Audiobook Reviews: 4/5 Stars Liar’s Paradox by Taylor Stevens

June 23, 2021June 13, 2021 Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Audiobooks, thriller Taylor Stevens, thriller

Narrated by: Jennifer O’Donnell

Run Time: 11 hrs and 19 mins

Summary:

Jack and Jill get mysterious calls from Clare (their mother, trainer, task master, etc). When they rush over to her off-the-grid house, it explodes. The trail weaves in and out as a oddball cat and mouse game where they’re not sure who to trust and what to believe.

Additional Comments:

Characters 3.5/5: The characters are realistic in some senses and not in others. They’re also mostly annoying. The feuding and one-upmanship thing between Jack and Jill gets old. That makes it hard to like them. Holden’s okay. Clare’s complicated. Bad guy is suitably bad guy-y. I even liked Frank. Robert was just annoying too. Poor guy. Was kinda rooting for somebody to off him.
Plot 4/5: Fun but it occasionally gets bogged down in history. It’s simple really. If you get rid of the flashbacks, I’m not sure this book would top 150 pages.
Action 4.5/5: The fight scenes are well-described and thrilling.
Closure 4/5: The way Clare chooses to end things with the bad guy is kinda awesome and makes her a heck of a lot more likable in my book. It’s definitely open for more. So, I guess if you want the whole family saga you’d have to read book 2 as well.
Performance 4/5: Jennifer O’Donnell does a solid job with a performance. I played it faster than normal, so I’m not sure if all the male voices sounded fully distinct, but they were distinct enough.
Unlike the Munroe series, the main characters don’t do much traveling in the present. In the past, sure, but not the present, so the reader misses out a bit on the authentic feel of unique culture immerse-ment that the Informationist had in spades. It’s been a while since I read a Taylor Steven’s book. Mostly, I listen to her podcast with Steve Campbell. She’d got a lot of great insights into the traditional publishing world.
There are a LOT of flashbacks. Some are necessary, some probably not. It slowed things down quite a bit.
Content Warnings: Pervasive swearing. Adult situations implied without being really described. Lots of violence.
Cover is okay. A tad cheesy but fits the genre.
Favorite part: Clare’s solution.

Conclusion:

A meandering, history filled, yet still satisfying action-packed thriller.

Audiobook Promotions …

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Many of my 50 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.*
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
River’s Edge Ransom – Prequel to Redeemer Chronicles (Amazon) (email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)

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Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian. (Amazon) (free codes)
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. (Amazon) (Please email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift. (Amazon) (free codes)
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma. (Amazon) (free codes)
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother. (Amazon) (free codes)
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble. (Amazon) (free codes)
More Scifi:
Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there. (Amazon) (free codes)

Guardian Angel Files:

Spirit’s Bane – Allister and Mina are training to be Guardians. Satan’s out to get them. (Amazon) (free codes)
Kindred Spirits – Mina’s exiled to Earth. Allister’s stuck in the Heavens. (Amazon) (free codes)

3.5/5 Stars Those Who Wait by Milo James Fowler

April 30, 2021April 23, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, drama, thriller Milo James Fowler, thriller

Narrated by Gina Marie Davies

Narration 4 stars; story 3 stars

Run Time: 10 hrs and 56 minutes

*mild spoilers possible in discussion

Summary:

Jillian’s vacation quickly turns into a nightmare. She ends up hurt and stuck in a cabin with a scary mountain dude and his hell hound.

