Death at the Gazebo: A Mirror Pond Cozy Mystery by Minnie Crockwell Narrator: Michelle Babb
Series: Mirror Pond Cozy Mysteries #1
Published by Self-published on 12-22-20
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery
Length: 5 hrs
Format: Audiobook
Source: Narrator
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Settling into her new condominium on Mirror Pond, novelist Sallie Chilcoat feels lost in Ashburn, Virginia, after moving to the state for love of a man. But with the end of that relationship, she finds herself at loose ends. She stares out the window at the pond and contemplates learning to kayak...or taking up painting...or climbing Mount Everest.
Movement in the overwater gazebo catches her eye, and she grabs up her people-watching binoculars to see a man sitting inside the gazebo playing an accordion. Curious about the musician who plays such a rare instrument, Sallie trots down to the pier to investigate.
The term “investigate” takes on a whole new meaning when Sallie reaches the gazebo to discover not a happy musician, but a dead body and a missing accordion. Forget Mount Everest! Sallie finds herself immersed in the mystery of the death at the gazebo.
When I heard that Minnie Crockwell had a new cozy mystery series, I knew I had to listen to the audio version.
Sallie Chilcoat is a writer in her thirties who recently moved to a condo on quiet Mirror Pond, where neighbors like to go outside and relax on the pond shore, dog owners stroll around, and fishing aficionados try their luck. Sallie is out during one of her walks when she finds a body at the most unexpected place.
One of the things I like about Minnie Crockwell’s novels is that she quickly gets into the thick of things. We see the dead man even before we know Sallie’s name, so even if we do not know much about our main character, Crockwell gets us hooked from the start. I enjoyed slowly knowing Sallie and her neighborhood while she did some sleuthing and collected all local gossip. It was a light, easy, and very pleasurable listen, as all cozy mysteries by Minnie Crockwell are. Now that’s what I call instant gratification.
Another good reason to listen to this audiobook was that it is narrated by Michelle Babb. She interprets characters like second nature, making them sound natural and easily recognizable, which is a plus for dialogs. She delivers retorts and punch lines in a way that makes the listener “see” the characters talking to one another. Michelle Babb’s narrations are always so very enjoyable.
Let me tell you that Michelle Babb, Minnie Crockwell, and cozy mysteries are the perfect trifecta when I am in the mood for some relaxing and careless reading. It is like the triple chocolate cake of books, a true guilty pleasure.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.| Story (Plot) |
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My name is Elena. Since I was a little child I loved science fiction and fantasy, and I can’t resist a good novel. In 2015, while wait I started to listen to audiobooks and I discovered the pleasure in being able to read while doing my daily tasks, so there’s always an audiobook playing on my phone. If you see me with my Bluetooth headphones on, please be gentle, I get easily startled.
I live with my boyfriend, which I met during my six-year stay in Belgium, four cockatiels, eight lovebirds, and a hamster in Madrid, Spain; and I like to spend my free time knitting and sewing while listening to audiobooks.
