keen, Hercule Poirot, is currently living close by, extends an invitation to Poirot to come to Styles, hoping he can figure it all out.

Poirot arrives and quickly begins his investigation, including performing a thorough examination of the victim’s room and interviewing witnesses. I loved following along as he methodically worked his way through the property and the people; Hastings at his heels the whole time.

There were a lot of suspects, basically everyone at Styles, with a variety of different motives. I had my theories, but none of them turned out to be true. One of them was close, but the reasons were all wrong.

Christie got me again. She’s bloody brilliant. She has this uncanny ability to give the Reader so much that they don’t see the truth hidden in the details. It makes for a fun story.

Poirot is a quirky little man with a big personality. I’ve actually read more Marple books than Poirot, but this reminds me that I still have a long and exciting way to go in my Christie journey.

Overall, this was such an enjoyable read, with a great cast of characters an an intriguing mystery. I would definitely recommend it to any Christie fans, Murder Mystery fans, or Locked Room Mystery fans.

There’s so much to love within these pages. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

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Review: When She Was Me by Marlee Bush

~ megs14malloy

When She Was MeWhen She Was Me by Marlee Bush
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

When She Was Me is an enticing, and compulsively-readable Psychological Thriller centered around twin sisters.

Cassie and Lenora are permanent residents at a campground in rural Tennessee, Cabin Two to be exact. For the most part, their day-to-day life is peaceful, and they can almost…almost…forget the events of their troubled past.

After the death of the long-time campground owner, a new woman, Sarah, takes ownership and charge. Cassie and Lenora are initially concerned that Sarah will want to change things, thus disrupting their quiet life.

Much to their surprise, she actually seems pretty cool, implementing only minor changes, and Cassie, in particular, ends up interacting with Sarah more. Their life does end up disrupted though, after a teen girl, who’d checked into the cabin next door with her family, goes missing.

The girl, and the unsettling circumstances under which she disappeared, brings back a lot of memories for the mysterious sisters. Both Cassie and Lenora suspects that the other may know more about the events surrounding the disappearance then they’re letting on.

The narrative cycles between the two sisters, filtering in a past perspective as well and with a past that eerily mirrors the present, and everyone’s motivations a little unclear, this story is rife with unreliable narrators.

Both sisters try to figure out what happened to the missing girl, but it feels like a helpless race against the clock, as well as their own personal demons.

When She Was Me is a very promising debut from Marlee Bush. Even though the writing style wasn’t great for me, I still found the story to be incredibly compelling; I couldn’t stop. The characters were well done and I appreciated the way Bush delivered the twists!

When I mention writing style, it’s no shade against the author, it’s just preference. It was more obscure, more stream of consciousness narrative than I tend to prefer.

Nevertheless, the content and the character work kept me flying through. The atmospheric setting was fantastic as well. I loved the isolating feel, not just of the campground itself, but also of the sisters’ way of life.

They had essentially cut themselves off from the outside world and as the intensity increased, you could really truly feel their solitude.

The characters were all so interesting. I had a ton of theories over the course of the story about what was really going on; some panned out, others didn’t. I always appreciate it when an author can keep me on my toes.

Ultimately, I didn’t see the final resolution coming by a mile. It was clever and unexpected, leaving me with a big, sinister grin on my face. I had fun and definitely recommend the audiobook as the format for taking in this story. The narration fit it so well.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m really looking forward to reading more from Marlee Bush!

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Review: If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

~ megs14malloy

If Something Happens to MeIf Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Looking for some much desired alone time, Ryan and Ali, a high school couple, find a quiet place to park in their hometown by Suncatcher Lake.

The next thing Ryan knows, it’s hours later, he’s laying on the ground having been bludgeoned in the head and Ali is gone. He remembers being yanked out of the car at some point, and briefly seeing a strange man, but that’s it.

In the aftermath of Ali’s disappearance, everyone suspected Ryan. The ole’ logic of, it’s always the husband, or boyfriend, in full effect. The fact that there’s no evidence against him, doesn’t stop the world from speculating.

Haunted by that night and the blow to his reputation, Ryan changed his last name and moved away for law school. Nevertheless, he hasn’t truly been able to move on. Ali was the love of his life and it tortures him imagining what may have happened to her.

Five years later, in Italy on a trip with some law school classmates, Ryan gets an unexpected call from his father. Ali’s car has just been found submerged in Suncatcher Lake.

Once the car is recovered from the water, a grisly discovery is revealed. There are two dead men in the trunk, along with a cryptic note contained in an envelope that has five words written on it in Ali’s handwriting:

If something happens to me…

Obviously, this reopens everything for Ryan. With that night fresh in his mind, the unthinkable happens. Ryan actually spots the man he remembers seeing that night. What is that man doing in Italy? Who the heck is he?

