Drama Queen

A Nicky and Noah Mystery

By: Joe Cosentino

Narrated by: Michael Gilboe

It could be curtains for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodies popping up all over campus, Nicky must use his drama skills to figure out who is playing the role of murderer before it is lights out for Nicky and his colleagues. Complicating matters is Nicky's huge crush on Noah Oliver, a gorgeous assistant professor in his department, who may or may not be involved with a cocky graduate assistant... and is also the top suspect for the murders! You will be applauding and shouting "bravo" for Joe Cosentino's fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat, delightfully entertaining novel. Curtain up!

©2015 Joe Cosentino (P)2015 Lethe Press

A fun dramatic comedy.

Nicky Abbondanza is at the center of this murder mystery. Set on the Treemeadow college campus that focuses on the theater arts, there are plenty of characters that are literally trained in the arts of deceit, deflection, deception, and out right artful lies. It’s going to be tough to figure out who is racking up the bodies. And then there is Noah Oliver, an assistant professor who is up for tenure. every time Nicky sees Noah, his heart does a little flip.

As you can tell by the name of the series (A Nicky & Noah Mystery) these two eventually team up. First, we have to go through all the cutsy stuff of them figuring out that they like each other. That was pretty sweet. Once their romance is off and running, it moves really quickly. In fact, that is probably one of the things that I found a bit silly about the plot. I think they went from friend/colleagues to lovers to moving in together in less than a week. Such a fast romance wasn’t really necessary for the plot.

The murder mystery itself was fun. There are plenty of suspects and plenty of bodies. So of course we have to wonder if we have one killer or multiple killers. The suspects have good motivations too for wanting some or all of the victims dead. I was guessing until the end. The final culprit(s) was a total surprise and I felt it came out of left field a bit. It left me a little unsatisfied.

Humor and wit twine together in this twisty murder mystery. Some of the humor was punny and a little predictable. I did laugh a few times. There were plenty of jokes about people being in the closet and being rather frustrated, angry folks because of it. The first time or two, it fit the plot and was worth a chuckle. Then some of the jokes kept being repeated throughout the story. This was one of those books I had to be in the mood for so I listened to it in chunks. This book definitely lives up to it’s name with plenty of characters having dramas big and little.

Now for the sex scenes. They are steamy and hot, sometimes lengthy and sometimes brief. Sometimes we get plenty of detail (including measurements of people’s personal equipment), and sometimes it was some kissing and then the curtain closed so we don’t get to see what they did next. It worked with the story and gave a little break from the action (of the murder mystery).

I really, really liked that we have such a representation of the LGBTQ community. In some cases (especially for the minor characters) that was their defining character. But for the main characters, their sexual preferences was secondary to their person (job, likes, believes,etc.).

Overall, I enjoyed this flawed tale. It was fun and unlike any other murder mystery I have listened to. The uniqueness definitely grabbed me up front. While the dramatic humor weared on me here and there, I was hooked by the plot and really wanted to know who did the deed. While the ending left me feeling luke warm on the plot’s resolution, I still wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another Cosentino book to see what he comes up with next.

I received a copy of this book from the author at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

The Narration: Michael Gilboe did a very good job on this book. It had a pretty large cast for a fairly short novel. His male voices were distinct and varied enough to keep everyone straight. He managed the same for the ladies with the added bonus of having believable female voices. He also pulled off the exaggerated gay accent when needed.

Cosentino does it every time!

Any additional comments?

Cosentino consistently delivers a great read, or listen, in all his books.

With a mix of mystery, romance, and humor Drama Queen kept me up much too late and fully entertained.

Thanks, Joe!

Awesome Story. Adequate narration.

Story Review:

The only two stories I have read from author Joe Cosentino were both heartfelt and heartbreaking. With Drama Queen, he proves that he can do humor and mystery with equal skill.

Drama Queen is the first book in his new Nick and Noah Mysteries series. A series of cozy mysteries with two Drama professors from a small Vermont college as the protagonists. Nick is a professor of directing and Noah one of acting. They don’t start out the story as a couple but do end up as one, in case you hadn’t guessed that much. However, this is not a story about their love. It is a story about the two of them working together to solve a murder.

