Broke

An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery

By: Kaye George

Narrated by: Veronica Newton

Imogene Duckworthy, eager PI assistant, wants to be on her own. She finds a rental house where her four-year-old daughter, Nancy Drew Duckworthy, and Drew's pet pig, Marshmallow, are allowed. The rumors are that the house is haunted. It's no rumor there's a dead man in the bathtub when she inspects the house, though. A long-lost relative is the logical suspect, but can Immy let her Uncle Dewey be railroaded for a crime he, possibly, didn't commit?

©2012, 2013, 2014 Kaye George (P)2015 Kaye George

This book wasn't for me

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was ok. The best part of this book was how the narrator brought to life the characters. It sounded like she was having a blast reading it.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It didn't come as a surprise.

Which scene was your favorite?

Marshmallow winning.

Could you see Broke being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Not really. There was too much going on the book felt like it was all over the place.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

Entertaining Cozy Mystery

Any additional comments?

I just finished the Audible version of Broke: An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery by Kaye George, which is an entertaining cozy mystery. It is easily listened to in a few sittings and is essentially a piece of "brain candy" (think chocolate for the brain).

The story centers around Immy Duckworthy who is a secretary for a private investigator with aspirations of becoming a PI herself. With her delusions of grandeur, Immy's character reminds me a bit of the Barney Fife character from the 1960's The Andy Griffith Show. In this story Immy, her daughter, and their potbelly pig move out of her mother's doublewide trailer and into an old rundown house that should be condemned. The mystery in the story is who killed the dead guy found in the bathtub of her new house? Another question is why do so many people keep trespassing in her house, even after the locks are changed?

Veronica Newton's narration was good. She generally had good pace, inflections, and tone. I also liked the differing voices between the genders. I received a copy of this audio in exchange for an unbiased review.

Fun Storytelling and Quality Narration

I enjoy these books. They are simple mysteries, free of the preposterous plot elements that infect so much of the genre today. The heroine is naive (sometimes bordering on the infantile) but she is also spunky and tenacious. No matter how silly she gets, you still like her, and want her to succeed.

The narrator, Veronica Newton, does a superlative job. Her vocal characterizations are subtle, and never veer into caricature. She keeps the narrative moving at a sprightly pace, and her voice is poised and easy on the ears. She is just terrific.

OK start to a series

This was an interesting story but the writing needed some improvement. The sentence structures were a little awkward and it was really emphasized by the narration. There were also instances where the narrator got confused and used the wrong voice. The ditzy main character is one of those that you will truly love or truly hate. For all its faults, it was an enjoyable read.

"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

good book

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com.”

the book was very interesting. i would listen again and to other books by this author

the joys of house renting

This is one of those light cozy mysteries where the everyday life of the characters is almost as important as the crime being solved, and where setting is as important to its enjoyment as are events. The mystery itself was competently constructed, and contained some nice twists and a few surprises, though only a little real suspense.

What bothered me about this book, however, were the characters. I can understand young, naïve and eager, but the heroine of this book often was also inept and clueless, and her eagerness was over the top. I prefer my heroines smarter, more observant, and more competent in all respects. This one missed clues that were so obvious they practically smacked her in the face.

While I did enjoy some of the other characters, most were so overdrawn that they became annoying; the heroine’s mother being a perfect example. Her use of language, which was no doubt intended to make her quirky and unique was just so unbelievable that it rang entirely false. No one talks like that, not even a well read librarian.

Few authors can create good child characters. The child in this book was fairly well done, and the relationships between the little girl, her mother and her grandmother were credible and sometimes charming. I must say that, in many ways, the most enjoyable character in this book was the pig.

The narrator gave a competent performance, and while I sometimes found her presentation of characters a little strained, she did have good expression, pronunciation and speech rate.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review via the courtesy of AudioBookBlast dot com.

Broke

Imogene Duckworthy wants to be a PI,on her own.She now works for one,but does her own investigations in work time in the workplace.She has a daughter,Nancy Drew Duckworthy,Drew,who has a pet pig named Marshmallow.The narrator ,Veronica Newton,was ok for this project but the voice of this kid set my teeth on edge.Immy moves into a house,at age 22,shes lived with mom up until now.Turns out the place is haunted and she lives near a fire bug.So much happens in such a short amount of time!Immy seems like a fairly dumb person,taking chances with not only her life but everyone elses.
I was given this book free for an honest review.

A Fun Story

Any additional comments?

A number of years ago, I read a series of four books by Joan Coggins, first released around 1945, then re-published by Rue Morgue Press. These were set just a bit before and after World War Two and featured Lady Lupin, a scatterbrained and very wealthy young woman who married a vicar and who investigated local crimes. They were hilarious and kindly and, all these years later, they still stick in my mind as favorites. Imogene Duckworthy reminded me almost instantly of Lady Lupin and I can’t think of a more favorable comparison.

Immy is goofy and not especially suited to being a private investigator but she’s determined to make her own way in the world and detecting is what she wants to do. Her case this time begins in the falling-apart rental house in Texas she’s moved into with her little girl and Marshmallow, a loveable potbellied pig. Throw in the local cop, Deputy Ralph Sandoval, and the scene is ripe for figuring out how a dead body ended up in her bathtub and why anyone is interested in the old furniture left in the house.

Adding to the fun of this story is the voice of the narrator, Veronica Newton. Ms. Newton has a lively tone and she makes the different characters quite distinctive with the child’s being the only voice I didn’t care for. I haven’t listened to this narrator before but I’ll be happy to again.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, January 2017.

A cute Mystery

Would you consider the audio edition of Broke to be better than the print version?

Yes I would..I liked most of the voices of the narrator and she stayed in character most of the time..I would have liked a more masculine voice for Theo, but loved little Drew's voice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was little Nancy Drew..at first she seemed a bit spoiled and annoying ,but as the book went on she endeared herself to my heart.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Pretty much so

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I have no clue.

Any additional comments?

If you are looking for a cute mystery than this is it. My husband and I listened to it together and we enjoyed it.

Horrible narrator, average story

What would have made Broke better?
A different narrator. A brighter, less flaky protagonist.

What do you think your next listen will be?
A selection from the Book Collector mystery series. The protagonist is intelligent, the subject matter is interesting, and the narrator is good.

How did the narrator detract from the book?
She overacted, as if she were reading a children's book. She often had this weird inflection as if she were in physical pain; other times, she sounded as if she were trying to suppress a fit of laughter. It was just weird. In fact, it was torture. Particularly annoying was her interpretation of the protagonist's 4-year-old daughter, Drew. Instead of sounding like a child, she sounded like she was doing a caricature of a child with a speech impediment.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
There was the potential for an interesting character--a single mom taking an online private detective course could lead to some good story lines and humor. But the execution was very amateurish, and the narration made the whole experience painful.