Tag: UK

The Invitation by A. M. Castle

The Invitation
By: A.M. Castle
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 06-03-21
Language: English
Publisher: HQ Digital

BOOK BLURB

Thirteen guests. One killer. No escape.

On an island on the coast of Cornwall, cut off from the mainland by the tides for most of the day, 13 old friends meet at Tregowan Castle for a weekend of revelry.

By the next evening, only 12 are still alive.

Amongst them is a killer – but who? As a storm traps them on the island and past betrayals and grievances are revealed, nerves fray and friendships begin to fracture.

But with no escape and no way of calling for help, it’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again. And when everyone is keeping secrets, anybody could be the next victim….

MY REVIEW 

I do enjoy a good closed-circle murder mystery! In this case, they’re trapped on an island within an old castle. Rachel, who inherited her money and recently married more, has invited her old college friends and their families to her island castle on Halloween. Right away, we know that Rachel has something big planned for this weekend. Since the point-of-view switches from character to character, we know that all of Rachel’s friends have mixed feelings about her. And yet they all take her up on the invitation. Halloween doesn’t go how anyone expects.

Initially, I had a little trouble keeping track of who was attached to who, but I think I finally got it down. So here’s the rundown of the characters. Gita and Tom are married and they have three daughters (Tasha, Nessie, & Ruby).  Vicky, who has been divorced from Bob for years, shows up with her somewhat estranged adult son Raef (Rafe? short for Raphael?). Jane and Jeff are childless. Rachel and her elderly husband Ross are already there with Ross’s adult kids (Roderick & Penny) from his previous marriage. Then there’s servants, but they don’t really play into the story.

OK, so everyone has secrets and over the years Rachel has collected these little secrets, or run into the honestly, or had a hand in them. Rachel starts dropping hints right away and by the time everyone has cocktails in hands, she starts little a few little secrets slip here and there. She really isn’t a good person and just enjoys stirring the pot no matter who gets hurt. By they time they sit down for dinner, several guests are upset with her. But after her big announcement, Lord Tregowan’s adult kids have even more reason to dislike Rachel. Then the storm hits, the electricity briefly cuts out, and we end up with a dead body on the dinner table.

The rest of the story is everyone cutting suspicious looks at each other and trying to guess who did it and why. Most of our characters are having to deal with emotions they have been avoiding for years. Now that they are all locked together under stressful conditions, the ugly starts bubbling to the surface. Sometimes I really enjoyed this, because it gave us clues about who the culprit was, and sometimes it felt like they were still trapped in high school having an angst-ridden day.

One of them tries to go for help and even more secrets come to the forefront. People start drinking and throwing insults at each other. There’s a lot of drama. Some of it added to the story and some of it was a little over the top. The story does build up the suspense until the final reveal. And I loved that I had not guessed who the culprit was. There’s a short epilogue too that closes off a few remaining questions and left me feeling that things would be OK for those left alive. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Kristin Atherton did a good job. She had different voices for all the characters and I could usually tell who was talking by Atherton’s voice for that character, though there was some muddling when 2 or more characters were chatting together (usually the ladies). I liked Atherton’s scholarly voice for Jeff but it took me a while to like Tom’s voice. He sounded like a dumb jock but he’s supposed to be the most desirable guy in the room, a detective, and has a little polish and charm. Atherton had a great little kid voice for Ruby. The pacing was good and there were no tech issues with the recording. 4.5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.

The Perfect Widow by A. M. Castle

The Perfect Widow
By: A.M. Castle
Narrated by: Imogen Church, Rebecca Courtney
Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 01-23-20
Language: English
Publisher: HQ Digital

Book Blurb

Louise Bridges has the perfect life.

A loving husband, Patrick. Two adorable children. A comfortable home.

So when PC Becca Holt arrives to break the news that Patrick has been killed in an accident, she thinks Louise’s perfect world is about to collapse around her.

But Louise doesn’t react in the way Becca would expect her to on hearing of her husband’s death. And there are only three plates set out for dinner, as if Louise already knew Patrick wouldn’t be home that night….

The more Becca digs, the more secrets she uncovers in the Bridges’ marriage – and the more she wonders just how far Louise would go to get what she wants….

Is Louise a loving wife – or a cold-hearted killer?

My Review

The opening grabbed my attention and I was looking forward to a tense cat-and-mouse chase between our two main characters, Louise and Becca. Alas, this was not that story. After the initial interest, the story took a slower pace and became a bit long winded. There’s a lot about fashion, shoes, purses, dresses, makeup, exercise class, eating healthy, fitting in, etc. Some of that makes sense for Louise, who strives so hard to be that perfect wife. But it bored me. I was hoping Becca’s police work would liven things up. Alas, she’s just as boring as Louise.

