Showing posts with label harper audio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harper audio. Show all posts

Friday, March 20, 2026

Audiobook Review: Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

 
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone in This Bank is a Thief (Ernest Cunningham #4) by Benjamin Stevenson
Publication Date: March 17th 2026 by Mariner Books
Pages: 368
Audio Book Length: 9hrs 51min
Narrators: Barton Welch
Source: Publisher
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
With three solved murder cases behind him, Ernest Cunningham has officially leveled up from writing about how to craft a mystery to actually cracking them himself. Now he and Juliette are planning their wedding and trying to secure a bank loan to launch their own detective agency. But their meeting at the bank takes a sharp turn when, mid‑interview, the place is suddenly held up and everyone inside becomes a hostage.
 
It’s an absurd, high‑stakes setup: the thief demands just one dollar, but insists it must come from the vault. Unfortunately, the bank owner is unable to open it, his brother changed the code and then vanished. From there, the suspects pile up, motives twist in unexpected directions, and while I guessed a few things, most of the reveals were a surprise to me. And yes, like Juliette, I wanted to shake Ernest after one particularly boneheaded decision, but that’s part of his charm. He’s infuriating, endearing, and somehow always makes sense in his own Ernest‑logic way.
 
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief was a lot of fun. Being inside Ernest’s clever, analytical mind is half the fun, and his dry humor is threaded through the story making for an entertaining read. The mystery is smart, layered, and full of those “ohhh, now I see it” moments I love.
 
I’ve listened to the whole series on audio, and Barton Welch is Ernest for me. His comedic timing is impeccable, love his Australian accent, and he shifts between characters, men, women, all ages, effortlessly. It’s a fantastic performance that enhances an already entertaining story.

4 Stars


Book Description:

Nothing is quite what it seems in this spin on the classic bank heist, with more suspects, more puzzles, and more danger than Ernest's ever faced before.

I’ve spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I’ve never been a hostage before.

The doors are chained shut. No one in or out. Which means that when someone in the bank is murdered, everyone is a suspect.

The Bank Robber

The Manager

The Security Guard

The Kid

The Film Producer

The Priest

The Receptionist

The Patient

The Caregiver

Me


Turns out, more than one person planned to rob the bank today. You can steal more from a bank than just money.

Who is stealing what? Are they willing to kill for it? And can I solve the crime before the police kick down the door and rescue us?



Friday, December 26, 2025

Library Mini Reviews: We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter & Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

 
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter

We are All Guilty Here (North Falls #1) by Karin Slaughter
Publication Date: August 12th 2025 by Harper Audio
Pages: 439
Audio Book Length: 16hrs 33min
Narrator: Kathleen Early
Source: Purchased
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Karin Slaughter did it again! One of my favorites of 2025! I was completely riveted by the story and stayed up well into the night to finish!

I noticed something that made one twist not completely surprising, but I like it when an author writes in clues for the audience to notice so you sort of feel like you're solving the case with the detectives. Another twist I should've picked up on, but was totally surprised! I wonder how it'll factor in the coming books!

I've read reviews that this was a gritty read, which always makes me hesitate, so I wanted to point out that yes, the subject matter/crimes are disturbing, but none of the violence takes place on the page. It's referred to or after the fact. I hope that makes sense. If I would've known that I would've read this sooner.

I listened to the audio version narrated by Kathleen Early. Her performance was fantastic as usual! She also narrates KS's Will Trent series. A definite recommend!

5 Stars



Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

Turns of Fate (Isle of Wyrd #1) by Anne Bishop
Publication Date: August 12th 2025 by Penguin Audio
Pages: 511
Audio Book Length: 17hrs 45min
Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Source: Library
Rating: ½

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Turns of Fate! Fans of Bishop’s The Others’ series will find it similar in tone with the Arcana (magical creatures) and humans co-existing but not always getting along ending with some severe consequences.
 
Beth Fahey, a police officer is assigned to the precinct closest to Destiny Park/Island and right away has an easier relationship with the Arcana. It doesn’t go well for humans causing trouble there.
 
The Arcana often help humans at risk from other humans, endearing me to them right away. You can’t help but cheer them on when the meet out justice to some of these awful people! There’s several POVs and story threads, each gripping and suspenseful at times as I worried for the character and the dangers they faced!
 
