Only One Survives by Hannah Mary McKinnon

 What a wild, totally fun and twisted thriller!

What won't some do for fame? The Bittersweet all-girl pop rock band is on the cusp of finding out. Drummer Vienna Taylor and her best friend, guitarist and vocalist, Madison Pierce, are just about to realize their dream after the release of their first single. On the way to a meet and greet party in the Catskills in a blizzard, their SUV crashes. One of the band members is dead and others are injured as they make their way to an abandoned house. Not all of the women will survive, and Vienna sees her hopes and plans fall apart. 

This was so fast paced and absorbing as the hits just kept on coming that I could not put it down and read it all today. I had no idea, nor did I anticipate or expect the sudden detour the story took and after that it was a mad dash to the ending. There were quite a few characters, but the author gave the main ones great attention and they came alive on the pages as individuals. Both Vienna and Madison were believable and equally surprising. As the narrative passed the halfway mark, I just could not wait to see what happened next as everything is revealed.  Go into this blind and you will enjoy it a lot more. Even if you're not a fan of 80s music and perhaps the artists and songs mentioned don't ring a bell, the story is still quite entertaining, and I enjoyed it. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Amy Hall, did a great job of speaking all the different characters but this definitely would have benefited from a larger cast because of the predominantly female voices. The listening always adds to the experience, and this was a well-done production. 

Don't read too much about this before you dive in. Enjoy!

This is a standalone and is not part of any series

Genre - mystery thriller

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman

 A disaster procedural that is impossible to put down -- so clear the calendar because you will want to read this in a single sitting.

The pilot of a large commercial aircraft has a medical emergency and dies instantly while at the controls in the cockpit. Unfortunately, the first officer is in the lavatory and can't get back in time to save the nearly 300 people on board. The plane nosedives into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota. Soon this town will become the epicenter of a crisis on par with an extinction event.

I think this is the author's best work yet and I was glued to my chair until I turned the last page. I have always enjoyed a disaster novel because it gives the opportunity for such great character development and this one shines in that department. The courage and determination of the plant management, engineers, and scientists are on full display as are the heroics of the local fire department and all of the National Guardsmen called in to do whatever they can. The community rallies and provides for its own at the local church. Fires rage out of control, there's no power, the cooling pool level is falling, the gas is building up, and the pump room is flooded. Doom is imminent. 

Now, I know next to nothing about nuclear power plants and how they function, but the author's research makes it understandable. Complex technology is broken down into bits that explain the dangers and hazards. But in this book, it's the characters that really inhabit the narrative and the drama. The lengths that some went through were inspiring and yes, I shed a few tears. I don't want to imagine this scenario further but I'm glad I read this.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along with the e-book ARC (both provided by the publisher) and that really enhanced the experience. The production was great, even down to having the voices come out garbled over the radios. Sound effects really can make an audiobook more amazing. My only complaint about Joe Morton's narration was that he often mispronounces the word nuclear as nucular. But his inflection and expressiveness were very well done. 

Enjoy! Now this is a movie I would love to see. 

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Genre - disaster, thriller, suspenseful

The Second Mrs Strom by Kaira Rouda

 If you like reading a story about horrible, vindictive, narcissistic people then this is the novel for you.

Paul Strom has married again. But now he's the rich one after his stint at being a boy toy has ended with his paramour's death. Cecilia is everything he wants after his disastrous first marriage and the loss of his two sons (see first book). She is young and beautiful and will help him take Hollywood by storm. Unfortunately, he doesn't really know her very well at all. And she has her own ideas about what this marriage is going to do for her. 

This was just too much nastiness for me. Both Paul and Cecilia are such hideous people that I could barely get through this though others might like this kind of psychological drama. At first, I was drawn in and hoped that perhaps the whole plot would turn out different than expected, but, alas, it was predictable and thus I just read the twisty mess to get to the epilogue. I was not happy with the conclusion either. Definitely read Best Day Ever first before you tackle this one if you really think you need more. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along with the e-book, both provided by the publisher. I really wanted to like this one, but I do not like this type of trope where bad people get away with so much evil behavior. I liked the voice of the male narrator, but the female's voice was like nails on a chalkboard and got on my nerves with the breathy high-pitched sound. 

