FIXIN' TO DIE

Fixin' To Die by Tonya Kappes
Book 1 in the Kenni Lowry series
Narrated by Hillary Huber
Genre: supernatural crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Fixin' To Die:

Kenni Lowry likes to think the zero crime rate in Cottonwood, Kentucky is due to her being sheriff, but she quickly discovers the ghost of her grandfather, the town’s previous sheriff, has been scaring off any would-be criminals since she was elected.

When the town’s most beloved doctor is found murdered on the very same day as a jewelry store robbery, and a mysterious symbol ties the crime scenes together, Kenni must satisfy her hankerin’ for justice by nabbing the culprits.

With the help of her poppa, a lone deputy, and an annoyingly cute, too-big-for-his-britches State Reserve officer, Kenni must solve both cases and prove to the whole town, and herself, that she’s worth her salt before time runs out.

Source: Info in the "About Fixin' To Die" was taken from amazon on 29/01/2024.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

Amazon should really start allowing people to put emojis in kindle ebooks because this book sorely made me want to do so!! In several sections of the book!

Usually urban fantasies do not have great plots. Just from A to B and sometimes not even that much. But not this book! Kudos to the author for giving this urban fantasy book a good plot!

Well, probably not urban fantasy per sey. More like a ghost story than urban fantasy. A ghost crime fiction.

I would probably enjoy this book more if I do not keep falling asleep while listening to the audiobook. The thing is, I hear things near the end of the book so I kinda know who it was already but missed a chunk in the middle so I wind the audiobook back to where I remembered the story last and listen to the it again. But I already have a bead on who the killer is. Which was a spoiler and missed the excitement. Dang! My fault though!

This is not my first Hillary Huber audiobook. I may not appreciate her voice that much but she did a good job of bringing this book to life!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (7 hrs and 9 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Kenni Lowry Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Tonya Kappes:

Southern Hospitality with a Smidgen of Homicide.

Click the FOLLOW button to be notified of Tonya Kappes's new and upcoming book releases.

Amazon All Star Author Tonya Kappes has written more than 175 southern cozy mysteries, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and Woman's World Book Club pick five times . Best known for stories charged with southern charm, emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband in northern Kentucky. Now that her four boys have flown out of the nest, Tonya writes full-time in her camper!

Hollywood has taken notice of Tonya’s success and a television show based on her bestselling 40-book A Camper & Criminals Mystery Series is in development.

tonyakappes.com | facebook | instagram | pinterest | youtube | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Hillary Huber:

Hillary has recorded over 700 audiobooks spanning many genres but thrillers are her favorite. She is a multiple Audie Award finalist, multiple Earphone Award winner, Voice Arts Awards winner and one of Audiofile Magazine's best voices. Hillary has a BA in English Literature and is a voracious reader and listener. Likes: yoga, hip hop dancing, baking sourdough, bourbon. Dislikes: liver. Raised in conservative Connecticut and hippy Hawaii, Hillary now splits her time between Santa Monica and New York. Most of that time is in a 4x4 padded room. Er...booth. Her super power is reciting the alphabet backwards.

www.hillaryhuber.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

WILD SIGN

Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs
Narrated by Holter Graham
Book 6 of the Alpha & Omega series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audio

About Wild Sign:

Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham must discover what could make an entire community disappear — before it's too late — in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series.

In the wilds of the Northern California mountains, all the inhabitants of a small town have gone missing. It's as if the people picked up and left everything they owned behind. Fearing something supernatural might be going on, the FBI taps a source they've consulted in the past: the werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham. But Charles and Anna soon find a deserted town is the least of the mysteries they face.

Death sings in the forest, and when it calls, Charles and Anna must answer. Something has awakened in the heart of the California mountains, something old and dangerous — and it has met werewolves before.

Source: Info in the "About Wild Sign" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54325980-wild-sign on 05/03/2021.

My Thoughts:

I was hoping that we will see Wellesley again... and we kinda did... if only through his art! I'm happy with that! However, I am still hoping to see more of him in subsequent books.

I still think that the US cover art is far more wonderful than the UK one. I always liked Dan Dos Santos' work! I wish UK would hire a good artist too! The UK covers are amazingly dull! Not to mention not apropos. Anna never carried a gun! The only gun mentioned here is the witch gun which is described more like a taser than a gun. The UK covers is a disservice to Patricia Briggs' stories!

As usual this author delivers a story with compelling story telling quality and a stunningly wonderful reading time! But then again, I am a devoted, old fan so my review of this author's work would always be biased.

Empirical Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5 (US)
Cover art = 3 (UK)
Pace = (9 hrs and 47 mins listening time)
Plot = 5
Narration = 4

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Alpha & Omega Series:

             

About Patricia Briggs
	Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children and six horses and writes full-time, much to the delight of her fans.
www.patriciabriggs.com | facebook | twitter | goodreads | Amazon

The Narrator

About Holter Graham:

Holter Graham, winner of AudioFile's 2008 Best Voice in Science Fiction & Fantasy for Sherrilyn Kenyon's Acheron, is a stage, television, and screen actor.

www.holtergraham.com | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
This book, in all it's purchased formats, was bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.