Better Read Than Dead

Psychic Eye Mysteries, Book 2

By: Victoria Laurie

Narrated by: Elizabeth Michaels

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Word of Abby's talents reading tarot cards has reached a mob boss who wants her help in some business matters and he doesn't take no for an answer. When the police seek out her psychic intuition to shed light on a masked man who's been attacking women, Abby finds herself working both sides of the law on her own, leading her to wonder, why didn't I see this coming?

©2005 Victoria Laurie (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

GREAT Series!

Once I start listening to one of the books in this series, I have to finish it. That includes listening at work, staying up late at night, driving around extra distances or parking in the driveway. I started with Abby Cooper Psychic Eye and have been reading in the series order, I feel each of these books will easily stand alone, but reading in order is helpful. The author does do an excellent job of filling in the information about past books happenings, but NOT in a repetitive way that's like a cut and paste of whole sections from previous books. Also, love the fact that young adults could read these, because violent scenes are not not gruesome and there aren't any graphic sex-capades. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Harlequin romance as well as the next girl might, it's just refreshing to read a funny, entertaining, clean book with a plot that isn't dependent on the main characters jumping in an out of sex scenes in between finding dead bodies.
I love the narrator and find her completely capable of the various characters required and much more enjoyable than the narrator used for the Sue Grafton Series. I am now up to book 7 and can't wait to hear her other series starting with the first book: What's a Ghoul to Do?
I highly recommend all of Victoria Laurie's books, I'm glad I didn't listen to the bad reviews!

Abby>>> you go girl

really enjoyed the listen. The car fire reminded me of the stephine plum car issue. I have started listening to both series abby and ghoul series. They both area really easy fast listens. Matter of fact, several times I had to sit in the truck to finish some of the story line before I could get out. Keep them coming.

cheap . . . but not cheap enough

I bought this on a whim because it was on sale, but I wouldn't have finished it if I were paid to read it. The doughty heroine is a wretched amalgam of teen angst and New Age conceit, and manages to convert the truly awful things happening to her clients into yet more reason to obsess over her own personal melodramas. The narrator is too old a voice for the character, but along with the author can still not distinguish between the silliness of the premise and the seriousness of the plot events . . . which end up being merely a platform to inflate the very hollow protagonist yet further . . .

Perfect for road trip

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I listened to this book once... then went on a road trip with family.Wondering, "what would make this trip interesting?" I started playing the book from the beginning and it made the long road trip fun. Would recommend.

Which character – as performed by Elizabeth Michaels – was your favorite?

Abby

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

The first time, I listened to it while working all 2 days. The second time I listened to it with family on a road trip.

Any additional comments?

Overall Psychic Eye Mysteries are light mysteries - good for all ages. Interesting but not too heavy in blood and gore. I enjoyed it very much. Have listened to many other of Victoria's books. Would recommend!!

Couldn't put it down

Excellent story, entertaining and fun to listen too. Kept making excuses to continue to listen too. Likeable characters, and cringe worthy moment.

I love Abby Cooper!

What did you love best about Better Read Than Dead?

Once again Victoria Laurie brings to life the story of Abby Cooper, always suprising, cute and witty I love this story~

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

Yes, Elizabeth Michaels is a wonderful narrator. She is what hooked me to the series!

Very Good!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it is intriguing, has a little romance, mystery at it's best.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes it sure did. You never knew what was coming next.

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

I enjoyed the inflections in Ms. Michaels voice. Brought drama to the book.

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

I enjoyed it all.

Any additional comments?

Regardless of what other reviews stated this is not a silly school girl book nor is it ridiculous. I thoroughly enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. If you are looking for a deep serious mystery then this is not for you. It is light, funny, certain parts keep you spell bound so just try it.

Disappointing

After reading the first book in the series, I was on the fence about the series but thought it had potential. Unfortunately the series did no effectively progress leaving the reader with a less than endearing lead character and predictable dialogue. The performance was also poor.

Not a fan

I had read the first book in this series and enjoyed it, so I was glad to see additional titles in the series here on Audible. This is the first book that I had to stop listening to because the narrator was so annoying. I enjoyed the story, but I think I'll just go back to reading them

Annoying to the end

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A Grown Up Writer

Would you ever listen to anything by Victoria Laurie again?

Not a Chance

What about Elizabeth Michaels’s performance did you like?

She did a great job with the story with which she had to work.

What character would you cut from Better Read Than Dead?

The main character whose favorite line was "Liar liar pants on fire" Come on!

Any additional comments?

I really wanted to like this book - honest. I tried. I thought it might be fun to suspend disbelief and enjoy a book about psychic this and that, but I never dreamed a writer could, from start to finish write such adolescent predictable junk. The lead character repeated the phrase "liar liar pants on fire," every time she told one, just in case the reader was too stupid to figure it out. And she seemed to only be able to recognize "hunks" or really mean men in the world - two classes of men. (Grow up much?) Her jealousy about her hunkish FBI boyfriend would have driven even the dumbest guy to oblivion, but somehow he was too smitten by this moronic (self proclaimed good looking) woman to run in the opposite direction. And the rest of the female characters were also stereotypical dopes.

So, what's to like?

The story line had all kinds of twists and turns that never came together without super glue that relied on so much conspiring on the part of you/me the reader to accept a juvenile plot that by the end I felt nauseous. And that had nothing to do with her psychic abilities saving the day! Really, I don't think this author ever did any research about the world of mystics, Tarot or anything that supposed psychics actually believe. She just made up some dribble, through in a bunch of teenage fantasy with characters who were too old to be aging so stupidly and published a book. I'm wondering why this one made it to Audible.

This is the first book I've reviewed on audible, having read 100's but I felt like saving intelligent readers from my fate. I read it to the end waiting for the saving grace.
At least the dog, "Eggg" was smart enough not to drink the poision. Sorry to spoil the plot for you. I hate it when dogs are harmed in a story. But he was probably the only smart character in the book. So...