Another great small town mystery

The second Spooky Town Mystery audiobook, once again featuring Abby and Frank as the main protagonists, brings a serial killer to terrorize the inhabitants of small town Spooky. Ten years earlier Frank, as a Chicago cop, had shot a murder, but the guy escaped and no more was heard from him until disappearances, following the same modus operandi, began in Spooky. This old adversary of Frank's puts Abby and all the inhabitants of Spooky in danger. This is an enjoyable and entertaining mystery story that has depth, suspense and really appealing characters. The main storyline moved forward at a good pace and kept you wondering what would happen next. The authors choice of victims and the effects their disappearance had on their families was realistic and created sympathy in the readers. The secondary and back storylines added interest and depth to the book, making you even more invested in the characters. It is nice to see Abby moving forward emotionally and I look forward to seeing her and Franks relationship develop. I found the narration a little old fashioned and slow, with Abby's voice sounding more like an old lady as opposed to the middle aged woman she is supposed to be. I did however find that her voice fit Myrtle very well, bringing her quirkiness and character to life. Even though I did not find the narration fit some of the characters, her voices did grow on me and I did not find it distracted me from the storyline. This is an enjoyable, warm and entertaining mystery that keeps your attention and leaves you wanting to continued to follow the lives of the compelling characters of Spooky. I received this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review

5 people found this helpful

Definitely not like book 1

After listening to book 1 of the series thought I might have found a new cozy series. By chapter 6 I wondered if the author remembered writting the first book. Character back stories not matching up. No less than a half dozen errors. Had to stop listening and ask for my money back. Dissappointing after the first one.

4 people found this helpful

Another Spooky Mystery.

If you could sum up All Things Slip Away in three words, what would they be?

Great Murder Mystery.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I don't have a favourite one because I enjoyed them all. Abigail is a competent heroine, she is a normal woman and has her insecurities but will do what she can when needed. Frank was even better. He is so kind and nice and a great match for Abigail. Both are equally good and both bring something special to the book.

What about Abby Elvidge’s performance did you like?

Abby was a good narrator. It was easy to listen to her and she made a great Abigail, though I do think she could of added a little more to the other characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Like book 1, I wanted to keep reading to see what happens.

Any additional comments?

All Things Slip Away was a great second book. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading book 1 so you can get a feel for the characters. Kathryn Meyers Griffith is such a good story teller and invests so much into her characters. She does the same here and creates a really good murder/ mystery that will keep you reading.

4 people found this helpful

Loved it!

I liked this book so much that I found myself dragging my feet towards the conclusion because I didn't want it to end. This book was just about perfect and the narrator was wonderful. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants a clean, heart felt but exciting mystery. I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.

2 people found this helpful

Norman Rockwell meets Norman Bates

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who enjoy Hallmark movies -- wholesome stories with no sex or swearing, fairy tale endings, with the odd serial killer thrown in for good measure. This book didn't seem to know whether it wanted to be a wholesome cozy mystery or a John Sandford thriller, and it did neither well.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I'm not sure.

What does Abby Elvidge bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She was much better than the book's first narrator, who seemed either bored or depressed. Elvidge was good at varying the characters' voices so I could tell who was speaking. Sometimes she sounded as if she were reading a children's book, but for the most part I thought she did a good job.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. I find it hard to believe nobody owned a cell phone or bothered to install an alarm system in this crime-ridden little town. Apparently, nobody has sex, either. And the premise of a serial killer disappearing for 10 years and tracking down the cop who injured him is quite implausible. Also, it was really strange that this quaint, Hallmark-like cozy mystery centered on a serial killer. This book wasn't sure what genre it wanted to be.

Any additional comments?

Overall, the chapters in which the serial killer was the narrator were pretty much like every other thriller you've read with a serial killer. I don't like smut, gore, or really graphic sex scenes, but this series is much too wholesome to be credible. And the writing is cliched. I won't be buying any more books in this series.

1 person found this helpful

Spookie and engaging

All Things Slip Away is another great small town mystery. This story began ten years before when Chicago Homicide Detective Frank Lester and his partner Sam Cato pursued a serial kidnapper and murderer – The Mud People Killer -- who claimed six victims. The killer seemed to have had a personal vendetta against Frank who finally shot him one night during a foot chase. Problem was the body was never found, so there was no proof that the killer was dead.

Guess what? He wasn’t!

He was just waiting. Waiting for the right time to strike again. Waiting for Frank. And strike he did!! Yup. He waited for Frank to retire in his hometown, Spookie, and BAM! He picked up where he had left off ten years ago.

Wow. You have to read this nail-biting story filled with great characters that you will simply love.

An excellent read!

*I received this free audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.*

1 person found this helpful

Meh narration

While the narration of the book was adequate, her voice did not appeal to me and had to increase the speed so it didn't drag.
The side characters are lovely. Evidently in Spooky, none of the normal social service requirements to foster don't apply.
I found the villain eventually annoying. So the book was a meh for me.

A fun Listen

I found this book an entertaining listening experience. Narration was excellent. I look forward to more stories from the author.

All things slip away such as...

Interesting storyline and good narrator are missing. This Abby sounds like a 70 year old woman! Really bad and a distraction from the story. Ruined the story for me. Frank also sounded like an woman talking out of the side of her mouth. I listened to the end of the story because I wanted to know what the characters were up to.

Good, But Not as Good as Book 1

This is book 2 of the Spooky Town series. The characters are not as lifelike as they were in book 1. The story sort of plods along, not really going anywhere. You could cat nap and probably not miss anything.

I thought the villain’s inner thoughts were not only a waste of time, but also, a tad annoying.

Chapter 18 has glaring inconsistency issues.

The narrator was loud & clear. She had various voices and didn’t seem to over act. She was a different narrator than in book 1, and from the sample she seemed fine. However, for some reason, I just did not enjoy this narrator.