Most of the tale is told by Louise and much of it is in flashbacks showing how we got to where we are at the opening of the book. She’s obsessed with making her way in the world and for her that means gaining status and her chosen path is to marry up. As the tale went on and on, I became more frustrated with Louise. She’s done a lot of work to move away from the drunk junkie promiscuous mother she had. And she likes learning. So why didn’t she take an easy route at get an education? There’s lots of opportunities throughout her story where she could have taken steps to become independently financially secure. Erg…. It’s the 21st century. Louise was acting like a 1930s pet house wife.

Meanwhile, we get short blips with Becca. She suspects Louise right from the beginning but her senior partner doesn’t. But Becca can’t let it go, so she takes some time on her own to dig into Louise’s past. Everything we learn from Becca is hinted at by Louise so those bits dovetailed nicely. But Becca spends most of her page time in woe over how she looks while indulging her questionable eating habits. I really wanted more police work as Louise was already giving me an earful about clothing, exercise, and healthy eating.

The end lacks suspense and doesn’t give us any bang for our buck. It just kind of ends. Over all, I spent most of this book waiting for it to get good. 3/5 stars.

The Narration: Imogen Church and Rebecca Courtney did an OK job narrating this story. Louise’s character: Whoever did this voice was great as Louise. She had the pacing and intonation down perfectly. However, whenever they did any other character, those characters sounded like sock puppets. They were over enunciated and with the exception of the kids even the ladies sounded like men. Which is odd because they did Louise so well. Becca’s character: Whoever did Becca’s character gave her a great voice too. Becca sounded down to Earth and approachable, just as she’s written. The male characters had masculine voices. On the technical side, there was a significant difference in volume level when switching from Louise to Becca. Since I was listening at home, it wasn’t a big deal but if I had been driving, I would have to adjust the volume on my device. There were no recording issues like repeated sentences, etc. 4/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

Heir to a Prophecy by Mercedes Rochelle

Heir to a Prophecy
By: Mercedes Rochelle
Narrated by: Kevin E. Green
Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 01-06-20
Language: English
Publisher: Mercedes Rochelle

Book Blurb

Shakespeare’s witches tell Banquo, “Thou shalt ‘get kings though thou be none”.

Though Banquo is murdered, his son Fleance gets away. What happened to Fleance? What kings? The road to kingship had a most inauspicious beginning, and we follow Fleance into exile and death, passing the witches’ prophecy to his son Walter.

Born on the wrong side of the blanket and raised in disgrace, Walter was caught inside of a destiny he barely understood. In an effort to untangle Banquo’s murder and honor his lineage, Walter moved through events that shaped the course of England and Scotland. His relationships with the great men of his time drove his destiny: Harold Godwineson, Alain of Brittany, and finally, Malcolm III.

After a long and treacherous journey through Wales, England, and France, Walter fulfilled the witches’ prophecy as the first steward of Scotland and ancestor of James I – for whom, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth.

My Review

It’s good but not great. Shakespeare did it better. The first few hours of the novel held my interest. We meet Banquo and Fleance and someone’s daughter. A romance blossoms, a pregnancy is unexpected. Bad things happen. The pregnant daughter is banished from the castle and disowned. She has to live like a peasant and raise her son, Walter, as such. But after that point, I started to lose interest. Some small moments hooked my attention here and there but quickly fizzled out. I went into this expecting high drama and action, some supernatural spookiness, and great betrayal (because the description mentioned Shakespeare’s play Macbeth). What I got was a little more than a lengthy History Channel telling of events.

The pacing was slow but there are a few fights and battles. I did like Walter’s connection to several older men in the story, who fill in here and there for his long-absent father. The story could have ended 2 or 3 hours earlier with the heroes making it back from a great battle. However, the tale continued on with a documentary-like rendition of historical events following that battle. There’s big leaps in time and new characters brought in near the end that I’m sure were important historically but don’t really matter for Walter’s tale.

The ladies were mostly romantic interests and comforters. The exception are the Three Witches who provide our tiny, sole bit of supernaturalness – the prophecy! The element that I expected to be far bigger in this tale as it makes up part of the title. The women have no agency, make no plot-important decisions, and are practically without individual personalities. In fact, you could leave them out of this book entirely and the story would not be affected. For me, this was a let down.

In the end, I was left wanting more. But with that said, I can tell this story was written with care and with factual historical events in mind. If you are looking for a book based on historical fact for events surrounding Shakespeare’s Macbeth, then this is probably a good one to pick up. If you’re looking for a rousing tale of battles, glory, honor, and some supernatural spice, then this isn’t that book. 3/5 stars.