Additional Comments:

Main character 3.5/5 stars: Jillian’s okay as a main character. She comes across as the quintessential “good girl” who gets in way over her head. She’s somebody you can root for, but there were many, many points in this book where I could only shake my head and wonder how the kid got so dumb. That level of dumb is kinda hard to achieve.
Villain 3/5 stars: He fits his role well.
Content Warning: This is clearly not a Christian book. There are some Christian views expressed, but as is, with them being expressed by the cannibalistic, backwards, hick holding the MC captive for 4/5 ths of the book, it skews a lot of the views.
2.5/5 Stars Plot and Pacing: There are some cool twists, but the book seems to go on forever for no good reason. If about 4 hours were cut of random conversations with the crazy dude or descriptions of the MC being dumb or hobbling here and there, would have been much better. You definitely need some of that, but the amount of that just seemed excessive. Even the beginning part was insanely slow. I think it took an hour for them to drive up to the cabin.
4/5 Stars Narration: Nicely performed. Characters are distinguishable, which is tough seeing that there were 4 teenage girls right off the bat.
2.5/5 stars Sense of closure: Eh, it’s okay. It’s not exactly a “happy ending.” Guess I’m just a sucker for happy endings. I think it may have been angling for a sequel.
Content Warning: It’s been a few weeks, so I honestly can’t remember if this one had any cursing in it. I do remember it has quite a few gruesome injuries to various characters.

Conclusion:

Long thriller with some decidedly dull sections. Last quarter had a lot of action and decent suspense though, so if you’re willing to put in the time investment, you may enjoy this book.

Audiobook Promotions …

Many of my 42 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.*
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

4/5 Dopamine by Mikhail Voloshin

February 18, 2021February 13, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, scifi, thriller Daniel Casper, full cast, Mikhail Voloshin

Narrated by Daniel Casper

Run Time: 10 hrs 16 mins

Genre: Cyberpunk/thriller

*spoilers possible in discussion

Summary:

Danny and his group of Dungeons and Dragons players take on the job of hacking into a medical research facility and get way more than they bargained for.

Additional Comments:

If you don’t like spoilers, don’t read the blurb. It pretty much spells out the first half of the book.
Performance 4/5 Stars: It’s a full-cast audio with about 6-7 names listed at the very end. I know that’s becoming more of a thing, but it was kind of distracting. I don’t read romances and that’s where you’d probably hear the most dual performances. I would have preferred 1 narrator in a story like this. All narrators did fine, and the editing was good enough to keep all transitions smooth. That’s about the best you can hope for with full-cast shows. I would certainly listen to another of their productions.
Story 3.5/5 Stars: There’s a cool premise, hero’s kind of purposefully lame. He’s a tech genius, not an action hero, which is fine. But that means most of the action is carried out by others. There are some neat plot twists near the end. The plot is high action, but at times, the action seems to just move the characters about at will with them having 0 control over what to do next.
Seemed to have more to do with cocaine than dopamine. I guess I missed that connection. Pretty sure it was mentioned. Probably would have had a different audience if that were the title though.
Side Characters 3.5/5 Stars: While realistic even in their stereotypes, not many of the characters are very likable as people. Roger is a sex-addicted nincompoop. Tina’s an underappreciated, brilliant woman wasted on the job of answering phones. Danny’s your average tech genius. Jason’s the greedy corporate guy with a heart of gold in the end. He might actually be the one to show the most character growth. The Russians are mostly mobsters.
I probably would have pegged it for near future scifi/thriller over cyberpunk, but maybe I’m just not familiar enough with the nuances of the genre.
Monologues: There were at least 2 main character monologues that should have been skipped.
Content Warning: Very, very strong language. Hit 4 f-bombs within 15 minutes and kept that general ratio throughout the story. A few adult scenes that could easily have been skipped.

Conclusion:

An interesting tech-heavy thriller.

Audiobook Promotions …

Many of my 44 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.*
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

4.5/5 Stars Shadow Soldiers by Wrathe W Aceing

November 11, 2020October 31, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, thriller Shadow Soldiers, Stephen Floyd, Wrathe W Aceing

Narrated by Stephen Floyd

Run Time: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Summary:

At first, I wasn’t sure why this is voiced by a man. He has a really nice voice, but the perspective in the first story is that of a young woman.

The second story’s protagonist is a man. His family gets killed, so he recruits some army and marine acquaintances to help him exact revenge.

