A Samantha True Mystery: The Complete Boxset: Books 1-3

By: Kristi Rose

Narrated by: Jennifer Stoneking

Length: 20 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

BOOK 1: ONE HIT WONDER: Sometimes it's not opportunity knocking, it's trouble.

Her first night working as a crime scene photographer, Samantha True quickly learns crime scenes are messy, especially when you throw up on them, and that she may not be cut out for this. Plus, she’s just as baffled by the scene as the cops. With clues like superhero masks, disco balls, and Bigfoot, are they ever going to find who did it? As she digs deeper into the photographic evidence, she realizes her small town is full of secrets. And she might be happier staying in the dark.

BOOK 2: ALL BETS ARE OFF: Some days, no matter how awful, are not worth a do-over

Six months into her marriage, Samantha True she learns her new husband's been killed in a freak accident, she’s inherited his secret PI business, and he had another wife. Broke and devastated, she dives into learning the PI business—how hard can it be? Following a binge-watching how-to session on YouTube, Sam’s ready to take her first case. When mysterious strangers show up at her doorstep demanding information about her dead husband, she realizes she's in over her head. Samantha must discover who he really was. But what if the truth puts her in danger, too?

BOOK 3: BEST LAID PLANS: No “learn to be a PI” video prepared her for this...

When Samantha True witnesses Wind River's most popular principal keel over dead, she's certain he's been murdered, proving it will be impossible, and the cops are going to think she did it. As she works to clear her name, Sam learns "Principal Josh" is the king of slimeballs. Eliminating suspects proves tricky when half the town has a motive for murder.

Warning: May cause spontaneous laughter. This mystery offers witty banter and characters you'll want to be friends with. Laughing out loud in public may cause curious glances from strangers.

©2022 Kristi Rose (P)2022 Kristi Rose

Fun listen once I got used to the reader.

Fun listen once I got used to the reader.
Well worth one credit! Hope Ms Rose has more titles!

lots of interesting characters

three stories was enough. poor Sam gets beat up so much in each that she will be unable to function shortly. PNW nice location but wild raspberries? see four volcanos at same time from the ground? getting to town near Vancouver from Seattle in an hour? And please! No karate black belt would go out on a gi snd go around barefoot in case he had to fight!! Anyway enjoy the stories for their characters. By the way. There is no swearing so whoever said that in a review must have posted accidentally from a different book.

Engaging, just enough

This book was entertaining. It was something I could read in chapters and still put it down and get to sleep. Pleasing characters seemed like real people.

Entertaining

It’s a fun story, some humor, some twists, some laughs. It’s light, entertaining and engaging.

Keeps you listening

Easy listening & good characters keep you engaged. I found myself looking for the next book before the one I was listening to was done.

Best Laid Plans

Fun read! I'll look for more! I love that it is set in the Pacific Northwest!

Finally another ENJOYABLE cozy mystery series!

