The Vicious Vet - M. C. Beaton

The Vicious Vet
By: M. C. Beaton
Published: 1993
Audiobook Read by: Donada Peters
My rating: Great








After listening to The Quiche Of Death, the first of the Agatha Raisin mysteries, I just couldn't resist getting more! Agatha is just too much fun!

Well, it all came about because Agatha was so desperate to get friendly with that handsome neighbor of her's, James Lacey! She would have never gone so far with her inquiries if she hadn't found it to be such a good excuse to spend a fun afternoon with James, running down suspects, searching for clues, and getting into loads of trouble! But how was she to know it really would turn out to be murder? Furthermore, how could she have guessed that the killer wouldn't stop with just one? Oh well, it was all worth it just to hear James pretending that they were married! How could a girl resist a heartthrob like James anyway, Agatha would gladly walk through fire just to be near him!

Agatha is such a fun and quirky detective! I have so much fun following her derailed trains of thought. She chases after the craziest ideas but ends up landing the right fish in spite of herself! The addition of James Lacey to her investigations was great! James is a bit more level headed but still tends to follow some wild ideas. Poor Bill Wong has his hands full trying to keep the two of them out of trouble!

I listened to the audiobook read by Donada Peters and just as before, her performance was absolutely wonderful!

Overall, this is pretty light reading but is a lot of fun and will keep you chuckling as you follow Agatha's antics! :)

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Laurie R. King

The Beekeeper's Apprentice
By: Laurie R. King
Published: 1994
Audiobook Read by: Jenny Sterlin
My rating: Great









I have always been a huge Sherlock Holmes fan but when I listened to the Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr, I was a little disappointed. However, my friend Nancy suggested this series and I am so glad she did!

When young Mary Russell bumps into an old man sitting on the ground watching bees, she never guessed that she would end up being the apprentice of the world famous Sherlock Holmes!

When Sherlock Holmes, sitting quietly watching some bees at their work, is nearly trampled by a young girl, (a part American girl at that) he would have never guessed that he had found a mind very nearly equal to his own!

The unlikely pair forms a bond of friendship that runs deeper than either of them expected. As Holmes begins to refine Mary's already keen intellect, he finds that she has as sharp an eye and as brilliant a mind as he has ever seen. They spend many happy hours playing mind games with each other, honing their skills together in unwitting preparation for the case that will quite probably cost one of them their lives!

I really enjoyed this book! Laurie has successfully captured the feel of a real Sherlock Holmes mystery. She gives all the clues up front and allows the reader to decipher them to see if they can match up with what Holmes deduces. Beyond that she has introduced a very likeable character, in Mary Russell, that can match wits with the great detective and keep him on his toes. The mysteries themselves are well plotted and kept me guessing for quite some time. I loved the way the primary case stretched out over time instead of being presented as a neat little affair that was tied up in a couple of days. Mary Russell is very much a good match for Holmes and I'm glad there are more books in the series!

I listed to the audiobook read by Jenny Sterlin and loved every minute of it! Jenny did a wonderful job and really brought Mary to life.

Overall, if you like Sherlock Holmes mysteries, you should really check this one out! I don't think you'll be disappointed!

The Cat Who Turned On And Off - Lillian Jackson Braun

The Cat Who Turned On And Off
By: Lillian Jackson Braun
Published: 1968
Audiobook Read by: George Guidall
My rating: Wonderful









OK, I'm hooked on Koko, Yum-yum, and Qwill! I have listened to several of the books in this series and have been enjoying them more and more!

In this third book of the series, Qwill is still getting himself established and is finding it difficult to find an affordable place to live. When he finds out about a substantial prize being offered to the staff of the Daily Fluxion for the best story for the Christmas season, he decides to win it with a series on the antiquing scene in the run down part of the city known as Junktown. Well, of course we all know that Qwill can't write a nice feel good story with heart! As always, murder calls to him and he ends up trying to solve the mystery surrounding the death of one of Junktown's most loved and sometimes most hated dealers! The problem is, it wasn't a murder at all, it was just a tragic accident....or was it? Only Koko seems to know!

Once again, Lillian has created a unique mystery here that kept me on the edge of my seat right up to the very end. I have been impressed so far with the variety of mysteries she presents. Each one has been significantly different from the others and presents new possibilities and new characters every time. The one wonderful constant in all the books, though, is the wonderful descriptions of the two cats and their antics. I have never found an author better at conveying the unique nature of cats than Lillian! Her descriptions give me a vivid picture of what Koko and Yum-yum are doing and I often laugh a little as I recognize the very things I see my own cat do!

I listened to the audiobook read by George Guidall and as always, I loved his performance! I think he is probably my favorite narrator of all the ones I have heard so far!

Overall, this is a lot of fun and if you are looking for some light, entertaining reading, you can't go wrong with these books!

