Audiobook Review: Murder at Keyhaven Castle by Clara McKenna

Murder at Keyhaven Castle
Author: Clara McKenna
Narrator: Sarah Zimmerman
Series: A Stella and Lyndy Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Highbridge (June 29, 2021)
Length: 8 hours and 43 minutes

Description: Between ornate bridal gown fittings and meetings with Lyndy's distant relatives, Stella finally feels less like an out-of-place American and more like a respected aristocrat. Everything changes as the arrival of an anonymous gift and return of her overbearing father cast a dark shadow over the festivities, conjuring difficult memories and new fears....

Tensions intensify when a daytrip to Southampton ends with a suspicious stranger getting trampled by a horse-drawn cab. Before anyone can explain why the victim possessed a newspaper clipping about the upcoming ceremony at Morrington Hall, tragedy strikes again, this time resulting in a murder that turns Stella's world completely upside down while implicating one of Lyndy's well-regarded family members....

Facing loss, postponed nuptials, and uncertain threats, Stella and Lyndy rush to connect two very different crimes and identify the guilty culprit hiding among elite wedding guests. But as the couple blows the lid off of scandalous secrets, they realize that catching this killer - and living to tell the tale - may prove as impossible as closing the class divide.

My Thoughts: With just days to go before their wedding, Stella is busy with last minute dress fittings and other details. She goes with her father to Southampton to pick up some wedding guests he invited and witnesses a runaway carriage and the death of a man who happens to have a copy of her wedding announcement in his pocket.

Along with her father's guests, Stella has invited some guests of her own including her Aunt Ivy. Her father had thrown Aunt Ivy out of his and Stella's life some time ago. There is also an uninvited guest too. Stella's uncle and his two young children have arrived. He's her father's brother and to say that they don't get along is vastly understating the case. 

When a visit to Keyhaven Castle brings with it a murder, Stella and Lyndy are forced to postpone their wedding again which suits neither of them. Together and separately, they investigate both deaths and find connections between them. They are determined to find the murderer who happens to be among their wedding guests and get married as soon as possible. 

This was another excellent episode in the Stella and Lyndy series. I really enjoyed the historical details. I like both main characters and want them to have their happily ever after. 

I bought this one from Chirp July 25, 2023. It is also available through Audible Plus. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Children of the Night by Mercedes Lackey

Children of the Night
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Traci Odom
Series: Diana Tregarde Investigation (Book 2)
Publication: Tantor Audio (September 10, 2019)
Length: 10 hours and 28 minutes

Description: Rock band Wanderlust is about to hit it big, guitarist Dave Kendall is sure of that. They're playing better venues, in front of bigger crowds - and the people showing up at the after parties are increasingly good-looking and cool. Some even radiate power, like "Master" Jeffries, the tall, saturnine man who seems to have some sort of weird control over Dave's fellow bandmates.

But Dave's too tired to pay much attention to Jeffries. He's tired a lot lately, and making music isn't as much fun as it used to be. Probably he's just working - and partying - too hard.

Luckily, Dave has a friend who takes what's happening to him very seriously. Diana Tregarde is a practicing witch and a Guardian of the Earth. It's her job to keep an eye on innocents like Dave and make sure they stay out of trouble and don't become someone's lunch.

Jeffries has been on Diana's hit list since she first spotted him pursuing a young Romany. Di wasn't fast enough to stop him, but the Rom have their own protector - a dashing, charming, very attractive vampire named Andre Le Brel.

Together, the witch and the vampire face Jeffries and his evil minions in a battle for the soul of rock 'n' roll.

My Thoughts: The second Diana Tregarde adventure has her at home in New York City. She's supposed to be writing a category romance for her agent but having trouble because she finds the heroine a wimp. She's also shop sitting for a friend who is about to have a baby. 

When a young Romany boy comes to the shop looking for the owner, Diana offers to help him escape the trouble that is following him. However, the trouble manages to catch up to him and kill him before Diana can do anything. This brings her to the attention of Andre Le Brel who is a vampire who has guarded the boy's family for generations. 

Meanwhile, Diana's old boyfriend is part of a band that is just beginning to become popular when he attends a party, takes a new drug, and becomes someone he had no desire to be. He and his fellow bandmates come under the influence of Master Jeffries who is a psychic vampire feeding on the emotions of others. Worst of all, Master Jeffries has teamed up with a Japanese demon known as the soul eater.

Dave knows he's in over his head and calls on Diana for help. Their breakup was bad, and Diana doesn't want anything to do with Dave. But she's a Guardian and has to help when asked. Diana is still suffering from anxiety attacks from the last time she was asked for help and even teaming up with Andre and a couple of gifted friends feels like she's in over her head. 

What I like most about this urban fantasy series is that Diana isn't all powerful. Sure, she has a Black Belt in karate and is a powerful mage, but she's also small and filled with self-doubts. But knowing the odds are against her isn't going to stop her from doing her duty as a Guardian. 

I got this one from Audible Plus. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews

Duck the Halls
Author: Donna Andrews
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Series: Meg Langslow Mystery (Book 16)
Publication: Dreamscape Media (October 24, 2013)
Length: 8 hours and 17 minutes

Description: A few nights before Christmas, Meg is awakened when Michael is summoned to the New Life Baptist Church, where someone has rigged a cage full of skunks in the choir loft. The lengthy process of de-skunking the church requires its annual pre-Christmas concert to relocate to Trinity Episcopal, despite the protests of Mr. Vess, an elderly vestryman.

Meanwhile, when Meg helps her grandfather take the skunks to the zoo, they discover that his boa has been stolen - only to turn up later during the concert slithering out from the ribbon-bedecked evergreens. It's clear that some serious holiday pranksters are on the loose, and Meg is determined to find them. But before she can, a fire breaks out at Trinity, and Mr. Vess is discovered dead.