This is a follow-up to The Best Day Ever so read that one first.

Genre - psychological drama

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

 Mystery with perceived paranormal elements.

When Ethan was 10 years old, he and his best friend, Billy, were sleeping in a tent out in Ethan's backyard on Hemlock Circle. When Ethan awoke the next morning, Billy's sleeping bag was empty and there was a huge slit in the side of the tent next to where Billy had been. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan returns to his childhood home after his parents relocate to Florida. Most of the same neighbors remain in the cul-de-sac and there are still no answers as to what happened that night. Ethan cannot move on. Then Billy's remains are located in a lake at the bottom of a waterfall on some property owned by the secluded and private Hawthorne Institute. Did that creepy place have something to do with Billy's disappearance? Who took him from the tent? Suddenly, some really weird things start happening -- strange shadows on the web cam, baseballs on the lawn, and secret words from the past. Has Billy's spirit come back to answer all the questions.

Two things I generally dislike in books -- paranormal stuff and details about stuff kids do. This was told in shifting timelines by Ethan as narrator and most of the time, he seemed like just a mess. His insomnia has affected his ability to think clearly, and he has all sorts of notions and suspicions. I didn't like him much as a main character as he seemed to be devoid of personality. The whole ghost thing and the Hawthorne Institute aspects were nothing more than diversions that never went anywhere. The reveal at the end, well, not really much of a surprise if you were narrowing down the suspects and weeding out the red herrings. Way too much repetition. It was all just a letdown. 

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Santino Fontana while following along in the E-book ARC provided by the publisher. I liked his voice for the male characters, but the ones he tried on for the women and the kids didn't quite do it. This production would definitely have benefited from a larger voice cast.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - mystery thriller

The Unwedding by Ally Condie

 A lovely resort in Big Sur, a private wedding, a huge rainstorm mudslide, and a murder...

Ellery Wainwright goes solo to the Resort at Broken Point in Big Sur, California, following a sudden and devasting divorce. The trip was already paid for, intended to be the perfect place for she and Luke to celebrate twenty years of marriage, so Ellery decides to go on alone. It so happens that her stay isn't anything like she expected. Initially, a wedding is canceled when the bride is left standing at the altar. Then the first dead body is discovered. Things get worse when the resort is cut off due to a deluge washing out a bridge preventing anyone getting in or out. When yet another guest dies, it becomes clear that things are not at all what they seem and some of those there are not good people. 

This started out OK with Ellery meeting and making friends with the guests at the resort. Lots of different characters are introduced but it's like almost instant friendship which seemed a bit strange. Of course, most all the people staying there have secrets or are lying. I just never warmed to Ellery as she wallowed a lot in her post-divorce misery, missing her kids, or hints about a past trauma. She was ingratiating herself at every turn and getting into everyone's business. Many of the others were stereotypes and not all were explored or fully developed enough.  

Then, the story went haywire at about 80% when these sudden complete confessions were taking place out in the woods. The ensuing action and behavior of the characters was quite unbelievable and contrived. I just never bought into Ellery being so clever or so popular and all of the people just laying the whole thing out like an outline. And all the motivations were quite lame. Definitely need to suspend a ton of disbelief to buy into the big twists and reveals. It lost me.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Christine Lakin, did a decent job with voicing all the characters, but this book had so many that the performance would have benefited from having a larger cast of narrators.

This is a standalone debut and not part of any series. Author previously wrote mostly YA novels and this is her first book aimed for adult audience.

Genre - mystery thriller, contemporary

Storm Child (Cyrus Haven #4) by Michael Robotham

 Psychological thriller that unlocks the secrets of Evie's past. 

This 4th installment in the series featuring forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven brings the origin story of Evie Cormac in a full arc. From her discovery in the walls of a secret room hiding from killers and captors, Evie and Cyrus have embarked on a journey to find the answers that will make her whole again. That past reaches up to both Evie and Cyrus when a migrant boat is sunk washing up the dead on a Lincolnshire beach. 

