Book Review - Sex, Murder, and a Double Latte by Kyra Davis

Synopsis: 

When a mystery writer cries bloody murder, everyone blames her overactive imagination . . .
Thriller scribe Sophie Katz is as hard-boiled as a woman who drinks Grande Caramel Brownie Frappuccinos can be. So Sophie knows it's not paranoia or post-divorce, living-alone-again jitters, when she becomes convinced that a crazed reader is sneaking into her apartment to reenact scenes from her books. The police, however, can't tell a good plot from an unmarked grave.

When a filmmaker friend is brutally murdered in the manner of a death scene in one of his movies, Sophie becomes convinced that a copycat killer is on the loose--and that she's the next target. If she doesn't solve the mystery, her own bestseller will spell out her doom. Cursing her grisly imagination (why, oh, why did she have to pick the ax?), Sophie engages in some real-life gumshoe tactics. The man who swoops in to save her in dark alleys is mysterious new love interest Anatoly Darinsky. Of course, if this were fiction, Anatoly would be her prime suspect....


My Thoughts: I listened to the audio book for this and it was so fun!  The cover even screams fun but I honestly picked it up because I needed to read a book with a gun on the cover for a reading challenge I was participating in. (blush)  But hey it doesn't matter what brought me to read it just that I did and I adored it!

It has loads of action and a great cast of fun characters especially Sophie and her out of this world friends, Marcus and Dena. They kept me laughing. Don't let that pink cover fool you though...this isn't a "fluffy" story but one of a kick-ass lady who goes in search of a killer she thinks is acting out parts from her stories. It's funny and dangerous the predicaments she finds herself in along with her "helpful" friends.

I felt the narrator did a great job differentiating among the different characters which made the story even more enjoyable.

About the Author:

Kyra Davis is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Just One Night, Pure Sin and Sophie Katz series as well as So Much For My Happy Ending. Just One NIght has been optioned for television by Anonymous, (the producers of True Detective)


Before publishing her first book, Sex, Murder And A Double Latte in 2005 Kyra supported herself and her son as a marketing manager for a sports club and before that was a department manager at Nordstrom’s Savvy department. She studied at The Fashion Institute Of Design and Merchandising and Golden Gate University.

Kyra now lives with her husband (director and screenwriter, Rod Lurie), her teenage son (proud science-geek and Hawaiian-Shirt-aficionado), dog (champion eater and guardian of the backyard…no squirrel will dare set foot in it) and gecko (the gecko doesn’t do much).

Audiobook Review - Spirits of the Western Wild by David Schaub and Roger Vizard

* Spirits of the Western Wild *

* David Schaub & Roger Vizard *

* Adventure/Mystery/Comedy *

Title: Spirits of the Western Wild

Authors: David Schaub & Roger Vizard

Publisher: Independent

Genre: Adventure / Mystery / Comedy

This mystical adventure follows a young
adventure-seeker named Luther McCleron on a westward journey to learn
more about his Grandfather. A series of fateful missteps take Luther far
from his destination to a disheveled little town under the tyranny of a
crooked sheriff named Big Willie. It’s here that Luther comes
face-to-face with the legendary ghost of Monty: a curmudgeonly ghost who
refuses to believe he’s dead. Luther just wants to get back to his
quest, but Monty thwarts his plans by using Luther to take out his
vengeance on Big Willie.

Through a catastrophic string of events, Luther and Monty find

themselves hopelessly entangled in a combative partnership that

escalates to the breaking point. Only by reconciling their differences

are they able to uncover the profound connections that weave their fates

together.

A mysterious book of premonitions, an ominous crow, and ancient

Indian drive the mystical tone of this world; conjuring spiritual forces

to help steer Luther on his journey through this western “twilight

zone.”

All the loose ends resolve in a satisfying story of redemption,

loyalty and ascension while exploring the mysterious nature of fate and

destiny. Was all of this a coincidence? Or are we guided by ancient

“spirits on the wind” that nudge and steer us along our path to assure

that we arrive safely at our intended destination in the end?

My Thoughts: My husband listened to this with me and we thoroughly enjoyed it! The characters and  sound effects were phenomenal! The story was so entertaining and interesting and just really fun and when I say my husband listened to this with me that's saying something  ALOT because he rarely takes interests in my reading or listening fun. We have very different tastes!

I was also given a free copy of the digital book and was able to follow along with it which was very fun! It has really pretty colorful illustrations in it. I would LOVE to see this picked up and created into a movie or TV show of some kind! 5 out of 5 stars hands down Fun!

*I was given a free copy of the digital book and audio for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars

 A fantastic and Immersive adventure for everyone. 

What a wonderful audio book and what a
pleasure it was to be on this journey. Not only the adventure was
captivating but also everything around it. The sounds effect and voices
really bring it all together, you almost feel like you are right there
witnessing all this first hand. The production quality is something I
have never heard before. Very well done and I highly recommend it.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2qsxtKC

Audible → https://adbl.co/2OjjleM

______________________

TEASER

____________________

EXCERPT

It's eerily quiet here, aside from the monotonous sound of a squeaking windmill, long detached from the rusted pump that feeds the wooden water

tower.

