Lomeraniel

Supernatural charm y mystery

Reviewed: 02-12-24 Listener received this title free

Set against the nostalgic backdrop of the 90s, this cozy mystery unfolds in a small town called Bewitcher's Beach, where the supernatural is just an everyday occurrence. Noema a single mother who is also a werewolf, gets involved in a murder investigation after one of her clients is found dead in front of her video rental store.

This book was a perfect blend of a light and entertaining narrative with a compelling mystery that kept me hooked until the very end. Fluke's vivid descriptions of Bewitcher's Beach and its quirky inhabitants create a charming atmosphere that makes the town come alive.

The characters themselves are a highlight, each one more picturesque and eccentric than the last. From the lovable werewolf protagonist to the mischievous ghosts and enigmatic vampires, Bewitcher's Beach is a tapestry of supernatural personalities. Their interactions are filled with humor, warmth, and the occasional eerie moment, making them truly memorable. My favorite character was Squeaks, the adorable mouse that accompanies Noema in her adventures.

Madeline Mrozek's narration deserves special mention, as it elevates the audiobook to a whole new level. Her ability to give distinct voices to each character adds depth to the storytelling, making it easy to distinguish between the various supernatural beings. Her expressive interpretations bring the characters to life, and her nuanced delivery sets the right tone for the unfolding mystery. Mrozek masterfully captured the essence of each character, making the audiobook an immersive experience.

Magic, Movies, and Murder is a delightful blend of supernatural charm, mystery, and humor. The 90s setting, coupled with the quirky characters of Bewitcher's Beach, creates a unique backdrop for a story that is both engaging and lighthearted. With Madeline Mrozrek's exceptional narration adding an extra layer of enjoyment, this audiobook is a must-listen for anyone looking for a captivating and entertaining experience.

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Narration shows vibrant personalities

Reviewed: 08-05-23 Listener received this title free

Set against the backdrop of New Orleans’ lively festivities, this cozy mystery blends light humor and a touch of quirkiness, creating a charming atmosphere that keeps the tone lighthearted and enjoyable throughout.

The story unfolds with the intriguing premise of a man being poisoned during the vibrant tradition of greasing the poles in preparation for Mardi Gras. As the plot thickens, readers are introduced to a captivating array of characters, each adding their unique flair to the narrative. From the witty detective with a penchant for solving mysteries to a colorful cast of suspects, the diverse personalities lend depth and excitement to the unfolding events.

While the humor may venture into the raunchy territory, it is balanced with a sense of playfulness that keeps the tone engaging. However, it is worth noting that some instances of body shaming may deter sensitive readers.

Despite these occasional distractions, the core mystery remains compelling, enticing listeners to join Franki on her quest to unravel the truth behind the poisoning.

The audiobook benefits greatly from Madeline Mrozek’s exceptional narration, where she skillfully brings a diverse cast of characters to life. With her remarkable talent, she seamlessly embodies each character, lending them distinct voices and vibrant personalities. Her interpretations add a level of depth and immersion to the story that truly enhances the overall experience.

In conclusion, this audiobook offers a delightful blend of cozy mystery, an enchanting New Orleans backdrop, a diverse cast of characters, and an atmospheric setting. While it might not suit every taste, the combination of an engaging storyline, quirky humor, and a compelling mystery is a treat worth savoring.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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A cozy mystery in times of Pandemic

Reviewed: 02-06-23 Listener received this title free

Frannie and Larry took their first campground hosting job for the first time in May 2020, when the Covid Pandemic was still in full swing. Things got then more complicated due to weather inclemencies and a woman that suddenly went missing.

I want to say that this book may not be for everyone due to the circumstances surrounding the mystery. I had indeed mixed feelings about the premises. While we were in strict lockdown in Spain, even with parks closed, people in other countries were allowed to go camping. It just didn’t seem these people lived the same pandemic as we did, and I found some of the attitudes around masking and social distancing a bit disturbing. This doesn’t mean that it was a good book. The story was great but the setting wasn’t probably the right one for me.

The mystery was well built, with some twists and turns and some redeeming events that show us that more often than not, things are not what they seem. I liked the presence of Frannie’s grandchildren, and what they added to the story.

The best part was Michelle Babb’s narration. I always say that Babb could narrate the phone book and make it interesting. She is a natural! Her character interpretations are just amazing, bringing the characters to life in a way that it feels like watching real people interact. Michelle Babb has an expressive and natural narration style that works well with this genre, but I am sure she would do wonders on any other kind of book.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Paranormal cozy mystery with some gruesome scenes

Reviewed: 11-06-22 Listener received this title free

Darla reads the memories from a knife her mother bought at an estate sale, and she knows she needs to be on the case. The knife holds the memories of a woman attacked by a werewolf, and Darla just wants to make sure the woman is alive and well.

