77) Dirty Little Secret by Liliana Hart

The Blurb :

J.J. Graves has seen a lot of dead bodies in her line of work...

She's not only in the mortuary business, but she's also the coroner for King George County, Virginia. When a grisly murder is discovered in the small town of Bloody Mary, it's up to J.J. and her best friend, Detective Jack Lawson, to bring the victim justice.

The murders are piling up...

The residents of Blood Mary are dropping like flies, and when a popular mystery writer shows up on J.J.'s doorstep with plans of writing his new book about the Bloody Mary Serial Killer, J.J. has to decide if he might be going above and beyond the call of duty to create the spine tinglers he's so well known for. It only clouds the issue and puts her reputation on the line when the attraction between them spirals out of control.

And passions are rising...

J.J and Jack are in a race against time. They discover each victim had a shocking secret, and the very foundation of J.J.'s life is in danger of crumbling when it turns out she’s harboring secrets of her own—secrets that make her the perfect victim in a deadly game

My Thoughts :

I had already listened to Liliana Hart's Addison Holmes Mysteries and picked this first in the series book up sometime while it was on sale at Audible.  After it taking up space for quite some time I finally got around to listening to it and found myself getting hooked pretty quickly.  Which was good because the audio version was quite short compared to the usual length of books I listen to.

This wasn't very cozy, there was some romance but this was mostly mystery.  The plot was interesting and compelling and I liked the characters too.  There is obviously still a lot to learn about them, the town and everything else but this start was good enough to keep me intrigued and putting the second installment on my wishlist.

However I do think this one had a couple of minor flaws.  One thing was the self-confessed nearly a virgin again J.J jumping into bed with a guy so easily and falling so hard for him.  Also her wild exploits, while thankfully not shared in any length, sounded a little too over the top for someone so unexperienced as she kept saying she was.   Also what bugged me was her casual mention of vital evidence whenever needed.  Seeing as the story was being told by her I would have thought she would have mentioned some of the findings much sooner.

Anyway, despite those little weak areas I really liked this debut in the series and will definitely be checking out the second installment.  Maybe not for everyone due to the violence mentioned but definitely a great mystery with a good plot.

84) Whiskey, You're the Devil by Liliana Hart

The Blurb :

Things are looking up for Addison Holmes. She's about to take her P.I. exams, she's living in sin with the man of her dreams, and she hasn't had a phone call from her mother in three whole days. But she should have known things were too good to last.

When Rosemarie Valentine's fingerprints are found on the murder weapon used to kill a sex shop owner, it's up to Addison and the gang to clear her name before Rosemarie is thrown in the pokey with no hope of getting out again.

With the help of Nick, Savage, Kate, and Addison's mom and sister, what could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts :

I listened to this series a while back but the newest installment wasn't available on Audio yet.  I kept looking for it and kept looking for it and now a year after the release an audio version has finally appeared and I couldn't wait to listen to it.  It may not have been totally worth the wait but it was a fun listen and a nice installment.  It also seems to be the last.

Despite the story being a little too quick at times and the conclusion of the mystery being a little bleh, I have to admit that this series is just hilarious.  Think Stephanie Plum but without things blowing up all the time.  Addison is sassy and funny with some interesting ideas on how everything should work.  I really like her and the weird and wonderful family and friends.

The audio version is well read but I think the narrator sounds too old to be Addison.  She does however make the story nice to listen to and brings the story to life.  I enjoyed this fourth book mainly because of the audio version and doubt I would have bothered with this series if I had read another version.  Sometimes narrators just make the series better.

If you have already started listening to this series then you will be happy to see this fourth installment finally available.  If you haven't tried the series at all then I can only highly recommend the audible over the physical version.  A nice fun series and I hope there will at least be one more.  The ending made it sound like there could be another book but on the other hand it could also end on that note.

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

106) Whiskey for Breakfast by Liliana Hart

The Blurb :

The Private Investigator's Handbook

Rule #1: Don't break the law

Rule #2: See Rule #1

...And then there's Addison Holmes, who makes up her handbook as she goes along.

Addison is licensed to carry and she means business. The only thing getting in her way is a sexy detective, a neighborhood watch from hell, a dead billionaire, a black market sperm bank, and a long lost heir.

Piece of cake...

My Thoughts :

Just like the Mudbug series, I got addicted to the Addison Holmes series.  Both are series are the audio book versions that I came across on Audible.com and decided to give them a try.  They both worked out to be great choices.  Whiskey for Breakfast is the third book in the series and it got rid of any doubts I had about the books.  Maybe I just got used to the narrator or I got used to Addison but something happened in this third installment to make me really like this series and want more.

There are the usual shenanigans in Whiskey for Breakfast as well as some interesting developments.  A Holmes family member turns up and we find out more about Nick.  There are some fun Rosemarie moments and more Kate problems to sort out.  There is also NAD (read and find out more) and the handsome FBI agent Savage in the neighbourhood which is sometimes a good and sometimes a bad thing.

On top of all the things going on around Addison's private life she also has her work.  The case she is given this time around seems harmless enough at first but it slowly opens up into some more mysterious and dangerous.  Once again Addison gets involved in something that leaves her in some really life threatening situations.

This has turned out to be a very fun and quirky series and I am glad I took a chance on it.  Stephanie Plum could be Addison Holmes cousin with the amount of giggles, crazy happenings and romantic problems they have.  Addison is not as explosive as Plum but they both have a certain something that makes you laugh, cringe and go back for more.

