12/27/15

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
Laura Darrell, Narrator and voice over talent. Photo Image
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, photo image with Pepe
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 CD Cover photo
Chihuahua Confidential
Audio Book By Waverly Curtis




The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice by Waverly Curtis audiobook cover image
The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice
By Waverly Curtis












The Big Chihuahua
By Waverly Curtis


Dial C For Chihuahua: By Waverly Curtis Audiobook cover image
Dial C For Chihuahua
By Waverly Curtis







:





12/17/15

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




Katina Kalin audio book narrator and voice over artist. Image
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.of the Family Skeleton Series. Image
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 Family Book 1 in the Family Skeleton Series. image
A Skeleton in the FamilyBook 1 in the Family Skeleton Series



Leigh Perry's The Skeleton Takes a Bow Book 2. in the Family Skeleton Series. Image
The Skeleton Takes a BowBook 2. in the Family Skeleton Series

12/16/15

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, photo
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.


Katina Kalin, Voice Over and Audiobook narrator photo
Audiobook Narrator Katina Kalin

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


Leigh Perry photo narratorreview
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 House Book 3. in A Family Skeleton Mystery By Leigh Perry
The Skeleton Haunts a HouseBook 3.of A Family Skeleton MysteryBy Leigh Perry

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






12/13/15

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
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
Teri Schnaubeit Audiobook Narrator


Audiobook Review

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,






12/10/15

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 photo
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. 


Caitlin Kelly, VOA and audiobook Narrator
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.

Gina LaManna, Author photo
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.





12/9/15

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

Erik Baker narrator for Murder at Deer Park photo
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. 


Gary Ruse author of Murder at Deer Park narratorreviews
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.