The Narration: Kevin E. Green gave a decent performance. He had a range of voices though sometimes two or more character voices bled into one another in a group discussion and I had trouble keeping track of who was who. The ladies sounded like ladies during the few times they did have lines. When it comes to regional UK accents, I have been spoiled lately by Richard Elfyn’s performances of Puleston’s Inspector Drake mysteries. So I couldn’t help but compare Green’s performance to those books in this one aspect. I needed more regional accents. No one sounded Welsh to me even though a chunk of the book takes place in Wales with Welsh characters. The pacing was good for most of the book but stayed the same stalwart, dependable rate for the action scenes as if the narrator was reporting on a long-dead battle. I needed more action and emotion in the narration for those moments. There were no tech issues with the recording. 4/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

Giveaway & Review: Uncanny Valley by C. A. Gray

Author: C.A. Gray

Narrator: Melissa Williams

Length: 8 hours and 45 minutes

Publisher: Wanderlust Publishing

Released: Mar. 27, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Rebecca Cordeaux knows exactly what her future will hold: she will marry Andy, her crush of the last five years. Once Andy is ready to settle down, she’s sure he will discover that she is his soulmate. After several small parts on stage, Rebecca knows she can become a renowned actress. Her writing also shows promise as a future author. Robots perform most human jobs that can be automated, leaving many free to pursue their personal creative interests.

But Rebecca’s mother Karen fears the new world of robots, and insists her brilliant daughter join a university research team, studying the hazards of a complete robotic economy. Rebecca’s father Quentin was obsessed with the subject to a degree that even her mother considered absurd, prior to his untimely death. So long as she can reserve enough of her time to pursue her true passions on the side, Rebecca half-heartedly agrees to join the research team, if only to please her widowed mother. There she joins a post-doc named Liam, whose conspiracy theories rival even those of her late father.

Liam is convinced that world Republic leader William Halpert’s worldwide challenge for researchers to develop synthetic creativity will lead not to the promised utopia, in which every kind of human suffering has been eradicated, but rather to an apocalypse. Rebecca, whose best friend is her own companion bot Madeline, writes Liam off as a bot-hating conspiracy theorist, just like her father was…until she learns that her father’s death might not have been due to mere happenstance.

With Liam’s help, Rebecca learns of an underground organization known as The Renegades, where Quentin Cordeaux was considered a legend. While Liam attempts to stop Halpert’s challenge if he can, Rebecca tries to unravel the mystery of what happened to her father. Did he and many of his contemporaries die for something they knew? Who is the mysterious informant who calls himself John Doe, and only seems to want to drive her out of harm’s way? And if Halpert’s challenge is answered, will it usher in a brave new chapter in humanity’s history… or were Quentin Cordeaux’s dire predictions right all along?

Buy Links

By day, C.A. Gray is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) with a primary care practice in Tucson, AZ, and she writes medical books under her real name (Dr. Lauren Deville). She lives with her husband, with whom she maintains a facetiously contentious movie review blog, and travels as often as they can get away. When not writing or seeing patients, she does yoga, drinks red wine while eating dark chocolate, and consumes audiobooks like there’s no tomorrow!

 

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram

Narrator Bio

Melissa lives with her family, including two dogs and a cat, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado.

After having a corporate job for most of her life, and as a self-proclaimed introvert, she decided to leave corporate America to work from home. Voice overs had always tugged at her heart as something she would like to explore, so she attended some classes and landed with a company that taught her how to break in to the industry.

Loving to read, she explored the fast growing world of audiobooks and fell in love with it. She has ten audiobooks under her belt and is currently working on the 11th. Understanding that she should always be learning how to improve her skills, she is currently working with Sean Pratt.

When not talking to herself in a padded room, she can be found walking her dog, singing or fishing the Arkansas River.

Twitter⎮Facebook

This book was only so-so for me. It was more romance than science fiction, with a little touch of conspiracy theory stuff thrown in. Romance isn’t my cup of tea and I was left wanting more sci-fi. The conspiracy theory stuff kept the characters running around and provided most of the interesting parts.

Rebecca was hard for me to connect with. She’s working on an upper graduate degree but often she acts like a 15 year old. Her ridiculous attraction to Andy went on too long, becoming a little mind numbing. She’s usually a big ball of emotions simply reacting to events and people around her instead of being a force that drives the plot. She’s very needy, wanting to be all things to everyone around her. Initially, I saw this as a starting point for her character and expected her to grow throughout the story, but, alas, there is very little character growth for Rebecca.

I liked Liam well enough but felt that he was a bit too trusting, as is Rebecca. After all, if they truly believe some large corporate enemy is after them or at least monitoring their websites, then why do they communicate so freely via their electronic devices? I wish Francis, with his analytical mind and skeptical nature, had come on the scene earlier. I really enjoyed him, even with his often snide (but honest) remarks.

Madeline, Rebecca’s taboo companion bot, was fun. I like the conundrum she represents. How much of her caring nature is her programming versus an AI’s personality. Can Madeline have genuine feelings? This was the best part of the book.

The female characters were mostly fluff, even Madeline. When the ladies get together, they talk about the guys and romance… and not much else. I expected more from them.

The plot was straight forward and while some reveals were built into the storyline, none of them were a surprise. I would have liked a bit more complication to plot, since that’s what I look forward to in conspiracy theory stories. I wasn’t surprised about who sent the mystery messages, nor about Francis’s suspicions, and not about the identity of the government supporter of the Liam’s Resistance friends. The story leaves us on a cliff hanger. 3/5 stars.

