Category: Sociological Behavior

Audiobook Review | “Hell to Pay” (Book Four: the Kay Hunter Detective series) by Rachel Amphlett, narrated by Alison Campbell As this is the fourth and final Kay Hunter audio I have, there is an ache in my heart for having to leave on such a wrenching note as this but have a resolve of hope for what shall meet me in ‘Call to Arms’,…

Posted Thursday, 19 April, 2018 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Audiobook Review Badge made by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Hell to Pay” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working directly with the author Rachel Amphlett in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

What held me in the throes of “One to Watch” and why I was itching for the next novel:

I enjoyed watching Barnes and Kay sleuth together – they have a working partnership which aides them well on the job. Their bantering keeps the grim bits of their jobs at bay but it’s quite telling how comfortable they are with each other by how they work together to not just interview people interlinked to their investigations but how they brainstorm what they learn could lead their team towards understanding what went wrong in regards to the person who died. They each yield to each others’ strengths and make their hours go by easier for the understanding they share together. Their scenes have become some of my favourites, which worries me in some regards – as true to the nature of these kinds of stories, once you start to favour certain characters – their either the ones who are placed in danger or the ones who can become the ones you never should have trusted to begin with – ergo, I cautioned myself not to let anyone go overlooked as Kay continues to sort out who is conspiring against her; even Barnes!

There is so much anger percolating round the edges of One to Watch – where the parents are voicing their concerns with the kind of angered responses you’d expect them to have due to the circumstances but what was a bit muddling for Kay and her team to sort out who was involved and why this particular party was clouded over by a darkness of murder.

Larch isn’t my favourite character by half – not just because of his insistence of making Kay’s life harder through her continued persecution but because of his mannerisms and personality. He isn’t a team player, he likes to micromanage his team and you never feel he has trust in anyone under him. It leads to an uneasy tension between the detectives but also, for Kay to find her way forward when she’s constantly feeling she’s under the knife of his suspicious mind.

We gain more leverage into understanding Kay and Adam’s close relationship in their marriage by seeing his kindness for fixing the grave of their child. As this is a death they hadn’t prepared for happening and it was one which was somberly difficult to transition past, especially with the hangover effect of what Kay is facing at the precinct. Even after they decide to donate the clothes, you can feel the weight of their loss still being present in everything they do. They are allowing themselves the time to negotiate their grief, but as life rarely allows us to ‘take time off’ from everything else – it is in the background and foreground of all their hours.

The interesting bit for me was watching how this story developed mostly out of the investigation bits – of having to follow alongside the detectives as they did the grunt work, tried out leads which might have made sense in the moment of discovery but perhaps did not quite align in the end with the narrative of the crime. It is here, we start to see how Amphlett is building her world around Kay Hunter but also, of how due to her personal research, how she is opening up the components of being a detective like Kay Hunter is regulated through the proper order of how to investigate and what goes into following through with an investigation hinged to trace and forensic evidence.

She also only reveals ‘so much’ in regards to the furthering compounding conspiracy behind who is trying to destroy Kay Hunter – you aren’t sure what their motives are except that nothing is off the table for what they are willing to do in order to seek out new ways in which to give her a headache of adversity.

As you pull into this part of the series, you have to remain patient as it’s an overlay of the whole series – meaning, each installment draws both Kay Hunter and the reader one step closer to understanding the back-story of what is happening, but it’s the who, why and how which is being left open until what I presume is the conclusion of the series. I was slightly hoping it wouldn’t conclude the series – but perhaps offer a new arc of suspense to follow in it’s wake, or a redirection of purpose for all the characters involved. Similar to what they did after Rizzoli and Isles resolved their individual narrative arcs within Rizzoli & Isles.

