Keep Me Ghosted by Karen Cantwell-5 stars

Cantwell, Karen, Keep Me Ghosted. Karen Cantwell, 2013. 6:20 hrs. (unbar.) Audible Download.

Sophia Rhodes has a ghostly problem, two to be exact. One night, when her boyfriend cheated on her with her friend, Sophia met her ghostly companion, Marmaduke Dodsworth. Because of this, finding another job has been extremely difficult. Going against the advice of Marmi, Sophia takes a job as a receptionist for Dr. Callahan, aka “Cal,” who also has a ghostly companion, Moonflower. All seems to be going well except for one thing; Moonflower has a severe case of green-eyed jealousy and keeps driving Cal’s clients away. When Mrs. Wiley, another client who’s a medium, tells Sophia that Moonflower is a ghost as a result of some witchcraft gone awry, the trio team up to end Moonflower’s tirades. Will they succeed?

The characters are well-developed, entertaining, and engaging. The dynamic between them is hilarious and fun to listen about. The plot is well-developed and, despite initial feels of a fluffy chick-lit, turns into a suspenseful, intense story despite lack of action. The clean romance is also believable and realistic despite the ghostly problems.

Narrator, Nan McNamara does a great job of bringing this delightful listen to life. Her use of different voices brings the author’s unique characters to life and makes them easily distinguishable. She easily switches between different voices and internal dialogue and smoothly handles plot transitions with ease. Her nice tone and pacing are well-suited for the book. People who like chick-lit, ghosts, mysteries, and clean romance will enjoy listening to this book.

 5 stars, ADULT

Tesla's Attic by Neal Shusterman-4 stars

Shusterman, Neal, Tesla’s Attic. Audible, 2013. (unbar). 8:23 hrs. Audible Download.

After their home burns down and his mother gets killed in the fire, Nick Slade moves with his family into his Great-Aunt Eleanor’s ramshackle Victorian house. Desperate to make the attic his space, Nick gets his dad to let him have a garage sale with all the old junk that is stored in the attic. Despite a freak rainstorm, people mysteriously show up and start offering more money for the junk than Nick ever dreamed of, until he turns off a light that he had brought down and plugged in inside the garage prior to everyone showing up. After the garage sale is over, a group of mysterious men show up on his doorstep and try to buy everything Nick just sold. Things get even weirder, however. People who purchased the items are acting strangely and won’t let Nick have them back. From a ring that speaks only truth to an ancient recorder that tells you what the speakers are really thinking, a wet-cell battery that reanimates the dead briefly to a radio that causes earthquakes, there is no doubt there is something bizarre about these objects and the men who are after them. Things only get worse, though when one of the items accidentally changes the course of a nearby Asteroid to be on a collision course with Earth. Who are those mysterious men? Why was everyone drawn to the garage sale? Can Nick get all the items back in time to save the day?

Narrator, Vikas Adam has a unique voice that brings to life the characters and their unique personalities. Although it is hard to suspend disbelief for the premise of this book, the plot is well-developed and intensely engaging. The characters are well-developed and add a lot of humor to the book, despite the suspenseful feel of the book. Reluctant and avid readers who enjoy science fiction will enjoy this entertaining tale.

 

4 stars. Grades 5 to 9.

Map Trap by Andrew Clements-5 stars

Clements, Andrew, The Map Trap. Simon and Schuster Audio, 2014. 2 CDS (unbar.). 2:27 hrs. Audible Download available.

Ever since he was a baby, maps have been apart of Alton Barnes’ life. His parents lack of name planning resulted in him being named after a city. When his family members found out, they gave him map-related gifts. It wasn’t too many years later that he covered his whole room with maps of various locations, animals, and things related to Earth. Now in 5^th grade, Alton loves to make maps of not only places, but things he observes such as how many times the principal says “um” on morning announcements, the various smells around the school, or what lunch dishes cause students to go the bathroom the most. All is well until he shows his maps to Quint, the cool kid. Now all his maps are missing and someone is holding them hostage unless he does what they say. If he fails, they will release them all over the school. With some maps more hurtful than others, it is up to Alton and Quint to figure out who took the maps and to get them back before time runs out. Will they succeed?

Narrator, Keith Nobbs does a great job of drawing the reader into Alton’s world. The characters are likable and realistic and Nobbs unique voices for each character are fun to listen to. The plot is simple, but engaging. The author’s natural transitions between humor, mystery, and internal dialogue are well-done and Nobbs does a great job of moving back and forth in his narrative without losing the listener. People are fans of Clements’ realistic fiction books will not be disappointed and newcomers will have an easy time jumping right in to this story.

 

5 stars. Grades 3 to 5. 

Anonymous Sources by Mary Louise Kelly-4.5 stars

Kelly, Mary Louise, Anonymous Sources. Audible, 2013. Audible Download.

When a Harvard Alumni, Tom Carlisle, falls from the bell tower, everyone assumes it was suicide.  Alexandra James, however, thinks differently. Called to investigate the scene as a reporter, the clues don’t add up and Alex’s instinct says it’s murder. As she digs deeper, she discovers that Tom had a whole different life this past summer in England: a girlfriend who was cheating on him, a terrorist friend, and a mysterious set of circumstances. This high-society case could be Alex’s ticket to getting noticed, but not without a lot of danger. With all the clues adding up to a possible terrorist plot and MI6 and the CIA after her, things are definitely not what they seem. When more and more people start showing up dead, including the lady Alex switched places with on a plane ride, things do not look good for Alex. Will Alex get the scoop she’s always dreamed of or will the killer get his way?