The Narration:  Melissa Williams gave a great performance on this narration. She had the perfect voice for Rebecca and distinct voices for all characters. I especially liked the slightly robotic voice she gave to Madeline. Her male voices were believable. While I didn’t like all of Rebecca’s emotional drama, Williams performed those emotions well. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by C.A. Gray. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Giveaway

Uncanny Valley Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card

Jul. 29th:

Dab of Darkness

The Book Junkie Reads . . .

Jul. 30th:

Blätterflüstern

Book Stacks Amber

Jul. 31st:

T’s Stuff

Aug. 1st:

Book Addict

Aug. 2nd:

Jazzy Book Reviews

Buried Under Books

Aug. 3rd:

Lilly’s Book World

Writers N Authors

Aug. 4th:

Adventures Thru Wonderland

Aug. 5th:

Declarations of a Fangirl

The Book Addict’s Reviews

➜Sign up as a host here

Signed Book Giveaway & Review: Hell to Pay by Rachel Amphlett

Author: Rachel Amplett

Narrator: Alison Campbell

Length: 7 hours 14 minutes

Series: Detective Kay Hunter, Book 4

Publisher: Saxon Publishing

Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural

When a road traffic accident on a dark autumn night uncovers a disturbing conspiracy, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter’s investigation exposes a ruthless serial killer exploiting vulnerable young women.

With her enemies unmasked and her career spiraling out of control, Kay’s determination to seek vengeance for the victims brings her dangerously close to those who want to silence her.

Undeterred, she uncovers the real reason behind a plot to destroy her career and sets in motion a terrifying chain of events.

RachelAmphlett.com

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram

Note: This is Book 4 in the series and it definitely works best if you have read the first 3 books.

This series keeps getting better and better. I really enjoy Kay Hunter and in this book she has the chance for a bit of well-deserved vengeance. In the previous 3 books, there has been this over-arching mystery that hasn’t been a part of the main mystery to each individual book. Well, now all those little bits have come home to be a part of the big main mystery in this novel. It’s been a delicious slow burn and Hell to Pay was worth the wait.

Kay’s team really pulls together to go after the Albanian crime lord Dimitri.  Alas, someone higher ups pull rank and they are pushed to a secondary, support role by this new jerk, DCI Harris. He’s not quite the same cut of cloth as DCI Larch (who’s always tearing someone apart), but he definitely has some issue with Sharp (Kay’s boss). So, right here in this one paragraph, we have all the people who are causing Kay headaches (minus Sharp).

Even though Kay’s husband Adam has to be out of town for a veterinary convention, her co-workers have her back. Barnes and Gavin and Kariss (fellow detectives) and her immediate boss Sharp all know her personal beef with Dimitri. They take turns making sure Kay doesn’t go Lone Wolf. I’ve really grown to love these secondary characters, especially Gavin.

The story was the perfect balance of action and detailed sleuthing. Both are important for closing the case and Kay’s team gets that. Harris and his team – perhaps they need a refresher on how to play well with others we well as proper police procedure. As if nailing Dimitri isn’t enough work, Kay’s team as this inter-departmental feuding going on. It was all well done; I never got bored because there was always some new obstacle for Kay to take on.

The ending had a good solid punch even as it opens up the door for perhaps another long running mystery, this one concerning one of Kay’s coworkers. All told, 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Aliso Campbell did well with this book. Her male voices were much better, each being distinct and almost always masculine. Campbell is still an excellent Kay. I loved how she handled all the touch emotions in this book. There were no recording issues. 4/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Rachel Amphlett. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Guest Post

Rachel Amphlett’s Narrator Selection Process

I wanted to reach more audiobook listeners with the Detective Kay Hunter series as more and more opportunities are becoming available to authors to do so, and so I opted to pay outright for the audiobooks to be produced so I could then distribute them through an aggregator that offered a worldwide reach.

Of course, the hardest part was finding a narrator who could convey the resilience of my lead protagonist, Kay Hunter as well as the supporting cast of characters who fill the stories.

I chose to work with a production company in the UK as my series is based there. Audio Factory have an established reputation having worked with the likes of the BBC and a number of publishers, and what I really liked about their website was that they have samples from each of their narrators so you can have a listen and narrow down who is the best fit for your story.

What was very important to me was to work with a narrator for this whole series, not just one book so I approached that listening phase with my ears open for a narrator that didn’t just suit the first book, Scared to Death, but who I felt would carry the range of emotions and scenes through all the books in the series.

There were three books out by the time I was doing this – Scared to Death, Will to Live, and One to Watch, and I was busy writing Hell to Pay, so I had a pretty good idea of Kay’s voice in my head and what I was listening for.

