Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Box Set Books 4-6

Jamie Quinn Cozy Mystery

By: Barbara Venkataraman

Narrated by: Fay Annette

Length: 20 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Jump back into the Jamie Quinn Cozy Mystery series with this bundle of books four through six.

Engaged in Danger

First place in the Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Mystery Novel Competition

Finally, life is good for reluctant family law attorney Jamie Quinn - her father may get his visa soon, her boyfriend is the bomb, and her law practice is growing like crazy - but when she agrees to take on a high-profile divorce case, everything falls apart. What looked like an opportunity to work with her friend Grace and make some serious bucks has turned into a deadly game, one that could destroy their friendship and tear their town apart. Why couldn't Jamie just leave well enough alone?

Jeopardy in July

Attorney Jamie Quinn is enjoying her new side job at La Vida Boca, a posh assisted-living facility in Boca Raton, but when members of the poker club start to die under strange circumstances, she finds herself once again embroiled in a mystery. With help from her new friend Jessie Sandler and her favorite PI, Duke Broussard, Jamie uncovers a crime that took place 40 years earlier. Can she stop the killer in time? Or is she in danger of becoming the next victim?

Malice in Miami

Attorney Jamie Quinn is loving life - her boyfriend, Kip, is back from Australia, her long-lost dad finally has his visa, and she's about to start her dream job at an art foundation. But it all falls apart when Jamie is accused of stealing priceless art. If she can't find out who framed her, she can kiss her dream job good-bye - and her law license too. Meanwhile, Kip, now an environmental activist, uncovers a deadly secret - one that just might get him killed. Jamie's in trouble, Kip's in danger, and Duke Broussard has gone AWOL. How could Jamie's favorite PI abandon her at a time like this?

©2021 Barbara Venkataraman (P)2021 Vasan Venkataraman

Love the stories more than the narrator

Engaged in Danger:
These stories are getting better, partly because the stories are longer, so the author has more time to spend on character development. There were a few moments when I was a bit turned off by Jamie, specifically with how needy/selfish she was with Kip, but also with how judgmental she was of Grace. But the extra pages helped because it gave Jamie time to process through her feelings and figure out the more mature choices. Overall, I was pleased with her growth in this one.

I also really liked how there were several plot lines in this story, and how they eventually intersected and affected each other. Each of her friends, as well as her next door neighbor was going through their own challenges, and despite Jamie feeling like the world was going to end for her (okay, so she does tend towards melodrama), she still made time for them. This one was tough because she was on the outs with her best friend because of something she did, and she had to figure out how she was going to fix it. But that's it--I like that she immediately recognized her part in things and took responsibility for them, rather than playing the blame game.

The mystery with her neighbor's, as well as with her client, were more complex than we've had before, and again, I think the additional length of the story allowed for this. I thought the author did a great job of pulling on several threads and having Jamie and her friends find the connections. The ending still felt a bit rushed, but maybe we just need the author to add a few more pages? Hee, hee, one can hope!

This particular book was narrated by someone different from the first three books. Fay Annette was the narrator, and my initial impressions was that she was much more consistent than the previous narrator (good), she sounded like she was from Minnesota or Wisconsin (not bad--but they are in South Florida, so that was kind disconcerting for me), and her voicing was pretty good. However, as I listened to more and more of it, I realized I did not like that she sounded almost like a robot. It's hard to pin down, but as much as she made the voices distinct, her delivery was very emotionless. In the end, even if the first narrator, Carrie Lee Martz was a bit uneven at times, I think I preferred her narration.

Jeopardy in July:
As this series progresses, I like each succeeding book more and more. Jamie is a character I didn't initially love, partly because she was so caught up in her own fears and insecurities that she didn't necessarily consider things from other people's point of view. But with each book, you can see her maturing and willing to leave her comfort zone and I've really loved that about her. Kit is still in Australia and she's still struggling with him being so far away, but here we start to see that although she rails at him for prioritizing wombats and other wildlife ahead of her, she is also realizing that the work is important and either she needs to fully accept and embrace that it doesn't mean he doesn't love her, or she needs to let him go. But either way, she needs to not stop living her own life.

The mystery in this one was a lot of fun for me--the setting was a retirement community, and I loved some of the other side characters in the story. As the longest book in the series so far (the books get longer each time), there was a lot of time that could be spent on a more intricate mystery as well as character development. I enjoyed trying to figure out how events could be connected and it was very satisfying to have some correct guesses. I did not expect the surprise Jamie had at the end (no spoilers) but I love what it could mean for her future.

I listened to this again, and I'm starting to adjust to a narrator that has a Wisconsin accent, but she still has a tendency to sound like a machine with emotions that are manufactured. It's hard to explain, but that's kind of what it sounds like to me. It's not a bad narration, but it does throw me off at times. Fortunately, it doesn't spoil the story for me. But if you're on the fence about listening or reading, I would probably recommend reading these.

Malice in Miami
I really liked this final book (so far) in the Jamie Quinn Mystery series. She does quite a bit of growing over the course of the series, but this is where you really see the fruits of that growth. There were times throughout the series that some of her choices frustrated me, and while that was a result of her fears and insecurities, I liked how she faced up to many of them in this book. But I also like that we see how Kip is also not "the perfect boyfriend" (is there such a thing) that he appeared to be at the beginning. Yes, he's very sweet, and he's very kind, but he also seems to prioritize other aspects of his job over her. I'm not saying that's wrong--what he's doing is important. But I like that things aren't perfect, but in this one, they get to figure out how to make it work for them.

I also love that she has to deal with snakes. Personally, I love snakes, so their appearance in this book was a lot of fun. I loved the side story with her dad and how he's having trouble coping, and the way that resolves is highly entertaining as well as heartwarming.

She's trying to wrap up her family law practice while preparing to start her position at the Andrea Lowenthal Art Foundation. She's supposed to be keeping a low profile while learning the ropes of the art world, but as you know, when she smells something fishy, she can't help getting involved. Although this one is not entirely her fault, as she ends up being arrested for something she clearly did not do.

This was probably my favorite of the 6 books, and I'm sad that there isn't anymore (for now), but at least this one resolves a lot of different threads so that I feel satisfied with where she is. That said, I will be jumping in when/if the author writes another one in this series. This is a great palate cleanser when you're looking for a fun cozy mystery.

perfect trio of mysteries

Jamie Quinn is the type of person you want as a friend, witty, smart and absolutely relatable! These stories are fun, with a mystery woven around in an organic way.

Well written and narrated

This audiobook was a fantastic listen-to! The variety of characters, twists, and comedy made it a true joy to listen to. Everyone and everything was so well described I could easily picture the scene taking place. The voices were spoken so clearly I nearly came to feel each character as my own aquaintance. A nice book to relax with, while enjoying a story plot that keeps moving at a pace to keep the listener interested with a few chuckles along the way.