The third story is the most ambitious by far. A crime family ends up kidnapping the wrong kid and inadvertently sets a very dangerous team on the loose.

Additional Comments:

I think the stories got better as they went on, but each had its own unique charm.
These are all about vigilante justice centered around the theme of human trafficking or child sexual abuse and exploitation. (First story.)
Not sure why the first story had 2 endings. It’s unique, but I’m not sure this style of book was meant to have a choose your own adventure flare to it.
Narration was solid.
Every story had a lot of violence.
Despite being fiction, the problem of modern day slavery and human trafficking is a real deal thing society doesn’t always handle well. These stories about somebody getting ultimate justice are satisfying.

Conclusion:

Given the crimes committed by the bad guys, they probably deserved what they got, but still, if vigilante philosophy isn’t your thing, you may not enjoy these.

Audiobook Promotions …

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Mystery:

Shadow Council Combo (Books 1-4) (Amazon) (free codes)
The Individual Titles:
SC 1: Money Makes it Deadlier (Amazon) (free codes)
SC 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter (Amazon) (free codes)
SC 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos (Amazon) (free codes)
SC 4: Treachery Makes it Tense (Amazon) (free codes)

Eagle Eyes – mystery thriller (Amazon) (free codes)
The Individual Titles:
Violence in Vegas (Eagle Eyes Book 1) (Amazon) (free codes)
Rescue in Reno (Eagle Eyes Book 2) (Amazon) (free codes)
Danger in Dallas (Eagle Eyes Book 3) (Amazon) (free codes)

There is a third series, but it’s not on audible yet.

Scratched Off – mystery, thriller; FBI agent vs serial killer, more intense than Shadow Council/Eagle Eyes (Amazon) (free codes)
Never Again (mystery, suspense)

Christian Mystery:

The Collins Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 1, Christian mystery (Amazon) (free codes)
The Kiverson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 2, Christian mystery (Amazon) (free codes)
The Davidson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 3, Christian mystery (Amazon) (free codes)

4/5 Stars: Serenity Engulfed by Craig A. Hart

October 30, 2020September 27, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery, thriller Craig A. Hart, Shelby Alexander Series, Theo Holland

Shelby Alexander series #5

Narrated by Theo Holland

Run Time: 3 hrs and 50 mins

Summary:

Shelby’s enemies crawl out of the woodwork for another round. It’s definitely personal. They go after his daughter. He’s still growing apart from Carly, but they’re still close enough that she calls in a favor when her friend gets in big trouble.

Additional Comments:

This is a novella, so things happen pretty quickly.
If this is your first Shelby Alexander story, you’ll be treated to lifelike characters and not so realistic circumstances. But that’s the nature of thrillers.
If this is not your first Shelby Alexander story, you’ll probably notice that almost every character has the same brand of humor. It works in most cases. It’s a great sense of humor. It’s just bizarre that almost every character, except the bad guys has it.
The story’s certainly action packed.
I enjoy Shelby as a character, but in the real world, he would be sued so many times, he wouldn’t have two cents to rub together. As it happens, everybody who might think to sue him happens to wind up dead, so that’s … convenient.
Content Warnings: Adult content. Check. Very strong language. Also check, but it seemed a tad less than previous books.
Shelby gets stuff done.
There was pure 5-ish minutes of the bad guy infodumping, but everything else moved at lightning speeds.

Conclusion:

Whether you’re just coming into the series or have followed each of Shelby’s adventures, it’s a nice, intense piece of escapism, if you can take the strong language. Would NEVER be thrown on a clean reads list. I only mention that because I tend to read/listen to clean reads.

Audiobook Promotions …

33 of my 41 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Never Again (mystery, suspense) and Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there.
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.

