Audible Book Review: The Snow Killer: The DI Barton Series, Book 1 by Ross Greenwood

This is an intriguing police procedural, crime thriller.

The Snow Killer: The DI Barton Series, Book 1
By: Ross Greenwood
Narrated by: David Thorpe

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
Release date: 11-12-19
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genre: Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Thriller
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
‘Fear the north wind. Because no one will hear you scream....’
A family is gunned down in the snow, but one of the children survives. Three years on, that child takes revenge, and the Snow Killer is born. But then, nothing - no further crimes are committed, and the case goes cold.
50 years later, has the urge to kill been reawakened? As murder follows murder, the detective team tasked with solving the crimes struggle with the lack of leads. It’s a race against time and the weather - each time it snows, another person dies.
As an exhausted and grizzled DI Barton and his team scrabble to put the pieces of the puzzle together, the killer is hiding in plain sight. Meanwhile, the murders continue....
The first in a new series, Ross Greenwood has written a cracking, crackling crime story with a twist in its tale which will surprise even the most hardened thriller listeners. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Stuart MacBride.
©2019 Ross Greenwood (P)2019 Boldwood Books

Review:
One child survived the gunning down of the rest of the family, including a beloved younger sibling, when they were brutally stalked and killed in the snow. Three years later the surviving child is able to take revenge killing the guilty thugs one at a time in the snow. This gains the name “The Snow Killer” but the murders stop.

Fifty years later there is a new murder of a low level drug addict during a snowstorm. Then another drug involved person is murdered in the next snowstorm. DI Barton and his team are trying to figure out who would have the motive to take out these individuals. Then in the next snowstorm another murder takes place practically under their noses. The murders are occurring in DI Barton’s own neighborhood and the victims are connected to a known local drug family. The police are desperately seeking clues while inclined to protect the surviving member of the drug family as she is the likely next target.

The old Snow Killer has been insulted by one of the local crime members. This has triggered the old anger and revenge which intensifies when the killer recalls one of the thugs had referred to orders from higher command. And now one of the new victims also mentions corruption that goes higher than the henchmen. Can the Snow Killer get to the higher parties in command before the police figure out who they are chasing?

This is only available until 8/10/23 so I pulled it up in my queue and I am glad that I did. The characters, killer and cop, are well drawn including emotional involvement. The author follows both characters so that the reader/ listener is tracking the two different POVs as their inevitable confrontation grows closer. Although the reader is following the killer, the author manages to throw in some surprises. I would be willing to seek more books by this author and I’m sorry I don’t have time to listen to more while they are available free in the Audible Plus Catalog. I recommend this to fans of strong police procedural thrillers.

Audio Notes: David Thorpe does a very good job with the narration. I was engaged throughout the narration with the clear voices and energy.

Source: February 2023 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2023Audiobook goal.

Audible Book Review: If Angesl Fall by Rick Mofina

This crime thriller has good twists.
If Angels Fall
By: Rick Mofina
Narrated by: Christian Rummel

Series: Tom Reed and Walt Sydowski, Book 1
Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
Release date: 12-22-15
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Crime Fiction, Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
Tom Reed is a crime reporter with The San Francisco Star whose superb journalistic skills earned him a Pulitzer nomination. But years later Reed's life is coming apart. His editor wants him fired. His wife has left him to wrestle with his demons. Alone, Reed is tormented by the fear he may have caused the suicide of an innocent man suspected of murdering a two-year-old girl.
Reed's friend on the case is legendary San Francisco homicide inspector Walt Sydowski, who has one of California's highest clearance rates. He is also a lonely widower haunted by the fact he cannot solve the girl's heartbreaking death. Both men grapple with the past while they race the clock to learn the truth behind several new abductions that have anguished the Bay Area in this acclaimed thriller set in the late 1990s.
©2000, 2013 Rick Mofina (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Tom Reed’s was once a star crime reporter. But a year or so ago his aggressive approach resulted in a potential child killer committing suicide. This event tumbled his career and sent him to the bottle causing the further deterioration of his marriage and his work. Now Tom is trying to report on a new round of child kidnappings.

Meanwhile the head detective on the case is homicide inspector Walt Sydowski who struggles with the fact that he wasn’t able to save the child a year before. The current case isn’t a homicide yet but the authorities recognize he may have some additional insight from his previous investigations. Sydowski and Reed were friends before Reed crossed the line. Now they are a bit standoffish. When Reed has additional information and suspicions, he is reluctant to take them to Sydowski.

The reader/listener is also offered a few of the gritty villain. There is a good progression from his traumatic event, through his continued pain, to his twisted plan. It is creepy and had me routing for Sydowski and Reed.

After a slower start, the story proceeds with good pacing and building tension. I enjoyed the police procedures and the twist in events that brings the story rushing to a suspenseful conclusion. I will be glad to read more by Mr. Mofina and I recommend this to fans of intense crime thrillers.

