Friday 16 February 2018

Audiobook Review: The Stiff in the Study (Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries #2) by Shéa MacLeod

About the Book


Viola Roberts is at it again!

The sleepy seaside town of Astoria, Oregon is the last place you’d expect to find a dead body. That is until the director of the local museum turns up dead in the study and Viola’s friend, Portia, is accused of the crime.

Viola ignores her looming deadline and bout of writer’s block and sets out with her best friend, Cheryl, to solve the murder. From starting riots at local dive bars to breaking into crime scenes, Viola will stop at nothing to prove Portia innocent even if it means putting herself in the cross-hairs of the killer. 







My Thoughts


I wonder if Viola Roberts is taking applications for more friends because I want to apply! I do love a heroine that understands the importance of wine and food. She is also just a lot of fun to be around.

In this book, Viola is out to prove her BFF is innocent of murder. Her methodology is both ridiculously simple and ingenious – things that always work when trying to solve a crime in a small town because there are always secrets and someone always knows something; it’s just a matter of how you go about obtaining that information.

Viola’s detection methods at times hamper official police efforts but what’s a woman to do when they choose to treat her as an annoyance? And in my eyes, it’s Viola that seems to be doing the better job.

The mystery is ultimately solved in a believable manner. A couple of loose ends remain unresolved but nothing to hamper the credibility of the story.

Yvette Keller does a great job with the audio; Viola, her friends, the exasperated detective and other characters are narrated very well. I was engaged from the start all the way to the end.


About the Author

Shéa MacLeod is the author of urban fantasy, paranormal romances, contemporary romances, and cozy mysteries. She has dreamed of writing novels since before she could hold a crayon. She totally blames her mother.

Her love affair with books, words and stories began at a very young age when her mom would load her and her brothers into the red Radio Flyer wagon and haul them down to the local library.  For Shéa, the library was a magical place, each book opening up a new world.  Her favourite poem as a child was ‘Jabberwocky’, and Her favourite authors were Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe.  Which probably explains a lot.

After six years living in London, England, a dearth of good donuts has driven her back to her hometown of Portland, Oregon.






About the Narrator

I’m pretty sure my first narration job was reading aloud to keep my little brother out of trouble. Soon, I learned to read words upside down so little kids could look at the pictures. It’s a superpower that proves useful in strange situations.

Yes, yes I do.
I have always loved “doing the voices.”

I currently work in my home studio to produce voice over industrials and audiobooks.

I am excited to make books accessible and engaging for anyone who, for any reason, isn't drawn to the delightful weight and smell of tomes of yore.


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