Book Details:
Author: C.S. McDonald
Narrator: Maren Swenson Waxenberg
Category: YA Fiction, 198 pages
Run Time: 6 hours, 52 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Nov 5, 2019
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Hooray! Fiona has finally convinced her boyfriend detective Nathan Landry to go on a romantic Caribbean cruise. Unfortunately, their fun on the high seas is interrupted by murder. It isn’t long before they discover a boatload of suspects, who have motives deeper than the ocean for wanting the victim out of their lives.
Audible ~ Amazon
===***===***===
Book Review:
HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audio Book Review: Bon Voyage to Murder is the first Fiona Quinn mystery I have read, but it’s just
one of a dozen or so in the series. There
are clearly some established relationships and statuses (for example, a ghost
in Fiona’s house), but the author writes it all in so that the book can stand alone.
The personalities of the characters pop from the page (or when reading with
your ears, from the speakers), and author C.S. McDonald gives enough
information early so we know the personality types, too.
For those listening to the audio, I recommend having pen and
paper handy because readers are thrown a ton of characters very quickly. It’s a
lot to keep up with, especially for readers new to the series, like me. There
were two characters, Julia the librarian and her husband, Rob, that really didn’t
need to be in the story at all, so my guess is that perhaps they are regulars
in the other books. (And the librarian in me might have had my hackles raised a
few times with the librarian stereotyping, especially given it was coming from
a kindergarten teacher, who would know what that’s like.) But what the cascade
of characters does do is allows readers to understand that both Fiona and her detective
boyfriend Nathan are keen observers. So we know there won’t be a lot that gets
past them.
Where McDonald shines (just like in her Owl’s NestMysteries), is in her descriptions of people, warts and all. Bon Voyage to
Murder is full of characters who are quirky and crusty, fun and feisty, stiff and loosey-goosey. It’s
very easy to visualize them all and feel like a fly on the wall to all of the
goings-on. The setting on the cruise ship was perfect because the pacing of the
story paralleled the journey, and as the cruise was coming to an end, the resolution
was tying up, too -- just like an episode from the Love Boat, but with
less love and more violence!
Speaking of love, my guess is that in the prior eight or so
books, there’s been plenty of romance and sparks between Fiona and Nathan. In Bon
Voyage to Murder, we see a little hint of Nathan’s playful side, and we hear
Fiona’s adoration of Nathan in her thoughts, but there’s not much to show their
attraction to each other, and this made one aspect of the plot a bit tedious
for me because it lacked build-up. (To be fair, it will likely be thrilling for
series fans who know this couple well.)
Running in the background of the main murder mystery is a subplot,
set back on land, and it includes a separate plethora of characters including
Fiona’s brother, an eclectic/eccentric group of her brother’s friends, Fiona’s ghostly
grandmother, all-too-living parents, all-too-missing dog, a mystic, and general
shenanigans that provide some chaos and lots of comic relief from the seriousness
of murderous intentions on the sea. There are a few things that happened that
didn’t make sense, but it’s enough fun that readers won’t dwell on it.
ABOUT THE NARRATION: Maren Swenson Waxenberg does a great job
of differentiating between the character voices, and her pacing was perfect,
which allowed me to listen at regular speed – a rarity. It was in the voicing of the secondary
characters that Waxenberg’s performance really complemented McDonald’s text and
brought those characters to life. But I couldn’t ever get used to the voice of
Fiona. She seemed annoying, and I don’t think that’s an accurate depiction of
the character. I think I need to read earlier books with my eyes so I can get a
good grip on Fiona’s personality.
In Bon Voyage to Murder, there is plenty of action and
story to keep any cozy mystery reader interested and entertained. Based on jumping in late in a well-established
series, my recommendation (that I’m going to take by checking out Murder on
Pointe, book one of the Fiona Quinn Mysteries) is to start at the beginning and read with your eyes if you want to
absorb the finer mystery details and really get to know the characters. Or, if
you just like to listen to a fun story, then go with the audio. Win-win!
===***===***===
Also for Your Listening Pleasure, Enjoy These Cozy Mysteries:
Book Details:
Category: YA Fiction, 184 pages
Run Time: 5 hours
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: May 19, 2020
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Mysterious notes are showing up in Fiona’s kindergarten classroom, claiming a suicide from 2005 was actually a homicide. Detective Landry maintains the messages are too vague, possess no integrity, and do not warrant a review of the old case.
Fiona’s not convinced. She’s determined to find the author of the enigmatic notes and uncover the truth about a man who had many secrets and countless enemies, including Fiona’s mother and former suspect Nancy Quinn!
Can Fiona crack this cold case, and what will it take to get Detective Landry involved? Don’t miss taking notes on this murder!
Audible ~ Amazon
===***===***===
Book Details:Book Title: Maxed Out (The Owl's Nest Mysteries)
Author: C.S. McDonald
Genre: Adult Fiction, 184 pages
Category: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: April 2021
Content Rating: G. C.S. McDonald's books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults--no bad language or sexual content. Book Description:
The Owl’s Nest Couturier Shoppe is a huge success! Business is booming and Alexa Owl’s love life is heating up. Yet much to the seamstress’s dismay, Detective Bobby Starr is suddenly back again! Bobby isn’t your everyday gumshoe. Rather, he’s an angel who’s trying to earn a place in Saint Peter’s Guardian Angel Squad. He’s required to solve murders he had left unsettled from when he walked the earth in order to be accepted into this prestigious group. Of course, they will need to return to the time period in which the murder took place, and again, Alexa is a reluctant time traveler. Oh, and there’s one more little problem—this time, Bobby’s brought along a friend, Maxi Krogen, and she’s no angel!
Meet the Author: For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense
and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries has nine books.
Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh. The Owl’s Next Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!
Cindy resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
===***===***===
Enter the Giveaway:
Tour Schedule:
RELATED:
