The Mystery Guest - Nita Prose

Oh, I was so excited to hear that Nita Prose had written a second book featuring Molly - her absolutely wonderful protagonist. The Mystery Guest has just released.  

We met Molly in the first book - The Maid. Molly works at the upscale Regency Grand Hotel as a maid. "Every day of work is a joy to me. I was born to do this job. I love cleaning. I love my maid's trolley, and I love my uniform." She is now the Head Maid. 

You're going to absolutely love Molly - her innocence, her upbeat attitude, her manner of speaking and those rules and sayings that guide her life. And then there's Gran. Even though she is gone, her presence is felt throughout the book. (It made me miss my Gran too!) The supporting cast of players is just as wonderful. Molly has made friends who very much care for her. But there's always a rotten apple in the barrel.

And of course, there's a mystery to be solved.  History seems to be repeating itself when a guest lecturer dies in front of the audience at the hotel. Molly might have the inside track with this latest murder - and I'll let you discover how. In addition to her own curious mind, Molly and her Gran were faithful fans of Columbo - and read every Christie novel. Tools that she'll put to good use. That's if Detective Stark will listen to what Molly knows.

Prose tells The Mystery Guest in a past and present timeline - one of my favourite storytelling styles. Readers will get to learn more about Molly's past and her Gran. And yes, I needed a tissue more than once.

What more could you want - characters you'll be rooting for, a murder mystery, and some insightful thoughts about love, loss and life. Prose's writing will keep you listening to chapter to chapter late into the night. Heartily recommended! I really, really hope there will be a third book!

The narrator was Lauren Ambrose and she did a fabulous job of giving Molly a voice. I was worried that the narrator's voice wouldn't 'be right' for Molly. I was very happy to be proven wrong. Ambrose captures Molly's character perfectly. Ambrose's voice is easy on the ears. She speaks clearly and enunciates well. She does a wonderful job of presenting Prose's work. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of the Mystery Guest.

Girl, Forgotten - Karin Slaughter

Oh, I couldn't wait to read Karin Slaughter's new book Girl, Forgotten. I don't even bother looking at the fly leaf - I just know that I'm in for a great read! 

Remember Andrea Oliver from Pieces of Her? Well, Andrea takes the lead role in this latest as a newly minted US Marshall. (Note - this can absolutely be read as a stand alone.)

The book opens with a heartbreaking scene - the murder of a teen in 1982. And then flips to the present where Andrea arrives at her first job - protecting a judge who has been receiving death threats. Both events take place in the same town. And Andrea herself has a connection to things as well.

Slaughter employs a plot device that I love - the back and forth of a past and present narrative. Just as the reader is lost in the past putting together the clues, the timeline flips to the present. Guaranteed to keep me reading until late at night. 

Slaughter's plotting is brilliant and the journey to the final answers is a deliciously devious road to travel. (I do have to say that the past timeline broke my heart.)

I liked seeing this 'new' Andy. She's been thrown into the lion's den with this first assignment. She's also been paired up with the veteran Marshall Bible. They play off each other really well. I hope we get to see more this pair in the future.

Karin Slaughter is a brilliant crime writer and this latest is more evidence of that. 

All the Queen's Men - SJ Bennett

I admit it - I am a Royal Watcher! I loved last year's first entry (The Windsor Knot) in SJ Bennett's delightful series - Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. The second book is the newly released All the Queen's Men - and it's a cracking listen!

Buckingham Palace 2016. It all starts with one of the Queen's favorite paintings gone missing, a series of 'poison pen' notes aimed at certain staff members - and a body by the indoor pool. Now, the Queen is not the one physically investigating. But she is conducting a secret inquiry of her own alongside the formal investigation. She again employs her Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi, to be her eyes, ears and legs reporting back only to her. 

When I listened to first book, I had concerns over how the Queen would be portrayed. Well, I didn't need to worry. She is kind, gracious, wise, highly intelligent, well-spoken, observant, but imposing as well. Her inner dialogue is a treat to read and her sense of humor is dry, as are her observations about her Royal family. Current events in 2016 are woven into the book such as  elections at home and abroad, Brexit and more. We get to know Rozie a bit more personally in this latest. She's likable, smart and strong both physically and mentally. 