My Thoughts: Meg's organizational skills are really put to the test in the days leading up to Christmas. When skunks - thirteen of them - are found in the choir loft of the New Life Baptist Church just before their highly anticipated Christmas Choir Concert demand a new location be found for the concert, Meg is busy helping sort out spaces in other churches and public places to hold the concert, rehearsals and all the other events scheduled for New Life Baptist. 

Some of the events spill over at Meg's Episcopalian Church which really irritates Mr. Vess who is a member of the church council and famous for watching every penny the church spends. Also, the church storage areas are already packed with the belongings of a recent parishioner who left everything to the church. 

But skunks are only the first prank, next comes the theft of a boa from Meg's grandfather's zoo which makes its next appearance in the branches of an evergreen at the concert. And then there are ducks, hundreds of ducks, let loose in the local Catholic Church. 

As the Chief tries to find the pranksters and Meg tries to rearrange all the holiday events, a murderer is lurking. Mr. Vess's body is found in the church basement which throws the schedules in disorder again and adds even more stress to the holiday season. Everyone, including Meg and the new rector, has had recent arguments with Mr. Vess. 

I enjoyed this holiday entry into the Meg Langslow series. I liked all the different events from concerts to live nativity scenes. I liked seeing some of them through eyes of Meg and Michael's now-three-year-old twins. I liked the dueling mothers-in-law each trying to plan the more spectacular Christmas dinners and Meg and Michael's determination to do something quieter. 

I bought this one from Chirp March 22, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey

Burning Water
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Traci Odom
Series: Diana Tregarde Investigation (Book 1)
Publication: Tantor Audio (August 20, 2019)
Length: 10 hours and 35 minutes

Description: Dallas Police Detective Mark Valdez isn't just any cop, he's a psychic who knows that the cattle mutilations and torture murders he's been investigating are somehow tied together. He also knows that his meager psychic abilities aren't enough to identify the killers, much less stop them.

Luckily, Mark has an ace up his sleeve: an attractive young romance novelist who happens to be a practicing witch. And not just any witch, either - Diana Tregarde is a Guardian, charged with protecting the Earth and all its creatures.

Using modern science and ancient magics, Diana and Mark discover that they are tailing no ordinary serial killer but the awakened avatar of an Aztec god. Tezcatlipoca and his four beautiful handmaidens are preparing for a great sacrifice that will transform North America into a new Aztec realm.

Diana isn't sure her powers are strong enough to take on those of a risen Aztec god, but she has no choice. As a Guardian, she is sworn to protect mankind, even at the cost of her own life. Luckily, she does not stand alone. Mark Valdez is more than just a cop. And Tezcatlipoca is not the only Aztec god walking in the world.

My Thoughts: The first book in the Diana Tregarde Investigations series introduces romance writer/practicing witch Diana Tregarde. 

When Dallas Police Detective Mark Valdez runs across crimes with a paranormal twist, he knows who to call. Mark met Diana in college when she saved him from a miscast spell he and his buddies tried one evening after drinking just a little too much. After that, he worked with her when she handled some other paranormal crimes. 

Mark is a medium, but Diana put a shield on him when she last saw him to protect him. Which is lucky for him, since this new growing evil is looking for people just like him for his growing army. Diana is called in as a consultant for the Dallas Police. The two of them begin trying to track down the evil doer by doing lots of research to find out the evil one's magical tradition. 

Turns out Mark's childhood friend Robert has gotten in way over his head with the occult. In exchange for fame and fortune, he has become the old god's avatar and future sacrifice. Unfortunate, his wife who Mark has fallen in love with, is also slated to be a less-than-willing sacrifice too. 

The story is filled with a lot and action and danger as Mark and Diana need to find a way to battle an ancient god looking to find a foothold in the modern world. 

I enjoyed all of the different mythologies that were part of this story from Cherokee to Aztec. I liked Diana who was determined to save the world and her friends. I liked that she was forced to count pennies since her paranormal gig was not a paying one and her gig as a romance author didn't make her rich. 

I got this one from Audible Plus. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

The Spy Coast
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Narrator: Hilary Huber
Series: The Martini Club (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (November 1, 2023)
Length: 10 hours and 23 minutes

Description: A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.

My Thoughts: This thriller has a retired spy confronted by her past. Maggie Bird has retired to Purity, Maine, after a career as a CIA Agent. She joins a small group of fellow spies who have retired to the small Maine town. However, someone seems determined to ruin her quiet retirement, and it all seems linked to a mission that was completed sixteen years earlier. 

When the body of a woman is dumped in her yard and gunshots are fired at her, she and her friends need to band together to discover who wants Maggie dead. With flashbacks to events early in her career we get to know Maggie and the life she led.

We also follow her romance with Dr. Danny Gallagher whom she met in a market in Bangkok. As their relationship grows, Maggie must keep secrets from him. And when he accepts a position as physician to the rich and famous, Maggie is tasked with learning about one of his patients who has ties to international crime and very much wanted international criminals. 

This was an excellent thriller and is the first in a series. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Only Good Enemies by Jennifer Estep

Only Good Enemies
Author: Jennifer Estep
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang
Series: Galactic Bonds (Book 2)
Publication: Audible Studios (July 18, 2023)
Length: 14 hours and 12 minutes

Description: New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Estep continues her Galactic Bonds series with an action-packed new adventure that blends science fiction, fantasy, and historical romance. This rollicking space opera features a mix of magic and technology, along with a soulmates, slow-burning, and enemies-to-lovers story. Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice.

A woman on a mission...