I have read these 4 books from the beginning and feel that is the best approach as all of the facets of Cyrus and Evie's relationship have been revealing and interesting. I feel this one could be a fitting conclusion to the series and time to move on. I have liked the characters and how they have interacted and built a life for themselves. I like the author's writing style and the whole premise was well-executed in the previous books. 

I was fortunate and able to listen to the audiobook narrated by the talented Joe Jameson while reading along with the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The many different character voices were done very well, and the accents were performed beautifully. Definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is the 4th and hopefully last in the series that should be read in order.

Genre - psychological thriller, mystery

Off the Air by Christina Estes

 Debut mystery is realistic about the world of multimedia news and journalism.

Local television reporter, Jolene Garcia, wants a big story and wants an Emmy. When a controversial  radio personality, Larry Lemmon, dies while at work on radio station KFRK, Jolene wants the inside track. Soon the death is considered suspicious, and everyone knows that means Larry was murdered. Since she was the last person to interview him, Jolene has the notion that this will be the news break that makes her career. Despite competition from other local and national news outlets, Jolene has a couple of sources that might give her an advantage if she can find out the truth first and get it on the air.

This was funny at times and lighthearted at others. Some serious political hot topics are discussed as part of the shock jock's rhetoric, and there are lots of details about the inner workings of news organizations. The author has experience and obviously knows what she is writing about, and that insider information is interesting. Although I have an aversion to reporters and how they want the story at any cost, I can understand how the public's demand for 24/7 news and social media feed the frenzy. I found it quite convenient that Jolene had so many sources and also thought her investigation was equal parts unlikely and ill advised. All told, it was easy to read in a single sitting and a unique contemporary bit of storytelling. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Marcella Black, did a good job of providing nuance and distinct voices for all the characters. This dual method always adds to my enjoyment of the reading experience.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - contemporary mystery

Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

 Compelling atmospheric mystery thriller. 

A persistent drought has lowered the levels of Mirror Lake as Hazel Sharp returns to claim her childhood home. Her father, beloved police detective, recently died and she has to face the two brothers she left behind ages ago. The house by the lake is not all that was left to Hazel in her father's will. Things that had been hidden in the depths of the lake are exposed. As the shock ripples through the family and the community, some secrets and lies are revealed and everything Hazel believed is now suspect. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the mounting suspense and tension as Hazel makes her discoveries and faces the challenges of the revelations about her family. I liked the twists and turns and was trying to figure out everything along with Hazel. I liked her as a protagonist. The small-town atmosphere and the dry conditions set a great scene for the story. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along with the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Ines Del Castillo, did a fantastic job voicing the characters and making them all sound unique. The production enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - mystery thriller, suspense

The Reaper Follows (#4 Larson and Forrest) by Heather Graham

 Entertaining conclusion to this crime thriller series.

FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, are called to a gruesome scene in the Everglades. Chopped up body parts from many people spill out of a fallen barrel in a stretch of mangrove roots. Four more barrels still intact. And a note clasped in the fingers of one of the victims. Amy knows who left the calling card when she also received a little plastic horse, the pale horse of Apocalypse and the Four Horsemen fame, had shown up at the FDLE. The Archangel is taunting them and Amy and Hunter need to stop their end game. 

I had not read the previous three books in this series, so I was a bit wary of jumping in here at the finish. Fortunately, I didn't have any problem following the story line and caught up easily with well-placed details and backstory. Lots of action and compelling characters made this an engaging book that captured me and kept my attention. I also really enjoyed all the historical information about the Seminoles and other native tribes as well as the description of the Everglades and its flora and fauna. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I thought the narrator, Roger Wayne, did a good job voicing all the characters and giving them each a different inflection and tone. The audio added to my appreciation and enjoyment of the book. 

In retrospect, I would have preferred to have read the whole series in order.

This is the 4th in a series.

