Audiobook Review: A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton

 

A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton

Publication Date: May 5th 2026 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 244

Audio Book Length: 4hrs 42min

Narrator: Ray Porter

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this murder mystery set on an Old Western movie location in the 1970s! It had a classic film noir, old Hollywood vibe.

Told from the POV of Harvey Jason, the film production publicist, basically in charge of fixing whatever problems arise and keeping things flowing smoothly. Not an easy job! When the screenwriter is found dead in his room, Harvey is charged with trailing the insurance investigator, Harlow Perkins, brought in to solve the case. Perkins is well-known as sharp and determined and Harvey is mystified by some of his requests.

I blew through this in an afternoon and enjoyed every minute! I love Ray Porter’s narration (he narrated Project Hail Mary)! He did an excellent job bringing all characters to life, male and female, and played up the splashes of wry humor enhancing my enjoyment of this entertaining mystery!

4 Stars

Book Description:

From Michael CrichtonCreator of Jurassic Park , ER , Twister , Rising Sun , and Disclosure

Writing as John Lange

Comes a new Hollywood mystery thriller, originally written in 1973 by Crichton but never before published, that will keep you guessing until the very end.

In the glitz and decadence of 1970s Hollywood, an era when sex and drugs were readily available on any movie set, the writer of the next Western blockbuster, Bloodrock, has just been found dead in his motel bathtub. Now publicist Harvey Jason is desperately trying to keep the project on track while the famed Harlow Perkins, a brilliant and ruthless investigator, begins to unravel the mystery and hunt the killer down.

From scorching-hot desert locations to sleazy motel bars, the members of the cast and crew—each one with a very dark secret of their own—will send this case deeper and deeper into a maze of confusion and shadows until the shocking truth is revealed.

Will the murderer be found?

Audiobook Review: First Do No Harm by Joe Kenda

 

First Do No Harm (Detectives Kenda & Wilson #2) by Joe Kenda

Publication Date: September 17th 2024 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 272

Audio Book Length: 7hrs 

Narrator: Bradford Hastings & Joe Kenda

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

When there are several odd heroine overdoses, all cut with the new drug, fentanyl, Kenda and his partner Wilson are tasked with finding the dealer before anyone else dies. During their investigation, Dr. Moreland, an anesthesiologist who happens to work at the same hospital as Kenda’s wife, captures their attention as rumors about his drug use and odd behavior circulate.  

 

Dr. Moreland was a piece of work, and I couldn’t help but hope he was caught either by Kenda and Wison or the Mexican drug cartel!

 

Do No Harm is the second book in the Detectives Kenda & Wilson series penned by the real-life Detective Joe Kenda. While the stories are fictional, they’re inspired by past cases Kenda worked on, set in the 1970s, at the beginning of his career. It was an interesting mystery that kept and held my attention as the events played out. Kenda’s storytelling felt like a true crime narrative with a natural progression of events that snowballed into an action-packed conclusion!

I listened to the audio version performed by Bradford Hastings with an introduction and conclusion by Joe Kenda, which was a nice addition and gave some background to this case. Bradford Hastings did a wonderful job portraying Det. Kenda, with a pleasing masculine voice, easy going and good with the bits of ironic humor interspersed.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Former homicide detective and star of Investigation Discovery, Joe Kenda follows his authentic and fascinating debut novel with First Do No Harm, another addictive tale of crime and punishment as only he can tell it.

A string of overdoses in Colorado Springs has Detectives Joe Kenda and Lee Wilson on the lookout for a bad batch of heroin that has been cut with a drug they’ve never seen before.

Meanwhile, at Springs General Hospital, Dr. Blair Moreland—the notoriously unpleasant head anesthesiologist—has found a way to feed his deepening addiction to the very same powerful new Fentanyl.

But when Dr. Moreland starts supplying the dangerous painkiller to dealer Lula Lopez—planning to manufacture the drug himself—he angers a Mexican crime syndicate and sets into motion a cycle of death and violence that threatens to engulf the entire city.

Detectives Kenda and Wilson must track down the source of this killer heroin before anyone else can overdose—and stop Moreland before he can escape the long arm of the law.

Audiobook Review: Break Every Rule By Brian Freeman

 

Break Every Rule by Brian Freeman

Publication Date: September 10th 2024 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 354

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 

Narrator: Scott Brick

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Break Every Rule was an exciting action-packed thriller/mystery!

 

Tommy knew his wife, Teresa, had secrets, but he didn’t pry, not realizing how dangerous they were, mostly because he had his own secrets to keep. However, he’s in a race against time when Teresa and their baby daughter are abducted. He’s not certain if it’s because of his past or hers that she’s been taken, but he needs to figure it out quickly.

 

This thriller was fast-paced, and I was riveted by the story as past events from Tommy’s past is revealed through his recollections and Teresa’s past is revealed through Tommy’s investigations. Both of their histories were dangerous and interesting. I was enraged for Teresa and some of the other women. I was also extremely worried for her! It’s sad and infuriating that the situations described happen in real life!

