The Silence of the Chihuahuas By Waverly Curtis Audiobook Narration by Laura Darrell

The Silence of the Chihuahuas
A Barking Detective Book 5
By Waverly Curtis
Narrated By Laura Darrell
Audio Book

7 hours 59 mins

Narrator Review: Laura Darrell

Narrator  Laura Darrell

Laura Darrell does an exemplary rendition of Pepe. She does such a good accent for him and the tone is just right. In fact it is so good you might believe it really is Pepe speaking. I like the tone of Laura Darrell's voice, it sounds youthful and feminine but not sugary sweet. An exceptional narration of this fun and frolicking team of Sullivan and Sullivan Private Detectives. All the characterizations are fantastic. I'd prefer that Ms. Darrell not over pronounce so many words, it would be spectacular if not for that little glitch. Still, Laura Darrell is the perfect narrator for this series. She gets great emotion into each person as well as the dogs.

Audio Book Review, The Silence of the Chihuahuas Author Waverly Curtis

Pepe, the irrepressible Chihuahua that is half the team of Sullivan & Sullivan Detectives. Pepe is the egotistical Chihuahua that Geri Sullivan adopted from the Animal Shelter and he's been running her life ever since. True dogs have a much keener sense of smell, and their hearing is far superior, and according to Pepe, dogs are smarter than humans, but, Pepe has stopped talking to Geri, and Geri is worried about it. So worried that she consults a veterinarian. Of course there was no help there. Later she gets a strange phone call from her sister that caller ID shows as coming from The Forest Glen Spa and Clinic. She tells Geri, that someone is trying to kill her and then the call is cut off. Geri calls the Spa and they deny anyone by that name is there or made a call.

Waverly Curtis Author of the Pepe Series

Geri,  has to concoct a plan to get herself into that clinic so she can look for her sister. Once in can she get out again? Or, once in, can she find her sister? With no help from Pepe, Geri is on her own. He is investigating, sniffing around, and gathering information but still not talking or helping Geri. Prior to getting into the Spa, her older sister calls to make sure she is coming to the wedding of Geri's ex-husband that weekend. Geri has no desire to go but her bossy sister gets her to attend.

Geri's getting threatening phone calls, her boyfriend is not returning her calls, and Jimmy G. is calling her to do a job with a previous client. Geri's still mad at him from double dealing and shabby underhanded way he treated her on a Seattle investigation. Her best friend is missing and she needs to find him before the police do.

Geri has her hands full and with so many things going on she is just about ready for a stay at Forest Glen. With no help from Pepi can she solve any of these problems? She is definitely on her own and everything is in total chaos. Pepi does try and help her but being just a human, Geri misses all his unspoken clues. No matter how he tries to get her to read his blog on his Ipad, she misses it every time.

Other Audio Books in the  Barking Detective Mysteries

Chihuahua Confidential
Audio Book By Waverly Curtis

The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice
By Waverly Curtis

The Big Chihuahua
By Waverly Curtis

Dial C For Chihuahua
By Waverly Curtis

:

Leigh Perry's The Skeleton Haunts a House. Narrated by: Katina Kalin

The Skeleton Haunts a House:
Family Skeleton, Book 3
Written by: Leigh Perry
Narrated by: Katina Kalin
Audiobook Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

The Skeleton Haunts a House:Family Skeleton, Book 3
Written by: Leigh Perry
Narrated by: Katina Kalin
Audiobook

Katina Kalin Audiobook Narrator

Another outstanding narration by Katina Kalin. Each book spotlights a new ability and talent and The Skeleton Haunts a House is the latest with her truly amazing depiction of Scooby-Doo and Velma. I loved it, it was perfection. You can hear in Sid's voice his excitement of being out of the house mingling with people
and being part of the Halloween festivities. Conversations are smooth with not a single blip on character changes. Katina Kalin is phenomenal.

Audio Book Review: The Skeleton Haunts a House By Leigh Perry

Leigh Perry Author

I loved how this book was released in Oct, 2015, just in time for Halloween. Sid, the Thackery's resident skeleton rarely gets to leave the house and spends most of his time in the attic. Now that Georgia and her daughter Madison are temporarily living in her parents house while they are away on sabbatical, Sid has more company and gets out occasionally. The occasion is Halloween, one of Sid's favorite holidays. He and Georgia are going to the Haunted House as Scooby-Doo and Velma.

Deborah, Georgia's sister, owns a locksmith and security company and has charge of security at The Haunted House, taking place at McQuade Hall. Madison is working in The Haunted House, very useful when Sid wants to line jump. Inside the house are any manner of ghostly and gruesome scenes, and scary interactive skits.

