Anna Denning Mystery Series Box Set: Books 1-3

By: Karin Kaufman

Narrated by: Becky Doughty

Box set of the first three Anna Denning mysteries.

The Witch Tree: Anna Denning Mystery, Book 1

Just days before Christmas in the mountain town of Elk Park, Colorado, genealogist Anna Denning discovers a client's body. When she starts asking questions no one wants answered, she becomes the killer's next target. Still grieving the death of her husband, Anna must draw on her wounded faith to enter a world of Wicca and witchcraft - reminders of a past she buried long ago - and discover the secret of The Witch Tree.

The Witch Tree was a finalist for a 2011 Grace Award.

Sparrow House: Anna Denning Mystery, Book 2

When the owner of a mansion in the Colorado mountains hires Anna Denning to research his family tree, it's Anna's dream come true. A library brimming with old documents, an undiscovered family history - what more could a genealogist want?

Excited by the possibilities and fueled by a new love in her life, Anna, tenacious as ever, is undeterred by rumors that a ghost haunts the mansion. Until she uncovers records that suggest those rumors are more than idle talk.

The Sacrifice: Anna Denning Mystery, Book 3

It's nearly Halloween in Elk Park, Colorado, and one of the Elk Valley Historical Society's founding members, a retired history professor who wanted to hire genealogist, Anna Denning, to complete his secret research into the family trees of two other members, has been found dead - the victim of a brutal murder. When a friend of the victim pleads with Anna to complete the professor's work, Anna agrees. Her decision leads her into a disturbing world of lies, concealed identities, and the occult.

With courage and a hefty helping of stubborn resolve, and facing major changes in her personal life, Anna digs beneath the surface of the past to discover the dangerous secret behind a decades-old murder.

©2015 Karin Kaufman (P)2016 Karin Kaufman

Pretty good!

I got this series because I'm a genealogist, so thought it would be fun. Wasn't really pleased with the way witchcraft was betrayed, but its obvious the author is Christian so I got over it. but it irks me none the less. The narrator was good, and the mysteries cozy and I listened to all 3 to get my money's worth. But dont think I will get anymore.

Murder and Geneology

I loved this collection of 3 great, somewhat spooky murder mystery stories about a genealogist whose contracts to build a family tree continually lead her into trouble while she searches for answers.
I like the characters, love the twisted plots and completely enjoyed the challenges the intricate mysteries provided.
If you like mysteries with a touch of paranormal, this series is for you.

Anna Denning Mystery series 1-3

Would you consider the audio edition of Anna Denning Mystery Series Box Set: Books 1-3 to be better than the print version?

I love the audio book, because i can listen while i am cleaning house, soaking in the tub, walking or any other thing i do that i can't read at the time... but i also love to just read the words. So it is better when you can't sit and read but still want to hear a great story.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I love Anna, i can relate to her because she is a genealogist, and i love genealogy. Karen's stories keep me interested the whole time, her ability to tell a mystery story is great.

Have you listened to any of Becky Doughty’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to Becky before. But she did a wonderful job on these books. I love how she changes her tone for different characters, and her voice keeps me engaged and interested in the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I love how in each story Anna learns more about her own character, and i love how much she adores Jackson...

Any additional comments?

These are wonderful books, Karen has a true gift for bringing you into her world. I highly recommend these book, and the audio version is wonderful for those days when you just can't sit and read. :)

Kept me awake. I'm thankful.

I drive 70 miles to work every morning and was constantly in danger of dozing off. I started listening to this series and instantly became very interested in the characters and engrossed in the stories. It made the miles go by fast and made me much more alert. Awesome read or listen in this case.

Excellent

Anna refuses to be taken in with the superstitions.
A strong person in what she believed in and wouldn’t be swayed.
The plot was great full of twists and turns kept us interested
The mountain setting of murder and genealogy.
Delight to have gotten the 4 books in audio to review. The
narration brought these stories to life with excellent narration by Becky Doughty
Given audios for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

Always a winner

Karin never lets us down and neither does Anna Denning! All three are great stories and the set makes a wonderful gift for someone! They are good honest reads that will keep you glued to the pages! Don't miss out on these great stories!

Genealogy has never been so dangerous...

Karin Kaufman is a new-to-me author but when I got the chance to snag an audiobook containing the first 3 Anna Denning Mysteries I thought I'd give her books a try. I enjoy suspense from a Christian perspective, but, what really caught my attention was the spiritual warfare aspect. And, it turned out that all 3 books had that same thread.

The Witch Tree
I enjoyed the story as a whole. I appreciated that there was more to it than endless action scenes. Readers have the chance to actually get to know Anna a little bit outside of the murder mystery. I absolutely love that Anna is a genealogist and how it plays a big part in the mystery. It also provides some of the best twists and turns in the plot.

Sparrow House
I actually liked this one even better than the first book in the series. I loved the historical, are the 1970s even historical? murder mystery with clues hidden in old family documents, and the haunted house / ghost thread reminded me of my beloved childhood Nancy Drew books. I also really liked seeing Anna's relationship with her love interest continue to grow and mature as they both work through some things. Their romance provides a sweet contrast, and a nice break, from the mystery/suspense elements.

The Sacrifice
Well, OK. This was by far the creepiest so far in the series! The author really amped it up with this one! I could hardly put my phone aside for mundane stuff, you know, like eating or even breathing, but kept listening to the audiobook in slightly horrified fascination. Needless to say, I finished it in record time.

Overall

As I've listened to the Anna Denning Mystery series in audiobook I've really come to enjoy the narrator. She has the perfect voice for Anna, has excellent narration skills, and she's just so easy to listen to. The sound and production quality is also top-notch. All in all, the listening experience is a very good one.

A thing to note for those who might care, one of the things that makes this series believable, and even more relatable, is the presence of mild language.

If you enjoy murder mysteries with spiritual warfare overtones you should definitely check out this book and the rest of the series (they are best read in order). Just don't forget to leave your light on tonight...

(I received a copy of this book from an author. All opinions are entirely my own.)

Monotone Naration

The story itself may have been decent but a very poor narration was annoying and made it hard to follow,

Narrator :(

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I only listened to about 10 chapters, but the story line left a lot to be desired, and the narrator was not at all satisfying.

Would you ever listen to anything by Karin Kaufman again?

Probably not.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator was okay when narrating, but when "acting" out the character's parts, she was very drab, not a good actress at all. I kept finding myself wanting her to say the line with a more realistic style.

What character would you cut from Anna Denning Mystery Series Box Set: Books 1-3?

I don't know.

Any additional comments?

No.

Annoying

What disappointed you about Anna Denning Mystery Series Box Set: Books 1-3?

Anna, the main character, is a whiny person but I think the narrator made it worse. This book did not capture my attention as I was easily distracted doing other things while listening and catch up with the story in progress. Anna is predictable and simplistic. But I think it was less about the writing and more about the over-exaggerated style of the narrator in every single sentence.

What could Karin Kaufman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Make the "mysteries" more mysterious!

How could the performance have been better?

Over-exaggerated - over performed. Not sure how to say it but it seemed like every sentence was emotional instead of just matter of fact. Not casual enough.