My name is Vesper Quill. I used to be a lowly lab rat, toiling away in obscurity developing brewmakers and other household appliances. But thanks to my seer magic and my own ingenuity, I’m now a Regal lady and the head of a successful corporation.

My mission? To destroy the Techwave, the dangerous group that has stolen my designs and plans to weaponize them against the Imperium. But when my mission takes an unexpected turn, I’m once again surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.

Further complicating matters is Kyrion Caldaren, an arrogant Regal lord whose fate is bound to mine. Kyrion doesn’t realize the two of us still have an unwanted connection that puts us both in grave danger...or does he?

A man surrounded by enemies...

My name is Kyrion Caldaren. As the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force, I’ve been tasked with tracking down and destroying the Techwave before they seize control of the Archipelago Galaxy.

My other mission? Find a way to assassinate Lord Callus Holloway, the Imperium ruler who wants to take my psion power for his own. Holloway is also a threat to Vesper Quill, who haunts my thoughts, despite the broken bond and distance between us.

When I realize Vesper is in danger, my priorities change, and I vow to use all my telepathic, telekinetic, and other abilities to help her. I will save Vesper from her enemies and mine—even if I have to burn down the whole bloody galaxy.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Galactic Bonds series begins with Vesper and Kyrion apart from each other. Vesper is consolidating her hold on her new corporation and getting used to the idea of being a Regal lady. She is also working to defeat the Techwave who is stealing her inventions and putting them to bad uses. 

Vesper knows that the bond between herself and Kyrion was not broken, but she doesn't want to be bonded to anyone who doesn't love her. She's had enough in her life of being the one left behind without care or thought. 

Kyrion is at home and wondering why thoughts of Vesper keep crossing his mind. He doesn't want a bond with her because he knows that Callus Holloway will only exploit it and steal their power. He also knows the Holloway regrets making Vesper a Regal lady and wants control of her corporation. 

When Vesper is kidnapped by the Techwave, Kyrion is ready to throw away everything else to rescue her. But Holloway has sent three additional Arrows to also "rescue" Vesper and return her to him so that he can use her. 

This was an entertaining science fiction adventure which combines a lot of romance with the more science fiction parts of the story. Vesper and Kyrion overcome their reluctance to embrace their bond and learn that they are stronger together and apart after embracing it. However, two against the universe are still long odds and a happy ending seems to be far in their future. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Sacred Ground by Mercedes Lackey

Sacred Ground
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Katie Anvil Rich
Publication: Tantor Audio (August 22, 2023)
Length: 11 hours

Description: From the New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey comes contemporary fantasy Sacred Ground.

Jennifer Talldeer is Osage and Cherokee, granddaughter of a powerful Medicine Man. She walks a difficult path: contrary to tribal custom, she is learning a warrior's magics. A freelance private investigator, Jennifer tracks down stolen Native American artifacts.

The construction of a new shopping mall uncovers fragments of human bone, revealing possible desecration of an ancient burial ground. Meanwhile, the sabotage of construction equipment at the site implicates many activists—particularly Jennifer's old flame, who is more attractive and dangerous than ever. Worst of all, the grave of Jennifer's legendary Medicine Man ancestor has been destroyed, his tools of power scattered, and a great evil freed to walk the land.

Jennifer must make peace with the many factions and solve the mystery of her ancestor's grave before the world falls into oblivion.

My Thoughts: This story stars Jennifer Talldeer who is a private investigator and the granddaughter and apprentice of her grandfather who is a powerful medicine man. She's Osage and Cherokee. While she has many of the usual PI cases, her real joy comes from locating Native American artifacts and returning them to their tribes.

She is hired by an insurance company to determine whether the contractor for a new mall is hiding things that would make him uninsurable. Rod Calligan has a reputation for doing shoddy work. But problems at his latest site which include the explosion of one of his machines the killed four seems to be a step up. And when Native artifacts are discovered on the site, many of his Native American crew are refusing to continue work. 

Neither Jennifer nor her grandfather were aware of any Native burial site at that location and think that it was a cache that was discovered - a cache Calligan was planning to sell to the highest bidder. But things quickly take a turn to the paranormal when strange things begin to happen. Calligan had discovered the burial place and medicine bag of an evil spirit and the evil lives on and is trying to find a new place in the world. 

Meanwhile, Calligan is trying to accomplish an insurance scam by staging a series of "accidents" that will allow him to declare bankruptcy and get out from under a project he knows will be unsuccessful since he's already skimmed all the profit he can. He wants to cast blame for the failure on his Native American crew which brings in Jennifer's old boyfriend David Spotted Horse who has become an Indian Activist. 

This was a suspenseful mystery combined with lots of Native American mythology. I enjoyed it a lot. 

I bought this one from Chirp August 21. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon

Victory Conditions
Author: Elizabeth Moon
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
Series: Vatta's War (Book 5)
Publication: Tantor Audio (February 3, 2009)
Length: 15 hours and 40 minutes

Description: For Kylara Vatta, it's not just about liberating the star systems subjugated by Gammis Turek and defending the rest of the galaxy's freedom. There is also a score to be settled and payback to be meted out for the obliteration of the Vatta Transport dynasty...and the slaughter of Ky's family.

But the enemy have their own escalation efforts under way - including the placement of covert agents among the allies with whom Ky and the surviving Vattas are collaborating in the war effort. And when a spy ring linked to a wealthy businessman is exposed, a cracked pirate code reveals a galaxy-wide conspiracy fueling the proliferation of Turek's warship fleet. Matching the invaders' swelling firepower will mean marshaling an armada of battle-ready ships for Ky to lead into combat. But a violent skirmish leaves Ky reeling - and presumed dead by her enemies.