The story was over 500 pages (17 hrs 45 min audiobook length) but I breezed right through in two days, the story grabbed my attention, and I needed to know how it’d all turn out! I’m eager for the next installment!
 
I listened at 1.75x normal speed and enjoyed Jesse Vilinsky’s performance! She did well with the many characters, a range of ages and a few accents!

4.5 Stars





Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Audiobook Review: The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning

 
The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning

The House at Watch Hill (The Watch Hill Trilogy #1) by Karen Marie Moning
Publication Date: October 1st 2024 by Harper Audio
Pages: 384
Audio Book Length: 11hrs 34min
Narrator: Amanda Leigh Cobb & Tim Campbell
Source: Publisher
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Zo Grey is down on her luck with a terminally ill mother just trying to get by when she discovers she’s the heir to a vast estate and fortune in Divinity, Louisiana. However, there’s a catch: she has to live at the old imposing house for three years in order to inherit.
 
There was some waffling back and forth over whether she’d accept the terms, but to be honest who in their right mind wouldn’t accept and give it a go?  Especially someone like Zo in her financial situation. Yes, the house looked intimidating (and it was!) but sounded gorgeous as soon as you set foot inside!
 
Of course, anything that seems too good to be true usually is, and Zo starts to discover a darker side to the town, the house and her history. She’s known on a subconscious level there was something “extra” about herself, but her mother never shared anything about her past or powers.
 
The House at Watch Hill was more about setting this world up and didn’t have much in the way of action until the end. Still, it was an engrossing read and Moning has a way of setting up an enticing backdrop and mysterious characters. There are two potential love interests. Not sure how it’ll work out, but I did prefer one over the other. The story ended on a cliffhanger. I look forward to finding out what happens next after that last scene!

I listened to the audio version and really enjoyed Amanda Leigh Cobb and Tim Campbell’s performance! She has an appealing voice and Tim Campbell’s lent an air of mystery to his character.

4 Stars


Book Description:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning is back with a gripping, imaginative, and seductive new series in which a young woman moves to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit a large fortune and a Gothic mansion full of mysteries and ominous secrets...

Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.

Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd…

What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Review: The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

 

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger
Publication Date: March 5th 2024 by Park Row & Harper Audio
Pages: 382
Audio Book Length: 12hrs 8 mins
Narrators: Vivienne Leheny
Source: Publishers
Rating: 
Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Bookbub | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Rosie and Chad are newly married, in love and just getting by financially. Chad is a struggling actor, good looking and talented, but that doesn’t always translate into success. Rosie has authored a best-seller and working on her next book, but hasn’t been feeling great about her efforts.

Rosie and Chad have just lost his elderly uncle Ivan, after a long illness, and aren’t close to any other family. Rosie expects Ivan’s daughter to inherit his historic apartment in the Windemere, but in a surprising turn of events Ivan has willed the stately place to Chad and Rosie. They’re beyond excited and are quickly brought into the fold of its residents. Not a bad thing for extrovert Chad, but not a great thing for introvert Rosie. Plus, she’s getting weird vibes from the place and its inhabitants.

The Windemere has a dark history, murders, suicide and untimely death have plagued the place.  Rosie, before knowing she was to inherit, was basing her next book on the Windermere and its tragic past.

I was rooting for Rosie while trying to figure out who was the bad guy/guys here. People all around Rosie and Chad end up dead. Chad, with his good looks and charisma gave me pause, and I thought Rosie was so very trusting. Still, he seemed to love her so much. I adored Max, Rosie’s best friend and editor, but she only had platonic feelings for him. The residents of the building, as well as the doorman were suspicious, and I wondered what the angle was there. There’s also a bit of the supernatural at play.

The New Couple in 5B was a riveting read/listen that I couldn’t put down! Events built into a crescendo and I worried for Rosie!

I alternated between the audio and e-copy and recommend either! Vivienne Leheny’s performance of both male and female voices definitely enhanced my enjoyment of this addictive story! I listened at my usual 1.5x for the most part and sped up in the intense parts. 

4 Stars


Book Description:

A couple inherits an apartment with a spine-tingling past in this binge-worthy thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.

At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there’s more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbors turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.


