Audiobook Review of Sharp Edge

 

• By:Lisa B. Thomas
• Narrated by: Kelley Hazen
• Series: Cozy Suburbs Mystery Series, Book 2
• Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
• Unabridged
• Release date: 05-11-17
• Language: English
• Publisher: Cozy Stuff and Such, LLC

 

A HAPPY HOLIDAY OR A SILENT NIGHT?
A Christmas party for the upper crust of the small Texas town of Maycroft turns tragic when the hostess ends up dead. Everyone assumes her death is an accident—everyone except her daughter, Estelle. She turns to Deena to help solve the mystery. A jealous friend and a mysterious heir are just two of the likely suspects.  As a school teacher turned newspaper reporter, Deena must get crafty to dig out the truth before anyone else gets hurt, including her own brother, Russell. Not only is there a possible killer on the loose, but this may be Russell’s last chance at true love.

SHARPE EDGE is Book 1 in the Maycroft Mystery Series. A little romance, some snarky suburban competition, and a lot of mystery will keep you turning pages in this clean, cozy whodunit.    (Amazon)

 

Narration:  The narration was well-done for this audiobook.  The character distinction was not only clear, it was outright entertaining.  The narrator is very animated. Exclamations are believable and create nice theatrical effect.  The narrator displayed commendable tonal range.  I honestly felt as though I was listening to a show, at times.  Kelley Hazen may have spoiled me for all other narrators!  (5/5)

Production:  Sound quality was good. The audio was clear and sound levels were consistent.  Spacing between chapters or shifts in perspectives could have been a little longer in some places.  I found the changing perspectives a bit confusing in the beginning as the perspective changes frequently and many new characters are revealed. Later on, this settles and becomes easier to follow as we get more familiar with the characters and what environments they would be in.  (4/5)

Overall Experience:  Overall this story translated to audio quite well.  My biggest issue would be that perspectives changed quite frequently and this would be a bit confusing even while reading, but was a bit more challenging as an audio. I enjoyed listening. (5/5)

 

The Story

Who would want Caroline Fitzhugh dead? Although the police believe the town matriarch’s death is simply an accident, her daughter Estelle believes it’s murder and enlists Deena’s investigative assistance.  Deena is particularly motivated to investigate as Estelle is her brother Russell’s love interest.  The story gets juicy as we come across multiple suspects, each with convincing motives.  Throw in nosy, bossy neighbours determined to ‘decorate the halls’ and you have a truly entertaining Christmas cozy mystery on your hands.

I found the plot was well-laid out.  New characters were introduced throughout.  Clues were interspersed well.  There were a couple cleverly plotted red herrings and secondary stories running.  I must admit though, it wasn’t too hard to figure out the culprit.  But still, I enjoyed the story.

Some things I liked:

• Deena is a pragmatic sleuth. She gets the job done but doesn’t recklessly endanger herself.
• Deena still ends up in quite a pickle and provides enough page-turning tension.
• The Christmas setting.
• The Texan snow!
• The romance between Russell and Estelle is sweet but yet interlaced with the very realistic concerns from both parties about the viability of the match.

 

Some things I did not like:

• The story is told from several perspectives. I find this change happens too frequently and was very confusing, especially in the beginning when the reader is now meeting the many, varied characters.

 

This is an entertaining, feel good Christmas cozy that I would definitely recommend, especially if you like a Southern flair!

 

I give this book 4/5 espresso shots.

 

I received this audiobook at no-cost from Audiobookworm Promotions. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.