 

I’m a big fan of Scott Brick as a narrator and his talents enhanced this exciting story! His performance of the action scenes, as well as a variety of voices, both male and female was excellent!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series comes a breathtaking thriller about a man whose only chance to rescue his family is to return to the past he thought he’d left behind.

Tommy Miller is a man with deadly skills, hiding in Florida under a false identity. After being set up on an overseas mission, he’s on the run from terrorists—and from the government who betrayed him. So when his wife and daughter are violently abducted, it seems his ghosts are finally catching up with him.

But Tommy isn’t the only one with secrets. His wife, Teresa, has been concealing her own dangerous past, and as Tommy races to rescue his family, he must peel away the clues she’s left behind. With a hotshot police detective, Lindy Jax, close on his trail, Tommy follows a twisted path from Florida to the Bahamas, one that brings him face to face with ruthless enemies.

His search for answers soon puts him on the wrong side of the law—hunted by the police and pursued by men who want him dead. Worst of all, if he hopes to save Teresa and their daughter, Rosalita, he must become the man he once was—a killer operating from the deepest shadows.

But when the lives of the people you love are at stake, rules are made to be broken.

Mini Audiobook Reviews: Middle of the Night by Riley Sager & Four Minutes by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson

 

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

Publication Date: June 18th  2024 by Penguin Audio

Pages: 367

Audio Book Length: 11hrs 22min

Narrator: Santino Fontana

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Ten-year-old Ethan’s best friend Billy is taken in the middle of the night, from the tent they have pitched/camped in his parent’s back yard. Years later Ethan is still haunted by the event. Back at home thirty years later Ethan starts to feel Billy’s presence and strange things start happening, spurring Ethan into re-examining the events of that night and questioning the people who were present back then.

 

I wasn’t sure if there were paranormal things at work with the startling things happening. There were a few twists and revelations that were surprising, one I suspected. I think the story would’ve benefited from some editing down, as it felt a little drawn out, but the story was engrossing and at times spooky! I liked how it all turned out.

 

I had listened to Santino Fontana’s excellent performance of You by Caroline Kepnes in the past, so I was thrilled to find out he was the narrator. He did not disappoint! 4 Stars

Four Minutes by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson

Publication Date: January 1st 2024 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 356

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 53min

Narrator: Ray Porter

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

The premise of this story was mind bending! A secret US counterterrorism task force can jump into the future, within a thirty-day period, but can only stay for four minutes. To Tyler Brooks, the head of this special op, this has exciting implications. They can go and prevent attacks before they happen! There’s a threat and enemy that seems to elude them at every turn! Tyler and a select few have been drafted into this task force for special reasons which are revealed as the story goes along.  I liked the personal relationships that end up factoring into this exciting story! I grew to like each character on the team and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment!

 

Four Minutes was an exciting thrill ride! The only drawback is that it ended in a cliffhanger, and I don’t see any information on book two!

Ray Porter's performance was strong and perfect for this military/action thriller! 4 Stars

Audiobook Review: Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

 

Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

Publication Date: April 30th 2024 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 256

Audio Book Length: 8 hrs 26 mins

Narrators: January LaVoy, Cassandra Campbell, Brittany Pressley, Andrew Eiden

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Three estranged siblings, Beth, Nicole, and Michael, reunite after their mother, Laura, passes away. Their meetup is fraught with secrets and resentments, but they band together when they view an old VHS tape with a shocking scene. Their father, who disappeared seven years earlier, is covered in blood with a dead body as their mother films!  They’re blown over, as this is not the loving and attentive parents they knew!

 

Home is Where the Bodies Are was a riveting mystery! I was addicted from the first chapter! What happened years ago is told through their mother’s journals and more video tapes, but also from the three siblings’ recollection of past events. I had an idea of where some of it was going, but was surprised by the revelations, too! I listened intently as it wound up to a thrilling conclusion!

 

The story is told through Beth, Nicole, and Michael’s perspectives, and through Laura’s journals. Each POV had a separate narrator, Beth: January LaVoy, Nicole: Brittany Pressley, Michael: Andrew Eiden, and Laura: Cassandra Campbell, who is a new-to-me narrator. I was thrilled to have a full cast of performers, ones I’ve enjoyed listening to many times in the past. It enhanced my “reading” experience, bringing the characters and story to life! I listened to my usual 1.5x normal speed and faster as the situation became more intense!

4 Stars

Book Description:

From New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and You Shouldn’t Have Come Here comes a chilling family thriller about the (sometimes literal) skeletons in the closet.

After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.

While going through their parent’s belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.