Now, as Turek readies an all-out attack on the Nexus system - a key conquest that could seal the rest of the galaxy's doom - Ky must rally to the challenge, draw upon every last reserve of her strategic skills, and reach deep if she is to tear from the ashes of tragedy her most decisive victory.

My Thoughts: The conclusion to the Vatta's War 5-book series sees Ky Admiral of the combined fleet assembled to end the threat of the pirate Gammis Turok who has assembled a fleet of over 300 ships. Turok has also embedded spies in the major planetary systems who are helping him overthrow the existing governments.

As Ky deals with the loss of her first ship and most of its crew, Stella is dealing with rebuilding Vatta Enterprises and overseeing the manufacture of shipboard ansibles which will bring parity to Ky's fleet since the pirates already have them. Stella is also dealing with an adolescent tech genius ward who has fallen in love for the first time. Unfortunately, Toby's girlfriend's father is one of Turok's plants and a traitor to his planet. 

Rafe is dealing with ISC on his homeworld of Nexus II which is squarely in the sights of Turok's fleet. Rafe has a brain-damaged father who is still influential on the board of ISC and who is unreasonably prejudiced against any and all Vattas. His venom finds fertile ground since most of the board resents that Stella Vatta is manufacturing ansibles which leaves ISC's monopoly on communications in jeopardy. 

Ky has to pull together forces from various jurisdictions and convince much older ship commanders that she is the best one to lead the fight against Gammis Turok. 

This was a great space opera series and this volume a satisfying conclusion. 

I bought this one in paperback sometime before 2008. I recently bought the Kindle version and added the Audible Plus version to my Audible Library. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Only Bad Options by Jennifer Estep

Only Bad Options
Author: Jennifer Estep
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang
Series: Galactic Bonds (Book 1)
Publication: Audible Studios (September 20, 2022)
Length: 12 hours and 35 minutes

Description: New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Estep blasts off with an exciting new science-fiction/fantasy adventure with a dash of historical romance. This action-packed space opera features a mix of magic and technology, along with a soul mates and enemies-to-lovers story. Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice.

A woman who sees everything...

Few people know the name Vesper Quill. To most folks, I’m just a lowly lab rat who designs brewmakers and other household appliances in the research-and-development lab at the powerful Kent Corp. But when I point out a design flaw and a safety hazard in the new line of Kent Corp spaceships, everyone knows who I am—and wants to eliminate me.

I might be a seer with a photographic memory, but I don’t see the trouble headed my way until it’s too late. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.

I don’t think things can get any worse until I meet Kyrion Caldaren, an arrogant Regal lord who insists that we have a connection, one that could be the death of us both.

A man who can’t forget his past...

The name Kyrion Caldaren strikes fear in the hearts of people across the Archipelago Galaxy. As the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force, I’m used to being a villain, as well as the personal assassin of Lord Callus Holloway. Even the wealthy Regals who live on the planet of Corios are afraid of me.

But everything changes when I meet Vesper Quill. I might be a powerful psion with telepathic, telekinetic, and other abilities, but Vesper sees far too many of my secrets.

Thanks to an arcane, unwanted quirk of psionic magic, the two of us are forced to work together to unravel a dangerous conspiracy and outwit the deadly enemies who want to bend us to their will.

My Thoughts: ONLY BAD OPTIONS is the first in a space opera series. Vesper Quill is a lab rat for Kent Corp primarily working on brewmakers. She has a talent for being able to fix things and she is also a seer. Abandoned by her Regal mother for not having enough psionic power, Vesper has made her own way. But when she discovers a flaw in some new spaceships Kent Corp is building for the Imperium, she finds herself deep in a conspiracy to overthrow the Imperium. And then she finds herself offered up as cannon fodder in a battle between the Imperium and the Techwave.

Rescued by Kyrion Calderan, an Arrow for the Imperium, she finds herself again in the heart of power. She and Kyrion find themselves bonded which is something neither of them wants. Kyrion witnessed the bond her parents had and the way Callus Holloway, the leader of Imperium, used it to his advantage. He doesn't want to give Halloway any more weapons. 

All Vesper wants is to get away and find a safe place to build her own life. Being bonded with Kyrion isn't a life goal for her either. But many people are eager to use her or blame her for the upcoming revolution and she will have to find and master some new psionic gifts if she hopes to survive. 

The pair goes to a friend of Kyrion's who believes that he can break the bond between them and leave them free to pursue their own goals. Both find themselves missing the bond and the comfort of having someone else of their own, but a broken bond is much safer for each of them. At least, they believe it is broken...

Filled with action, political intrigue, and romance, ONLY BAD OPTIONS was a great start to a new series. 

I bought this one March 10, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon

Command Decision
Author: Elizabeth Moon
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
Series: Vatta's War (Book 4)
Publication: Tantor Audio (January 21, 2009)
Length: 15 hours and 3 minutes

Description: After orchestrating a galaxy-wide failure of the communications network owned and maintained by the powerful ISC corporation, Gammis Turek and his marauders strike swiftly and without mercy. First they shatter Vatta Transport. Then they overrun entire star systems, growing stronger and bolder. No one is safe from the pirate fleet.

But while they continue to move forward with their diabolical plan, they have made two critical mistakes.Their first mistake was killing Kylara Vatta's family.Their second mistake was leaving her alive.

Now Kylara is going to make them pay. But with a "fleet" consisting of only three ships - including her flagship, the Vanguard, a souped-up merchant cruiser - Kylara needs allies, and fast. Because even though she possesses the same coveted communication technology as the enemy, she has nowhere near their numbers or firepower.

Meanwhile, as Kylara's cousin Stella tries to bring together the shattered pieces of the family trading empire, new treachery is unfolding at ISC headquarters, where undercover agent Rafael Dunbarger, estranged son of the corporation's CEO, is trying to learn why the damaged network is not being repaired. What he discovers will send shock waves across the galaxy and crashing into Kylara's newly christened Space Defense Force at the worst possible moment.