Sid is loving every minute of it. All great fun until someone starts screaming that there's a dead body, a real one. Deborah jumps into action, locks down the Haunted House, no one in and no one out, Local police are called and.... wait, Sid is still in there so is Madison, but she can give a police report and identify herself, not so with Sid. Sid in his furry Scooby-Doo costume, can't take it off or identify himself.



Georgia is getting worried about Sid but can't do anything to help or find him, but his discarded Scooby-Doo dog costume is of some concern. Georgia and Madison finally go home but it is a restless sleep for Georgia, worrying about Sid. The next day Deborah  arranges for Georgia to pick up Sid under the guise of collecting Madison's belongings. It is a happy Sid, to get home and he's over the moon with delight to find the Thackery's are home again. While the living sleep Sid with his now well honed skills on the internet, spends his time finding out about the murdered girl. What a tangled web of deception he finds, but, he does find some good suspects and motives for Kendal's murder.

A Skeleton in the FamilyBook 1 in the Family Skeleton Series

The Skeleton Takes a BowBook 2. in the Family Skeleton Series

The Skeleton Takes a Bow. Book 2. By Leigh Perry, Narrator- Katina Kalin

The Skeleton Takes a Bow
A Family Skeleton Mystery, Book 2
By Leigh Perry
Narrated By Katina Kalin

7 hours 47 minutes
Audible, Inc.

The Skeleton Takes a Bow
By Leigh Perry

Katina Kalin, is a brilliant narrator, her voice is beautiful, genial and expressive. Every detail of the story is delivered splendidly and smoothly. Her teenage daughters voice is perfection. Sounds exactly like a teen, from the breathy and cajoling tones. to the rolling of the eyes. I especially liked the sheepish voice used when Madison says "was doing the laundry too much of a give away".... Even Sid has a unique quality, giving him life even if he is a skeleton and isn't alive. It takes amazing acting skills to read a book and make it sound like a stage play with a full cast of characters.

Audiobook Narrator Katina Kalin

Audiobook Review: The Skeleton Takes a Bow, Book 2 of A Family Skeleton Mystery
By Leigh Perry

Leigh Perry Author

Georgia and Madison, her teen daughter recently moved back into her parents home while they are on sabbatical. Georgia has a tight schedule as an Adjunct English Professor at McQuade and Madison is just as busy at Pennycross High. After joining The Drama Club, Madison auditioned for Hamlet and got the role of Guildenstern. Sid is beside himself with excitement and wants to play Yorick, the perfect role for him. He and Madison hatch a plan to get Georgia's permission to take Sid to school.

They butter Georgia up by doing the laundry and a few household chores. Georgia knows they are in cahoots about something. Sid, poor sad guy, rarely gets out of the house and spends most his time in the attic, reading, playing on his computer, or eavesdropping. When Georgia hears Sid wants to play Yorick, she's reluctant to let him. She gives in only if Madison promises to bring Sid home everyday after school. All goes well until one day Madison's routine's are thrown off and she does the unforgivable and forgets to bring him home. 

They rush back to the school and bang on the doors but there is no one around to let them in. So Sid, ends up on a shelf backstage all night. Instead of a long boring night ahead, Sid hears two men arguing and in the heat of the moment one of them is killed. He hears the guy call another person from his mobile to come help him. By the time they are done moving the body and cleaning the scene Sid is still quietly listening to it all, unable to do anything about it, not even knowing what he could do.

Byron, Madison's dog, is Sid's nemesis, you know, dog,  and bones, Sid is always on the alert that Byron doesn't make a grab at a fibula or even a phalanx.  Deborah, Georgia's sister, owner of a local locksmith and security company, is a bit stuffy and likes to follow the rules. Not to be left out is the nosy and always sarcastic Adjunct Sarah Wise, that shares office quarters with Georgia. A thoroughly enjoyable bunch of people, great dialog and Sid the sensitive skeleton is the instigator of most the shenanigans and high jinks.

The Skeleton Haunts a HouseBook 3.of A Family Skeleton MysteryBy Leigh Perry

A Skeleton in the FamilyBy Leigh Perry
 Book 1.of A Family Skeleton Mystery

Chasing the Dollar: Miranda Vaughn Mysteries Book 1 By: Ellie Ashe. Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt

Chasing the Dollar:
Miranda Vaughn Mysteries Book 1
By: Ellie Ashe
Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt
Audiobook

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins 

Chasing the Dollar
Audiobook by Ellie Ashe

Audiobook, Narrator Review

Teri Schnaubelt, is a talented and outstanding narrator, with a clear voice she expresses every emotion with vigor and agility and brings out the tension, fear and distrust in such a delicious way. Schnaubelt, manages to furnish the flavor that double-crossing Bill, is lying through his teeth. Miranda sounds honest, intelligent and kind, under the excellent pacing, and expressive voice of Teri Schnaubelt. The bad guys are superbly well done and the sociopaths are unmistakeable. A very exceptional reading in every way.

