Audiobook Review: Nash Falls by David Baldacci

 

Nash Falls (Walter Nash #1) by David Baldacci

Publication Date: November 11th 2026 by Hachette Audio

Pages: 400

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 54min

Narrators: MacLeod Andrews, Christine Lakin, Larry Herron, Shiromi Arserio, Will Collyer

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Walter Nash’s comfortable, privileged life is turned upside down when the FBI approaches him for inside information on the company he works for. Apparently, Sybaritic Investments is involved with some very shady dealings on a high level.

 

Walter begins his own investigations to verify that he’s not being taken in by some scheme and discovers some very disturbing information that puts him and his family in danger. Things go downhill quickly. He gets help through a contact of his estranged father, an unexpected ally.

 

I felt bad for Walter as his life is upended through no fault of his own! Walter is a smart cookie but didn’t really question things in his work and life being so caught up in his career. I was happy to see that change. Things end in a thrilling conclusion, a “to-be-continued” sort of situation. I have some suspicions that one thing may not be as it seems. I’m hoping, anyhow. I look forward to the next installment, Hope Rises, which releases April 14^th. Very soon!

 

I listened to the audio version which was a treat with the full cast of narrators! All performed their parts throughout the book which made each character distinct and enhanced my enjoyment!

4 Stars

Book Description:

When Walter Nash is recruited by the FBI to help bring down a global crime network his life is turned completely upside down in this thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.

Nash is an intelligent man, tough but fair-minded. He has a wife and a daughter and a very high-level position at Sybaritic Investments, where his innate skills and dogged tenacity have carried him to the top of the pyramid in his business career. Despite never going on grand adventures, and always working too many hours, he has a happy and upscale life with his family.

However, following his estranged Vietnam-veteran father’s funeral, Nash is unexpectedly approached by the FBI in the middle of the night. They have an important request: become their inside man to expose an enterprise that is laundering large sums of money through Sybaritic. At the top of this illegal operation is Victoria Steers, an international criminal mastermind that the FBI has been trying to bring down for years.

Nash has little choice but to accept the FBI’s demands and try to bring Steers and her partners to justice. But when Steers discovers that Nash is working with the FBI, she turns the tables on him in a way he never could have contemplated. And that forces Nash to take the ultimate step both to survive and to take his revenge: He must become the exact opposite of who he has always been.
And even that may not be enough.

Audiobook Review: Sharp Force by Patricia Cornwell

 

Sharp Force (Kay Scarpetta #29) by Patricia Cornwell

Publication Date: October 7th 2025 by Hachette Audio

Pages: 400

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 54min

Narrator: January LaVoy

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Kay and Benton are called to investigate when two people have been brutally attacked, one dead and the other severely injured. From the descriptions it seems that it was another attack by The Phantom Slasher, a serial killer who’s been terrorizing the area for the last year.  The killer stalks, surveilling by high tech means using a ghostly hologram to terrify his victims before closing in and killing them.

 

It’s been fun getting back to the Kay Scarpetta series since the reboot back in 2021! I’ve been reading every installment since then and loving them! The usual relationships and reoccurring conflict are part of the draw: Maggie Cutbush, the character we all love to hate, is infuriating as usual. The governor is something else, too! Kay and Benton have acquired a new enemy with connections in high places. Dorothy crossed a line I wouldn’t have easily forgiven. Marino as usual was a lot of bluster, shooting his mouth off, but this series wouldn’t be the same without him.  Fun every time Lucy foils Dana Deletti! Merlin, Lucy’s cat that Kay seems to care for much of the time is one of my favorite kitty characters!

 

Sharp Force was suspenseful and spooky in places! The serial killer’s MO was frightening, and I fear his methods utilizing tech might be rooted in real life. It’s a frightening prospect if true! The conclusion was clever and satisfying! I look forward to the next one!

 

I listened to the audio version with January LaVoy narrating. She’s one of my favorites and I love her performance of Kay, easy and calm in the face of all that comes at her. Her performances of all the characters, Marino, Dorothy, Benton and Lucy are all spot on, too! I highly recommend the audio version!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THE SERIAL KILLER
NOT EVEN SCARPETTA...

During the early hours of Christmas morning, chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta receives a chilling call. The Phantom Slasher has struck again.

The serial killer has terrorized Northern Virginia for months. His pattern is to stalk with a sophisticated technology that enables him to invade his victims' homes and watch their every move. They wake up to a ghost-like hologram before being murdered in their beds.

Scarpetta is summoned to Mercy Island, the site of a notorious psychiatric hospital where two people have been brutalized, one of them from Scarpetta's past. It soon becomes apparent that she could be next . . .

Audiobook Review: Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell

 

Identity Unknown (Kay Scarpetta #28) by Patricia Cornwell

Publication Date: October 8th 2024 by Hachette Audio

Pages: 400

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 12min

Narrator: January LaVoy

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is in the middle of a harrowing autopsy, one of a young girl who was reportedly playing with her father’s gun when it went off killing her. However, Kay’s findings raise suspicions. Unfortunately, the parents are wealthy and well-connected and kicking up quite a fuss.

 

As if that’s not enough, Kay is urgently called in to investigate the death of someone close to her with Marino assisting. The case is brutal and unusual and sparks the attention of many in the intelligence community. Kay’s Secret Service niece Lucy and her FBI husband, Benton, are involved in the investigation, as well.

 

Marino was over the top in this installment, his gruff, argumentative side out on full display, especially because it was fueled by jealousy. Kay’s sister, as usual, was self-absorbed and I still can’t believe she married Marino! It’s hot mess.

 

I’ve been loving this reboot of the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series! I appreciate her calm, logical approach to cases, and her personal life and relationships are engrossing! This death hit close to her heart, and she struggled with her emotions. The cases were filled with cutting edge technology, interesting locations, and sinister real-life implications. Riveting from beginning to end!  

 

The audio version was fantastic! January LaVoy’s narration is always a treat! Her calm, rich voice portrayed Kay perfectly! All characters were performed uniquely and distinctly. She definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

Autopsies can reveal the secrets of the dead.

And this victim is sending Scarpetta a message…

Summoned to an unnerving, abandoned theme park to retrieve a body, Dr Kay Scarpetta is devastated to learn that the victim is a man she once loved. While teaching in Rome during the early days of her career, Scarpetta had an intense love affair with Sal Giordano that led to a lifelong friendship.

The murder scene is bizarre, with a crop circle of petals around the body, and Giordano’s skin is strangely red. Scarpetta’s niece Lucy believes he was dropped from an unidentified flying craft. Scarpetta knows an autopsy can reveal the dead’s secrets, but she is shocked to find her friend seems to have deliberately left her a clue.

As the investigators are torn between suspicions of otherworldly forces, and of Giordano himself, Scarpetta detects an explanation closer to home that, in her mind, is far more evil . . .