Either way – these audiobooks narrated by Alison Campbell, truly are a reflection of the author’s agility in creating a believable world in which Kay Hunter is walking a tightrope between her civic duty as a detective and the vows she is committed to upholding to Adam. Somehow, I have a feeling she is going to have to make a choice between the two – the job or her husband, before someone else makes a choice she isn’t willing to make on her own. In this, Amphlett holds your attention to see how everything will come back round to centre, including how the supporting cast will either shock us or keep the traction we’re all presuming to be the course they are set to walk.

-quoted from my review of One to Watch

By the end of ‘One to Watch’, I was quite certain I was going to be moving into the harder bits of the character arc surrounding Kay Hunter. Everything was leading into this sequence of pulling back the layers of the conspiracy against her – whilst anchouring us directly into her working relationships with her team. It was there, I realised – depending upon how ‘Hell to Pay’ played out – I was either going to find myself treading water or finding myself able to swim.

There are portions of this series which are dearly beloved – especially in regards to adaptation on behalf of the work by Alison Campbell. Combined with the taut and authentic writing styling by Ms Amphlett – this series hugs close to it’s roots in a police procedural drama where an investigative team becomes an endearing part of your life during the hours in which you are following alongside their investigations. Yet, there are moments where you feel if you are quite prepared to go through all of their cases – as the darker shades of humanity are aptly explored, revealled and tackled from multiple points of view.

The key difference from the first novels in the series and the latter two I’ve been listening to is the absence of switching perspectives in tandem between Kay and her current ‘unknown’ villain. The focus is honed more into her team and the ways in which the team finds their rhythm with working with each other on the cases which make them feel restless in their off hours. These are the kinds of cases that are hard to shift out of one’s conscience and the hardest to resolve, even if you’re able to close the case.

I was hoping the bits of what I loved about the series would swing back into the central thread of the upcoming stories – where though terrifying gutting her job is there is a hopefulness about it as well – of how she is choosing to serve the dead and honour the lives lost. I was hopeful on the back half of the series – perhaps, even after the main obstacle is overturned (in regards to who is forcing Kay to remain on high alert) Kay can either make peace with the job itself or find a new path to pursue adjacent to being a detective. Perhaps a new beginning for her and Adam but still able to give her life in dedication in helping others overcome the worst bits of their lives?

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Audiobook Review | “Hell to Pay” (Book Four: the Kay Hunter Detective series) by Rachel Amphlett, narrated by Alison Campbell As this is the fourth and final Kay Hunter audio I have, there is an ache in my heart for having to leave on such a wrenching note as this but have a resolve of hope for what shall meet me in ‘Call to Arms’,…Hell to Pay

When a road traffic accident on a dark autumn night uncovers a disturbing conspiracy, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter's investigation exposes a ruthless serial killer exploiting vulnerable young women.

With her enemies unmasked and her career spiraling out of control, Kay's determination to seek vengeance for the victims brings her dangerously close to those who want to silence her.

Undeterred, she uncovers the real reason behind a plot to destroy her career and sets in motion a terrifying chain of events.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ASIN: B079HQNK1Y

on 1st January, 2018

Length: 7 hours, 14 minutes (unabridged)

Published by: Saxon Publishing

Order of the Kay Hunter Detective series:
Scared to Death | Book One (see also Review)
Will to Live | Book Two (see also Review)
One to Watch | Book Three (see also Review)
Hell to Pay | Book Four
Call to Arms | Book Five | Synopsis

About Rachel Amphlett

Rachel Amphlettt

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

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Posted Thursday, 19 April, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), British Literature, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Detective Fiction, England, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Good vs. Evil, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Indie Author, Lady Detective Fiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mother-Son Relationships, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Psychological Suspense, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, True Crime

Audiobook Review | “One to Watch” (Book Three: the Kay Hunter Detective series) by Rachel Amphlett, narrated by Alison Campbell

Posted Thursday, 12 April, 2018 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Audiobook Review Badge made by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “One to Watch” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working directly with the author Rachel Amphlett in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

What held me in the throes of “Will to Live” and why I was itching for the next novel:

This soon became a rather complex arc where it truly foretold the author’s intricate way of giving us a riveting story in which to feel enthralled. She even gave Kay and Adam more heartache of concern over their personal safety as much as the boundaries between private life and public service. The further we dig into the series itself, the more alarming it is to realise what Kay is facing in her career – how sometimes there are people who working against you even when your simply trying to do right by those your entrusted to protect.

