Desert Crone

It's A Winner

Revisado: 08-03-24

Sometimes the bundled books can be loss leaders but this is a winner! Sally Rigby is new to me but having once lived in the Midlands, well, that was enough of a hook for me. As a reader of mysteries for nigh unto eighty years now, I often see where we're going early on, and I'm inclined to edit as I read. Not so with this little collection. Granted, Jonathan Keeble is not at his strongest with female voices but, honestly, how many men are? These stories kept my interest past the iPhone reading me to sleep at night. Two full nights I listened in rapt attention as the stories unfolded and the night became the dawn. When it was time for chores and the phone wasn't convenient, I switched to headphones. Time now for a deep dive on Sally Rigby books!

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Sleeze

Revisado: 01-09-24

I understand much the information came from Diana's letters to him but there must have been a better way to interpret them than this schlock. Twenty minutes in I was already checking to see how much was left. Not recommended!

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Where's the editor?

Revisado: 06-20-23

I love this series! The writing is tight, witty, and slyly educational. I love the cultural references that will roll by as part of the furniture unless the reader is old enough to recognize them. But this one, which has an excellent premise, is loosely-goosey and repetitious. I was a 30-something working woman in those days and remember the times well. I've read the book written by the surprise speaker as well as Gloria Steinham, etc. I hope the author/editor will go back through sometime and clean things up. I plan to continue with the series in the hope that the editorial work on this one is an aberration. Those I've already completed I plan to read again to catch any of Mulhern's I missed. There are bound to be some! Oh, and the door knocking/phone ringing bits -- awful! Give Ms Beaulieu a break and use pops or let her say "the phone rings" or "someone at the door".

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Back To Normal

Revisado: 03-11-23

My faith is restored. I enjoyed the story and the new narrator was above average. Her voice is pleasant and she does a good job with the voices. Granted, Kate's voice is loud, but that's not the fault of the narrator. An audio editor (is there such a thing?) could have toned it down a little. On the other hand, rug rats tend to operate at full speed and full voice.

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NOPE

Revisado: 03-10-23

I'm not going to quit the series over one book but this one just didn't interest me.. The "mysteries" receive short shrift compared with the exposition. Way too much rehash of prior content. As for character development -- sleeping with somebody new doesn't qualify IMHO. It feels like a crutch - content without quality. If we're heading into soap opera territory, I 'll be moving on. The editor must have been asleep at the switch, and the denouement was way too long. You could skip this book and only miss one plot point, which I won't mention, but I'm betting it will be included in the next book. The hook for me in this series was the anthropology/history content and there just isn't enough of it here to justify the time it took to listen to it, Yes, purists are offered a "scientific" result but I nearly didn't hang in there long enough to hear it, and by that time I was fed up with the alternate spiritual reality angle. The only redeeming aspect here is the narrator, Jane McDowell, who performs at her usual above average level.

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Great for "cozy " readers

Revisado: 10-27-22

Just what seniors with brains that no long spark so well need! When I lost the ability to read several years ago I was devastated. A die-hard mystery reader for 70+ years, I could no longer keep up with Dashiel Hammet or Robert Ludlum, but I love a good problem to solve. Funny. I began with The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys, (all conceived by the same man and ghost written by others BTW), and moved through every mystery series/author I found. When life threw me a curve I turned to Audible to KEEP books in my life, and stumbled across the "cozy mystery" category. Books without gratuitous sex/violence with plot lines and just enough characters that I could keep up. And yes, there is always something to learn. Kate Khavari's book is a perfect example -- a little bit of education slipped in with the problem solving. I hope this is the beginning of a series. I've gone through so many cozy series here that I'm back to Nancy Drew! Funny how that works. My grandson calls it "growing down"!

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If narration is important, skip this one

Revisado: 10-27-22

The story is okay but, oh my gosh, the narration is just not up to par, Her voice is fine but as a voice actor she has a very long way to go. She should stick with nonfiction IMHO.

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So I thought, "Is this satire?"

Revisado: 01-13-22

I was tempted to send this one back because of all the references to church/religion. I'm past putting up with proselytizing at my age. WAY past. But I decided to give it time because the author is new to me. Miss Julia is the stereotypical "proper Southern lady"; also not in the least appealing to me. I wasn't sure if I was laughing at satire or laughing because of my own derision. Quick changes in her mental evaluation of the circumstances she faced stretched things a bit for me but I stuck with it until the end. I didn't have a problem with the narrator, also new to me. Although her performance was inconsistent in the beginning she did hit her stride and was perfectly acceptable. Since the first Miss Julia book I read was one I found on sale, the woman I met in book #21 is a far cry from the one in book #1, So I'll give book #2 a try. It might be interesting to see how the characters I met 6-7 years after book #1 evolved as they did. And maybe the religion riff is satire............

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Just okay

Revisado: 01-02-22

It's "have-ah-SUE-pie"!! Total bummer of a way to begin the audible version of this book.The story is interesting and I'm impressed the author knows a good wildflower season depends upon the winter rains and that he introduces other Indian cultures. Saguaros though? Not that far north or west in nature. And caliche -- holy cow! Had I not read of that mispronunciation in a review I would have had no idea what he was trying to say. That being said, If you are reading this Mr Mitchell, PLEASE ensure that your narrators know the phonetic pronunciation of local place names, etc. A little too much willing suspension of disbelief regarding Parker's endurance for my taste but I seem to be in the minority on that one. Stefan Rudnicki has a wonderful voice, very masculine and I will look for his work. Since the next book is included in my membership for free I'll give it a try and hope someone has set Mr Rudnicki straight.

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Just Okay

Revisado: 12-24-21

The first in the series was wonderful and rests in my Favorites folder until next year. The second in the series, however, just didn't have enough story for the length. Too much repetition. It was a three hour story and should have been okay to leave it at that. Ms Lloyd does a superlative job, as usual, and she's the reason I've downloaded book #3.

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