AUDIOBOOK ➯ LIES LIKE POISON

 

BY CHELSEA PITCHER

NARRATED BY AMANDA DOLAN, EMILY ELLET, KEVIN R. FREE & M. GROSLAND

❐ Overall Rating 2 | Narration 5

❐ YA Mystery

❐ LGBTQIA

How can a book have such wonderfully atmospheric narration and rate so low with me.??? Good question. I wanted to like this and I really tried to do so but it missed the mark for me, story-wise. I really found most of the story to be rather unbelievable and very reminiscent of the show Riverdale...basically a hot mess.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 7H 54M

❐ Plot ➯ 2.5/5

❐ Characters ➯ 3/5

❐ The Feels ➯ 2/5

❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 1/5

❐ Ending ➯ 2/5

AUDIOBOOK ➯ THE CHAIN

BY ADRIAN McKINTY

NARRATED BY JANUARY LAVOY

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 4½ | Narration 4½

❐ One thrilling-ass thriller

❐ An intricate and diabolically insane plot

❐ Mostly told from a single POV

The Chain is off the hook with intensity. Like some freaky-scary shit for any parent to even contemplate for even a single minute. Is it plausible...maybe, maybe not...but I don't think that's the point. It would make for one hell-of-a a movie. The first half is non-stop and then things slow down until the very end, where the action picks up again for an ending that leaves you breathless. The mind that came up with this plot is a wicked one. All in all, this was an entertaining listen with an added bonus of fantastic narration by one of my all-time favs, January Lavoy.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 10H 9M

❐ Plot ➯ 4.5/5

❐ Characters ➯ 4.3/5

❐ The Feels ➯ 5/5

❐ Thrills ➯ 5/5

❐ Ending ➯ 4.5/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ THE LAST FLIGHT

BY julie clark

NARRATED BY KHRISTINE HVAM & LAUREN FORTGANG

❐SYNOPSIS from goodreads❐

❐ Overall Rating 4¼ | Narration 5

❐ Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

❐ A switcheroo with some twists

❐ Dual POV's & Fluctuating Timelines

Take an interesting premise...two women in dire need of an identity change-up meet at an airport after they've already gone through security...they switch tickets and then the things get interesting...especially when one of the planes crashes. Add to that an abusive, rich husband and an illustrious career in drug-making...mix it up, and what you get is this thrilling, secret-spilling, twisty mystery.

While I had a few issues with this...overall, I found this to quite a satisfying listen, with fantastic narration by both Khristine Hvam and Lauren Fortgang. The latter is been popping up as the narrator in quite a few of my listens lately...and I haven't been disappointed by that, either.

❐ Audible Listen

❐ Length ➯ 9H 23M

❐ Plot ➯ 4.3/5

❐ Characters ➯ 4/5

❐ The Feels ➯ 4/5

❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 4.2/5

❐ Ending ➯ 4.2/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS

 

BY MEGAN MIRANDA

NARRATED BY REBEKKAH ROSS

❐ Overall Rating 2¼ | Narration  3

❐ A woman trying to hide from her tragic past

❐ Psychological Thriller...that's low on thrills

❐ Sleepwalking

Maybe it's time that I give up on Megan Miranda.  I keep listening to her books thinking in my head..." I really like this author"...but it turns out that I might be confusing her with Wendy Walker.  What can I say...I'm easily confused.

This book is like most of her other books...kind of boring throughout with not enough pay-off at the end and/or one where the premise sounds interesting but the execution always leaves you wanting something more.  Thirdly, she always has the same narrator for all her books...and I'm finding that her style is the same for every character she portrays...and she never really changes it up, which isn't always a bad thing...unless you don't really care for them in the first place.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 9H 57M

❐ Plot ➯ 2.5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 2/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 2/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 2/5
❐ Ending ➯ 2.5/5

AUDIOBOOK ➯ PRETTY THINGS

BY JANELLE BROWN

NARRATED BY JULIA WHELAN & LAUREN FORTGANG WITH A FORWARD BY HILARY HUBER

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 4½ | Narration 4½

❐ Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

❐ Something of a character study

❐ Twisty

❐ Dual POV's

❐ Lake Tahoe Setting

Two con-artists try running the long-con...and ultimately the real question is who is conning who???

You may have heard that this is a little longish and tends to go into details about unnecessary things, and both those are completely true of this book.  Sometimes you even get the same scene from more than one perspective.  And these things are usually always deal-breakers for me...but for some reason, I completely enjoyed this despite all those things...maybe even because of.  That and it was superbly narrated, I always love Lauren Fortgang and I even enjoyed Julia Whelan in this, and usually, I don't really like her.  Overall, I guess it just clicked with me...maybe it will for you also.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 16H 7M

❐ Plot ➯ 4.5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 4.3/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 4.7/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 4.5/5
❐ Ending ➯ 4.5/5

AUDIOBOOK ➯ GOODNIGHT BEAUTIFUL

BY AIMEE MOLLY

NARRATED BY VAL TOOMEY, GEORGE NEWBERN, MARIN IRELAND, & JOEL FROOMKIN

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 4½ | Narration 4½

❐ Mystery/Psychological Thriller/Suspense

❐ Clever Misdirection and a shout-out to a well-known book/movie

❐ Multiple POV's 

❐ This one is best to go into blind...

This story snuck up on me and I didn't even realize how much I enjoyed it until it was over.  It was told in a way that was refreshingly different...and that...is always a good thing.

You know I'm not sure what parts of the story were the misdirection parts or my own personal misdirection???  All I can tell you without giving anything away is...just go read it...or listen to it.  I can't even tell you what I thought of the narration because I might inadvertently give something away if I do.  I can say that it was performed quite well by all, though.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 7H 52M

❐ Plot ➯ 4.7/5
❐ Characters ➯ 4.3/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 4.5/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 4.3/5
❐ Ending ➯ 4.3/5

AUDIBLE ORIGINAL ➯ THE MYSTERY OF ALICE

 

BY LEE BACON

NARRATED BY Bryan Kennedy, Jessica Almasy, Josh Hurley, Cassandra Morris, Libby McKnight, Emily Bauer, & Michael Crouch

❐ Overall Rating 3 | Narration 5

❐ Free Audible Original

❐ These are Middle School age kids???

❐ Mystery

❐ Video Diary

I suppose the story was interesting...but can I see this all being played out by middle-school-aged children...no, not at all.  No matter how rich they are.  If they had been high schoolers...maybe I could have bought it.  

I'm fairly certain that Emily Bauer is the main narrator in this and lots of other listeners have said that she was too immature sounding...but I thought she was perfect.

❐ Audible Listen

❐ Length ➯ 6H 24M

❐ Plot ➯ 2.5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 3.5/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 3/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 3/5
❐ Ending ➯ 3/5

AUDIOBOOK ➯ NONE SHALL SLEEP

BY ELLIE MARNEY

NARRATED BY CHRISTINE LAKIN, MAXWELL HAMILTON, ZACH VILLA, & JAKE ABEL

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 4¾ | Narration 5

❐ Mystery/Thriller/Horror

❐ Very reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs

❐ YA-ish

❐ Serial Killers

An excellent story, creepily scary and bloody gruesome.  Billed as being Silence of the Lambs meets Sadie...I totally agree with the SOTL comparison, but I'm not feeling the Sadie comparison at all.  Set in the early 80s...maybe when profiling was just really becoming mainstream.  What they have these teens (who are 18) carrying out and/or what they end up doing on their own, I should say; felt a lot like profiling serial killers.  Either way, it was really quite compelling, and I didn't see the end coming...at least, not until right before the shit hit the fan.  Also, the narration by each of the narrators was performed perfectly.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 11H 19M

❐ Plot ➯ 4.7/5
❐ Characters ➯ 5/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 5/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 5/5
❐ Ending ➯ 4.5/5

AUDIOBOOK ➯ FOLLOW ME

BY KATHLEEN BARBER

NARRATED BY COREY BRILL, ERIN MOON, & EMILY TREMAINE

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 4 | Narration 5

❐ Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

❐ Social Media

❐ Obsession/Stalking/Delusions

❐ Red Herring Alert

While it delved into the unbelievable, seriously, how many guys can one girl have obsessed with her, and I get that she was trying to give you many suspects, so you would be kept guessing...and she accomplished that quite well.  Maybe a little too well?  