Were on Audiobookcrave.com (which just went under). Ones with links are relisted at Audiobooksunleashed.com.
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry
Spirit’s Bane (Guardian Angel Files Book 1)
Kindred Spirits (Guardian Angel Files Book 2)
Violence in Vegas (Eagle Eyes Book 1) – not relisted yet
Rescue in Reno (Eagle Eyes Book 2)
Danger in Dallas (Eagle Eyes Book 3)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Check out my other titles available on Audiobooks Unleashed:

Beyond Broken Pencils – contemporary, literary
Shadow Council Combo (Books 1-4)
The Individual titles are available but not yet listed on an ad site
SC 1: Money Makes it Deadlier
SC 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter
SC 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos
SC 4: Treachery Makes it Tense)

Eagle Eyes – mystery thriller

Scratched Off – mystery, thriller; FBI agent vs serial killer, more intense than Shadow Council/Eagle Eyes

Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy

The Collins Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 1, Christian mystery
The Kiverson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 2, Christian mystery
The Davidson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 3, Christian mystery

Other titles:
5 Steps to Better Blurbs – for authors
5 Steps to Better Audiobooks – for authors/narrators, but mostly authors.
Innova – Christian Dystopia
The Golden City Captives – short fantasy
Fatal Interest – short mystery/thriller

4/5 Stars Serenity Submerged by Craig A. Hart

October 18, 2020September 20, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery, thriller Craig A. Hart, Shelby Alexander Series, Theo Holland

Narrated by Theo Holland

Summary:

Shelby’s camp-owning friend has a shady past that comes back to bite him in a big way. Of course, Shelby gets in the mix.

Additional Comments:

Shelby’s relationship with Carly is on the rocks, sort of. They’re growing apart because she wins an unpaid internship that will take her to New York City (far from Michigan). He wants to be supportive, but he knows the writing’s on the wall for them.
Getting Shelby involved this time is kind of a stretch, but it wouldn’t be a series if the main man didn’t get dragged into trouble.
The Sherriff finally reveals his true colors in this book.
The twist at the end is predictable yet still satisfying.
The tie-in to the title was pretty weak this time, but it too makes sense when you get to the last page of the book. (Or last few minutes of the audio if you listened.)
I didn’t like it quite as much as the previous ones, but it’s a decent entry in a good series.
Content warnings: perpetual strong language, pervasive violence. Not just gun battles this time, this goes deeper into the torture of at least one character. The last book kind of skirted details.

Conclusion:

You could read these novellas as standalone stories, but it’s probably more satisfying to have the knowledge of the previous books.

Audiobook Promotions:

Devya’s Children Series Links:

4/5 Stars Serenity Stalked and Serenity Avenged by Craig A. Hart

October 9, 2020September 1, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery, thriller Craig A. Hart, Shelby Alexander Series, Theo Holland

(Shelby Alexander Series Book 2 and Book 3)

Narrated by Theo Holland

Book 2 Summary:

There’s a serial killer on the loose and he’s got Carly in his sights.

Book 2 Additional Comments:

High on action. Not always high on sense.
The killer’s got a typical sob story. Kinda wish he was a little more likable, that would make him more complex as a character.

Book 3 Summary:

Shelby races to his daughter’s side when she has some complications with her pregnancy. His ex-wife, Helen, is also present to support their daughter. But Helen’s got a debt that’s placing everybody in danger, so of course, Shelby gets involved.

Book 3: Additional Comments:

Several portions of the story are from Jimmy’s perspective – he’s the mob enforcer sent to collect Helen’s debt. He’s also barely more than a kid and nephew to the boss man.
High-action, quick listen. These aren’t deep thinkers, but they’re fun. There’s decent humor sprinkled throughout dialogue.
Content Warnings (for both books): a LOT of adult language; a lot of violence. Skirts the edge but doesn’t quite step over the line to distasteful.
Not very realistic, but kinda like the mystery version of an old-school Rambo episode.

Conclusion:

Either could be read as a standalone, but they are probably more fun if you know Shelby already and have heard book 1.