Audio Notes: Christian Rummel is the voice of another series that I love (D.J. Molles sci fi). I had a few moments of surprise hearing his voice in a different genre. Then I was pleased to hear his distinct voices for the characters and the spot-on emotional input for the story.

Source: July 2023 started as Audible Plus (finished at $1.99). This qualifies for 2023Audiobook goal.

Audio Book Review: A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl & April Henry

This is an okay crime mystery story.
A Matter of Trust
Written by Lis Wiehl & April Henry
Read by Eleni Pappageorge

Run Time 9h 6min
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Crime Fiction, Legal Procedure, Mysteries
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

Publisher Description
When life is murder, who can you trust? One minute Mia Quinn is in her basement, chatting on the phone with a colleague at the prosecutor’s office. The next minute she hears a gunshot over the line, and Mia listens in horror as her colleague and friend Colleen bleeds to death.
Mia’s a natural for heading up the murder investigation, but these days it’s all she can do to hold her life together. As a new widow with a pile of debts, a troubled teenaged son, and a four-year-old who wakes up screaming at night, she needs more time with her family, not less-and working Colleen’s case will be especially demanding. But Colleen was her friend, and she needs to keep her job. So Mia reluctantly teams up with detective Charlie Carlson to investigate. But the deeper they dig, the more complications unfold-even the unsettling possibility that someone may be coming after her.
Lis Wiehl’s signature plot twists and relatable characters shine in this absorbing series debut … with an intriguing cameo from her best-selling Triple Threat series. ôA stunning crime series debut … Smart, suspenseful, and full of twists that only an insider like Wiehl could pull off”. (Linda Fairstein, New York Times best-selling author).

Review:
Mia Quinn is a new widow juggling life with her teenage son and her return to the workforce as a prosecutor. She wants to pursue a case against high school students who bullied another student who then committed suicide. Her superiors want her to concentrate on other cases as the bullying is an iffy case to prove.

While Mia is on the phone with her partner, Colleen, suddenly she hears a shot over the phone and Colleen stops speaking. Mia asks her teen son to hold the phone while she rushes to the scene. There she meets up with police detective, Charlie Carlson, not one of her favorite officers. Charlie often goes outside of the rule book to accomplish his goals and Mia doesn’t find that acceptable.

Mia’s boss asks her to partner with Carlson to investigate the death of her friend. Although it is rough for Mia to take on another case, she reluctantly agrees. The two begin get assistance from a tech wizard to dig deeper into connections between Colleen’s ‘execution’ and a similar case that is years old. Their poking into details seems to be paying off when Mia is stalked, and threats are received. It appears that someone close to the legal system has extra information on the case.

To complicate Mia’s life, her four-year-old daughter is having traumatic night terrors, Mia is still working on the bully case, and to top things off, she is learning unsettling facts about her deceased husband. Mia is fortunate to receive some unexpected help from her father. With all the emotional upset and work to juggle, can Mia accept Carlson’s help and uncover the murderer?

I actually wasn’t aware that prosecutors were involved in investigating a case quite this much but it makes some sense, especially if the budget is tight for investigators. I’m not a big fan of messy drama which of course filled this story. However, I did enjoy the mystery and the process that Mia and Carlson used to pursue the clues. I would recommend this to fans of crime mystery and legal procedure (with a healthy side of drama).

Audio Notes: Eleni Pappageorge does a good job with the narration. She portrays the drama without going too far overboard. The story was easy to listen to and a good way for me to ‘read’ the book.

Source: August 2020 Chirp Purchase at $3.99. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: An Accidental Death: A DC Smith Investigation Series, Book 1 by Peter Grainger

This is a very good, engaging mystery.

An Accidental Death: A DC Smith Investigation Series, Book 1
Written by: Peter Grainger
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

Series: DC Smith, Book 1
Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 08-26-16
Language: English
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: British Detective, Crime Fiction, Mystery
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
The story opens with the apparently accidental drowning of a sixth form student in the Norfolk countryside. As a matter of routine, or so it seems, the case passes across the desk of Detective Sergeant Smith, recently returned to work after an internal investigation into another case that has led to tensions between officers at Kings Lake police headquarters. As an ex-DCI, Smith could have retired by now, and it is clear that some of his superiors wish that he would do so. The latest trainee detective to work with him is the son of a member of his former team, and together they begin to unravel the truth about what happened to Wayne Fletcher. As the investigation proceeds, it becomes clear that others are involved - some seem determined to prevent it, some seem to be taking too much interest. In the end, Smith operates alone, having stepped too far outside standard procedures to ask for support. He knows that his own life might be at risk but he has not calculated on the life of his young assistant also being put in danger.
©2013 Peter Grainger (P)2016 Tantor.