Overall, I was thoroughly entertained by this cautionary tale of the digital age.  How much of your life should you share on social media?  This story will make you think twice about that.  Personally, I think you should just stick to posting pictures of your dog.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 10H 13M

❐ Plot ➯ 4.2/5
❐ Characters ➯ 4/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 4/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 3.5/5
❐ Ending ➯ 4/5

 

AUDIOBOOK ➯ THE INHERITANCE GAMES

 BY JENNIFER LYNN BARNES

NARRATED BY CHRISTIE MOREAU

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 3½ | Narration 4½

❐ YA Contemporary Mystery

❐ With a splash of romance...that was slightly awkward and confusing

❐ Poor to Rich in the blink of an eye

❐ Let the games begin...

What if someone you've never met leaves you billions of dollars and leaves a pittance of that to his actual family members...you would want to know why?  Why you? Why not them?  Everyone in the family is up in arms...fired up to sue for their share, eventually, even attempted murder comes into play.  

All in all, this was an interesting premise that hooked me right from the start.  It was engaging and I flew through this audio in no time.  When I look back at it, though, I can find a couple of issues with the story from the awkward love triangle to the less than satisfying ending...but maybe there's more in store for everyone in the second book.  

The narration was performed swimmingly by Christie Moreau and she set the tone for this perfectly.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 10H 45M

❐ Plot ➯ 4/5
❐ Characters ➯ 3.7/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 3.5/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 3.7/5
❐ Ending ➯ 3/5

AUDIOBOOK ➯ EVERY NOW AND THEN

BY LESLEY KAGEN

NARRATED BY HILARY HUBER

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 3.5 | 5 Narration

❐ Literary Fiction 

❐ Coming-of-age 

❐ With a splash of mystery

❐ Three friends and their adventures in the Summer of 1960

First off, I love the cover and I loved Hilary Huber's narration...in fact, I always love her narration.  Those two things are what sealed the deal for me to give this book a try.

This book is compared or likened to Where the Crawdads Sing and I can see that.  They both have a historical setting of the 1960s.  Both have a splash of mystery.  Also, they both deal with prejudices.  Plus, they both have a kind of slow-burning pace, with really memorable endings. Although, WTCS has more going on throughout the story to keep you invested in the story, overall.  ENAT doesn't really have that...at least I didn't feel that it did. 

While the ending got a little intense and was even a little bit jaw-dropping...I just didn't feel that it was worthwhile enough to make me forget how bored I was with the story up until the ending.  I'm certain there will be lots of readers/listeners who love this story just the way it is, though.  

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 9H 1M

❐ Plot ➯ 3.5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 3.5/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 3/5
❐ Mystery/Thrills ➯ 2.8/5
❐ Ending ➯ 4.3/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ LITTLE SECRETS

BY JENNIFER HILLIER

NARRATED BY KIRSTEN POTTER

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 4¾ | Narration 4¼

❐ Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

❐ Multiple POV's

❐ Kidnapping

❐ Infidelity

❐ Satisfyingly Twisty

I was hesitant to listen to this since I was one of the few people who didn't like Jar of Hearts by this author...it ventured way too far into the unbelievable for me.  I also read an ARC that was riddled with typos and such which made it such a struggle to stay in the story and even finish it.  But this book really came through for me...it felt believable and by the end, I was really rooting for these broken people...well, maybe not all of them.  I'm really glad I gave this one a go because it surprised me in the best way possible.

Kirsten Potter's narration, while not my favorite, was sufficient enough to keep me in the story.  She did manage some different inflections for all the various POV's, sort of, anyway.  While I've never been blown away by her narration; she is reliable and will always be someone that I'm never disappointed to see listed as the narrator of a book.  Of course, as always, my rating is influenced by the fact that this could have been phenomenal with additional narrators.