Genre - crime thriller, mystery

Echoes of Memory by Sara Driscoll

 Absorbing mystery thriller.

Quinn Fleming is trying to reclaim her life after a vicious nighttime attack left her with a traumatic brain injury. The trauma resulted in a type of amnesia that prevents her from forming new memories. Although she's back to work as a florist in a San Diego flower shop, she cannot function without her post it labels on every surface and her diary notebook in which she records every detail of her daily existence. Then she witnesses a murder in the alley behind the floral shop. In order not to forget what she saw in the dark, she records every detail immediately and gets the police involved. Fortunately, Quinn is an artist, and she pours any snippet of memory into sketches from dreams and flashes of insight. Unfortunately, someone else knows that she was there in the alley and saw what happened. That someone does not want Quinn to remember anything.

I enjoyed the story, especially the clinical details about TBI and this particular type of amnesia. The recovery from such an injury can be very arduous and frustrating. I liked how the main character approached her situation and all her efforts to keep making progress toward recovering lost memories and also to increase her ability to make new ones. The other characters in the book were also fleshed out and important to the narrative. The mystery was complicated and the pacing of the revelations as it was solved was well done.

Fortunately, I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC -- both provided by the publisher. The narrator of the audiobook, Cynthia Farrell, did an excellent job of voicing and giving nuance to all the characters. both male and female. It definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - mystery thriller, amnesia, TBI

Misguided Truth (Dr. Samantha Jenkins #4) by Stephanie Kreml

 This is the last of the series that I plan to read. 

In this book, Dr. Samantha Jenkins is filling in at a clinic after the murder of the doctor who had run it for years. His wife is the office manager and likes Sam so much of course and begs her to stay on. Meanwhile, Sam finds evidence of a drug ring involving a common prescription medicine for hypothyroidism. Also gets involved in a domestic assault case. 

Her meddling and snooping are always one way because she's so self-righteous and constantly uses the patient confidentiality card even though people are in imminent danger. She uses HIPAA as a shield when she could easily consult legal for info on whether her disclosures are allowed. Her sleuthing activities are laughable. 

I can't stand the main character. She's wishy washy and has no clue of what she wants to do just drifting from one thing to another unwilling to do the necessary hard work to finish classwork, get a residency and find a job she might actually stick with. So done. 

There are 5 books now in the series. I have read the first 4 in order. I will not read more.

Genre - amateur doctor goes sleuthing. NOT medical mysteries. 

Truth Promised (Dr. Samantha Jenkins #3) by Stephanie Kreml

 In this installment, Dr. Samantha Jenkins is taking a break from her urgent care clinic position to go work as a medical advisor and consultant for a start up that is working on developing new uses for known drugs. But this new company has a hidden agenda, and when a colleague is found dead in the lab, Sam is sure that it was foul play. 

This was OK, not very thrilling or exciting. Predictable plot and bad guys. I’m not crazy about this female protagonist and we would not be friends. She's so nosy and busy with snooping that I likely wouldn't want to work with her either. She's definitely confused about her career and professional goals. I generally like books about medical stuff and science. I'm not sure what puts me off about the series. 

Series of 5 that should be read in order.

Genre - medical and science related, protagonist is a medical doctor

The Family Experiment by John Marrs

 Hold on tight — you are about to re-enter the world of John Marrs as he continues to entertain and scare us a bit with a story about creating families in the Metaverse. 

Although not part of a series, this novel of speculative fiction is connected to his previous books so you will see references to them. I love how he ties it all together!

In a not-so-distant future, people are facing economic crises, and many can't afford to have children. Finally, an alternative! Several lucky couples have been selected to take part in a new reality television show where they will be given and be allowed to take care of their personally chosen and designed virtual child in a special Metaverse where viewers can watch them parent 24/7 and eventually vote for the winner. Who's the best parent(s)? - the winner will be allowed to keep this virtual child or have the opportunity to create a real baby with the money they win.  Everything starts out so well!