Ryan is no longer a scared teen. He pursues the man. He needs answers and he’s not stopping until he gets them.

If Something Happens to Me is a whirlwind ride. The drama takes place in multiple countries and follows a few different perspectives. Initially, it’s jarring, but as the pieces start falling into place, the various connections are revealed.

Even though this isn’t my favorite Finlay novel, that distinction goes to The Night Shift, there’s no denying he knows how to deliver the action and page-turning intrigue.

This is a very action-oriented Thriller, most in line with Finlay’s earlier work, Every Last Fear. The various perspectives each help to build out a different aspect of the underlying mystery and it always impresses me how much detail Finlay goes into.

For me, Ryan’s perspective was the most memorable, but I also enjoyed Poppy McGee, a young deputy from Ryan’s hometown, brought onto the case after the car is found.

As a side note, there were certain elements of this that reminded me of the series, Your Honor, featuring Bryan Cranston, but with an international twist.

Overall, this is fast-paced and twisty. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narration. It felt compelling and I needed to keep reading until it was complete.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Alex Finlay is a force to be reckoned with in the Thriller space, and I’ll continue picking up his work!

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Review: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

~ megs14malloy

The Last Murder at the End of the WorldThe Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

On an island at the end of the world, a small settlement of survivors lives. Outside the island there is nothing. Well, nothing but a murderous fog that contains insect-like creatures with a taste for human flesh.

I may be exaggerating this a little, but trust me, you don’t even want to dip a toe in that fog.

122-villagers and 3-valued scientists live together on the island in harmony. It’s a simple life, but they do need to abide by some stringent rules; all for their own good. We should trust the scientists, right?

Well, the villagers certainly do. One day though, the unthinkable happens. One of their beloved scientists is found murdered, thus setting into motion a chain of events that could lead to the destruction of their world.

They need to solve the murder within the next 107-hours, or risk bringing on the fog and all the terrible little creatures that come with it.

The Last Murder at the End of the World was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. I’ve really enjoyed both of Turton’s previously releases and was excited to see what sort of brain-teaser he was going to create for us next.

Sadly, this one just wasn’t suited to my tastes, but I can still appreciate the solid plot progression and creativity it took to create this whole world.

IMO, this book would work best for Literary Fiction fans, who enjoy stories with Speculative, or Futuristic elements.

I did enjoy the very beginning; the introduction to the setting and characters. It was all very mysterious and murky. It was giving me serious LOST vibes.

Not the attractive people suddenly stranded on a beach thing, though. More the disturbing community bits that they discover on the island way later…

I feel like I knew very early on, around page 37, what one of the big reveals was going to be. I don’t normally care about that, actually, I don’t. I don’t care about that, but unfortunately for me, the reveal I felt was coming is a trope I don’t tend to enjoy.

True to trend, it didn’t work for me here either. Obviously, I am not going to spoil for you what that is, but I’m aware that is strictly a personal taste issue, and is no way a reflection on Turton, or his work.

In fact, I doff my cap to Turton’s writing, creativity and overall mental prowess. It’s clear, if you’ve ever read one of his books, that his brain works better than around 95% of the rest of us.

For me though, this failed to capture my attention. I feel like some of it was kept too obscure, meaning, I couldn’t picture any of this. I was being told a lot of things, but I couldn’t actually imagine it, in my mind’s eye, playing out.

I also did find the pace to be incredibly slow, and not in an enticing slow burn sort of way. More in a, I’m starting to fall asleep way. And once I started to feel that, I couldn’t shake it. I really just wanted it to be over, which hurts me to say, but we’re all about honesty in this house.

I was fortunate to receive an early copy of the audiobook, because that definitely helped me to get through this one. I did find the narration quite charming.

At the end of the day, this just wasn’t a great fit for my tastes. The content wasn’t something I enjoyed. Nevertheless, I still love and admire Stuart Turton as an author and I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next!

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Even though this wasn’t my cup of tea, I am still very glad I had the chance to pick it up!

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Review: She Left by Stacie Grey

~ megs14malloy

She LeftShe Left by Stacie Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s been twenty-years since the Memorial Day Massacre that claimed the lives of five of Amy’s friends. It happened at a small house party they’d been enjoying together.

After Amy was made to feel like she didn’t belong though, she left. Little did she know, that was the luckiest choice she could’ve ever made. Within an hour, all of those left at the house were be dead.

In the present, Amy, along with ten other people connected to that night have been invited to a cliffside lodge by a journalist preparing to do a piece on the murders.