What was really cagey was someone was trying to drive Kay absolutely crazy by how they were ribbing her already vexed angst with confounding disbelief how records were consistently being re-arranged, re-written and edited. The records in question were connected to the case which had placed Larch on her trail – where nothing she did was good enough and everything she did was a new reason to give her grief from Larch. This was a nod towards how electronic records are too easily erased or altered outright without having a hard-copy to back-up the proof of what they contained originally.

As you move through the series itself, you start to observe the cascading effect of everything – how what you know from one installment feeds into the second and I am sure will continue to carry forward until the dramatic conclusion of where Kay Hunter finds herself in opposition with an unknown foe. It is this thrilling element of unknowns which keeps you hitched inside the series itself but you can’t forsake each of the individual cases to pick up on the subtle clues being added to the back-story of why Kay Hunter is being professionally attacked and challenged.

You become invested in her life and the lives of her detectives under her – especially when the new recruits to her team like Gavin and Carris prove they are not just incredibly brave and dedicated to the job but they give her a new hope to hang tight to prove one way or the other, she is not at fault for whatever is coming down in the future against her. In that regard, the last time I was caught up in a conspiracy against a lead character, it was when Beckett couldn’t sort out what was the truth about her mother’s death on Castle. I have more hope for Kay Hunter to have a better ending than Beckett had herself as Castle simply derailed after awhile.

Right now – I feel hungry for more of the series – as I have yet to truly solve one of the cases ahead of Kay and her team! Each time I think I have it sorted, Ms Amphlett happily throws me for a loop, adds another twist or gives me something to chew on whilst I wonder ‘how did I not see that coming?’ – she’s a brilliant plotter when it comes to a Contemporary Thriller – as you can’t help but listen to her stories straight through – not that I had the luxury of this as I had to break it into a few different listening sessions – but she wills you to want to do that! The absences keep the intrigue level at a high height of curiosity and by the time you listen to the ending chapters, your musefully happy for tucking into the Kay Hunter series! Literally, your mind swirls with everything you learn and you can only hope in the end, Kay and her colleagues can walk away like your favourite tv serial characters.

-quoted from my review of Will to Live

Similar to The X-Files, I have the tendency to truly hone in on the sub-plot which to me feels like the entire arc and anchour to a series – in the vein of how the conspiracy surrounding Kay Hunter and the person(s) who are attempting to dishonour her are what are motivating me forward after each installment. I am appreciating the tightly conceived mysteries threading through the series, but there is a moment of curiosity solely keen on finding out who is marking Kay Hunter as one to take-down when by all appearances, she’s a dedicated detective committed to her job and to her husband. She takes the cases seriously and she enjoys the bantering in the office with her fellow colleagues but she could do without the added stress she’s subjected to by Larch (the one character I wouldn’t trust if I were her).

As you move further into the series, you start to see new layers of interest towards this angle of theory surrounding Kay; each piece in of itself is a telling component of the building climax, wherein your unsure if your fully prepared for the ‘ending’ of how it will either come fully out into the surface or if there will be a showdown – as similar to what I voiced before, it does echo the issues Det. Beckett felt crushed under (ie. Castle) whilst it also echoes the trials and adversities of Rizzoli & Isles – these are fiercely strong women in law enforcement stories who are dealing with incredibly difficult issues from a nemesis they never quite understand until they can sort out their identity. Sadly, even then, sometimes the truth leads to more questions than a resolution.