Whiskey for Breakfast has a nice cliffhanger ending but I have to admit I saw it coming.  The author either wanted the reader to make the jump before Addison found out or thought it may not be as obvious as it was.  If she goes ahead with the storyline that she is setting up for Addison then she is giving herself a huge challenge and I am sure it will make for great reading!  However if she decides to make it somehow 'go away' I will slightly disappointed and hope the reason given not over the top or stupid.

I would really like to listen to the fourth installment but it isn't available on Audible.  Just like the next episode in the Mudbug series it seems I will have to wait.  I could get the books and read the next installments but once you start a series via audio it is hard to make the switch.  So I will be keeping a look out and hopefully I won't have to wait too long for them to make an appearance.

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

102) Whiskey Sour by Liliana Hart

The Blurb :

Addison Holmes is at it again. When priceless Russian gems are stolen on their way to Savannah and the courier is murdered, all the clues lead to back to an escort service that seems above reproach. But looks can be deceiving.

Throw in a sexy detective and a dangerous FBI agent, and Addison finds out very quickly that she's in way over her head. But nothing is going to stop her from getting her man.

My Thoughts :

After enjoying the first book in this series, Whiskey Rebellion, I felt like listening to the second book straight away.  The wit, humour and general fun of the first book was nice to listen to on the way to work and a way to relax on the way home.  Whiskey Sour was also a pleasure and I was eager to get out of the house and pop the earphones in and see what kind of trouble Addison could get herself into next.  An accident constantly happening, she could be a distance relation to Stephanie Plum.

This time around I felt the production of the audio book was of a higher quality.  The sound wasn't weird and the narrator actually felt a right fit even if she does sound, imho, too old to be Addison.  It sounded like the reader really made an effort this time around and it definitely made the story more of a joy to listen to.  Although sometimes the tracks jumped/repeated sentences...not sure if that is a problem on my end or if it is an Audible problem.

Addison gets involved in some FBI business this time which brought in another hunky guy and a lot more problems/money.  I wasn't quite sure how much time was supposed to have passed since the last book but I did feel like I missed something and wondered if there was a novella filling in the gap.  Despite this little annoyance I really got into the plot and found myself rolling my eyes and smiling at all the messes and silliness.  Of course there is a serious angle to the case as well but the Addison effect keeps it light and fun.

I am quite enjoying this series so far and will move onto the third installment without taking a break.  I am eager to see what happens next and there were a few things that happened in this second book that will make the third book very interesting.  Well worth checking out if you like to have a little laugh and fun with your mysteries.  Addison is an unique character who will leave you wondering if you want to be more like her or if you really are like her.

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

100) Whiskey Rebellion by Liliana Hart

The Blurb :

My name is Addison Holmes, and I teach history at James Madison High School in Whiskey Bayou, Georgia. You might be under the assumption that my life went to the dogs when my fiance left me at the altar for the home economics teacher, or when I got notice that my apartment building was going to be condemned, or even when I was desperate enough to strip to my unmentionables to earn some extra cash. The truth is that I'm pretty much used to disasters following me around on a daily basis, but I could have gone without finding my principal dead in the parking lot of a seedy gentlemen's club.

After the initial shock of finding my first dead body, which included throwing back shots of Jack Daniels like it was water, I decided to take stock of my life. I was in a desperate situation and if the school board ever found out I'd been a stripper, even a bad stripper, I'd be jobless as well as fiance-less and homeless. Fortunately, I had a friend who felt sorry enough for me to give me a job doing some surveillance work at her detective agency. Not to mention the fact that I was now able to stick my nose into other people's business for a good cause, find a murderer, and pick up helpful tips from an incredibly attractive detective.

My Thoughts :

I can't remember how I came across this book but it was free on Amazon Kindle and I snapped it up after reading the blurbs and a few reviews.   Then while looking for something new to listen to on Audible I came across this again but it was at a very reduced price because I already owned the Kindle version.  I decided that the chances of me getting around to actually reading this book was slim while I knew I would start listening to it straight away.

My first impressions of the book were not helped by the bad quality of the audio book.  Maybe I have been spoilt by the great narrators and great quality of the many other books I have listened to but this one was not up to the standards I have come to enjoy.  The narrator sounded older than the character by at least 15 years if not more and her enthusiasm for the story just wasn't coming across.  I warmed up to the voice by the end and I think the reader got into the story and characters somewhere along the way.  However the whole production was ruined by the sound.  It was like the narrator was recording the book in her bathroom or metal container.  If I turned down the volume it was hard to notice but when on public transport the low volume isn't very helpful and it was a cringe worthy experience to listen to the book at times.

Despite finding the production of the audio to be quite awful, I did end up enjoying the book.  It took a while to get used to Addison but as things progressed and the plot started to open up more it become much more enjoyable.  It all reminded me a lot of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich but there were any car explosions.  There was a good dose of getting into some very silly situations and there is a nice romantic element with a detective to heat things up.  A nice combination and a humourous mystery that kept me wondering till the end.

Well worth trying out if you like the type of cozy mystery that is all about mad-cap adventures and laughs.  I certainly can't deny that I liked it enough to go download the next episode in the series.  Depending on how I am feeling on Monday it maybe the next installment in this series that gets listened to next week.

↑ Grab this Headline Animator