Teri Schnaubeit Audiobook Narrator

Audiobook Review

Ellie Ashe Author

Betrayal, deceit, fraud, and millions of dollars transferring between many countries and accounts. After a year Miranda finally is exonerated of fraud charges at Patterson, tinker Investment Company where she worked.. She's lost her fiance, her job, her property and with civil suits looming in the near future her aunt may lose her home and business. The verdict may have been not guilty on all counts but as Dillon her ex fiance tells her when he called around to help her find a new job, she is toxic. 

Unable to get a job, her own attorney hires her to work for him. It helps that he is sweet on her aunt and has been for many years. This gives Miranda the time and opportunity to carefully examine all the documents relating to her trial. A whiz with numbers she organizes and creates reports on files relating to huge sums of money that's rapidly changed from off shore accounts to Swiss Banks, so many times it's difficult if not impossible to follow the trail. But, what she does realize is someone set her up. Someone who would have access to her computer and password.



Miranda needs a plan to discover who set her up and exactly what the senior members of Patterson and Tinker had been doing. Carefully thinking things through she knows to find any answers she will have to go to Macao. Things really go into action at high velocity in Macao where FBI agent Jake is also following the same leads as Miranda, but for a different reason. Miranda doesn't trust Jake and only remembers him handcuffing and arresting her over a year before, yet, Jake definitely is one sexy and charming man.

The two of them are thrown together by necessity, and when it gets down to the wire, Miranda has to trust him when hard core thugs are trying to kill them both. If they want to stay alive they have to depend on each other. Chasing the Dollar is a high powered, fast paced and well written book. Miranda outwits the bad guys, and is in for quite a shock when she discovers who set her up.

Once you have loved the first in this series you will want more. More will be here with book 2, Dropping the Dime. I think you get more bang for your buck with the Audio book version,

Sprinkled By: Gina LaManna Narrated By: Caitlin Kelly

Sprinkled A Lacey Luzzi Mafia Mystery, Book 1
Author: Gina LaManna
Narrator: Caitlin Kelly

7 hrs and 54 mins
Published By: Gina LaManna

Sprinkled: By Gina LaManna

Narrator Review
Caitlin Kelly, was the perfect voice to narrate Sprinkled. Her voice is pleasing and matches the young age of Lacey Luzzi and of her best friend and partner in crime Meg. Although I really have nothing more than Hollywood movies to base the majority of foreign accents on, I thought her Italian accents were very good. Caitlin Kelly brings a great deal of energy to the story and makes every character pop. Ms Kelly is a professional artist, credited with many impressive voice over assignments. 

Audiobook Narrator Caitlin Kelly

Audiobook ReviewSprinkled by Gina LaManna is the first book in a new series, A Lacey Luzzi Mafia Mystery. For a first in the series, LaManna has crafted an intriguing story, with Lacey Luzzi as the dominant character. At loose ends and with no particular direction in life she falls into becoming a stripper like her deceased mother had been. 

Lacey thought she was alone in the world with no living relatives. Her mother had raised her to believe she had no relatives. Lacey felt bad that there was only going to be a handful of friends at her mom's funeral so she starts searching for any information she can find that might give her some leads.

She finally hits paydirt and locates her grandparents only to discover Grandpa is the Mafia Don, and Grandma is the traditional Italian Grandma. They knew nothing of Lacey but take her into the Family. Grandpa, gives her a low paying job as the front desk clerk at one of his laundromats. In reality she is one of his look outs. She has become bored working at the laundromat and Grandpa offers her a more important and lucrative job to do.

Author Gina LaManna

Eager to make more money, she enthusiastically jumps at the chance. Ah, well, "Fools rush in where angel's fear to tread" so foolish Lacey is way out of her element when she is sent to get back from the Russian Mafia something they stole from her Grandfather. It will be easy he assures her, a piece of cake. Unfortunately nothing Lacey does turns out to be easy.

Mafia Grandma is anxious to get Lacey married to a nice Italian boy. Those cozy Sunday dinners soon turn into dreaded affairs for Lacey with the array of nice Italian boys. Yet, Grandma is her buffer between her and her auster Grandfather. Lacey has other love interests. Let's hope it is not one of those dashing fellows in the Russian Mafia. You will have to listen to the book to get the full story of Lacey and her friend Meg's antics.

I recommend this book to a younger audience that might enjoy the more risque jokes and emphasis on sex and particular body parts. I can't classify this as a true Cozy Mystery as it is a Chic Lit mystery. If you enjoy chic lit and are not offended by naughty words then Sprinkled is a book you will enjoy.