In the third installment of the series, Darla is taking more risks than ever before. Technically a cozy mystery, this book is darker and has more gruesome scenes than your typical cozy mystery novel. Another difference from regular cozy mysteries is the paranormal aspect. The werewolf in question is some kind of serial killer, and scenes that are usually left out from novels of the kind are present here, with bloody bits and all. It’s something I don’t mind, but I wonder if these books will work well for fans of classic cozy mysteries.

The story was intriguing and well-paced. While the second book had a parallel storyline about Darla’s lost husband, we’ll have to wait to know more from him. This book was mostly about the murder mystery and Darla trying to sort out her feelings towards the sheriff, and the guilt since her husband is still alive.

Madeline Mrozek delivered a fantastic narration. All her characters sound distinct and count with differentiated personalities. Mrozek is incredibly talented in bringing characters to life. Her voice is clear and her audio production skills are also top-notch.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Entertaining novella

Reviewed: 10-30-22 Listener received this title free

Frannie and her friend visit this time the Lewis & Clark reenactment event, where some people take explorer Meriwether Lewis’ death more seriously than others.

It was an entertaining cozy mystery like the previous books in the series, but I found the buildup a bit too slow. The first death doesn’t happen until the one-third mark, and apart from some disagreements among some of the characters, nothing much happens for a while. From this point onward, the pace picked up, and I very much enjoyed it.

It was a while since I read the previous book in the series, and at first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of main characters. Frannie travels this time with her husband Larry, and two other couples: Mickey and Jane-Ann, and Rob and Donna. I had issues remembering who was who from previous adventures, and I’m still not sure that the third couple added much to the story.

It was a cute story, like the others in the series, great for a lazy weekend.

I loved Michelle Babb’s narration. Her casual tone and wonderful character interpretations make listening to her narrations a delight. It really matches this kind of book well, emphasizing the light tone of the narrative, and bringing the characters to life.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Great premises but poor execution

Reviewed: 07-22-22

A failed experiment is the seed of Children of Time. Dr. Avrana Kern releases a virus on a terraformed planet with the goal of accelerating the evolution of a group of monkeys sent from Earth. Still, the monkeys will never make it to the planet. The virus shows a clear affinity for spiders, making them evolve and create their own society. Several hundred years later, the last humans from a dead Earth arrive in the system on a colony ship, decided to inhabit the green planet, but Avrana Kern will not allow anyone to interfere with her experiment.

There's a lot of good stuff in this book. The premises are mind-boggling and intriguing, and the world-building is very ambitious. This is definitely a book about diversity and sameness, and the recognition of both species as sentient and at the same level just makes it all worth it. I found the concept so alluring, that my intention was picking up the next book in the series after finishing this one, but for the life of me, I can't do it right now. This was an interesting and very dense read, unlike anything I read lately, but still, I need to take a break. I am definitely more in love with this book's idea than with its execution.

The not so good stuff: I definitely missed some more character development. There were plenty of interesting things going but I couldn't relate to any of the characters, nothing sparked any emotions. There are two main characters on the human side and several kinds of "recurrent" characters on the spiders' side. When I say recurrent, I don't mean exactly that, but the same names are reused for key spiders over the years. I know their society is completely different than ours, but the choice of reusing the same names didn't help with the feeling that the characters were underdeveloped. The humans do have unique names, but character development was also lacking. I wanted to feel moved by Lain and Holsten's story but the depth just wasn't there.

The plot has a couple of Deux ex Machina twists, including the end. Somehow I expected a bit more from the whole story. It's well written, and the subject is fascinating, but the execution could have been so much better. I'm curious about where the story is going after this book, but I need a break. This wouldn't happen if I could relate to at least one character, but the truth is I don't miss any of them.

Mel Hudson's narration felt flat, monotonous, and rushed, which was why it took me some time to get into the story. Holstein and Lain's voices sounded exactly the same, and without evident pauses between their discourses, which made following dialogs difficult.

This book made me somehow think about The Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward, but while I was able to connect to Forward's characters, it just didn't happen with Tchaikovsky's. It's still worth a read just because it's an interesting concept.

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It didn't age well

Reviewed: 07-10-22

Given how iconic the movie by this name has become, I was curious about the book it was based upon. At some point, my past self might have had this same idea, because the book was in my Audible library ready to listen to.

