Settling in Nazareth

By: Sandy DeLuca

Narrated by: Laura Jennings

Ruby is a loner, skilled with sleight of hand and an uncanny sixth sense. Her companion is a mystical feline named Matty. Johnny, her dead lover, is also by her side - gifting her with cryptic messages and prophetic dreams. He’s been on the road with her for years - even when she leaves Boston with stolen money and a van crammed with magical paraphernalia.

Her plan is to go to Atlantic City, meet a somewhat shady connection, and lay low from cops who might be on her trail. But when she arrives in Nazareth, she falls in love with the beach town and a man named Michael Elmira. Together, they worship strange gods, partaking in unusual rituals.

There are stranger beings in Nazareth - and it isn’t long before she encounters its mysteries and the specters that exist there. And a serial killer is on the loose, moving silently through Ruby’s beloved city, taking lives without warning.

Before long, her friends begin to die. Will she survive Nazareth’s secrets, or will she become a maddened predator’s next victim?

©2003 Sandy DeLuca (P)2017 David N. Wilson

Great Premise But With Issues

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. This book tries to do too many things at once.

At first I was very interested with the premise of the book which is essentially con-artists and occult-type stuff but the writing quickly fizzles out. The book tries to give you a glimpse into this unique subculture but it tries way too hard to make everything feel dark and gritty. The vocabulary in a lot of the descriptions, especially of the characters and their backgrounds, feels very forced and predictable to the point that I was getting annoyed with it. There is also a sense that the plot is furthered through things that feel too convenient. Another problem is that the story feels very disjointed at times with a lot of irrelevant details that hurts the writing and makes it feel distracted. There were whole small chapters that I felt could have been completely removed and it only would have improved things.

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

The small twist at the end was interesting but it was a chore to get to the end and the payoff wasn't worth it.

Was Settling in Nazareth worth the listening time?

No.

Any additional comments?

The narrator, Laura Jennings, did an excellent job. I felt that she was the perfect voice for the main character.

*This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

A little short but quite entertaining

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Short but good paranormal murder mystery/suspense story. I thought this novel had good suspense and the characters were interesting. I thought the narrator, too, did a great job on this story. I would be open to more, were this to become a series.

Dark Murder Mystery

The story was well written and different than what I usually read. There is mystery, murder, suspense, love, loss, supernatural elements, and lots of unusual things going on in this city.

Narration was excellent and brought the story to life.

The story is very entertaining and hard to put down. It does conclude with several unexpected things going on that threw me for a loop. Great writing but not a HEA kind of book!

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Unique and interesting

This book is hard to describe, religion and ghosts seem to appear all over the place but mostly the book seems to be about trust and belief.

The plot seems to twist and turn so often it resembles a pretzel but it's easy to follow and very interesting. The cast of characters are a real mixed bunch but they come together to form strong friendships and a support network to be envied.

The setting is really well done, I was able to form a clear mental picture of everything from the locations to the action.

The narration was well done, good character voices and the delivery matched the tone and emotions of the story well.

I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.

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Entertaining

Well written with really good narration. The author creates good characters and puts them in a good mystery. Nicely done.

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

Very dark murder mystery

Structurally well written. Should have been with a few personal viewpoints by a few of the characters involved in storyline.
Not recommended for readers under 17 years of age.

I was freely given this audiobook, and freely give my opinion and rating

Settling In Nazareth

Settling in Nazareth is a good fantasy thriller. The female lead is sassy which I like. The rest of the characters are well developed, The storyline keeps your interest from start to finish. The narrator does a great job bringing the characters and story to life. I look forward to more from this Author and narrator

Strange Story

I loved how enthusiastic the narrator was in this story it kept it interesting. I did get a little lost along the way as to where the story was heading. Overall I did enjoy the story. It had murder, mystery, love, loss, and it built great relationships. I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

love Ruby's character

a great book not too long but not too short and full of needed details the story itself is very interesting and well written the characters are fascinating I really loved the story

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Loved it!

I loved this book. It’s a fascinating tale that is full of magic, murder and mystery. I couldn’t put it down and finished in one sitting. It’s very well written and the narration is excellent. I look forward to more from this author and narrator! I received a review copy at my request and voluntarily reviewed.