Audiobook Promotions:

33 of my 36 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Never Again (mystery, suspense) and Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there.
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Audiobook Reviews 4/5 Stars Coastside Detectives: Armando’s Gold by Matthew F. O’Malley

September 9, 2020August 15, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery, thriller coastside detectives, David Angelo

Narrated by David Angelo

Run Time: 4 hrs and 44 mins

Summary:

Mike catches a case that sparks gold fever in a lot of people.

Additional Comments:

Collin voice goes up and down in a really annoying manner.
I like Moses.
Narrator has decent range. Wish Collin’s part was a heck of a lot shorter. Wanted to slug that guy.
Content Warnings: 3 f-bombs
Steve’s kind of annoying. Where did Steve come from. Well, at least the characters are kind of realistic.
I like how there’s still a sense of danger. People die. The main character gets in some scraps that at least give the illusion of real danger.
There’s an overarching hint of more danger but at least this story has a great sense of closure.

Conclusion:

Another solid entry in a mystery series that’s just shy of gritty. (It’s like the diet version.)

Audiobook Promotions …

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. (Def US codes for this one, but not on AU. Find me on FB)
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.

Audiobook Reviews 4/5 Stars: Baby Bailino by Dina Santorelli

September 6, 2020August 15, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, suspense, thriller Daniel Penz, Dina Santorelli, mystery, thriller

Narrated by Daniel Penz

Run Time: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Summary:

Don Bailino breaks out of prison to protect the woman he loves and her child, who is also his child (a consequence/result of Jaime’s rape).

Additional Comments:

Apparently, this is book 2 in a trilogy. Took me about 4 years to finish it. I typically review for a list of clean reads, so when I heard 4 fbombs in the first hour or so, I quit. But I kept it around because I felt it was well written.
Jamie’s relationship with Bailino is super weird. A touch of Stockholm Syndrome.
Sound engineering on the book – not quite effects but synthetic treatments to simulate phone calls and the like was excellent.
The conversations are natural, sometimes crude, often humorous.
Content Warnings: a lot of curse words; there’s talk about and even memories of a rape that occurred before the book opened
The conversations between the old mafia guys are crude but hilarious.
I like that there isn’t always a magic shield on all characters. They can feel pain and even die on occasion … keeps things interesting.
Narrator was a good pick for the book, even if not all the transitions were completely seamless.

Conclusion:

If you can look past crude language and a bit of violence, it’s a decent book.

Audiobook Promotions …

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. (Def US codes for this one, but not on AU. Find me on FB)
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.

5/5 Stars: Louise’s Blunder: A 1940’s Spy Thriller by Sarah R. Shaber

July 26, 2020July 14, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, historical, suspense, thriller Jenny Hoops, Louise Pearlie, Sarah R. Shaber, WWII

Narrated by Jenny Hoops

Run Time: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Summary:

Government girl Louise Pearlie gets blackmailed into investigating a co-worker’s mysterious disappearance.

Additional Comments:

The excerpts from the 1943 Guide to Hiring Women are hilarious.
Louise is a great character. She’s intelligent but not impossibly smart. She’s savvy, but not perfect. She makes mistakes but not ones that are unfixable.
It’s kind of like a clean, adult Nancy Drew story. The old school ones. There’s a formula but it works.
Of course stuff takes some suspension of disbelief, but it’s still enjoyable.
Probably better where it is in the series, but fine as a standalone as well. Somehow, I ended up getting book 4 first, but I intend to listen to the others.
Content warnings: It’s an excellent piece of historical fiction. The main character’s views on Blacks, women’s rights, etc are progressive, but people still walk around using the word Negro and such. If that’s gonna give you hypoxia, go read something else. There are a few curse words used appropriately.

Conclusion:

Excellent entry in what’s probably a very good series. Don’t know about the others, this is my first time trying them. Glad I did.

Audiobook Promotions:

33 of my 34 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Never Again (mystery, suspense) and Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there.
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest