Merit Badge Murder

Merry Wrath Mystery, Book 1

By: Leslie Langtry

Narrated by: Bailey Carr

From USA Today best-selling author Leslie Langtry comes a mystery series of laugh-out-loud proportions....

When CIA agent Merry Wrath is "accidently" outted, she's forced her into early retirement, changes her appearance, and moves where no one will ever find her - Iowa. Instead of black bag drops in Bangkok, she now spends her time leading a young Girl Scout troop. But Merry's new simple life turns not-so-simple when an enemy agent shows up dead at scout camp. Suddenly Merry is forced to deal with her former life in order to preserve her future one.

It doesn't help matters that the CIA sends in her former, sexy handler to investigate...or that the hot new neighbor across the street turns out to be the local detective in charge of her case. And when Merry is forced to take on a roommate in the voluptuous form of a turned KGB agent/bimbo, things become trickier than wet work in Waukegan or cookie sales in the spring. Nothing in the CIA or Girl Scouts' training manuals has prepared her for what comes next....

©2014 Leslie Langtry (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

The story is cute and I feel it would be best to just read it.

I’ve had a hard time listening to this book. I can’t for the life of me, wonder why you would have this woman do the reading. Her voice is enough to drive crazy people around the bend. Her interpretations of the other characters is also very nonplussed. I may READ another in the series, but I won’t be spending money listening again.

!Entertaining - not really funny

**Spoilers**
First, what CIA agent retires (her cover was blown) moves back to her hometown around the corner from her BFF and expect to live undercover? Merry Wrath did. She made superficial changes in her appearance, a change in her hair color and contact lens. Somehow after a drunken night with her BFF, she divulges to her BFF, Kellie, what her previous occupation was. How is it that no one else in town recognizes her?

The CIA gave her a substantial settlement but not a back ground to withstand the basic scrutiny of the local police? They did blow her cover.

Merry Wrath, a girl scout leader, former CIA spy, is still adjusting to normal life (she is still using Dora the Explorer sheets for drapes) after a year. Dead bodies turn up, a new police chief moves across the street and she gets a visit by her former handler. Throw in an attraction for the hot new police chief and her former handler and you have all the ingredients for this story.

Merry has a few skills in sulking around and using guns. The funny scenes are when she has to keep Rex, the police chief, the dark about her previous employment
If you take some of inconsistencies into account, then this is an entertaining story. It does not have the comedic supporting cast that you will find in Fortune Hunter, written by: Jana DeLeon or Claire in the Jackrabbit series by: Ann Charles. Nor does Merry suffer from being a blundering amateur detective like Claire.

What I can tell from the closing dialogue, Merry is looking forward to some interesting action from the mutual attraction between her and Rex and her and Riley.

This has left me with a desire to listen to another Fortune Hunter book. I miss the funny support cast.

Cute & Fun

If you're looking for something to sink your teeth into I would keep looking. However, if a fun, quirky listen (while your doing something else) is what you want, this books for you.

Great Story....performer, not right for the story!

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

Yes the book was awesome, performer was not right for the part.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Riley was my favorite character...Loved how cocky he was.

Would you be willing to try another one of Bailey Carr’s performances?

She was good, but if someone was retired from the CIA, the book shouldn't be narrated by someone who sounds like they are 12.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, yes, yes!

So-so story.

I've read better. like the other readers, I kept comparing this story to the Miss Fortune series. This story is weak and the author failed to keep her story straight.
Failure to pay attention to the story line is a common error of authors. For example, at one point Merry is dressed for battle with a gun holstered on her hip. In one scene the gun is holstered, then it's in her hand, and then it's holstered again. At no time was the gun drawn. This type of writing happened several times in the story. How the author and the proof readers missed it is beyond belief.
It is beyond me how a Police Detective can call out Swat for an operation without reporting to his Supervisor first.
The narration is lousy as the narrator can not do male voices and should only be part of a team. As for her speech pattern, she speaks ploddingly and reminds me of Howard Kossell. Yep, I'm old.