Murder at Deer Park By: Gary Alan Ruse Narrated by: Erik Baker

Murder at Deer Park
By: Gary Alan Ruse
Narrated by: Erik Baker
Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins

Narrator Erik Baker

Erik Baker's rendition of Murder at Deer Park was exceptionally well done. Baker has a versatile range of voices, giving in depth characteristics to each person. His voice has a pleasurable tenor with just the right amount of masculinity and maturity and he did a very credible depiction for Francis, expressing youth, naivete and budding womanhood. Baker is talented and does other voice over work. I enjoyed this video of him doing the voiceover for a video game. Seems like he is not just talented but has a good sense of humor, and enjoys a touch of acting it out too. 

Author Gary Ruse

In 1886 Grover Cleveland was the twenty second president of the United States. At the age of forty nine he married Francis Folsom who was twenty one. This was a wide gap in this May, December marriage of twenty eight years, seven years more than Francis's years on this earth. Nonetheless it apparently was a happy and compatible marriage that produced five children. Cleveland was executor of her father's estate and long time friends with him as well as law partners, he received permission from Francis's mother to court Francis. There is a well done write up at The Washington Post that would aid in following the historical story.

In Murder of Deer Park, Gary Ruse successfully wove fact and fiction into a charming and fantastic tale of Grover and Francis's honeymoon at Deer Park, Maryland. Cleveland went to extremes to avoid the press disturbing him and his new bride. Shortly after arriving at Deer Park, the press did manage to track them down and Ruse's account of the shenanigans with the press was fascinating and much of it true. 

When one of the reporters is found dead, Grover and Francis don't agree with the police that it was an accident. The police are persuaded by Cleveland that it is a case of murder and of course who would go against the President of the United States and Cleveland sets off on a thorough and compelling investigation. It is extremely well written and moves at a brisk pace. Alan Ruse does skillfully bring out that Cleveland was sensitive, honest and skillful with words and a highly respected and loved president.

I highly recommend listening to the delightful story and if you feel compelled to dig deeper into the lives of our Past Presidents google is a good place to start. Each has an interesting story to tell. Once out of school history takes on a new life and becomes fascinating. For some reason they make history a real bore, I suppose because it is mostly memorizing names and dates. With all the resources on the internet we can now search out little known details, look at pictures and unravel the mysterious. Gary Ruse is a popular author of many excellent and entertaining books that are also available as Ebooks and available as Kindle books, on Amazon as well as at Audible.com. Read also my review of Ruse's The Cross of St. Anne.

A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry, Narrator: Katina Kalin

A Skeleton in the Family
A Family Skeleton Mystery, Book 1
Written by: Leigh Perry
Narrator: Katina Kalin

Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins

A Skeleton in the Family

Katina Kalin Narrator

Narrator Review:  Katina Kalin is enchanting and beyond spectacular. Kalin's performance of this imaginative and outstanding book, is polished and impeccable. There simply are not enough adjectives to praise her with. Her voice is gentle, expressive and very appealing. Every mood and nuance is captured in a magical way making Ms. Kalin a shining star in the audio book world. I love listening to her and she now tops my list of favorite narrators.

Leigh Perry Author

Book Review: A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry.

Sid, the Thackery's resident skeleton has resided in their attic for the past thirty years. He amuses himself watching television, reading books and comics and he loves to eavesdrop.

Georgia an Adjunct Professor, was hired mid-term at the local college, was able to move into the family home rent free while her parents are on sabbatical. Fourteen year old Madison once again has to adjust to a new school. Adjunct Professors move around a lot, and Madison has adapted to school changes pretty well for a young person.  

Georgia has considered Sid her best friend since she was six years old, but, daughter Madison knows nothing about him. Georgia wants Sid and Madison to meet but Sid has every excuse a skeleton can come up with to not let Madison know about him. Georgia has credible concerns about keeping Sid a secret. Sharing the same house for very long proves to be a challenge.

Skeletons rattle around and there's always the chance that Madison will run into him unexpectedly. Georgia's sister Deborah, has ignored Sid for years in the belief that it's not possible for a skeleton to talk. This kind of hurts Sid's feelings, I thought it was funny when he asked if she 'liked his new haircut' but she ignored him. She flat out refuses to acknowledge him in any way.

Excerpt:

"Sid, are you sure you want to play it like this, I'm sure Madison is ready to hear about you. Sid and I agreed when Madison was born that it would be best if we waited to let them meet to face to skull. it wasn't that he was over terrifying in appearance. My fathers Great Aunt Margaret who used a pound of white face powder a week and dyed her hair to the darkness of a black hole, was much scarier.... "

Sid hears (by eavesdropping) about an anime conference to be held locally so he wheedles Georgia into taking him as shinigami from Soul Eater. Sid, decked out in a shinigami costume is happily doing the shinigami chop on everyone that passes by.

