Audiobook Archives – Carol's Notebook

The Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne

May 30, 2023May 30, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

The Antiquity Affair is a fun book. It's got history, action, suspense, family drama, and a bit of romance. Our main characters, sisters Lila and Tess, are wrapped up in a race for the Serpent’s Crown, a powerful legendary relic. They have friends and family on their side but of course, there's an evil brotherhood that also wants the crown so they can control Egypt and then, presumably, the world. I liked Lila and Tess and how they come to understand each other better throughout the book and work on repairing their relationship. Each of the women is capable in her own way and their skills play off each other's well. I listened to the audiobook and having two narrators, one for each of the women, worked out well. I do wish their voices had been a little more different. The book touches on women's place in society and the questionable ethics of removing historical artifacts from their countries of...

A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen

May 26, 2023May 26, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

When Tiffany's half-brother dies unexpectedly, she buries him in the garden and then assumes his identity. She sees it as the only way to keep her cottage and money. As a spinster in 1780s England, she has few options. Of course, being two people is quite complicated. When a servant at the palace is found poisoned, a death that looks very similar to her brother's, Tiffany realizes she might be in danger. Tiffany is a great main character. She's determined and funny and loves reading novels, which she was never allowed to do before. She's also very aware of society's inequalities and determined to help when she can. A Novel Disguise is a nice mix of romantic comedy, because of course Tiffany has a love interest and of course hijinks ensue, and murder mystery. It's also very well-researched without showing it off. The details of daily life for both the aristocracy and servants are fit in well. It also shows us a...

The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

May 19, 2023May 19, 2023 by Carol5 Comments

The Honjin Murders, set in 1937 in a rural Japanese village, is told by an unnamed narrator who is telling what he learned from the people close to the crime. The eldest son of a wealthy family was marrying a beautiful, talented, but lower-class, woman. But on the wedding night, the family heard terrible screams coming from the bedroom of the newlywed couple, the door and the windows were locked, and the couple was found stabbed to death. Detective Kindaichi was summoned by the bride's uncle, to investigate the double murders. While the characters are not well-developed, we get a definite feel for the culture and traditions of the time. The plot was intricate and had several twists. The narrator plays fair with us, even going so far as to point at what is significant and what can be ignored. I can't say I love a good locked-room mystery. The murder method can get a little overly complicated, which quite honestly was...

Witches in the Kitchen by Danielle Garrett

May 17, 2023May 19, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Witches in the Kitchen is the first of the in the Magic Inn Paranormal Mysteries series, which is apparently a spin-off of the Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries series. I hav never read the Harbor series and didn't feel like I missed anything. I guess some of the secondary characters are from that series originally, but I felt like everyone was introduced well. It's a fun read. Our main character, Blair, discovers she's a witch by accidentally turning into a cat when she is in a life-threatening situation. The Supernatural Protection Agency steps in and she is moved to Beechwood Inn for her safety and to learn more about controlling her powers. I liked Blair. The life she's been leading up to now is a bit boring and a bit lonely. But learning that magic is real has thrown her for quite a loop. She's sweet and nice and caring. The inn's owners, Holly and Adam, are good mentors and the other inn...

Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye

May 11, 2023May 11, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

The colonial Kenya setting here is difficult. Death in Kenya is set at the tail end of the Mau Mau Uprising and focuses entirely on the British, how they live, how they view the people and land of Africa, and their ambitions, which makes sense given the author's background (see below). That portion of the story has not aged well. Aside from that, the setting is lovely and exotic, beautiful and dangerous. Victoria Caryll receives a letter from her Aunt Em asking her to return to Flamingo, her aunt's plantation in Kenya where she spent her childhood. Victoria, of course, leaves right away for Kenya but when she arrives, she learns that someone in the household has been murdered. The mystery was well done with plenty of suspects among the local British farmers and managers. I know that we often say mysteries have twists we didn't see coming, but this one did catch me off guard. I was surprised by who the...

Still Life in Brunswick Stew by Larissa Reinhart

May 3, 2023May 3, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

First, I have to admit I had no idea what Brunswick Stew is. Apparently, it's a Southern dish, a tomato-based stew filled with local beans, vegetables, and originally small game meat such as squirrel or rabbit, though today often chicken or smoked pork. The Brunswick Stew Cook-Off is a major draw at the annual festival in Sidewinder, Georgia where Cherry, a painter, and her friend Eloise Parker, who makes Raku pottery, have set up an art booth. It's not a good day. A bunch of people end up with food poisoning and it kills Eloise. Cherry, of course, is convinced it wasn't an accident and is determined to figure out who killed Eloise. The mystery is not the strongest part of the book. I guessed who the killer was fairly early, but really didn't care so much. The characters and the small-town antics are what drives the book. Cherry is a mess, but likable. She's broke, her love life's a disaster,...