#inthedark #jackslater #brittanypressley #themessylivesofbookpeople #phaedrapatrick #katysobey #theperfectcouple #elinhilderbrand #erinbennett #caminoisland #johngrisham #januarylavoy
If June’s books have an underlying theme – other than how nice it is to sit in an air-conditioned house or float in a pool while listening to any audio book during this heat wave – it would be books I’ve had in my library for awhile without listening to them. Recently, I decided to scroll through my audiobook library and catch up on past purchases. I can think of several reasons why I would purchase a book and not listen immediately: might be a busy time of year like holidays or vacations; might have gotten a “deal” on something “iffy”; or the most likely reason, it might have gotten lost in the crowd if several books I want to hear are published close together. Regardless, I’m happy to say all of these forgotten books are well worth your time. We have a highly touted book that just kept getting shoved back by new releases, we have two books by favorite authors that fall into the category of “how did I miss that one?”, and we have book #1 of a series that I got as a “deal” – a rare occurrence since these series book deals usually fall somewhere in the middle of a series and are an enticement to start at the beginning.
By Jack Slater
Narrated by Brittany Pressley
When I chose to listen to In the Dark by Jack Slater, I was pleasantly surprised that I actually picked the first book in a series! When I try out a new series, I usually land somewhere in the middle and hope that the book is a stand-alone and that there are no hidden cliffs waiting for me to hang over at the end while I’m pulling my hair and saying &$!#% words! Blake Larsen is the star of this series. She has lived a life filled with tragic losses and In the Dark makes readers and listeners aware of everything she has lost. When Blake learns her beloved brother and Green Beret, Caleb, has committed suicide, she doesn’t believe it. When one of his friends is brutally murdered in front of her home, she becomes even more determined to find the truth and justice with the help of Ryan, one of Caleb’s comrades. Together, they become entangled in corruption on all sides that will land them in the company of men who are betraying the public trust and embody pure evil. Brittany Pressley is up to the challenge of this fast moving storyline and for those of you who know my weaknesses, there are psychos galore sweetened by an adorable dog! What more could I ask for?
The Messy Lives of Book People
By Phaedra Patrick
Narrated by Katy Sobey
How is it possible that this book was in my library for almost 2 years before I chose to listen to it? Even though I anticipated the twist about half way through, I still enjoyed meeting Phaedra Patrick‘s characters and hearing Katy Sobey’s performance. I have found over the years that most people who love to read and who also are creative and gifted writers dream of becoming published authors. Because of my involvement with other “book people”, I’ve also discovered how difficult it is to be successful in the publishing world. Olivia is one of those people who has a gift, but no resources with which to enter that world except the fact that she cleans for an acclaimed author. Imagine her shock when the author dies unexpectedly and not only is Olivia asked to keep her death secret, but to finish the novel she was writing. Piece by piece, Olivia puts together the puzzle of Essie Starling’s strange request and the circumstances leading up to it. The Messy Lives of Book People is a delightful palate cleanser and one that was well worth the time I waited to listen!
By Elin Hilderbrand
Narrated by Erin BennettÂ
There are several take aways from The Perfect Couple. 1) Never let your future in-laws plan and/or pay for your wedding. 2) Avoid becoming engaged to a man with a hot best friend. 3) Avoid having a hot best friend yourself. 4) There is no perfect couple. Celeste and Benji fall in love … or so it seems. They want to get married, but since Benji’s parents are quite wealthy and Celeste’s are not, the in-laws want to pay for the wedding which means they also want to plan the wedding. I’m sure all of you are doing a lot of eye rolling and imagining all sorts of disastrous outcomes for this scenario as well you should. There can be no happy ending when a book starts off with a dead body, although we can still have a compelling plot. The storyline will evolve from how we come to find the dead body on the day we are supposed to have a wedding, and a second question is – would we have had a wedding even if there had been no body? Author Elin Hilderbrand introduces so many complex issues, and I’m still trying to decide if any questions were answered; however, she did make me cry. I defy you not to shed a tear as Erin Bennett voices the closing lines. They are the definition of tragedy.
By John GrishamÂ
Narrated by January Lavoy
No one will ever question John Grisham’s gift for telling a story, and the series that begins with Camino Island is no exception. The storyline begins with a prologue describing a crime – rare manuscripts of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s works have been stolen from Princeton University. As the story progresses, we meet a frustrated author who is enticed by an insurance company to help them solve the crime which has been committed because she has a load of debt and a connection to Camino Island where the bookseller who is suspected of being in possession of the priceless manuscripts has his bookshop. The single book thief who hasn’t been caught is also in search of the manuscript so between the feds, the insurance company, and the thief, the bookseller doesn’t have a chance … or does he? This is one of those cases where I found myself cheering for one of the bad guys! Camino Island is very much character driven, so be prepared to meet some fascinating people whose voices have been expertly performed by narrator January Lavoy. You will be charmed by the residents of Camino Island and a crime that has a unique solution! If you are a lover of intricate storylines, this one is for you.
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