Thriller Thursday Review: #CrimeTime

 

Hey everyone, Sharon here with a bonus edition of Thriller Thursday. This week I am reviewing an audio original called, #CrimeTime, written by Jeneva Rose and Drew Payne.  This book is different from the mystery/thrillers I normally read and review. #CrimeTime is a comedic mystery and I have never laughed so much with reading a mystery/thriller. Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy of this book.

 

Thriller Thursday Review: #CrimeTime#CrimeTime Goodreads

Author: Jeneva Rose and Drew Pyne

Publication Date: December 12, 2023

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

#CrimeTime is an audio original, written by Jeneva Rose and her husband, Drew Payne. The story is taken from a true-life event that happened in their apartment building, which they explain at the end of the book. And I have to say I loved the banter they had while explaining these events as much as I enjoyed the book itself.

Nadiya is a crime novelist, who writes under a pen name and enjoys her privacy. She has worked hard to keep her life private, but when she finds out she has a half-brother, Chase, through a DNA site, her private existence is about to go very public. Chase is an aspiring TikTok star and has come to Chicago to get to know his sister. He has been crashing at Nadiya’s place until he can get on his feet. When the apartment upstairs is burglarized, Chase decides to film it and post the videos on his TikTok channel. Overnight Chase’s videos have gone viral and at the same time they have put Nadiya and Chase’s lives in danger. With dirty cops and organized crime now after them, Nadiya has to turn to the one person she has not spoken to in almost twenty years, Nadiya and Chase’s father, Viktor. What follows is a comedic mystery that I didn’t want to end.

OMG Guys! This book was so fun to listen to. I loved the back-and-forth banter between Nadiya and Chase. I laughed out loud so many times. As annoying as Chase was with his videoing everything for TikTok, he was also just so funny. Chase was immature and said and did whatever came to his mind, while Nadiya was mature and levelheaded. I loved how their different personalities interacted and balanced each other out, as well as adding so much humor to this story.

I think the cast did an amazing job and brought each character to life. The main narrators were Jennifer Damiano, who voiced Nadiya and Abelardo Campuzano, who voiced Chase.  I also loved Phil Thron, who voiced Viktor, he had me laughing many times as well. There were so many other voices for the secondary cast that were awesome as well.  And I loved all of the sound effects. From the fart sounds (yes farts, Lol!) of Nadiya’s dog, Winston, to doors opening and closing, footsteps, gun shots and to police sirens (FYI, be careful if you are listening in your car as I did. I thought for sure those sirens were real. LOL!). These sound effects made the story feel like I was watching it and just really rounded the whole story out and added to my enjoyment.

I really cannot say much about what happens in the story as that would spoil things. But this was a cute mystery that had a few twists and turns. Some I saw coming, some I did not. I will say though, I was getting a little nervous at the end of the book.

I would so not be opposed if #CrimeTime became an audio book series. I would love to have more stories and continue to follow, Nadiya, Chase, and Viktor.   4 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Audio in exchange for my honest review.

Audiobook Review: THE SWITCH by Beth O’Leary

Audiobook Review:  THE SWITCH by Beth O’LearyThe Switch by Beth O'Leary, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Alison Steadman
Also by this author: The No-Show
four-stars
Published by Macmillan Audio on August 18, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beth O’Leary’s The Switch is a charming and heartwarming story that follows Leena, a young woman who lives and works in London.  When Leena suffers a panic attack at work one day and almost costs her company a huge client, it becomes apparent that she needs a break from her life.  When she confides to her grandmother Eileen about what happened, Eileen confesses that she’s not overly happy with her own life at the moment either.  She’s looking for love, but unfortunately, pickings are slim in rural Yorkshire.  On a whim, Eileen and Leena decide to swap places for a couple of months, the idea being that Leena can relax and revitalize in a charming, slower paced rural setting, while Eileen can kick up her heels and enjoy life in the big city, where there are of course many more opportunities to meet Mr. Right.

I enjoyed The Switch so much!  Both Leena and Eileen are such likeable characters and it was fun to watch them both settle into their new environments.  I thought it was so cute watching Eileen hang out with Leena’s young friends, who helped her set up social media dating profiles, and made sure her time in London was everything she hoped it would be.  I also loved watching Leena interact with her grandmother’s, mostly elderly, neighbors.  Everything about this aspect of the book was just so entertaining and I loved all the quirky characters both in London and in Yorkshire.

It wasn’t all fun and games though. The Switch also deals with some serious and emotional topics as well, such as grief, infidelity, and the hazards of online dating.  There’s an especially moving secondary plot that focuses on the death of Leena’s sister Carla and how the loss of Carla has impacted Leena and Eileen, and especially Leena’s mother, who is really struggling with her grief.

There’s also a little romance.  It’s somewhat secondary to the emotional journeys of both Eileen and Leena, but for those who love a little romance in their women’s fiction, it’s definitely there and will put a smile on your face.

I listened to the audiobook version of The Switch and thought the narration was wonderful.  Leena’s chapters are narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones, while Eileen’s are narrated by Allison Steadman.  I thought both voices were perfectly suited to the characters they were narrating and that they both really brought these characters to life beautifully.  I also liked that I was able to comfortably listen to the audio at my usual 1.25x speed.

The Switch is a delightful story about love, family, and community.  If you enjoyed Beth O’Leary’s last novel, The Flatshare, I think you’ll love this one too.

four-stars

About Beth O’Leary

Beth studied English at university before going into children’s publishing. She lives as close to the countryside as she can get while still being within reach of London, and wrote her first novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from work.
You’ll usually find her curled up with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).