❐ Libby Listen through my Library

❐ Length ➯ 10H 33M

❐ Plot ➯ 4.5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 4.3/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 5/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery ➯ 4.7/5
❐ Ending ➯ 5/5

AUDIOBOOK NOVELLA REVIEW ➯ THE ORIGINAL

 

BY BRANDON SANDERSON & MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL

NARRATED BY JULIA WHELAN

❐SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS❐

❐ Overall Rating 3½ | Narration 4¼

❐ Novella/Short Story

❐ Futuristic-Techy

❐ Science Fiction/Murder Mystery

❐ Single POV

❐ Received ALC for free in exchange for an honest review

  

The Original drops you in this futuristic world full of nano-tech...in fact, nano-tech or nanites are everyday words.  Nanites are capable of so many things, including provisional replica's of actual people, theming your world view by just thinking it into existence, and keeping yourself from aging...or at least looking like you've aged to name a few.  

It was a little mind-blowing to think about...and ultimately for me, the story itself lacked depth.  I felt unfulfilled by the shortness of the story and the super abrupt ending.  The mystery at work in this was basically left hanging.  Overall an interesting concept that felt like it was only scratched at...and left me with an itch for something more.  

I have really liked Tavia Gilbert's narration (Partials Sequence Trilogy) and I have loathed her narration (most everything else), more so the latter.  In this though, I have to say...she felt...not bad, slightly improved even, and definitely okay.

❐ Netgalley ALC Listen (the app still needs improvement)

❐ Length ➯ 3H 30M

❐ Plot ➯ 3.5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 3.7/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 3/5
❐ World-Building ➯ 4.3/5
❐ Ending ➯ 2.5/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ ALL HIS PRETTY GIRLS

 

BY CHARLY COX

NARRATED BY KATE ZANE

❐SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS ❐

THE DETAILS✎

❐ DETECTIVE ALYSSA WYATT #1

❐ SUSPENSE/THRILLER

❐ SERIAL KILLER MYSTERY

❐ NAIL-BITING WORTHY

❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 11 HOURS, 6 MINUTES

❐ I LISTENED ON HOOPLA THROUGH MY LIBRARY

If you're looking for a super intense suspense/thriller then look no further especially if you dig a story that doesn't shy away from graphic depictions of violence.  With one of these scenes, I even had tears in my eyes.  It was so powerful.  This was not only well written with an engaging and refreshing cast of characters it had me on the edge almost the entire time I was listening.  It's also a debut.

A second narrator for the male parts of this book would have been really awesome...but other than that, the narration by Kate Zane was perfectly performed.  She is a new-to-me narrator and one that I would gladly listen to again.  I'm impatiently waiting for the next book to be recorded in this series so I can do just that.

BREAKDOWN✎

Narration ➯ 4¼ STARS

Plot ➯ 4.5/5

Characters ➯ 4.5/5

The Feels ➯ 5/5

Pacing ➯ 4.7/5

Addictiveness ➯ 5/5

Theme/Tone/Intensity ➯ 5/5

Originality/Believability ➯ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ➯ 4.5/5

Twisty-ness/Mystery ➯ 4.3/5

Ending ➯ 4.3/5

SUMMATION ➯ 4½ STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ DARK AUGUST

BY KATIE TALLO

NARRATED BY PIPER GOODEVE

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

THE DETAILS✎

❐ A HAUNTED, ALMOST SULTRY ATMOSPHERE

❐ SLOW-BURN MYSTERY

❐ ONTARIO, CANADA SETTING

❐ AMATEUR SLEUTHING

❐ ONE COOL ASS DOG NAMED LEVI & A GHOST TOWN

❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 12 HOURS, 18 MINUTES

❐ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

I do love a story with a dog in it...and Levi the dog was pretty awesome...but then most dogs are.

A small-town girl goes home and stumbles upon the last case that her mother was working on before she was killed in a car accident...something about it doesn't sit right with and her so she starts digging into it...and someone seems to be determined to stop her, but who???  And far will they go to stop her?

Overall, a good solid story ...just took forever to get anywhere with it...with overly descriptive writing this was definitely a slow-burning mystery and I'm not always a fan of this style of writing.  So I forgot to pay attention quite often while listening and I didn't really feel like I had missed all that much most of the time...although, I did rewind it a couple of times.

