Sharpe Edge

Cozy Suburbs Mystery Series, Book 2

By: Lisa B. Thomas

Narrated by: Kelley Hazen

If Deena Sharpe had known she would soon be investigating another death, she might have skipped Christmas altogether. Buoyed by a new job and a spirit for the holidays, she carries on, blind to what the next few weeks will hold.

A Christmas party for the upper crust of the small Texas town of Maycroft turns tragic when the hostess ends up dead. Everyone assumes her death is an accident - everyone except her daughter, Estelle. She turns to Deena to help solve the mystery. A jealous friend and a mysterious heir are just two of the likely suspects.

As a school teacher turned newspaper reporter, Deena must get crafty to dig out the truth before anyone else gets hurt, including her own brother.

A little romance, some snarky suburban competition, and a lot of mystery will keep listeners guessing in this cozy whodunit.

©2015 Lisa Thomas (P)2017 Lisa Thomas

REALLY FUN

Deena Sharpe is a feisty retired teacher turned reluctant detective. Her small town of Maycroft is quite a hotbed for suspense. This is a fun summer read - don't let the Christmas lights fool you - but also it would be great for those folks who like to listen to Christmas-y stuff at that time of year. The character interactions are believable, lovable and fun. The narrator is super and very funny. Feeling the characters develop as the story moves along also makes the story go really fast. I was caught by a couple red herrings - the mystery was great. A soft edge but yes, a sharp one - I will want to visit Maycroft again and spend more time with Deena and her friends and family.

Quirky mystery

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The story was good, entertaining and a bit quirky, all the things a "cozy mystery" should be. Deena is engaging and funny. When Carolyn rolls down the stairs to her death, Deena is looking to solve the mystery.

Would you recommend Sharpe Edge to your friends? Why or why not?

Maybe the paperback version, I believe it would be a quick read that would hold your attention, but, I would not recommend the audible version.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I don't think Kelly Hazen was a good choice to narrate this story. I found her voice grating and a tad irritating to listen to.

Did Sharpe Edge inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

"I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.”

Fun Cozy Mystery

Any additional comments?

With loads of twists and turns, humor and seemingly no end to the list of possible suspects, Sharpe Edge was a very entertaining listen. Every time I thought I had it figured out, another suspect threw a monkey wrench in things for me. The characters had just the right amount of quirkiness to make them believable and Kelley Hazen did a great job bringing them to life and keeping me engaged. Fun stuff indeed! I would highly recommend Sharpe Edge: Cozy Suburbs Mystery Series, Book 2.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This review is my honest opinion.

The ending was bad, but the rest was great!

This book has me torn.. I loved the narration, I loved the characters & I enjoyed the story and dynamic. However, the ending was just bad. I found myself wanting to yell at Deena for being so obliviously dumb. Without giving anything away, just know it is incredibly aggravating. It's as if the end was the only real spoiling factor, but it was a big one because it made it all feel like a frustrating let down.
Otherwise though I really enjoyed the narration & I love the characters. So my heart is torn 50/50! I hope the following books do better with the conclusion.
This book was provided to me at no cost, and I gave my honest review.

Loved it!

This is one of those books in which all the characters are so down-to-Earth and utter recognizable that they are a delight to read.

The plot of this story was really well-crafted and got me wondering until the very end. Really, I only discovered the culprit just only one paragraph before the full unveiling... and that because the author probably wanted it that way :P

I love the protagonist: smart, sensible and fretting about hosting the Christmas dinner :P She's real and easy to understand, as the secondary characters are.

Truly enjoyable and a very recommended book.

The narration was perfect and it added to the general enjoyment of the story.

Enjoying this new series!

So far, I'm impressed. Ms. Thomas writes a good mystery, interesting characters, clean (no swearing, sex, or graphic violence), and with good narration. I think my absolute favorite part of both books so far is the sweet relationship between the main character and her husband.

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

Cozy suburbs... not so cozy as you think:)

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

As I haven't read the print version I won't compare the two:)
But as an audiobook it's a great listening experience. Ms Hazen is a very good narrator (it's my second book interpreted by her and I liked this one better than the previous one). She is very good at differentiating the female voices (I especially loved the elderly ladies' voices in this book) and although I still have some doubts as to male voices done by Ms Hazen they didn't bother me as much as in the previous book as they sounded more natural here. I also liked the tempo of the narration.
Ms Hazen is also quite good at acting out the dialogues between the characters, which adds emotions to the plot.
Generally, it's a very good interpretation of the book.

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

The book starts a bit slow, but soon the pace grows and the plot engages the reader/listener... And the ending - when we find out who the murderer is - really does make you bite your nails:)

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the last scenes of the book a lot - right from the point when we realize who the murderer is it's a real rollercoaster and it's described (and read by Ms Hazen) magnificently. But I can't write more about those scenes because it would be one huge spoiler:)

Any additional comments?

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

Cute

Any additional comments?

Cute story with great characters. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Sharpe Edge

SHARPE EDGE: Cozy Suburbs Mystery Series
: Lisa B. Thomas

A fun cozy mystery set in a small town. The characters are quirky yet they interact well with each other.....not always happily. The listener gets lots of clues to sort through to find the guilty person. I look forward to the next books in the series.




The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. Kelley Hazen makes the listening enjoyable.



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

A Great Listen

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by narrator, and found it very entertaining. The characters were interesting and unique and enhanced this delightful tale about a Christmas party with a murder. A small town journalist, with a long list of suspects, uses her sleuthing skills to solve this mystery. This enjoyable tale is great to listen to while travelling.