First off i wana put out there that i feel this set of books is more of a 4.5 than a 5 star series BUT i went ahead and rounded UP rather than down because for one theres not alot of reviews and I'd like for Kristi Rose to continue writing these books and secondly theres a very unfair review that id like to compensate for. This unnamed reviewer gave this set 1 star because of all the "foul language" its supposedly filled with🙄🙄🙄. First off thats not a sensible reason to downvote someones hard work over and more importantly is completely FALSE. I dont recall there being any bad language tbh, im sure there was a bad word here or there but most of the time Sam and the other MCs use replacement words like darnit warnit and stuff like that. I honestly felt like they might have been joking but i dont think they were. Its not fair to mess with someones livelihood just because you may be more sensitive than others.
Moving to the heart of things I'll share my likes and dislikes.
Likes👍
-Likable, well written characters that are equal parts goofy, down to earth, relatable and entertaining.
-Each book has a series of crimes and or problems that Samantha is investigating which gives the storys more depth and makes the books more well rounded. I hate when so called cozy mysterys also hone in on one thing the entire book everytime, it makes things seem 2 dimensional.
-Theres a solid sense of progression from book to book. As we listen it feels like we're growing with Sam and moving forward and not just staying stagnant. (Thats another pet peeve of mine with other "cozy mysterys". Every books the same and none of the characters progress whatsoever)
-The mysterys are actually well thought out and have depth.
Dislikes👎
-She rags pretty hard on vaping and sounds super judgmental about something she obviously hasnt done much research into. Being a vaper myself i know what caused all the lung problems and the 1 or 2 actual deaths and it was illegally made thc vape cartridges that contained vitamin e oil and other additives, none of the fda approved store bought kind.
-In the 3rd book when Sam is under suspicion for murder, the shariff goes after her pretty hard because hes incompetent. During a chat they were having outside the coffee shop the shariff handcuffs sam to the bike rack and leaves her there.. For no other reason than to mess with her... and she does NOTHING about it!! Okay leme tell you why this bothered me sooo much.. For one her mother is the mayor and her father runs the newspaper. The shariff of their county illegally handcuffed their daughter to the sidewalk just to harass her. Thats not okay!! Why was this not even brought up afterward? After it happens she calls someone for help and never brings it up again like its not a big deal. That IS a big deal. Thats just a mean spirited, immature, inappropriate thing for someone in the police force to do, especially if their in charge. She should have followed thru with her parents and smoked his whole career for that. He shouldn't have that position anyway because hes obviously horrible at his job. Idk if its just me or what but that really truly bothered me that our MC let him walk all over her like that without any reprisals. I like when they show some backbone and stand up for themselves. Have a little self respect. I honestly lost alot of respect for the character after that. Almost made me lose a star for the book as a whole and would've if it wasnt attached to the other 2 books.
But anyway ive gone on long enough. The books were really good and i will be continuing with this series.
I would ask that, if Kristi Rose is reading this, let Sam get some get back on the shariff. Fire him, bring him down, somethin!

Good read

Samantha True a quirky PI and occasional PA, solve crimes in a fictional town in the PNW with her motley crew of friends and family. Mysteries 1, 2, & 3 are filled with suspense, humor, and a dash of social issues that plague small communities. You can’t help being entertained by the main character, Samantha True, as she stumbles through her new career as a PI. It is full of expertly written detail descriptions of the PNW, that make you feel like you are riding shotgun in Precious’ SUV as it catches air and bad bad bad guys.

Great overall!

I loved these stories so much. The characters are witty, and sometimes ridiculous a good balance of seriousness and hilarity. I really enjoyed escaping in these books. 

Fabulous Discovery

I recently discovered this series and fell in love. The first book was sufficient to let me know it is my kind of series, and the other 2 in this set only confirmed and enhanced that conclusion. It is noteworthy that the first book is set 10 years earlier than the subsequent books. It threw me for a nanosecond, but it provides a solid background, and aging the characters those 10 years to their early 30's was a stroke of genius, giving the books more depth.

The protagonist, Samantha, may be a beacon for trouble, but she is an incredibly likeable character determined to make the most out of a series of situations that would be the undoing of a lesser woman. As a kid, she dealt with the stigma of mis- or undiagonsed dyslexia. As an adult, she has a whole host of new challenges, but she is up to them, thanks, in part to her past, her family, and her childhood best friend who overcame her own childhood issues. Add to that an "inherited" IT guy/hacker and a possibly budding friendship with a former nemesis, and readers are treated to witty, usually intelligent dialogue and that comfort that comes with being a part of a group of friends. Since the books are set in her hometown, Sam also has history with a lot of the citizens, that may be a plus or minus to her various crime solving endeavors,

And that brings us to the crime solving. Without including any spoilers, let's just say that the mysteries in these books are multi-faceted, some even unique. That said, you may solve them before the characters, but you will enjoy the ride, nonetheless.