One thing became clear to me straight away – the narrators I was listening to were reading from literary transcripts, not crime fiction for the samples, and I needed to know if those voices would carry the Kay Hunter series.

I emailed Audio Factory and explained my predicament, telling them about my plans for the series, and asked if they could help.

In a day or so, I heard back and not only were Audio Factory able to suggest some narrators who had slipped my attention, they also provided links to SoundCloud with more comprehensive samples – perfect!

Within a couple more days, I’d listened to all the samples several times but kept coming back to one narrator who sounded like the best match.

And that is how I came to be working with Alison Campbell.

Alison’s the consummate professional: from performing in theatre, film, web series and corporate role-play, she’s also an integral member of the award-winning Natural Theatre Company and works with a number of publishers across a wide range of genres.

I love how she’s taken the character of Detective Kay Hunter and made it her own, and now I can’t imagine anyone else playing the role!

You can read more about the audiobook production process on my blog here (https://www.rachelamphlett.com/behind-the-scenes/how-do-i-make-an-audiobook/) where I interview Alison and Arran from Audio Factory and take you through the whole process in more depth – it really is an eye (ear?) opening read!

Giveaway

Signed Paperback & Bookmark Set
Runs March 29th-April 26th⎮Continental US Only

The Detective Kay Hunter Series Giveaway: Signed Paperback & Bookmark Set

Book 1

Mar. 29th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jorie Loves A Story

Mar. 30th:

What Is That Book About

Buried Under Books

Hall Ways Blog

Mar. 31st:

Next Book Review

Jazzy Book Reviews

Turning Another Page

Apr. 1st:

AudioSpy

The Writing Train

Apr. 2nd:

Bound 4 Escape

2 Girls and A Book

Booktalk with Eileen

Apr. 3rd:

Lomeraniel

Apr. 4th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Book 2

Apr. 5th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Hall Ways Blog

Apr. 6th:

Jazzy Book Reviews

What Is That Book About

Apr. 7th:

Next Book Review

Turning Another Page

Apr. 8th:

Buried Under Books

Jorie Loves A Story

Apr. 9th:

Bound 4 Escape

AudioSpy

The Writing Train

Apr. 10th:

Lomeraniel

2 Girls and A Book

Apr. 11th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Booktalk with Eileen

Book 3

Apr. 12th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jorie Loves A Story

Apr. 13th:

2 Girls and A Book

Hall Ways Blog

Apr. 14th:

AudioSpy

The Writing Train

Turning Another Page

Apr. 15th:

Next Book Review

Apr. 16th:

Bound 4 Escape

Jazzy Book Reviews

Apr. 17th:

Lomeraniel

Buried Under Books

Booktalk with Eileen

Apr. 18th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

What Is That Book About

Book 4

Apr. 19th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jorie Loves A Story

Apr. 20th:

2 Girls and A Book

Hall Ways Blog

Apr. 21st:

Next Book Review

Turning Another Page

Apr. 22nd:

Jazzy Book Reviews

Apr. 23rd:

AudioSpy

The Writing Train

Apr. 24th:

Lomeraniel

Buried Under Books

Booktalk with Eileen

Apr. 25th:

Bound 4 Escape

The Book Addict’s Reviews

What Is That Book About

➜Sign up as a host here

Signed Book Giveaway, Interview, & Review: Scared to Death by Rachel Amphlett

Author: Rachel Amplett

Narrator: Alison Campbell

Length: 8 hours 27 minutes

Series: Detective Kay Hunter, Book 1

Publisher: Saxon Publishing

Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural

“If you want to see your daughter alive again, listen carefully.”

When the body of a snatched schoolgirl is found in an abandoned biosciences building, the case is first treated as a kidnapping gone wrong.

But Detective Kay Hunter isn’t convinced, especially when a man is found dead with the ransom money still in his possession.

When a second schoolgirl is taken, Kay’s worst fears are realized.

With her career in jeopardy – desperate to conceal a disturbing secret, Kay’s hunt for the killer becomes a race against time before he claims another life.

For the killer, the game has only just begun….

Scared to Death is the first book in a new crime thriller series featuring Kay Hunter – a detective with a hidden past and an uncertain future….

If you like the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, Peter Robinson’s DCI Banks series and the Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza, discover Rachel Amphlett’s new detective novels today.

RachelAmphlett.com

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram

I enjoyed this gritty British detective story. Kay Hunter is a very interesting character. While the tale starts off in the midst of this gripping kidnapping, it was really Kay’s character that drew me into the story. She’s recently been through the ringer and we get hints of that as we move forward through this mystery. I wanted to know more about her throughout the entire story.

The mystery itself was worthy. First, we have a kidnapped teen (Melanie Richards) whose body is later found. The manner of her corpse gives Kay clues but a murdered man later in the story muddies the waters for her. For us readers, we get these scenes from the murder’s point of view. So it’s a delicious cat and mouse game. Later, a second girl is kidnapped and this ups the stakes for Kay.