Our story is filled with humor as the sometimes over the top antics of Nick and Noah get them closer and closer to the answer to the mystery. There is no subtlety in Nick’s character. I don’t think he knows the meaning of the word. His inner dialogue is entertaining and sometimes biting.

I chuckled a few times throughout the book. We know I am a tough sell on humor, so chuckling is a good thing 😉 I am ready for Nick and Noah’s next adventure.

Narration Review:

This is my first title narrated by Michael Gilboe. I have mixed feelings about the job he did with Drama Queen. While he certainly lived up to the books name, and did a pretty fabulous job on Nick, the rest of the characters lacked in my eyes. Some sounded robotic. Some just sounded wrong. He also lacked consistency on some of the non-point of view characters.

I will probably give him another shot if he narrated the second book in the series, but I don’t know that I would listen to him for anything outside this series.

Fun Murder Mystery

Any additional comments?

Two drama professors become a couple and investigate murder within their department. As with other Joe Cosentino books, you gather clues and suspects along with the main character and he keeps you guessing till the very end. This is an LGBT mystery with fun, interesting characters and dialogue.

An in-the-buff zing to the small town murder story

Any additional comments?

(I won a copy in an online competition… and I’m so glad I did!)

While far too sexy to be called a “cozy mystery,” Drama Queen adds an in-the-buff zing to the normally staid, small community murder story.

I love that the author is also an experienced actor and drama instructor. His grasp of improv’s “Yes AND?” concept shines in this story. Every time the characters recognize a clue, you can feel the unspoken “Yes AND?” right before the plot takes a new twist.

Nicky and Noah are two sexy leading characters who conduct the investigation this comedic caper with wit and style. The supporting cast can only have been built on the follies and foibles of real drama students and instructors.

The narrator delivered on the fast paced humor, the character nuances, and sheer entertainment. It’s a rare jewel when you can hear the narrator actually smile while delivering the lines, and I heard it several times.

Fantastic

Any additional comments?

I have to admit that I really loved this book. Mystery books with a healthy dose of humor is one of my absolute favorites. Murder, sex and theater oh my. The setting for this book is in the academic world of acting. The characters, while at times a bit one dimensional, were interesting. While this a LGBT mystery book, it still has all you need for a most enjoyable ride.

It was a fun read

What did you love best about Drama Queen?

That it's a mystery, I love those. I didn't guess the killer which is always a plus.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nicky. His inner monologue is funny. He seems real with insecurities and a hefty dose of sarcasm.

Which scene was your favorite?

Almost every scene with the gossipy boss.

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

Drama queen is actually perfect.

Any additional comments?

Thought the narrator did a great job differentiating between the characters, I don't know if he was the right choice. Sounded like a cartoon book. I'm thinking with a different more serious narrator it would have been different.
Still the narrator was great I can't say he wasn't.

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you

That was a light, frothy, laugh with hot chocolate and blueberry muffins.
What I enjoyed most was Nicky's sarcastic asides, voiced perfecly by Michael Gilboe.
The characters are a hoot but the final reveal felt a little deas ex machina (hence the 4 stars instead of 5 for story). That the characters are so much fun is also the reason why I only dropped one star for the deas ex machina.
I love Nicky... Noah's cute but Nicky really is my cup of tea.
Basically, if you want something light to read/listen too this fits the bill nicely.

Drama Queen

This was a really fun,funny book.A theater troupe made up of gay,lesbian,straight actors experiences a death.We play who dun nit while others get the whack.Nicky and Noah feel they can do more than the police to find out who is killing the actors.It is stereotypical and full of drama.Michael Gilboe brings it all to life with his perfect voice.
I was given this book free for an honest review.

WONDERFUL READ

What did you love best about Drama Queen?

I love this story, just the right mix, of fun, hilarity and mystery in the mix. The storyline is fresh and well thought out, and the dynamic of the characters is through the roof! Top notch narration as well! This is a win win win indeed!

What did you like best about this story?

The mix of fun and drama plays very well in this story

Which character – as performed by Michael Gilboe – was your favorite?

Nicky hands down, he was a scene stealer for me all the way!! :)