My Thoughts: This fourth book in the Vatta's War series takes place on four fronts. Ky Vatta is trying to fight a war against the pirates with only a few ships and ship's captains who have agreed to work with her. 

Stella Vatta is trying to rebuild Vatta Transport from a base on Cascadia. She is guardian to young Toby who is a tech genius who has managed to improve the ship based ansibles which allow parity with the pirates who already have them. 

Rafe has gone back to Nexus II to try to figure out what is going on with his family and with the ISC global communications network. He discovers his parents and sister have been kidnapped and he needs to mount a rescue mission. The villain of the piece her is his father's second in command and heir apparent. He also learns that ISC never got patents for the ship based ansibles which leaves Stella the freedom to patent and sell them herself. 

And Aunt Grace is on Slotters Key trying to find out why the government turned against the Vatta family. She takes a place in the government after the corrupt president is taken into custody. She connects with Ky's mentor from the Spaceforce Academy and learns that he has been helping Ky since she left the academy. She manages to convince Slotters Key to call in all the privateers employed by Slotters Key and send them to Ky to be her military force. 

This was an engaging space opera filled with interesting characters. 

I bought this one in paperback in 2008. I recently purchased a Kindle copy and added the Audible Plus version to my Audible Library. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Murder at Blackwater Bend by Clare McKenna

Murder at Blackwater Bend
Author: Clare McKenna
Narrator: Sarah Zimmerman
Series: A Stella and Lyndy Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Highbridge (June 30, 2020
Length: 10 hours and 10 minutes

Description: Following a whirlwind engagement to Viscount "Lyndy" Lyndhurst, Stella Kendrick is finding her footing within an elite social circle in picturesque rural England. Except tea time with refined friends can be more dangerous than etiquette faux pas - especially in the company of Lady Philippa, the woman Lyndy was once set to marry, and her husband, the ostentatious Lord Fairbrother....

Outrage erupts and accusations fly after Lord Fairbrother's pony wins best in breed for the seventh consecutive year. The man has his share of secrets and adversaries, but Stella and Lyndy are in for a brutal shock when they discover his body floating in the river during a quiet morning fishing trip....

Suddenly unwelcome around hardly-grieving Lady Philippa and Lyndy's endlessly critical mother, Stella faces the bitter reality that she may always be an outsider - and one of her trusted new acquaintances may be a calculating killer. Now, Stella and her fiance must fight against the current to catch the culprit, before they're the next couple torn apart by tragedy.

My Thoughts: The second Lyndy and Stella historical mystery takes place right after the couple engagement. Stella is trying to find her feet in English society with no help from her future mother-in-law Lady Atherton who still thinks Lyndy can do better. Her boorish father is also no help since he's developing a relationship with an attractive London journalist who wants to write all the details about the up-coming wedding, but who also has a hidden agenda.

When the husband of Lady Atherton's pick for Lyndy's wife is found dead in a local trout stream by Lyndy and Stella on an early morning fishing trip, they have to add a murder investigation to their pre-wedding plans. Lord Fairbrother was not a nice man. Just a little investigation shows that he took bribes and may also be blackmailing people.

The suspects abound. Besides the suspicious journalist and the not-so-grieving widow, there is a plant hunter who seems particularly close to the widow and a local landowner who was one of the people Lord Fairbrother was working with. The local widow is busy throwing suspicion on the local snake catcher who is a favorite of Stella's because of the way he helped her horse when it was bitten by a snake. But he is soon found murdered too. 

I enjoyed the historical setting. I like watching the way Stella and Lyndy's romance is growing. The mystery was also nicely twisty.

I bought this one from Chirp July 25, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon

Engaging the Enemy
Author: Elizabeth Moon
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
Series: Vatta's War (Book 3)
Publication: Tantor Audio (December 22, 2008)
Length: 15 hours and 35 minutes

Description: The brilliantly unorthodox Kylara Vatta - black-sheep scion of Vatta Transport Ltd., one of the galaxy's wealthiest merchant houses - is a heroine like no other, blessed with a killer instinct both for business and for battle. Now, in the aftermath of cold-blooded assassinations that have left her parents dead and the Vatta shipping empire shattered, Kylara faces her greatest challenge yet.

There is a time for grief and a time for revenge. This is decidedly the latter. Placing her cousin Stella in command of the trading vessel Gary Tobai, Ky embarks aboard the captured pirate ship Fair Kaleen on a twofold mission: to salvage the family business and to punish those responsible for the killings...before they strike again. Since the network providing instantaneous communication between star systems has been sabotaged, news is hard to come by and available information impossible to trust. But as she travels from system to system, with Stella a step behind, Ky pieces together the clues and discovers a conspiracy of terrifying scope, breathtaking audacity, and utter ruthlessness.

The only hope the independent systems and merchants have against this powerful enemy is to band together. Unfortunately, because she commands a ship known to belong to a notorious pirate - her own relative Osman Vatta, whom she killed for his part in her parents' deaths - Ky is met with suspicion, if not outright hostility. Rumors swirl about her intent and even her very identity. Soon, even Stella begins to question her cousin's decisions and her authority to make them.

Meanwhile, the conspiracy Ky hunts is hunting her in turn, with agents insinuated into every space station, every planetary government, every arm of the military, and every merchant house - including her own. Before she can take the fight to the enemy, Kylara must survive a deadly minefield of deception and betrayal.

My Thoughts: The third book in the Vatta's War series has Ky trying to find some way to create a space navy from disparate groups of privateers in order to make the universe safe for trade and restore her family's shipping empire. 