My one quibble is that near the end of the book Kay acts out of character, rushing in. Without saying too much, this was an extremely stupid move and so didn’t fit with her actions throughout the story. I felt it was there just to add drama to the story and it wasn’t really necessary.

I liked the teen bullying angle and how other teens react to the kidnapping of the first girl. The parents have a different reaction to the kidnapping, of course, but then to learn about the bullying surprised them. It was a nice touch and it also showed that even after the mystery is solved, there are still things to address with the teens.

I have to mention Adam, Kay’s husband. He’s a veterinarian and a very supportive man. We only get a few scenes with him but he appears to be a very solid loving man that is devoted to Kay. That made me happy because she has so much on her plate, has recently been through quite a bit, and everyone needs someone in their corner. All told, an enjoyable read. 4.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Alison Campbell made a very good Detective Kay Hunter. She captured all of her numerous emotions throughout the story. Campbell also had regional accents throughout and her masculine voices were believable. All around, it was a very good performance with no technical issues. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Rachel Amphlett. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

  • Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
    • It wasn’t, but it is something that informs my writing now that I have two series available in audiobook format. I was always a stickler for reading aloud each chapter as I wrote it, because it’s a fantastic way to pick up things that don’t work, but now that I’m responsible for delivering a script to Alison to narrate, it’s given me a new perspective, and I’m finding that I use dialogue more and more to advance the story, because I can really hear the characters’ voices in my head now!
  • How did you select your narrator?
    • The producers, Audio Factory, made it really easy. I knew I wanted to work with them because they have a lot of broadcast and audiobook experience, and were based in the UK – the same as my detective series. All of their narrators have Soundcloud samples on the Audio Factory website, so I was able to listen to each one and decide who I thought would be the best fit for the books. Alison Campbell has a wealth of experience narrating many books, including crime thrillers, and was a natural choice for the Kay Hunter books. What was very important to me was to find a team who I could work with on a whole series, not just one book. We’ve just completed the fifth book, Call to Arms, and I can’t wait to hear what Alison and Audio Factory come up with for book six later this year!
  • How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
    • When we first started working together, I had the first three books in the series narrated in one go. Alison recorded samples for each of the main characters, as well as some of the minor characters in the books so I could hear how she thought they should sound. I have to say, she is a natural for choosing what characters should sound like!
      The series is based in Kent, in the UK and there are some very strange pronunciations of place names, so I try to send Alison a list of locations and provide phonetic spellings to save her having to correct anything during the pick-up session.
  • Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
    • I always have an eye on the news, both local to the area in which the series is set and internationally. You never know where you’ll discover the next story idea – it can be a snippet of overheard conversation, or you could be day-dreaming about something as an offshoot to a news story you’ve read, and suddenly whoosh! Off you go, trying to write down the story idea before it escapes your grasp.
  • How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
    • I now write full-time and for the past three months I’ve got into the habit of walking our dog, Floyd, before I start writing in the morning. We’re early risers in our household, so I’m usually at my desk by 6:30am. I get my word count written for the day before I do anything else – save for making a coffee to wake me up!
      Once the word count is done, it frees me up to continue to write if I’m still “in the zone” or concentrate on some business and marketing activities.
      I do Pilates once a week as well as plenty of stretching at home, and I’ve invested in a sit/stand desk so I can move about while I’m dictating my word count.
      I eat healthily, and I don’t snack during the day, and I try to organise a long weekend away every couple of months to get a complete change of scenery – anywhere that doesn’t have free wi-fi is usually top of my list.
      Oh, and I’m trying to get into the habit of not working in the evenings and relaxing for a few hours before I go to bed these days – I’m a very light sleeper and suffer from insomnia, so chilling out is important!
  • What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
    • Well, people are entitled to their opinions, of course but I think audiobooks are a great way to manage a toppling “To Be Read” pile if you can’t physically sit down to read – the best thing about audiobooks is that you can catch up on your reading while you’re driving or doing the housework!
  • In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
    • I’ve done both, and for me writing the three standalone novels was a necessity – the stories were going around in my head and I couldn’t do anything else until they were out of the way. I’m pleased with how they turned out, but I prefer writing series because there’s so much more scope for character development – both for the main protagonist and for the supporting cast.
  • What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
    • I think it’s really important to be doing this because you love writing. Don’t ever pay someone to publish your work for you, however do invest in a good editor and cover designer to give you the best head start possible when you hit that “publish” button. Join some writing groups but take writing advice with a pinch of salt – everyone is on a different writing journey.
  • Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
  • What’s next for you?
    • I’m about halfway through writing book six in the Kay Hunter series, and I expect that to be out in the summer – in audiobook format as well, of course!

Giveaway

Win a signed paperback & a bookmark! Runs March 29th-April 26th, 2018. Continental US Only.

