Coyle, Cleo, Once Upon a Grind. 11.32 hrs. (unabr.)
1 mp3 CD. Blackstone Audion, 2014. $34.95
Manhattan, New York has fairy tale fever. During a fairy
tale festival, a young girl named Anya goes missing during the festival. Clare
Cosi finds her while looking for her boyfriend’s kids’ dog, but medical
personnel have been unlucky waking her from her coma. With a drug-related past
and being the prince charming assigned to protect Anya during the festival,
Clare’s ex-husband and partner, Matteo Allegro is the police’s only suspect. Following the breadcrumbs to an underground
matchmaking club, Clare bites off more than she can chew. With time running out
and all the clues pointing in her boyfriend’s ex-wife, can Clare sift through
the clues before the killer comes for her?
Narrator, Rebecca Gibel has a knack for drawing readers into
the story. Her excellent accents and unique voices make the characters unique
personalities pop off the page. Although the dreams were a bit confusing at
times, the author handled the transitions very well without losing a beat. Her
narrative style was befitting of the pace of the novel and brings a feeling of
authenticity to the characters and their story. Her reflections and tones
conveyed the prose, emotions, and energy of the story with ease and were
consistent. The audio sound was crisp, clear, and helped readers to fully
immerse themselves in the tale. Although parts of the plot make it hard to
suspend disbelief, the plot is well-developed and engaging. The author’s unique insertion and twist on a
bit of Cold War history to fit into the story was ingenious and showed a bit of
the author’s flare and unique writing style. Although recommended, it is not necessary to
have read the other books in the series. Readers who enjoy mystery with a bit of magical realism, humor, and romance will enjoy reading this book and the others in the
series.
4 stars, ADULT