Audiobook Review: Ordinary Bear by C.B. Bernard

 

Ordinary Bear by C.B. Bernard

Publication Date: April 2rd 2024 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 268

Audio Book Length: 8hrs 54min

Narrator: Phil Thron

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

As the story opens, we’re introduced to Farley, a big bear of a man, living in a remote part of Alaska as an oil company investigator. The town has a lively mix of characters, and the story is full of humor. However, things turn tragic quickly when his young daughter comes up for a visit.

After months of recovery, Farley ventures back to Portland, Oregon to seek out his ex for closure. Without meaning to he ends up making a few friends as he works through his grief and injuries. When the daughter of his neighbor goes missing, Farley makes it his mission to get her back.

An Ordinary Bear was a unique and captivating story! One that was hard to stop listening to! Sad, humorous and full of heart! A tale of redemption with interesting characters, bits of suspense and action as Farley tracks the down the little girl. You’d think with the subject matter it’d be a depressing story, but there was plenty of humor and sweetness to the story that made for an uplifting read.

I listened to an audio copy narrated by Phil Thron and I thoroughly enjoyed his performance of both male and female voices! Definitely enhanced and already wonderful story!  I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Dark and humorous, literary but with the heart of a detective novel, Ordinary Bear weighs the burden of grief while exploring our boundless capacity for humanity, kindness, and hope.

Farley stands out among his Iñupiat neighbors in the Alaska village he calls home, both white and enormous, like the hungry polar bears that wander its streets. Jovial and a little hapless, he works as an investigator for a North Slope oil company, passing the long Arctic winters drinking whiskey with the village’s preacher and playing in the weekly poker game hosted by its matriarch and mayor.

When his young daughter visits from thousands of miles away in Portland—where she lives with her mother, who despises him—a shocking moment of violence leaves her dead and Farley injured. Crippled by his wounds and hamstrung with guilt over his inability to save her, he goes home to Oregon to try to make amends.

There he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a single mother and her daughter. With their help, he begins the slow process of healing—until the girl goes missing. Faced with the opportunity to do what he couldn’t do for his own daughter, Farley sets out on a brutal odyssey through Portland’s quirky and dangerous underworld, using his wits and his fists to try to save her life along with the shattered remains of his own.

Review: The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati

 

The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati

Publication Date: April 2nd 2024 by Berkley & Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 800

Audio Book Length: 28hrs 40 mins

Narrator: Kate Reading

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Carrie Ballentyne is bound for a long journey out West from Manhattan, New York to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to fill a position of mid-wife/nurse for Dr. Markham. In 1857 it’s a long, potentially dangerous journey by train, steamboat, stagecoach, and horseback, so her younger brother, Nathan is accompanying her. This time period there’s unrest, just years before the Civil War, and the viewpoints and challenges were highlighted. The situation at the Markham’s when Carrie arrives isn’t what she was expecting.

Carrie’s profession as a nurse was useful and she was good at handling whatever came her way. I admired her spirit; strong, steady, and determined to do the right thing in any situation! Her brother Nathan was a fun, positive presence adding a bit of humor in. So many wonderful and interesting characters, as well as a few I’d like to have chucked off a cliff! Loved Eli Ibarra! The romance was a slow burn and oh-so-lovely!

The Sweet Blue Distance was on the long side at 800 pages, but it didn’t feel long. It was a thoroughly exciting and engrossing story, and I loved every minute of it! I think I checked the percentage counter maybe twice, I was so into the story, just riding along with whatever was happening next! I need to check out Ms. Donati’s backlist!

I alternately read and listened to The Sweet Blue Distance, and I can recommend either version. Kate Reading was an excellent narrator, performing both female and male voices distinctly, as well as the many accents required. I would happily listen to any story narrated by her. I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

Five stars all the way! A definite recommend!

5 Stars

Book Description:

In 1857 a young midwife braves the perilous journey west from New York City to Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory in this captivating epic from Sara Donati, the international bestselling author of Where the Light Enters .

Carrie Ballentyne’s life was upended in 1845 when she had to leave the only home she’d ever known in the mountains of upstate New York. With her are her widowed mother and younger brother Nathan, but the separation from Bonner, Ballentyne, and Savard relatives weighs heavily.  In time Carrie finds footing as a midwife and nurse, but she never feels at ease in the city. So when, a decade later, she receives an invitation from a doctor in Santa Fe to join him at his practice, she readily accepts.
 
The trip across the country is long and often dangerous, but she travels the last leg on horseback with men who have been hired to see her safely through the Native nations fighting the westward flood of colonizers. On that journey she makes friends who will be with her for all her Eva, a young widow; and Eli, an experienced surveyor. Once Carrie is established in Santa Fe, it becomes clear that her employer is not everything she was led to believe, and she is forced to face far more challenges and responsibilities than she anticipated. But she dedicates herself to the work and the women, providing health care, delivering babies, and earning the trust of her patients.
 
In the course of that first summer in New Mexico, determined to make a life for herself in a new kind of wilderness far beyond her imagination, Carrie finds friendship, support, and even love where she least expected.