Until he recognizes a woman  that triggers feelings of fear from when he was alive. He doesn't know who she is or why she causes such a turmoil of emotions in him. With no name tag on, there was no way for him to identify her. Sid is now possessed with wanting to know who he was, and doesn't foresee that this is setting him and Georgia on a deadly path with his killer.

We've had books with talking cats, dogs, and people who can communicate with them. A living skeleton is a new twist on this theme. A skeleton has a lot more leeway for story lines than a cat or dog. Sid is funny, and Georgia is charming and clever her daughter Madison is the typical teenager maybe a cut above.

I never knew a thing about anime let alone Soul Eater and had to google it. I also was not sure what an Adjunct Professor was and had to google that too. My impression from Georgia's experiences, it sounds like they not only do not pay them very well, they do not treat them very well either. Overall, the book is promising of future stories with Sid and his wise cracking bone jokes and I am certainly looking forward to them. 

Waverly Curtis The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice Narrator Laura Darrell

The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice
Author: Waverly Curtis
Narrator: Laura Darrell

Audible Studios
7 hours 40 min

The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice
Waverly Curtis 

Narrator Review: Laura Darrell
It certainly was a pleasure listening to Laura Darrell narrating The Chihuahua Always 
Sniffs Twice. Compared to the first three in the series the text portions are smoother with less over pronunciation and emphasis on each word, also there's a significant increase in dramatization. PePe's Mexican accent is impressive, as is Jimmy G's. Laura Darrell has successfully become the embodiment of all the players in The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice. Listening instead of reading gives much more impact and dimension to the story. 

Laura Darrell Narrator

Audio Book Review: The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice, By Waverly Curtis

Waverly Curtis & PePe

Geri plans on sunbathing, in the rare for Seattle, sunny afternoon. Seattle doesn't get many warm sunny days, when Jimmy G. calls her to come into the office 'pronto'  it's always pronto with Jimmy G. With a sigh, she tells the now dancing around her feet,  PePe that indeed The Gerard Agency they work for has a case for them. Nothing makes PePe happier than having a case to sink his canine teeth into. Well, maybe the Spanish Tella Novella's he is fond of watching is a close second. 

"PePe headed for the overflowing wastebasket, and began rooting around...."  "You and your ratdog, he looked at PePe, who was sniffing something he found in a corner, 'yum'  I heard PePe say. Don't eat anything you find down there I warned him, I don't want you getting sick.  'Funny you should say that, Jimmy G. said, that's the case, someone tried to poison some dogs......"

"Oh my God, who would do such thing? "Si, said PePe," coming over to me quivering with indignation, a poisoner of pero's, is lower than a cocaracha....." 

Jimmy G. sends Geri and PePe to Whidbey Island to meet with Barrett Boswell the executor of Lucille Carpenter's estate.  Luciille died and left her fortune of five million dollars and her home to her dogs. Leaving her children to fight among themselves, the one's left out of her trust want to prove she was crazy when she wrote it. Only a crazy person would leave a fortune like that to four dogs. Right! Seems someone is trying to kill the dogs, surmising that once the dogs are all dead the money will then go to them. Except, which one them is targeting the dogs. Which one if any of them is what Geri and PePe will have to find out as well as to try and protect the dogs.

As soon as Geri left the office, Jimmy G. calls up Bernie Bickerstaff, the attorney across the hall from Boswell. Bickerstaff wants to meet with him in person, but, lazy Jimmy G. really doesn't like to handle cases, himself, but double the fee is a sweet persuader. Sounds like Jimmy G. is up to one of his double, double crosses that he likes to brag about. Bickerstaff fails to show up for their meeting at the Windjammer Bar, Jimmy G. thinks because he was late arriving, that Bickerstaff left already, until the bartender tells him about the excitement earlier when the police arrested a murderer. "Yeah says Jimmy G. who was murdered?" An attorney with an office upstairs, Bernie Bickerstaff.  They arrested Barrett Boswell the attorney across the hall from him. 

Another winner from Waverly Curtis, this story was a bit more complex than the previous three in the series.  PePe is the star and brains of this private detective duo, Geri is often at a loss as to what to do next, or what to ask. PePe prompts Geri and makes intelligent decisions, too bad the boisterous little beast never gets credit when he cleverly solves the crimes. 