The mystery is well plotted and I really enjoyed following along. And it's not so easy as the butler did it. There are some red herrings on the path the final chapters. It's fun to be on 'the inside', aware of what is going on with the supporting players and their case, even as Rozie and the Queen pursue their own leads.

I liked the setting as well - who doesn't want to know what the inside and daily life of the castle is like? I got curious and learned that Bennett's description and details of the Queen's art collection of art are true. The Royal Art Collection is the largest privately owned art collection in the world.

This was another fun, clever and thoroughly enjoyable listen for me. I was happy for the continuity in using Jane Copland for the narrator again. Her voice is perfect - with a rich, cultured tone that's quite pleasant to listen to and an accent that immediately brought the Queen to mind. The pace of the reading is just right as well -  never rushed. Keep calm and carry on! The subtle changes in intonation and emphasis are perfect for the Queen's manner. Different voices are provided for other characters and suit as well. Her speaking flows very naturally and is clear and easy to understand. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of All the Queen's Men. 

This series could be considered a cozy mystery - but note there are no cats. Just corgis.  ;0)  This happy  listener will be watching for the third entry in this series.

When She Was Good - Michael Robotham

I'm a big fan of Michael Robotham's writing. I've really enjoyed the Joe O'Loughlin series, as well as the stand alones. Robotham introduced a new series last year featuring forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven. And it was just as good as I had hoped. (my review)

Haven returns in the newly released When She Was Good. And so does Evie Cormac - a teenager who was discovered in a hidden room when she was a young child. She can tell when anyone is lying to her. But who is she? She has never told anyone her real name - if she knows it. Or what happened to her or who might be responsible? But the past never stays buried does it? Cyrus has stirred things up - and Evie is on the run again.

I have been wondering if we would ever find out about Evie's past. She is a fascinating character - well, actually they both are. Cyrus also has a dark and troubled past. Robotham has a done a great job building the two leads. I like them and find myself fully engaged and interested in their stories.

The search for Evie's past - or is the past searching for Evie? Either way, it's a tense journey to the final pages. Danger, action, suspense, corruption and more propel the story forward. And long hidden memories and details up the ante. Things unfold through both Evie and Cyrus's voices. The plotting is intricate and well played.

I chose to listen to When She Was Good. And that choice was made based on the reader - Joe Jameson. He did the first book as well and I'm so glad he did latest as well. The continuity is great. His voice is rich and full and his speaking voice is clear and easy to understand. He created distinctive voices for each character The Cyrus is calm and measured. The Evie voice is great - I absolutely hear a teenage girl with a chip on her shoulder. Those unique voices have created clear mental images of the characters for me. He interprets the book well and uses his voice effectively for the emotions and action as they play out. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I find myself more drawn into a book when I listen to it. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of When She Was Good.

Another excellent listen from Robotham - but hey, I knew it would be. An easy five star book.

The Sentence is Death - Anthony Horowitz

The Sentence is Death is the second book in Anthony Horowitz's Detective Daniel Hawthorne Series. (The first was The Word is Murder - my review.)

I found the first book incredibly clever and that originality continues with book two.

The protagonist is the enigmatic Hawthorn, let go from the police and now working as a P.I. Hawthorne is such a great character - a brilliant detective, but somewhat lacking in personal interactive skills. I quite like him. And playing Watson to his Holmes? Anthony Horowitz. Uh, huh - Horowitz has written himself in as a character in the series. And in the series, he plays himself, writing about Hawthorne's cases, often referring to actual events. Can you imagine the writing process? The interactions between the two are wonderfully depicted.

In this latest, a divorce lawyer is found bludgeoned to death with an expensive bottle of wine. Hawthorne picks up on the smallest clues and discrepancies. Horowitz also tries to investigate at times, but doesn't have the skill set of Hawthorne. What Horowitz desperately wants to konw is more about Hawthorne. The personal details of the detective are sparse and are only slowly being brought to light.

The murder is clever and takes several turns, keeping the reader guessing along with Horowitz. Hawthorne is far ahead of us on the final path to whodunit.

Clever, clever, clever. And so much fun to read. Here's an excerpt of The Sentence is Death. This reader will be looking forward to book number three. (And Horowitz has stated that he sees nine or ten Hawthorne book in the series.)