Audible Book Review: Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Fost

Although this is a nice cozy, I had some issues with the primary heroine.

'Twas the Knife Before Christmas: A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery, Book 2
By: Jacqueline Frost
Narrated by: Allyson Ryan

Series: A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series, Book 2
Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
Release date: 11-13-18
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Genre: Amateur Sleuths, Cozy Mystery, Women Sleuths
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
A Christmas delight, 'Twas the Knife Before Christmas will charm the stockings off fans of Joanne Fluke and Leslie Meier.
It's out of the cupcake tin, into the fire for Holly White's best friend, Caroline. Can Holly clear Caroline's name in time to go caroling?
When a body turns up in the dumpster behind Caroline's Cupcakes, Holly White is horrified to learn her best friend, Caroline, is the main suspect. Everyone in town, including Mistletoe, Maine's sheriff, saw Caroline fighting with the victim on the night of his death. Worse, Caroline's fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, a custom-designed marble rolling pin. 
Now, just 10 days before Christmas, Holly's up to her jingle bells in holiday shenanigans and in desperate need of a miracle. Juggling extra shifts at her family's Christmas tree farm and making enough gingerbread jewelry to satisfy the crowd is already more than she can handle - and now she has to find time to clear her best friend of murder. Add in her budding relationship with the sheriff and run-ins with an ex-fiance looking to make amends, and Holly's ready to fly south until springtime. 
But her Sherpa-lined mittens come off when Caroline is taken into custody. Can Holly wrap up the case in time for Christmas...even after she gains the true killer's attention? Find out in 'Twas the Knife Before Christmas, Jacqueline Frost's second pine-scented Christmas Tree Farm mystery.
©2018 Jacqueline Frost (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Review:
Two weeks before Christmas, Holly is busy helping her parents with remodeling at their Christmas Tree Farm. Her best friend, Caroline, is coerced by her political father to attend a society event with an unpleasant, ‘handsy’ man. Caroline is caught on camera reprimanding the man for his inappropriate behavior. The next day, the tree lighting ceremony reveals the dead body of the man half buried in a giant dish of peppermint candies.

Everyone, including the local sheriff, Evan, is aware of the quarrel the night before. Then a butcher knife from Caroline’s Cupcake shop is found next to the dead man. When Caroline is arrested, Holly is determined to find the real killer and get her friend released before Christmas.

Holly found a dead body the Christmas before on the tree farm ( book 1, Twelve Slays of Christmas) and almost got killed while she was investigating. She and Evan began dating during that event and Evan is quick now to remind her to keep her nose out of this murder and allow him to due his job. Holly isn’t particularly inclined to listen to Evan who has been secretive and avoiding her company since the spring.

Soon Holly is getting threats from someone telling her not to pursue the investigation. Can Holly uncover helpful information without risky her own safety? And can she figure out what is going on with Evan?

I did like how the author developed interesting suspects and was curious to see how Holly found the killer. However, the relationship between Holly and Evan, with the months of evasion, lack of communication, and Holly’s hanging on and pushing was annoying and distracting to me. I was glad that an explanation was finally revealed but I do think this made the mystery less enjoyable for me. I enjoyed the inclusion of Santa in the story, and I still think this is a cute cozy series. Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries set in small town at Christmas time.

Audio Notes: Allyson Ryan does a good job with the narration. She provides sufficiently distinct character voices and conveys the emotion and energy of the story. I enjoyed the audio presentation.

Source: 11/7/22 Audible Plus. This qualifies for 2022Audiobook goal.

Audible Book Review: Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves

Although I enjoyed the full story, it is a bit plodding.
The Dead Cat Bounce
By: Sarah Graves
Narrated by: Lindsay Ellison

Series: Home Repair is Homicide, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
Release date: 08-01-09
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Women Sleuths
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 3.75.

Publisher's Summary
Since she bought her rambling fixer-upper of a house, Jacobia Tiptree has gotten used to finding things broken. But her latest problem isn't so easily repaired. Along with the rotting floor joists and sagging support beams, there's the little matter of the dead man in Jake's storeroom, an ice pick planted firmly in his cranium. Jake's unknown guest turns out to be local boy turned billionaire Threnody McIlwaine. When Jake's best friend, quiet and dependable Ellie White, confesses to the murder, cops and journalists swarm into the snowbound Eastport. Jake smells a cover-up, and begins poking into past history between McIlwaine and Ellie's family. But someone doesn't like nosy neighbors...and Jake's rustic refuge may become her final resting place.
©1997 Sarah Graves (P)2009 BBC Audio

Review:
Jacobia (Jake) had a successful career as a financial planner helping people salvage damaged accounts. Now she has chosen to retire with her teenage son to the insular community of Eastport, Maine where she invests her money in a damaged, fixer-upper house. While working on house renovations, a dead body is found in her storeroom. The dead man is a local playboy billionaire who has created many enemies along his flamboyant path.

