Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Audiobook Review: Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection by Barbara Venkataraman


Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Box Set Books 1-3, by Barbara Venkataraman
2014, 338p, Cozy Mysteries
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received an audio copy through Audible from the author for an honest review



Books 1-3 of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Series! Including:

"Death by Didgeridoo"-Winner of the Indie Book of the Day award. Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, still reeling from the death of her mother, is pulled into a game of deception, jealousy, and vengeance when her cousin, Adam, is wrongfully accused of murder. It's up to Jamie to find the real murderer before it's too late. It doesn't help that the victim is a former rock star with more enemies than friends, or that Adam confessed to a murder he didn't commit.

"The Case of the Killer Divorce"-Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, has returned to her family law practice after a hiatus due to the death of her mother. It's business as usual until a bitter divorce case turns into a murder investigation, and Jamie's client becomes the prime suspect. When she can't untangle truth from lies, Jamie enlists the help of Duke Broussard, her favorite private investigator, to try to clear her client's name. And she’s hoping that, in his spare time, he can help her find her long-lost father.

"Peril in the Park"-There's big trouble in the park system. Someone is making life difficult for Jamie Quinn's boyfriend, Kip Simons, the new director of Broward County parks. Was it the angry supervisor passed over for promotion? The disgruntled employee Kip recently fired? Or someone with a bigger ax to grind? If Jamie can't figure it out soon, she may be looking for a new boyfriend because there’s a dead guy in the park and Kip has gone missing! With the help of her favorite P.I., Duke Broussard, Jamie must race the clock to find Kip before it’s too late.

A preview of the next Jamie Quinn Mystery, "Engaged in Danger," can be found at the end of the book. 


I love to read but also enjoy listening to books. I was excited to listen to this since it's a collection of three mysteries. In the first story, Jamie Quinn's cousin, Adam (who has Asperger's Syndrome), is accused of murder. Jamie is a family attorney but she works to clear his name. We're introduced to her friend Grace and Duke, a private investigator and former client, who both help her figure out who the real killer is. This story was pretty short but was a good introduction to the series.

In the second story, a divorce case turns into a murder investigation with Jamie's client as the prime suspect. Once again, she enlists Duke's help in order to uncover the truth. Jamie runs into her high school boyfriend, Kip, who is back in the area and they start to date again. She also starts to look for her long-lost father.

In the final book, Jamie and Kip have been dating for six months and strange things start happening at his work. Kip doesn't confide in Jamie, but she gets involved, anyway, along with Duke and Grace. She also learns more about her father. I liked the addition of Kip to the story and hope he sticks around for a while. I thought these were a great mix of mystery and getting to know Jamie and her friends better.

I enjoyed all three stories! I wasn't crazy about the narrator, though. Duke had a slow, southern drawl which was annoying at times.  Jamie sounded stiff most of the time. I would give the narrator 3 stars since I felt she got a little better after the first story.

It would be best to read these in order since new characters are introduced and there are some continuing storylines. The first two were pretty short so that won't be hard to do. There are a few mild swear words and a little bit of innuendo. These are great if you enjoy cozy mysteries! I look forward to reading more in this series!


Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law. She is the author of "The Fight for Magicallus," a children's fantasy, "If you'd Just Listened to Me in the First Place," a humorous short story and two books of humorous essays: "I'm Not Talking about You, Of Course," and "A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities," which are part of an ongoing series entitled "Quirky Essays for Quirky People."

Her Jamie Quinn cozy mystery series includes: "Death by Didgeridoo," "The Case of the Killer Divorce," "Peril in the Park," and "Engaged in Danger". Coming out in 2016, "Jeopardy in July". All of her books are available on Amazon Kindle.


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