I was contemplating where this was going to take us before I entered One to Watch – as I knew the titles had a duality of purpose – except, in this one regard, I was hoping it might leant itself to drawing us closer to the conspiracy rather than being the bridge clue into the mystery. I have a feeling when I finish my listening of Hell to Pay, I am going to be in withdrawal for Call to Arms!

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Audiobook Review | “One to Watch” (Book Three: the Kay Hunter Detective series) by Rachel Amphlett, narrated by Alison CampbellOne to Watch

Sophie Whittaker shared a terrifying secret. Hours later, she was dead.

Detective Kay Hunter and her colleagues are shocked by the vicious murder of a teenage girl at a private party in the Kentish countryside.

A tangled web of dark secrets is exposed as twisted motives point to a history of greed and corruption within the tight-knit community.

Confronted by a growing number of suspects and her own enemies who are waging a vendetta against her, Kay makes a shocking discovery that will make her question her trust in everyone she knows.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ASIN: B075ZY63PY

on 3rd October, 2017

Length: 7 hours, 27 minutes (unabridged)

Published by: Saxon Publishing

Order of the Kay Hunter Detective series:
Scared to Death | Book One (see also Review)
Will to Live | Book Two (see also Review)
One to Watch | Book Three
Hell to Pay | Book Four | Synopsis
Call to Arms | Book Five | Synopsis

About Rachel Amphlett

Rachel Amphlettt

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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Posted Thursday, 12 April, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), British Literature, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Detective Fiction, England, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Good vs. Evil, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Indie Author, Lady Detective Fiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mother-Son Relationships, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Psychological Suspense, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, True Crime

Audiobook Review | “Will to Live” (Book Two: the Kay Hunter Detective series) by Rachel Amphlett, narrated by Alison Campbell

Posted Sunday, 8 April, 2018 by jorielov , , , , 2 Comments

Audiobook Review Badge made by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Will to Live” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working directly with the author Rachel Amphlett in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

What held me in the throes of “Scared to Death” and why I was itching for the next novel:

Your heart is clutched in your throat as soon as you enter into the horror of their lives – two parents are madly driving off to the location they frantically jotted down in a desperate search for their daughter – as they argue about directions and which turn is which – you grow more anxious by the second as their car increases speed to shorten the distance from her to them. You feel their anxiety, you worry your own nerves won’t hold out nor will theirs as they inch closer to arriving.

The minute details of police procedurals, crime scene investigations and the actions of all of the characters each in turn of each other is a special feast for the reader – as all of these details add to the layering of how the audiobook is being narrated. You are happily so well in-tune with the visual aspects of this story as it unfolds as to feel like you’ve stepped through the pages and have entered each of the character’s souls. You feel and think just as they are whilst they are going through the motions of where each of their roles takes them. It’s a very intimate layering effect – as the human condition is dissected and re-affirmed through how Ms Amphlett gives her characters’ the freedoms to be raw and authentically honest as you would expect to find them if you had arrived on scene yourself.

I have a lot of praise for Ms Amphlett threading through this review but it was her tenacity for truism for the way in which she crafted this Thriller I wanted to make a special note about as she truly fused real-life methodology with a fictional crime in such an expert way of execution you simply could not forsake the time you had within it’s chapters! She pulls you in immediately as she’s mastered the heart-connection of giving an emotional layer of empathy between her readers and her lead investigator, Kay Hunter. This is pivotal not just for a Thrilling Crime Drama but for all stories as it lends itself a better route towards securing your attention for the long-term.

I was fascinated by finding the ‘science’ within Criminology being inclusive to the story-line but also, the layers of how Forensic Science played a crucial role as well. Even Forensic Psychology could be rooted out by how well she utilised her research into the background of the narrative and of the pacing of all the disclosures along the route of where the investigation turnt perspectives on the criminal minds behind the scenes. In short, she’s one writer to keep a keen eye out for future stories and series – she has a convicting way of alighting you into her character’s lives and once you feel that connection taking root in your own heart and mind, it’s an experience you want to keep repeating!