The Detective Kay Hunter Series Giveaway: Signed Paperback & Bookmark Set

Book 1

Mar. 29th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jorie Loves A Story

Mar. 30th:

What Is That Book About

Buried Under Books

Hall Ways Blog

Mar. 31st:

Next Book Review

Jazzy Book Reviews

Turning Another Page

Apr. 1st:

AudioSpy

The Writing Train

Apr. 2nd:

Bound 4 Escape

2 Girls and A Book

Booktalk with Eileen

Apr. 3rd:

Lomeraniel

Apr. 4th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Book 2

Apr. 5th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Hall Ways Blog

Apr. 6th:

Jazzy Book Reviews

What Is That Book About

Apr. 7th:

Next Book Review

Turning Another Page

Apr. 8th:

Buried Under Books

Jorie Loves A Story

Apr. 9th:

Bound 4 Escape

AudioSpy

The Writing Train

Apr. 10th:

Lomeraniel

2 Girls and A Book

Apr. 11th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Booktalk with Eileen

Book 3

Apr. 12th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jorie Loves A Story

Apr. 13th:

2 Girls and A Book

Hall Ways Blog

Apr. 14th:

AudioSpy

The Writing Train

Turning Another Page

Apr. 15th:

Next Book Review

Apr. 16th:

Bound 4 Escape

Jazzy Book Reviews

Apr. 17th:

Lomeraniel

Buried Under Books

Booktalk with Eileen

Apr. 18th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

What Is That Book About

Book 4

Apr. 19th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jorie Loves A Story

Apr. 20th:

2 Girls and A Book

Hall Ways Blog

Apr. 21st:

Next Book Review

Turning Another Page

Apr. 22nd:

Jazzy Book Reviews

Apr. 23rd:

AudioSpy

The Writing Train

Apr. 24th:

Lomeraniel

Buried Under Books

Booktalk with Eileen

Apr. 25th:

Bound 4 Escape

The Book Addict’s Reviews

What Is That Book About

➜Sign up as a host here

Bookish Giveaway, Interview, & Review: The Curing Begins by Alec Birri

Author: Alec Birri

Narrator: Jonathan Keeble

Length: 6 hours 39 minutes

Publisher: Essential Music Limited⎮2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Condition Trilogy, Book 2

Release date: Jan. 17, 2018

The second in a dystopian trilogy based on the author’s command of a top secret government unit.

Discovering an infamous Nazi doctor conducted abortions in Argentina after the Second World War may not come as a surprise, but why was the twisted eugenicist not only allowed to continue his evil experiments but encouraged to do so? And what has that got to do with a respected neurologist in 2027? Surely, the invention of a cure for nearly all the world’s ailments can’t possibly have its roots buried in the horrors of Auschwitz?

The unacceptable is about to become the disturbingly bizarre. What has the treatment’s “correction” of pedophiles got to do with the president of the United States, the pope, and even the UK’s Green Party?

As if the Condition trilogy wasn’t unsettling enough….

Alec Birri served thirty years with the UK Armed Forces. He commanded an operational unit that experimented in new military capabilities classified at the highest level (Top Secret Strap 3) and it is this that forms the basis of his novels. Although semi-autobiographical, for national security and personal liberty reasons, the events and individuals portrayed have to be fiction but are still nonetheless in keeping with his experiences.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

Narrator Bio

If you regularly enjoy listening to audiobooks then this Shakespearean actor will need no introduction. Winner of a 2016 SOVAS award, Jonathan’s voice is rightly recognized as being one of the best, and his narration of The Condition Trilogy is no exception.

LinkedIn⎮IMDB

Note: This is Book 2 in the series and works best if you enjoy Book 1 first.

This book starts off in 1970s Argentina instead of 2026 UK where Book 1 left us, so be prepared for that. Perhaps half the book is spent in the past instead of the near future and while that initially threw me for a loop, I was also immediately drawn into the life of a young cop in Argentina. He’s been assigned to look into a missing person case even though there isn’t much hope in finding the person. If I recall correctly, his name is Emmanuel…. but I could be wrong.

So in this little village of native Argentinians, there is an orphanage and the local reverend appears to be helpful. His assistanct at the orphanage is Maria who is perhaps in her early 20s. Now I didn’t really care for the instant love thing that happens between her and Emmanuel but I did like both characters quite a bit.

As Emmanuel digs into the case, he notices some very odd things about the kids. They seem to have undergone some brain surgeries and some seem to be mentally slow while others have other abilities. Then there’s the mysterious Uncle Joe who is nowhere to be seen but everyone speaks highly of him as the village’s savior. Eventually, as the description of the book says, Emmanuel discovers he’s dealing with a former Nazi in hiding. Things turn exciting in Argentina!

Then we jump forward a few years as the hunt continues, then a few more years, and eventually we find ourselves in 2026 UK for the second half of the book. Once again, we get to hang out with Professor Savage, nurse Tracy Richards, Dr. James Adams, and PM Alex Salib. Several months have past since we last saw them. The remainder of the Alzheimer’s patients from Book 1 have died, either by natural causes or voluntary suicide.