Dilapidated wooden structures are mixed with colonial Spanish architecture.  Ominous religious relics are awash in the orange glow of twilight -- home of the classic Spaghetti Western.

Jasper leads the way, mumbling nonsensical gibberish to himself.
 

Luther tags along cautiously -- unaware of a stoic old Indian watching from the shadows of the abandoned post office.

This is Kickapoo -- eyes barely discernible inside the ancient crevices of his face.  From under his poncho, Kickapoo radiates the calm tranquility of an ancient spirit.  All-knowing -- silent and still -- moving only as much as required to breathe.

A small flourish twists overhead -- a remnant of the storm -- and a page from Luther's lost book swirls in and settles at Kickapoo's feet.

PUSH IN on the header:  “CHAPTER 2: THE DELIVERANCE.”

Kickapoo gives an appreciative nod skyward.  The plan is unfolding...

 

______________________

TEASER

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

David Schaub is a writer and Academy Award ®
nominated Animation Supervisor working in the film industry for more
than 25 years. In 2019 he produced and directed the audio adaptation of
SPIRITS OF THE WESTERN WILD.  He also developed STORY COMPASS®
smartphone app for screenwriters (www.moviemethods.com) in 2017.

Schaub received Oscar nomination for animation in Tim Burton’s ALICE
IN WONDERLAND (Disney), along with nominations for BAFTA Award, Saturn
Award and Critic’s Choice Award, and won the Golden Satellite Award for
Best Visual Effects for his team’s work on the film.

HEAD ANIMATION on Sony Picture’s SURFS UP – recognized with two Annie
Awards among its ten nominations including Academy Award nomination and
four Visual Effects Society (VES) award nominations.

ANIMATION DIRECTOR on AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 (2014), CHRONICLES OF
NARNIA (Disney), I AM LEGEND (Warner Bros.) and LEAD ANIMATOR on STUART
LITTLE 1 & 2, EVOLUTION, CAST AWAY, GODZILLA, PATCH ADAMS and more.

ANIMATION DIRECTOR – Universal’s award-winning JURASSIC WORLD
EXPEDITION (2019) VR EXPERIENCE. Exploring cinematic potential of
virtual reality.

Website & Social links

Website → https://www.dschaub2.com/

https://www.dschaub2.com/other-projects

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/dschaub2writer

Goodreads → https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19662596.David_Schaub

Roger Vizard is a writer and self-taught
artist. He was accepted into the animation program at Sheridan College
in1987, then worked at Sullivan Bluth Studios in Ireland, then as an
animation apprentice on “WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT” at Richard Williams’
studio in London.  He later became Williams’ assistant animator on
“THIEF AND THE COBBLER.”

After several years working in Europe at studios like Gerhard Hahn in
Germany and A-films in Denmark, he moved to Los Angeles in 1993 to work
as a story board artist on the first season of Sonic the Hedgehog, then
rolled back into animation again after that.  He successfully made the
transition to from 2D to CGI on “STUART LITTLE 2” in 2001, and since
that time have worked non-stop at animation/VFX studios in Los Angeles.

Website

Website → https://www.rvizard.com/

Audio-Book Review - Murder is a Debate by Brandy Nacole

Synopsis:  Nora and her two best friends, Liv and Nina, aren't like most people. Nora is the private school kid - the rich girl, though everyone hates her. Liv and Nina attend the run-down public school on the opposite side of town where the football team is a solid two and the art department was shut down due to funding. Their worlds should have never collided, but they had one common factor that brought them together: murder.

In an online mystery chat room, the three girls meet and decide to form the Murder Club. Each week, one of the girls must come up with a murder scenario for the other two to solve. It's fun. It's active. It's also deadly.

When one of Nora's classmates ends up dead, she's suspicious of her new friends. His death mirrors the very same scenario Nora came up with in their previous meeting. As clues emerge, pointing more definitively at the members of the Murder Club, Nora begins digging for her own clues, bringing fantasy to reality. Could Liv and Nina be involved, and if so, why?
They were all curious. Was one of them too curious?

My Thoughts: OMG This was so good! I've only just started listening to audio books and usually find them hard to get into but had no problems with this one. The narrator, Jennifer O'Donnel did a fantastic job with the different characters and really knocked that ending out of the park!

The actual story itself was also very interesting and unlike most mystery who dunnit's I had a very hard time figuring out the culprit here which made me enjoy it so much more. I really get bored fast if I can straightaway guess who did it.

I was totally engrossed with Nora's character. I felt like she had multiple lives so to speak because it seemed she had to be and behave a certain way at home with her family, then she had to be the "brainiac" at her school for the debate team group, and alas another way with her Murder Club friends. Kinda like folks who don't like for their food to touch on their plates she didn't want her "three worlds" to overlap or come together but then she did have good reason for feeling this way with somebody trying to frame her for murder.

If you love a good mystery grab this one up and sit back and enjoy the ride!

*I received this audio-book free in exchange for an honest review.