-quoted from my review of Scared to Death

I was so excited to be a part of this blog tour as soon as I finished the first installment – I had finally found a Contemporary Thriller novelist who gave me something I was looking for inside a gripping and realistic police drama without the overt explicit content too often running amuck in the offerings today. I don’t mind a bit of intensity but I’m not into the graphic nature most police dramas take you visually – irregardless if their on tv, in film or in a novel.

Blessedly, Ms Amphlett leaves me wanting more of her Kay Hunter series – because she’s found an empathetic bridge into Kay Hunter’s mind and heart – of anchouring us into her personal journey and the reasons why we should feel as attached to her as we do. She has a back-story running parallel to the cases and this reminds me of why I was attached to Rizzoli & Isles whilst the foundation of the series truly is a homage to NCIS. For these reasons, I am honoured to be a part of the blog tour and continuing my time with Kay and her team of detectives who have one of the most difficult caseloads anyone could ever hope to be delivered.

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Audiobook Review | “Will to Live” (Book Two: the Kay Hunter Detective series) by Rachel Amphlett, narrated by Alison CampbellWill to Live

Reputation is everything.

When a packed commuter train runs over a body on a stretch of track known to locals as "Suicide Mile", it soon transpires that the man was a victim of a calculated murder.

As the investigation evolves and a pattern of murders is uncovered, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter realizes the railway's recent reputation may be the work of a brutal serial killer.

With a backlog of cold cases to investigate and attempting to uncover who is behind a professional vendetta against her, Kay must keep one step ahead of both the killer and her own adversaries.

When a second murder takes place within a week of the first, she realizes the killer's timetable has changed, and she's running out of time to stop him....

Will to Live is the second book in a new crime thriller series featuring Kay Hunter - a detective with a hidden past and an uncertain future....


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ASIN: B076B2B82J

on 12th October, 2017

Length: 7 hours, 15 minutes (unabridged)

Published by: Saxon Publishing

Order of the Kay Hunter Detective series:
Scared to Death | Book One (see also Review)
Will to Live | Book Two
One to Watch | Book Three | Synopsis
Hell to Pay | Book Four | Synopsis
Call to Arms | Book Five | Synopsis

About Rachel Amphlett

Rachel Amphlettt

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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Posted Sunday, 8 April, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), British Literature, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Detective Fiction, England, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Good vs. Evil, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Indie Author, Lady Detective Fiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mother-Son Relationships, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Psychological Suspense, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, True Crime

Audiobook Review | “Scared to Death” (Book One: the Kay Hunter Detective series) by Rachel Amphlett, narrated by Alison Campbell

Posted Thursday, 29 March, 2018 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Audiobook Review Badge made by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Scared to Death” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working directly with the author Rachel Amphlett in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

What initially prompted me to listen to Scared to Death & why I loved it:

I became keen on Police Procedurals in my twenties – those were the years where I watched all the Law & Order series on television – where my preference was for the Original series and Criminal Intent.  I also watched a heap of NCIS – including getting caught up inside the spin-offs, but it’s the Original series which captured my heart – all because of Mark Harmon, as it was his character of Gibbs who truly anchoured me into the series overall. The ensemble cast was impressively connected – they had a chemistry of connection you love to find in a tight knit series such as this one.

As I was listening to Scared to Death, there were overtures of NCIS within how it was being written whilst the details of what make this a hard-boiled crime drama also echoed those memories of watching NCIS and feeling as if the series was pushing me to the very edge of where I could go with a crime drama. There is a certain layer of intensity I can handle and then, if it goes too far afield from there, I tend to pull back and seek lighter faire. I always knew NCIS was at the height of what I could appreciate whilst Criminal Intent on the opposite end of the spectrum was also winning the top spot for it’s own unique styling of how you shift focus from the crimes to the law and to the police in tandem.