The first half of this book was very well done. The characters were interesting and in an interesting plot. Maria, while the only female character with lines and a name, had plot relevant status. She had dimension and secrets of her own. Meanwhile, in the second half of the book, the ladies are back to being love interests and comforters. Tracy has potential but mostly she’s here for the sex fantasies. Alex Salib is a little more interesting this time around but she’s still pretty one dimensional – righteous anger.

On the other hand, the plot has thickened. Professor Savage isn’t up to what I thought he was up to. Now I think he’s determined to do something much more wide-ranging and sinister. I’m very intrigued by him. Then I also really felt for Dr. Adams though I felt he gave up the fight a little too easily. He is positive he didn’t download that image of a child yet other than some verbal protests he caves in to Professor Savage’s suggestions and guidance really easily.

The ending leaves us with plenty of questions for where Savage plans to take the world and the future for these beloved characters. I also look forward to seeing what the solid tie is between Argentina 1970s and Savage of 2026 UK. I have an inkling but I want my guess confirmed. Looking forward to Book 3! 4.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Jonathan Keeble did a great job with this narration. I loved all his accents and he kept each character distinct. His female voices were believable. I especially liked his portrayal for Emmanuel who goes through some character growth and also quite the range of emotions in this story. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Alec Birri. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Q&A with Author Jonathan Keeble
  • How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
    • I started narrating audiobooks when an audiobook company heard some of my work for the BBC – Book at Bedtime etc – and asked me to narrate for them. That was a fair few years and over 600 audiobooks ago.
  • A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
    • I don’t think a background in theatre is essential but I do believe the storytelling aspect can help give you a toolkit to help in your narrating work.
  • What type of training have you undergone?
    • I trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
  • What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
    • My favourite part of narrating an audiobook is simply telling the story to the best of my ability and hopefully conveying the author’s intentions in as authentic a way as possible. My least favourite aspect of audiobook work is when scripts are late and prep time is limited. I won’t go into studio unless I’m fully prepped.
  • Is there a particular genre you feel unsuited for? Have you ever declined a project because you didn’t think you were right for it?
    • I have turned down work where in my opinion the content of the book is not something I want my name attached to; a particularly nasty thriller with way too much gratuitous violence against women springs to mind.
  • How did you decide how each character should sound in this title?
    • I approached this title in my usual way. Often the author will actually describe a character’s voice , if they don’t then it’s a question of finding a voice you believe is truthful to the character but distinct enough from your other characters so that your listeners always know who is talking even when speech is not attributed .
  • Has anyone ever recognized you from your voice?
    • People have recognised me from my voice several times. When I was in the Archers on BBC Radio 4 it happened quite a lot. I’ve been lucky enough to have appeared in over 500 radio plays for the BBC and because radio/audio is such an intimate medium people get to know your voice quite well.
  • How does audiobook narration differ from other types of voiceover work you’ve done?
    • Audiobook narration is an all-consuming experience, it’s a bit like running a marathon, by comparison all other types of audio work are sprints.
  • If you could narrate one book from your youth what would it be and why?
    • I would love to narrate Melvyn Bragg’s biography of Richard Burton. Listening to Burton in Under Milk Wood was the reason I became an actor.
  • What bits of advice would you give to aspiring audiobook narrators?
    • Always go into the studio fully prepared. You owe it to the author, the listener and yourself. Your name will be on that recording long after you’re dead , so make sure you have done everything you can to do the job well.

 

Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! Runs March 6th-27th, 2018. Open internationally!

The Condition Trilogy Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card

Book One

Mar. 6th:

Jazzy Book Reviews

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Mar. 7th:

Hall Ways Blog

Mar. 8th:

AudioSpy

Mar. 9th:

The Writing Train

eBook Addicts

Mar. 10th:

Lomeraniel

Blätterflüstern

Mar. 11th:

Bound 4 Escape

Buried Under Books

Mar. 12th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Bookworms Corner Blog Spot

Carolyn M. Walker, Fiction Author

Book Two

Mar. 13th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Mar. 14th:

AudioSpy

Mar. 15th:

The Writing Train

Blätterflüstern

Mar. 16th:

Lomeraniel

Mar. 17th:

Hall Ways Blog

Mar. 18th:

Bound 4 Escape

Jazzy Book Reviews

Mar. 19th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Buried Under Books

Bookworms Corner Blog Spot

eBook Addicts

Carolyn M. Walker, Fiction Author

Book Three

Mar. 20th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Mar. 21st:

Blätterflüstern

Mar. 22nd:

Hall Ways Blog

Mar. 23rd:

Lomeraniel

Mar. 24th:

Jazzy Book Reviews

Carolyn M. Walker, Fiction Author

Mar. 25th:

Bound 4 Escape

Buried Under Books

Mar. 26th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Bookworms Corner Blog Spot

eBook Addicts

➜Sign up as a host here