Review:
Sergeant Smith is a bit older and old school detective, a former D.C.I. (Detective Chief Inspector) . He isn’t everyone’s favorite detective but many respect his long term, senior experience, particularly his immediate superior, D.I. Reeve. Smith has just returned to the office after a short leave as the result of an internal investigation. Reeve presents him with two tasks: begin the training of a new rookie, Chris Waters, and take a look at and sign off (maybe) on an apparent accidental drowning of a local sixth form student.

The weekend officers gathered the facts, wrote up the report which was ready to be signed. But Reeve spotted a potential issue and slips the file to Smith. Smith is pretty quick to pick up on a discrepancy and he assigns Waters procedural investigative tasks as Smith interviews the mortuary technologist who added an interesting note to the autopsy report.

Smith pursues one clue and lead after another with dogged determination. Even when sneers come from other officers and a potential “stand down” order comes from higher up, Smith insists on pushing on. Smith and Waters are trying to find a witness who has failed to come forward and who may be the last to have seen the victim alive. The investigation leads Smith to a Balkan community in the area and to a possible connection to a former military officer. Smith spots someone following him and he realizes that his inquiries are bringing more risk to him and his young partner.

As he pursues the facts there is an interesting glimpse into his background through his relationship with other officers, including with Waters who happens to be the son of one of Smith’s oldest friends from the force. I thoroughly enjoyed this British police procedural. Smith is a well-developed character whose strengths have created some tension which adds moments of humor as he faces off with the department Superintendent. The well plotted mystery has elements of political animus that is timely. The story moves at a good pace and the emphasis is on hard detective work rather than graphic violence. I would be glad to read more stories featuring Detective Smith. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a good police mystery.

Audio Notes: Gildart Jackson provides perfect accent and energy to the narration. He provides unique voices that fit the characters. His performance helped me to enjoy the quick listen. I would be glad to listen to more title narrated by Mr. Jackson.

Source: February 2017 Audible Daily Deal $2.95. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

#NetGalley Book Review: In Wolves' Clothing by Greg Levin

This is gripping and well written.
In Wolves' Clothing
by Greg Levin

File Size: 1556 KB
Print Length: 273 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0990402940
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: White Rock Press; 1 edition (October 11, 2017)
ASIN: B075WSMPBT
Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller
My Rating: 4.5 0f 5.0

On his best days, Zero Slade is the worst man you can imagine. He has to be. It's the only way to save the Lost Girls.
During his seven years on a team fighting sex trafficking, Zero's become quite good at schmoozing with pimps, getting handcuffed by cops and pretending not to care about the young girls he liberates. But the dangerous sting operations are starting to take a toll on his marriage and sanity. His affinity for prescription painkillers isn't exactly helping matters.
When the youngest girl the team has ever rescued gets abducted from a safe house in Cambodia, Zero decides to risk everything to find her. His only shot is to go rogue, and sink deeper into the bowels of the trafficking world than he's ever sunk.
It's the biggest mission of his life. Trouble is, it's almost certain death.

Review:
Zero’s is an ex military man who has an intense, tough job. He and his team mates pretend to be wealthy men seeking to party with young girls. They are really there with authorities in the wings to capture the pimps and free the young girls who are an unwilling part of the child sex trade industry. The job takes Zero’s team to all parts of the world, from cities in Asia to Central and South America. There is lots of planning and most times things go smoothly; but not always. There is always danger, risk and emotional trauma to be contained.

Zero is already self-medicating from injuries, pain and guilt from his military loses. Between coping (or not) with those memories and trying to minimize the emotions caused during his missions, he is struggling to keep proper communication with his wife, Nina, whom he adores. Problem is, he is gone a lot and even when he is home he is not always connected. Nina loves Zero but knows he needs help and she may have to take drastic steps for him to cooperate.

The team rescues a group of particularly young girls and the youngest clings to Zero. The youngster has touched a place in Zero’s heart and he returns to visit her. Then he gets news that she has been kidnapped from the facility. Zero can’t, or won’t, wait to ask for a team to go in. He chooses to go himself, even with recent injuries, and even though it will risk everything – his career and his marriage. Still, he feels he must rescue Sung before it is too late.

I really liked the writing style which is direct and presents the story in first person through Zero’s voice. His internal thinking is very real and sometimes gritty. There is also a subtle, self-deprecating humor. He is a man with integrity but also plagued with problems and flaws. Mr. Levin presents strong background information on the issues of painkiller addiction and sex trafficking. These are not easy subjects, but they are handled in a manner that makes a point of the devastating trauma and problem.

There is some material that is tough to read as well as some strong foul words. These are (sadly) a natural part of the story that is presented. I do recommend this to readers who like crime fiction suspense and those who may find combating sex trafficking interesting.

Source: NetGalley 2017. This qualifies for my 2018TBR, Take Control, NetGalley and Alphabet Challenges.