Audio Book Review of Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle read by Rebecca Gibble

Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle
Read by Rebecca Gibble

From Good Reads.com
 Manager and head barista of the bustling New York coffeehouse The Village Blend, Clare Cosi�s been hired to create a gourmet coffee and dessert bar for a swanky wedding. Clare should be thrilled at this chance to shine, but it�s Matteo Allegro, her ex-husband and current business partner, who�s tying the knot�to Trend magazine editor Breanne Summour, who�s in full-blown bridezilla mode. Claire�s got to put her misgivings aside and focus on business, but since she�s a successful amateur sleuth, murder is Clare�s business, too. And when fatal accidents begin befalling people close to Breanne, Clare becomes suspicious. But what she unveils, amid melted chocolate and steaming mochaccinos, may just get her burned...
 
My Take:  I enjoyed this earlier installment of The Coffee House Mysteries alot better than the first one that I listened to.  I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Clare and her ex-husband mature and how she took on the task of protecting Breanne even though Clare really couldn't stand her.  I enjoyed trying to figure out who was after Breanne and I was secretly hoping that Breanne got what she deserved.  I enjoyed seeing how Clare would follow the leads but each one just left her more confused than before.  Again there was a bit more language and sexual activity than I usually like in my cozy mysteries.  I did not figure out who did until they figured it out in the book.  

The same narrator read this book that read the other installment that I listened to.  Again I thought Rebecca Gibble did a good job on everyone's voices except when she was Clare or just reading and again I thought she was a bit to ernest during these parts but they didn't seem as distracting as the last time. 

I received a review copy from the publisher Audiogo as part of the Solid Gold Reviewer program at AudiobookJukebox.com.  I was not required to write a positive review.  

Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate by M. C. Beaton read by Penelope Keith Audiobook Review

Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate by M. C. Beaton
Read by Penelope Keith

from Goodreads.com
Agatha Raisin has just about had it - James has abandoned her, the new neighbour has made an unseenly proposition, and the new curate seems to be taking a more than normal interest in her. Now he is dead.

My Take:  I normally like most cozy mysteries but I couldn't for the life of me like this one.  This was my first Agatha Raisin and maybe I would like the series better if I had started at the beginning and not at the 13th one.  I found it hard to really care about any of the characters and I found Agatha especially unlikeable.  I also found it hard to really care who had killed the curate as he wasn't a very good man.  The were some funny moments throughout the book between Betsy and John and between Betsy and Bill Wong and his new girlfriend.  I really had to struggle to finish this book. 

Penelope Keith did a fair job of reading this book although at times when she was reading interactions between Betsy and John it was hard to figure out who was speaking to who as her voices for the two characters are very similar. 

I received a review copy of this book through the Sold Gold Reviewers program at AudioJukebox.com.  The Copy came from AudioGo.com.

 

A Brew To a Kill by Cleo Coyle, Narrated by Rebecca Gibel Audio Book Review

A Brew to a Kill by Cleo Coyle read by Rebecca Gibel

• By Cleo Coyle
• Narrated by Rebecca Gibel
• Series: Coffeehouse, Book 11
• Length:10 hrs and 28 mins
• Release Date:08-07-12

From Goodreads.comCoffee. It can get a girl killed.

A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder?

My Take:  I love Cozy Mysteries and I have been wanting to read this series by Cleo Coyle so when I saw this book available to review in audio I jumped at the chance to listen to it.   Even though this book 11 I did not feel lost at all with the book.  The author did an excellent job of  making sure that you knew who everyone was, maybe a little too much.  I thought that she referred to her ex-husband Matt as her ex-husband every time he was in the story ,  OK already we know that he is your ex-husband.  The same with her ex mother in law.   As far as the mystery goes I had my suspicions  as to who did it about mid way through the book but I didn't know for sure until they revealed it in the book.  I liked the whole food truck aspect of the book as I have just started watching the Food Truck Race on the Food Network.  It amazes me how they can work in such a small space and still produce great products.  There was a bit more language in this book than I usually like in cozies and a bit more sexual conduct but over all it was a good mystery.  Will I read any more in the series?  Not really sure at this point,  I have other series that I like that don't have the language and sex that fit more into my personal likes.  

Narrator - I thought the narrator did an excellent jobs with all the characters and voice except for when she was Clare and when she was just reading .  I realize that this is a mystery and there are some tense moments in the story but I felt when she was just reading or when she was in the character of Clare her tone of voice was just a bit earnest which for me was a bit distracting from the story.  Otherwise her voice for all the other characters where right on and she was consistent throughout.  .

I received a review copy of this audio book for review purposes from the Publisher AudioGo , in exchange for my honest opinion without any expectation of a positive review.  

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