After arriving at the home, and being introduced to one another, events quickly take a dark turn. With inclement weather closing in, isolating them even more from the outside world, it becomes clear that this weekend isn’t what any of them expected it to be.

As bodies start dropping, Amy and the others must fight to figure out who orchestrated this event and stop them before they complete their goal; keeping the secrets they’ve been hiding for twenty-years.

Y’all, I really enjoyed this. I went into She Left with zero expectations. I hadn’t heard anyone talking about it and I was unfamiliar with this author’s other works. I was attracted to it purely for the cover and synopsis.

The synopsis was giving me a classic mystery/horror set-up, where people get invited to an event, like a dinner party or weekend retreat, only to arrive and realize it’s not what they thought. It’s very And Then There Were None, amongst others.

Grey succeeded in her delivery of that set-up. I loved how this started off, meeting all the characters and learning how they were all connected to the Memorial Day Massacre.

They’re not all as directly connected as Amy was, so it was interesting to figure out all of that. We do get glimpses into all the various character perspectives, but Amy is definitely our main focus, and as an FBI Agent, Amy really had the most to offer as far as figuring the whole thing out.

Grey also succeeded in really building out her atmosphere. I loved the setting of this. She didn’t just tell us it was remote, it felt remote. The inclement weather, and potentially hazardous mudslides, added an extra element of danger that only aided in the feeling of anxiety and desperation.

This is extremely fast-paced, as well as engaging and easy to follow. I listened to the audiobook and loved that as a format choice. I absolutely flew through it.

At the end of the day, I wouldn’t say there’s anything particularly ground-breaking about this story, but I didn’t need there to be. It was still highly-entertaining and that’s exactly what I was looking for.

Overall, the plot is gripping and fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still delivers a well-plotted, intense mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m pumped to read more from this author!

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Review: Where the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes

~ megs14malloy

Where the Dead WaitWhere the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As you can tell from the 2-star rating, Where the Dead Wait was a disappointment for me. It’s my first time reading Ally Wilkes and honestly, I just don’t think their style is for me.

I’m thankful for the audiobook actually, because I may not have made it through otherwise. The narrator was great, as he somehow made his voice delivery just pompous enough to match the writing.

I won’t discuss the plot, as I had to reference the Publisher’s synopsis numerous times in order to figure out what was happening. I’ll let you read that for yourself.

I came here for Winter Horror, and yeah, I mean that was here, but it was so far buried under details and blah, blah, blah, that it wasn’t enjoyable for me. IMO, it’s overwritten.

I can’t stress enough how much I wanted it to be over…

With this being said, I recognize that I am being fairly snarky right now, and it’s most likely not 100% warranted, but I need to be honest about my experience. Otherwise, what are we all doing here?

Our experiences with books are completely subjective though, so just because this didn’t work for me, DOES NOT mean it won’t work for you!

If you read the synopsis and it sounds intriguing, pick it up. You could end up finding a new favorite Arctic Horror novel here, and if you do, I encourage you to come back and tell me how wrong I am.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Even though this didn’t work for me, I never write off an author after only one book ((pun intended)). This one just didn’t suit my tastes. Nevertheless, I would be interested in checking out more work by Ally Wilkes.

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Review: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

~ megs14malloy

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State KillerI’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark was recently selected for a book club that I am in ((any other True Crime & Wine Night participants out there??)), and even though I had already watched the docuseries, I wanted to be sure to read the book as well.

I started the audiobook last night while cooking dinner and finished up today while cleaning. It obviously is very similar to the HBO show, but I did feel like Michelle’s story was more impactful via book format.

The audiobook was very well done, but I do believe I missed some photos and other mixed media elements that are included in the physical book. I have a copy lurking on my shelves somewhere, so I will hunt for it in order to view those materials.

This book was hugely popular upon its release and there was a lot of coverage for it, particularly with the GSK finally being identified and the untimely passing of the author. I may actually be the last True Crime Reader on the face of the Earth to pick it up.

I’m really glad I did, as I feel like it is such a great legacy for Michelle’s dogged work and sacrifices in regards to this case. My heart breaks for her family, having watched her go through all this, only to be tragically gone so soon.

I appreciated how much of this was really dedicated to Michelle’s motivations and process. All of her hard work is memorialized through this and I think it also helps to show how not all True Crime media is about sensationalizing killers.

There are many motivations for people, both in taking in this type of material, and in researching and writing this type of material. There are a lot of great researchers and writers out there shining light on the lives of victims, and helping to keep cold cases in the public conscious in order that they may some day be solved.

I would recommend this to any True Crime Reader, or to people maybe interested in picking up True Crime for the first time. I feel like it could be a great starter book in the genre, as it seamlessly meshes a Memoir-like feel with a True Crime focus.

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