The narrative shifts between points of view of the different parents who are participating in the reality show. Each is unique and though at first a bit hard to keep track of, eventually they become quite distinct in the story. This was quite a dark and twisty thriller, and it kept me turning the pages as the challenges unfolded. The emphasis on the uncertainty of AI and all of the potential for both good and bad gives the reader much to think about or discuss with a book club. 

I listened to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The male and female narrators did a decent job, but it was hard to differentiate between so many different characters. The nuances in voice and tone were not obvious and distinct enough in many cases. The sound effects were appreciated. It was a nice way to augment my enjoyment of the novel.

This is a standalone though part of the author's imaginative universe. Though not necessary, it would be best if you had already read those previous books.

Genre - speculative fiction, future, AI, virtual reality, metaverse, family drama

The Mayfair Dagger by Ava January

 Historical cozy mystery is a light and entertaining read.

Albertine Honeycombe and her friend/maid, Joan, have escaped to London when her male cousin takes over her father's estate after his death. There is no way Albertine intends to be forced to marry a local farmer and help raise his 15 children. She has reinvented herself as a lady detective and identifies as Countess Von Dagga. The Count is obviously not around to bother her. Albertine and Joan have advertised and have been called upon to help society women with some of their personal issues. Unfortunately, these rich ladies don't seem to want to pay them after they deliver their services, so Albertine decides to hire a man to be the front of the agency. Little does Albertine know that the man she has hired works for Scotland Yard and is the Duke of Erleigh. It seems that a man that Albertine was recently in contact with while doing a job has turned up dead. And, she's the prime suspect. 

I liked the characters of Albertine, Joan, and Spencer and their witty repartee. There were several moments of humor, and they all got along great. Of course, neither Albertine nor Joan had any idea that Spencer was a Duke. His lies come back to haunt him later when he falls in love with Albertine. It was all going along so swimmingly in the narrative but then it got really bogged down with the romance and the prose went on and one about how wonderful Albertine was. Gag. I'm not a huge romance fan and, along with some other crazy things that happen in the story, it was just over the top. The whole grandstanding gesture at the end was a bit too far. If most of that lovey dovey stuff was removed, it would have been a lot better. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along with the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I enjoyed both narrators who did a great job of voicing all the characters. Deifnitely provided an entertaining experience with the excellent production.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series == so far!

Genre - romance, historical cozy, mystery

Neglected Truth (Samantha Jenkins #2) by Stephanie Kreml

 This is supposed to be a medical mystery, but it really doesn't fit that category.

This is the second book in the series I have read as I really hoped this would be better than the first one. The whole premise is just so out there and unbelievable for any sort of medical doctor working in a workman's comp clinic. The main character, Dr. Samantha Jenkins, is always drawn into these investigations that she has no business involving herself in and no normal real doctor would. I find Samantha as a character to be really irritating on many levels. Her romance issues, her problems with her father, her side hustle doing some unauthorized snooping that puts her in danger, and her issues with her main job all combine to make this a series I can leave behind.

I'm always on the lookout for good plots featuring medical situations but this was not it as it focused on workplace coverups and inadequate safety precautions. 

This is the second in a series. Probably should read in order. There are 4 total so far.

Genre - doctor being an amateur detective, snoop

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

 Predictable family drama set in an almost deserted hotel during a hurricane.

Charley Kelley, age 19, works as the only maid at the Precipice, a hotel in Maine, set at the edge of a cliff. The old man owner dies, and his 3 daughters, Vicki, Iris, and Faith come to hear the reading of the will. The weekend turns dangerous as all the guests depart, Hurricane Larry bears down on them, and secrets the Bishop sisters are keeping might just be the deadliest of all.

I had a difficult time buying into this story and the whole plot was so unsurprising that I find it hard to believe that any reader could say there are any unexpected twists. Each chapter brought more anticipated revelations and it all played out to a conclusion that you can see a mile coming. The characters were mostly unlikeable and even though we are supposed to like Charley, I really didn't find her believable either. Halfway through it, I just wanted to be done with the book. Overall, this didn't deliver the promised suspense or thrills.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book (both provided by the publishers) but that combination didn't bring me the expected enjoyment as it usually does. The narrator's voice was OK, however there was little differentiation in tone or cadence to allow the listener to be able to identify which character was speaking. This type of novel with so many different people would have benefited from a larger speaking cast.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - domestic and family drama, locked room type of mystery

The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass

 Secrets and murder at the Sycamores

This psychological thriller is told from the viewpoints of two very different women, both basically at the dead-end run-down motel turned apartment complex because of events over which they had no control.

