Friday, October 9, 2020

Killer Deadline (A Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery) ~ Audio Book Blog Tour Review & Giveaway!

KILLER DEADLINE
A NIKKI BRYANT COZY MYSTERY
BY LAUREN CARR
Narrated by Anita Alger
Genre:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  232 pages
Category:  Mystery/Cozy Mystery
Pages: 232; Length: 6 hours, 34 minutes
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:   April 23, 2020
Audiobook release date: August 5, 2020
Content Rating: G. 
This is a true cozy mystery. No sex. No on-stage violence. No swearing. Just good clean fun!


"Here we go! Carr is a master storyteller who always offers a plot full of twists and turns, a bit of humor to offset the dark, and a unique cast of characters. In Killer Deadline that cast includes - handsome Ryan, her first love (who is now her step-brother); a mysterious social media friend called Nerdy Guy; Elmo, a super smart dog, a boxer, she rescued who has become a social media star and has a penchant for cleaning; a TV station full of suspicious employees; and more.

"This book is a wonderful read to pick up at the end of a long day. It truly is a "cozy murder mystery."  I promise, it'll draw you in right from page one and keep you turning the pages until you reach the very last page. I can't wait for the second book in this series." - Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn



Book Description:

Folks in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, claim that where Nikki Bryant goes, trouble is not far behind. Her refusal to back down from a challenge has made Nikki Bryant a top investigative journalist.

When an online friend nudges her to join him in a pact to reconnect with their first loves, Nikki and her boxer dog Elmo leave the bright lights of Las Vegas for the charming town of Pine Grove. There, she must face the biggest challenges in her career and life—the first love she had left behind and her father’s unsolved murder.

But before she has time to unpack her car, Nikki stumbles upon the dead body of local news anchor, Ashleigh Addison, her childhood rival. Could Ashleigh’s death be connected to an explosive news story that she had teased about airing live? Did that explosive story have anything to do with the murder of Nikki’s father?

With the clues in her father’s cold case hot again, Nikki intends to chase down the story of her life until she catches his killer—no matter what it takes. 
Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ Audible ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads

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Audio Book Review:

HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audio Book Review: Killer Deadline is a quick-hit cozy mystery, clocking in at just six and a half hours of listening. The short length, along with the super-cute cover and that it is written by Lauren Carr, made it a perfect choice for me in a time when I’m craving the escape of an entertaining story but don’t have a lot of time for one.  When there’s precious little time to dedicate to reading for pleasure, I know that I can choose one of Carr’s books (I’ve read a bunch) and feel confident I’ll be thoroughly entertained.

For those readers not familiar with Lauren Carr’s books, know that Killer Deadline is the first in a new series of cozy mysteries, and it’s lighter fare than Carr’s other books. That’s not to say that it’s not entertaining or that anything is lacking. It is, and there’s not! There is of course a well plotted mystery or two, a strong and intelligent female, quirky secondary characters, a little romance, and a lot of laughs, often via a four-legged character. In Killer Deadline, readers get all of the things Carr does well but in smaller doses than her usual mystery novels.

“If anyone had told me five years ago that I’d be human to a canine social media influencer, I would have told them that the world would have to go mad first. Little did I know…”

Meet Elmo, the celebrity boxer. Elmo is a remarkably talented and intelligent pup, and while he’s a happy helper to his mistress, help’s only going to happen if she’s polite about her requests. Elmo’s character and antics are a delightful counter to the more intense business of solving murders and for main character, Nikki, avoiding being a victim.

“Kristine exuded an air of flawless confidence.”

I have absolutely no reason for including this irrelevant-to-anything quote, but I don’t often hear  or read my name in a book, and I most certainly haven’t heard that said about me, so I am including it because it made me giggle. (And though my guess is that in print, it’s actually “Christine” with a “C,” I’m taking this as a win.) Another random tidbit was the setting of the story is in a small town near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and I lived in a small town not far from Latrobe, Pennsylvania for about seven years. It was awesome to return there via Killer Deadline and visualize my town as the fictitious Pine Grove, PA. Carr's descriptions are top-notch.

I am very much looking forward to the next installment in this cozy mystery series, and I very much hope that Anita Alger returns to narrate. All the other books I’ve listened to have been narrated by Mike Alger (I imagine there’s a relation there), and it was a nice change of pace, especially given our main character is female. Anita’s performance of the various characters was outstanding, and other than a few unnaturally long pauses between sections/transitions, she did a great job. Her pace was just a little slow at regular speed, but it was a little too fast at 1.25x, but I settled on the latter because I am impatient and want the story faster.

Thank you to iRead Book Tours and the author for providing me an audio code in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. 



Meet the Author:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Killer Deadline marks Lauren's first venture into mystery's purely cozy sub-genre with a female protagonist.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

A popular speaker, Lauren is also the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Bookbub

Enter the Giveaway:
  $50 Amazon Gift Card
courtesy of Lauren Carr, author
(ends October 16, 2020)



Tour Schedule:
Sep 21 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 22 – Books, Tea, Healthy Me – audiobook review / author interview / giveaway
Sep 23 – seasons of opportunities – audiobook review
Sep 23 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
Sep 23 - A Page Before Bedtime –book review / giveaway
Sep 24 – I'm All About Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 25 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 28 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 29 – Viviana MacKade – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 29 - Blooming with Books – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 1 – The Book View – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 2 – My Journey Back – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 5 – eBook Addicts – audiobook review
Oct 5 - Pen Possessed – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 6 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 6 - Bound 4 Escape – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 7 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 7 - Buried Under Books - audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 8 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – audiobook review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 9 – Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 12 - Amy's Booket List - audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 12 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 13 – jea reads/instagram – book review
Oct 13 - Book Lover in Florida - book review / giveaway
Oct 13 - Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 14 – Christa Reads and Writes – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 15 – My Reading Journeys – audiobook review / author interview / giveaway
 

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