Generally speaking, I do not oft seek out the harder hitting Suspense & Thrillers as I can only take so much visually – generally erring on caution as I am a sensitive hearted reader. Ergo, when I learnt about this series, there was a particular reviewer who was commenting about the aspects of it’s center core – of what is inclusive and what isn’t – of course, this is subjective per each reader, but something made me think perhaps this series was one I not only could handle but perhaps, one I would enjoy listening too.

From the very first moment I started listening to the narrating styling of Ms Campbell, I knew I had made a good choice – even if I knew going in – I was going to re-examine my ‘live on the edge of my seat’ listening experience such as the ones I had during NCIS – I was game for a dramatic crime series such as this one due to series I have been appreciating through Seventh Street Press. (ie. Hiro Hattori, Marjorie Trumaine, Anna Blanc and Samuel Craddock respectively – all of which you’ll happily find on my blog)Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Audiobook Review | “Scared to Death” (Book One: the Kay Hunter Detective series) by Rachel Amphlett, narrated by Alison CampbellScared to Death

"If you want to see your daughter alive again, listen carefully."

When the body of a snatched schoolgirl is found in an abandoned biosciences building, the case is first treated as a kidnapping gone wrong.

But Detective Kay Hunter isn't convinced, especially when a man is found dead with the ransom money still in his possession.

When a second schoolgirl is taken, Kay's worst fears are realized.

With her career in jeopardy - desperate to conceal a disturbing secret, Kay's hunt for the killer becomes a race against time before he claims another life.

For the killer, the game has only just begun....

Scared to Death is the first book in a new crime thriller series featuring Kay Hunter - a detective with a hidden past and an uncertain future....

If you like the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, Peter Robinson's DCI Banks series and the Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza, discover Rachel Amphlett's new detective novels today.


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ASIN: B076127JBZ

on 2nd October, 2017

Length: 8 hours, 27 minutes (unabridged)

Published by: Saxon Publishing

Order of the Kay Hunter Detective series:
Scared to Death | Book One
Will to Live | Book Two | Synopsis
One to Watch | Book Three | Synopsis
Hell to Pay | Book Four | Synopsis
Call to Arms | Book Five | Synopsis

About Rachel Amphlett

Rachel Amphlettt

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

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Posted Thursday, 29 March, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), British Literature, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Detective Fiction, England, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Good vs. Evil, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Indie Author, Lady Detective Fiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mother-Son Relationships, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Psychological Suspense, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, True Crime

Non-Fiction Book Review | “Be Fierce” by Gretchen Carlson

Posted Sunday, 22 October, 2017 by jorielov , , , 2 Comments

Book Review badge created by Jorie in Canva using Unsplash.com photography (Creative Commons Zero).

Acquired Book By: I am a reviewer for Hachette Books and their imprints, where I started reading titles by FaithWords which is their INSPY (Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction) imprint of releases focusing on uplifting and spiritual stories which are a delight to read whilst engaging your mind in life affirming and heart-centered stories. I found Hachette via Edelweiss at the conclusion of [2015] and have been wicked happy I can review for their imprints Grand Central Publishing, FaithWords & Center Street.

I received a complimentary copy of “Be Fierce” direct from the publisher Center Street (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On the recent selections I am reading by Hachette Books (via FaithWords & Center Street):

Shortly after my unexpected hiatus this September, I came to learn about some quite extraordinary selections by Hachette Books (of the Non-Fiction variety) which encouraged my curiosity to read! The titles were different than the ones I had found in the past as they were not your traditional Biography or Autobiography or even Self-Help or Inspirational Subject or Topic to digest – no, these were a beautiful collection of stories by people who had unusual experiences to share with the world. Experiences which would test other people’s resolve or faith whilst giving others a bolster of courage to carry on with their own life paths with a bit more strength than they had before they read the stories.