Monday, August 29, 2022

Audio Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

 

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
Publication Date: August 2nd 2022 by Harper Audio
Pages: 432
Audio Book Length: 11 hrs 16 min
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Source: Publisher & Libro.fm
Rating: 

My Thoughts:
Swan’s acting career was derailed by a tragic accident that happened right as she was about to hit it big. A friend suggested she try audio narrating and she’s been a sought-after talent since. Swan first went for romances but soured on the who HEA when she doesn’t believe in it herself, but she’s got an offer of a lifetime as a duo with the legendary male narrator, Brock McKnight.

Thank You for Listening was such a moving, emotional story with elements of humor and a steamy romance and I loved every minute! Strong female friendship and loved her relationship with her grandmother, Blah. This had a little bit of a You’ve Got Mail vibe with the emails/text messages, and a reveal of identities I knew was coming. This story is so much more than you’d think, profound, touching and passionate in more than one way! I’ve been a fan of Julia Whelan’s audio narration, but had no idea the depth of her writing talent as well. Definite recommend!

5 Stars



Book Description:

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.


Friday, July 9, 2021

Audio Review: The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn


Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn
Publication Date: May 11th 2021 by Harper Audio
Pages: 320
Audio Book Length: 8 hrs 14 min
Narrators: Santino Fontana, Shelby Young, Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam,
Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hillary Huber, Lisa Flanagan, Sharahn LaRue
Source: Libro.fm
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
When I started listening, I knew The Anatomy of Desire was based on the classic novel, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser which was based on a real-life murder that happened in 1906. It was later made into the movie, A Place in the Sun.  I had never read it or seen the movie, so I had no idea what to expect. 

Since listening, I went back and looked up the An American Tragedy and it’s surprising how faithful this reimagining is to the original tale, albeit modernized.  It’s funny how little things change in terms of human desire and emotions through the years. The story is timeless, tragic, and made for a riveting read! It had me thinking on it long after I finished.

Cleo Ray grew up dirt poor in a strict religious household, eager to leave that behind.  Now she’s a rising social media influencer coaching followers on body image, fitness, and life, and she’s hungry for success and fame. Unfortunately, her life choices make her the prime suspect in the murder of her friend, Beck Alden. The two go out on a canoe and only Cleo comes back. What exactly happened? The trial quickly turns into a media circus.  

Cleo was very much a narcissist, and I was astounded by her actions, but at the same time I couldn’t help but feel for her. She’s finally on the cusp of everything she’s dreamed about and then it all comes crashing down around her. The trial being held in the small, conservative town of Independence didn’t bode well for her either. With its limited pool of jurors, I wondered if an impartial decision would be possible.

Fun fact for me: Independence is an actual California town that a friend of mine used to live in, which we would travel to and visit. It’s also on the way to Mammoth Mountain, a popular snow skiing spot we used to vacation at. The authors nailed it spot on with their descriptions!

The story is told in episodes, as a fictional docu-drama with recorded court testimony and interviews of the key players, performed by a whole cast of characters. It felt like one of those old radio-dramas my dad would listen to late at night, and I loved it! Several of the narrators I’ve listened to before and thoroughly enjoyed their performances here: Santino Fontana, Hillary Huber, Marin Ireland, Vikas Adam, and Dan Bittner. I couldn’t recommend the audio version more!

4 Stars


Book Description:

Performed docuseries style by a star-studded full cast including Santino Fontana, Shelby Young , Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam, Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hilary Huber, and Lisa Flanagan

For fans of riveting true crime docuseries a la Serial and Making a MurdererThe Anatomy of Desire is a modern tale of crime and punishment exploring unbridled ambition, blinding passion, and the dark side of desire

Claire Griffith has it all, a thriving career, a gorgeous boyfriend, glamorous friends. She always knew she was destined for more than the life her conservative parents preached to her. Arriving in Los Angeles flat broke, she has risen to become a popular fitness coach and social media influencer. Having rebranded herself as Cleo Ray, she stands at the threshold of realizing her biggest dreams.

One summer day, Cleo and a woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a serene mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play, and news of Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck? An infatuated follower? Were she and Cleo friends or lovers? Was Beck’s death an accident . . . or murder?

Told in the form of an immersive investigative docuseries, L. R. Dorn’s brilliant reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s classic crime drama, An American Tragedy, captures the urgency and poignance of the original and rekindles it as a very contemporary and utterly mesmerizing page-turner.