  

Dial C for Chihuahua

Chihuahua Confidential

The Big Chihuahua

The Big Chihuahua By Waverly Curtis Audio Book narrated by Laura Darrell

AUDIO BOOK
The Big Chihuahua: A Barking Detective Mystery
Series: Barking Detective, Book 3
By Waverly Curtis
Narrated By Laura Darrell

Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins

The Big Chihuahua by Waverly Curtis

Narrator Review: Laura Darrell

Laura Darrell Narrator

Laura Darrell, has really developed the character of PePe in the  Barking Detective Series. She absolutely can make you believe that a Chihuahua can talk. Geri, rescued PePe from the animal shelter and once he started talking to her it is non-stop chatter mostly about himself and all the brave and heroic things he's done. Her boss and suppose to be mentor, Jimmy G. who refers to himself in the third person is an avid gambler, drinks pretty heavy and continues to call PePe, the rat dog and Geri, doll. Again Laura Darrell does a really exceptional depiction of this wanna be Sam Spade, a true throw back with his brown felt fedora, trench coat, and thin little mustache. Every voice is unique and outstanding. I even like the way she announces the chapter numbers, so upbeat. I wish there was a lot less over enunciation on words when Geri is thinking or the basic text of the story. It would be perfection without that one little distraction. It is not bothersome enough to make me not love the stories or buy the books. You may not even notice it. Ms. Darrell also has a lovely tone to her voice.

Audio Book Review: The Big Chihuahua:

Series: Barking Detective, Book 3
By Waverly Curtis

Mark Darling hires the Gerard Detective Agency to locate his wife Tammy. Tammy had been depressed after a miscarriage and got involved with the Dogawanda cult. That was the last place he'd heard of her being, and he'd only one note from her saying to forget her and not look for her. Shortly after receiving it she withdrew twenty- five thousand dollars out of their joint bank account and he thinks she gave it to the Dogawanda.

Geri and PePe go undercover to a Dogawanda free weekend hoping to find Tammy, if she is actually there. They do find her right away and Geri delivers Mark's message. Tammy isn't happy with the message especially when she finds out that Mark changed all their bank accounts and she can't draw out another twenty- five thousand, without it she can't move up a level in the cult, and she did not want to leave the compound until she reached that next level.

The next day Geri and PePe find Tammy dead. With Tammy dead and the message delivered Geri returns to Seattle get paid.  Unfortunately Jimmy G. failed to tell Geri she was suppose to collect half their fee before starting on a case. With Jimmy G. bragging about showing her how to get their money, they go to Mark's to collect. Mark out foxes them by making a deal with them to find out who murdered his wife, as he is suing the Dogawanda to recover the money. Jimmy G. can't resist a gamble, so instead of leaving with their thousand dollar fee, they leave with nothing but a promise of a percentage his lawsuit.



Geri and PePe, return to the Dogawanda compound to do further investigations. Geri is not as pleased as PePe with the life style of the Dogawanda's. She is frustrated when she finds out they don't serve coffee, deprived of her morning jolt of caffeine she's not a happy camper. At lunch she learns there are no utensils to eat with, as they ate the way of the dog, with their hands, this is the beginning of her frustrations. PePe thinks all humans should worship the dog and he loves the Dogawanda compound.

During an evening meeting, Crystal Star, channeler for the great Dogawanda takes an interest in PePe and seems able to not exactly hear PePe the way Geri does but, knows what he is saying or seems to. All this attention goes to PePe's head and he's ecstatic with his power over the Dogawanda members. PePe the little egotistic makes all the Dogawanda members bark. He becomes less pleased with Crystal when she relays his message in ways he doesn't like and didn't say.

Waverly Curtis and PePe

I laughed so much with this entire book beginning with word Dogawanda. It's almost thumbing your nose at cults. The performance of Crystal channeling Dogawanda for dog wisdom had me laughing till my sides ached. Jimmy G. is a riot, with his swaggering bravado he's almost as bad as PePe. PePe even mentions to Geri that they should start their own detective agency. I would miss Jimmy G. if he was dropped from the story.

With PePe's keen sense of smell and sharp hearing they solve the cases on their own. If not for them, Jimmy G. would be homeless and living out of his car. Yet, Jimmy G. manages to come through in the nick of time to help the detective duo. The Big Chihuahua is definitely a winner. We have the on going romance with Felix the dog whisperer, two murders, more about Geri's missing sister and her older sister who bullies Geri. She just can't accept that Geri is a private eye. So listen to the book and get some Dog Wisdom.

As good as the first two in the series, Dial C For Chihuahua, Book 1. and Book 2. Chihuahua Confidential, are I thought The Big Chihuahua was the funniest. Fingers crossed that the next one The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice meets the same high octane standard of humor.

Chihuahua Confidential by Waverly Curtis Narrator: Laura Darrell

Audio Book
Chihuahua Confidential
Book 2. in A Barking Detective Mystery
By Waverly Curtis
Narrator: Laura Darrell

Audible Studios
7 hours 17 minutes

Chihuahua Confidential By Waverly Curtis

Narrator Laura Darrell

Laura Darrell really is the perfect choice for the Barking Detective Mystery Series. Her interpretation of PePe is fantastic as is Jimmy G. Geri's, boss at the Gerard Detective Agency. Ms. Darrell will take you skillfully through the most fun book series imaginable. She captures PePe's overbearing although charming personality to perfection. Her booming voice for Jimmy G. the sleazy detective is superb. She does Rebecca Tyler, the elegant but aggressive creator of Dancing for Dogs brilliantly. Laura Darrell does a very enthusiastic and wonderful reading of Chihuahua Confidential.