The narration was performed well by Piper Goodeve...bringing the slow almost sultry, creepily spooky atmosphere to the forefront.  Admittedly, maybe a tad too much.  I kept checking to see where the setting was...because it felt like this was southern gothic.

BREAKDOWN✎

Narration ➯ 4½ STARS

Plot ➯ 3.8/5

Characters ➯ 3.7/5

The Feels ➯ 3/5

Pacing ➯ 2/5

Addictiveness ➯ 3/5

Theme, Tone, or Intensity ➯ 3.5/5

Originality/Believability ➯ 3.5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ➯ 2.5/5

Twisty-ness/Mystery ➯ 3.5/5

Ending ➯ 3/5

SUMMATION ➯ 3½ STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ MOTHER KNOWS BEST

BY KIRA PEIKOFF

NARRATED BY SOPHIE AMOSS, MARNI PENNING, & JENNIFER JILL ARAYA

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

THE DETAILS✎

❐ MEDICAL/DOMESTIC THRILLER

❐ WITH A DASH OF MYSTERY AND A HEALTHY DOSE OF SCIENCE FICTION

❐ TOLD FROM THREE POV'S WITH PAST AND PRESENT TENSE

❐ A CHILD BORN WITH THE DNA OF THREE PARENTS

❐ MOSTLY PREDICTABLE YET TOTALLY FASCINATING

❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 9 HOURS, 36 MINUTES

❐ I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE THROUGH AUDIBLE PLUS

This has one of the most innovative plotlines that I've seen in a mystery/thriller...I'm not saying that they aren't out there because for all I know they are.  Most of the mystery is easily guessable as to where it's going but honestly, I didn't mind.  I suggest listening in one go, that way you don't have a lot of time to contemplate the plot.  There are intricacies/twists to the story that you might not guess that way.  That's what I did and it worked for me.

I'm also fairly certain the narration made a difference too.  It was fantastically performed by all three narrators.  Especially, Sophie Amos, she does a young girl's voice very well.

The science in this is very palatable even if you're not usually into science fiction or medical thrillers.  It felt like the author knew something about DNA manipulating and the like.  There are a few cheesy/over the top moments and at least one bout of crazy, maybe a few...but it all comes together in the end, in one entertaining package.  It doesn't hurt that this is on the Audible Plus Plan either.

BREAKDOWN✎

Narration ➯ 5 STARS

Plot ➯ 4.3/5

Characters ➯ 4/5

The Feels ➯ 4.5/5

Pacing ➯ 4.5/5

Addictiveness ➯ 5/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ➯ 4.7/5

Originality/Believability ➯ 4.5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ➯ 5/5

Twisty-ness/Mystery ➯ 3.8/5

Ending ➯ 4.2/5

SUMMATION ➯ 4¼ STARS

AUDIOBOOK ➯ CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45

 

BY LISA UNGER

NARRATED BY VIVIENNE LEHENY

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

THE DETAILS✎

❐ MYSTERY SUSPENSE

❐ DOMESTIC THRILLER

❐ IT ALL STARTS FROM A TRAIN RIDE HOME

❐ SECRETS, LIES, & BETRAYALS

❐ TWISTY & SLIGHTLY TWISTED

❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 12 HOURS, 29 MINUTES

❐ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

This is going to be super quick...because my review writing time has been seriously compromised by RL lately.  I found this to be not only engaging but totally twisted in a good way.  I had the most fun trying to figure it all out and usually just when I thought I did...I was floored by the depths that this story went to.  

This really should've had a second narrator...it wouldn't have ruined the mystery at all...so why didn't it have a second narrator.  Vivienne Leheny was actually really good but again, not to beat a dead horse...it really should've had a second narrator.

BREAKDOWN✎

Narration ➯ 4 STARS

Plot ➯ 4.5/5

Characters ➯ 4.5/5

The Feels ➯ 5/5

Pacing ➯ 4.5/5

Addictiveness ➯ 4.5/5

Theme/Tone/Intensity ➯ 5/5

Originality/Believability ➯ 4.5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ➯ 4/5

Twisty-ness/Mystery ➯ 4.3/5

Ending ➯ 4.7/5

SUMMATION ➯ 4½ STARS