Murder, Madness & Love by Yolanda Renée

◊ MURDER, MADNESS & LOVE by Yolanda Renée

◊ Series: Detective Quaid Mysteries, Book #1

◊ Narrator: Piper Goodeve

◊ Audio CD

◊ Listening Length: 12.5 hours

◊ Program Type: Audiobook

◊ Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

◊ Version: Unabridged

◊ Publisher: Tantor Audio

◊ Release Date: October 31, 2016

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 1515963292

◊ ISBN-13: 978-1515963295

SYNOPSIS:

A killer plays cat and mouse with a young widow against the snowy backdrop of an Alaskan winter. Branded a black widow after the suspicious death of her millionaire husband, Sarah Palmer flees Seattle for Anchorage. But the peace and quiet she hoped to enjoy in her hometown is soon shattered: The killer is murdering Sarah look-alikes on the fourteenth of each month, taunting Sarah with a valentine of evidence.

After her experiences in Seattle, Sarah is slow to go to the police. When she finally does, she finds Detective Steven Quaid, who is called on to protect the beautiful widow from a stalker intent on her destruction.

Steven is not entirely sure she is not behind the scheme herself, and before long Sarah has him wound up tighter than barbed wire. Is Sarah a victim or a very skilled manipulator? With a killer on the loose and a climbing body count, Steven can't afford to hedge his bets-or his life.

MURDER, MADNESS & LOVE is like a jigsaw puzzle with a thousand tiny pieces and only half the box cover to show how the picture is supposed to look. Just when you put one piece in, the picture takes on a whole new look different from what you first thought it would be.

Narrator Piper Goodeve does an excellent job giving unique voices to each of the characters. Her cadence and accents add depth to the story. Her dramatic range and pacing are perfect as she interrupts the varying emotions of the characters. She gives a clear and understandable reading.

This story moves at a quick pace but keeps your attention from beginning to end. The multiple twists and turns, along with a few surprises, keeps the suspense high as the story unfolds.

Author Yolanda Renée has skillfully developed complex characters that make it had to determine their innocence, especially the characters you quickly become fond of. The complexity of the characters isn’t such that they are hard to follow, but rather feature shadows of possible secrets and/or suspected hidden agendas giving them great depth.

The Alaskan setting comes alive through the author’s vivid descriptions and rich details. The crisp chill of the setting adds another layer to the story.

This thriller will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. A good blend of mystery, suspense, action, touch of romance, and intrigue makes MURDER, MADNESS & LOVE an exhilarating start to what promises to be a fascinating series.

Murder, Madness & Love by Yolanda Renée, Detective Quaid Mysteries (Book #1), Narrated by Piper Goodeve, Tantor Audio, @2016, ISBN: 978-1515963295, Unabridged, 10 CDs, Run Time: 12.5 Hours

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this audio book was sent to me by the publisher. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope I’ve enticed you to check out Yolanda’s book either in audio, print or digital format. Do you enjoy a mystery that causes you to change your mind about the killer’s identify several times as new clues are given along the way?