She is facing conflicts from her cousin Stella who believes that she should be focusing on her family more that planning to fight a war. She also has to deal with an established captain of a Vatta ship who is denying that she is really Ky Vatta with plans to take over his ship and perhaps start his own shipping firm.

Meanwhile, back on Slotters Key, Aunt Grace is doing her own part to find out why the government turned on the Vattas and resolve that situation to the Vattas' advantage. 

This one is filled with political maneuvering and space battles. 

I bought this one as a paperback sometime before 2008. I recently bought the Kindle and added the Audible Plus edition to my Audible Library. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen

The Silent Girl
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Series: Rizzoli & Isles (Book 9)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (July 6, 2011)
Length: 10 hours and 4 minutes

Description: In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female’s severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, the body nearly decapitated. Two strands of silver hair — not human — cling to her body. They are Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make a startling discovery: This violent death had a chilling prequel. Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. One woman connected to that massacre is still alive: a mysterious martial arts master who knows a secret she dares not tell, a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. A secret that may not even be human. Now she’s the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil. Cracking a crime resonating with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning — and a swift, avenging blade.

My Thoughts: The ninth book in the Rizzoli & Isles series begins with the discovery of a severed hand. One of the participants in a ghost tour thinks it is fake - until the blood starts dripping. 

Rizzoli and her partner are called in a discover a woman with a severed hand dead on the roof. Dressed in black and carrying no identification, the only clues are some unidentified hairs on the victim's body and the opinion that the woman was killed with a very sharp sword. 

Meanwhile, Maura Isles is testifying against a police officer in the death of a suspect in custody. The victim appears to have been severely beaten before dying in the back of the police car. Maura's testimony is not making her at all popular with other police officers.

Rizzoli's investigation leads to a nineteen-year-old murder-suicide that happened in the Red Phoenix restaurant which used to occupy the building where the body was found. There is a woman in Chinatown who is sure that the police got it wrong. She believes that the supposed killer was framed for the killing. Her husband was the waiter on duty and one of the victims. 

As Rizzoli looks into that case, she discovers that there is another seemingly connected crime. The revenge seeking woman had a thirteen-year-old daughter disappear a couple of years before the massacre. One of the other victims has a daughter disappear some months after the massacre. 

Rizzoli has a lot of questions about the new body and the old case. Why did a couple of the victims have Italian food in their digestive systems when they were eating in a Chinese restaurant? Was the colleague of the leader the Irish mob who was in for take-out the one the hit was aimed at? Where did the widow and daughter of the supposed shooter go after the crime?

The story was filled with action. I enjoyed the way Chinese mythology played into the story. 

I bought this one from Chirp April 4, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon

Marque and Reprisal
Author: Elizabeth Moon
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
Series: Vatta's War (Book 2)
Publication: Tantor Audio (December 1, 2008)
Length: 14 hours and 21 minutes

Description: Although the exciting military career she hoped for never got off the ground, Ky Vatta ended up seeing plenty of combat when she took the helm of one of the commercial transport vessels in her family's fleet...and steered it into a full-blown war. Now the lessons she learned in that trial by fire are about to pay off - because this time, the war has come to her. Someone has launched a full-throttle offensive against Vatta Transport Ltd., Ky's father's interstellar shipping empire. In short order, most of Ky's family is killed, and subsequent attacks sever vital lines of communication, leaving Ky fighting, in every sense, to survive.

Ky is determined to identify the ruthless mystery enemy and avenge her family's name, but she needs not only firepower but information. And she gets both in spades - from the band of stranded mercenaries she hooks up with; from her black-sheep cousin, Stella, who has been leading a secret life; and from Stella's roguish ex-lover, Rafe. Together they struggle to penetrate the tangled web of political intrigue that is wreaking havoc within InterStellar Communications, on whose effective operation their own livelihoods - and perhaps lives - depend.

But the infighting proves to be infectious, and it isn't long before Ky's hired military muscle are turning their suspicions on the enigmatic Rafe, whose wealth of knowledge about ISC's clashing factions and startling new technologies has begun to make him smell like a rat...or a mole. With swift, violent destruction a very real possibility, the last thing Ky needs is a crew divided against itself - and she's prepared to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that Vatta stays in business, as well as in one piece.

What she is not prepared for is the shocking truth behind the terror - and a confrontation with murderous treachery from a source as unexpected as it is unrelenting.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Vatta's War series sees Ky dealing with treachery. She's survived a war but now she has to deal with direct attacks on her family which leaves her parents and uncle among the many Vatta dead. 

Ky has to use her underpowered and old ship to take the war to the enemy - once she identifies who the enemy is. Luckily, her aunt Gracie survived and sent Ky's cousin Stella to her with her father's implant which contains proprietary files and the command codes she'll need it she hopes to restore the Vatta shipping empire. 

Ky also rescues and young cousin who was the only survivor when the Vatta ship upon which he was apprenticing is blown up at dock. 

Stella's arrival also brings Rafe who is a shady character Stella worked with once as an undercover operative for Vatta. Turns out Rafe is also undercover for ISC which has a monopoly on interstellar communications which is also being attacked in this conspiracy. 

When Ky and her ship encounter another relative - Osman Vatta, they soon learn that his grudge against the family and his role as a pirate may have something to do with the reason Vatta was targetted. Osman is determined to capture Ky's ship and seize her implant for its Vatta information. Ky isn't going to let that happen even if she has to go active as a privateer according to the Marque that was sent her from Slotter's Key.

This fast-paced space opera was packed with action. Ky is a great character who is learning a lot about herself as she tries to survive and find her family's enemies. 

