Tag: Mystery Reads

Audiobook Review: ‘The Blue Moon Caper. A Damien Dickens Mystery’ by Phyllis Entis

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‘The Blue Moon Caper’ is a the fifth of the Damien Dickens mystery  novel/audiobook series. 

Like the earlier instalments in the series, the book does stand alone, but will deliver spoilers for the previous books. There is definite continuity, but also some new characters and settings, and some great twists, that help to keep the ongoing story interesting and engaging.

Tom Lennon’s narration is well paced and entertaining, making excellent use of voice and accent to differentiate between characters and animate and narrative. 

Book Review: ‘Inspector Hobbes and the Curse’ by Wilkie Martin

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The sequel to Inspector Hobbes and the Blood, this is the second book in Wilkie Martin’s Unhuman urban fantasy mystery series.

‘Inspector Hobbes and the Curse’ delivers an intriguing and unpredictable mystery story featuring the hapless Andy and the unflappable Inspector Hobbes as they investigate the circumstances of a wild animal killing a local farmer’s sheep. 

Of course, nothing is as straightforward as it might otherwise be, so the story develops into a much more complicated and unexpectedly bizarre case than either Hobbes or Andy are expecting. 

Martin’s writing is witty and easy to read, characterised by a lighthearted tone that is enriched by word play and “dad-joke humour”, and balanced by macabre scenes and some really lovely poignant moments. The story is very engaging, and carries the reader along at a very comfortable pace.

This quirky and fun read provides a great escape for the duration of the book, and the series is proving to be most enjoyable. 

Book Review: ‘Rub a Dub Dub’ by N.D. Burrows

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This is a dark comedy novella for grownups that blends the mysterious with the everyday to create an unpredictable but very entertaining story. 

The characters are realistic and credible, and varied enough to make their interactions interesting. The story is well written,  with enough twists to keep it interesting without becoming unbelievable. 

 That it can be easily read in less than two hours makes it a great option for busy people who have to fit a good read into the demands of life.  

Audiobook Review: The Gold Dragon Caper. A Damien Dickens Mystery by Phyllis Entis

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‘The Gold Dragon Caper’ is a the fourth of the Damien Dickens mystery  novel/audiobook series. 

The story is complex and full of intriguing twists, and progresses at a pace that keeps the reader hooked without feeling rushed.  A number of the characters from previous books in the series return in this story, giving a pleasing sense of continuity and connection for those who have read or listened to them, but there are also enough new characters to keep things fresh and interesting. 

The book does stand alone for readers who have not read the previous installments, but will deliver spoilers for anyone who might want to read the earlier books. 

The narration by Tom Lennon is very easy to listen to, and very much suits the detective noir style and tone of the story.

Book Review: ‘The Marquesa’s Necklace’ by P.J. MacLayne

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What a treat it is to find a mystery that is interesting, unpredictable and highly original. 

The writing is good, the characters and scenarios are believable, and there are plenty of suspects and reflection herrings to sort through. 

As the central character, Harmony Dupree is refreshing in her normality and average appearance, using her brains and ingenuity to solve her problems and find solutions to the challenges she encounters. 

This is an interesting and engaging story that, once started, is hard to put down and really keeps the reader guessing.

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