Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas

A Sophie Katz Mystery

By: Kyra Davis

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Sophie Katz, bestselling mystery writer and amateur sleuth, has just discovered that Anatoly, her sexy Russian P.I boyfriend of six years is actually married to the daughter of a Russian mafia boss. Devastated by his betrayal, Sophie banishes him from their beautiful San Francisco Victorian home.

Desperate to distract their friend and pull her out of her depression, Dena and Marcus spirit Sophie away to Vegas for a "fun filled weekend" at a Sex Toy Trade Show. But bigger trouble awaits in Vegas. Anatoly is there; his beautiful Russian wife is there; and so is a dead body stuffed into a closet. And to make matters worse someone has gone out of their way to implicate Sophie in the murder. Sophie's completely over her head and when a mysterious man offers her help she's tempted to take it. But who is he and whose side is he on? It's also clear that whoever the bad guy is he would have no problem killing Anatoly, and although she may want to kill him herself, no one else is going to hurt Sophie's man.

©2012 Kyra Davis (P)2012 Kyra Davis

Awful!

I have bought all the audiobooks in the Sophie Katz series and I've loved them all except this one. The first 5 books I only bought through Audible. This book, I first bought on Amazon for my kindle because it wasn't available in audio format. I had not been overly impressed with the book, but I thought it was because I really loved Gabra Zackman's performances of all the characters. I just recently purchased and listened to this audiobook, and I couldn't even get more than an hour in before I just shut it off. The problem is the story is very slow and lacks most of the laugh out loud moments I loved. This particular performance by Gabra is equally bad. None of the characters sound right. They all seem to lack the personalities and voice inflections I've gotten used to. The main character, Sophie, just comes off as whiney. It's hard to know if these problems are due to the changes in editing and publication, or if this series has just reached the end. I don't believe I will be buying anymore though.

Why--Because they're funny too!

Just liking the series, just enough spice to keep it edgy, story enough to keep it interesting, well written to keep me in the story, and the performance by the narrator is spot on!
My third one, and enjoying the characters as developing, evolving and interesting as time is passing....

As long as these elements remain, I will keep listening!

Vintage Sophie

Where does Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'm comparing all of the Sophie Katz mysteries and this is one of the best storylines of the bunch. I also like the progression of the characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas?

I don't want to be a spoiler but I love when Sophie makes assumptions before she has all the facts but always ends up in the right place.

Have you listened to any of Gabra Zackman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Gabra does a fantastic job distinguishing the characters. She gets you to care about them and what's going on in their lives individually and collectively.

If you could rename Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas, what would you call it?

I wouldn't

Any additional comments?

I stumbled onto this series and I eagerly await the next installment. Kyra Davis is a writer that should not be passed on. I could easily see this on TV or in the movies. Not network though, cable.

"BoBo To the Rescue"

Would you consider the audio edition of Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas to be better than the print version?

Gabra is this series! This was great, and if you get this before book#5, it will spoil the series for you. If you buy only one book, then buy #1 or 2 as the rest are a continuation of 3.4.5. with this book bringing it all together.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas?

this is a chick flick series that is light,humorous, and a mystery. Anotoly is not the focus in this series. He is a part of it, but the surrounding characters each build a great deal of each different story. Anotoly is the binding agent.

Which character – as performed by Gabra Zackman – was your favorite?

Alex was the fave in this story. G.Z. made him yummy!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Author made a couple of scenes very notable. I listen to #2,3,4,5,6 in a row so I got the full effect author had when she wrote this series. Sorry I let so much time go by between #1 and #2 to listen to these

Any additional comments?

To get the full effect of this series use the new 1.25X speed to listen. It makes the story so much more enjoyable

An enjoyable read or listen.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This is a good book, though don't try to read them out of order, you'd be lost (particularly in this one). I enjoy this series and look forward to each one.

Loved every minute

Always a roller coaster ride with Sophie Katz! She never disappoints. Hope she keeps them coming and always narrated by Gabra Zackman.

Always Entertaining!

loved it! Funny, sexy, mysterious.. everything you need for a really good read! Wish for more!

Funny, exciting listen

What made the experience of listening to Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas the most enjoyable?

Another Kyra Davis book...enough said

What did you like best about this story?

The relationships among the characters

Which character – as performed by Gabra Zackman – was your favorite?

Love all. Anatoli would be fun to meet in real life :)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

A Fun Listen...

Would you consider the audio edition of Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas to be better than the print version?

Yes. The narrator made the book for me. I think if I just read it, the book would have been very flat.

Any additional comments?

It was a fun quick listen. Almost needed to write down all the characters and who they are. It all came out in the end.
Overall, was happy with the book. If you want a fun mystery, this is it.

Another Great Sophie Katz Mystery

What made the experience of listening to Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend In Vegas the most enjoyable?

I found myself laughing out loud at certain points during this book. This book is perfect if you're looking for an entertaining and lighter comedy.