?Have You Heard??Audiobooks For Your Listening Pleasure ?The Best of February?

Posted February 28, 2021 by RobbieLea in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

#royal #daniellesteel #nickafkathomas #wheniwasyou #minkakent #erindeward #willdamron #theburglar #thomasperry #christinadelaine #faithlessindeath #jdrobb #susanericksen

Somewhere between the Pandemic and weather events of epic proportions, there has to lie a happy place. For me, at this present time, that place lies in books. Whether they be of the digital variety or my audiobooks, I am thankful for those who write and give the rest of us a place to escape if only for a few hours a day. I have no doubt we will return to a better time when we can travel and gather in confidence, when smiles won’t have to be embroidered on a mask, and when sunny skies and warm breezes will melt our hearts along with the snow. Meanwhile, I was housebound this month with Danielle Steel and J.D. Robb who are old favorites, along with Minka Kent and Thomas Perry who are new to me. My characters ran the gamut from a secret princess to a burglar and from a narcissistic diva to a sociopath who wants to make everyone else think they’re sociopaths.

This is a confession, and Danielle Steel is my guilty secret. Regardless of your opinion of her work, the lady has a great imagination and is a gifted storyteller. Royal is a Sleeping Beauty/Princess and the Pea kind of story. Our heroine really is a princess – she just doesn’t know it. The storyline is all about how that came to be and how a young lady who was raised as a commoner deals with discovering that she is not only royalty, but the niece of a queen. Royal is expertly narrated by Nick Afka Thomas, and if you occasionally need escapism in its purest form . . . Danielle Steel rarely disappoints.

It’s always a treat to spend time with our friends at the NYPSD and Faithless in Death is no exception. This time our girls Eve and Peabody catch a case involving the murder of an up-and-coming artist. Their investigation points them to a scion of New York society – the daughter of two prominent physicians who are leaders in a notorious cult. Before long, the case evolves into a full scale investigation of the cult, its evil seed of a leader, and what role the cult may have played in the murder. The storyline is complex and is about more than the death of an artist who runs afoul of the cult’s sinister plan for society; it’s also about toxic family dynamics and an organization which espouses violence, radical racism, and misogyny under the paradoxical name “Natural Order”.   Most of our favorites from the series make appearances, and we continue to swoon as Susan Ericksen narrates the series giving her special taste of Ireland to Roark’s voice.  J. D. Robb just keeps coming up with amazing storylines guaranteed to make us come back for more!

There is no question that When I Was You by Minka Kent is a psychological thriller. As if the title itself isn’t enough of a clue, the opening chapters will confirm that Brienne who might be Kate is the victim of a ruthless sociopath who is determined to have what she has because he believes he deserves it. Convincing another person that he or she is mentally deranged is an old tactic in psychological thrillers, but author Minka Kent puts a whole new twist on this technique when Niall – who isn’t really Niall – decides to steal Brienne’s fortune by convincing her that she’s his wife Kate. It’s an elaborate scheme with lots of machinations and twisty surprises that will keep you guessing as to just how far a man will go to get revenge on a person who never knew he existed! Narrators Erin DeWard and Will Damon give an excellent performance of this convoluted tale.

In The Burglar, author  Thomas Perry presents a new take on the world of crime – one in which you will find yourself siding with a career criminal! Elle Stowell is a thief who supports herself quite nicely by stealing from the rich until the day she stumbles on three bodies in the course of her work. When she finds that her discovery has made her a target for some nasty people who aren’t just trying to earn a living, she determines she must find a way to identify these people and reveal them to the police in order to save herself.  What follows is a series of dramatic revelations and harrowing close calls as Elle turns from committing crimes to solving a crime. Narrator Christina DeLaine keeps the suspense palpable as Elle uses her considerable skills to bring down the bad guys. You’ve heard of perfect endings? Well, The Burglar has one and I think you will love it!

Thank you for following us at Literati Literature Lovers and Happy Listening in March!

2 responses to “?Have You Heard??Audiobooks For Your Listening Pleasure ?The Best of February?

  1. Meg

    Ha! Danielle Steel is my guilty secret pleasure, too, and I really enjoyed Royal as well. I finished it, and then shook my head in puzzlement. There was virtually no character development (more could be found in the character who died half-way in than in other characters), yet it still worked. For me, enjoying Danielle Steel’s books is more guaranteed than enjoying Nora Roberts/JD Robb – most of them work, but some fall so flat that I give up. Odd. I’ll have to look into The Burglar – it sounds interesting. Thanks!

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