Narrator, Therese Plummer expertly brings to life the characters and story of this book. Here unique voices and intonations smoothly guide the reader through the many plot twists and turns as well as keep them engaged and engrossed. The plot is well-developed and the characters are multi-dimensional. Although the story is a little slower-paced in the beginning, listeners will have a hard time putting this audiobook down. Recommended for fans of spies, mystery, and thrillers.

Herbie's Game by Timothy Hallinan-5 stars

Hallinan, Timothy, Herbie’s Game. Blackstone Audio, 2014. 10:27 hrs. (unbar.) Audible Download.

When Junior Bender’s adoptive father and mentor, Herbie is killed, Junior takes it upon himself to find the killer. Tied to his death is Herbie’s last theft, a disconnects list of people connected to a contract hit for a man named Waddles. As Junior begins to investigate the chain, people on the list start showing up murdered and someone starts threatening his family. Who hired Herbie to steal the list and why did someone kill him? Who is behind the list murders? Who is after Junior?

Narrator, Peter Berkrot is an entertaining narrator and complements the book with his unique voices and intonations. Filled with humor, intrigue, and mystery, this engaging listen is a delight. The characters are well-developed, particularly Junior the anti-hero. The interpersonal relationships between the characters are realistic and enjoyable. Although this is the fourth one in the series, newcomers to the series need not worry. Readers enjoy mysteries and humor will enjoy listening to this book. 

5 stars, ADULT

The Thief Prince by Chereee Alsop-4.5 stars

Alsop, Cheree, The Thief Prince. Cheree Alsop, 2014. (unbar.) 9.06 hrs. Audible Download.

Ever since her brother’s sickness, Princess Kirit, aka Kit, has been forced to take on the role of Crown Princess. Unfortunately, she doesn’t fit in. As a child, she spent more time with the animals in the stable and learning how to swordfight than running a country. One fateful evening, when all of the Crown Princes and Princesses are visiting for a ball, the Prince of Antor, Prince Andric kidnaps all of them and takes them back to his kingdom. Right as they get there, an avalanche occurs, and the group is forced to spend winter in Antor until the mountain pass clears. As time passes, Kit finds herself getting chummy with the princes and princesses as well as Andric. She also discovers that she likes the people of Antor and, like them, can talk to animals. As she comes of age and grows up, she saves the kingdom and its people a couple times over. When spring comes, however, the people of Antor will have to leave their homeland due to lack of resources. Determined to find a solution for everyone, Kit begins writing home. Although her brother is getting better, her parents are stubbornly not listening to Kit’s pleas to take some of Antor’s people in. To make things even more interesting, Kit starts falling in love with Andric, but if her brother doesn’t continue to get better, she and Andric will have no chance together.  Will Kit find a way to save Antor and continue her relationship with Andric? Will she get her parents to see sense? 

Narrator, Michele Carpenter is a unique, funny, entertaining narrator ideally suited for this book. Her unique voices for the character bring to life their personalities. Although the narration was a little slow at the beginning, it picked up and here transitions were smooth. The plot is a little predictable, but enjoyable. The characters are well-developed and the dynamic that grows between them is amazing and engaging. Readers who like fantasy, adventure, and a little bit of romance will enjoy listening to this book. 

4.5 stars, MS, HS. 

Trapped by Revenge by Colleen Helme-5 stars

Helme, Colleen. Trapped by Revenge. Colleen Helme, 2014. 8.46 hrs.  Audible Download.

Ever since Shelby went to a grocery store to get carrots and got shot, nothing in Shelby Nichols’ life is ever routine or boring, especially with her mind reading abilities caused by the grocery store incident. When Joey “The Knife” Manetto, aka Uncle Joey, asks Shelby to go listen to a private investigator named Sam Kilpack’s thought s, she arrives at the man’s office only to find him dead. To make matters worse, someone’s trying to frame her for Sam’s murder. Her husband’s gun was used as the murder weapon and her fingerprints were all over it. It Shelby hadn’t taken the note that had her name on it and the pen Sam had written her name with prior to his death, she’d be behind bars. When Shelby discovers that another man by the name of Jim was found guilty of killing his girlfriend, she finds out that his girlfriend’s murder has the same M.O as her case. Unfortunately, he’s set to be executed in just a few days.  Could the two cases be connected? Will Shelby and her husband, Chris, be able to clear her name, find the real killer, and save herself and Jim?

This fast-paced, gripping mystery was a treat to listen to. Narrator, Wendy Tremont King’s voices are unique and easily distinguishable. The plot is filled with twist and turns that King handles with ease. The intrigue, suspense, and mystery of the story are well-blended and easily hold the reader’s attention. The characters were well-developed and entertaining and the dynamic between them was humorous and engaging. The narrator’s and author’s pacing complement each other perfectly and are well-suited. Listeners who have read or listened to the other Shelby Nichols adventures will have an easier time understanding what is going on, but this could be read out of order. People who enjoy mystery, adventure, humor, and suspense will thoroughly enjoy listening to this series.

5 stars, ADULT