I bought this one in Kindle and Audible audiobook recently. I have the paperback in my keeper collection and have had them since 2008. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon

Trading in Danger
Author: Elizabeth Moon
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
Series: Vatta's War (Book 1)
Publication: Tantor Audio (November 13, 2008)
Length: 13 hours and 45 minutes

Description: Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, and her father’s only child to buck tradition by choosing a military career instead of joining the family business. For Ky, it’s no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern can’t hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. It’s adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her family’s misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down.

Expelled from the Academy in disgrace–and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future–Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunity’s door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride– and a shot at redemption–as captain of a Vatta Transport ship.

My Thoughts: Kylara Vatta is the daughter of a merchant family who decided to go to the military academy instead of following her family's path. But when she causes a scandal by trying to be helpful, she finds herself captain of a ship that she is to take to be salvaged. 

When a business opportunity arises that might allow her enough to refit and keep the ship, she finds herself caught in the middle of a war with a ship in need of repair. She takes a contract to hold the captains and officers of captured ships until the mercenaries have things settled.

Unfortunately, a mutiny and severe food shortages make life difficult. Ky is really tested as she has to find a way to survive. 

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this book I read many, many years ago. I liked the adventure and I liked Kylara Vatta. This is her coming of age story. She learns who she is and what she wants for her future. 

This is the first of a five-book series of space operas. 

I bought this one this book in 2008. I am listening to the audiobook via Audible Plus. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: True Colors by Jayne Ann Krentz

True Colors
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Susie Bernais
Publication: Dreamscape Media (November 6. 2013)
Length: 6 hours and 25 minutes

Description: For two months, Jamie Garland had fallen in love... with a lie. Cade Santerre was every woman's fantasy - until the mask came off in a scandal that left Jamie shattered.

Cade had pretended to be someone he wasn't. Worse, he'd used her in his elaborate attempt to catch a man he believed was a crook and a swindler. Though Cade's suspect had escaped, Cade was still around - raw, masculine, overwhelming. He had some unfinished business with the man who had conned his innocent sister, and he needed Jamie's help. But Jamie had some unfinished business, as well: to find out if the man she'd fallen in love with really existed.

My Thoughts: Originally published in 1985, TRUE COLORS is showing its age. Cade Santerre has infiltrated the home of an artist to try to get something on her brother who is committing financial crimes. To cement his place, he romances the artist's assistant Jamie Garland who is intensely loyal to her boss. 

The raid on the brother couldn't have been more mistimed. It happened the night after Cade and Jamie make love for the first time. Jamie couldn't feel more betrayed. She had fallen in love with Cade whom she now learns had been in the household under false pretenses.

Cade couldn't convince Jamie that his romance with her had nothing to do with the job he was sent to do. He goes back home hoping she'll come to her senses and come back to him. He's sure that their one night together has made her pregnant and that she will need to return to him.

When Jamie does come to him six weeks later, he's sure that he's correct about her pregnancy. In reality, Jamie has come to him to help her determine if her boss's brother really did commit suicide. She also wonders if their romance could be salvaged. 

The issue in this one is trust. Jamie has lost all faith in Cade after what she sees as his betrayal. His attitude is that he was only doing his job and she should be ready and willing to resume their relationship. Besides the fact that he wants her to be able to read his mind about his good intentions, he has some chauvinistic notions about Jamie's need for him. 

I did enjoy the way the two butted heads and the way the two united to solve the problem of the missing brother.

I bought this one from Chirp October 31, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: One Hit Wonder by Kristi Rose

One Hit Wonder
Author: Kristi Rose
Narrator: Jennifer Stoneking
Series: A Samantha True Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Vintage Housewife Books (December 15, 2019)
Length: 2 hours and 55 minutes

Description: Sometimes it's not opportunity knocking, it's trouble.

On the night of Samantha True’s first job as a forensic photographer she learns three things:

1. Crime scenes are messy.
2. Especially when you throw up on them.
3. She may not be cut out for this.

When the police drag her to a second investigation, she’s just as baffled by the crime scene as they are. Why is the school lunch lady, Miss Trina, chained to a pole? Is this somehow connected to the robberies taking place all over Wind River?

Samantha might not be cut out for photographing blood-covered crime scenes, but being the daughter of the town newspaperman, she has plenty of investigating intuition. Besides, this is her hometown, and she’s not about to let it become ravaged by crime.

As she digs deeper into the photographic evidence, she realizes her small town is full of secrets. And she might be happier staying in the dark.

A laugh-out-loud mystery that will keep you guessing and listening on. One Hit Wonder offers the just-right listener escape, but fair warning, this audiobook leaves listeners wanting more.

My Thoughts: This short novel introduces Samantha True who is training to be a crime scene photographer. Her first call-out by the local police department coincides with a raging case of the flu and results in her vomiting on the crime scene - a deer-car collision. 

Then she is called to a second crime scene. This time the beloved lunch lady from her school has been blindfolded and handcuffed to a pole and then had her car pushed into her. Samantha is determined to find out who did that to her beloved Miss Trina. But her investigation leads to secrets in her small town.

One unique feature about Samanta is that she is dyslexic but has an amazing visual memory. Her visual memory is one of the factors that enable her to solve the crime. I enjoyed her and enjoyed her best friend Precious who has a bigfoot obsession. 

I bought this one from Chirp May 3, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Arrow's Fall by Mercedes Lackey

Arrow's Fall
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Christa Lewis
Series: Heralds of Valdemar (Book 3)
Publication: Tanto Audio (June 5, 2018)
Length: 10 hours and 8 minutes

Description: With Elspeth, the heir to the throne of Valdemar, now of marriageable age, Talia, the Queen's Own Herald, returns to court. Here, she finds the Queen and heir beset by diplomatic intrigue as various forces vie for control of Elspeth's future.