Cass is the motel manager, dumped by a rich boyfriend who refused to marry her and then took up with a much younger woman. She happens to be very handy and so has the very depressing job of fixing up the dilapidated units for low wages and the place she gets to live in. She knows almost everything going on in those apartments behind closed doors. 

Anna was married to Henry, an artist who had a unit at the Sycamores to use as a studio. She comes to clear out the place he'd used and to get answers after he kills himself following a phone call to her when he confessed to some terrible crime. 

Daily life at the Sycamores is no treat, but there are the pool women, the kids, the other odd tenants, and one very bad man. Someone there, however, knows what happened to Henry and soon Anna finds evidence that she had no idea what Henry had actually been doing in this place. 

I was fully invested and really absorbed in this story until everything suddenly shifted and went off the rails. The revelations, the climax, and the resolution took this down several notches. Basically, this was a female empowerment trope with a bunch of bad men all around. It didn't ring true, and I found it all wildly unlikely. Also, the characters just did not feel believable, and I didn't like them, what they did, or how it all ended. 

I listened to the audiobook with its two different narrators and preferred the voice of the woman who performed Cass to the one who did Anna. I always feel that listening while following along in the e-book ARC (provided by the publisher) gives me much more entertainment. I was just disappointed in the last third of the story.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - psychological thriller

Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson

 Wow! I love a disaster type novel that includes science, and this was a thrill ride of epic proportions. 

This type of story always screams blockbuster movie to me, and I would love to see it on the big screen. I read it in a single sitting as I simply couldn’t put it down.

The plot -- scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the rim of the Kilauea caldera are predicting a huge eruption of Mauna Loa volcano on the big island of Hawaii. It seems they have some methods to prevent a huge loss of life and property put in place. That is, until it's discovered that a secret cache of seriously dangerous radioactive biologic material is stored inside a lava tube. 

A race against time, dangerous feats of courage and bravery, love, and loss combine to make this a riveting thriller that I enjoyed immensely. My engagement was amplified by listening to the audiobook narrated by the amazing Scott Brick, while reading along with the e-book. It is definitely an experience I highly recommend. A fun beach read and certain to be a bestseller. 

In the acknowledgements, Michael Crichton's widow explains how he conceived and extensively researched the topic and how she decided to collaborate with James Patterson to bring this book to market. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - disaster thriller, volcanos

Still See You Everywhere (Frankie Elkin #3) by Lisa Gardner

 Fast paced and twisty mystery thriller kept me glued to the pages.

Frankie Elkin finds missing persons. She's not any kind of professional -- in fact a loner and confessed alcoholic, she never stays anywhere or with anyone for long. When she's asked by a death row serial killer, The Beautiful Butcher, Keahi Pierson, to find and rescue her younger sister, Leilani, Frankie finds herself on a plane to Hawaii. Then to a privately owned atoll that is being developed for a resort owned by a tech billionaire whom Keahi believes kidnapped Leilani. The only others on the island are a team of workers trying to get the place up and going. All become pawns in this twisty mission where the objective is murky and it's unclear which of them are the good guys. 

I had not read the previous two books in the series featuring this main character, but it was easy to pick this up and I didn't feel that I had missed anything crucial. I am a little ambivalent about Frankie as she is quite the contradictory personality with an interesting history. I liked all the twists and turns and surprises in the narrative and relished the descriptions and details about the atoll of Pomaikai. I'll be on the lookout for future installments in this series.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook while reading along with the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator did a good job performing all the voices and accents which enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is the third book in a series. I had not read the first two when I finished this one. It did not seem to make a difference.

Genre - mystery thriller