Death Of A Celebrity - M. C. Beaton

Death Of A Celebrity
By: M. C. Beaton
Published: 2002
Audiobook Read by: Graeme Malcolm
My rating: Wonderful








I have come to love hearing about Hamish MacBeth's antics as the constable of Lochdubh! This time he finds himself under the scrutiny of a television show host who has no scruples about digging up scandals and causing someone else pain if it gives her the ratings she wants! As she is about to bring his dubious career down around his ears she is found dead! Fortunately for Hamish he escapes being a suspect but now he is faced with the possibility that someone he knows and likes might be a murderer! As he goes about his own brand of investigation he discovers a disturbing connection to the local horoscope columnist, Elspeth Grant. He also discovers he has a disturbing attraction to this same person and decides it's better to be rude and cold than to fall in love. He fails to maintain his hard demeanor and ends up spending quite a bit of time in her company. Fortunately for Hamish, she is a very astute young lady and helps him immensely as he struggles with the seemingly unsolvable case! Unfortunately for Elspeth, she realizes Hamish is never going to give himself over to her advances and she resigns herself to the fate of all of Hamish's many lady friends!

This is yet another wonderful tale in the long series of Hamish MacBeth mysteries! I have now gone through several and each one is just as fun as the rest! I love the way Hamish is willing to sacrifice his possibility of advancement in the police force in order to stay in Lochdubh. He loves his village and his people and cares deeply about what happens to each and every one of them. I also very much enjoyed the escape from CI Blair who is on holiday and is replaced by a much more likable CI Carson. Hamish is finally recognized for his skills as an investigator and if he isn't careful, might just find himself promoted!

I listened to the audiobook read by Graeme Malcolm who, as always, is absolutely wonderful with these books! I love his accent and am looking forward to many more hours of enjoyment as he narrates other Hamish books!

Overall, this is a wonderful book in a wonderful series! You won't go wrong with them!! :)

Still Life - Louise Penny

Still Life
By: Louise Penny
Published: 2005
Audiobook Read by: Ralph Cosham
My rating: SPECTACULAR








This is yet another book that came to my attention through the wonderful reviews of my friend Sam. I am so glad to have found Louise Penny and her wonderful Chief Inspector Armand Gamache!

Armand Gamache loves his job and is well loved by those who work with him. When he is called out to investigate the suspicious death of an elderly retired school teacher in Three Pines, a town so small he can't seem to find it on his map, he has no idea of what a truly strange case it will turn out to be. Despite a surprisingly annoying rookie on his team they all work flawlessly together to uncover the truth about this death. As he leads his team in the investigation he begins to fall in love with this little lost village and the people who live there. Sitting alone in the early morning, he watches the town awake and realizes that there really are wonderful places of peace and tranquility left in the world. As long as you don't let a little matter of murder bother you!

I absolutely loved this book! Thank you so much, Sam, for turning me on to it! I loved Inspector Gamache. He is a wonderful person, full of kindness and compassion, ready to go the extra mile for those around him. So often, authors feel the need to make their detectives eccentric at the least and often arrogant and egotistical. Louise has given us a very different kind of detective, one who values the opinions of his team and is willing to listen to anyone who seeks his attention. He truly cares about the victim and those left behind and would never consider dehumanizing the crime.

The mystery itself was very engaging and kept me guessing all the way through. I loved how each new development was revealed to me just as it was found without trying to keep the mystery more mysterious! Louise has a style that keeps the story moving along nicely, throws in a pleasant smattering of humor, and provides characters that are very realistic and easy to relate to.

I listened to the audiobook read by Ralph Cosham. Ralph gave a bit of a monotone performance when it came to the narrative itself but did a pretty good job on the voices. Not my favorite reader but I won't hesitate to listen to other books he does.

Overall, I highly recommend this book! If you like a good mystery with a highly intelligent detective on the case, you'll love it!

The Italian Secretary - Caleb Carr

The Italian Secretary
By: Caleb Carr
Published: 2005
Audiobook Read by: Simon Prebble
My rating: Interesting








This one caught my interest right off since I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes and Watson find themselves summoned to Scotland by Mycroft Holmes. It appears there is a ghost going about doing all kinds of nasty things and Mycroft would like the matter cleared up posthaste! One complicating factor is the location of these hauntings; the Royal Palace of Holyrood! Holmes and Watson are only too happy to assist their Queen, so they set out to solve these bizarre happenings and end up in the middle of an adventure that very nearly is their last!

As I said, I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and was excited to find this authorized continuation of his adventures. I was a little disappointed though. The story was very engaging but it just didn't capture that flair that Doyle put in his works. As a general mystery tale it was pretty good, but as a Holmes mystery it wasn't up to snuff. The writing is great and the plot flows along quite nicely. The mystery itself was fairly well thought out and the characters are pretty well developed. I guess being in the shadow of a master raises the bar to much greater heights!

