Deconstructed

A Novel (A Cricket Crosby Caper, Book 1)

By: Liz Talley

Narrated by: Christina Delaine, Mikhaila Aaseng

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

An exhilarating novel about fast friends and fashionable revenge by Liz Talley, the USA Today bestselling author of Adulting.

Antique-store owner Cricket Crosby’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that the rumors of her husband’s affair aren’t just leisurely Southern gossip. Her plan: hire an investigator; find an attorney; enlist the help of her new assistant, Ruby; and make her husband pay.

Ruby knows how quickly everything changes. After a dicey past, she’s determined to forge a new future by working for Cricket and reinventing herself as a designer, deconstructing vintage haute couture. If anybody can help mend a few tears in Cricket’s life, she can.

But turns out Cricket’s life isn’t just a little torn. It’s wrinkled, stained, and falling apart at the seams. With Ruby and her ragtag relatives—a soused PI and a hunky tow truck driver—Cricket is sleuthing her way to the truth, no matter how dangerous it gets.

Sure, Cricket’s life isn’t what she imagined. But she’s embracing change and figuring out what she really wants. And that’s kind of fabulous.

©2022 Amy R. Talley. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrators Christina Delaine and Mikhaila Aaseng combine forces to tell the story of Cricket and Ruby…. Each narrator is aptly suited to the characters.… Aaseng's narration evolves as Ruby's feelings transition from sullenness to acceptance of her family. Delaine brings out Cricket's determination to deal with her husband. The two narrators complement each other's portrayals.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Heartwarming and hilarious, this story was everything I’ve come to expect from a Liz Talley book. I adore Cricket and her ragtag team of sleuths, and I couldn’t wait to find out the truth about her husband. Don’t skip this fun and delicious read!”—Darynda Jones, New York Times bestselling author

“…Such a fun read—feisty and funny southern fiction. Made me feel like I’m in the deep south on a fun adventure. The characters are flawed but fascinating.”—Pamela Kelley, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

LOVED IT!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the narrator!! will be looking for more of her books!

A quick read!

Cricket has been married for years, and has a child, Julia Kate. Her husband, Scott is a banker. Cricket owns a store Printemps. And she's hired a new worker, Ruby. Cricket finds out that her husband is cheating on her. And that he is doing shady business. He drained their bank accounts. With Ruby, and her families and friends help, they find a way to get the money back for Cricket and Julia Kate. And get evidence that Scott has been cheating. The characters are fun and relatable. It's easy to follow. And this is the first book in a series.

Reality Check

Two Women, complete opposites, come together to Help Change their Worlds Loved It ❤ :-)

Spectacular!!!!!

Deconstructed by Liz Talley is honestly one of the best books that I've read in quite a while. This book was a little different than my normal genres and selections, but oh my I'm so happy that I took this chance!

Such a fantastic story of a Southern lady dealing with marital problems and finding friends and close confidantes in what she would seem unlikely places. I loved how the story allowed Cricket to open up to new opportunities and realize that the people we're used to aren't always the best and even people out of our normal circle are pretty amazing! loved that part of this book, plus the humor was magnificent....really loved this book. and the narrators were top notch, they did such a great job. thank you Liz Talley for this spectacular book, and Christina Delaine and Mikhaila Aaseng for the voices to go with it. 20 stars in my book!! ❤❤❤❤❤

Cute! Bonds of friendship forged by revenge!

Great narration! A cute story on the bonds of an unlikely friendship formed while plotting revenge on a cheating husband.

really cute story

if you want a fun story that you really don't have to think about, this is the book for you.
Really cute and frivolous. truly one of those books you enjoy listening too for the gotcha feeling. it was amusing and kept me highly entertained.

loved it

I really enjoyed reading this author.  I look forward to reading more books by this author in the near future.

Great read!

Started this book early Friday morning and when I was supposed to be working on a chaotic Friday I closed the office door and laughed out loud! I couldn’t put it down!!

Some reviewers said the narrators sounded nasally or “too old” for a 40 y.o. woman. I disagree. Both narrators were spot on as southern women from Shreveport La.

I hope there is a follow up. Will the clothing line take off? Will Dak be the one to tear down the wall? Will Cricket and Griffin finally consummate? Will JK learn humility? Does Duke relapse or remain abstinent and redeem himself? Will Cricket secure her PI license and upgrade Duke’s office furnishings and clean him up?? As you can see I have questions that need answers.

5 Huge Stars!

Deconstructed is the first book by Liz Talley that I have ever experienced and let me tell you, it is a story you don’t want to miss! It is riddled with memorable characters, entertaining moments and witty banter that blend the taste of southern charm and sass perfectly!
I am a lover of romance but this story is so much more. It is all about empowering woman as Cricket finds her way out of a marriage with not only a cheating husband but a husband who is caught up in white collar crime and she decided that enough was enough and made the move to change her life for the better.
Ruby is the other character in this story that is using her creative talent as a way to a better future and moving on from her past mistakes.
These two women are amazing and because of all their adversity became close friends and realize that together they are a force to be reckoned with.
I had the added benefit of listening to the audio version of this story and the narrators did an amazing job bringing these two southern women to life.

loved it!

I wasn't sure what to expect but it is so worth the listen. Christina Delanoe was fabulous and made the book so much more enjoyable! This is a first book for this author but I'm going to check out her other books, the writing was fabulous! I now want to know where everyone is in a year or 10! Great book!