The prime suspect is Jake’s best friend, Ellie, who is known as a caring, dependable woman who has remained single to live at home and take care of her loving father and bitter, demanding, mother. George, the local police officer who is first to investigate, has had a crush on Ellie but hasn’t been able to get her to leave her parents. George would do a lot to protect Ellie but he can’t do much when she confesses to the crime.

Jake doesn’t believe Ellie and is sure she is protecting someone. Jake sets out to investigate on her own, even making the authorities aware of her disdain for their failure to look for an alternative to Ellie’s quick confession.

There is family drama with both primary female characters. Ellie has her loving father who has doted on her nasty, bitter mother. Jake has to deal with her high-power ex-husband who wants to push their not so motivated son into Ivy League schools where he will struggle. Jake is also involved with a rugged, local man who is a water rescue specialist, Wade. Wade is very likeable while her ex is repulsive.

Unlike many cozy mysteries, the dead body was found early in the book, rather then far into it. However, the story still seemed slow in getting to the details and suspects. I enjoyed the setting and descriptions, but the writing, though clear, was more plodding than exciting. I found it interesting to learn the term "Dead Cat Bounce". I do have the second book from the plus catalog so I will listen to it sometime. Fans of light cozy mystery might want to check this out for themselves.

Audio Notes: The narration by Lindsay Ellison was clear and adequate but didn’t infuse any “oomph” to the story. I would still want to listen rather than read.

Source: 11/6/2021 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Death at the Gazebo by Minnie Crockwell

I liked this easy listen, cozy mystery.
Death at the Gazebo
Mirror Pond Cozy Mysteries, Book 1
By: Minnie Crockwell
Narrated by: Michelle Babb

Length: 5 hrs
Release date: 12-22-20
Publisher: Minnie Crockwell
Genre: Amateur Sleuths, Cozy Mystery, Women Sleuths
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
First in a new cozy mystery series from Minnie Crockwell.
Settling into her new condominium on Mirror Pond, novelist Sallie Chilcoat feels lost in Ashburn, Virginia, after moving to the state for love of a man. But with the end of that relationship, she finds herself at loose ends. She stares out the window at the pond and contemplates learning to kayak...or taking up painting...or climbing Mount Everest.
Movement in the overwater gazebo catches her eye, and she grabs up her people-watching binoculars to see a man sitting inside the gazebo playing an accordion. Curious about the musician who plays such a rare instrument, Sallie trots down to the pier to investigate.
The term “investigate” takes on a whole new meaning when Sallie reaches the gazebo to discover not a happy musician, but a dead body and a missing accordion. Forget Mount Everest! Sallie finds herself immersed in the mystery of the death at the gazebo.
©2019 Minnie Crockwell (P)2020 Minnie Crockwell

Review:
Sallie is a romance novelist although romance didn’t work out so well for her after she moved to Virginia to be with the man she loved. Soon thereafter he ended their relationship. Now she is sort of stuck in her condominium taking breaks from writing by jogging around the condominium ponds and gazebo. One morning she spots a man playing an accordion in the gazebo. When she comes back around, she finds him dead!

Before the police arrive, a local couple appear at the crime scene and Sallie notes that the wife is struggling with grief while the husband is struggling with anger. Soon, the local gossip chain, including Sallie’s across the hall neighbor, gets busy sharing information and Sallie learns the deceased was seen with multiple women, some married, who could be suspects. The suspects expand to jealous husbands too.

The police detective shares some information with Sallie as she shares the local gossip information and the efforts of her own unauthorized sleuthing. Meanwhile, Sallie is coordinating information with the condominium handyman, Bill, a man she has some interest in. But she is cautious since other single women surely find bachelor Bill interesting too. And it seems that Bill is very reluctant to discuss his own past.  Sallie and Bill both have some emotional history that leads to misinterpretation of signals.

The characters are likeable, and the plot has several suspects to keep things moving along. Some of the writing seemed simplistic but that was okay.  I enjoyed the easy flow of the mystery, the light humor and the hint of possible romance. I like this as a first of a new cozy mystery series and would be interested to read more. I recommend this to fans of the genre looking for a quick read/listen.

Audio Notes: Michelle Babb does a nice job with the narrations. She is able to give enough voice to the characters to keep them distinct while she also provides fitting emotion and energy. I enjoyed the listening experience.

Source: 1/8/2021 Author Audible Code. This qualifies for 2021Audiobook and 2021Author review goals.