Audio Book Review:
Chihuahua Confidential by Waverly Curtis
A PePe Novel

PePe, Geri's adopted Chihuahua talks to her, and his lies, stories just continue to become more fantastic. Geri can only laugh and shake her head when he tells her he once raced in the Iditarod (Trail Sled Dog Race) in Alaska, and had once wrestled an alligator in an Alabama swamp. PePe is downcast that Geri doesn't believe him but, no one believes her either when she tells them that PePe talks.

Even her New Age psychiatrist Susanna thinks it's delusional thinking. Excerpt: "Susanna, So Geri, is your dog still talking to you? Of course I am still talking to her, who else would I talk to she's the only one that can hear me. " "That's not true I pointed out to him, there is one other person who can hear you"..... "So you believe he spoke to you just then ?" "Yes, I said, and he pointed out that we met another person who can hear him. "  "Oh, really" I'd like to meet this person....."



The one tale that PePe speaks of often is when he belonged to Caprice Kennedy a famous movie star. Geri doubts this, even if most the Chihuahua's in the shelters came from Los Angeles. In Dial C for Chihuahua, PePe and Geri got involved with Rebecca Tyler who is putting together a reality show, Dancing with Dogs. PePe of course is a natural born ham and loves the lime light and Geri who prefers to stay in the background is reluctant to be PePe's partner. Rebecca Tyler is as bossy and pushy as PePe. Geri, we know will always be over ruled by her dog.

Rebecca has gotten Caprice to be a  judge for Dancing with Dogs, as well as the grumpy Nigel St. Nigel.
When Rebecca and Geri get to the sound stage they are suppose to use for their show Nigel St. Nigel is there. Problem is Nigel might be sitting there but he is very much dead. Now Rebecca has to find a replacement judge for Nigel and it will delay practicing for at least a day. Geri and PePe have to figure out who murdered Nigel while at the same time practicing dance routines and doing rehearsals.

Author Waverly Curtis and PePe

A lively tangle of events ensues from PePe's insistence to pursue the investigation. Jimmy G. flies to Los Angeles to aid Geri and even gets a bit part in a television show. Dogs, dogs, dogs, everywhere, with PePe taking a leading role in rescuing his true love Siren Song. Geri, finally gets the final answer to PePe's claims to having been Caprice's pampered pet. Romance is still in the air between Geri and Felix. Seems some will stop at nothing to pursue their aims of fame and fortune and some get both with little effort. The PePe Novels are a winner in every way from being excellent writing to ingenious imagination with generous doses of laugh out loud humor.

Dial C for Chihuahua, By Waverly Curtis Narrator Laura Darrell

Dial C For Chihuahua:
Book 1
A Barking Detective Mystery
By Waverly Curtis
Narrator  Laura Darrell
Audio Book

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Published byAudible

Dial C for Chihuahua by Waverly Curtis

Narrator Review

Laura Darrell does a very nice job narrating Jimmy G. from the Gerard Detective Agency. He is a blowsy 

cigar smoking detective, except he never really seems to do many detective jobs or have many calls either.

He calls Geri, 'doll' and refers to her as his Girl Friday and calls her his operative to his (few) clients. Her voice for PePe also is impressive and believable. Although her reading of Geri's thoughts can lag a bit being to precise with pronunciations, but she does well when Geri is involved in conversations. The male voices are not distinctive but she makes up for that by emphasizing the emotional intent. Overall, Laura Darrell makes Dial C For Chihuahua a fun listen. 

Laura Darrell Narrator

Audio Book Review:
Dial C for Chihuahua, By Waverly Curtis

Geri Sullivan has gotten her final divorce decree from her cheating ex-husband Jeff.

The Real Estate Market has bottomed out and she is worried that she will lose

her job as a stager as it's looking like that will crash too. Feeling down and a little sad

thinking about the poor dates she'd been having and worries about her finances. She decides to 

go to the Animal Shelters and look at the Chihuahua's she's read about that have been sent

around the country to find homes for them. Off she goes to get some unconditional love from

man's best friend. 

When she gets to the shelter and sees so many little Chihuahua's together in one cage, only the 

little white one sitting off by himself, catches her fancy and she knows he's the one she wants. His

big brown eyes melt her heart. PePe is quiet until Geri, puts down food for him. Absurd as it may 

sound, PePe thanks Geri for his food and in Spanish of course, but he also talks English with a Spanish accent. PePe is no ordinary dog that's for sure. Geri must be really lonely because she answers 

him back and in Spanish. Wait, what, dogs don't talk, Geri thinks she's really losing it now. Pepe introduces himself and from then on, PePe rarely stops chattering. No one else hears PePe talking, they only hear Geri's side of the conversation. 