The titles I am reading right now include:

* God is for Real by Todd Burpo

* Goodnight, I Love You by Jene’ Ray Barranco

* The Impossible by Joyce Smith

Whilst resuming where I left off reading:

* Living with No Excuses by Noah Galloway

* The Happiness Prayer by Evan Moffic

The reason I wanted to read “Be Fierce” is because all women can relate to the premise of Ms Carlson’s story – it is something which continues to happen and go unchecked by most in society. If anything, I can definitely understand why she felt like she was going against the tides just to tell her story and to take action against the person who caused her so much grief through his actions. It isn’t easy to stand-up for yourself in the workplace, but what is most distressing is how a lot of women are being silenced from sharing their experiences overall. Whether it’s for sexual harassment or any of the crimes highlighted through Law & Order: SVU – being a woman in today’s world is not for the faint of heart!

I should mention, I haven’t heard of Ms Carlson previous to receiving her book – I never watched Fox News regularly – I was more inclined to watch MSNBC. Likewise, I’m not a newshound or junkie – I purposefully limit the news I drink in regularly as at some point, all of what is being featured on the news can get overwhelming rather quickly. This isn’t to say I’m not informed – between Twitter and the radio, trust me, I get the 411 on everything that is important to know whilst my local community’s social mill provides the rest. I went into reading this book without any preconceived ideas or revelations – it was brilliant because I could be ‘introduced’ to someone everyone else most likely ‘knew of’ and yet for me, I was just making her acquaintance as she told her story. To me, that was the best gift of all!Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Non-Fiction Book Review | “Be Fierce” by Gretchen CarlsonBe Fierce
Subtitle: Stop harassment and take your power back

A groundbreaking manifesto from journalist Gretchen Carlson about how women can protect themselves from sexual harassment in the workplace and reclaim their power against abuse or injustice.

In BE FIERCE, Gretchen shares her own experiences, as well as powerful and moving stories from women in many different careers and fields who decided they too weren't ready to shut up and sit down. Gretchen became a voice for the voiceless.

In this revealing and timely book, Gretchen shares her views on what women can do to empower and protect themselves in the workplace or on a college campus, what to say when someone makes suggestive remarks, how an employer's Human Resources department may not always be your friend, and how forced arbitration clauses in work contracts often serve to protect companies rather than employees. Her groundbreaking message encourages women to stand up and speak up in every aspect of their lives.

Gretchen also discusses why this fight will require both women and men working together to ensure that our daughters and sons will have a brighter future.

BE FIERCE is a cultural movement and a motivating testament to what we can accomplish if we collectively decide to become warriors in the path for a better future.

The time is now. Take back your life, your career, and your dignity.


Places to find the book:

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ISBN: 9781478992172

on 17th October, 2017

Pages: 256

Published by: Center Street (@centerstreet.com)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks) via Hachette Nashville

Formats Available: Hardback, Audiobook & Ebook

Converse via: #NonFiction, #WomensRights

About Gretchen Carlson

Recently honored as one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in the World and a 2017 recipient of the prestigious Matrix Award, Gretchen Carlson is one of the nation's most successful and recognized news anchors and a tireless advocate for female empowerment.

Formerly, Carlson was co-host of the number-one rated cable morning news show, Fox and Friends, as well as the host of her own signature show, The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson. An honors graduate of Stanford University, Carlson also serves as a trustee for several national non-profit boards and in 2017 established her own fund, Gift of Courage, to empower women and young girls to realize their full potential. Since making the decision to speak out against sexual harassment, she has sparked an international conversation about the pervasiveness of the problem and, in doing so, discovered that every woman has a story.

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Posted Sunday, 22 October, 2017 by jorielov in Based on an Actual Event &/or Court Case, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), CenterStreet, Domestic Violence, Dsylexia & the Dsylexic, Equality In Literature, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Fly in the Ointment, Life Shift, Memoir, Mental Health, Motherhood | Parenthood, Non-Fiction, Psychological Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Social Change, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, Vignettes of Real Life, Vulgarity in Literature