I listened to the audiobook read by Simon Prebble. Simon had an excellent voice for the part of Holmes. I love it when a narrator's voice fits my mental image of the character! He did an amazing job with the entire book and I very much enjoyed his performance!

Overall this is a fine mystery novel and has a lot of appeal of it's own. However, if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, don't approach it with too high expectations.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder - Joanne Fluke

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
By: Joanne Fluke
Published: 2000
Audiobook Read by: Suzanne Toren
My rating: Delightful









After listening to Peach Cobbler Murder I decided to go back to the beginning and listen to this first book of the series. It is definitely a yummy start to these tasty mysteries!

Hannah Swensen is just a simple bakery owner, not a private eye! So how on earth did she end up smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation? Her brother-in-law, hopefully the newest Lake Eden sheriff detective, needs her help, that's how! There are just some things that a bag full of cookies can accomplish that all the police training in the world can't! Hannah jumps in head first never thinking about how it all might end up. Her main thought is for Bill and the fact that a solved murder investigation to his credit will go a long way to that promotion he wants so badly! Would she do it over again if she knew what kind of trouble she'd end up in?

This was a fun story but I kept feeling a little disappointed that Hannah is the one finding all the clues and solving the mystery when Bill is the one who is a trained sheriff deputy hoping to be promoted. He comes off looking a bit like Barney Fife instead of a qualified contender for a detective badge. Regardless of that flaw the rest of the book was great. I loved the quirky characters and the small town they live in. I especially liked the good-natured hostility between Hannah and her mother who is constantly badgering her to do things she doesn't want to do! As far as the mystery goes, there really wasn't much of a chance to try to figure out the solution ahead of time so I was just along for the ride. I didn't mind that too much since it wasn't really as much about the investigation as it was about Hannah's role in it.

I listened to the audiobook read by Suzanne Toren and was very pleased with her performance. As before, she expertly brought the characters to life for me.

Overall, this is a book that you should read, not for the mystery, but for the fun of the ride. If you're wanting a mind bending riddle to solve this won't satisfy you but if you just want to enjoy some fun, you'll be in good hands!

The Quiche Of Death - M. C. Beaton

The Quiche Of Death
By: M. C. Beaton
Published: 1992
Audiobook Read by: Donada Peters
My rating: SPECTACULAR

After listening to one of Beaton's Hamish Macbeth mysteries and absolutely loving it, I had to give Miss Agatha Raisin a try. This is the first of the series and if the rest are this good, I'm in for a rip roarin' good time chasin' after Miss Raisin as she gets into all sorts of trouble!

Agatha Raisin has no idea what to do with herself after selling her successful London PR agency and retiring to the Cotswolds to enjoy some peaceful country life. She wants desperately to fit in but seems to be managing only a friendly tolerance from the locals. She decides to wow the village by winning the quiche competition and straight off trots back to London to buy a succulent spinach quiche from the best quichery in the business. After passing off her purchase as her own creation she is sure to win but is appalled to find someone else receiving the prize. In a huff she tells them to throw the rest in the trash and storms off. Later that night, the wife of the competition judge, gives him some of it for his dinner and he promptly dies due to poison found in the quiche. Well! Agatha can't believe it's an unfortunate accident, as the police determine, so she sets off to find out what really happened. While investigating she realizes that despite her misgivings about moving to this little town she is growing to love it and it's people and they are starting to accept her as well, even if she did try to cheat. She finally decides that it really must have been an accident and gives up her investigation. But will that mean a murderer will go unpunished?

I loved this book and I can't wait to get more! Agatha is hilarious, her bumbling detective skills put me in mind of Maxwell Smart, from the old show "Get Smart" (which I also loved), as she tries to uncover the truth. More often than not she simply lands her own self in trouble, or comes off looking like a fool to the townsfolk she wants to impress the most. I spent a lot of time with my head thrown back laughing aloud at her antics. (Which made me look the fool since I was listening over my earpiece and no one else knew why I was laughing!) I also loved the picture of the simple life she found in the village. A place where everyone cares about their neighbors and having fun is as easy as simply sitting around swapping stories or singing songs. It made me wish for a place like that to go and get away from the madness that surrounds us. I guess I can go there, through Agatha Raisin, since there are many other books in the series! :)

I listened to the audiobook read by Donada Peters. Donada is wonderful and she gave voice to the exact image of Agatha I had formed in my mind. She brought each character to life with voices and emotion that perfectly fit. I am very much hoping to hear more of her work!

Overall, you've probably figured out that I HIGHLY recommend this book! If you want a good laugh, your sure to get it from Agatha. The plot is well written as well, making a winning combination that I'm sure you'll love!