Geri had applied for many jobs but only had one interview and that was with a Private Detective

Agency. Three weeks of not hearing back from Jimmy Gerard she forgot about it until he calls on the phone and tells her he has a job for her to do. She's to go interview a client about her missing husband, right away. Everything with Jimmy G. is right away giving Geri very little time to consider anything, like she has no experience. That's no problem as far as Jimmy G. is concerned, ask questions and keep notes in shorthand. Jimmy G. always refers to himself in the third person and lives in some distant long gone past 

PePe is excited and wants to go with her, of course Geri thinks differently but, PePe is not to be denied. He wears her down by telling her what a valuable asset he will be to her. PePe has the most fantastic stories about himself, "I have chased the bulls in Mexico City," to show his bravery, "I have also worked as a search and rescue dog in Mexico City" to show his value in searching things out. " I've worked with the Federal Authorities in the battle against the Mexican Drug Lords," to impress Geri with his keen sniffing ability. PePe according to him, has done so many things , and always he is the hero. What PePe does best is get Geri involved in some dangerous situations, starting with her very first job as a private detective. 

Waverly Curtis has done a bang up job with Dial C for Chihuahua and I laughed out loud through most of it. It is hilarious and PePe up stages Geri at every turn. Jimmy G. is just priceless, and Laura Darrell has him down pat. Awesome narration of the messy, retrograde Jimmy G. I loved this book and have listened to it several times, it's that funny. I promise you will love it too as you listen to PePe's lies, I mean stories of the many things he has accomplished and people he has met. He really shines when he falls in love with a little bitch and gets involved with 'Dancing With Dogs.'

Inspector Specter By E.J. Copperman Narrator: Amanda Ronconi

Inspector Specter
Series: Haunted Guesthouse, Book 6
By E.J. Copperman

Inspector Specter

Narrated By Amanda Ronconi
Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Narrator Review of Amanda Ronconi

Imagine you are listening to a movie on the telly (without the commercials) and you're relaxed and laying back with your eyes closed. That just about describes what it is like listening to Amanda Ronconi narrate Inspector Specter. Ms. Ronconi does such a bang up job of reading and performing Inspector Specter it is like listening to a full cast play or movie. She really sinks her teeth into the story line as well as developing the characters maybe even more than the author had in mind when he wrote the book. You can't go wrong with Amanda Ronconi, always a delightful listen, always a top notch performance and you always will be sorry when the book is done. Outstanding and exceptional in every way, as an awesome narrator should be.

Narrator Amanda Ronconi

Audiobook Review of Inspector Specter

E.J. Copperman Author

Detective Anita McElone has played a significant role in every book in the Haunted Guesthouse Series. McElone and Alison have an ongoing relationship, not quite friends, yet. Alison has respect for McElone's professional abilities but, still calls her Lieutenant. McElone rhymes with macaroni, and macaroni is what I hear every time her name is mentioned. McElone thinks Alison's Guesthouse is creepy and refuses to go inside. She doesn't believe in ghosts, nonetheless, when her old partner Martin Ferry, from Seaside Heights is killed, McElone, turns to Alison, to contact Marty's ghost. McElone thinks Marty was murdered but the Seaside Heights police think it was an accident.

Paul loves nothing better than to have a case to work on, and he gets on the ghosternet to see if anyone knows about Marty or has seen his spirit. His contacts reveal some unpleasant news about Marty, they say he had mob connections, and was a "dirty cop". Alison puts Maxie, her other resident ghost on it. Maxie is the computer whiz a talent she discovered after she became a ghost.

No one has seen Marty on the other side so Alison and McElone go to Marty's apartment to see if his ghost is there, he is. McElone still is not sure Alison is talking to Marty, not until Marty tells Alison something that only he and McElone knew. McElone is stunned and begins to accept that Marty is in the room with them. Even so McElone will still have doubts creep in from time to time. Marty was investigating a gang or mob related case leading McElone and Alison into some very bizarre situations.



McElone takes a vacation week off from work to devote more time to finding Marty's killer. Alison is investigating from her end with Maxie and Paul's help when McElone gives Alison a thumb drive to keep in a safe place for her. The mobsters learn that Alison has that drive and stop at nothing to get it. Putting Alison in some life threatening situations.

Inspector Specter has a lot of characters to keep track of and the pace is fast. I did have to pay attention ad listen to it twice to keep the people and situations clear in my mind. It is even more convoluted after McElone disappears. Then we have Maxie acting strange to the point it begins to bother Alison. So she sets her spook Dad to tail her and report back. Where does Maxie goes all morning? Maxie does spend more time away from the Guesthouse since she learned how to leave the grounds.
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