But just as Talia is about to uncover the traitor behind all these intrigues, she is sent off on a mission to the neighboring kingdom, chosen by the Queen to investigate the worth of a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar. And, to her horror, Talia soon discovers there is far more going on at Prince Ancar's court than just preparation for a hoped - for royal wedding. For a different magic than that of the Heralds is loose in Ancar's realm - an evil and ancient sorcery that may destroy all of Valdemar unless Talia can send warning to her Queen in time.

My Thoughts: The final book in the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy has Talia and Kris sent to the neighboring kingdom of Hardorn to vet a possible spouse for Elspeth. The Queen has had a friendship with the ruler of Hardorn and the alliance would be good for Valdemar. But she hasn't seen young Prince Ancar since he was a child. 

Talia and Kris run into trouble as soon as they cross the border. There are nasty rumors about Prince Ancar's court which seems filled with magicians who practice the old magic. His personal habits aren't recommending him as a proper spouse for Elspeth either. 

However, when they try to leave to get word to Queen Selenay about the problems in the kingdom, Talia is captured, and Kris and his companion are killed. Talia does manage to get a message out via a trader she met while she was interning. The trader manages to get a poison in to her, but she has to wait until she knows the message has reached her Queen before she dares to take it. While she waits, Ancar and his devoted nurse Hulda spend their time torturing and abusing her. 

Meanwhile, the Queen and her entourage which includes Elspeth and Dirk, the man lifebonded to Talia, are making their way to the border. When Rolan arrives with the message, the Queen turns around. But Dirk isn't willing to leave Talia in Ancar's hands and manages to use his gift for fetching to snatch her out of Ancar's hands. 

Gravely injured, Talia is still able to tell the Queen what she knows and assist with the battle between Valdemar and Ancar's forces. 

This was a great conclusion to this trilogy. 

I bought this one from Chirp April 23, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews

The Hen of the Baskervilles
Author: Donna Andrews
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Series: Meg Langslow Mystery (Book 15)
Publication: Dreamscape Media (July 16, 2013)
Length: 8 hours

Description: Meg Langslow is helping organize the Virginia Un-Fair, Caerphilly's entry in the race to replace the old state fair. While patrolling the fairgrounds, Meg runs into her friend Molly. Molly is terrified that she may lose her farm because her idle husband has left her for a rich hobby winemaker and is demanding his half of the land. Meg enlists Mother's help to find Molly a divorce lawyer, which Mother is all the more willing to do because the unfaithful husband's new girlfriend is the bete noire of the wine pavilion. She is so universally disliked that Meg begins to worry about her safety. But it's the unfaithful husband whose murdered body she and Michael find that night.

My Thoughts: Meg is in the middle of organizing the Un-Fair - Caerphilly's answer to the State Fair - which has been hit with all sorts of vandalism. From stealing rare bantam chickens, to damaging a potentially prize-winning quilt, to smashing a record-breaking pumpkin, Meg is busy smoothing feathers and looking for vandals. 

Then a man is murdered which raises the stakes quite a bit. He is the soon-to-be ex of Meg's friend Molly who makes artisan cheese. He had taken up with a rich winemaker who was universally disliked among the other winemakers. Besides alienating all the other winemakers, she had a habit of being pushy about getting others to sell her heritage animals and isn't willing to take no for an answer. 

The murder takes place on the line between Caerphilly and Clay County and there is a dispute about jurisdiction of the murder investigation. The police chief negotiates with the Clay County Sheriff and winds up having to let a Clay County deputy "help" with the investigation. The deputy seems to specialize in contaminating evidence and causing problems. 

And while all this is going on, Meg is still determined to spend time with Michael and her twin sons as they show their llamas in various events. 

This was another fun episode in a long-running series. 

I bought this one from Chirp March 22, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey

Arrow's Flight
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Christa Lewis
Series: Heralds of Valdemar (Book 2)
Publication: Tantor Audio (May 8, 2018)
Length: 9 hours and 52 minutes

Description: Talia could scarcely believe that she had finally earned the rank of full Herald. Though this seemed like the fulfillment of all her dreams, it also meant she would face trials far greater than those she had previously survived.

For now, Talia must ride forth to patrol the kingdom of Valdemar, dispensing Herald's justice throughout the land.

But in this realm beset by dangerous unrest, enforcing her rulings will require all the courage and skill Talia could command - for if she misuses her own special powers, both she and Valdemar will pay the price.

My Thoughts: Talia has one more step to conquer on her way to being a full Herald. She has to complete her internship while riding a circuit. Her mentor for this journey is Kris. Talia has an unusual psychic gift: she's a mind healer and a very powerful one. Because this is an unusual gift which appears most often in healers, her mentors among the Heralds don't know how to help her get control of her gift. And it doesn't help that rumors are circulating through Court that she is prone to misuse her gift.

Kris has been briefed by his uncle Lord Orthalan about the rumors which make it difficult for him to trust her. Talia senses his distrust which makes her own doubts even more powerful. When her shields fail, she becomes a danger to herself and to Kris too. 

It is while the pair are snowed in at a Herald's shelter that Kris realizes that Talia lacks the basics of controlling any gift and determines to bring her back to the beginning and teach her the correct way to use her gift. During their period of isolation, Kris and Talia become lovers which makes Talia fear that she's used her gift to influence his behavior and Kris to feat that his noted attraction to women has caused Talia's reaction to him. Both know that Talia really is falling in love with Kris's partner Dirk.

There are a number of opportunities for Talia to practice the skills needed by Haralds from border disputes, to deranged servant girls, to murders, and to plague. Kris tells her that her practice on the circuit will stand her in good stead as she deals with the politics of the Court in her role as Queen's Own. 

This was an excellent middle book in the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy.

I bought this one from Chirp April 23, 2022. You can buy your copy here.