All I can say, after the fact, is that it was a disappointment. The movie might have become a classic, probably thanks to Audrey Hepburn and to the scriptwriters' efforts to clean up Holly Golightly and transform it into somebody decent.

The writing was good, but this book hasn't aged well. At all. Holly is a selfish racist misogynist liar. She cares about no one but herself, and it is pathetic to witness the anonymous narrator fall for her fake charms, while she calls him her brother's name. Because Holly lives in a parallel universe of her own creation, and drags anyone that she meets on her way with her.

What I enjoyed was Michael C. Hall's narration. He delivered solid character interpretations, and his female voices were quite good. His tone and cadence went well with the story and the era it represented. The audio production was spotless.

Is this a book I'd recommend? It depends. I think it's worth a read for the curious that want to know where the movie came from, but some people might be triggered by some of Holly's behaviors.

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Entertaining, light, low on the sci-fi

Reviewed: 07-10-22

The Yherajk have been watching us for quite some time. With a gooey appearance and a nauseating smell, they know it will be difficult for humans to accept them as a friendly and likable alien race. Therefore, instead of using the main door and introducing themselves to the president of the United States of America, they decide to approach a Hollywood agent that will make the Yherajk attractive to the world.

This hilarious plot makes John Scalzi's first novel. I must admit that it was a totally different book from what I anticipated. I expected more sci-fi stuff and more alien presence, but this book is mainly about the ins and outs of the Hollywood industry, about agents, producers, actors, the press, and the relationships amongst them all. There are some tragic events happening in the book but the whole story is told in a lighthearted tone.

As a distraction, this book worked out well, but it's not much more than a light comedy novel set in Hollywood, with absurd aliens out of an 80s movie.

Will Wheaton is someone that I'm fond of due to his appearances in Star Trek, his books, and his ideas about the world. As a narrator, I think he does a good job; his interpretations are expressive and his narrating compelling; but I have a problem with how similar almost all characters sound. It makes it hard to follow dialogs, and I tend to zone out, and it makes it difficult for me to get into a story if there are many dialogs before I know the characters well. I think Wheaton is a good actor, which translates into good character interpretations, but he still needs some more work to be a good voice actor. Some skills don't translate well to audio.

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The right dose of mystery, humour, and magic

Reviewed: 07-04-22 Listener received this title free

The Psychic Touch is the second book in the Memory Guild series. Darla Chestwick recently started a new life in St. Marcos, Florida, where she owns a 300-year-old Bed and Breakfast. Darla’s business is starting to pick up when one of her guests is found dead after falling from his bedroom window. The deceased man’s wife blames the ghost in the room, but Darla knows this can’t be the case, but she still can’t explain this unexpected death.

This was an entertaining listen! It had the right dose of mystery, humour, and magic. Parker did a great job building up the intrigue, creating subplots, and generally crafting a riveting tale with charismatic characters, and secret societies. I also wanted to mention that I didn’t suspect who was behind the murders until the end, which means that this is a book that kept me guessing, and there were many surprises along the way.

Madeline Mrozek delivered an extraordinaire narration, with an ample voice range, making all the characters distinguishable, and great interpretation skills. The audio production was spotless. This is one of those cases where a good story becomes even better thanks to the narrator.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Comical, absurd, bloody, and psychological horror

Reviewed: 04-18-22 Listener received this title free

Andrew Mayhem still doesn’t know what he wants to do for a living, so in the meantime, he just does small unorthodox jobs to keep afloat and provide for his family. He just never expected to be offered an incredible sum of money for robbing a grave, but this will only be the first of many problems to come, because the man in the grave was buried alive. Andrew will be mixed with a dangerous crowd that is into a very nasty business.

Jeff Strand’s books always provide instant gratification, and Graverobbers Wanted is no different. I was in the mood for something light, entertaining, and different. Graverobbers is a mystery, and Andy is the sleuth who needs to unravel it. It’s the gore version of a cozy mystery with comical, absurd, bloody, and psychological horror elements. Some of the scenes are so extreme that I didn’t know whether to laugh or be horrified. It almost feels like watching a B-horror movie. Just deliciously creepy.

The mystery is well built. It’s almost impossible to know who’s behind all the murders and gore, and Andy is sometimes so naive that it’s impossible not to want him to win over the evil guy.

Joe Hempel does a fantastic job narrating this story, bringing Andrew and the rest of the crew to life with incredible character interpretations and different voices. This book has plenty of characters, but Hempel’s subtle distinctions among characters’ styles make dialogs easy to follow. I had a blast listening to this audiobook! I’d recommend it to anyone into horror, gore, and B movies.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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